Is Objective Of Firms To Maximize Shareholder Wealth Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1900 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Clarifying on the point of what are the objectives of the business is very important to run a business in a purposeful and effective manner. It such as the firm needs to establish what they are trying to achieve and it is also central importance to make choices in business. There are some occasions when manager has to decide which claimants are to have the objectives maximized and which are merely to be satisfied. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Is Objective Of Firms To Maximize Shareholder Wealth Finance Essay" essay for you Create order There are some strong views held on this subject, the left-wing belief that employees should have its rewards maximized and other parties have been satisfied while the pro-capitalist economists believe that maximizing shareholder wealth is the desired objective. From annual report and Financial Statements of Marks and Spencer 2010, it appears that the company doesnt just focus on shareholders; they also build good relations with primary stakeholders like employees, customers, suppliers, local communities and the environment; They tried the best to do the right things cross the business, build a sustainable business through consistent, profitable growth to make sure that their customers and wider stakeholders can trust them to do the right thing. In my points of view, I agree that shareholder wealth maximization should be a superior objective over stakeholder interest and company also should keen on a balanced stakeholder approach. Bellowing are some relevant literature and practical business that support my opinion. Marks Spencer Plc is the leading UKs retailers with over 21 million people visiting its stores each week clarified their objective in its 2006 annual report as our main task to create value for shareholders by developing a trusted brand and delighting customers. Mark and Spencer has a clear idea of its objective. Its mission to deliver economic value to its shareholders through understanding the importance of meeting requirement of existing and potential customers, and the most important customers are the shareholders-the owners of the business. Its objectives, strategies and decisions are toward creating value for them. For almost companies, the largest proportion of long term finance is provided by shareholders. As long as a company performs well and provides them with excellent financial return and opposite. People invest in the expectation that when they sell, the value of each investment will have grown by sufficient amount, above its c ost to compensate them for the risk they took. The relationship between a company and its shareholder is clear. The shareholders give their hard-earned money to the managers of the business in the expectation that they will make good use of the fund. They hope to see substantial return in the form of rising share price as well as a stream of dividend. Glan Arnold, 2008 agreed that the company should make investment and financing decisions with the aim of maximizing long-term shareholder wealth. He also explained through contractual theory that Shareholders are owners of the firm, control its activities. They put money into the business and do not be promised that they will receive a dividend or not. The management board of the firm only promise that will try hardest to produce a return on money. That means the firm may go bankrupt and all money will be lost. The risk that shareholders are taking is not limited, their money may be produced efficiently or it may be reduced, even go to zero. However there are employment contracts between employees and the firm. Employees deal with the firm to provide their services in return for salary and benefit. Suppliers deliver necessary input in return for payment. Customers give money in return for goods and service. Most of the participants bargain for a limited risk, right and a fixed pay off. Because of this unfair balance of risk between claimants on the firms resources, who accepts high risk should be entitled to higher return which result after all the other parties have been satisfied. In Corporate finance principle practice, 2009 Denzil Watson and Antony Head analyzed the relationship between risk and return as high risk parallel with high return. An investor takes on more risk, higher return is offered in compensation. Among relevant claimants of the firm, the shareholders are taking the highest risk of return as mentioned above, so they deserve receiving superior return. On practicalities in a free mark et system, the firm will be difficult and unable to raise more finance from shareholders if it decides to reduce return to shareholders caused by increasing salary to their workers (more interest for employees) or by increasing quality of goods and service for customers (more satisfy and trust from customers) or by paying more for charity, protection environment, ect. Some shareholders will sell their shares and invest to other firms more orientated towards their benefit and concentrate on shareholder wealth creation. According to Pierre Vernimmen (Corporate Finance theory and practice, 2nd edition, 2009) Only creating sustainable value can a company ensure that it has finance growth train, pay to its employees properly, produce quality goods and service and respect the environment. In finance, there is just one overriding objective creating value, only by meeting this objective can one achieve all the others. Marks and Spencer agreed with this theory through their expression in annual report and financial statement 2010. They clarified that their main objective is building a sustainable business through consistent, profitable growth and making sure that their customers and wider stakeholders can always trust them. Cadbury Plc, the world largest confectionery also aims that they should deliver consistent superior return to shareholders in their 2006 annual report: our objective is to consistently deliver superior shareholder returns. We are committed in this objective although we recognize that the company does not operate in isolation. We have clear obligations to consumers, customers