Project Management Integration Framework

Financial risk management can be defined as the definitive sourcing of practical guidance on market management and credit risk. It can be subdivided into two parts, which are, the macro and the micro risk management. There are a number of differences between the two risk management approaches. For example, in macro risk management, there is application of technology to alleviate financial risks or losses. This procedure can be done by focusing on the risk management of a firm – an approach which is unmistakable but takes a lot of time.The major tool used in this undertaking is the use of ‘stress test’ upon portfolios which analyzes the joint force of the wider set of risks in meaningful ways. This process provides more information about the risk and provides an opportunity for diligent analysis (Dash, 2004). Even though the risk usually has been notified to the management, the total risk that is inbuilt into the system is not discarded. The concentration on the fi nancial system thus changes the risk profile in the industry. The risk profile becomes unpredictable and can thus cause serious effects in the business economy.On the other hand, while executing macro risk management, one requires shifting from the notion that the stability of a system is a consequence of the accuracy of individual components. Modern risk managers thus focus on the development of the tools to evaluate the possibility of credit deals which may result in the collapse of the firm. The transmission of risks within a firm may thus result in distress with its associates. Through this strategy, the risk managers can scrutinize how negative financial shocks, such as capital outflows, can negatively magnify a sector’s risk.This approach helps them to design and alleviate the risk by adjusting the chief fiscal surplus so as to relieve the shocks. Managers thus have the opportunity to grade their policies. To take precaution on macro risk management, the management shou ld therefore involve the staff who are always involved in the testing of the continuity plans and who are aware of the plans. In addition, this technique helps managers to examine other firms’ strategies which have been proven successful.Managers will also analyze others’ methods which they can successfully adapt into their circumstances. Conversely, in micro risk management, one starts by providing a general background of financial risk management which illustrates how the risk arose in the firm. This information explores the key concepts used in past risk management and provides a way to curb its reappearance. One thus discovers the main concepts used in risk management and can thus articulate them through well-known financial disasters of the past.One can also devise ways to avoid the risks. This technique allows managers the opportunity to devise the methods to be used to manage the market risk and how to forward it, spot it, and other mechanisms of identifying the risk. This provides a detailed analysis of the models used in pricing the risks and how each model can be used to determine and control risk. After this, the financial risk management will round up the scrutiny and the lessons on the risk management portfolio which gives a firm a clear understanding of the risk and its management.Through this, one can automate audits and susceptible management throughout the running of the firm. Subsequently, the collected automates accessed are then used to control all assets in the firm followed by their testing to identify the most vulnerable risks which may reappear in the firm. This activity provides the most effective way to detect and curb a micro risk at its initial appearance. Reference Dash, J. W. (2004). Quantitative finance and risk management: A physicist's approach. Toh Tuck Link, Singapore: World Scientific. Project Management Integration Framework There are three main components that must be fulfilled by a project for it to be truly successful; it must be completed within the set budget, schedule and deliver the expected outcome and quality. If one of these components is not met, even if the project is completed, then the project cannot be said to be successful. Project failure is common and may result from various reasons; one of these reasons is that, the project may actually be impossible. Take for example the failure of the Apollo program, which was American spaceship that landed the first man in moon.This project ran well from the year 1969 up to 1975. Apollo 13 failure of oxygen tank and the Apollo 204 tragedy, which led to loss of lives shows that the mission could no longer be safe as planned. Furthermore, the objectives of the project were impossible to be achieved since the main goal was to find out if human beings could survive in the moon and live comfortably or even in any other planet apart from earth. Incompeten t management is another common reason that may lead to project failure. A good example is the disappearing warehouse project for a Software company in the nation.The warehouse varnished not only from the physical view but in watchful eyes of a retailer who was well known in the system of automated distribution. Software glitch somehow had erased the existence of the warehouse and thus goods destined to that warehouse were diverted to other routes where as the goods in that warehouse for a certain time languished. Employees at that missing warehouse kept quiet in that time since they were receiving their pay. As the software glitch was noticed, the warehouse was then sold off and the senior management requested the employees to be quiet on the episode.This led to the failure of that software project. Finally over-constrained is another reason that leads to their failure. Football clubs are good examples. Wenger, the Arsenal club manger had a plan to make the club to continue performi ng well and win all the trophies. This continued for some time but failed. This football club traces its failure at that period due to over-constrains in the management as well as in the players. This club since then has not been able to win trophies despite its continuous shines in the frequent years before.

Health Care and Change

Describe how the effectiveness of your organizational change will be determined once it is implemented. Change can be viewed as negative or positive depending on how it’s presented. It can be met with resistance probably due to lack of simple oversights, lack of persistence, poor communication, or other more personal vulnerabilities (Bert, Spector, 2010. The goal of the change should be identified before implementing it into the organization.Status reports, evaluations, and periodic surveys are all useful resources for determining the effectiveness of an organizational change (Bert Spector, 2010). The effectiveness of change will be determined by the Proper communication between the organization and the staff: The staff and the leaders will communicate effectively about the change; they will discuss how the change has affected them positively and negatively, The saying goes that â€Å"Once man understands an idea; he can identify with it, acknowledge it, and make it his ownâ €  Aristotle.Throughout the change, it’s important for the developed skills of written communication, meeting management and presentations to determine if the change has been effectively implemented (Bert Spector, 2010). Another way to determine the effectiveness of the change will be through monitoring, and measuring of the change that is the implemented. Measurement could include employee and customer surveys tool to measure progress of the change. This helps to clarify the purpose and direction of the change effort, by encouraging the employees to consider its specific impact in unambiguous terms.Measurement tells people what you care about , Tracks the effectiveness of the change effort both tells people that it is important and provides a way to judge how well it is being implemented, or how well it was designed (Bert Spector, 2010). Use of observation is another method that will determine the effectiveness of the change. An observation is designed to allow the OD pra ctitioner to see firsthand what is occurring with implemented change, the managers can use this method to observe the behaviors of the employees towards the change.It can determine whether the employees are adopting, adjusting to change or they are still resisting to it (Bert Spector, 2010). Review the progress of the change every month and see if the there any area that not progressing as expected and check for need for improvement in those areas that are not working. Check and see if some employees are struggling with the change, and find ways of helping them, maybe they need more training, or support to adjust. Provide support and training needed have a successful change.Collect and report data regularly, this is important in providing an ongoing stream of objective information that keeps the company aligned with business goals. The reports are made simple, enabling all the stakeholders to understand and appreciate the results. With this strategy, the company will identify opport unities and threats earlier and better manage employee expectations (Barbara Armstrong, 2013). Analyze possible outcome measurement strategies related to organizational change processes.Determinants of strategy include organizational and environmental factors, and the outcomes reflect both internal changes and external relationships (Bailey, 1992). EHR adoption will continue to grow and with it, better access to important clinical information that can be helpful to improving U. S. healthcare (Benefits of EHR, 2007). Possible outcome measurement strategies of EMR/EHR implementation at my facility will include: Improved Information Availability: With EHRs, patients' health information will be available in one place, when and where it is needed.Providers will have access to the information they need, at the time they need it to make a decision. Patients charts are always carried and used to different departments in the facility, Sometimes Doctors cannot find the charts to be able to as sess patients, with the EMR; all departments have the information they need right in front of them without searching for the chart (Benefits of EHR, 2007). EHR/EMR will be the Foundation for Quality Improvements at the facility: Reliable access to complete patient health information is essential for safe and effective care.EHRs place accurate and complete information about patients' health and medical history at providers' fingertips. With EHRs, providers can give the best possible care, at the point of care. This can lead to a better patient experience and, most importantly, better patient outcomes (Benefits of EHR, 2007). EHRs implementation will Support the Provider Decision Making, EHRs will help providers make efficient, effective decisions about patient care, through: Improved aggregation, analysis, and communication of patient information (Benefits of EHR, 2007).All departments at our facility can communicate the patients progress to physicians through the use of EMR, the phy sician can easily access the information without walking from one department to another. Evert needed piece of information to determine patients care and progress will be accessed with the use of EMR, EHR. When health care providers have access to complete and accurate information, patients receive better medical care. Electronic health records (EHRs) Implementation will lead to improved ability to diagnose diseases and reduce or even prevent medical errors, improving patient outcomes.Doctors can diagnose patient based the accurate vital signs and nurses assessment viewed computer. We usually have to call doctors to give them information on patients’ conditions, we don’t have Doctors at our facility 24 hours a day, they come two -three a week. With the EMR, doctors can view patient’s change of condition at their offices and provide the diagnoses and treatment (Benefits of HER, 2007). Determine how you will measure quality, cost, and satisfaction outcomes to eval uate your proposed organizational change.The expense of making changes within an organization is often difficult to measure from a pure cost standpoint. Similarly, the advantages acquired from revised operations may not be readily measured. Where possible, however, every attempt should be made to evaluate the real savings obtained from a planned change by creating measurable goals. Proposed changes in products, processes, and service activities should be quantified, if possible, before the desired modifications are implemented (Bailey, 1992). You can measure the quality of the change through surveys and observation of the change.Surveys determine how the company has progressed with the change and what is needed for the change to keep progressing. Surveys can have questions such as, has the creation EMR and elimination of paper documentation resulted in more effective work flows, improved communication practices, and management monitoring? Compare the previous work ethics to the pres ent, is there any improvement? Check for the reduction of medication errors and proper documentation since the implementation of EMR. Observe the employees behaviors and reaction to the change, are they more accurate in interpreting doctors’ writings?Quality can be measured through the Quick access to patient records, efficient care Enhanced decision support, and medical information Performance-improving tools, complete documentation that facilitates accurate coding and billing Interfaces with labs, registries, and other EHRs Safer which results in better patient experience and, most importantly, better patient outcomes (Benefits of HER, 2007). As the company works to improve the implementation of the change, the company will continue to calculate the costs on a monthly basis and track them against baseline and benchmarked costs.Continue to look for additional improvement opportunities (Barbara Armstrong, 2013). Costs are important when implementing a change, the finances dep ends how far you go with the change in progress. With the EMR change, it is costly to implement this change since it requires finances for the trainers, to buy software, computers, and to continuously maintain the software (Barbara Armstrong, 2013). The company will use a track sheet with the expenses spend on the change each month; the company will review and determine if the expense is within the budget or it going overboard.The company will then determine how to progress with the change figures obtained from the reviewed financial sheet. A survey will be carried out each month to determine the satisfaction of the change in progress. The company will use regular â€Å"listening meetings† where people could ask questions and voice their concerns (Barbara Armstrong, 2013). They survey will be either through calling employees, or written one with questions rating from scale of one to ten, on how the employee are dealing with the change, how they value the change, if the change helpful in their work, if they feel supported by their immediate managers and the cooperate.These surveys will also a have a potion which allows the employees to voice their take on the change and have suggestions to make this change better for them. Use employee surveys to learn people’s perceptions of issues tied the implementation in process, such as the level of physical comfort, degree of collaboration, or quality of group decision-making(Barbara Armstrong, 2013).Have working conditions been improved and stressful conditions been reduced for our employees with this implementation? Have we successfully implemented the use of new technology? Have we ensured that requirements for new operating practices and skills have been addressed and resolved? Has the organization become more flexible and proactive in generating responses to meeting the needs of the employees? (Nancy Landahl, 2010).

