Should There Be Additional Gun Control - 1476 Words

Should there be Additional Gun Control? In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since it’s birth. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, hunt for food and engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control is complex. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified as citizens of the Land of the Free. Possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity. Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and†¦show more content†¦The Second Amendment of the United States protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791. We believe in the words of the Second Amendment to our U.S. Constitution, â€Å"a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.† However, there are those who believe that this individual right should be repealed, controlled. United States of America is the one advanced nation on Earth in which we do not have sufficient, common sense gun safety laws. John R. Lott, Jr. the author of More Guns, Less Crime, understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws wrote about the horrific shooting†¦ occurred in one of the few places where having guns was already illegal and state that These laws risk creating situations in which the good guys cannot defend themselves from the bad ones. Even in the face of repeated mass killings, if you look at the number of Americans killed since September 9, by terrorism, it’s less than 100. If you look at the numbers that have been killed by gun violence, it’s in the tens of thousands. For the congress not to be able to accept additional gun control, has been something that is distressing, but it is not something that we intend to reduce gun violation. The reason why gun control should be enforced is because if not, a mentally

Masculinity Masculinity And Masculinity - 1520 Words

To read Babio without recognizing the gender politics at work in the play would disregard much of how the play itself creates meaning. So much of the play’s plot and character dynamics are related to the way gender functions in this play. One major theme of Babio is the idea of masculinity and how masculinity is defined. Through the portrayal of Babio as an effeminate character, Babio is able to define masculinity through absences in Babio’s Character. Consequently, Babio makes the additional point that lovesickness is not an intrinsic aspect of medieval masculinity, despite the fact that love sickness is often attributed to men. Babio’s titular is portrayed as feminine and lacks traits that traditionally define masculinity. One such trait is rationality and control of one’s emotions. Instead, Babio is portrayed as being overly emotional and lacking in any sort of capacity for reason or common sense. Babio’s melodramatic and expressive nature is imm ediately evident in the play; Babio’s opening lines express grief that is beyond reason. The play opens with Babio saying, â€Å"I’m tormented by grief. Indoors, outdoors, / it’s always the same. If I grieve any more I shall not be able to bare it,† (77, ll. 1-3). In beginning the play with these lines, the not only centers the plot on Babio and his lovesickness, but also emphasizes his emotional nature—which ultimately drives much of the action of the play. Since Babio is not able to bare his grief, he is unable to gain control overShow MoreRelatedMasculinity : Masculinity And Masculinity1850 Words   |  8 Pagesin which femininity and masculinity play a role in society. At the end of World War II, there were many interpretations on what it meant to be a man† most notably for soldiers returning home from the war whom were either unemployed, handicap and/or suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Film and television acted as pivotal agents that influenced a change in the way masculinity was defined. They explored social values as they refer to the ideas of masculinity and femininity by reflectingRead MoreMasculinity : Masculinity And Masculinity851 Words   |  4 Pages Masculinity At its Manliest In both Douglas Schrock and Michael Schwalbe’s Men, Masculinity, and Manhood Acts and Sharon Bird’s Welcome to the Mens’s Club, we see compelling arguments for the treatments on the categories of â€Å"masculinity.† By comparing both articles, the significant similarities and differences between the two variations can be identified. In doing so, the function of â€Å"masculinity† in society, according to each author, can also beRead MoreMasculinity : Masculinity And Masculinity Essay1623 Words   |  7 Pagesbe a shot to his manhood. To most men and boys in western society, masculinity is what separate the men from the women and the boys from the girls. However, what is masculinity and why do most men and boys’ try so hard to guard theirs? My understanding of masculinity, and as technically defined, is having customary qualities attributed to or usually applicable to a male. My position is that society encourages hegemonic masculinity thu s forming basis for males to exhibit traditional masculine qualitiesRead MoreMasculinity : Masculinity And Masculinity1769 Words   |  8 Pages Masculinity There are different ways for men become masculine, people can teach them or let them figure it out when growing up. Masculinity is usually described as being strong, manly, or dominate. It is also used when someone is describing men and how masculine they are. Many people use the word â€Å"masculine† to describe a man and put them into a category if they see that he fits. Many people believe that boys should not be brought up by punishing them if they did not do something masculine. TheyRead MoreHegemonic Masculinity : Masculinity And Masculinity926 Words   |  4 PagesMultiple Masculinities The certain qualities a man processes plays into how masculine he is rated to be. The way he portrays himself in his looks, actions and everyday life paints a bigger picture for the