Analysis of Leadership Agility Theory

Analysis of Leadership Agility Theory Leadership is in a constant flux, driven by the dynamics of an ever-changing global landscape. Competition has never been fiercer, times have never been more unpredictable, and leadership has never been more significant for organizations to succeed. Bill Joiner and Robert Stephens (2006) introduce the concept of leadership agility which they defined as the ability to take wise and effective action amidst complex, rapidly-changing conditions (p. 6). The best thing about the book is that upon reading the introductory pages, you already know that it is a timely book on leadership. Joiner and Stephens make their case early on that effective leadership in the globalized world is contextualized that with the cross-cultural considerations, leaders are now faced with the challenge to adapt more ably to changing conditions and goals. When it comes to books on leadership, I was looking for concrete examples on what the authors are actually trying to point out in order to illustrate the theori es in a real-world setting. This book did not disappoint me on this aspect. There were numerous examples of individuals at various stages in their leadership careers, how they handled crisis situations and decision-making, including the strengths and weaknesses of their judgments. The last chapter of the book also encourages the reader to assess his or her level of organizational agility and to determine which core competencies of agility he or she needs to develop to lead more effectively. The book is well-written, not very technical in language, very organized, and rife with illustrations on the points they wanted to make, particularly on how the various levels of agility and core competencies differ from one another. From the title itself, I expected structure as I knew the authors would try to guide me through what they call the five levels of mastery in leadership. The authors succeeded in meeting all the challenges in coming up with a book on leadership that in the end, gives the reader not only the basic concepts, but teaches him on how to measure his or her agility level provide guidance on what to do next. In this book review, I intend to indicate the strengths as well as the points for improvement that I found while reading the book. I will also synthesize the concepts presented by the authors to relevant leadership concepts we have learned from the course from Northouse (2008), Clawton (2008) and Kouzes and Posner (2007). Highlights of the Book Part One of the book introduced the core competencies in leadership agility which is the main topic of this work. To do so, the authors did three things. First of all, they provided the rationale for leadership agility in the context of the interdependent world that has been borne out of globalization. They emphasized the complexity that leaders in organizations now face. The acceleration of ideas and new technologies has increased competition to a level never anticipated in the past. With the speed of these technological changes, opportunities and threats are also encountered at roughly the same level. This necessitates leaders to develop the ability to become agile, a behavior demonstrated when leaders are able to leverage resources and relationships in order to effectively respond to changes that affect the organization. Agility, said the authors, is developmental it passes through different stages and displays specific behaviors as leaders go from the most basic stage to the hig hest. The five steps in leadership agility include (from the lowest to the highest level): expert, achiever, catalyst, co-creator and synergist (Joiner Stephens, 2006). Second, in order to provide a brief look at how agility is demonstrated differently in five ways, the authors narrated a fictional character, Ed, a manager, who, upon encountering a situation responds to it in five very distinct ways. The manner in which Ed responded to the situation given illustrated a level in the leadership agility hierarchy. Third, the authors presented core competencies which are significant in leadership agility. By competencies, they meant the abilities and the skills needed by leaders to become agile. All in all, there are four competencies, which include context-setting agility, stakeholder agility, creative agility, and self-leadership agility. Under each core competency are two capacities involved. Within the context-setting agility, leaders have sense of purpose and situational awareness . Under creative agility, leaders possess reflective judgment and connective awareness. Under stakeholder agility, leaders possess power style and stakeholder understanding. Under self-leadership agility, leaders possess developmental motivation and self-awareness. Part Two of the book expounds on the five stages of leadership agility, devoting one chapter for each level. This section of the book explained in detail the areas, distinctions, and differences at each level of agility and illustrated each by presenting at least three case studies. The authors showed the leadership style, organizational initiatives, team leadership, and handling pivotal conversation associated with each agility level. The specific stages