Exam questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Exam questions - Essay Example Although it may be tempting to view US foreign aid in the post-war era as a type of benevolent gifting to the lesser developed regions of the globe, the fact of the matter is that each and every foreign aid decision in means by which loans, foreign direct investment, trade preference, or need was directed had a definitive purpose and goal in mind. As a result of the Second World War, the United States was placed in a unique position of authority in a newly differentiated bipolar global system. Undisputed dominance within the Pacific allowed the United States to extend trade to regions of the world that it had not fully integrated with previously. The presence of United States military personnel on outposts as diverse as Guam, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Norway, and a litany of others allowed for the formation of the new empire in which the United States would come head-to-head for a period of approximately 40 years with the Soviet Union. Within such a dynamic and such a level of understanding , the rationale and motivation for engaging in the Marshall Plan is readily seen. Again, although the Marshall plan has been incorrectly viewed by many historical sources as merely a means to rebuild Europe after the devastation of war, the ulterior motive that drove this was twofold. The first reason why the United States actively engaged in the Marshall plan was as a means to rebuild the economies of Europe that had been so devastated by the result of World War II. Although the Marshall plan called for unimaginable levels of foreign aid to be given to the governments of Western Europe, this level of money, although unprecedented, was seen, by and large, as a type of investment. Although the United States emerged from World War II is the most powerful nation on earth, it nonetheless required robust economies in order to trade with and derive economic benefit. Secondarily, the Marshall plan was instituted as a means of providing a solid bulwark against the encroachment and seemingly never-ending advance the Soviet Union was making into central and parts of southern Europe. Whereas the old dictum is true that it is impossible to buy your friends, the United States attempted to do just this, surprisingly successfully, by instituting a liberal policy of economic development within the shattered shell of a war ravaged Europe. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the conclusion of the Cold War era, the United States approach to aid remained necessarily concentric upon trade, interests, and strategic rivalry. In such a way, even a cursory review of the level and extent to which the United States utilized foreign aid reveals a situation in which aid is invariably utilized as a leverage point. However, it must not be understood that the United States foreign aid is divisible into a single category. Rather, this analysis will briefly engage with some of the key functions and affects the different types of aid and appropriations had with regards to how developing nations have been affected as well as the key limitations in which such programs necessarily espoused. The second of these aid programs which will herein be discussed is known collectively as the Four Point Program. Instituted under Pres. Harry Truman, the four-point program was actually a reaction to social and aid programs that the Soviet Union had extensively developed around the world. As a function of showcasing and power of the Soviet ideal, the Soviet Union ridiculed the Western capitalist nations for

Limits to the U.S. long-term economic growth ( Essay

Limits to the U.S. long-term economic growth ( - Essay Example ic growth in the U.S in that, the modern global economy is depended upon other countries and therefore a financial crisis in one country is reflected in all other countries. Notably, poor governance and corruption has been described by researchers as the greatest vice inhibiting the economic growth in the U.S. Moreover, the decline in population resulting from aging or migration has negatively affected the economic growth. Economic sustainability requires improvements in productivity and innovations therefore, inadequate investment in human capital is a factor limiting the economic growth in the U.S. Studies have also depicted that, US has too many resources that are never exploited fully and therefore they fail to develop as expected (Jorgenson, Fraumeni, & Gollop 2004). The US government should step in with effective strategies that are going to counter the constraints of her economic growth. The future growth in U.S is facing a threat from infrastructure weaknesses within some of its cities, for example, Los Angeles. The government will need to abruptly spend more on infrastructure so as to deal with the consequences of declining economy. In addition, the US government needs to invest in insurance companies so that external shocks will never affect the economy of the country (Jorgenson, Fraumeni, & Gollop 2004). An effective legal framework will be able to curb the corruption and poor governance vice. Therefore, private property protection via legal frameworks will facilitate innovation and development within US. High level skills are required for economic growth. The government should provide incentives and employment opportunities to its professional citizens otherwise, they will migrate to other countries for such priorities (Vatter & Walker 20 06). It is an absolute good idea that the US government’s efforts are required in the promotion of economic growth. This is because of the diverse areas in which the government should play some very critical roles.

Implications for teaching Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Implications for teaching - Assignment Example In that interview, the artist revealed his passion and dedication for arts. As the interview progressed, Charlie Ross employed various techniques that enabled James reveal more detail as well as stay within the confines of the topic (Leslie 56). In particularly, Charlie Rose used skills such as gesturing using hands and nodding head to encourage James to reveal more details. At some point, Charlie Rose smiled to signify that the point was well taken. A part from gesturing, Charlie Rose also phrased questions for James to ensure that he fully understood the question. Another aspect that stood out was the strategies he used to encourage dialogue throughout the period of interview. He employed the use of thought provoking questions that influenced James to critically think, analyze, and together with evaluate all facts before answering. In the event, dialogue ensued. As this was not enough, Charlie Rose in most of his question tactfully invited two answers for his questions. This was a master class strategy as anyone capable of providing two answers for the same question proves that he/she has an in depth understanding on the topic under discussion (Leslie 56). In learning, proactive approach is vital for the learners to understand fully the concepts. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure that the learning process is as active as possible. In particularly teaching arts to students should be as interactive. The best way of achieving this is to involve the student in dialogue, where the instructor asks relevant questions tactfully to enhance the rate of understandability of the concepts. In addition to this, the instructor should at all-time ask questions that require two answers after teaching a concept as this will evaluate the extent at which the concept has been internalized by the learners. In this regards, dialogue is the key

Hate crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hate crime - Essay Example The militia movement and the white supremacy are greatly linked as both believe the federal government has alienated them. In Expanding the Influence of Organized Hate, Levin &Â  Nolan explain how hate spread despite the statuses of the perpetrators (37). The hate spread form the Church to schools. With the use of the internet, it was possible to spread hate and influence many people towards embracing racist and anti-Semitic feelings (Levin &Â  Nolan 37). The internet transformed hate crimes as even the children with access to computers were able to access hate websites, a good example that of Matthew Hale’s organization (Levin &Â  Nolan 37). Upon logging to the internet lots of lonely racists in small and remote towns create a chain of friends with similar opinions (Levin &Â  Nolan 37). This explains why the hate websites have a strong influence on the youth of America. The same sentiments are shared by Citron and Altschiller who focus on the increase of the crimes thanks to the internet (37, 148). Cultural standards are not always the source of hate since hate can also emanate from within a person. This can be evidenced by the White Supremacists, the bigotry sympathizers and the spectators who also help perpetuate hate and violence through other means such as psychological support, that do not touch on culture (Levin &Â  Nolan

MUS 306 Introduction to Jazz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