type of male he is. Connell argues that hegemonic masculinity is the ultimate goal that men strive for. Hegemonic masculinity is the idea of men being powerful, strong and dominant. Not many people actually live up to this theory, but nearly all men strive to achieve it. Marginalized masculinity andRead MoreMasculinity : Masculinity And Violence Essay2278 Words   |  10 PagesMasculinity and violence Violence is a mechanism of coercive control that is used to maintain and reinforce gender difference and hierarchy. Building on Lynch s (2009) claim that hegemonic masculinity is toxic to both the men and women left in its wake this essay aims to explore the relationship between hegemonic masculinity and violence. Placing a specific focus on acts of intimate partner violence and mass shootings, and exploring the works of Lynch (2009), Keith (2011), Baugher, GazmararianRead MoreHegemonic Masculinity : Masculinity And Masculinity1092 Words   |  5 Pages‘hegemonic masculinity’ and ‘the field of masculinity’ depicted in this film. ‘Hegemonic masculinity’, which is proposed by Connell (1987), is assumed to ‘the pattern of practice (i.e., things done, not just a set of role expectations or an identity) that allowed men’s dominance over women to continue.’ (Connell and Messerschmidt 2005, p.832) However, hegemonic masculinity h as strong influence not only over women, but also over other men as Demetriou (2001, p.341) states. Hegemonic masculinity dominatesRead MoreMasculinity And Masculinity, By Michael Kimmel Essay1976 Words   |  8 Pagesmen are often subject to extreme methods of proving their masculinity, and to reinforce what it truly means to be a man. Michael Kimmel, famous sociologist said, â€Å"Masculinity is the relentless repudiation of the feminine† (Kimmel, 2015), which not only reflects how men think about themselves but how North Americans as an entire culture think about masculinity and manhood. The following pages will be centered on issues of the lens of masculinity in contexts such as the sphere of education, the predominanceRead MoreToxic Masculinity : Substance Masculinity1921 Words   |  8 PagesAs a boy grows into a man he faces the ever-raising mountain of masculinity. In regards to the occurrence, he finally reaches maturity he has no choice but in order to fight to re tain his measly sense of manhood. He is not allowed to act feminine or else he’s not man enough, he can’t show his emotions, he has to hide that he can do anything a woman can do sans give birth. Boys grow up being told they are not allowed to cry and that they are supposed to be tough, that they are not able to be likeRead MoreHegemonic Masculinity : Masculinity And Masculinity2351 Words   |  10 PagesWhat is hegemonic masculinity? What are the merits and shortcomings of this concept? In Connell’s original conception, hegemonic masculinity can be understood as ‘the pattern of practice that allowed men’s dominance over women’ (1987). Hegemonic masculinity is the exclusive masculinity of which only a few exhibit. The majority of men in fact experience complicit masculinity, allowing them to dominate in the patriarchal system in which it created. Connell (1987) believed it was this that created

A Japanese Perspective Marketing Science

Question: Discuss about the Japanese Perspectivefor Marketing Science. Answer: It is a well-known well fact that one of the traits which define the working professional is the fact how he/she manages conflict at workplace. The conflict can be due to self-interest, client-interest, and preference towards a set of clients. Then there are also ranges of scope conflicts were people dont agree on the scope of the project. In the investment business it is more so difficult to manage conflicts. It may be the case that a particular security is offering more commission and hence the professional is offering advice to clients to invest in the same. At the same time may be logically a security A is better than security B, but it is the gut feeling of professional that security B is the right investment destination. Employees are apprehensive about their ability to perform their daily jobs while coping with learning new tasks, systems and processes. Given that almost everyone has been involved in past (failed) transformation efforts that disrupted how they work, many will not even engage in new efforts. Instead, they will wait for the transformation effort to fizzle out and fail (Dyer, 2015). The most important skill of effective conflict leaders is their own level of emotional intelligence (EI). It gives them the ability to understand and respond positively to other people's conflict. This research reinforces the position that emotionally intelligent leaders are more likely to lead a transformation to success (compared with those that have lower EI). They are better equipped to handle the conflict that disruptive conflict induces (Antia, 2013). All conflict requires emotional energy. Conflict used to be much less frequent. Now, it is almost continuous in many organizations. The ability to handle the impact of continuous conflict is crucial to successful transformation. When such ability is absent, employees suffer conflict fatigue. Transformation often fails because leaders fail to appreciate the impact on employees, which results in conflict fatigue. This leads to conflict resistance. Although people may agree with the rationale for conflict, they feel uncomfortable with the fear and uncertainty over how it will impact them. However, they fail to address how they will help employees transition through the conflict. This means they also ignore the underlying conflict driving the conflict-resistant behavior. Even worse, if these signs are ignored, then these conflict can fuel the organizational politics that often cause transformation to fail. A recent study showed that the ability to read other people's conflict indirectly predicts annual income, due to greater