Contemporary Hawaiian Music Essay

There is a famous Hawaiian saying, â€Å"You know if the Hawaiian harmonies are good if they give you chicken skin† (Alternative Hawaii, 2002) and, I must say, listening to the online radio streaming of KCCN FM100 gave me goosebumps. Being more attuned to â€Å"Western pop† culture, it was a pleasantly refreshing experience for me to sit for an hour and listen to contemporary reggae, urban music and ragga with an island beat that’s truly Hawaiian. Fourteen original Hawaiian songs, including the Top 5 hits in KCCN charts, were played during a late afternoon program that also aired a couple of brief â€Å"Hele On† traffic news, a commercial each from Earth Share and Hawaii. gov, and 8 radio ads encouraging the people to participate at the ongoing 2010 Census. The DJ on deck did not talk much except to give quick, in-between plugs for a party event and to introduce songs. A distinctly noticeable feature in the contemporary Hawaiian music is its fondness to love and desire. The soulful songs I listened to speak of the excitement of love, romancing the heart of another or accepting a love’s rejection. But even though the lyrics contain sad words, the melody is always upbeat and sensual. The island reggae beat and the smooth ballad is very easy on the ears especially when instruments, like the ukulele, saxophone and native drums blend together to produce the perfect harmony. The result is one relaxed listener mentally transported in an island paradise in Hawaii, and its effect to music lovers is no less than rejuvinating the soul. I think KCCN FM100, being a radio station that plays modern hip-hop and soul Hawaiian music, carries the familiar radio spunk of other American hiphop stations. The DJ was very energetic and in a party mood, and even the traffic reporter was such a chipper in delivering traffic updates as a local RnB song played in the background. The advertisements aired between the 4:30-to-5:30pm radio show were mostly the varying versions of promoting the 2010 Census Count – explaining what the census results would mean to businesses, the improvement of social services and what it means to the future generation. I think delivering the message using both in English and the local dialect reveals a lot about the listeners’ profile of KCCN, which is a mixture of both modern and traditional Hawaiian folks. I also believe that although all local songs aired were sang in English, they always make it a point to bring out the traditional Hawaiian flavor. This much is obvious in both the songs and commercials played. Listening to KCCN and the music aired there makes me realize how global Hawaiian music can be in terms of its appeal to both young and old, locals and foreigners. Everybody can appreciate an island style music inspired by the world-loved Bob Marley and urban rhythm of the modern RnB.

Chapter 8 Mishkin Notes

An Economic Analysis of Financial Structure Why do Financial Institutions Exist? (Why is Indirect Finance so Important? ) Chapter 8 Chapter Preview W e take a closer look at why financial institutions exist and how they promote economic efficiency. Topics include: †¢ A Few Basic Facts About Financial Structure †¢ Transaction Costs †¢ Asymmetric Information: Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard Chapter Preview (cont. ) †¢ The Lemons Problem: How Adverse Selection Influences Financial Structure †¢ How Moral Hazard Affects the Choice Between Debt and Equity Contracts †¢ How Moral Hazard Influences Financial Structure in Debt Markets 1Basic Facts About Financial Structure Throughout the World †¢ The chart on the next slide shows how non-financial business get external funding in the U. S. , Germany, Japan, and Canada. †¢ Notice that, although many aspects of these countries are quite different, the sources of financing are somewhat consistent, with t he U. S. being different in its focus on debt. Sources of External Finance Copyright  © 2007 Pearson Addison-Wesley. All rights reserved. 8-5 Eight Basic Facts of Financial Structure 1. Stocks are not the most important source of external financing for businesses [Direct Finance] 2. Issuing marketable debt and equity ecurities is not the primary way in which businesses finance their operations [Direct Finance] 2 Eight Basic Facts of Financial Structure 3. Indirect finance, which involves the activities of financial intermediaries, is m any times more important than direct finance, in which businesses raise funds directly from lenders in financial markets. 4. Financial intermediaries, particularly banks, are the most important source of external funds used to finance businesses. Eight Basic Facts of Financial Structure 5. The financial system is among the most heavily regulated sectors of economy. 6. Only large, well -established corporations ave easy access to securities markets t o finance their activities. Eight Basic Facts of Financial Structure 7. Collateral is a prevalent feature of debt contracts for both households and businesses. 8. Debt contracts are typically extremely complicated legal documents that place substantial restrictions on the behavior of the borrowers. 3 W hy is Indirect Finance so Important? †¢ Transactions Cost †¢ Information Cost Transaction Costs †¢ Financial intermediaries to reduce transaction costs (and make profits) through – †¢ Economies of scale †¢ Expertise †¢ Read the municipal bond article. Transaction Costs †¢ Transactions costs ? ? ? E. g. a $5,000 investment only allows you to purchase 100 shares @ $50 / share (equity) No diversification Bonds even worse—most have a $1,000 size 4 Transaction Costs †¢ Financial intermediaries make profits by reducing transactions costs – Take advantage of economies of scale (example: mutual funds) – Develop expertise to l ower transactions costs – provide investors with liquidity and diversification Information Costs – Asymmetric Information †¢ symmetric information—the case where all parties to a transaction or contract have the same information. †¢ In many situations, this is not the case. We refer to this as asymmetric information.Asymmetric Information: Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard †¢ We will focus on two specific forms of asymmetric information: ? Adverse selection ? Moral hazard 5 Asymmetric Information: Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard †¢ Adverse Selection 1. Occurs when one party in a transaction has better information than the other party 2. Before transaction occurs 3. Potential borrowers most likely to produce adverse outcome are ones most likely to seek loan The Lemons Problem: How Adverse Selection Influences Financial Structure †¢ If quality cannot be assessed, the buyer is willing to pay at m ost a price that reflects the average qu ality Sellers of good quality items will not want to sell at the price for average quality †¢ The buyer will decide not to buy at all because all that is left in the market is poor quality items †¢ This result, when bad quality pushes good quality from the m arket because of an information gap, is known as â€Å"adverse selection† †¢ This problem explains fact 2 and partially explains fact 1 Asymmetric Information: Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard †¢ Moral Hazard 1. Occurs when one party has an incentive to behave differently once an agreement is made between parties 2. After transaction occurs 3. Hazard that borrower has incentives to ngage in undesirable (immoral) activities making it more likely that won't pay loan back 6 Health Insurance †¢ Symmetric Information: Suppose, if you get sick, drugs cost $10,000/year †¢ Everyone has a 1/10 chance of getting sick †¢ Solution – Insurance will be offered at $1,000 per year Health Insura nce – Symmetric Information continued †¢ Suppose 10% of the population (2 out of 20) is sickly and has a 50%(1/2) chance of getting sick – independent. †¢ Other 90% (18 people) only has 1/18 chance of getting sick. †¢ This information in known to everyone. †¢ How do you price the insurance? Health Insurance – Symmetric Information ontinued †¢ Sickly types pay? †¢ Healthy types pay? 7 Health Insurance – Asymmetric Information Adverse Selection †¢ Same as previous example, but one’s type (sick or healthy) is private information. Suppose insurance company offers policy at $1,000 per year? Suppose insurance company offers policy at $1,000 per year? †¢ Sickly type happy to save $4,000. †¢ Healthy drop out and go without insurance. †¢ Adverse selection: Bad quality pushes good quality from the market because of an information gap. 8 How about charging less say $555. 56 to everyone? How about charging less say $555. 56 to everyone? Break even on the healthy type, but lose on sickly type. †¢ Only way for insurance company in this case to break even is to charge $5,000 ? Healthy will go without insurance. Adverse Selection and Financial Structure Lemons Problem in Securities Markets †¢ Suppose investors cannot distinguish between good and bad securities, willing to pay only the average of the good and bad securities’ values. †¢ Result: Good securities undervalued and firms won’t issue them; bad securities overvalued, so too many issued. 9 Lemons Problem in Securities Markets †¢ Investors won’t want to buy bad securities, so m arket won’t function well. ?Explains Facts 1 and 2 ? Also explains Fact 6: only large well established firms have access to securities m arkets †¢ Bad quality pushes good quality from the m arket because of an information gap. Tools to Help Solve Adverse Selection Problems †¢ Private Production and Sale of Information ? Free-rider problem interferes with this solution †¢ Government Regulation to Increase Information (explains Fact # 5) Tools to Help Solve Adverse Selection Problems †¢ Financial Intermediation ? Analogy to solution to lemons problem provided by used car dealers ? Avoid free-rider problem by making private loans (explains Fact # 3 and # 4) ?Also explains fact #6—large firms are more likely to use direct instead of indirect financing 10 Tools to Help Solve Adverse Selection Problems †¢ Collateral and Net Worth ? Explains Fact # 7 How Moral Hazard Affects the Choice Between Debt and Equity Contracts †¢ Called the Principal -Agent Problem ? Principal: less information (stockholder) ? Agent: more information (manager) †¢ Separation of ownership and control of the firm ? Managers pursue personal benefits and power rather than the profitability of the firm Tools to help solve the Principal-Agent Problem: †¢ Monitoring ? Expensive †¢ G overnment regulation to increase information Fact 5 †¢ Financial Intermediation ? Venture capital firms provides the equity and place there own people in management †¢ Debt Contracts ? Reduces the need to monitor as long as borrower is performing. Explains Fact 1, why debt is used more than equity 11 How Moral Hazard Influences Financial Structure in Debt Markets †¢ Even with the advantages just described, debt is still subject to moral hazard. ? Debt may create an incentive to take on very risky projects. How Moral Hazard Influences Financial Structure in Debt Markets †¢ Most debt contracts require the borrower to pay a fixed amount (interest) and keep any ash flow above this amount. †¢ For example, suppose a firm owes $100 in interest, but only has $90? It is essentially bankrupt. The firm â€Å"has nothing to lose† by looking for â€Å"risky† projects to raise the needed cash. Tools to Help Solve Moral Hazard in Debt Contracts Lenders need t o find ways ensure that borrower’s do not take on too much risk. ? A good legal contract ? Bonds and loans often carry restrictive covenants †¢ Restrict how funds are used Require minimum net worth, collateral, bank balance, credit rating. †¢ Financial Intermediaries have special advantages in monitoring[Facts 3 and 4] ? 12 STOP HERE!! 13

Patient Safety and Medication Administration in Nursing Research Paper

Patient Safety and Medication Administration in Nursing - Research Paper Example The understanding that is developed is that in order for a nurse to avoid medication errors, the nurse ought to ensure that whatever medication is being administered is being given in the right format (Elliott M and Liu Y. Zhang, Patel & Johnson believed that nurses must ensure that all these right procedures are followed but Conrad et al. (2010, p. 141) on the other hand stated that it may not all medications that would have to go through all the 9 rights but at least in all cases, 5 of these should be used. Reflecting on the 9 rights, Palmieri et al. (2009, p. 36) noted that the 9 rights have been made to cover aspects of medication, which when ignored, can lead to serious errors with the administration. To have a better understanding of how the 9 rights helps to prevent or minimize errors, Elliott M1, Liu Y. stated that one may simply turn the ‘right’ to ‘wrong’ and know the effect that a refusal to abide by the procedures can bring. Another important int ervention that has been noted to be very effective with the minimization of errors is the organization of medications within the medication room (Alldred et al. 2008, 320). In order jurisdiction, this is referred to as sorting, labeling, or nomenclature (Alldred et al. 2008, 321). Nurses have been noted to make the Accidental mistake of confusing the labels of some medical products for others. Because of this when there is a mixture of drugs with similar packages, the chances that there will be mix up leading to errors are higher.

