Redevelopment of Ratho Station Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Redevelopment of Ratho Station - Essay Example One such initiative is to link Ratho station region with BAA, Edinburgh. The components of transportation units proposed composed of combination of tram network supported by cycle ways and car ways. Also, the main access to the Ratho station road cannot presently accommodate huge impact. As a result, it is proposed to construct new road which will link the new road to the Glasgow road. Further, to regulate the traffic flow would be by using separate lanes for both entry into the station and also for exist from the station. This one way network would consist of the proposed road to the station to carry vehicles towards the station and the exist and the station road for those moving out of the station. Installation of proper road signs and display boards , road markings and clear way signs all need to be indicated properly. Also, the display signs shall also incorporate better reflective type of materials to improve visibility in the case of winter and foggy days. The thrust for sustainable development initiatives in the Ratho region have forced the authorities to consider different policies that limit the public using large number of private vehicles. This have forced the regional council to decide not to provide extended car parking facility at the station premises (Edinburgh, n.d.). Thus a few spaces need to be earmarked for the disabled for whom such facilities need to be appropriately provided. The best location identified for such cases is at the main entrance of the station itself. It is estimated that nearly 10 numbers of parking spaces shall be provided as the disabled car parking facility at the main Ratho station entrance. And, to easy movement of the disabled passengers from the parking space to the platform separate wide footway along with the ramp need to be constructed. Such facilities would make Ratho station to be accessed by all in the society without much difficulty. Public transportation The existing facilities for public transportation at the Ratho station region is very minimal. The service of the buses is limited to trip generated by single route available in the region. The prevailing route is the network lining Ratho village, Ratho station and Edinburgh Airport. Thus the initiative to reduce private vehicles also makes the administration to look for increased number of public buses along these routes. Another recommendation being presented to the change the trip frequency to 10 to 15 minutes as a result of which better comfort for public would be experienced. Another major development in connection with the public transportation facility is implementing effective tram network in Ratho region. The major drawback often stated against the trams are its very low travel speed and the obstructions caused by their overhead wires. Thus a concept of underground tram network is mooted in the planning discussions. The route proposed as part of the development initiative w ould start from north side of Ratho station. It would then run parallel to the entry road and later separate to move beneath the Glasgow road through the tunnel. The tram way extends further along the Glasgow road and continues up the airport and finally closes at the new tram station. As large number of heavy vehicles are also expected to pass this region necessary facilities are also

Critical analysis on the novel Of Mice and Men Essay

Critical analysis on the novel Of Mice and Men - Essay Example In the 18th and 19th centuries, the frontier of the United States of America was expanded westwards as European immigrants swarmed to the ports of the eastern seaboard. Many of these immigrants were members of persecuted minorities, such as Russian Jews escaping the 19th-century pogroms, or Irish Catholics fleeing the poverty and discrimination of British imperial rule. They were attracted by dreams of a better life, and regardless of whether or not they achieved this life in reality, Steinbeck’s characters still dream of a better life, even in the depths of the 1930s Great Depression. George and Lennie, as Stephen emphasises, dream of owning a small farm which they can work themselves – surely a dream shared by thousands of rootless young men during that era of mass unemployment and economic uncertainty. (Stephen 37). Their dream is introduced towards the beginning of the novel. It is recited by George to comfort Lennie, although it is clear that the recitation offers comfort to them both. George states that ‘we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs...’, and Lennie that they’ll ‘live off the fatta the lan’’ (Steinbeck 16). Their dream of independence strengthens them both, and even attracts Candy and Crooks for a time. For Attell, this dream ‘responds directly to the limitations placed on their lives’. As nomadic labourers, they lack independence and security. They are dependent on odd jobs on the ranches they come across, which are highly seasonal and temporary. Living from hand to mouth in this way, and in rough accommodation shared with other workers, their dream involves a permanent residence, where they must work for no one but themselves to earn their keep. The itinerant and uncertain nature of George and Lennie’s lifestyle is thus emphasised from the beginning, and Attell justifiably sees their portrayal as Steinbeck’s critique of