political savviness and facilitation of other people. An obvious challenge for global organizations is that employees are often in multiple locations, which makes face-to-face communication and reading facial expressions impossible. However, videoconferencing can be used to as a proxy for face-to-face communication. Highly empathetic individuals perceive when employees complain and appear to resist conflict. The likelihood is that employees feel their input has not been solicited or heard, or that communication regarding the conflict has not addressed the concerns they have raised. This bothers employees because they deeply care about certain issues. By identifying the conflict that are causing the behavior (Wolff, 2013). Trust is the most important component of any relationship. It can be built by taking an incremental approach to conflict, not by changing too many things at any one time, and by actively listening to and acting on feedback. For example, BT leaders and BP directors might embark on further transformation soon after completing huge projects that have disrupted BP behavior and relationships (Beitler, 2016). If the project has not yet delivered all the benefits as it was originally sold, then it is time to pause and consolidate. If this doesn't happen, then it will impact the potential success of the next transformation (Gross, 2016). Trust can be built or rebuilt through a willingness to show vulnerability. In this scenario, one element of vulnerability may be recognizing past mistakes and explaining how they will be avoided in the future. This requires listening to stakeholders' concerns and ensuring that they have a means of providing input and feedback on the important decisions that will impact them. Never overpromise, but be clear on what can and cannot be done. There are many elements in any project that are unpredictable or uncontrollable. One of the most important, but often overlooked, characteristics of leadership is the ability to deliver bad news with empathy The leader should establish a norm that, while everyone's ideas should be heard, decisions should be made for the common good, not for the sake of "winning the argument." One way for leaders to do this is by facilitating meetings so that everyone has a chance to voice their ideas and opinions, but then leading the team to agreement, or at least consensus, on a given decision. Communication and conflict management are just two of the eight competences required for relationship management. It is unlikely that individuals will possess all eight competences, so they should identify the ones they lack and seek coaching to help them improve. An alternative approach is to view these as group competences. A high-performing team would display at least six of the eight competences (Adan, 2014). Emotionally intelligent teams are flexible. Just because someone is designated as the leader doesn't mean that he or she has all the answers. Allowing people to lead according to their competences will not only show EI in its own right, but also be conducive to getting things done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Conflict are triggered by an event that affects the team. How those conflict are interpreted by team members depends on their individual EI and the influence of organizational culture. When people take an action or display a particular behavior as a result of the conflict they are feeling, the choice of action and behavior is likely to be influenced by what is deemed to be culturally acceptable (Baan, 2014). Most work environments attempt to suppress overt displays of "unacceptable" conflict, at least for certain groups of people. However, just because people's conflict are not on display doesn't mean they are not feeling them and acting on them (Silvetti, 2014). The behaviors that individuals exhibit impact relationships between individuals and the environment, which, in turn, can trigger further conflict. This cycle can be positive or negative. Emotionally intelligent leaders aim to drive a positive cycle that reinforces trust (Benner, 2016). References: Dyer, B. and Song, X.M., 2015. The relationship between strategy and conflict management: A Japanese perspective. InProceedings of the 1995 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference(pp. 126-132). Springer International Publishing Antia, K.D., Zheng, X. and Frazier, G.L., 2013. Conflict management and outcomes in franchise relationships: the role of regulation.Journal of Marketing Research,50(5), pp.577-589 Beitler, L.A., Beitler, L.A., Machowski, S., Machowski, S., Johnson, S., Johnson, S., Zapf, D. and Zapf, D., 2016. Conflict management and age in service professions.International Journal of Conflict Management,27(3), pp.302-330 Gross, M., Wallace, M., Adair, W., Neuman, E., Aarts, N., Ayoko, O., Barry, B., Barsness, Z., Beersma, B., Bies, B. and Amsler, L.B., 2016. Negotiation and Conflict Management Research Adan, M. and Pkalya, R., 2014. Conflict Management in Kenya-Towards Policy and Strategy Formulation Wolff, S. and Yakinthou, C. eds., 2013.Conflict management in divided societies: theories and practice. Routledge Silvetti, M., Alexander, W., Verguts, T. and Brown, J.W., 2014. From conflict management to reward-based decision making: actors and critics in primate medial frontal cortex.Neuroscience Biobehavioral Reviews,46, pp.44-5 Baan, C., Bergmller, R., Smith, D.W. and Molnar, B., 2014. Conflict management in free-ranging wolves, Canis lupus.Animal Behaviour,90, pp.327-334 Benner, P.W., 2016. Corporate Conflict Management 4.0: Reflections on How to Get There from Here.Browser Download This Paper

Intergenerational Versus Intra-Generational Equity Essay Example