Different Ways to Wear a Scarf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Different Ways to Wear a Scarf - Essay Example Fashion has not only become a determining factor of what or who is beautiful, but has also become a status symbol. The more accessorized or hip and trendy one looks, the better. And while some women can afford to have the expensive and latest fashion products by world-class designers, some have to do with the little accessories available on the market. So for these women, here are a few steps on how to accentuate their looks and become more fashionable by using one of the most common and cheap accessories- the scarf. During the Renaissance period, scarves were worn as badges of military rank. It is worn from the left shoulder to the right hip, as a baldric (Hand Made with Care, n.d.). But today, it can be worn as a headdress, a blouse, a belt, etc. Today, I am going to teach you how to make a halter-style blouse and a headdress called a crown out of a scarf. For the halter-style blouse, what you need is a square scarf at least 120 cm2. First, take the square scarf and tie a small knot in the center of the scarf. If the scarf has an apparent front and back, make sure the knot is tied on the back side of the scarf. Next, fold the scarf diagonally so that the knot is on the inside of the fold. Wrap the folded edge of the scarf around your waist, letting the unfolded points hang down.

Proposition 39 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proposition 39 - Essay Example The organizations against this proposition are the California Manufacturers & Technology Association and Friends for Saving California Jobs. As a supporter of Proposition Number 39, the â€Å"Tax Treatment for Multistate Businesses. Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Funding. Initiative Statute,† this proposition is good for the State of California because it will result to significant tax revenues that will fund a sustainable approach to development, a development that will provide additional employment and extra funds for education. Numerous firms, organizations, business people, and individuals are in support of Proposition 39 because they know that its contribution to the increase in tax revenues is fair and will benefit the state in general. At present, California requires additional funds to finance its increasing public costs. Lawrence reports that California’s tax revenues primarily go to the â€Å"Big Three,† specifically education, human rights, and cor rections (235). With a high number of school-age population, California needs more funds, without necessarily burdening ordinary taxpayers. This proposition taxes the rich, where the money will benefit the entire state, including the taxed large businesses. State law presently allows the majority of multistate businesses to choose one of two methods to determine the amount of their income associated with California and taxable by the state: â€Å"1) Three-Factor Method and 2) Single-Sales Method† (â€Å"Analysis by the Legislative Analyst† 68-69). Multistate businesses are normally allowed to select the method that is most beneficial to them for tax purposes. Proposition 39 decrees that multistate businesses would no longer choose the method for determining their state taxable income that is most beneficial for them (â€Å"Analysis† 69). Instead, many multistate businesses would have to establish their California taxable income using the single sales factor meth od. Businesses that operate only in California would not be affected (â€Å"Analysis† 69). According to â€Å"Analysis by the Legislative Analyst,† this policy measure would raise $1 billion of additional tax revenues from 2013 (70). Around fifty percent of the revenues would then fund clean and energy efficiency programs: â€Å"For a five-year period (2013–14 through 2017–18), about half of the additional revenues—$500 million to $550 million annually—would be transferred to the Clean Energy Job Creation Fund to support energy efficiency and alternative energy projects† (â€Å"Analysis† 71). With significant funds for clean and green energy, the state will experience a cleaner atmosphere and more efficient public facilities. Aside from funding clean and green projects, the tax revenues will go to education budget increases. As the analyst of the proposition said: â€Å"For 2018–19 and beyond, the guarantee likely would be higher by at least $500 million†¦The exact portion of the revenue raised that would go to schools in any particular year would depend upon various factors† (â€Å"Analysis† 71). Lawrence reminds Californians that the state needs to build more schools and hire more teachers, while improving the curriculum (235). It cannot do so without an injection of additional funds that will not hurt common taxpayers. Proposition 39 will tax the rich companies, but these taxes will not go to waste because they will fund the long-term educational needs of Californians. While education is important,

Analysis Of HR Strategy Of Seagate Technologies Essay

Analysis Of HR Strategy Of Seagate Technologies - Essay Example Apart from that the company also has its relationship with potential distributors who sell their products to other small OEMs which have their operations in manufacturing and integrating systems on small scale (Seagate-website A, n.d.). The primary focus of the company remains on their core activities of research and development with emphasis on the customer relationship and quality management. The company has its well developed long and short-term plans which support its decision-making process. This indicates that the company has significant involvement of strategic approaches into its business functions and operations. The present case is the analysis of the human resource strategy and its evaluation considering the various internal and external factors of the organization. The evaluation of the case also analyzes the roles and responsibilities of organizational members towards the successful implementation of the human resource strategies of the organization. Apart from the organizational point of view, the strategies have also been assessed on the basis of the factors which are external to the organization but have the potential impact over the decision-making process and the human resource strategy of the organization. The strategic approach towards the human resource management has resulted into many positive outcomes for organizations but still, it has remained a debatable issue in terms of its applicability and effectiveness. Organizations still find it difficult to understand the co-factors which relate to the SHRM. Sometimes authors consider SHRM as a concept within itself for human resource management only while some researchers have indicated that SHRM has its relation to the organizational effectiveness.

Myocardial Infarction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Myocardial Infarction - Research Paper Example The infarction site depends on which vessels are involved. For example, if a blockage occurs in a circumflex coronary artery, this leads to lateral MI while blockage of a right coronary artery can lead to right-sided heart failures (Life nurses forum: Nursing care plans For Myocardial infarction). There are many predisposing factors to the higher number of MI cases. Some of these factors can be controlled while others cannot. These factors are; age, gender, positive family history of MI, high blood pressure, obesity, high levels of cholesterol, lack of physical activity, diabetes, stress, hypertension, increased serum triglycerides, excessive intake of saturated fats, salt and carbohydrates (Salim). Other risk factors include sedentary life, increased homocysteine and C -resistance proteins and use of drugs such as amphetamines and cocaine (Life nurses forum: Nursing care plans for myocardial infarction; (Haffner).About 20% of patients with MI have diabetes (Salim). The symptoms of M I includes; arm, epigastric and chest pain, breath shortness, diaphoresis, clammy skin dizziness, nausea, vomiting, angina frequency, fatigue, presence of pericardial friction rub, systolic murmurs, bradycardia, hypertension, absence of jugular vein distension, activity intolerance, decreased cardiac output, anxiety, among other symptoms (Life nurses forum: Nursing care plans for Myocardial infarction). Nursing process in Myocardial infarction. The nursing process is a very important thinking tool and involves a number of stages. Assessment This stage involves collecting and recording of data so as to obtain the necessary information which will help a nurse or a clinician to predict, detect, prevent, manage and eliminate health problems and associated risk factors. During the assessment, the nurse should be able to clarify the expected outcomes and the advantages of the care. These outcomes should be measurable. The nurse should also be able to choose intervention strategies to be u sed in achieving the desired results and promoting patients health (Afaro) Diagnosis Diagnosis is very important as it helps in analyzing and synthesis of data so as to facilitate drawing of conclusions. Diagnosis can be achieved through physical examination of symptoms. Other diagnostic tests which can be used include, detection of elevated levels of homocysteine and C- resistance proteins, electrocardiogram, use of cardiac troponin to differentiate between MI and injury of skeletal muscles. This can also be achieved by looking at the family history to identify if there is the positive relationship. During diagnosis, the nurse should identify patterns and produce a list of suspected problems and also rule out the presence of other health issues. Identification of symptoms is important as this may help the nurse to refer the case to more qualified personnel if need be (Afaro). The nurse should be able to clarify actual and potential health issues and the associated risk factors.

Urban services (waste collection and cleaning) and waste treatment Thesis

Urban services (waste collection and cleaning) and waste treatment activities Globally (focus in Europe) - Thesis Example ries do not differ much as to their wastes disposal priorities, but Europe is more advanced in treatment because of experimentation and implementation of technologies. Landfills would remain a problem because of scarce resources and need for area developments. Outlook and trends of the waste industry is good as revenues of the players in the industry are encouraging. Waste disposal is one of the urgent environmental problems facing regions all over the world. The over consumption of resources and creation of non-biodegradable materials such as plastics, Styrofoam and chemicals are creating a mounting problem of waste disposal. People are gaining the notoriety of producing excessive wastes and dumping them as garbage on landfills and oceans. Garbage such as nuclear wastes, plastics, fast food wastes and electronic products are samples of harmful materials that can affect the health of man in particular and of the environment in general. However these wastes became a business opportunity and opened up avenues for new industries, i.e. the urban services and waste treatment, an interesting topic for discussion. This study intends to investigate the urban services and waste management activities in Europe., and in U.S. Specifically, study seeks to describe the practices done within the industry and identify the challenges and opportunities the industry face. This work would be of special concern to those who wanted to gain information on the economic opportunities of the waste disposal. This research will use observational research method wherein the researcher will study a phenomenon without interfering. Observation method is used in behavioral studies, social sciences and anthropology, and is useful when ethics is a problem. Existing literatures and researches on the subject will be used as secondary source since access to primary source is not possible. Web definition of waste management is â€Å"The  collection,  transportation, and  