and supplier, to our colleagues and to the society, communities and natural environment in which we operate McKinsey and Company (2010) gave explanation for maximizing value of the firm as it is relevant to interest of all stakeholders. Companies that maximize value for their shareholders in the long-term also create more employment, treat the former and current employees better, give their customers more satisfaction, and shoulder a greater burden of corporate responsibility then more shortsighted rival. Competition among value focused companies also helps to ensure that capital, human capital and natural resources are used efficiently cross the economy, leading to higher living standard to everybody. They also argue that value creating company create more jobs, by taking a result of examining employment and found that the US and European companies that created most shareholder value in the past 15 years shown stronger employment growth. Jensen, M.C (2001) cogently argued simple stakeholder balancing or balance scorecard approach to directing a company because of the violation of the proposition that a single financial value objective is a prerequisite and makes society better off. Social welfare is maximized when all firms in an economy maximize total firm value. Value maximization tends to ask managers to make decisions so as to increase total long run market value of the firm. Total value is the sum of the value of all financial claims on the firms including equity, debt, preferred stock, and warrants. So maximizing value of the firm is maximizing value of shares and so on maximizing shareholder wealth. Otherwise, Stakeholder theory extent that firms should pay attention to all their constituencies that can affect the firm. Stakeholders were defined by Freeman (1984) as any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of an organizations purpose. Managers and board of directors have to choose among multiple completing and inconsistent constituent interests to make sure all stakeholders are at level of satisfaction. Customers want low prices, high quality. Employees want high wage, high quality working conditions and good benefit. Suppliers of capital want low risk and high return. Communities want high charitable contributions, social expenditures by firm to benefit the community at large, sta ble employment, increasing investment and so on. Because of this inconsistent interest group, business needs a balance scorecard as explanation of Kaplan (1996). Freemans definition suggested two-way relationship between a firm and its stakeholders. Stakeholders can affect and can be affected the achievements of a firms objectives. Good stakeholder management has clear instrumental value for the firms, Building better relations with primary stakeholders like employees, customers, suppliers, and communities could lead to increased shareholder wealth by helping firms develop intangible. A case study about short-term financial performance To make sure Marks and Spencer succeed, managers have to get thing right cross business such as being properly to each other as colleague, making sure we feel valued, motivated and rewarded; Treating our customers, suppliers and local community with respect; Respecting environment, involving our employees and customers through Plan A. MS has launched Plan A since 2007 to work with customers and supplier to combat climate change, reduce waste, use sustainable raw material, trade ethically and help customers to lead healthier lifestyles. These are commitment of donating all profit from the sale of single use food carrier bags to environmental charity Groundwork to invest in projects that will improve parks, play areas and public gardens in neighborhoods around the UK, working with Shelter to help make a difference to the many UK families who are homeless or badly housed, with The Prostate Cancer Charity to increase awareness about cancer disease, with The Woodland trust to plant new tr ees, closed lope recycling campaign to reduce waste, MS and Oxfam Clothes Exchange to help save water, protect children from disease, new school books for children. MS believes that if they do the right thing, the right way, their business will be successful; a sustainable business through consistent, profitable growth will be achieved. Their customers and wider stakeholders trust them. At the heart of all is making sure a good return for people who own MS-their shareholders. In other respect, base on point of view of left-wing party, Sumantra Ghoshal (2005) argued that the encouragement of shareholder wealth maximization is wrong. He explained that shareholders do not own the company, have no ownership right on the actual asset, they own a right to the residual cash flow of the company. The value a company creates is produced through a combination the resources of both employees including managers who contribute their human capital and shareholders who contribute financial capital. Employees of a company carry more risk than shareholders because shareholders can sell stocks easier than employees can find another job and employees contribute their knowledge, skill, entrepreneurship that are more important than capital. Then there can be no basic for asserting the principle of shareholders value maximization. However Michael Skapinker pointed out one problem with Ghoshal is that while he demolished shareholder value, he proposed nothing in its place, In general, both theoretical and empirical literatures agree that the goal of a well-run company is maximizing its long-term shareholders wealth as a firm shareholders are the residual claimants. However the firm enjoins every side to strive for friendly long-term relationship with employees, customers, suppliers and bringing benefit to local community and the environment. Objectives of a firm are interdependent. Good management knows which objective or claimant they should focus on each time to achieve long-term purpose is building a sustainable business through consistent, profitable growth and making sure they have a good return for their owners-shareholders. In the real business, many organizations are comfortable with no shareholder wealth maximization as Charity, government department and non-profit organizations.