in leadership agility intertwine with some of the leadership concepts and styles that have been discussed in the course. I will discuss the concepts in relation to the five leadership agility levels. Expert. At the Expert Level, which is the lowest in the agility hierarchy, the leader proceeds with a tactical and problem-solving style of leadership. At this stage, the leader believes he holds the expertise and position to know what is best for the organization. This is similar to what has been learned from the course objectives. The style of leadership being manifested at this level is transactional management is key. This is what Burns (as cited in Northouse, 2008) tried to reiterate in distinguishing managers and leaders in that managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing (p. 213). The thrust in the Expert level of agility is results, not the fulfillment of organizational goals or empowerment of followers. The leader stays on top of the situation. While this leadership style gets things done, it is a mild variation of the autocratic leadership style because the leader is the central decision-making body and the leader assumes that he o r she alone knows what is best for the company. Achiever. The Achiever strives for outcome and leads knowing that ones expertise and positional authority alone does not lead to effective leadership but also on ones capacity to motivate others. In this stage, the leader moves up from being purely transactional to recognizing the need to be transformational as well. Northouse (2008) explained the difference between transactional and transformational leadership by saying that the latter motivated by considering and appealing to the interest of the followers. The ability to motivate others is the leadership aspect in Kouzes and Posners (2007) so-called journey. According to them, leadership requires the capacity to convince people to go on board while management guarantees that they reach the destination. To Joiner and Stephens (2006) then, the Achiever level of agility requires one to be both leader and manager. The Achiever initiates change by looking at the market environment and seeking input from stakeholders. Since the Achiever prioritizes outcome, there is an emphasis on using communication to assert the leaders views as well as accommodate views from others so long as it furthers organizational goals. One of the biggest concerns for leadership is handling the change process through more effective ways of communicating (Northouse, 2008; Clawson, 2008). Clawson (2008) considered communication important in any organization and opined that meetings should be a forum of empowerment. Clawson (2008) believed that meetings are an avenue where leaders show that while being the head of the organization, he or she is not supposed to dominate the group but instead empower them to speak out about current concerns and to foster dialogue in the direction of finding working solutions. Catalyst. The Catalysts leadership style is visionary and innovative and is able to articulate goals and at the same time inspire people into achieving those goals. In a sense, the Catalyst is transformational and realigns the culture and values of an organization to that of empowerment, teamwork, and participation. The Catalyst pushes for change and does so progressively. This is because he or she realizes that organizational change and member empowerment are vital elements of building and maintaining an industrious and dynamic organization. Kouzes and Posner (2007) believed that transformational leaders engaged stakeholders proactively and values their feedback as important considerations in decision-making. Even in the midst of opposition, the Catalyst welcomes dialogue and considers team-building to be an integral part of leadership development. This is very similar to what Northouse (2008) referred to as intellectual stimulation present in transformational forms of leadership. T his is a characteristic where leaders foster a climate of open-mindedness and creativity, challenging members to question the status quo, and to challenge their beliefs and values, as well as those of the leader (Northouse, 2008, p. 177). Northouse (2008) also highlighted in Chapter 6 of Introduction to Leadership that vision is crucial in leadership and that possessing it is as important as articulating it effectively, as in the case of Martin Luther King, Jr.s famous I Have a Dream speech and the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy. In the same vein as Joiner and Stephens (2006) emphasis on the Catalysts appreciation for feedback, Northouse (2008) also considered the development of group behaviors as important and that leaders must ensure that members are trained to provide constructive feedback that will help improve the dynamics of the team toward organizational effectiveness. On the other hand, Kouzes and Posner (2007) said that that leaders must search for opportunities to in novate, grow, and improve but reiterated that leaders should not be the only sources of innovation (p. 371). Cocreator. Joiner and Stephens (2006) identify the Cocreator as someone with an orientation toward collaboration and shared objectives. The Cocreator views leadership more