John Chambers (Cisco CEO) - The Role of Decisiveness and Decision Essay

John Chambers (Cisco CEO) - The Role of Decisiveness and Decision Making - Essay Example In October 2011, Cisco’s net income dropped by 8%, while earlier in august this year, the net income had dropped by 36%, although it later on rose by only a small margin of 3.3%. Shareholder value creation is one of the most important strategies in an organization, and should be a priority for a CEO; however, Chambers has failed tremendously. According to Rappaport (2006), executives should always make decisions that aim at maximizing value. In addition, at times, it is wiser to return the shareholders cash in dividend form, rather than using excess cash in investments that end up being destructive. Therefore, excess cash should be returned to shareholders when the value-creating opportunities are not available. In addition, an organization should focus on the activities that contribute to long-term value in the organization. Decisiveness is one of the major qualities of a successful chief executive officer; the act of being determined is evident in Chambers such that, despite the rise of Cisco from $1billion to $40 billion followed by the challenges in 2001, Chambers has continued to hang on in the company’s leadership. ... argues that the continuous recovery of Cisco can be attributed to the CEO’s leadership skills, as he is known as an effective communicator and motivator of employees. Literature Review John Chambers, the Cisco’s CEO, has faced both negative and positive remarks concerning his role in the company. The failure to persuade the public that the company’s future earnings are reliable is one of the existing critics. Chambers replaced the top-down decision-making process with the committees of executives. This strategy required most managers to spend their time in committees; this absurd system was later on abandoned. According to Geothals, Sorenson, and Burns (2004, p.319), the presence of the correct information leads to informed decisions, whilst decisiveness creates room for timely actions. Nevertheless, inconsistency and failure to fulfill promises in a CEO creates an atmosphere of mistrust from the employees and the customers. Therefore, an open management style co ntributes to the development of trust, improved communication skills, and listening skills as well. However, ineffective communication leads to poor teamwork due to lack of collaboration, decrease in productivity, and high levels of turnover. Decisive managers are aware that their decisions may not be effective; hence, they leave room for modification, and therefore, they do not hesitate to modify their decisions once they realize that their original decisions are not effective. This is evident in Chambers case; for instance, when chambers changed the company’s top-down decision-making process to manager’s committee strategy, the new strategy proved ineffective as managers spent most of their time in committees. However, Chambers reconsidered changing the strategy after discovering that it did not

Personal Reflections Essay Example for Free

Personal Reflections Essay The concept of self in the social world has been the subject of psychology studies for decades. Self-concept is defined as â€Å"a person’s answers to the question, â€Å"Who am I?† (Myers, 2010). Several factors, both internal and external, create each individual’s sense of self. Self-concept, self-esteem, self-knowledge, and social self all help create the sense of self. Self-schemas are an important component of one’s self-concept. A schema is simply defined as â€Å"mental templates by which we organize our worlds† (Myers, 2010). Self-schemas are the beliefs one holds, which define who we are. Self-concept The development of our self-concept has numerous influences, which include roles played, social identities formed, comparisons made, personal success and failure, judgments, and cultural surroundings (Myers, 2010). Roleplaying can include what we are in our professional life, as children in school, and into adulthood. The roles we assume may not feel like second-nature in the beginning, however, as we evolve within our roles, we become a more self-confident role player. Social comparison shapes an individual’s self-concept through academics, finances, and looks. The impact the comparison has is dependent who we are comparing ourselves to. Personal success and failure occur on a daily basis at work, school, and home. Judgments made by our peers strongly influence our own perception of self. Positive feedback will result in a positive view of one’s self, as a negative feedback will result in a negative self-concept. Our cultural surroundings impact our self-concept also. Westernized cultures tend to be more self-absorbed than an Eastern culture. â€Å"In many Western cultures, there is a faith in the inherent separateness of distinct persons† (OMalley, 2002). Individualism and collectivism are two concepts describing how  individuals view their importance within their culture. Individualism is mainly seen in a Western culture, where an individual places personal goals and gains over a group’s goals and gains. Collectivism considers a group’s goal as a priority over an individual’s goal. â€Å"Most cultures native to Asia, Africa, and Central and South America place greater value on collectivism† (Myers, 2010). The interdependent self is defined as the â€Å"view of the self and the relationship between the self and others† (OMalley, 2002) within a group. Self-esteem Self-esteem is â€Å"a person’s overall self-evaluation or sense of self-worth† (Myers, 2010). People have both low self-esteem and high self-esteem, depending on the variance of difficulties in their life. Poverty, drugs, and abuse can all be considered a factor in a person’s low self-esteem. High self-esteem can also be portrayed a negative trait, especially when the individual is viewed as narcissistic. Narcissism is defined as â€Å"having an inflated sense of self† (Myers, 2010). Self-efficacy Self-efficacy is defined as â€Å"the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations† (Cherry, What is Self-Efficacy?, 2014). Self-efficacy is not the same as self-esteem, which is how valuable an individual perceives themselves to be. An individual’s self-efficacy is the belief they are capable of accomplishing a task, even when the task is challenging. Studies of the Self Various studies of the self in psychology have offered an insight into what is believed to be the center of self-concept. Carl Rogers believed self-image, self-esteem, and ideal self are the three components of self-concept. Self-image is â€Å"how you see yourself† (Cherry, What is Self-concept?, 2014). A person’s self-image can include positive and negative aspects, which may or may not be realistically true. Self-esteem is the how valuable a person believes they are. Comparison between a person’s own successes and another’s can impact their self-esteem in a negative or positive manner. Ideal self is how a person would like to see their self. Ideal self is not necessarily how an individual actually perceives their  self, rather the idealistic version that person dreams of being. Who I am Amanda’s Self-concept By asking myself â€Å"who am I†, I am able to define my self-concept. I am a mother and I love my children. I am a full-time employee at ESCO Corporation. I am a college student at the University of Phoenix, studying Environmental Science. I am not an easy person to get along with, and I tend to take criticism personally. Amanda’s Self-esteem I have low self-esteem. My low self-esteem has been an ongoing issue from childhood. I struggle with my weight, which was not a real issue until I was out of high school. I thought I was overweight as a teen, when in reality I was at a healthy weight. After I had my first daughter at the age of 18, depression slowly took over my carefree and happy personality. I began to eat more in an attempt to feel better about myself. I remember one incident as a Senior which really made an impact on my self-esteem. While changing classes, I waited at my locker for a classroom to finish letting students out. One of the disabled girls from that classroom kept looking at my mid-section. She finally asked me â€Å"are you pregnant or something†. I was not pregnant anymore, and had given birth two months before. Hearing another person say I looked like I was pregnant still brought my feeling of self-worth to the lowest point at that time. Amanda’s Self-efficacy My self-efficacy can be compared to a roller coaster. I do challenge myself to excel at work and school. I believe I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Over the past decade, I have improved my self-efficacy, with a tremendous improvement over the last five years. The individuals I have chosen to surround myself with, as opposed to in the past, have helped me accomplish my dreams. My fiancà © encouraged me to stand up for myself, especially with my parents. My parents had been involved in raising my children to the point I was not able to make a decision without calling for their opinion first. The feeling of dread would overcome me due to the fact I knew my parents would not approve of my decisions if I did not talk to them first. I finally realized I was holding myself back, and I could make important family decisions without their approval. I signed up for the  University of Phoenix for the reasons I believed were important. I did tell my parents I was going back to school after I had signed up, and I saw the disappointment they felt over not being able to control me with the decision. My fiancà © has been encouraging throughout my studies, and continues to give me the push I need to finish my last five classes. References Cherry, K. (2014). What is Self-concept? Retrieved January 20, 2014, from About Psychology: http://psychology.about.com/od/sindex/f/self-concept.htm Cherry, K. (2014). What is Self-Efficacy? Retrieved January 21, 2014, from About Psychology: http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/self_efficacy.htm Myers, D. G. (2010). Social Psychology (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. OMalley, M. (2002). Hazel Rose Marcus and Shinobu Kitayama, Culture and the Self: Implications for Cognition, Emotion, and Motivation. Retrieved January 21, 2014, from Honors 130: Conceptions of the Self: http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/honors130/culture.html