Monster The Autobiography Of An L.a - 1395 Words

In this paper, I will explain the actions illustrated in the book Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member, by Sanyika Shakur, also known as Monster Kody Scott, from a differential association perspective and how this ultimately leads to the use of techniques of neutralization. I will begin by giving a brief description of the text as well as providing examples to support my differential association and techniques of neutralization approach. Kody Scott, at the young age of eleven years old joins the Eight Tray Gangster Crip gang. He is initiated in by being â€Å"jumped in†, or assaulted by his fellow gang members. It is then suggested that Kody Scott commit a heinous act of violence and empty an entire clip of bullets and to not†¦show more content†¦While incarcerated, he encounters a Muslim church leader, who encourages his involvement in the participation of his church sermons and also suggests several books for the young boy to read. Just as Kody Scott st arts to have conflicting thoughts over his gang involvement he is quickly released back into the real world and into his tough gang lifestyle. Eventually, Kody ends up in prison once more where he is exposed to the C.C.O., or Consolidated Crip Organization, which is a group against Crip violence. His participation with this group is what leads Monster Kody Scott into becoming Sanyika Shakur and changing his life forever. Kody Scotts participation in gang activity can be explained through the interactions he had with his intimate peer groups as described by Edwin Sutherland in his theory of differential association. The theory of differential association strives to explain, â€Å"Why do certain individuals become criminals?† According to Sutherland (1947), criminality is learned in interaction with others in a process of communication, usually with small groups of people (p. 14). Criminality, from a differential association perspective, is learned from observations of defini tions favorable to law violation (Sutherland, 1947). The learning aspect also includes, both the techniques of committing crime, and the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations and attitudes for committing crime (Sutherland, 1947, p. 15). The learning ofShow MoreRelatedCriminalogical Theories Applied to Monster The Autobiography of an LA Gang Member878 Words   |  4 PagesCriminalogical Theories Applied to Monster The Autobiography of an LA Gang Member In Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member, Kody Scott tells the story of the struggle between two significantly large gangs. At the age of eleven he was initiated into the Crips, and committed his first murder. It was this day that began what would become a career for Kody: banging (Scott, 1993). Kody worked hard to secure a reputation for his name. 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Gang Member, by Sanyika Shakur, also known as Monster Kody Scott, the author shares his experience as a gang member from the moment he joined until the moment he left. He shares the struggle of the two largest gangs in America. According the book, Shakur quotes, â€Å"OnRead More L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur Essay example1478 Words   |  6 PagesL.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur Kody Scott grew up in South Central L.A. during the nineteen-sixties and seventies, soon after the creation of the Crips. Raised in poverty without a father, and a full family raised solely by his mother, Kody Scott led the stereotypical â€Å"ghetto† life, a poor and broken home. However he does not blame this on his own personal decision to join the Crips while only eleven year’s old. The allure of the respect and â€Å"glory† that â€Å"bangers† got, along with theRead MoreMonster Book Report Essay1538 Words   |  7 PagesA History Lesson Alex Moir/February 13, 2001 Mrs. Neitling/Per.4 Kody Scott grew up in South Central L.A. during the nineteen-sixties and seventies, soon after the creation of the Crips. Raised in poverty without a father, and a full family raised solely by his mother, Kody Scott led the stereotypical ghetto life, a poor and broken home. However he does not blame this on his own personal decision to join the Crips while only eleven years old. The allure of the respect and glory thatRead More The Effect of Gangs in There Are No Children Here Essay949 Words   |  4 Pagesand Delinquency, Vol. 30 No. 1, Febuary 1993, pp. 88-112 (Journal) Lo, Chun-Nui (Celia), A Social Model Of Gang-Related Violence, Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology, Vol 19 No 1, May1991, pp. 36-43 (Journal) Shakur, Sanyika, Monster: The Autobiography Of An L.A. Gang Member,Penguin Book Ltd., 1993Read