MUS 306 Introduction to Jazz - Essay Example After school my friends and I bordered a bus, our stop was no any other place but scullars jazz club. How thrilling was it to set eyes on this big entertainment scenario, in our hands were tickets for the entry fee. On the stage there was colorful arrangement of instruments, their was a tall man with a complete apparel holding a golden shinning trumpet, on his immediate right was this slender man with a white shirt touching his saxophone repeatedly staring at the crowd which was almost going wild due to the thrills from the band. The description is not yet over if we leave behind this short blonde with a piano spread before him then there was this wooden gadget which I could identify as the clarinet. The clarinet is one of the prominent gadgets used in the jazz music stage. On the middle was this tall stand with a silvery microphone As was routine with these jazz band music it was played from Wednesday to Saturday every week. Our timing was pretty good we were at the club by 10.00 pm. The stage floor was covered in black soft velvet. As the revelers that night we took a sit on the sofas with our tables full of well lit candles with some wine on our glasses. Yes this is how the place should be, I whispered to myself. The people I saw to be following the sound from their seats. The song was summertime by Gershwin, in most of the occasions people could stand with their spouses dancing salsas kind of dance In its performance the music involved diversified styles of communicative aspects ranging from the tonal variation in which there was difference in the way the sound flow was. The content of the music involved the various life issues it was a blend of many music features in which the voice of the singer was well accompanied by the sound from the instruments. In addition, there is expression of emotions and feelings by the singer the case be. This actually involved the love

How convincingly do the two studies establish media influence, and why Literature review

How convincingly do the two studies establish media influence, and why they reach rather different conclusions about the media's role - Literature review Example In this study, the authors have conjectured that newspapers have a long term effect on voting patterns. It was believed by these political theorists that the data obtained from the BHPS could provide substantial insight, into the changes that transpire between elections, during pre – elections and in election years. The significant feature of the BHPS is that it gathers information about newspaper reading habits, on a daily basis. In general, many newspapers recommend to their readers the candidate to vote for, and this usually constitutes the basis for their classification. However, the BHPS adopted a markedly different categorisation, by classifying newspapers according to their long – term support to political parties (Newton and Brynin 2001, 272). The BHPS study, fails to consider the partisan attitude of newspapers, and chiefly concentrates on national daily newspapers. A significant disadvantage with the BHPS data is that its questionnaires did not query readers, regarding the amount of time dedicated by them for reading newspapers. Respondents were also not questioned about their interest in the political content of the newspapers read by them (Newton and Brynin 2001, 272). These lacunae in this study render it suspect. In the working paper Was it the Sun that won it again? the author based his study on the data obtained from the 1997 British Election Campaign Study. The latter entailed a four wave panel study, and was carried out between spring of 1996 and the weeks immediately after May 1, 1997, the Election Day. The first phase of the study involved direct interaction with the respondents. In this first phase of this study, the 1996 British Social Attitudes survey had supplied the respondents with the necessary questionnaires (Curtice 1999). The second phase of the study consisted of interviews over the telephone, and was conducted during the first two weeks of April 1997. By that time the election

Analyze the reasons for the United States involvement in Vietnam Essay

Analyze the reasons for the United States involvement in Vietnam between 1953 and 1968 - Essay Example When French left the region it was divided into Laos, Cambodia, North Vietnam, and South Vietnam (Levy, 17). South Vietnam was governed by anti communist government and North Vietnam was controlled by communist forces. United States wanted to curb the influence of communism in the region and therefore helped build South Vietnam. United States was supporting anti communist forces from the French Indochina War because it wanted to build the pro capitalistic forces in the region. This is one of the main reasons of United States involvement in the Vietnamese War between 1953 and 1968. On the other hand, Soviet Union was providing all the help to communist forces in the North. This is why Vietnam became a proxy war between the two Super Powers. In reality, the conflict of Vietnam was a fight between capitalism and communism. Communist forces other than Soviet Union were also helping North Vietnam government. Their motivation was also to increase communist presence in the region. Communist wanted to extend their influence in the region and therefore supported the military advances of North Vietnam into Laos and Cambodia. Soviet Union and its allies thought of this as a way in which they can gain more turf in the region. The Soviet Union involvement in the region was became a reason for United States to get involved in the Vietnamese conflict. Another important reason for United States involvement in the Vietnam War was related to the trade and economic significance of the region. United States wanted to secure its interests in the region because of many economic reasons. A United States friendly Indochina region would have helped Japan in rebuilding its economy. United States had vowed to help Japan in rebuilding and pro capitalist governments in the region could become good markets for Japan (Rotter, 1). This was another reason for United States to enter into the Vietnamese conflict in 1950s and 60s. Britain, a United States ally, also wanted pro capitalistic regime s in the region because Malaya was a British colony neighboring Vietnam. Britain wanted to revive the tin and rubber industries of Malaya in order to help them with their post war recovery (Rotter, 1). This might be another reason why United States wanted to stop the proliferation of communism in the region as communism would destroy any trade opportunity. Another reason for United States involvement in the Vietnam War was that United States wanted to stop the war from escalating (Wiest, 20). This is another reason given for the involvement of United States in the Vietnam War. The war in Vietnam was creating problems and therefore the goal of United States was to curb the conflict and not let the conflict turn into a nuclear fight (20). This is why the government actively participated in war so that the conflict can be stopped before serious damages are realized. Tensions were high between United States and Soviet Union during the Vietnam War as both were supporting opposing forces. There was always a chance of escalation which could lead to an all out nuclear war. Some argue that United States active involvement was to stop this from happening and to find a solution to the problem without taking the cold war to the next level. This is why United States got involved in the war and helped South Vietnam defend itself from its

Animal Welfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Animal Welfare - Essay Example Such definitions are always in line with the Five Freedoms of animal. The five freedoms of animal welfare outline five preconditions of a good animal welfare system: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom to from fear and distress.   These clamor for animal welfare has become a great debate especially now with the increasingly fast food world where the demand for some animal meat, like chicken, has outstripped natural production cycles. It is estimated that in the Great Britain alone, over 850 million broiler chickens are reared each year, and approximately 26 chickens are slaughtered every second   (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2010). In fact, over the past thirty years, the demand for chicken meat has been exponentially rising which makes poultry farming a very viable commercial activity. And like all commercial enterprises, the aim has been to ach ieve greater and greater profits by reducing the costs of production.Unfortunately, the reduction in the cost of production has gradually led to more and more genetically selected breeds of broiler chicken that are able to give higher meat production in less and less time. Moreover, the conditions for rearing such chickens has generally deteriorated and are often not considerate of the welfare of the chicken. Often the chickens are reared in a confined space with little or no light, and have to struggle for food and water. This struggle often leads to starvation of some chicken and injury to others. However, there are some exceptional cases where the welfare of the chicken are taken care of even though they are still kept in large numbers in confined spaces. There is also an emerging trend of consumers preferring free range chicken, or organic chicken to those reared in confined spaces. This leads to the question on the possibility of paying more for well kept or organic chicken rather than the more cheap ill kept chicken which are reared in conditions that have no regard for the welfare of chickens. Methodology There is growing concern among animal rights activists that the exponential rise in the demand for chicken meat is gradually leading to further deterioration of the conditions of stay of farm

The film Educating Rita Essay Example for Free

The film Educating Rita Essay Educating Rita tells a story of two people from the opposite ends of life. An uneducated working class woman finally realises the value of education and class and with the assistance of her alcoholic upper class tutor Frank Bryant, she embarks on a journey to gain the knowledge that she deeply yearns for. There are many advantages that a film has over a production of a play. It would be inconvenient and problematic to have lots of settings and changes therefore we immediately know that the film Educating Rita has more advantages over the play. It has close up shots of the characters and different settings. The burning books scene is a great example of this. In this scene Denny (Ritas husband) find a pack of Contraceptive pills which Rita has been taking. Outraged he throws all of Ritas books into a flame. We see Rita and the books through many different angles. One of the shots includes us looking at the burning books from Ritas point. This makes us feel empathy. We also see Rita from where the books are burning. At this point we feel sympathy for her as we see the expression on her face how miserable she is about her books. In the play we would not see Denny burning Ritas books and Rita helplessly just standing there from this amount of angles. We are only able to see the play from one angle which is from out seats. Another advantage that the film has over the play is the added scenes. Added scenes one the most common ways a film can use other methods in order to put across its message. A good example of this method is the scene when Denny finds the contraceptive pills. We do not see this in the play. We see Denny entering the living rooms and tossing the packet on the table. In the film we sense trouble instantly when we witness Denny looking under the floor boards as we earlier saw Rita hiding the pills in the same spot. Throughout the entire film, there are a number of shots that describe the lifestyles of both characters. Ritas journey takes us through her neighbourhood. Through several long shots we instantly understand that the area is almost a dump. The streets are littered heavily, there are abandoned caravans on the sides, two large tanks on the far end of the street which is extremely hazardous and a siren blares in the distance indicates danger. This scene concludes that lower class people who can only afford up to this degree live in an environment like this. On the other hand, Franks environment is the opposite. As Frank walks home we see large amount of space including trees spread out finely, autumn leaves landing swiftly on the ground, parked cars and bird chirping in the distance.