importantly as a form of service toward the common good, similar to Kouzes and Posners (2007) emphasis on leadership as a means of achieving justice. Joiner and Stephens (2006) places upon the Cocreator the capacity to leads toward organization change by creating deep relationships with stakeholders fueled by mutual interests and devotion to uphold the welfare of the general population. The Cocreator may be more inclined to advocate for corporate social responsibility as a crucial component in organizational leadership. Team leadership to him is about collaborative practices and instilling in members that the welfare of the organization is a collective responsibility (Northouse, 2008). At this stage, leaders are aware that in order to accomplish goals and in handling change more effectively, they need followers, a nd vice versa. It is also at this stage where leaders are more keen on adopting ethical practices in leadership, because the leader becomes more aware that the actions, values, character, and goals of the organization are important (Northouse, 2008). Synergist. The Synergist is the highest type of leadership agility and in the authors estimation, present only in 1% of managers today. The leadership orientation is holistic leading becoming a purposeful activity which benefits the organization while at the same time becoming a medium for personal transformation. A sense of purpose is a recurrent theme in leadership literature and is an acknowledged element in the change process. Effective leadership, according to Clawson (2008) is pursuing purpose by exerting ones influence in improving the conditions and making things better for the organization and the society in general. The Synergist is able to maintain a keen yet objective awareness of incompatible stakeholder interests but is able to transform these differences in opinion into a win-win situation to the benefit of all concerned. Team leadership in a Synergist is fluid and dynamic and is able to form group dynamics in a way that provides optimum results. When engaging in pivo tal conversations, the Synergist maintains a present-centered awareness that is able to unify the organization despite chaotic situations (p. 11). According to the authors, this is the type of leadership agility that all managers should aspire for in the long-term. ÂÂ   While the five levels of leadership agility are hierarchically presented, meaning that the topmost Synergist level is the most effective form, Joiners and Stephens (2006) are quick to point out that this does not mean that the Synergist type is always the applicable one. In this vein, leadership agility becomes situational (Northouse, 2008). At this current business environment and considering the present forms of leadership that are found in most organizations, the challenge is to get past the so-called heroic leadership forms characterized by Achievers and Experts at the lower and middle level management (Joiner Stephens, 2006, p. 35). Heroic leadership is purely transactional, characterized by self-centeredness and the belief that the leader along is responsible for charting the organizations objectives, coordinating the activities of the members, and in managing how workers perform their respective jobs. Agile leadership on the other hand is transactional as well as transformati onal because it is dynamic and adaptive to the requirements of rapidly changing global business environment requires (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). The authors recommend the post-heroic leadership forms that emerge from the Catalyst stage onwards. What is desirable about post-heroic leaders is that while leaders hold accountability and accept ultimate responsibility, they allow members to participate and the organization shares commitment and burden in realizing organizational objectives. In this manner, even members of the group are empowered without necessarily holding a position with power. Conclusion This work from Joiner and Stephens (2006) is a response to the ever-growing challenges of leadership that has swept the global age. Compared to the more normative concepts of effective leadership that could be read from Northouse (2008) and Kouzes and Posner (2007), Joiner and Stephens focused on the ability not only to achieve organizational outcomes but to adaptability as well to respond to the changing conditions in society to achieve success for the business or organization. Comparatively, Joiner and Stephens presented a more contemporary strategy for todays leaders and highlighted examples that are grounded to twenty-first century realities. They used recurrent themes in leadership in presenting their case for leadership agility such as the distinguishing the difference between managers and leaders. The first two forms (Expert and Achiever) resemble the traits of a manager who controls, arranges, and does things right (Northouse, 2008, p. 135). Joiner and Stephens (2006) recogni ze that managerial skills are important in achieving outcomes but must be elevated to include transformational leadership skills in order to apart more effectively to global challenges. For instance, in education reform, there is a need to apply more creative strategies in response to organizational