MoreThe Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur aka Kody Scott 1452 Words   |  6 PagesThis book Monster: the Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur aka Kody Scott depicts all of the events that Kody went through from the day he joined a gang up until when he decides to leave the gang, and his life after the gang. He joined the Eight Tray Crips when he was only eleven years old. He gets initiated into the gang after his sixth grade graduation, and he describes his initiation as an even bigger right of passage into society than his own graduation. The reasons that KodyRead MoreEssay about Children and Gangs1455 Words   |  6 PagesDelinquency, Vol. 30 No. 1, Febuary 1993, pp. 88-112 (Journal) Lo, Chun-Nui (Celia), A Social Model Of Gang-Related Violence, Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology, Vol 19 No 1, May1991, pp. 36-43 (Journal) Shakur, Sanyika, Monster: The Autobiography Of An L.A. Gang Member,Penguin Book Ltd., 1993   Read MoreEssay about Social Learning Theories and Juveniles4006 Words   |  17 Pagesinto to society i.e. recidivating is not as likely. Many of the offenders in this prison reportedly gave into peer pressure of delinquent behavior causing their present stay in the Singapore prison. In a novel by Sanyika Shakur titled Monster: the Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member he is a product of his environment, he learned his criminal traits through older gang member he associated with and fed off of his intimate personal group of the Eight Tray Gangsters. Several times during the chronicleRead MorePrice of the Ticket7729 Words   |  31 PagesAirplane and the Fugs, to perform at the benefit. Arriving on a motor scooter with Robert Scheer, the managing editor of the magazine Ramparts, Graham saw a long line stretching down Howard Street - Huge hordes of people, as he recalled in his autobiography, Bill Graham Presents, written with Robert Greenfield. Turning to Scheer, he said, This is the business of the future. There had, of course, been rock-and-roll concerts before the Mime Troupe appeal; the Beatles had filled Shea Stadium a few

The Psychological Affects Of The Holocaust Essay Example For Students

The Psychological Affects Of The Holocaust Essay The Holocaust was a tragic point in history which many peoplebelieve never happened. Others who survived it thought it shouldnever have been. Not only did this affect the people who livedthrough it, it also affected everyone who was connected to thosefortunate individuals who survived. The survivors were lucky tohave made it but there are times when their memories and flashbackshave made them wish they were the ones who died instead of livingwith the horrible aftermath. The psychological effects of theHolocaust on people from different parts such as survivors ofIsrael and survivors of the ghettos and camps vary in some ways yetin others are profoundly similar. The vast number of prisoners ofvarious nationalities and religions in the camps made suchdifferences inevitable. Many contrasting opinions have beenpublished about the victims and survivors of the holocaust based onthe writers different cultural backrounds, personal experiencesand intelectual traditions. Therefore, the opinions of the authorsof such books and entries of human behavior and survival in theconcentration camps in Nazi-occupied Europe are very diverse. The Survivors of the Holocaust: General SurveyBecause the traumatization of the Holocaust was bothindividual and collective, most individuals made efforts to createa new family to replace the nuclear family that had been lost. In order for the victims to resist dehumanization and regressionand to find support, the members of such groups shared storiesabout the past, fantasies of the future and joint prayers as wellas poetry and expressions of personal and general human aspirationsfor hope and love. Imagination was an important means ofliberation from the frustrating reality by opening an outlet forthe formulation of plans for the distant future, and by spurring toimmediate actions. Looking at the history of the Jewish survivors, from thebeginning of the Nazi occupation until the liquidation of theghettos shows that there are common features and simmilarpsychophysiological patterns in their responses to thepersecutions. The survivors often experienced several phases ofpsychosocial response, including attempts to actively master thetraumatic situation, cohesive affiliative actions with intenseemotional links, and finally, passive compliance with thepersecutors. These phases must be understood as the development ofspecial mechanisms to cope with the tensions and dangers of thesurrounding horrifying reality of the Holocaust. There were many speculations that survivors of the