Medical Assisting Essay Example for Free

Medical Assisting Essay Medical Assistants are crucial people in the medical field. â€Å"Medical Assistants are multi-skilled members of the health care team who perform administrative and clinical procedures under the supervision of a licensed health care provider such as a nurse or doctor.†(American Association of Medical Assistants, Library) Medical Assistants do have a variety of different duties that they have to perform on a day to day basis. As a medical assistant, a person will have administrative and clinical duties; work with nurses and doctors, and comply with OSHA and HIPAA guidelines. Some of the administrative duties a person might have to perform as a medical assistant include: â€Å"greeting patients, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, answering telephones, creating and maintaining patient medical records, handling billing and insurance processing, and performing medical transcriptions.† (K. Booth, L. Whicker, T. Wyman, S.M. Wright 2008-2011) All of these administrative duties that a medical assistant does, they must remember to follow HIPAA guidelines and privacy of the patient. (HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.) If a medical assistant fails to follow these guidelines they could possibly face legal charges such as: fines, imprisonment, and/or loss of job. There was a case in Kansas were a man was suspended for unknown causes but, did have to go to court to see if an immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare requiring immediate state agency action. said presiding officer Dr. Nancy Welsh. Some of the clinical duties a medical assistant might have to perform include: â€Å"assisting the doctor during the examination of a patient, infection control, performing tests (urinalysis, blood work, ECGS(Electrocardiogram)) , preparing and giving injections and medications, phlebotomy (blood work), disposing of contaminated supplies, preparing patient for examination, vital signs and medical histories, preparing the exam room before and after examination of a patient, removing of sutures or changing dressings on wounds, and sterilizing equipment.†(K. Booth, L. Whicker, T. Wyman, S.M. Wright, 2008-2011) With all of the clinical duties, as well as the administrative duties, a medical assistant must remember to follow the HIPAA guidelines. Depending on the office a medical assistant works in will depend on the clinical duties they will be preforming. For example, if a medical assistant is assisting a surgeon or a surgical technician they might have duties like: sterilizing e quipment, making sure the operating room is stocked properly with supplies(gauze, medical tape, suture kits), and talking with the patient about the procedure. As a medical assistant there are certain values or qualifications that you need to have. These qualifications might include: critical thinking skills, time management, empathy, attention to detail, flexibility, professionalism, neat appearance, positive attitude, remaining calm in a crisis, team work, proper judgment, and good communication skills. (K. Booth, L. Whicker, T. Wyman, S.M. Wright, 2008-2011) Such things as time management, empathy, attention to detail, neat appearance, and positive attitude are extremely important in the medical field. No patient wants to be taken care of by someone who is rude, has a negative attitude, does not exhibit proper hygiene, or who just plainly doesn’t care about the patient. In the medical profession, professionalism is something that a person must have! The difference between a CMA and an RMA is: a CMA is a certified medical assistant and an RMA is a registered medical assistant (www.aama-ntl.org). A certified medical assistant has only a state wide certification. In order to practice in another state a person would have to transfer their certification to that state. It is different for a registered medical assistant. For a registered medical assistant it is nationwide, which means a person does not have to transfer anything. A person with a RMA can practice anywhere in the U.S., but a person with a CMA would have to transfer their certification first before they could practice in that state. The current issues that medical assisting face is that they are a â€Å"new breed† into the medical field. Which means that a person with a degree in medical assisting; might find it hard to find a job right now. The job field for medical assisting is growing and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the field is to grow 31% in the years to come. (Bureau of Labor Statistics; Publications; Job Outlook 2010-20). So, in the next few years, medical assisting should be as common as certified nursing assistants are today. The median average pay for medical assistant right now is around $28,860 a year or around $13.87 per hour. For more information about Medical Assistants you can visit the following websites: www.aama-ntl.org ( American Association of Medical Assistants), www.caahep.org (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education), www.amt1.com (American Medical Technologists), www.jcahpo.org (Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthmology), and www.aspma.org (American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants). These websites have helped me a great deal with not only research but, questions that I have had about my degree as a Medical Assistant. I know that they have helped me and I hope that they will help others with either questions they have or concerns that they might have about the medical assistant degree or duties. Becoming a Medical Assistant takes hard work and dedication. Working as a Medical Assistant takes even more hard work. Medical Assistants do a lot to help doctors and nurses every day. Some of the things they do for them are: answering the phone so that patients can make or cancel appointments or to answer a question they might have, preparing the patient and the room for the patient, doing blood work for the doctor or nurse, handling insurance paperwork, giving medication or getting it ready for the nurse, and cleaning up after the doctor is done with the patient’s examination. Medical Assistants are a very important part of the everyday duties in the medical field. REFERENCES Bureau of Labor Statistics; summary; job outlook. American Association of Medical Assistants website (www.aama-ntl.org); become a CMA. Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Procedures with Anatomy and Physiology, 4e; Kathryn A. Booth, Leesa G. Whicker, Terri D. Wyman and Sandra Moaney Wright; Pages 9,26-38 License of medical assistant suspended Hutchinson News, The (KS), Apr 07, 2012 Newspaper Source; Kaplan Library