Intergenerational Versus Intra-Generational Equity Paper Whilst the notions of intergenerational equity and intra-generational equity are not always completely incompatible, the assumption that they are necessarily mutually reinforcing is certainly misguided. The notions of equity as between noncontemporaries and contemporaries can quickly be distinguished. The former requires thought about levels of savings of natural and other assets over time. The latter is inherently connected to distributive politics between contemporaries. The notion of distributive justice between contemporaries is a highly contested area, of course, and presents a great potential constraint on the exercise of the principle of intergenerational equity. Those who mention the two notions within one breath underemphasise, in this author’s view, the deep-seated potential for conflict between them. If more than lip-service is to be paid to either principle, then they must be distinguished from one another. Legal academics and judges would do better to draw out the distinction between the two terms and consider both their competing and complementary requirements in any given case. It may be that judges are in some cases forced to delineate a hierarchy between the two competing considerations. Though preferable to decision-making that fails to confront the issue, such a decision would be a fraught task. One school of tresources away from the needy of the current hought would hold that the quest for intra-generational equity should never trump that of intergenerational equity. This type of approach sees intergenerational equity as anterior to intra-generational equity in the sense that unless certain aspects of the natural environment are preserved for future generations, there will be no patrimony to be distributed geographically within future generations. We will write a custom essay sample on Intergenerational Versus Intra-Generational Equity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Intergenerational Versus Intra-Generational Equity specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Intergenerational Versus Intra-Generational Equity specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer According to this view, there are certain environmental imperatives that must occur even at the expense of some members of the current generation. This is the type of view likely to be associated with deep ecology, but a parallel can be seen in some views of fiscal policy. By contrast, another school of thought holds striving for intergenerational equity through future-oriented redistribution is unjust to the extent that it moves resources away from the needy of the current generation. Drawing on Rawls’ notion of just savings, Frà ©dà ©ric Gaspart and Axel Gosseries note that transfers of generational (as opposed to purely private) savings to future generations might be regarded as unfair ‘toward the least well-off members of the current generation.’ They put it this way: â€Å"Imagine that a given generation anticipates that at the end of its existence a surplus is likely to be transferred to the next generation on top of the equivalent of what the current generation inherited to the previous one. If the constitution of such a surplus is likely, it should benefit the least well-off members of the current generation rather than the next generation as a whole.† It is worth noting that Gaspart and Gosseries do not see this approach as in any way inimical to impartiality between generations; they stress that this argument does not ‘presuppose any priority of intra-generational justice over intergenerational justice.’ It would, however, require intra-generational redistribution of savings as to occur before any intergenerational redistribution: any inequity within the current generation would have to be addressed before generational savings could be put away for future generations. More broadly, there seems to be a failure by those touting the notion of sustainable development to confront the dilemma posed by the (often) contradictory requirements posed by these two ethical aims. Perhaps Gaspart and Gosseries are correct on a theoretical level in suggesting that the attainment of intra-generational equity need not rule out intergenerational equity. However, in the concrete and more bounded situations likely to be heard by judges, in which only the parties before the court have standing in the matter at hand, and in which only the principle of intergenerational is to be applied, it seems likely that some decisions will have to set aside the geographical demands of equity in order to focus on the temporal. On a final note, while the two concepts roll quite glibly off the tongue together, after a moment’s consideration it seems somewhat odd that the notions of intergenerational and intra-generational equity terms should be associated in the first place. Common law (and other) legal systems are infused to their very core with the notions of equity and fairness between contemporaries. Intergenerational equity, however, offers something different – an attempt to facilitate a level of justice between members of different generations, and in doing so presents a potential key to the instigation of a longer term decision-making process. This is something that common law legal systems have not prioritised in the past (and understandably so: not only is the structure of the common law legal system poorly equipped for such an approach, but also achieving justice between contemporaries is hard enough in itself). However, the long-term nature of complex environmental problems creates the need for innovation within the legal system. The notion of intergenerational equity, while fraught with challenges, presents an opportunity for the law to take a new approach to justice over the long-term. The fact that Australian judges have taken a cumulative approach to assessing impacts upon future generations indicates an appreciation for the central temporal quality of the principle of intergenerational equity. Administrative Law as Environmental Governance The judgements in Gray, Taralga, and Walker are grounded in administrative law. More specifically, they each deal with administrative decisions concerning environmental impact assessment. They form part of a broader ascension of administrative law as a tool for environmental legal challenge in Australia. Bell and McGillivray note that ‘environmental law has not been developed as a self-contained discipline, but has simply borrowed concepts from other areas of law.’ When new types of environmental problem, such as climate change, arise, environmental solutions must take whatever form they can. The use of administrative law as a form of environmental redress has both advantages and limitations in the context of the principle of intergenerational equity. In addition to being a well-established area of law, administrative law has the advantage of offering preventative, rather than reactive, forms of redress. The temporal characteristics of environmental problems can present a particular challenge when it comes to finding an appropriate legal remedy. Environmental solutions conceived under the common law, such tort actions in nuisance or negligence, have traditionally been reactive rather than preventative. Moreover, with respect to climate change, the temporal disconnection between the causes of global warming (carbon dioxide emissions) and its negative effects (for example, extreme weather events) appears to contribute to the difficulty plaintiffs face in proving causation in negligence suits. By allowing parties to challenge administrative decisions affecting the environment that have failed to consider ESD principles, the administrative law approach facilitates the prevention, rather than the retrospective compensation for environmental harm. This helps to give proper effect to the notion of intergenerational equity, which requires that the interests of future generations be taken into account in decision-making. Administrative law also has a number of limitations as a means for facilitating the principle of intergenerational equity. Generally, judges conducting judicial review of an administrative decision are prevented from reviewing the decision on its merits. In such cases, judges must restrict themselves to determining the legality of the decision-making process, rather than the merits of the decision itself. The NSWLEC is distinctive in that it has a merits review jurisdiction in addition to its ordinary judicial review jurisdiction. In cases falling under its merits review jurisdiction, the NSWLEC is required to put itself in the shoes of the original administrative decision-maker and to make a new decision. As Biscoe J notes in Walker, most of the NSWLEC’s decision on ESD principles have occurred within the Court’s merits review jurisdiction. While this affords the Court an opportunity to discuss the constitution of ESD principles in depth, it is unclear to what extend decisions made under this special jurisdiction can be deemed to contribute to the development of jurisprudence. Jagot J notes in Drake-Brockman v Minister for Planning that ‘care must be taken in applying observations about the level or extent of issues found to be appropriate in merits appeals to other contexts.’ In that case, Jagot J refused to accept the Applicant’s argument that Gray stood for a general proposition an environmental impact assessment will be inadequate if it does not include a quantitative analysis of greenhouse gas emissions. Jagot J distinguished Gray on the grounds that, essentially, it was the process of decision-making that had been flawed in Gray, rather than the substance of the decision itself: what appeared to have been critical in Gray was the disjunction between what the Director-General required †¦ and what the Director-General accepted as adequate†¦ Gray does not stand for a general proposition that Pt 3A of the EPA Act requires any particular form of assessment of greenhouse gas emissions for each and every project to which that Part applies. The foregoing suggests one should be cautious about reading too much into the substance of decisions on ESD principles, particularly to the extent that decisions on substance coincide with decisions based on well-established principles of administrative law. By contrast, while merits review is generally overlooked as a source of legal reasoning, Elizabeth Fisher has demonstrated (in the context, particularly, of Australian specialist environmental tribunals) that merits review has more precedential value than is commonly recognised. Fisher argues that while merits review decisions are traditionally seen as lacking a ratio decidendi, ‘the reality is †¦ that in environmental and planning law practice and scholarship merits review decisions are treated as ratios for lawyers and primary decision-makers alike.’ She notes that merits review decisions are often included in volumes of law reports and cited by judges as legal authorities. This is true of all of the three cases examined most closely in this Chapter, notwithstanding Jagot J’s scepticism in Drake-Brockman v Minister for Planning.   While Fisher is sympathetic to Jagot J’s words of caution, and notes that there is great variation between tribunals as to what constitutes the process and impact of merits review, her work nonetheless demonstrates that the merits review decisions cannot be dismissed as extra-legal. Far from it, merits review decisions are helping to develop jurisprudence within environmental law. A separate but related point with respect to constructing a jurisprudence of intergenerational equity through administrative law is that there is a risk that the principle will come to be treated as a procedural step in development decisions rather than a principle of wide applicative scope. In Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd, a case, once again, dealing with the requirements of an environmental impact assessment, Preston J stated that the requirement for prior environmental impact assessment and