Impacts Of Cruise Tourism

Impacts Of Cruise Tourism This business report addresses the impacts of cruise tourism offered by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. on the environment and its related issues. It aims to attend the necessity of Ecotourism as a sustainable business for the company. Although Royal Caribbean (the worlds second largest cruise with 23.8% of worlds market share) has contributed positively to regional growth by diversification, creating job opportunity, earning foreign reserves but it has diverse issues related to economic, socio cultural and the environment. However the main focus will be on environment which is strongly affected by the increase in cruise lines and there is a need to protect the ecosystem. The issues of cruise tourism pertaining to the environment arises because of three important reasons; lack of proper waste management, selection of improper tourists destinations, and lastly because cruises doesnt restrict to the number of visitor carrying capacity of the tourism destinations, resulting in site congestion, gathering of wastes, deterioration of archaeological and historical sites. Tourist destinations should be national parks, flora and fauna instead of fragile destinations. Due to ocean pollution the company has to pay penalty which raises its expenses, incur losses and also social impact. Even if cruise tourism is the fastest growing business of the travel industry however if the growth is not planned properly it may cause economic, environment and socio-cultural impacts on tourist destinations. Thus, the need for responsible tourism is highly recommended for the sustainability of the business, which can be achieved by ecotourism. Ecotourism is one form of tourism, which addresses the negative impacts associated with mass tourism through the implementation of sustainable practices. Its impacts and benefits are critically analysed and it was recommended for the company to implement it. Necessity of Ecotourism as a sustainable measure for Royal Caribbean 1. Introduction Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is the worlds second largest cruise company founded in 1969 and it. The company is responsible for giving a new dimension to the cruise industry transforming a simple ocean carrier service into a mega vacation option. It sails in more than 160 destinations with a variety of travel options. The two brands are Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. It operates globally, however majority of its passengers are from North America. Main competitors are Carnival Corporation, NCL Corporation, and Star Cruises Ltd. (Royal Caribbean International, n.d.) The main objective of this report is to identify the issues, analyze the impacts of the issue on the sustainability, recommend a solution to fix the issue, find out its benefit, and its implementation by the company making it a sustainable business. The issues and challenges faced by Royal Caribbean cruises in terms of social, economical and environmental factors are discussed in this report. The problem that was identified with the cruise tourism of RCCL was the improper waste management which lead to ocean pollution thus affecting the marine as well as terrestrial environment. The poisonous oil leakage from the vessels killed people and also had harmful effects causing deadly diseases. This impacted the environment as well as society. The economy of the company was negatively impacted because Royal Caribbean had to pay heavy penalty for polluting the environment. This raises the issue of sustainability because for the companys long term business, it is essential to have a balance between these three factors. Ecotourism is suggested as a tool for sustainability. However it is important to critically analyze the potential of ecotourism as a strategy for development, evaluate the impacts and benefits of ecotourism, and the ways t o improve ecotourism practices and policies for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 2. Issues With the increase in popularity of leisure tourism, the company focuses on providing adventure, relaxation and entertainment to passengers from across the globe and tourist destinations as a part of the cruise package deals. However it is also necessary to maintain the glory of such destinations as it is linked to the environmental performance and the future of tourism also depends on it. Marine life should be protected which is the base of shipping industry. Cruises generate a high volume of wastes, pollutants into the water body which affects the marine environment. Royal Caribbean was found guilty of illegal waste-handling by disposing the toxic waste into the Alaskas Inland Passage waters thereby polluting the marine environment and for which it has to pay a fine of $18 M. But the company was convicted by the U.S Federal for 11 times in charge of ocean pollution. The $9M and $18M fines each were the highest record set for the largest pollution penalty for a cruise-ship company (F ishman, 2000). These pollution scandals not only increased the expenses but also affected the companys gracious public image. The socio- cultural issue in Haiti has also put Royal Caribbean under a heavy media fire. The company brings the vacationers to a private resort maintained by it in Labadee, Haiti, which is 60 miles away from the earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince (Bennett, 2010). Ms. Martinez, Manager Corporate Communications said, the company is very sensitive to the idea of delivering a vacation experience so close to the epicentre of the earthquake, but given the financial and social challenges the country is now facing, it needs the positive economic benefits Royal Caribbeans cruises provide. Despite Royal Caribbeans help to the Haiti relief effort, $1 M donation as relief fund, the company is charged for bringing cruisers to this place. It is criticized saying that the cruise line should never have tried to mix its commerce and humanitarian efforts in telling its side of the story (Bush, 2010). In a nutshell, the main issue figured out was cruise tourism which had the serious problems like lack of provision for waste disposal leading to environment and economic crisis, destination selection raising social issues. We will further analyse the effects of cruise tourism in this report. Impacts of Cruise Tourism on the Environment The cruise tourism is likely to have effects on various aspects of the maritime and terrestrial environments. There is always a high possibility of oil spills by the ships in the sea which is very difficult to clean up in the cold remote locations. The impact of vessel activity in the breeding ground and feeding areas of marine mammals risks the wild life and is an area of concern. Whereas the terrestrial environment is affected by the numerous passengers who often make shore visit to places of natural and historical interests as a part of their cruise holiday package, either by speed boats, zodiac or helicopters thereby creating noise pollution and destroying the archaeological sites. Another potential threat is there to the flora and fauna of the place because these species have low tolerance capacity which leads to the destruction of the ecosystem. Not only this, there is a social and cultural disruption among indigenous people whose communities play host to cruise visitors on an increasingly regular basis. While cruise tourism has the potential to disrupt local communities it also has the capacity to enrich them. It can contribute positively to the economies of remote communities and also can be viewed as an environmentally sustainable option. Aspects of global environmental change with relevance to cruise tourism The effects are on three sectors: Infrastructure, Access, and Attractions. Cruise tourism increases the open water which leads to storm surges and shoreline erosions. This creates structural damage and raises construction and engineering problems. An effect on Access is because of declination in sea-ice extent causing extended shipping season and melting of glaciers also causes iceberg hazards. Effect on the attractions is because environmental changes alter local activity possibilities, changes scenic values locally and variations in ecosystem lead to alterations in distribution and abundance of existing animal species (Gissling Hall, 2005, p. 44). 3. Recommendations Royal Caribbean should adapt Ecotourism business to address the sustainability dimensions which will provide a diversity of economic benefits to the company, environment and the community. The benefits of implementing this sustainability practice will reduce operating costs, protect the brand image, provide credible marketing advantage, increase client base, and improve the business efficiency. It is recommended for Royal Caribbean to discourage mass tourism because travelling in small groups helps to conserve energy and the waste needs of passengers are managed in a better way, thereby having low impact on the environment (Paul F. J. Eagles, 2002, p. 20). The travellers should be educated on practices respectful to the local environment and the benefits of small-group responsible tourism. So limit in cruisers number will help to protect the local tourism infrastructure for future generations. Cruise destination should be selected wisely because travel to unspoiled virgin areas is harmful and may damage areas of the environment that are exceedingly rare and fragile. It should sail to nature based places like national parks, areas of conservations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle should be the strategy for waste management. It should recycle all materials like glass, plastic, paper etc. Water bottles can be reused; special processing of wastes such as toner cartridges, wooden pallets and cooking oil should be done by approved shore side vendors. The outstanding garbage can be reused in some countries as road fill, or can be treated as special waste for further processing or disposed of in a landfill. The unconsumed foodstuffs by the guests can be sent to the crew galleys; remaining food scraps can be treated inside the vacuum system of the ship and can be discharged to the sea. Similarly water waste is filtered and purified into potable water. Tour can contribute financially toward the local economy and nature conservation (WTO UNEP, 2005, pp. 9-10). It should contact the local guides, local activity providers for the travel guide to the local places; the cruisers can purchase from the local buyers thereby promoting the local business, visit the national parks. Support the integrity of local cultures by integrating tours within the cultural fabric of the sites. The passengers should be encouraged to stay in local hotels, visit places, and participate in activities that foster meaningful interactions with them. It helps in providing employment, encourages cultural exchange and strengthening of intercultural understanding and tolerance for both guests and hosts. Ecotourism Martha Honey defines as Travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strive to be low impact and (usually) small scale. It helps educate the traveller, provides funds for conservation; directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights. (Honey, 1999, p. 25) Advantages of Ecotourism It can help in protecting the ecosystems, preserving natural areas and increase the tourism. Increase the awareness on environment; educate people about the consequences of exploiting natural resources. Help in providing employment to the local and regional people, e.g. selling of handicrafts, local food items etc.; this also creates some entrepreneurial skills (Leader-Williams, Hashimova, Guliyeva, 2004, p. 45). Increases foreign reserves of the region, enhances economic growth. Raises the warmth to multitude countrys political, environmental and social climate Cultivate a feeling of pride and community through a revival or safeguarding of customary beliefs, practices and enriching techniques. Untouched destinations and natural activities may become a craze for tourists creating scope for ecotourism. Diversifying the tourism package into interesting events such as halt in country boats, trail walks etc. will help retaining the revenue generated with the local people and promote local economy. Figure 1: Sustainable Development Triangle (World Conservation Union, 2003) Utilizing the above figure of sustainable development triangle we can say that ecotourism puts a balance between these three sides i.e. economy, environment, and the society. For the long term development of a company it is necessary to be sustainable; Ecotourism will bring future and current benefits as well as work as a form of sustainable development. SWOT Analysis of Ecotourism can be referred in the Appendix attached at the last. 4. Implementation The company should get the new criteria for selecting destinations in a cruise ship port of call from the tourism council. It should follow the guidelines on ecotourism destinations set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. After that a third party verification of its land excursions adhering to Global Sustainable Tourism Council-recognized standard by 2015 should be done. Once final GSTC Criteria for Destinations are in place, they will provide another standard by which Royal Caribbean can judge ports of call. (Wilkinson, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, 2012) Timeline: An approval from the CEO has to be obtained and then the company should follow GSTC for obtaining the criteria. This process of implementation will take around 3 years which is the timeline. Instead of activities like snorkelling, scuba diving etc. which has impact on the marine life there can be other attractions like visiting conservation area, Plantation house, lush forest trekking, catamaran ride to beaches where the guests can have beach barbeque. Maintaining the quality of these experiences means integrating the guidelines of sustainability, with the help of a GSTC consultant. Timeline: There should be an approval received from the strategic planning department and It can be implemented within 6 months from now. There should be proper waste disposal system in the cruises. Modern equipment like exhaust gas scrubbers should installed on smokestacks, superior wastewater purification should be on the vessels. RCCL can implement these systems on the newer ships as a measure to treat all kind of wastes like solid waste, water waste and air waste. It can also have highly developed systems like reverse Osmosis system that uses only 35 percent of the electricity consumed as compared to older units for converting sea water into drinkable ship water. Timeline: Approval from the corporate governance department should be obtained and this can be implemented within 6 months from now. In order to preserve the environment from dumping things overboard RCCL can initiate programs for educating the cruisers, travellers, crews for recycling all the wastes like aluminium canes, water bottles, food stuffs etc. It can also purchase more than one million pounds of recycled products each year. An approval from the CEO can be obtained for immediately implementing the plan and the sanction for purchasing recycled products can also be got from finance department. Timeline: This can be implemented within 2 month. 5. Conclusion Ecotourism is a win-win solution for destinations where the conservation efforts for the environment are also associated with the livelihood opportunities of the local people. For ecotourism to be effective in its true sense there is a need to develop a proper ecotourism package which should be different from the existing mass tourism packages. Royal Caribbeans plan to implement Ecotourism as a sustainability measure is indeed a commendable decision. The companys initiative to sponsor programs such as setting new criteria for selecting holiday destinations, running programs like Save the Waves with mission as reduce, reuse, recycle will certainly help it for a long term development and overcome the challenges to sustain its business. Although RCCLs investment will be more on these sustainable measures but it will not have a negative impact on the environment, social image and the economy as well because there will be no threat for hefty fines for creating pollution.