change. This may include proposing for policies that require 1) inclusion and diversity, 2) trends in curriculum and instruction, and 3) use of technology (OConnell, 2010). As agility progresses to the Catalyst, Cocreator, and Synergist level, the managers transitions to a leader who not only gets results but unleashes creative potential among followers, guides them with a sense of purpose and vision and empowers them toward achieving not only the outcomes of the organization but toward the good. Joiner and Stephens (2006) also dealt with the importance of communication in handling the change process. They reinforced Clawson (2008) in saying that meetings should be empowering to follower s. Furthermore, communication also requires that the vision and mission of the organization are articulated well and understood by all levels within the organization (Clawson, 2008; Kouzes Posner, 2007). Joiner and Stephens (2006) incorporates some of the traditional leadership concepts such as transformational leadership, motivation, influence, creativity, innovation into the hierarchical leadership agility model but is unique in characterizing the stages in agility into three areas: organizational change, team leadership, and handling pivotal conversations. Dealing with and initiating change is one of the central tenets of this book. Clawson (2008) opined that organizations need to respond to changes in the external environment more proactively. Leaders need to develop a comprehensive understanding of competition, market, consumer issues, and all possible underlying factors in order to adapt more effectively to changes. Competitiveness in this global age relies not on what has been traditionally done, but on versatility and change (Kouzes Posner, 2007; Clawson, 2008) or agility according to Joiner and Stephens (2006). As a response to accelerated technological developments and in creasingly borderless world, firms and organizations must step up to the challenge of constantly innovating and addressing threats that come and embracing opportunities encountered. One weakness of this book is that it is largely silent on ethics as a consideration on leadership agility. Kouzes and Posner (2007) capitalized on ethical leadership as an urgency for organizations. Northouse (2008) considered it important for leaders to continually self evaluate in terms of how they are performing in better, fairer, and more humane ways (Northouse, 2008). Oftentimes, change in the globalized world is synonymous with maintaining competitive edge over others usually at a cost. With the increasing attention on global climate change, environmental issues, terrorism, protectionism, and even resistance to globalization in the twenty-first century, leaders must be highly adaptive to these global issues as well and weigh how these global conditions come into the equation.

Term Paper Guidelines

GENERAL GUIDELINES The Term Paper Report should be written using General Guidelines below and should contain the following parts: 1. Pretext page Cover page Title Page Abstract Page Acknowledgements (optional) Declaration Table of Contents List of Figures (If Applicable) List of Tables (If Applicable) List of abbreviations and symbols (If Applicable) 2. Introduction (2pages) 3. Literature Review (3pages) 4. Discussion Acknowledgement Table of Contents Pretext Page Declaration Cover Page 5. Conclusion and Recommendation (1page) 6. References (1page) 7. Appendices Guidelines on Content WRITING YOUR PRETEXT PAGESCover Page – the page should display: Name of Institute Students Full Name (as it appears on the Faculty Register) Students ID Number (as it appears on the Faculty Register) Signature Internship Start and Finish Dates Cover Page should be in standard format as shown below GHANA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION TERM PAPER REPORT Student Name : Student ID N O : Title Page should be in standard format as shown below GIMPA BUSINESS SCHOOL GREENHILL COLLEGE Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Month, Year Abstract, Acknowledgement And Table Of ContentAbstract Describe where your internship/work was conducted (name of company, department, location, type of business). Summarize your internship goals, activities, and accomplishments, highlighting key knowledge or skills gained. How did this internship benefit you, and how did it benefit the company? The abstract is limited to half page. It should be 1. 0 line-spaced, using only one side of the paper, and should be within the internship report margin requirements. Acknowledgement/Dedication If you wish, you may include a page with a brief note of dedication or acknowledgment of help received from specific individuals.Declaration – it should read as below I, the undersigned, declare that this Internship Report is my original work and that it has not been presented in any other University or Institution for academic credit. Student full name and ID †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Signature †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Table of Content Internship report should have a Table of Contents for the convenience of the reader. If figures or tables are used in the text, a separate List of Figures or List of Tables should