Tuesday, April 9, 2013

News Summary: Paris Hires Munching Sheep for Eco Lawn Mowers (4/9/13)

This news article does not necessarily describe an issue but more of a solution to a larger problem.  Lawn mowers use gasoline, a valuable source of energy, and expel a large amount of pollution with each use.  Paris has employed 4 black sheep to simply cut down the grass in a section of the city's gardens in northeastern Paris.  This is simply a pilot project, but the people behind the project anticipate that it will become widely used.

From an economical standpoint, this could cause for many changes.  If the sheep do a satisfying job in the pilot, we may find that more and more businesses will purchase sheep to "mow" their lawns.  Lawn mower businesses may see a large decrease in demand, leading to a decrease in prices and a decrease in quantity.  This could be extended to the petroleum industry who may also suffer, which is ultimately the goal, to become a world that relies less on gasoline.  On the other hand, sheep farmers may see an increase in demand, leading to an increase in prices and quantity.  The world is changing drastically due to recent efforts to reduce pollution and petroleum usage.  These changes are drastically changing markets as well, and this is just another example of how the lawn mower market, the sheep market and the petroleum market are all being affected.

This situation has been brought on by the world-wide urge to lower petroleum use as well as pollution. The issue of lawn mower businesses losing money does not necessarily need a solution because the world is trying to lose its petroleum dependance.  This pilot is a possible solution to some pollution and petroleum use, and it could lead to huge implications in the global market.

Article: http://www.france24.com/en/20130407-paris-hires-munching-sheep-france-lawnmowers-environment

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