Abortion Essay -- essays research papers fc

â€Å"Abortion stops a beating heart†¦Ã¢â‚¬  vs. â€Å"Western philosophy’s idea of the autonomous self: the pregnant woman is in fact both a person in her body and a vessel. Rather than seeing both beings as alive and interdependent—seeing life within life—and acknowledging that sometimes, nonetheless, the woman must choose her life over the fetus’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Few issues have fostered such controversy as the topic of abortion. The participants in the abortion debate not only have firmly-fixed beliefs, but each group has a self-designated appellation that clearly reflects what they believe to be the essential issues. On one side, the pro-choice supporters see individual choice as central to the debate: If a woman cannot choose to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, a condition which affects her body and possibly her entire life, then she has lost one of her most basic human rights. These proponents of abortion believe that while a fetus is a potential life, its life cannot be placed on the same level with that of a woman. On the other side, the pro-life opponents of abortion argue that the fetus is human and therefore given the same human rights as the mother. Stated simply, they believe that when a society legalizes abortion, it is sanctioning murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pro-life activists would argue that the taking of a human life is wrong no matter what the circumstances or in which trimester it is done. The controversy over abortion has avoided the real issue facing today’s woman-her need to grow beyond stereotypes. Much emphasis is placed on pregnancy as a result of rape, even thought the statistics show only about 0.1% of all rapes actually result in conception. That means that a large majority of pregnancies that resulted in abortion were the result of free choice. The assumption is that a woman does not have control over her own body until after a male partner is finished with it. Only then does she here talk of â€Å"rights.† The term â€Å"pro-choice† evokes their sense of fairness, but what is really being considered is the killing of an innocent human life. Women are abandoning the abortion mentality because it weakens their greatest strength-creation. They are looking at responsibilities as well a s rights, choosing instead of reacting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pro-choice supporters argue that abortion should be viewed as a sometim... ... can say they will support whatever decision we want to make, but as selfish as this may sound, the bottom line is we are women faced with a decision that is all our own. â€Å"They (abortion opponents) talk like we make this decision so cavalierly. Yeah, right. Like they need to make us feel guilt. Like there isn’t plenty of that already.† Bibliography 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Abortion Beliefs That Are Neither Pro-Choice Nor Pro-Life†. Via the Internet: www.religioustolerance.org/abo_argu.html 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Abortion Facts You Should Know†. Via the Internet: www.adoptionwishes.com/abortionfacts.html 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alstad, Diana & Kramer, Joel. â€Å"Abortion As A Moral Act†. Via the Internet: www.rit.org/editorials/abortion/morality.html 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Howley, Kathleen. â€Å"When Men Support Choice†. Via the Internet: www.prolifeinfo.org/howley.html 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"RU486: A Psychological Nightmare for Women†. Headline News. The Washington Post. October 15, 2000. 6. Wolf, Naomi.†Rethinking Pro-Choice Rhetoric. Our Bodies, Our Souls†. The New Republic. October 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abortion Essay -- essays research papers fc â€Å"Abortion stops a beating heart†¦Ã¢â‚¬  vs. â€Å"Western philosophy’s idea of the autonomous self: the pregnant woman is in fact both a person in her body and a vessel. Rather than seeing both beings as alive and interdependent—seeing life within life—and acknowledging that sometimes, nonetheless, the woman must choose her life over the fetus’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Few issues have fostered such controversy as the topic of abortion. The participants in the abortion debate not only have firmly-fixed beliefs, but each group has a self-designated appellation that clearly reflects what they believe to be the essential issues. On one side, the pro-choice supporters see individual choice as central to the debate: If a woman cannot choose to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, a condition which affects her body and possibly her entire life, then she has lost one of her most basic human rights. These proponents of abortion believe that while a fetus is a potential life, its life cannot be placed on the same level with that of a woman. On the other side, the pro-life opponents of abortion argue that the fetus is human and therefore given the same human rights as the mother. Stated simply, they believe that when a society legalizes abortion, it is sanctioning murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pro-life activists would argue that the taking of a human life is wrong no matter what the circumstances or in which trimester it is done. The controversy over abortion has avoided the real issue facing today’s woman-her need to grow beyond stereotypes. Much emphasis is placed on pregnancy as a result of rape, even thought the statistics show only about 0.1% of all rapes actually result in conception. That means that a large majority of pregnancies that resulted in abortion were the result of free choice. The assumption is that a woman does not have control over her own body until after a male partner is finished with it. Only then does she here talk of â€Å"rights.† The term â€Å"pro-choice† evokes their sense of fairness, but what is really being considered is the killing of an innocent human life. Women are abandoning the abortion mentality because it weakens their greatest strength-creation. They are looking at responsibilities as well a s rights, choosing instead of reacting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pro-choice supporters argue that abortion should be viewed as a sometim... ... can say they will support whatever decision we want to make, but as selfish as this may sound, the bottom line is we are women faced with a decision that is all our own. â€Å"They (abortion opponents) talk like we make this decision so cavalierly. Yeah, right. Like they need to make us feel guilt. Like there isn’t plenty of that already.† Bibliography 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Abortion Beliefs That Are Neither Pro-Choice Nor Pro-Life†. Via the Internet: www.religioustolerance.org/abo_argu.html 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Abortion Facts You Should Know†. Via the Internet: www.adoptionwishes.com/abortionfacts.html 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alstad, Diana & Kramer, Joel. â€Å"Abortion As A Moral Act†. Via the Internet: www.rit.org/editorials/abortion/morality.html 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Howley, Kathleen. â€Å"When Men Support Choice†. Via the Internet: www.prolifeinfo.org/howley.html 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"RU486: A Psychological Nightmare for Women†. Headline News. The Washington Post. October 15, 2000. 6. Wolf, Naomi.†Rethinking Pro-Choice Rhetoric. Our Bodies, Our Souls†. The New Republic. October 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

The Awakening Essay -- essays research papers

In the Awakening, by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier is a married woman with children. However many of her actions seem like those of a child. In fact, Edna Pontelliers ¡Ã‚ ¦ life is an irony, in that her immaturity allows her to mature. Throughout this novel, there are many examples of this because Edna is continuously searching for herself in the novel. One example of how Edna ¡Ã‚ ¦s immaturity allows her to mature is when she starts to cry when LeÆ’Vonce, her husband, says she is not a good mother.  ¡Ã‚ §He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother ¡Ã‚ ¦s place to look after children, whose on earth was it? ¡Ã‚ ¨(13). Edna, instead of telling her husband that she had taken care of her children, began to cry like a baby after her husband reprimanded her.  ¡Ã‚ §Mrs. Pontellier was by that time thoroughly awake. She began to cry a little ¡Kshe thrust her face, steaming and wet, into the bend of her arm, and she went on crying there, not caring any longer to dry her face, her eyes, her arms, ¡Ã‚ ¨(13,14). These tears made Edna look as if she was still a child and that she is tired of being treated as a child by her husband. These tears also showed her she did not like where she was, a sign of maturity. Her tears symbolize her first awakening. Although the next morning, after Edna had cried the night before had to go and say good-bye to her husband because he was leaving on a business trip. Edna acted immaturely around him again when he gave her half the money he won the night before.  ¡Ã‚ §Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¥It will buy a handsome wedding present for Sister Janet! ¡Ã‚ ¦ she exclaimed, smoothing out the bills as she counted them one by one, ¡Ã‚ ¨(15). Edna is spoiled by all of her husbands money. Another example of how Edna ¡Ã‚ ¦s immaturity allows her to mature is when Edna swam like a baby when she went swimming for the first time, and she had over estimated her power.  ¡Ã‚ §Once she turned and looked toward the shore, toward the people she had left there. She had not gone any great distance ¡Kshe made no mention of her encounter with death and her flash of terror, except to say to her husband,  ¡Ã‚ ¥I thought I should have perished out there alone. ¡Ã‚ ¦  ¡Ã‚ ¥You were not so very far, my dear; I was watching you. ¡Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¨(48). This shows the reader that Edna is still like a baby in that her husband was watching her while she was swimming. Edna had no idea that she could even... ...g, and it was late ¡Khe filled his match safe, but did not light his cigarette until he left her, after she had expressed her willingness to go to the races with him again, ¡Ã‚ ¨ (125). By her staying with Arobin, and defying her husbands ¡Ã‚ ¦ wishes, which is immature, she is in a way maturing  ¡V this demonstrates the irony in Edna ¡Ã‚ ¦s life, to be mature she must first be immature. She is learning to make decisions on her own.  ¡Ã‚ §Madame Lebrun might have enjoyed the outgoing, but for some reason Edna did not want her. So they went alone, she and Arobin, ¡Ã‚ ¨ (127). Again Edna is acting immaturely, and foolishly by going with Arobin alone, which will help her to mature. In conclusion, for Edna Pontellier to mature, she had to first act immaturely which made Edna ¡Ã‚ ¦s life a complete paradox, continually contradicting itself.  ¡Ã‚ §The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in abysses of solitude ¡Kthe water was deep, but she lifted her white body and reached out with a long, sweeping stroke. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace, ¡Ã‚ ¨(189). Edna ended her life in the sea, her final awakening.

Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture Essay

Genetically modified organisms especially in agriculture has attracted global concern over the last few years. People from all walks of life, politicians, consumers, activists, farmers biotechnologists as well as technology regulators have been involved in the heated debate. Evidence has been brought forward on the massive benefits of genetically modified crops due to the food insecurity in the world as a result of low agricultural productivity and the ever increasing population. However, many consider the adoption of genetic engineering technology in agriculture as a time bomb. These concerns have resulted into changes in the importation and exportation policies, intensive regulation of agricultural technology and practices in many parts of the world. Different environmental organizations around the world have protested against genetically modified organism due to it potential effect on the environment. Despite these arguments, this technology is being adopted by farmers around the world knowingly or unknowingly. But the big issue is the costs and benefit of genetic engineering in agriculture. Whether the benefits of increased agricultural production at reduced cost overrides the environmental and food safety concerns has always been the big issue (Nelson, p 4). What are genetically modified crops? Over the years, research in biotechnology has advanced significantly. Biotechnology is a field of technology that deals with living systems. For many centuries, biotechnology has been employed in agriculture and manufacturing industries, for example fermentation processes for industrial production of wine has been used for many centuries. Principles of genetics and hereditary which were developed in the late 19th century have improved agricultural production by enabling farmers select the beat trains in plants and animals. However, the unearthing of the structure of DNA in the mid 20th century was a turning point for biotechnology. This led to a progressive development of genetic engineering technology. Today, farmers need not to choose animals or plants with the best characteristics such as drought, pests and diseases resistant, high yields, early maturity or high quality products due to advancement in biotechnology. Through genetic modifications, scientists can alter the genetic material in the plant or animal to improve on its characteristics (Whitman, p 1). Genetically modified organisms in agriculture refer to plants and animals that are created by scientists to meet desired characteristics using modern molecular biotechnology techniques. To enhance the traits, the genetic material in the organism is modified to meet the desired qualities. This technique has replaced the traditional methods of propagation used by farmers to enhance the desired characteristics through selective breeding which is inaccurate and time consuming. Biotechnology produces organisms of the intended traits with greater precision. For example, today, scientists can extract the gene responsible for drought resistance in plants that do well in deserts and insert it in various agricultural plants to enhance their drought tolerance. Recent research indicates that these genes can also be transferred from plants to animal or from animals to plants. A good example in this case is the genetic modification, Bt maize. The gene responsible for the production of protein in the maize was isolated from a bacterium that was observed to produce a protein as a defense against insects’ larvae. The Bt main therefore has improved nutrients content as well as pest resistance such as stock borer (Herman, p 36). Legitimate concerns about genetically modified organisms There is no doubt that there are several problems associated with genetically modified organisms in agriculture. This has resulted into criticism from different people around the world including some biotechnologists. This is despite the massive promises of the new technology. The greatest concerns has been the players in the agribusiness field concentration on the financial benefit accrued from adoption of genetic engineered crops without considering its impacts on the consumers as well as the environment. This criticism has become intense with various religious and interest groups being opposed to the idea basically because scientists are not certain about the long term effects of genetically modified products on the consumers and the environment (Rader, Para 26). A legitimate argument is based on the fact that man altering the Mother Nature will always have negative consequences. Some of these consequences may be life threatening. This is evident from the current changing weather crisis as a result of man activity. Genetic engineering is more threatening as it touches on the most fundamental part of life, the hereditary material. Religious groups have been opposed to these biotechnology developments due to its threat on the identity of the target species. However, some critics base their argument on ethics since genetic modification technology is closely related to human cloning and human embryo tissues research (Rader, Para 26). The greatest concern on genetically modified food is food security. There are proposals that genetically modified products may not be safe for human consumption. Adoption of genetically modified organisms in agricultural production is a major change in the global food supply and reliable and extensive studies need to be done on their safety. This concern does not affect genetically engineered organisms only but also changes that are as a result of other biotechnological advancements. There is no doubt that biologists are aware of the impacts of what they are doing. They are well informed on the negative consequences of altering the genetic makeup of organisms. However, there are some unanticipated effects of this technology as a result of long term impacts (Rader, Para 26). A very good example was the genetic enhancement of nutritional contents of soybeans. Soybean has been considered as a good source of plant protein for many years. However, research indicates that it lacks methionine, one of the essential amino acids. To enhance the nutritional value of soybeans, scientists isolated a gene responsible for protein production in Brazil nut and inserted it on soybean. However, scientists were unaware that the same gene was the allergens in the nut. A very large number of people are allergic to Brazil nut because of this allergen. This modification could have resulted into unexpected allergic reaction. This was revealed before the product entered the market through testing which led to abandoning of the project. This is clear evidence that genetically modified organisms products need to be extensively tested before they can be consumed by human beings. Though this indicates that testing is done before the products are released, there is no assurance that the products are safe for consumption (Rader, Para 26). One of the techniques used in genetic engineering is induced random gene mutations. This produces numerous genetics which are tested for desired qualities. There are various techniques that are used to induce random gene mutation. This may include the use of radiations of a certain wavelength, use of chemicals or subjecting the genetic materials to high temperatures. This technique relies more on lack when compared to genetic modification where a gene of the desired trait is inserted. This suggests that more tests need to be done on genetically produced organisms using this technique. However, throughout the world, there are no proper regulations that have been put in place to regulate breeding of organism which puts the consumers at a risk. There are no doubts that breeding technologies are creating harmful products accidentally and whose short term and long term effects are unknown. A very good example given in this case was the production of celery using convectional breeding methods. Although the celery produced was of a better variety, it had negative effects on the farm worker who became hypersensitive to sunlight. Other products produced using the same techniques such as Lenape potato was found to contain toxins levels which was fatal (Herman, p 36). The health concerns raised against genetically modified food have affected the perception of the public on these foods. For example, a very large number of children all over the world today suffer from fatal allergies to some animal and plants products especially peanuts. A large number of people associated this with genetic modifications. Although this may not be true, there is a need to think twice about this issue. Most of genetic modifications are aimed at producing fruits and vegetables with fast maturity rate, improved nutrition value, altered ripening behaviors, resistant to diseases and pest and better yields. Unfortunately, these products are given to very vulnerable members of the society. The likelihood of introducing new types of allergen in the fruits and vegetable through genetic engineering is very high. The allergenicity effects of new allergen may have far reaching effects considering that most of the people around the world are suffering from life threatening hypersensitivity (Nelson, p 103). Some scientists have been opposed to the new technology because it is not possible to determine with certainty the effects of genetically modified products on human health. There are still some unknown effects of introducing new genes to crops. It is more likely that there are some negative effects that scientists may not expect associated with genetically modified organisms that are unknown or unexpected by scientists. For example, a recent study suggests that genetically modified potatoes have some effects on the digestive systems of rats. Substantial differences between the digestive systems of rat feed with genetically modified potatoes and those feed with unmodified potatoes. Although these potatoes were not meant for human consumption, it suggests that genetically modified food may not have short term negative effects on humans but can result into modification of body systems which may be detected when it is too late (Whitman, p 1). The unintended harm to some species as a result of adoption of genetic engineering technology in agriculture has attracted a lot of concern on the future of GM in agriculture. These concerns are based on the effects of Bt maize on the population of monarch butterflies. Although monarch butterfly larvae do not consume corn, pollen from Bt maize was transferred to the milkweeds plants through hair carrying with it the anti larvae proteins. The monarch butterfly larvae perished as a result of consuming this pollen. The main concern here is that the proteins in Bt maize was not intended to eliminate the monarch butterflies but unfortunately, it kills larvae indiscriminately. Since it has proved to be difficult to produce GMO crops with toxins that kill only pests, there is a need for evaluation of effects of the genetically modified products on unintended targets (Whitman, p 1). There is developing fear of what is likely to happen if for example, the world corn production became overdependence on Bt maize, and then insects develop resistant to Bt crops and other GM crops as well as convectional pesticides. This may lead to similar problems experienced after some mosquitoes in tropical regions developed resistant to DDT. It therefore suggests that dependence on GMO in agricultural production may be a time bomb. The possibility of creating some plants that can resist certain herbicides creates the possibility of creating super weed. The possibility of the gene transfer process getting to the non targeted species either by mistake or maliciously is of greater concern to farmers. The transfer of herbicide resistant genes to the weeds may result in cross breeding and consequently creation of super weeds. These super weeds will be able to resist the herbicide the same way the crops can. It is possible that some of the genes can be transferred to non-genetically modified crops in the field as a result of cross breeding. This possibility has been proved by the law suit between farmers and Monsanto Company (Whitman, p 1). There are also economic concerns that have been raised against adoption of genetically modified organisms in agricultural production. Introduction of genetically modified crops may have negative economic consequence as a result of costs involved in establishing their markets. Biotechnology companies have invested a lot of resources in the development of GM crops and would like to make profit out of it. However, infringement of patent rights especially in agricultural technology is a big issue. These factors will affect peasant farmers in the developing countries as multinational biotechnology companies try to maximize return on their investment within a short time leading to increased prices of new propagation materials. It is less likely that despite the promise of GMO in averting the food insecurity in the world, farmers will be able to adopt these new varieties of crops (Whitman, p 1). It is clear that this biotechnology technique may not be available to all societies in the world. The resources required for significant genetic engineering research may not be in the reach of many agricultural technology companies all over the world. This creates the worry of a few multinational biotechnology companies controlling global agriculture. There is a possibility of the small companies being wiped out of the market as a result of intense competition. This competition will affect the small scale farmers negatively (Rewavas and Leaver, p 640). Counter Arguments Despite the intense argument against genetically modified organisms in agriculture, the global farming systems are progressively adopting this technology. Criticism has not deterred biotechnologist and multinational companies from developing more genetically modified crops. The intense research on this field and massive investments is clear evidence that there is a market for genetically modified agricultural products and the world is ready to adopt genetic engineering as a necessary technology. The world population stands at over six billion while it is expected to double within half a century. Convectional methods of farming will in no way sustain the ever growing global population. The risk of food insecurity is made more real by the increased changes in climatic condition. Weather has become increasingly unpredictable and unsupportive to agricultural activities. The solution to the challenges is genetically modified crops (Whitman, p 1). Genetic modification creates crops that are resistant to pests. Some GM crops are also fast growing and mature before pests attack the crop. For many years, pest control has been a major concern for farmers due to losses resulting from crop destruction. Large scale and small scale farmers use large amount of pesticides to avert these losses. On the other hand, there is a growing concern by consumers on the safety of chemicals commonly used by farmers to control pests. There are numerous environmental hazards associated with chemical pesticides. The need to use environmentally destructive pesticides can be averted by use of genetically modified crops. Growing Bt corn and other Bt crops has eliminated the need to use pesticides in agricultural production. Although there are concerns that have been raised such as the monarch butterflies saga, these problems can be addressed by improvement of technology (Rewavas and Leaver, p 640). In many cases, it is practically impossible or uneconomical to use physical means of removing weeds from the fields. This calls for farmers to use large amount and many varieties of herbicides to remove the weeds. This is not only time consuming but also expensive making agriculture less profitable. The farmers are also required to be careful in the use of the herbicides to ensure that they have no negative effect on the crops or the environment. Genetically engineered crops can be effectively used to avert these problems. These plans are designed to resists a specially synthesized herbicide with minimum environmental impacts. This reduces the amount of herbicides required and consequently the production cost. Genetic modification has also led to the development of disease resistant crops increasing yields and lowering production costs. Scientists have conducted extensive research in the development of crops that are resistant to disease causing microorganisms (Nelson, p 84). Unpredictable weather conditions have also threatened profitability of agricultural activities. Unpredictable frost can have destructive effect on seedling leading to losses. This has led to the introduction of antifreeze gene in crops such as tobacco and potatoes which is isolated from animals living in cold water. These plants are able to resist very low temperatures where normal plants cannot survive. It is important to note the reduced global agricultural productivity is as a result of unpredictable weather condition. Arable lands are being converted into unproductive land as a result in increased droughts. Moreover, a large percentage of land in the world cannot support agriculture due to lack of adequate supply. Adoption of genetically modified crops by farmers is the solution to this problem. With this technology, farmers will be able to grow crops in areas that were previously considered unproductive due to drought or salinity. This is by modifying crops to withstand drought or high salt concentration in the soil (Rewavas and Leaver, p 640). If genetically modified organisms were adopted in agriculture especially in the third world countries, malnutrition will be a thing of the past. It is observed that as a result of poverty, many people in the developing world rely on a one crop as their staple food. This crop may not contain all essential nutrients required by the body. Genetic engineering has the ability to introduce genes to these crops which will ensure that it contains the essential nutrients. For example, in the developing countries where rice is the staple food, a large number of people suffer from blindness as a result of beta carotene deficiency. However, the golden rice which has been developed genetically was found to contain high amounts of vitamin A. Although this could have been a solution to the problem, massive anti genetically modified food protests have deterred the introduction of the rice to the farmers (Whitman, p 1). There are also proposed uses of agricultural genetic technology in development of plants that produce edible vaccines which could replace the convectional injection vaccines. Scientists are also working on development of genetically modified plants that clean up the environment by absorbing pollutants such as heavy metals from underground water and the soil (Whitman, p 1). Conclusion There are many proposals that genetically modified foods will solve the food security crisis that faces the world. They have been proposed as possible solution to over reliance on pesticides and herbicide in agricultural activities which degrades the environment. However, there are concerns over the safety of the GM products for human consumption. There are many issues that have been raised claiming that GM foods are unsafe for human consumption due to possible allergic reactions and the wide range of unknown and unexpected negative impacts on human health. The long term effects of GMs on the environment may also be far reaching due to loss of identity or elimination of some animal and plant species. Work Cited Herman E. M. , Helm, R. M. , Jung R, and Kinney A. J. â€Å"Genetic modification removes an immunodominant allergen from soybean†. Plant Physiology. 132 (1) (2003): pp 36–43 Nelson, Gerald. Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture, ISBN-13: 978-0-12-515422-2, Academic Press Rader, Charles M. A Report on Genetically Engineered Crops, (2001), retrieved on 17th May 2010 from; http://members. tripod. com/c_rader0/gemod. htm. Rewavas A and Leaver C. J. â€Å"Conventional crops are the test of GM prejudice†. Nature 401 (6754), (1999): PP 640. Whitman, Deborah B. Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? (2000), retrieved on 17th May 2010 from; http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview. php.