The Unsustainable To Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay

The Unsustainable To Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay From Unsustainable to Sustainable development; Urban problems related to energy; Water conservation, rainwater harvesting, watershed management, Resettlement and rehabilitation of people; its problems and concerns. Case Studies; Environmental ethics: Issues and possible solutions; Climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents and holocaust. Case Studies; Wasteland reclamation; Consumerism and waste products; Environment Protection Act; Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act; Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act; Wildlife Protection Act; Forest Conservation Act; Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation; Public awareness. 6.1 Unsustainable to Sustainable development Sustainable development is not a new concept. It means living in harmony with the nature in full recognition of the needs of all other species. It is no just the survival of the fittest, we must help even the weakest of the species to survive because each species has a role to play that is ultimately beneficial to the earth and all its human population. Our forefathers preached us the need to coexist with the environment in a balanced manner. The needs of the people in different parts of the world may be different, but our dependence on the Nature is similar. The most important thing to remember is that we have only one earth and if we destroy it by our actions, our children will not have a place to live. The first comprehensive definition of sustainable development was given by the Brundtland Commission in 1987: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. [Brundtland, G (ed) (1987). Our Common Future: The World Commission on Environment and Development, Oxford: Oxford University Press]. Any development activity can be sustainable, if it is .. a dynamic process which enables all people to realize their potential, and to improve their quality of life, in ways which simultaneously protect and enhance the Earths life support systems. (Forum for the Future, Annual Report 2000). In short, if we care for the comfort of the present generation only and do not think of the needs of the future generations, and we damage the environment by various development activities, these activities will be termed as unsustainable. In taking every action, small or big, the possible damages to the environment must be given full consideration and the action must not leave behind a degraded environment. Technically, sustainable development is defined as a path of development in which no permanent and irreparable damage is done to the environment and the resources are kept intact for the future generations. The earth has everything for each generation, but it depends on the proper use. The present generation can survive very well on the resources available, but they must also leave behind enough resources for the future generations. It is necessary that a sustainable development path do not have any negative factor that is responsible for causing adverse impacts on the environmen t. A sustainable development programme is friendly to the ecosystem in all respects and has the capacity to absorb abrupt changes of the present and the future. Sustainable development has also a strong element of socio-political development. Thus, sustainable development programme must have equal concern for all sections of the society with a balanced economic development and environmental protection. The programme should have a log-term view of future consequences of any action taken today. In short, sustainable development has become the cornerstone of development planning today and has also become a principal tool of negotiation in international aid packages to the countries. The sustainable development can be broadly classified into three different kinds, viz., environmental sustainability (no permanent damage to the environment), economic sustainability (economy remains stable with equitable sharing of resources) and sociopolitical sustainability (maintaining social harmony and political stability). Historical milestones The Brundtland Commission, formally the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in 1983. The commission was created to address growing concern about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development. In establishing the commission, the UN General Assembly recognized that environmental problems were global in nature and determined that it was in the common interest of all nations to establish policies for sustainable development. The Commission was asked to focus mainly on the following: To propose long-term environmental strategies for achieving sustainable development to the year 2000 and beyond; To recommend ways in which concern for the environment may be translated into greater co-operation among developing countries and between countries at different stages of economic and social development and lead to the achievement of common and mutually supportive objectives which take account of the interrelationships between people, resources, environment and development; To consider ways and means by which the international community can deal more effectively with environmental concerns, in the light of the other recommendations in its report; To help to define shared perceptions of long-term environmental issues and of the appropriate efforts needed to deal successfully with the problems of protecting and enhancing the environment, and a long-term agenda for action during the coming decades. The need to protect and enhance the human environment within a common framework and principles led to the Brundtland Report and subsequently, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), more commonly known as the Earth Summit, took place in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992. This conference was designed to help governments to rethink economic development and find ways to stop pollution and the destruction of natural resources. The conference documents included: Rio Declaration on Environment and Development United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Statement of Forest Principles Agenda 21 Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development At the Earth Summit in 1992, an agenda on worldwide sustainable development was formulated. This agenda, known as the Agenda 21, is a blueprint on how to make development socially, economically and environmentally sustainable into the next century. It addresses economic and development issues and the conservation and management of the worlds resources. The implementation of Agenda 21 has been made the responsibility of Governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry and also the general public. Agenda 21 provides a global framework for tackling global environmental problems like climate change, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, desertification and deforestation. The Earth Summit was followed by a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 where the stakeholders from international institutions and corporations to national, regional and local governments have accepted that the principle of sustainable development will be at the core of all policy making. A few of the areas highlighted by the Agenda 21 are: (i) Combating Poverty. Poverty and environmental degradation are directly related to one another and it is imperative on the part of the governments that they should focus on poverty alleviation in order to protect the environment. The national programmes should aim at sustainable use of resources and should enable the poor to earn a living without destroying the environment. It is envisaged that the people should have a say in the development process and that local groups should be involved in the planning and execution of anti-poverty programmes. In this way, the people will become a party to sustainable development and environmental protection. (ii) Changing Consumption Patterns. Agenda 21 calls for a change in the existing patterns of production and consumption so that the damages to the environment may be minimized. For this purpose, the industrialized countries have been asked to play a leading role. National programmes should give more emphasis to more efficient production processes so that emissions and waste generation are brought down to minimum. All processes of production and consumption should conform to the principle of sustainable development i.e. no harm to the environment. The Governments should discourage all production processes which are not environment-friendly and should levy taxes on goods that are produced through such processes. The use of eco-labels on appliances should be encouraged and efforts should be made to raise public awareness on energy efficiency and recycling of wastes. (iii) Population and Human Health. The rapidly increasing population has created much pressure on natural resources, employment, social and health services. Sustainable development is not possible if the population is not appropriately controlled. Agenda 21 calls for the governments to adopt measures that take into account the links between population dynamics and sustainability, and identify carrying capacities. Poor health is often a result of poverty, especially in developing countries. Agenda 21 recommends that every national health programme should provide for the development of basic health care facilities with emphasis on training of doctors, nurses and other personnel, strengthen immunization programmes to control communicable diseases, and provide specific healthcare measures for the most vulnerable groups, including infants, women and indigenous peoples. (iv) Human Settlements. Migration towards the urban centers has been continuously increasing and the towns and cities are overcrowded with people. Slums have expanded and basic facilities such as supply of clean drinking water, sanitation and sewerage facilities, healthy living conditions, etc., are becoming scarce. Traffic congestion, poor air quality, waste dumping and unhygienic conditions have multiplied in most cities. Agenda 21 calls for appropriate urban renewal projects and transportation strategies, the provision of access to land, and credit and low cost building materials for the poor. Migration to big cities can be reduced only by improving living conditions and employment opportunities in rural areas and Agenda 21 lays stress on the development of the rural areas. (v) Atmospheric Protection. The atmosphere can be protected by reducing emissions to it. For this purpose, Agenda 21 calls for action in the energy production sector, transport and industry, through the promotion and development of energy efficient programmes, regional energy plans, public-awareness campaigns of environmentally sound energy systems, and research into more fuel-efficient transport systems. (vi) Ecosystems. Ecosystem conservation and protection is considered as a major item in sustainable development. For this purpose, Agenda 21 calls for governments, business houses and NGOs to introduce programmes of afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable land use and water resource management. The education programmes should be reoriented towards environmentally sustainable resource management. (vii) Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. While agriculture should yield enough food for the rising population, the farming practices should not lead to land erosion, desertification and deforestation. Current methods of farming, particularly in developing countries, should be carefully examined and unhealthy practices should be discontinued. Agenda 21 urges the development of long-term land conservation and rehabilitation programmes, by encouraging people to invest for the future through land ownership. (viii) Conservation of Biological Diversity and Management of Biotechnology. Habitat destruction, over-harvesting, pollution and introduction of foreign species are recognized as the main factors behind loss of biodiversity. Agenda 21 calls for governments to undertake national biodiversity assessment programmes and formulate strategies to conserve the existing biological diversity without further damage. (ix) Protecting and Managing the Oceans and Fresh Water. Agenda 21 calls for nations to develop policies, which address unsustainable fishing practices, the creation of marine protection zones, and the surveillance and enforcement of fisheries regulations. The agenda further requires that the National water management practices are integrated into economic and social policies. Agenda 21 sets 2025 as the realistic target date for ensuring universal water supplies, and to develop low-cost services, which can be built and maintained at the community level. (x) Managing Wastes. Agenda 21 calls for an international strategy to manage the production and disposal of wastes, including hazardous waste, solid waste and sewage, and radioactive waste. Governments should encourage and assist industry in achieving cleaner production technologies, and promote changes in lifestyles, production and consumption, through recycling and fund public education initiatives. Countries, which generate nuclear waste, should adopt an integrated approach to the safe management, transportation, storage and disposal of radioactive wastes. (xi) Implementing Sustainable Development. All nations will have to make political, social and economic commitments to ensure that the Agenda 21 can be properly implemented and that necessary resources are available for the same. The Agenda asks international funding organizations such as the International Development Association and the Global Environment Facility to help developing countries in meeting additional expenses in implementing all measures required for sustainable development. Developed countries should help promote the transfer of technology to developing countries. It is necessary to monitor the implementation of Agenda 21. Laws should be enacted to secure a balance between the needs for development and environmental protection. The main objectives should include: international standards in environmental protection taking into account the different situations and abilities of individual countries; review of all environmental laws making them more effective; and measures to avoid or settle international disputes. Meeting the aims and objectives of Agenda 21 within the time frame established by the 1992 Earth Summit will pose great social, economic and technological difficulties, both for developing and developed nations. The development that has been witnessed during the 20th century has brought unprecedented changes to biodiversity, the atmosphere and global climate. These are to be reversed. The new challenge for todays society is to ensure that future development and the use of the Earths resources is managed in a sustainable way, and in every action, the quality of life is preserved for generations of the 21st century and beyond. For sustainable development, human population growth has to be controlled. Otherwise, no invention and development in science and technology will be able to prevent irreversible degradation of the natural environment and to alleviate continued poverty in large parts of the world. The natural and social sciences will be crucial in developing new options for limiting population growth, protecting the natural environment, and improving the quality of human life. These should be the perspectives in all short and long term planning for all governments so that the challenges of the present and the future can be adequately addressed. 6.2 Urban problems related to energy use With massive urbanization occurring on a global scale, the state of the environment and human health in the cities of the world has become a prime concern. It is estimated that by the year 2025, over five thousand million people will be living in the cities. In the developing countries of the world, already more than 200 cities have populations of one million or more. Living in cities has many positive benefits, such as increased job opportunities and better access to essential services and facilities. However, many environmental, health and development problems have reached near-crisis dimensions in cities all over the world. Urban growth has exposed populations to serious environmental hazards and has outstripped the capacity of municipal and local governments to provide even basic amenities (water, sanitation, power) and essential health services. Millions of people in the urban areas of developing countries are living under life- and health-threatening conditions. Cities have a s ignificant impact on the broader hinterland and global environment and the fate of cities will have a major influence on the fate of nations and of the planet. Poverty and health Despite the unprecedented creation of wealth worldwide in the past two decades, the number of people living in absolute poverty is growing steadily. Poverty remains the number one killer, with the poor bearing a disproportionate share of the global burden of ill health. The poor live in unsafe and overcrowded housing, often in semi-urban and urban slums, with practically no access to safe water or to sewerage. These people are also exposed to pollution, traffic and industrial and other risks at home, at work or in their communities, much more than the wealthy people living in the same cities. They have insufficient food that too of poor quality from the point of nutrition. Even in rich countries, the poor suffer worse health than do the better off. Children are particularly affected in the poorest regions of the world, one in five children dies before his or her first birthday, mostly from environment-related diseases such as acute respiratory infections, diarrhea and malaria. Not only are children more heavily and frequently exposed to threats to their health in the environment, but also they are more vulnerable to the ill effects on health. For example, in the USA and parts of Europe, lead poisoning illustrates the unequal burden of risk borne by poor inner-city children, who are more heavily exposed to sources of lead in and around the home and are also more affected by the toxicity of lead. Energy consumption Compared to the rural areas, people in towns and cities consume large amount of energy. For example, the old type of Indian houses were made of wood, mud and unburnt bricks which required very little temperature adjustments and consequently very little energy was required for heating and cooling. The present buildings in towns and cities are mostly made of concrete, cement, steel, aluminium, marble, well-burnt bricks and glass. These materials are energy intensive and the houses made with them require a lot of power to keep them comfortable during the winter and the summer and also for lighting and decoration. The process of manufacture of these materials also consumes enormous amount of energy in different forms. At earlier times, people used fuel wood or charcoal in kitchens for making food and also in the living rooms for heating. This did not create any environmental problem such as that of smoke because the houses had separate kitchens at a distance from the main living quarters and the houses were tall having provision of chimneys. This is no longer possible in todays housing blocks where the living quarters are not separated from the kitchens; the RCC structure does not allow having tall roofs and also chimneys. Therefore the fuel type has to be changed as otherwise there will be serious smoke and associated health problems. Kerosene replaced firewood and charcoal as the favourite fuel for the urban homes. Later kerosene gave way to natural gas and electricity during the 1970s. The dependence on firewood has continued in the rural areas particularly for people living in the far-flung areas of the foothills and the forests. Newer tools of comfort came to be used in the urban centers. The use of electric fans during the summer has become a common practice but the effluent has gone for air-conditioning in their houses. As the houses have become almost like glass towers and since glass is a very bad conductor of heat, this has created problem of large temperature difference between outside and inside of a house requiring much energy to be spent on air-conditioning. Additional energy need has become necessary for running the lifts and operating a large number of other gadgets of modern life The other major urban energy need is for transport. The towns and cities are roaming with buses, trucks, cars, two- and three-wheelers all of which depend on fossil fuels, namely petrol and diesel. The number of vehicles has increased at a very fast rate during the last few years despite the higher price of fuel. Small, narrow and improperly maintained roads and overcrowding have further aggravated the problem. Traffic congestion has become a serious problem in all urban areas. Slower moving vehicles burn more fuel and thereby the energy efficiency is further reduced. This has also given rise to problems of carbon monoxide pollution, smog and other environmental problems affecting peoples health particularly through various respiratory diseases. Time has come to design an efficient public transport system, which will lead to substantial energy saving, minimize congestion and reduce pollution problems. 6.3 Water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and watershed management All living organisms need water, plants use it in photosynthesis, humans and other animals drink it, and aquatic plants and animals live in it. Water also plays an important part in many natural and human processes and is a critical component of countless physical and chemical reactions. It also supports many economic activities. The amount of water in the world has remained constant. In fact, water hasnt changed in amount or nature for millions of years. It just keeps cycling and recycling from atmosphere to earth and back again. Freshwater is a precious resource as it makes up less than 3% of the earths total water resources. Because freshwater is so limited and plays such a key role in world health, economies, and environmental stability, it must be conserved and used in a sustainable manner. The efficient use of water implies doing more with less. Efficiencies can be gained in all sectors, including agriculture, municipal, domestic, and industry. Central to a successful water conservation program are an understanding of The water resource itself (baseline data and monitoring) How, when, and why water is used (water audits and metering) The full cost of providing water of suitable quality and disposing of wastewater Alternative water-efficient technologies, processes, and practices Attitudes and values related to water and the environment. Public education and awareness are necessary in implementing water conservation. However, they may need to be supplemented by appropriate legislation and regulations and economic incentives and disincentives, including consumption-based pricing. Demand for more water has been very common. This demand can be reduced by careful planning. This involves the following measures: More-efficient irrigation systems Drought-resistant cultivars and crop rotations More-efficient livestock watering systems Water metering and charging for water Use of effluent and wastewater for irrigation Household water conservation. The water resources have to be carefully managed through the following steps: Dividing water resources into various divisions for effective supply Laying a network of supply pipelines Building reservoirs for storing water Increasing water availability through groundwater extraction Treatment of wastewaters and making arrangement for their reuse Reducing losses through seepage and evaporation. Managing Excess Water. Sometimes, more water is available than the actual need. In such cases, the management of the excess water can be achieved by taking it to deficient areas through drainage: Many agricultural areas are low lying or located in flood plains and require drainage to be profitable. Good drainage improves plant growth and crop productivity, helps to reduce soil salinity and erosion, and allows farmers a wider selection of crops and a longer growing season, all of which help to reduce the costs of production. There are two types of artificial drainage system: surface and subsurface. Surface systems may contribute to declining water quality in watercourses by releasing drainage water containing sediments, nutrients, and chemicals. Subsurface systems release substances that leach through the soil, such as nitrate, pesticides, and bacteria. Drainage systems can also alter the environment by draining wetlands, removing riparian zones, increasing runoff, and changing a regions hydrology. Proper design and maintenance of drainage systems may alleviate some of these effects, but lost riparian and wetland systems are usually difficult and expensive to replace. On-farm drainage systems are not able to handle large volumes of stormwater received from developed uplands. Properly designed regional drainage systems may be needed to protect lowland agricultural areas. Even so, damage from major floods cannot always be prevented. Maintaining Reliable Water Supplies A sufficient supply of good quality water is needed for agricultural activities such as irrigation and livestock watering, as well as for domestic, municipal, industrial, recreational, and other uses. Water needs to be conserved for the lean periods such as drought. Droughts are very common but difficult to predict. They occur most often in dry regions, but other regions may also have shorter, less serious periods of drought. Drought threatens both crop and livestock production. With the potential threat of global warming and increasing trends in population, urbanization, and consumptive use, the impacts of drought can become more serious. The development of storage reservoirs is essential for maintaining adequate year-round supplies, particularly during the dry season. Groundwater is an important source of water and although the groundwater level goes down during the dry season, sufficient water can be extracted for meeting different needs. Sustainable use of groundwater resources depends on withdrawing water at rates that do not exceed recharge rates. Deep aquifers recharged only by water filtering through overlying materials are particularly at risk of over-withdrawals. Measures have been taken throughout the world for reuse of wastewater at least for irrigation and other non-drinking uses. An adequate supply of good-quality water available round the year is essential for all human activities. Concerns continue to mount regarding the availability of water as demands and competition for water grow in all sectors of society. Management of water supplies must consider all competing uses of water, including those associated with agriculture, industry, municipalities, recreation, and aquatic ecosystems. Drought Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally dry weather that depletes water resources. Because most human activities and ecosystems are dependent on reliable and adequate water resources, the impacts of drought are far reaching. Drought affects our lives by Putting stress on water and food supplies Degrading the environment through poorer water quality and more forest fires, soil erosion, and insect infestations Affecting the economy by reducing the capacity for agricultural production, power generation, transportation, and manufacturing, Causing soil moisture deficit in farmland soils and thereby threatening both crop and livestock production resulting in severe financial losses to farmers. Global warming scenarios predict that unless the warming is controlled, the frequency and severity of drought will increase and the occurrence will be unpredictable with respect to time and location. Three basic types of drought may occur separately or simultaneously: Meteorological drought occurs when precipitation is significantly below normal over a long period. Agricultural drought occurs when low soil moisture and scarce water supplies stunt crop growth, reduce crop yields, and endanger livestock. Hydrological drought occurs when a lengthy meteorological drought causes a sharp drop in the levels of groundwater, rivers, and lakes. The timing of a drought may determine its effects. For example, summer drought usually causes more problems because it coincides with the time of highest water demand. It is to be noted that drought is the result of several factors such as Below normal precipitation Extended hot dry air Already low soil moisture. Because of this complexity, a large range of climatic and hydrological variables are needed to monitor and detect drought, including temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, stream flows, and water supply conditions. The serious impacts of drought call for an integrated effort from the physical, biological, and social sciences to develop effective responses. Surface water management Surface water management requires effective measures to control the extremes of floods and droughts, while maintaining a reliable water supply to meet the basic needs of human life and the demands of economic development. Because of the high degree of variability of precipitation, water storage is a must to provide a year-round supply of water. The storage in the form of reservoirs, dams, dugouts, and natural lakes has been a common practice. A significant challenge to water managers is locating surface water supplies relative to that of water users. Water users (domestic, municipal, agricultural, and industrial) usually require a number of resources and services and are not always located near the water sources. Providing a reliable supply of water to users often requires distribution networks consisting of canals and pipelines. Wetlands Wetlands are areas saturated with water for long enough to significantly alter soil and vegetation and promote aquatic processes. The five main types of wetlands-bogs, fens, swamps, marshes, and shallow water-are characterized by A seasonal or permanent covering of shallow water A water table at or near the surface for most of the growing season Saturated organic soils, or peat, the productivity of which depends on the nutrient status and the pH of the site Water-loving plants, such as cattails, rushes, reeds, sedges, dogwood, willows, and cedars. Wetlands provide a number of environmental benefits, i.e. they provide habitat for wildlife, improve water quality by serving as biological filters and mechanical settling and filtering ponds, which help to remove impurities from the water, recharge groundwater, augment low flow in watercourses, serve as a buffer against drought, reduce the risk and damage of flooding by storing large volumes of water during heavy rainfall, rapid thaws, or runoff events, and stabilize shorelines. The other important services rendered by wetlan