Holocaustsuffered from a static concentration camp syndrome. These theorieswere proved to have not been valid by research that was doneimmediately after liberation. Clinical and theoretical researchfocused more on psychopathology than on the question of coping andthe development of specific adaptive mechanisms during theHolocaust and after. The descriptions of the survivors syndrome inthe late 1950s and 1960s created a new means of diagnosis inpsychology and the behavioral sciences, and has become a model thathas since served as a focal concept in examining the results ofcatastrophic stress situations. After more research was done, it was clear the adaptation andcoping mechanisms of the survivors was affected by the aspects oftheir childhood experiences, developmental histories, familyconstellations, and emotional family bonds. In the studies andresearch that were done, there were many questions that were askedof the subjects: What was the duration of the traumatization?,During the Holocaust, was the victim alone or with family andfriends?, Was he in a camp or hiding?, Did he use false Aryanpapers?, Was he a witness to mass murder in the ghetto or thecamp?, What were his support systems- family and friends- and whatsocial bonds did he have? These studies showed that theexperiences of those who were able to actively resist theoppression, whether in the underground or among the partisans, weredifferent in every way from the experiences of those who werevictims in extermination camps. When the survivors integrated back into society after the war,they found it very hard to adjust. It was made difficult by thefact that they often aroused ambivalent feelings of fear,avoidence, guilt, pity and anxiety. This might have been hard forthem, but decades after the Holocaust most of the survivors managedto rehabilitate their capacities and rejoin the paths their livesmight have taken prior to the Holocaust. This is more true for thepeople who experienced the Holocaust as children or young adults. Concert Attendance Report EssayMany survivors described themselves as incapable of livinglife to the fullest, often barely able to perform basic tasks. They felt that the war had changed them and they had lost theirmuch needed spark to life. Investigations show that the extremetraumatizations of the camps inflicted deep wounds that have healedvery slowly, and that more than 40 years later, the scars are stillpresent. There has shown to be clear differences between campvictims and statistically comparable Canadian Jews: the survivorsshow long term consequences of the Holocaust in the form ofpsychological stress, associated with heightened sensitivity toanti-semitism and persecution. The survivors, normal people before the Holocaust, wereexposed to situations of extreme stress and to psychictraumatization. Their reactions to inhuman treatment were normalbecause not to react to treatment of this kind would be abnormal. Survivors of IsraelThere were few studies done, following the Holocaust that weremade in Israel of the psychological effects of the Nazi persecutioneven though the number of survivors was high as time passed,research increased and in 1964, a comparison was made betweenHolocaust survivors now in Israel and non-Jewish Norwegians whoreturned to Norway after being deported to camps. The resultsshowed that the Jewish survivors suffered more from the totalisolation in the camps, from the danger of death, which was greaterfor Jews, and from survivor guilt, than did the Norwegians. Italso showed that most Israeli survivors were suffering fromsymptoms of the so called survivors syndrome, but were active andefficient, and often held important and responsible jobs and socialpositions. Another study, of Israeli Holocaust survivors in kibbutzim(collective settlements), revealed that survivors who could notmourn their losses immediately, after the war began mourning andworking through their grief when they adjusted to life in thekibbutz. The study also indicated that many Holocaust survivorshad a low threshold for emotional stress. This was brought outduring situations that reminded them of the Holocaust- especiallyduring the EICHMANN TRIAL, when they had to testify against Nazicriminals, and during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. These were thetimes when they suffered periods of depression and tension. Studies made in Israel more than 30 years after WWII did notshow significant differences in the extent of psychological damagebetween people who were in hiding during Nazi occupation and formerconcentration camp inmates. The only difference that was found wasthat the inmates experienced more pronounced emotional distressthan those who survived the occupation outside the camps. The research done on the