be included as per pretext page guidelines Introduction of the Organization and Problem AnalysisThis chapter should include the following: Branch of trade / field Structure (size, departments) Field of (business) activity / responsibilities Problem analysis [d escription of challenges the intern experienced( but should be managemnt related and not personal issues)] This section should answer the following questions: What is the full title of the organization? Give a brief history of the company, full mailing address and relevant web links. What is the type of ownership of the organization? What sector does the organization operates in? Provide an organizational chart of the organizationWhat are the problems observed How the problems outlined affect the organization Why management should pay attention to the problems Literature Review Students should place their internship/work in the context of their area of study/specialization e. g. marketing, finance etc. As candidates for an undergraduate degree, they should demonstrate your familiarity with the literature that is relevant to their experience, and ability to evaluate that literature critically, and to apply it in the practical circumstances of the internship i. e. in relation to the p roblem analysis.Include minimum of five(5) references in your literature review. Discussion †¢How has knowledge acquired during studies at Greenhill assisted in resolving issues in your organization (issues mean challenges, opportunities etc) †¢Indicate how the internship/work attunes to the your study program, future plans – work or further study This is the heart of the report. Explain what was learned from the internship/work. The student is to give a vivid description of the business they did during internship based on their area of study and any other extra duty performed.In this section the report should answer the following questions: †¢What skills and experiences were gained from the intership/work? †¢What kind of responsibilities were undertaken during the internship/work? †¢How are the activities carried out during internship correlated with classroom knowledge? †¢How the internship will influence interns future career plans? It should express the following: †¢Evaluation of the assigned tasks and the individual work performance †¢Implications for future study and career planning †¢Comparison of goals and expectations with actual experience Social conditions during internship(atmosphere, work climate, mentoring situation) Conclusions and Recommendation This section should include the following †¢A summary of key conclusions derived from the Internship experience. †¢General observations about the sector in which your Internship organization operates References students need to support their work with available literature, for instance the company website, pamphlets, publications etc. Use the APA Format of referencing Examples include: 1. One author – (Jones, 1995) or (Jones, 1995; Smith, 1996). 2.Two authors – (Jones and Kane, 1994) or (Jones and Kane, 1994; Smith, 1996). 3. More than two authors – (Jones et al. , 1995) or (Jones et al. , 1995a; Jones et al. , 1995b; Smi th et al. , 1994; Smith et al. , 1995). References are listed in alphabetical osrder according to surname and initials of first author. Use the following as an example: Rochlin, M. W. , Itoh, K. , Adelstein, R. S. and Bridgman, P. C. (1995). Localization of myosin IIA and B isoforms in cultured neurons. J. Cell Sci. 108, 3661-3670 Number Of Copies You will need to bind one official copy of your Term Paper Report.Submit spiral bound copy to the Grennhill College Secretariate (SB 219) Paper, Font And Spacing The Term Paper Report must be printed on standard size, white, A4 (8. 27† * 11. 69†)80g/m? paper †¢Use double line spacing throughout and print on only one side of the paper. †¢Use regular, unadorned print (i. e. New Times Roman), 12 point font size for text. †¢Scientific names of genera should be underlined or printed in true italics †¢Print in black and white Chapter headings can be in different font but should be consistent in the whole document MarginsThe Term Paper Report should have a minimum margin of 1-1/2 inches (for binding purposes) on the left side of the page; 1 inch at the right side; 1-1/4 inches at the top and bottom of the page. Pagination All pages except the title page should be numbered. This includes full-page photographs, charts and graphs, the bibliography, and appendices. For the pretext pages, use small Roman numerals (ii, iii, etc. ). Page i is the abstract page, but the page number is not printed on this page. The first item on the Table of Contents list should be the Abstract.This will be followed by the title page, and dedication or acknowledgment section you may wish to include. This is numbered in the small roman series, with the page numbers displayed. The remainder of the internship report is numbered with Arabic numerals (1, 2, etc. ). The page numbers that are displayed must be centered at the bottom of each page, within the bottom margin. Style The Term Paper Report is expected to be analyti cal rather than descriptive. It should contain accurate, factual information together with sound arguments, conclusions and recommendations.