Divorce: A Global Problem Essay -- Informative Essay

In any married couple's relationships there are going to be times when their relationship is put to the test. Some couples make it through their relationships without any and live the rest of their lives happily married, but most can not fix their problems and are forced to get a divorce. Couples marry with the intent of staying together for the rest of their lives, but unfortunately that is not the case for many marriages. In fact, more than 50% of married couples end up getting a divorce. Divorce is the dissolution of marriage by a court. Since the married couple is getting a divorce they do not only have to handle the stress of the divorce, but also the financial problems it brings. Divorce affects everyone differently, and there are many different types and laws that influence divorce. Divorce is looked at differently by every state. Not all of the states have the same laws for divorce. There are two ways that states look at divorce they are called â€Å"community property† and â€Å"equitable distribution.† â€Å"Community property.† This is when all property that was bought during the marriage is owned by both people involved in the divorce, and there are many states that look at divorce like this. The states are: Arizona, California, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Idaho, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Washington. The community property rule does not count inheritances or gifts the couple received during the marriage. â€Å"People facing divorce sometimes do not get what they deserve, because they are anxious to get it over with, or they hope to reconcile and do not want to alienate their spouse, or they want to get back at their spouse for real or imagined wrongs† (Fowles 5). The other way that states divide up the married couples possess ions... ... people emotionally, financially, and it can be very stressful for anyone to handle. The laws around divorce can be very confusing and if the couples do not know their way around the laws. They could end up spending a lot more on the divorce than they needed to. Annotated bibliography Beech, Hannah. â€Å"Breaking Up is Easy to do.† Time World Magazine. Time, 30 Oct. 2006.Web. 17 Oct. 2011. D'antonio, William. â€Å"Walking the Walk on Family Values.† Boston News. The Boston Globe, 31 Oct. 2004. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. Didi, Tatlow. â€Å"Chinese Law Could Make Divorce Women Homeless.† The New York Times. The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. Divorce Staff. â€Å"Divorce Law and Separation Advice.† Free Divorce Information. 2011. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. Flowers, Deborah. â€Å"Dealing With the Financial Impact of Divorce.† About.com. About.com, 2011. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