elderly Holocaust survivors in Israelindicated that they encountered particular difficulties inabsorption because of the serious problems they had to overcome(loss of family and of the social and cultural backround they hadknown before the Holocaust). The community in Israel tried toprovide them with personal and professional care. Nevertheless, tothose survivors who immigrated to Israel when elderly it was moredifficult to adjust than the younger survivors. There was also a study done in the University PsychiatricHospital in Jerusalem 40 years after liberation. It revealed adifference between hospitalized depressive patients who had beeninmates of Nazi concentration camps and the match group of patientswho had not been persecuted. The camp survivors were morebelligerent, demanding, and regressive than the control group. Oddly enough their behavior may have helped their survival. Despite the many hardships and difficulties faced by thesurvivors in Israel, their general adjustment has beensatisfactory, both vocationally and socially. In the end it hasbeen more successful than that of Holocaust survivors in othercountries. When looking at it from a general point of view, thesurvivors, for the most part have shown to be as strong as humanlypossible. Not one person who hasnt seen what they saw canpossibly imagine how they feel. Many people are greatly affectedby things the survivors would consider menial. There is no otherway they are supposed to act. These people were lucky to havesurvived but there is no doubt that there have been times whentheir memories have made them think otherwise.

Ways to Control Water Pollution free essay sample

And each source requires an individual solution to develop a correct answer. Requiring responsibility and involvement in the problems of water pollution, every human who lives on this planet needs to become knowledgeable about their local water resources. Ways to control water pollution should be something everyone practices in order to combat harmful wastes which eventually end up in sewage treatment plants or landfills. Adequate water planning needs to be boldly approached regarding ways to control water pollutionconservation, recycling, desalination, and stricter controlsin order to keep adequate water supplies for our future generations.Over $300 billion dollars are estimated by our government for upgrading pipes in the United States to handle a newer and more reliable water supply system for the country. The days of cheap water are over. One way to control water pollution is to carefully observe which nutrients are needed on the yard before fertilizers are applied, wisely choosing alternatives methods. We will write a custom essay sample on Ways to Control Water Pollution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If fertilizers are applied, make sure they do not run off into nearby surface waters, also keeping any type of pet waste, leaves, litter, and plant residue out of storm drains or gutters.Planting trees and brushes to hold back flooding areas and slopes help maintain water in much needed areas, used throughout the world for not only ways to control water pollution but also to conserve natural wildlife habitats. The United States is not the only country struggling in ways to control water pollution. The country of Australia is in a 30-year dry spell, with the urban centers of sub-Saharan Africa’s population growth straining their natural reserve levels.And believe it or not, Asia has over 60% of the entire world’s population with only 30% of the world’s fresh water. What needs to happen to avoid environmental collapse on a world level is for developing and under-developed countries to work together for workable ways to control water pollution, utilizing methods to prevent any more environmental problems as industries grow. Strategies involving conservation methods are slowly becoming acceptable, with the world’s population realizing they do not have to be comfortless just because energy is being conserved.Advancing technology is helping these two ends of the spectrum meet in a comfortable manner, with important ways to control water pollution involving forms of cooperation among global countries and their people. Ways to Conserve amp; Preserve Water Quality By Barbara Kellam-Scott, eHow Contributor Everyone whos ever lived on Earth shares the same water molecules. The Earth on World Water Monitoring Day, September 18, 2010, contains the same number of molecules of water that it did on the first day it could be called Earth.Water cycles t hrough plant and animal bodies, flows into streams, rivers, lakes and oceans, evaporates and falls again as rain and snow. Humans save water in reservoirs, and the Earth saves it in hidden aquifers, fed by the slow