approval enables the present generation to meet its obligation of intergenerational equity by ensuring the health, diversity and productivity of the environment is maintained and enhanced for the benefit of future generations’. This view, if read as describing the exhaustive role of the principle of intergenerational equity, greatly diminishes the scope of the principle. A preferable view would be that prior environmental impact assessment is a necessary but insufficient requirement of the notion of intergenerational equity in the specific context of some planning decisions under the relevant legislation. Conclusion The interests of future generations are often at odds with those of the present, particularly in the context of the environment. Legislators, as elected representatives of current generations, have little incentive to make laws that protect the environmental well-being of future generations if those laws in any way restrict the way of life of their living constituency. Even where legislators do enact measures that risk current unpopularity for a future gain, their work may be repealed by a more populist successor; parliaments cannot bind their successors. On a more local scale, administrative decision-makers are often tempted by similarly short-term incentives. For these reasons, the principle of intergenerational equity is a hopeful addition to environmental law. Though thus far little-used, the principle aims to balance the interests of current and future generations in decision-making, in particular with respect to the environment. In Australian legislation, the definition of the principle of intergenerational equity is vague. Legislators have left the elucidation of the principle to the Courts. Academic interest in the principle has generally focused on its normative basis; this Chapter has sought to elucidate the practical implications of the principle by examining its appearance in Australian case law, where the jurisprudence on the principle is most developed. The practical impact of the principle of intergenerational equity is potentially far-reaching, and as such judges have been given a wide discretion with respect to the environmental interests of future generations. Given the failure of legislators to protect the environmental interests of future generations where they conflict with the current interests (usually economic) of current constituencies, the tempering potential for the principle of intergenerational equity is profound. Moreover, the tenured and independently appointed judiciary is structurally less beholden to short-term considerations than those in the legislature. An examination of three relevant cases reveals the formation of a nascent jurisprudence on intergenerational equity within Australia. As the first of its kind globally, the impact of this jurisprudence could influence case law beyond Australia. These cases, all occurring within the context of administrative decisions about planned developments, show that the principle intergenerational equity requires administrative decision-makers to do a number of things. First, decision-makers must consider the cumulative environmental impact of proposed decisions. This is significant in that it attempts to prevent the creeping accumulation of negative environmental impacts, however small individually. Second, it demonstrates the propensity of the judiciary to take a longer term view of environmental management. Third, the decision in Gray suggests that the principle of intergenerational equity requires more than the mere flagging of environmental issues in an impact assessment, instead it require s a thorough consideration of their impact within the relevant contextual setting. This suggests that judges are unwilling to allow the environmental impact assessment process to become a mere box-ticking exercise. The decision in Taralga moved beyond the environmental impact assessment context to that of energy production and is sweeping in its scope. In this context, the Court found that the principle not only demands that the process of production and use of energy occur in a manner which accounts for the requirements of future generations, but also requires new types of clean energy production to be substituted increasingly for old, emissions-intensive methods. The reach of this finding is potentially great – it seems likely that were it applied to prevent the construction of, for example, a new coal mine, it would spark a legislative reaction. Perhaps of more general applicability is the Court’s finding in this case that the long-term interests of a community may at times trump the narrow, immediate interests of the present. The jurisprudence on intergenerational equity is of course very limited. This article has aimed to sketch a preliminary picture of the principle to date, and to draw from it implications about the power of the principle to overcome the short-term focus of many environmental projects when left to the legislature. The feature that sets apart the principle of intergenerational equity from other pieces of environmental law is its focus on redressing the imbalance between current and future interests. The Australian legislation has left the development of the principle in the hands of judges, a (perhaps unintentionally) wise decision given the general inability of legislators to make current sacrifices in order to achieve long-term benefits. In the case of Taralga in particular, the NSWLEC has shown a willingness to genuinely balance narrow current interests with broader future ones, finding in favour of the future. As Preston CJ noted, ‘resolving this conundrum’ is ‘not easy’. Nonetheless, this finding in particular embodies the spirit of the principle of intergenerational equity and offers some hope that its influence may in time play a part in tipping the balance back toward the future. Next Page   VI. Investing in the Future Previous Page   Implications