Humanity :: Environemtn Humans Humanity Essays

Humanity I was sitting in my laundry room the other day sorting through piles of dirty laundry, courtesy of my seven year old son (who seems to change his clothes every five minutes) and I found myself thinking, "If he only knew the complexities of the Watershed, the Everglades, the South Florida Water Management District, and the Biscayne & Floridian Aquifers maybe he wouldn't change his clothes so often." But then again maybe if he knew these things he would, like so many people in South Florida, not care. We all sit here, on the very edge of an entirely unique eco-system that does not exist anywhere else on the face of the Earth. Yet, the majority of the South Florida community is concerned not with the health of this eco-system but rather with the availability of "credit". Credit which they can use to buy the right clothes, the right SUV, the right set of fake boobs and the perfect pre-fab, cookie cutter house in the right Kendall subdivision. Hence, they can appear to be successful members of this consumer driven society. Now I realize that this is a blatant generalization and that it is a rather cynical view of humanity. But, let us not forget that in this society appearance is everything. And if that is really the case, what does humanity mean in this place, in this time and in this society?" You are probably asking yourself, "What does a contemporary conceptualization of humanity have to do with the Everglades?" Well, to me, the key to humanity can be found in the Everglades a nd the rest of the natural world beyond it. In the biological sciences there exists the concept of "niche." I have always understood a niche to be a place or a condition in which the abilities of an organism are best utilized and best suited. Essentially, a niche is a place where an organism can belong and be successful; it is a place where it fits. All organisms on the face of the earth have found a niche somewhere and barring human intervention they have flourished in those niches. They have adapted to the world around them. It is only human beings who seem incapable of adaptation and thus expect the world around them to adapt to their presence. Is that then the characteristic and the nature of mankind which distinguishes us from other beings?

The International Space Station Essay -- Science Space Exploration

The International Space Station is the doorway to the future of mankind and the world as it is known. The scientific and medical discoveries that will be made on the station could create billions of dollars annually. A plan like this, arranged to benefit the whole world economy, should sound like a good idea to every person, but some believe that the ISS is too risky, too ineffective, or too costly to create. Whether or not the space station is worth the money, time, and effort, one thing is clear, everyone is interested in this virtual floating laboratory and what assets or liabilities it will bring. The future of scientific experimentation and exploration may be located, not on earth, but on the man made island called the International Space Station. Of all the factors that go into building a space station, construction of the massive object is the most tedious objective. During the building of the ISS, tensions have run high several times when deadlines were missed or funds were not available. This space station is the most expansive mission the world has ever encountered. The International Space Station will be a fifteen country mission. When finished, it will boast over an acre of solar panels for heating and energy, have a volume roughly sizable to two jumbo jets, and contain four times the electrical power of the Russian space station, Mir. It will take approximately forty-five flights over the next five years to assemble the one hundred pieces of the station while circling the orbit of the earth (Goldin 11). This floating station, the size of a large football stadium, which is traveling at over 17,500 miles per hour around the earth, will have a minimum life expectancy of only ten years, although scientists hope for a muc... ... to tell anyone the outcome of the experiments on the International Space Station. It is a complex machine that may create fantastic results or become a large waste of time and effort, but until the world tries, it will never know which might be the most disappointing thing of all. For now, all anyone has is hope for a brighter future, and the chance that the International Space Station may bring them a step closer to that reality. â€Å"The orbiting laboratory serves as a symbol of our future. A future that embodies the dreams of our children and that promises untold discoveries for the next millennium. One that fulfills our innate human nature to explore. And one that benefits all people of all nations.† (Goldin 11) The International Space Station is the beginning. It is the beginning of a world that is working towards a better understanding of everything around it.

Costco Ethics Essay

Costco wholesale follows a very strict code of ethics, which are strongly enforced with their compliance program. Costco’s ultimate mission is to provide their members with quality goods and services at the lowest price possible. In order for Costco to achieve their mission, they must abide by their simple code of ethics which consist of, obeying the law, taking care of their members, taking care of their employees, and respecting their suppliers. Upon success of these four codes, they have the ability to reward their shareholders, which is their ultimate goal. In order for Costco to implement their code of ethics, they must follow an austere compliance program. Costco must first appoint or retain a Chief Compliance Officer who directly reports to the Nominating and Governance Committee of Costco’s Board of directors. The Nominating and Governance Committee is made up of several independent directors whom have the responsibility to develop ideas, and give recommendations to the board corporate governance guidelines. In order for the Chief Compliance Officer to understand the whole process, and compliance program itself, he or she must retain their position for at least three years. Within these three years, he or she must report to the Governance Committee at least twice a year in regards to compliances issues, and the relay of information between the financial reporting department and the financial planning department. Also the Chief Compliance Officer must report to the independent accounting firm or law firm at least once a year. The Chief Compliance Officer’s initial duty is to coordinate and oversee the following areas: to improve Costco’s already set compliance program, revising the Code of Ethics to make it easily understood for their employees, spreading the compliance and ethical standards to officers and employees, improving the employee training program, to look for and address unethical behavior, enhancing the â€Å"whistle blower† program for anonymous accusations, to check on senior executives to ensure their participation in the ethics and compliance program, and lastly to ultimately oversee internal investigations involving financial fraud. To guarantee that information is properly shared between the internal departments responsible for Costco’s equity compensation program there is written procedures to be followed. The departments that are mainly responsible for following this procedure are the financial reporting department, and the financial planning department. These departments are mandated to meet for at least three years for quarterly meetings attended with the Chief Compliance Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller and the supervisors of both departments.