Review of Movie : My Fair Lady

REVIEW OF MOVIE: MY FAIR LADY It has been theorized that the ability to communicate through language made the human species possible and in the same way, each individual becomes humanized as he/she enters into verbal communication with those around (Simmons-McDonald). If this statement is accepted as true, then it follows that the continued development of the human species depends on each individual being able to participate effectively in the process of communication. Was this the message of the movie â€Å"My Fair Lady†? Mr.Higgins certainly believed that a person’s accent and tone of voice determine his/her prospects in society and that ‘verbal class distinction could be extinct if the English taught their children how to speak. ’ The process of effective communication has been broadly defined as the successful exchange of information through a series of stages consisting of Sender, Encoding, Channel, Decoding, Receiver, and Feedback in a particular Cont ext. The goal of effective communication is getting the message across without misunderstanding and confusion.Effort should therefore be directed at reducing the frequency of problems at each stage of this process with clear, accurate, well- planned communications. This paper will focus on the use of communication codes to exclude or include individuals in social contexts in the movie â€Å"My Fair Lady†. Encoding is the process of transferring the information being communicated into a form that can be sent and correctly decoded at the other end. So, in a sense all language and writing systems are codes.The ability to encode effectively is vital to successful communication. It requires the sender to convey information clearly and simply, as well as having such in-depth knowledge of the audience that he/she can anticipate and eliminate any sources of confusion that may arise. These include cultural issues, mistaken assumptions, missing information. The sender should consider t he following: †¢ Choice of words or language used in encoding the message †¢ Different interpretations given to the same words by different persons Effect of past experiences on current perceptions †¢ Misreading of body language, tone and other non-verbal forms of communication †¢ Noisy transmission resulting in distorted or inconsistent messages †¢ Personal biases †¢ Interpersonal relationships †¢ Cultural differences Successful decoding is also a skill. It involves taking time to read or to listen actively to the message, as well as having sufficient knowledge to understand it. Contexts are determined by questions like Whom, What and Where.They can be intra-personal, inter-personal, small groups, large organizations as well as mass communication like movies. If, according to Walt Disney, ‘movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives †¦ towards the ideals and the objectives of normal adulthood’, then the mov ie ‘My Fair Lady’ may have been conceptualized to help English youths master the use of their own language. The overall message of the movie was encapsulated by the challenge undertaken by Mr. Higgins to teach young Eliza Doolittle to speak proper English (like a duchess).The movie highlighted the differences in the way people encode their messages and the positive or negative responses that can be directly attributed to the manner in which the message was initially encoded. An expert in effective encoding was Mr. Alfie Doolittle, Eliza’s father, who was a direct contrast to Mr. Higgins, whose crude and impersonal manner was almost guaranteed a negative response. Mr. Doolittle’s philosophy was to enjoy life doing as little as possible and finding ways to benefit from the hard work of others, ‘with a little bit of luck’.The customary response of ‘not a brass farthing’ did not deter him from trying again and again to find someone to support his drinking habit. When all else failed, he had his daughter on whom he could fall back. His rationale was that he had given her life and the opportunity to roam the whole city selling flowers, so he was entitled to some of her earnings occasionally. His expertise was demonstrated in the inter-personal exchange when he visited Mr. Higgins to inquire about the welfare of his daughter. His real intention, though, was to get some money from Mr. Higgins.He was such an expert in effective encoding that he succeeded, not just in stopping Mr. Higgins from calling the Police, but in getting Mr. Higgins to offer ten pounds instead of the five that he wanted. . Mr. Doolittle had no bias against the rich. He accepted the difference in status between himself, a poor dustman and Mr. Higgins, a professor. He was not intimidated by Mr. Higgins’ obviously superior status. Accustomed to living by his wits, he saw before him a man, of a different status, yes, but still a man. He ackn owledged that he was one of the ‘undeserving poor’ and was content with his lot.He rationalized why he could not afford to live by middle class morals; his needs were too much. Nevertheless, he was not going to allow Mr. Higgins ‘to take advantage of his nature. ’ He appealed to what they had in common- their masculinity and their ability to reason. His tone of voice, gestures, body language and facial expression helped to ensure proper decoding of his message. In the end, he was able to impress Mr. Higgins with his natural gift of rhetoric e. g. ‘I’m willing to tell you, I’m wanting to tell you, I’m waiting to tell you. ’ After explaining why he wanted money for his daughter, Mr.Higgins opinion of him changed from being a blackmailer to a philosophical genius. He later recommended him to lecture on morals as ‘an original moralist’. On the other hand, Mr. Higgins’ manner of speaking or way of encoding hi s message was so crude that he couldn’t help but get a negative response. For example, when Eliza visited his home to request lessons, he was most insulting. He referred to her as piece of baggage, deliciously low-class, horribly dirty and a draggle-tail gutter snipe. Mr. Higgins’s harsh: ‘Sit down! ’ was a great contrast to Mr. Pickering’s: ‘what’s your name, dear; would you sit down, Ms. Doolittle? ’ Mr.Pickering succeeded in doing what Mr. Higgins could not do. He got Eliza to sit. Mr. Higgins’ speech reflected his feelings of superiority and personal bias against people who could not speak ‘proper’ English. He obviously believed that Standard English i. e. the English of Shakespeare, Milton and the Bible was the only proper form of the language. Mr. Higgins also expressed some bias against women for whom he apparently had little respect (at least as a wife). He saw Eliza as ‘Something’, not as ‘Someone’ with feelings. The intervention of Mr. Pickering’s ‘what do you want, my dear? ’, again got a positive response from Eliza.She wanted to learn to speak more genteel, in order to work as a lady in a flower shop. Eliza’s ignorance and immaturity were also barriers to proper decoding. Mr. Higgins’ extrapolation of her offer of a shilling a lesson to 60 or 70 pounds from a millionaire, was interpreted as a request for 60 or 70 pounds. Since she knew that she could not afford to pay this huge sum, she became very upset. The use of figurative language was lost on Eliza when Mr. Higgins said that the streets would be full of dead bodies of men fighting to marry her. She thought that he was a mad man and wanted nothing to do with him. These barriers, created both by Mr.Higgins and Eliza, blocked the communication process between them so much, that by the time he was willing to accept the ‘irresistible’ challenge, Eliza h ad made up her mind to leave. His blatant attempt at manipulation forced the intervention of Mrs. Pearce and Mr. Pickering. The terms of their association were clarified to the satisfaction of Mrs. Pearce and later perhaps to Eliza, who still screamed that if she did not like it, she would leave. It has been noted that the most efficient communication takes into account the social and intellectual features of both the speaker and the hearer (Simmons-Mc Donald).Mr. Doolittle certainly did that. He clearly understood himself, his audience (Mr. Higgins) and the social context (the class structure) in which he communicated his message. This made his method of communicating very effective. He also gave recognition to the premise that all communication involves a relationship, conscious or unconscious, between the speaker and the listener. He recognized the differences between Mr. Higgins and himself but appealed to the qualities they had in common.A relationship was established, helping to ensure the successful decoding of his message. In contrast, Mr. Higgins made no attempt to build any relationship with his audience (Eliza). He was arrogant and downright rude. He believed that people could change their class by learning to speak ‘proper’ English. His message was good, but his coding was atrocious. This was principally, because he was very impersonal and totally ignored the feelings of his audience. In my opinion, these two examples demonstrate the positive and negative use of communication codes. Word Count: 1500