seepage of groundwater through soil and rock that cleanses it, to be drawn up again through wells and put back through sewers and septic systems. Not all water molecules are traveling in good company, but there are options on family, community, society and world scales for keeping clean water clean and cleaning up whats been polluted. . At Home * Most of the water that comes into your home through a municipal supply goes back out through sewers for treatment. You can make a big difference, though, by simply taking your car to a commercial car wash. These businesses may be required to and probably do reuse water, clean it of chemicals before discarding it, and discard it into public water-treatment systems for further cleaning. If you must wash your car at home, do it on the lawn where the water can soak back into the ground.Do not let car-wash water run down the driveway into the storm drains, which are not treated and carry your soap and whatever was on your car straight into your own local rivers and lakes. Around Town * State and federal environmental departments can assist communities and groups of communities to analyze and protect the water resources they share. In 2005 the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported on its National Estuary Program and what it taught them about Community-Based Watershed Management. From the experience of 28 coastal watershed regions on all three coasts, they concluded that the model of viewing a watershed as a shared resource could unite citizens and community leaders in funding, organizing, and executing programs to improve their own and their neighbors water quality. Nationwide * Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NDES), just one of the programs authorized in the 1970s by the Clean Water Act, the U. S. EPA is empowered to regulate any pipe, ditch or other conveyance that discharges water into any U. S. waterway.For the most part, these regulations are administered by the states, and include state regulation of discharges from federal facilities. Thanks to programs such as this, 21st-century American children may find it hard to picture major rivers too dirty to swim or fish in. Globally * Unfortunately, much of the world is still catching up on water quality, but most of the world is paying attention. Among the results of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was the establishment of World Water Day. The UN has also declared an international Water for Life decade that began in 2005 for the purpose of bringing nations together to recognize that everyone shares the same water and passes it back and forth around the world. The U. N. s millennium goals include a focus on water resources. Conclusion Clearly, the problems associated with water pollution have thecapabilities to disrupt life on our planet to a great extent. Congress haspassed laws to try to combat water pollution thus acknowledging thefact that water pollution is, indeed, a serious issue.But thegovernment alone cannot solve the entire problem. It is ultimately upto us, to be informed, responsible and involved when it comes to theproblems we face with our water. We must become familiar with ourlocal water resources and learn about ways for disposing harmfulhousehold wastes so they don’t end up in sewage treatment plantsthat can’t handle them or landfills not designed to receive hazardousmaterials. In our yards, we must determine whether additionalnutrients are needed before fertilizers are applied, and look foralternatives where fertilizers might run off into surface waters.Wehave to preserve existing trees and plant new trees and shrubs to helpprevent soil erosion and promote infiltration of water into the soil. Around our houses, we must keep litter, pet waste, leaves, and grassclippings out of gutters and storm drains. These are  just a few of the many ways in which we, as humans, have the abilityto combat water pollution. As we head into the 21st century,awareness and education will most assuredly conti nue to be the twomost important ways to prevent water pollution. If these measures arenot taken and water pollution continues, life on earth will sufferseverely.Global environmental collapse is not inevitable. But the developedworld must work with the developing world to ensure that newindustrialized economies do not add to the worlds environmentalproblems. Politicians must think of sustainable development ratherthan economic expansion. Conservation strategies have to becomemore widely accepted, and people must learn that energy use can bedramatically diminished without sacrificing comfort. In short, with thetechnology that currentlyexists, the years of global environmental mistreatment can begin to bereversed The effects of water pollution on living things