Central Valley Forest Fires Essay

The cities of California’s Great Central Valley Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno and Bakersfield, which are together called the heart of Ca1ifornia, have repeatedly entered American popular culture and folklore. The cities have their own fire departments and in times of need firefighters and equipment might be taken on supplementary purpose. There have been quite a few incidents of forest fire in these cities and there always is a debate on how crisis management could improve and minimize the impact of these incidents on the environment and human health. This paper explores threats posed by the forest fires in California and its surrounded lower central valley between Bakersfield and Modesto. The paper first describes the nature and impact of forest fires and then follows to damaged forest fires and what it does to the environment. Finally a global and national environmental picture is presented relating to the subject. A forest fire is a powerful force of nature. It can kill people, animals, and trees. It can destroy homes and buildings. But it also is part of a forest’s natural life cycle. Forest fires clean out forest lands by burning dead leaves, plants, and trees (Simon 34-40). The dead and dried timber is undoubtedly one of the reasons why wildfires in the United States have been so devastating in recent years. According to the National Climatic Data Center, dryer than average conditions over most of the country have contributed to burns in excess of 9.5 million acres in 2006 and over 8.5 million in 2005 (Wagtendonk 3-17). These figures broke the old record of 7.4 million acres in 2000, and almost doubled that of the 4.5 million acres burned in 1960. The extended drought, forest die-offs from insect Infestation and human encroachment have all contributed to the increase in wildfires. But the primary cause of forest fires can be attributed to climate change. It has been the shift in ocean currents and weather patterns that has brought about the extended drought conditions. Added to this are the warmer conditions and heat waves triggered by the increase in global temperature. This has led to a drying of the foliage and a prolific increase in insect infestation. As we have seen, these parasitic tree killing insects such as the Bark Beetle and Pine Beetle have moved to higher altitudes and more northerly climates due to warmer temperatures (ReVelle & ReVelle 321-366). All these conditions have placed great stress on the forests of North America, making them ripe for forests fires. Battling wildfires is a challenging task because wild-land firefighters have to contain the rambling fires while they withstand intense heat, poor vision and dangers of the wilds. Thousands of full-time firefighters and volunteers, planes, helicopters and fleet of engines are employed by firefighting agencies along with different technologies such as shovels and infrared imaging, to control wildfires. There are specially trained firefighters such as smokejumpers, who are employed by firefighting agencies to extinguish fires by parachuting in unreachable areas during the early stages of fire. â€Å"Helitack† crews are also hired by firefighting agencies to attack fires when landing is not an option. Thus the Helitack crew lowers firefighting equipment in such areas and then firefighters are able to reach the surface. Sometimes, water or retardant which can be up to 3,000 gallons is dropped by airplanes and infrared aircraft at a time, in a long string for creating a line. The pilot is allowed to see where he can land with the help of a pink dye. Sometimes, shovels and other tools are also used by firefighters to build firelines which refer to a 3-5 feet path created by firefighters by clearing away leaves and branches. Wildfires can spread to several acres of land. How bad a fire can be is determined by topography, weather and fuel supply. When a fire breaks out, it can stretch across acres of land and its own weather patterns can be created. The fire first spreads into the crown of the tree and when it gets more oxygen from below like a chimney, it is nourished and gets worse. Dry fuel away from the fire can also be ignited by the floating embers, thus it is essential to control the fire as soon as it breaks out (McNamara). Fiscal stress came to California from three distinct sources: natural events, other events beyond the state’s control, and events that were induced by California citizens, and out of those three sources fires have been among the most costly. Three types of natural catastrophes have contributed to the fiscal stress. The drought of 1987-1992 (and which apparently has recurred in 1994) has cost California farmers about $3—$4 billion; the Loma Prieta quake of 1989 resulted in about $10 billion in direct and indirect losses, with net losses after federal aid being about $6 to $7 billion; and property losses from the 11 Oakland fire and the 1993 Southern California fires were about $4.7 billion.’ There are three exogenous events that are consistently mentioned in any discussion of the stresses on the state’s economy: the recession that began in 1990; the cut in defense expenditures, including the closing of many military bases; and the immigration of undocumente d aliens. In October of 2007 wildfires broke out in Southern California (Carle 71-79). From Malibu to the Mexican border, over 16 separate fires raged while being whipped by the Santa Anna winds. Thousands of acres were scorched, over 2000 homes destroyed and nearly one million people were evacuated. This was the largest evacuation in American history, exceeding even that caused by Hurricane Katrina. Over ninety aircraft and 6,000 firefighters were involved in suppressing the fires. The total cost of lighting the fires, including the damage inflicted, is estimated to exceed 1 billion dollars. Due to the forest fires budget cuts in 2012, lost fire fighters have added more to the difficulties faced by the firefighting department. For instance, when a wildfire broke out in June, 2011 north of Highway 180 in Fresno County, firefighters had difficulty controlling the fire. The fire broke out through thick grass and burned down oak trees in the area. It was a regular event for firefighters, who attacked the fire from two sides. Nearly 300-foot hose extensions were carried by them as they tried to circle the fire before it spread further. However, due to the firefighter budget cuts, there were only three fighters per engine instead of four firefighters who normally worked during the wildfire season. Since there were only three firefighters per engine, it took long to get water around the fire. Due to the above mentioned cuts firefighters are concerned about their first-strike capabilities to attack severe wildfire because they think that their work has been affected due to staffing cuts. According to a Cal Fire Capt, it became difficult to control the fire with a three-man crew due to the fatigue factor. Fire, which the captain hoped to keep to less than 10 acres, had stretched across 133 acres because of the shortage of the crew which cost $300,000 to extinguish. In 2011, the budget cut saved $34 million because 750 seasonal firefighters in California were laid off. It implies that there will be three firefighters per engine instead of four for handling thousands of feet of hose lines and for sharing the hard work to control wildfires. This has severely affected the extinguishing capabilities of firefighters because they require more time and energy to control the blazing fire (Hecht). The staggering one billion dollars attributed to the 2007 California wildfires is just the beginning. When all the fires and climate change related disasters are added to this figure. The amount assumes unimaginable proportions. The National Climatic Data Center records seventeen separate weather related events occurring in the United States from 1998 to 2002, which cost over 1 billion dollars each. These events include droughts, floods, fire seasons, tropical storms, hailstorms, tornadoes, heat waves, ice storms, and hurricanes (Carle 44-60). The consequences of forest fires are the atmospheric emissions of various environmentally significant gases and solid particulates that contribute to local, regional and global phenomena in the biosphere. Pollutants emitted include atmospheric particulate matter (I1) and gaseous compounds. Such as carbon dioxide (C02), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), nitrogen oxides, (NO) and nitrous oxide (N20). Smoke pollution due to forest fire events can represent an important public health issue to the community, particularly for personnel involved in firefighting operations. In addition, high levels of trospospheric ozone can occur at great distances from emission sources (Simon 85-90). The environmental effects of these emissions are related to the transport and deposition processes involved (Johnson & Miyanishi 25-39). The protection of homes and communities from the threat of forest fire depends on the proper treatment of wildland-urban interface, the area directly adjacent to homes and communities. However, current efforts to protect communities from the threat of forest fire are protecting homes and communities from forest fires. Projects that reduced forest fuels are often implemented far away from communities, in areas where treatment will do the least good. Considering the current risks and the limited resources available for the implementation of fuels reduction projects, individual projects and strategic plans need to utilize the best available science to develop the most effective and efficient methods for protecting the homes and communities (Johnson & Miyanishi 25-39). At the same time, focused fuels reduction in the wildland-urban interface is necessary to avoid damaging adjacent forest ecosystems and wildlife habitat with poorly planned and ineffective logging projects. Wildfires can be prevented by not parking the vehicles on dry grass, never taking out burning sticks out of a fire, never using lanterns, stoves and heaters in a tent, by storing flammable liquid containers in a safe area and knowing the area’s outdoor burning laws because to burn trash is a punishable crime. It is essential to contact a Ranger as soon as possible when the first sign of a wildfire is seen. The area should be left immediately by recognized roads or trails but if the escape route is blocked, it is important to go to the nearest stream or lake (McNamara). Wildfires which consume Southern California are extremely dangerous because they have affected a large number of houses; they started abruptly and stretched across acres of land rapidly. According to scientists, the severity of wildfires is associated with the changing climate and it is believed that wildfires will become