Review of Literature Related to River Water Quality in Ireland

2.0 Literature Review2.1 River Water Quality in IrelandNational studies of Irish rivers have been carried out since 1971. In 1971, 2,900km of river channel was surveyed. The studies consisted of chemical and biological appraisals. This was before the constitution of the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) , the competent authorization at the clip was An Foras Forbartha. The EPA was established in 1992 and they so became the competent authorization for H2O quality monitoring in Ireland. In 2006, the EU Water Framework Directive Monitoring Programme was implemented. From 2004-2006, 13,240km of river channel was surveyed, with biological trying carried out at 2,985 trying sites on 1,151 rivers and chemical sampling at 2,500 sites. ( EPA, 2008 ) The Monitoring Programme was put in topographic point to run into the demands of the EU Water Framework Directive ( 2000/60/EC ) , the European Communities ( Water Quality ) Regulations, 2003, Groundwater Regulations ( S.I. No 9 of 2010 ) , and Environmental Objectives European Communities ( Surface Water ) 2009. From 2007-2009, of the 13,240km surveyed the river quality showed 70 % were uncontaminated and 30 % were damaged to a greater to lesser extent. The National Water Monitoring Reports are compiled and published every three old ages. The most recent study 2011 showed that 20.1 % of rivers had high position, 48.8 % good position, 20.7 % moderate position, 10 % hapless position and 0.4 % river channel was bad position. ( EPA, 2011 )2.2 Ashlane River SourceAshlane River is sourced from Lough Gill. It flows downstream via the Garavogue River. It diverts into its ain watercourse known as Ashlane River. The River flows through Hazelwood Demesne and so through the Institute of Technology. And so out to Carton Bay which flows to Sligo Harbour. *waiting on info from Sligo Coco to finish this subdivision2.3 Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC2.3.1 OverviewThe Water Framework Directive was introduced in 2000. It established the legal model to protect, preserve and better the quality of surface, transitional and coastal Waterss and groundwater where necessary. It besides includes modified and unreal H2O organic structures. The Water Framework Directive sets out clear deadlines. The primary aim set out in the Water Framework Directive is to accomplish at least good H2O position by December 2015. The Directive was transposed into Irish statute law by the Water Policy Regulations ( S.I. No 722 of 2003 ) , Surface Water Regulations ( S.I. No 272 of 2009 ) and Groundwater Regulations ( S.I. No 9 of 2010 ) . These ordinances govern the form of the Directive by word picture, monitoring and position appraisal programmes. The Directive besides aims to continue, protect and enhance Waterss and manage H2O organic structures based on river basins or catchments. The definition of good H2O position for surface Waterss is based on its ecological position and chemical position. The Directive set out five ecological position categories: ‘high’ , ‘good’ , ‘moderate’ , ‘poor’ and ‘bad’ . ( EPA, 2005 )2.3.2 River Basin DistrictsA river basin is defined as an country of land from which surface run-off flows through watercourses, rivers and lakes into the sea at a river oral cavity or estuary. In 2003, the designation of the River Basin Districts and competent governments were completed. For each RBD a River Basin Management Plan ( RBMP ) was developed and implemented. The chief purpose of the RBD is to make an incorporate monitoring and direction system for all Waterss within each RBD, to bring forth RBMP. ( EPA, 2005 ) Figure 1: The eight River Basin Districts of Ireland. ( Water Matters, 2007 )2.3.3 Characterisation ( Article 5 ) Summary ReportsUnder the WFD a drumhead word picture study ( article 5 ) was developed in 2004 for all RBD in their legal power. This needed: ‘an analysis of RBD characteristics’ ‘A reappraisal of the impact of human activity on the position of surface Waterss and on groundwater’ ‘An economic analysis of H2O use’ The chief aim of the word picture study was to supply a sum-up of the initial word picture at each RBD degree. To make this physical, chemical and biological characteristics of surface H2O and groundwater were assessed alongside the force per unit areas due to human activity. The study identified the H2O organic structures at hazard or non at hazard of accomplishing the ‘good H2O status’ by 2015. ( EPA, 2005 ) The word picture study has given a image of the present province of H2O organic structures within each RBD. It gives a better apprehension of the future province of all H2O organic structures and provided a starting point for the design of the ‘Programme of Measures’ . The Programme of Measure is a combination of policies and direction actions for the bar of impairment of H2O quality position utilizing a cost effectual attack. . ( EPA, 2005 ) It sets out the steps that may necessitate to be taken and developed into each RBMP of the RBD. The Programme of Measures, are steps needed to run into the aims set out in the WFD in those H2O organic structures non accomplishing or at hazard of non accomplishing good position. ( EPA, 2005 )2.2.4 River Basin Management PlansIn 2009, the RBMPs were finalised and implemented into each RBD. The RBMPs set out specific environmental aims to be achieved by December 2015. They identify the programme of measured and the actions that will be taken in achieved these marks. They besides cover aims that are non set out in statute law but that are auxiliary steps in achieves the good H2O position. The competent authorization for the execution of the RBMPs is the local governments. ( EPA, 2005 )2.2.5 Monitoring RequirementsThe monitoring demands are set out in the WFD. The monitoring of groundwater and surface-water commenced in 2007. They were assigned to several bureaus ; EPA, Local Authorities, Marine Institute, Fisheries Boards, Waterways Ireland, OPW and NPWS. The WFD lay out 3 types of monitoring that is carried out on surface Waterss in order to accomplish and protect H2O organic structures. They are surveillance monitoring, operational monitoring and fact-finding monitoring. ( EPA, 2008 ) Surveillance Monitoring ( SM ) is to build an effectual program for all future monitoring programmes, to measure long term alterations in natural conditions in order to find the non-natural and the natural alterations in an ecosystem and buttocks long term alterations as a consequence of widespread anthropogenetic activity. It is besides the demand to supply supplementing and formalizing the impact assessment process detailed in Annex 11 of the Directive Operational Monitoring ( OM ) is supervising of the countries that have been at hazard of neglecting to run into the environmental aims and find the position and to measure alterations in the H2O organic structure position that have resulted from programmes of steps. Fact-finding Monitoring ( IM ) is required in countries where the exceedance of environmental aims is unknown ; it may be due to inadvertent pollution. And where surveillance monitoring indicates that the aims for a organic structure of H2O are improbable to be achieved and operational monitoring has non been established. ( Ferreira et al. , 2007 )2.2.6 Surface Water ClassificationThe position is determined by appraisal of ecological position, ecological potency and chemical position. Surface H2O are classified as High ( A ) , good ( A ) , moderate ( B ) , hapless ( C ) and bad ( D ) position. Water organic structures of high and good position are Class A Waterss as the H2O organic structure is accomplishing the WFD demands. These H2O organic structures have really small or no pollution. Moderate, hapless and bad position are underperforming and non go throughing the WFD demands. Pollution is present in these H2O organic structures. But aim to accomplish the good H2O position by 2015 .2.5 Water Quality Monitoring2.3.1 Physical-Chemical Water Quality MonitoringPhysical-chemical monitoring four times a twelvemonth and is carried out to garner specific H2O quality features. The WFD requires monitoring of rivers for thermic conditions, oxygenation conditions, acidification position and alimentary conditions. The parametric quantities tested on river H2O include: pH, temperature, dissolved O, conduction, P, alkalinity and Suspended Solids. These trials help to place the beginnings of pollution for carry oning appraisals on ecological impacts. ( EPA, 2007 ) For Ireland the chief pollutants of concern are foods and oxygenation conditions as they cause issues such as eutrophication and organic pollution. ( EPA, 2011 ) There are three elements: a ) ‘General constituents ( physico-chemical )quality elements are as specified in WFD Annex VIII ( 10 – 12 ) , ’B ) ‘Specific relevant pollutantsare those identified by Member States as being discharged in important measures ; this is besides specified in WFD Annex VIII ( 1 – 9 ) , ’degree Celsius ) ‘Precedence substancesare specified in WFD Annex X and for present intents the listing of precedence substances besides includes the unsafe substances as per the demands of WFD Annex IX’ ( EPA, 2007 ) General constituents are the scene of the Environmental Quality Standard Values for the high/good and good centrist position. Specific relevant pollutants refers to the directive for the scene of a individual EQS for each pollutant, failure to accomplish the EQS will ensue in non run intoing the good H2O position. Priority substances every bit required by the WFD are puting a individual criterion that divides the chemical position of ‘good’ and neglecting to accomplish good’ . Failure in accomplishing any of the above criterions mentioned will ensue in non accomplishing the good chemical position by 2015. ( EPA, 2007 )2.3.2 Biological Water Quality MonitoringBiological monitoring is carried out one every 3 old ages on all rivers under the WFD. The biological quality elements measured are Phytoplankton, macrophytes, invertebrates and fish. For rivers of bad position, monitoring of macro invertebrates is required to be carried out one time a twelvemonth lower limit. Benthic invertebrates ( E.g. Mayflies, rock flies, runts and pelecypods etc. , ) are good ecological indexs of pollution as they are really sensitive to alterations in an ecosystem. E.g. Organic pollution. The community diverseness in an ecosystem will worsen in the presence of organic pollution. The more sensitive species are replaced by more tolerant invertebrates in the presence of high degrees of pollution. ( EPA, 2007 ) For the appraisal of Irish Rivers, macro invertebrates have been divided into five index groups: ‘Group A, the sensitive signifiers, Group B, the less sensitive signifiers, Group C, the tolerant signifiers, Group D, the really tolerant signifiers and Group E, the most tolerant forms.’ A Biotic Index is used, it is a quality index based on the composing and copiousness of invertebrates in a specific H2O organic structure. A Q value is applied and used to find the ecological position of the river. ( EPA, 2007 )Biotic Index ( Q )StatusBoundary EQR valueQ5, Q4-5HighHigh /Good = 0.85 Good/Moderate = 0.75Q4GoodQ3-4ModerateQ3, Q2-3PoorQ2, Q1-2, Q1BadTable 1: Biotic Indexs ( Q Values ) relation to the WFD position classs ( EPA, 2007 )2.6 Water Pollutants2.4.1 PhosphorusPhosphorus is an indispensable food in surface Waterss for workss and animate beings. Phosphorus is a food of short supply in most fresh waters. High degrees of P in surface Waterss can do accelerated growing of workss and algae blooms. The accelerated growing can take to rapid O depletion or eutrophication of the H2O. This will go forth a H2O organic structure of low dissolved O so so it can non back up aquatic life, certain fish and invertebrates. In all H2O classs across Ireland P degrees have started to demo a diminution. This could be due to the reduction of inorganic fertilizer applications, storage betterments of organic fertilizers and the rigorous prohibition of distributing periods covered in the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations and increased norm rainfall 2008 – 2009. ( Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , 2013 ) In 2012, 85.4 % phosphate concentrations & A ; lt ; 0.05mg/L P and 2 % phosphate concentrations greater than 0.1 mg/L P. Overall the phosphate concentrations are worsening but the consequences are rather varied from twelvemonth to twelvemonth. ( Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , 2013 )2.4.2 Ammonia NitrogenNitrogen exists in Waterss in four chief signifiers: organic N, ammonium hydroxide N, nitrite N and nitrate N. In uncontaminated surface Waterss ammonia N is typically present in the scope of 0.01 – 0.5 mg/L N. There will besides be low degrees of organic N, no nitrite and higher degrees of nitrate. In uncontaminated Waterss nitrate is the dominant signifier of N. ( Donohue, A. , Geraghty. O. , 2012 ) Elevated degrees of ammonium hydroxide in surface Waterss are unwanted as it is an indicant of organic pollution and increases oxygen demand. High degrees of ammonium hydroxide in surface Waterss are really toxic to fish life. ( Donohue, A. , Geraghty. O. , 2012 )2.4.3 Nitrate NitrogenThe Nitrates Directive ( 91/676/EEC ) was introduced in 1991 with the chief aim of diminishing H2O pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural beginnings. The presence of nitrate ( NO3- ) in surface H2O is normal at low degrees. Beginnings of nitrate are: rainfall, decomposition of dirt organic affair and fertilisers/manures. Datas from the period 2000-2003 detected that no surface H2O in Ireland had nitrate degrees & A ; gt ; 50mg/L. ( Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , 2013 ) In recent old ages at that place has been a lessening in the mean nitrate concentrations across all H2O classs under the WFD. In 2012 71.5 % had nitrate concentrations & A ; lt ; 10mg/L NO3- , 1.3 % had concentrations & A ; gt ; 25mg/L NO3- . Overall nitrate concentrations have been worsening since 2007. ( Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , 2013 )MentionsDepartment of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) , ( 2013 ) . 2nd Review of Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme. Ireland: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government ( DECLG ) and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine ( DAFM ) . Donohue, A. , Geraghty. O. , Environmetal Analysis 2 Laboratory Manual. Environmental Protection 2. ( 2012 ) EPA, ( 2005 ) . The Characterisation and Analysis of Ireland ‘s River Basin Districts. Irish republic: EPA. EPA, ( 2007 ) . Proposed Quality Standards for Surface Water Classification. Water Framework Directive. Irish republic: EPA. EPA, ( 2008 ) . The Water Framework Directive – A new direction attack. Ireland ‘s Environment. Irish republic: EPA. Ferreira, J. , Vale, C. , Soares, C. , Salas, F. , Stacey, P. , Bricker, S. , Silva, M. and Marques, J. ( 2007 ) . Monitoring of coastal and transitional Waterss under the E.U. Water Framework Directive. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 135 ( 1-3 ) , pp.195-216. McGarrigle, M. , Lucey, J. and Cineide, M. ( 2011 ) . WATER QUALITY IN IRELAND 2007-2009. Wexford, Ireland: EPA. Water Matters. ( 2007 ) . 1st erectile dysfunction. Shannon: CarbonNeutral.