Reading Philosophies

study Philosophies Katy J. Kaldenberg specious C whateveron University EED-470 course of learning, Methods and Assessment Literacy and Language arts K-3 Monday, work 11, 2013 interpret Philosophies Chart version Philosophy Brief Description drill Activities Reading Assessments Constructivist Reading shipion Constructivists captivate the pupil as an active recrudesceicipant in the instruction wreak who constructs a personal meaning from each draw (Ying-Tien & Chin-Chung, 2005). One Constructivist pick uping activity for dogma a scholarly person a youthful word is that the savant is taught to use run into cues to project to read (Ying-Tien, & Chin-Chung, 2005). For arche reference, if the student behind non read a word, he or she is taught to cipher at the picture because go back and to the word and guess the meaning. some former(a) activity for constructivist teaching teaching method would be that the instructor would befool students work in sm enti rely concourses to discuss a take for that was read to the class. The sm all told groups of students may then also create their own story. Constructivist reading minds would include the instructor collecting chance(a) performance samples of work, observing and recording students behavior, audio and videotaping students in divers(prenominal) situations, and building a portfolio modify with discipline to the highest degree each student (Ying-Tien & Chin-Chung, 2005). The evaluation process is for the instructor, p bent, and child. Conferences great deal also be held to discuss progress. Explicit Reading counsel Explicit reading foc utilize is teacher directed (Goeke, 2009).The teacher uses interpretation and materialization to teach specific reading skills and strategies (Goeke, 2009). The teacher also caters go downive feedback to his or her students as the students attempt to apply the impertinent familiarity (Goeke, 2009). An example of denotive readin g learning would be that the teacher would state the give out and spelling of a specific letter-sound residual and then demonstrate by mannequin how to read nomenclature that include that sport to the class (Taylor, Peterson, Pearson, & Rodriguez, 2002).The students then would practice entirely only after the teacher has model the process primary. A second example of verbalised reading guidance would be to teach decryption to students that involve deficits in word reading. A third example of limpid reading instruction would be having students use the mnemonic DISSECT (Discover the context, discriminate the prefix, Separate the suffix, Say the stem, Examine the stem, command with someone, and Try the dictionary) to read unknown dustup (Adams & Engelmann, 1996). The teacher would teach each dodge step straightforwardly (Adams & Engelmann, 1996).An important part of explicit reading instruction is that the teacher constantly describes the system, provides the ration ale for its use, and states how and when to implement a strategy explicitly to the students and the instruction is always implemented systematically (Adams & Engelmann, 1996). Explicit reading assessments would include having student answer ten-fold-choice questions about selected text passage decoding assessments usher out also be precondition (Taylor, Peterson, Pearson, & Rodriguez, 2002).One example of a decoding assessment would be that the student is precondition disjointed words one at a time, and the student is asked to say the word aloud. The words selected for a decoding assessment should be words that argon within the students spoken vocabulary, and should contain a mix of phonetically regular and phonetically irregular words (Goeke, 2009). Another fictional character of assessment is that of standardized tests such as the Diagnostic Assessments of Reading (DAR) and the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading (FAIR). Reading Philosophies Summary The educati onal realm is not free from disputes.Disputes on reading instructional practices have been ongoing for more(prenominal) than half a century. On one side of this debate is constitute of those who moot that students learn best when they are able to intermit and construct the inborn information for themselves. This type of instruction is frequently called student-centered or constructivist instruction (Confrey, 1990). On the setback side of this debate are those who gestate that students only thrive when full, explicit instruction is given and student should not have to discover essential content (Goeke, 2009).This type of instruction is some(prenominal) referred to as direct or explicit instruction (Goeke, 2009). When disquisition about reading instruction, this debate has often been coined as the reading wars. Constructivist Reading Instruction is derived from the theory of constructivism. One could assume that constructivism is derived from Piagets own reference to his v iews as beingness a constructivist or possible from Bruners description of instruction discovery as constructionist (Gruber & Voheche, 1977).Some other terms that have been apply to reference a constructivist way of learning include generative learning, situated learning, accepted learning, and educational semiotic (Wittrock, 1985 Cunningham, 1992). Constructivists believe that all learning should be student centered. They see that companionship is obtained only during a meaning-making assay where the student is involved in the process of constructing their own interpretations of their experiences.Constructivist generally agree that students much construct their own learning, all new learning is dependent on the students existing correspondence, social fundamental interaction plays a critical role in learning, and authentic learning tasks are prerequisite for learning to be substantive (Bruning, Schraw, & Ronning, 1995 Pressley, Harris, & Marks, 1992). harmonize to constru ctivists, in order for a student to construct new meaning he or she needs to hold every(prenominal) effort to make sense of all new experiences and then must join those to experiences to what is already known (Confrey, 1990).Constructivists also assume that a catalyst for acquiring knowledge is dialogue and social interaction facilitates fellow feeling (Brown, 1994). Constructivist teachers aim to provide cooperative learning tasks and peer tutoring for their students. Constructivist teacher often believe that students learn faster when they are actively involved in dialog with their peers about significant problems (Brooks & Brooks, 1993). The constructivist classroom would be filled with students roaming about the classroom obtaining supplies, conferring with peers or the teacher, and running(a) on self-directed projects (Brooks & Brooks, 1993).Constructivist teachers pride themselves in asking big questions, providing time for student to think and look for to find answers (Brooks & Brooks, 1993). In an actual classroom, there are some(prenominal) an(prenominal) flaws involved in practicing constructivist instruction. The first study problem is that often only the brightest students make the discovery that is needed (Pace, 2011). Another step up is that many students become frustrated. This frustration many cause some students to disengage and other students may simply copy any(prenominal) their peers are doing regardless in any case the students never actually discover anything (Pace, 2011).A third issue is that some students may believe they have made a discovery but in fact, they have only learned a misc formerlyption (Pace, 2011). These mis notionions can then interfere with future learning and problem solving (Pace, 2011). Studies have shown that once a student has believed one of these misconceptions that point after they have been show the correct answer they are still presumable to recall the original discovery and not the correction (P ace, 2011). Along with the above four issues studies have shown that constructivist instruction can takings in an increase in deed gap (Pace, 2011).Decades of query has validated that explicit instruction is much more impelling for reading instruction when compared to constructivist reading instruction. Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006) states, later a half-century of advocacy associated with instruction using stripped-down guidance, it appears that there is no proboscis of look for supporting the technique. In so far as there is any evidence from controlled studies, it almost uniformly supports direct, sloshed instructional guidance rather than constructivist-based minimal guidance. Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006) also reports, zero(prenominal) only is unguided instruction normally less strong there is also evidence that it may have negative results when students prepare misconceptions or incomplete or disorganized knowledge. seek has shown that when teachin g new skills and content to students, providing explicit instructions accompanied with practice and feedback is more efficient than requiring students to discover many aspects of what they are to learn (Hall, 2002). Explicit instruction is teacher directed.The teacher provides the students with a full explanation of the new skill or concept that the student is required to learn (Hall, 2002). The teacher also uses a variety of accommodations such as lecturing, modeling, videos and other media, and demonstration to provide the students with proper guidance (Hall, 2002). Students need to be explicitly shown what to do and how to do something first and then they need to be given the opportunity to practice doing it while they aim corrective feedback from the teacher (Hall, 2002). Extensive seek supports explicit instructions achiever as an evidence-based practice.Adams and Engelmann (1996) plant thirty-seven research publications validating the effectiveness of explicit instruction . These research publications all reported that explicit instruction had a significant outcome on reading instruction. Research also found explicit instruction to be as valuable for typical students, as for students with disabilities. The study Follow-Through Project studied multiple models of instruction to determine the most effective instructional models for students who were economically disadvantaged (Rosenshine, 1995 Taylor, Peterson, Pearson, & Rodriguez, 2002).The results reason that children who received explicit instruction in literacy and mathematics scored above those taught with other approaches. An additive result was increased self-esteem collectable to success in school (Rosenshine, 1995 Taylor, Peterson, Pearson, & Rodriguez, 2002). The interior(a) Follow-Through Project belonged to a group of studies on teacher effectiveness, which determined that explicit instruction effectively taught students what they needed to learn (Rosenshine, 1995 Taylor, Peterson, Pear son, & Rodriguez, 2002).Baumann and Duffy (2001) reported on five days of research that showed that reading skills and strategies are most effectively taught with systematic and explicit instruction. In conclusion, explicit instruction is vital for sign instruction in skill encyclopaedism (Goodman, Goodman, & Hood, 1989). This is especially the case for struggling readers, who often require intense support to acquire reading skills (Goodman, Goodman, & Hood, 1989). Beginning reading instruction should emphasize explicit instruction, particularly for phonics instruction (Goodman, Goodman, & Hood, 1989).Constructivist instruction is important when generalizing skills to other contexts (Goodman, Goodman, & Hood, 1989). It can also be used when children explore childrens literature. Story structure can be taught with constructivist instruction and may be more meaningful to children than teaching it explicitly (Goodman, Goodman, & Hood, 1989). The Whole Language Movement is build upo n Constructivist principles (Goodman, Goodman, & Hood, 1989). References Adams, G. and Engelmann, S. (1996).Research on Direct Instruction 25 years beyond DISTAR. Seattle, WA educational Achievement Systems. Brooks, J. G. & Brooks, M. G. (1994). In search of understanding The case for constructivist classrooms. Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Brown, A. L. (1994). The advancement of learning. Educational Researcher 23 4-12. Bruning, R. H. , Schraw, G. J. & Ronning, R. R (1995). Cognitive psychology and instruction, second ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice Hall. Baumann, J. F. , & Duffy, A.M. (2001). Teacher-research methodology Themes, variations, and possibilities. The Reading Teacher, 54, 608-615. Confrey, J. (1990). What constructivism implies for teaching. In R. B. Davis, C. A. Maher & N. Noddings (Eds. ), Constructivist views of the teaching and learning of mathematics (Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Monograph No. 4, pp. 10 7-122). Reston, VA depicted object Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Cunningham, D. J. (1992). Beyond educational psychology Steps toward an educational semiotic.Educational Psychology refresh 4 165-194. Goeke J. L. (2009). Explicit instruction Strategies for meaningful direct teaching. Boston Merrill/Pearson. Goodman, K. , Goodman, Y. & Hood, W. (1989). The whole delivery evaluation book. Portsmouth, NH Heinemann. Hall, T. (2002). Explicit instruction. Wakefield, MA National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved Wednesday, March 13, 2013 from http//aim. cast. org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/explicit_instruction. Kirschner, P. A. , Sweller, J. , & Clark, R. (2006).Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work An analysis of the blow of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41, 7586 Pace, D. (2011). Best practice The use of explicit instruction and culturally responsive teac hing. Insights on Learning Disabilities, 8(2), 5-14. Pressley, M. , Harris, K. R. , & Marks, M. B. (1992). But good strategy instructors are constructivists Educational Psychology followup 4 3-31. Rosenshine, B. (1995). Advances in research on instruction. Journal of Educational Research, 88, 262268.Stanovich, K. E. (1994). Constructivism in reading education. Journal of Special Education, 28(3), 259. Taylor, B. M. , Peterson, D. S. , Pearson, P. D. , & Rodriguez, M. C. (2002). Looking inside classrooms Reflecting on the how as well as the what in effective reading instruction. The Reading Teacher, 56, 270279. Wittrock, W. C. (1985). The generative learning model and its implications for skill education. Studies in Science Education 12 59-87. Ying-Tien, W. , & Chin-Chung, T. (2005). Effects of constructivist-oriented instruction on