more common because of global warming (â€Å"California Wildfires and Global Warming†). The USA seems to have reached a tipping point: the majority of citizens now accept the reality of global warming. National discussions have steadily shifted from whether climate change exists to what America should do about it. To be sure government and industry are dragging their feet, hard. They argue that global warming is a natural (not human-caused) cycle; that it won’t be that bad; that there’s nothing we can do about it; or that, most especially making drastic changes to quickly combat global warming is too costly to the nation’s economichealth to consider. According to a 2011 study, greenhouse gas is boosted by wildfires thus, global warming is accelerated. The study found that the release of nitrous oxide from soil is boosted because of wildfires, change in the climate and nitrogen deposits which accelerates global warming (â€Å"Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds†) Concern for air pollution has led to a society-wide discussion about greenhouse gases touching every aspect of modern life: from building design and light bulbs to auto emissions and planting trees. While states wrestle with the federal government over how much and how quickly to raise auto fuel economy standards (currently averaging 21 mpg), car-loving consumers are starting to vote with their pocketbooks (Johnson & Miyanishi 98-109). In addition to this, Water issues are particularly acute in the West: the region’s underground aquifer is being drained at a phenomenal rate, and increasing water salinity is playing havoc with farming. Also, the West has witnessed a surge in new oil and gas drilling, in part because of government- approved industry exemptions in 2005 to the Clean Water Act. An unlikely coalition of ranchers, hunters and conservationists is lighting this all-too- common sacrifice of health for cheap energy (IJWF 116-26). Wildfires are very dangerous because they destroy land and harm the environment. Fire ravages dry vegetation, burning everything in its way. Under prolonged dry conditions with even moderate winds fire can spread across a wide area very quickly, stretching the emergency services and testing their ability to contain and manage the spread and to minimize risk and damage to people and property. Natural fires have traditionally caused extensive damage to grassland, woodland and forest. Wild fires can stir a primeval fear and fascination in most of us. Many have long been concerned about the loss of valuable timber to fire and about the effects of fire on soils, watersheds, water quality, and wildlife (Simon 96-121). Fierce battles over the environment have been a fixture of the American political landscape for over a century, and for business, this last argument has been a winner, whether the issue is pollution, dwindling resources or endangered species. This effectiveness rests, in part, on the dependable reluctance of us citizens to make sacrifices in their consumptive lifestyles. Typically, Americans support regulations and alter their habits only when environmental problems become undeniable, quantifiable and urgent. With global warming, that moment seems to have arrived. The U.S. citizens and the government are well aware of the environmental concerns and have from time to time addressed these issues. The environment protection agency (EPA) has been the forefront player in this regard and has formulated strategies and policies to control forest fire hazards. California is home to a great variety of wildlife habit and environmental protection can help save many of the endangered species in the lower central valley. Works Cited â€Å"California Wildfires and Global Warming.† Global Warming – California Wildfires Influenced by Global Warming – The Daily Green. October 23, 2007. Web. May 13, 2012. Carle, David. Introduction to Fire in California: Berkeley, University of California Press, 2008. Print. Hecht, Peter. â€Å"Budget cuts mean fewer firefighters to fight California wildfires.† Budget cuts mean fewer firefighter to fight California wildfires — Society’s Child — Sott_net. Aug 1, 2011. Web. April 29, 2012. Johnson A. Edward, and Kiyoko Miyanishi. Forest fires: Behavior and Ecological Effects. San Diego: Academic Press, 2001. Print. Keeley, Jon E. â€Å"Fire intensity, fire severity and burn severity: a brief review and suggested usage.† International Journal of Wildland Fire (2009): 116–126. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. McNamara, Melissa. â€Å"Wildfire Safety Tips.† Wildfire Safety Tips – CBS News. February 11, 2009. Web. April 29, 2012. ReVelle, Penelope, and Charles ReVelle. The Global Environment: Securing a Sustainable Future. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett, 1992. Print. Seymour, Simon. Wildfires. New York: Harper Collins, 2008. Print. Sugihara G. Neil, Fire in California’s Ecosystems, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. Print. Wagtendonk Van, and Jan Wagtendonk. â€Å"The History and Evolution of Wildland Fire Use.† Journal of Fire Ecology 3.2 (2007): 3–17. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. â€Å"Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds.† Wildfires boost greenhouse gas to accelerate global warming, study finds. June 8, 2011. Web. May 13, 2012.

Introduction To Health Assessment Module No Essay

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