Death And Concentration Camps In The Holocaust History Essay

Death And Concentration Camps In The Holocaust History Essay The Holocaust was a horrifying crime against humanity. Adolf Hitler led a nation of Germans who were trying to rid inferior races. Hitler had a final solution to take care of anybody who he saw as inferior. The plans included in the Final Solution included the deportation, exploitation, and eventual extermination of European Jews. (Grobman) His method was to kill any undesirables. He would use concentration camps and death camps. Within the years 1941-1945 over eleven million people were killed. Six million of those who died were killed simply because they were Jewish. Over one million children were also killed during the Holocaust. Nazis, Hitlers followers, killed over two thirds of the Jewish population in Europe. Groups that were brought to concentration camps and death camps included Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, mentally or physically disabled people, and people who did not agree with the government. The first concentration camps were established in 1933. In the beginning concentration camps were places that held people in protective custody. Victims for protective custody included those who were both physically and mentally ill, gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, Jews and anyone against the Nazis. By 1934 there were at least fifty concentration camps throughout Europe. In the beginning these camps were watched over by the police, and then Hitler had his security take over. Camps were set up for different reasons. Some for forced labor, others for medical experiments and, for death. Camps were set up along railroad lines, so that the prisoners would be close to their destination. As they were being transported either to a camp or from one to another, the soldiers kept telling the Jews to have hope. The conditions on the train were terrible. Many people died of starvation before they arrived. Most families ended up being separated when they arrived at a camp. Jews were forced to obey the guards orders from the moment they arrived at the camps. The prisoners usually had marks on their clothes or numbers on their arms to identify them. The conditions of the camps were terrible and inhumane. Within the first few days of being at the camps, thousands of people died of hunger, starvation and disease. Other people died from the cruel punishments of the guards beatings and torture. In 1937, seven thousand Jews were in camps. By 1938, ten thousand more Jews were sent to camps. Jews were taken to camps if they expressed negative feelings about the government, if they married a non-Jew, if they were sick, mentally or physically, or if they had a police record. When someone escaped from the camp, all the prisoners in that group were shot. Nazis, who claimed that they did not necessarily hate Jews, seemed to enjoy making the Jews suffer. They also felt that slavery was better than killing their prisoners. Surrounding some of the camps in Poland was a forest that the Jews who planned to escape would flee into. Before the escaped prisoners got very far, they were killed. The people who could not run away from the camps thought about revolt. Joseph Mengels, one of the most notorious Nazi doctors, selected his victims for the gas chambers or medical experiments. His women victims for sterilization were usually twenty to thirty years of age. Other experiments included pu tting inmates into high pressure chambers to test the effects of altitude on pilots. Some inmates were frozen to determine the best way to revive frozen German soldiers.(Bauer) Auschwitz, located in Poland, was Nazi Germanys largest concentration camp. It was established by order of Hitler on April 27, 1940. At first, it was small because it was a work camp for Polish and Soviet prisoners of war. It became a death camp in 1941. Auschwitz included camp sites a few miles away from the main complex. At these sites, slave labor was used to kill the people. The working conditions were so poor that death was an almost certain result. In March 26, 1942, Auschwitz took women prisoners, but after August 16, 1942 the women were housed in Birkenau, another section of the camp. When the Jews arrived at Auschwitz, they were met with threats and promises. If they didnt do exactly as they were told, they would be beaten or deprived of food. They were assured that things would get better. The daily meals in Auschwitz consisted of soup, once a day, with a small piece of bread. Most of the prisoners were extremely malnourished and on the brink of death. The bad sanitary cond itions, the inadequate diet, the hard labor and other torturous conditions in Auschwitz, most people died after a few months of their arrival. The few people who managed to stay alive for longer were the ones who were assigned better jobs. In place of toilets, there were wooden boards with round holes and underneath them concretes troughs. Two or three hundred people could sit on them at once. While they were on these troughs they were watched in order to assure that they did not stay too long. When people were loaded onto trains to be taken to the gas chambers, they were told that they were being placed in new labor camps. This was one of the many lies told. It was impossible for the Jews to make out which buildings were the gas chambers because they seemed normal from the outside, just like any other building. Over the gas chambers were well kept lawns with flowers bordering them. When the Jews were being taken to the gas chambers, they thought they were being taken to the baths. At first, there were five gas chambers in Auschwitz, the procedure for gassing was About 900 people were gassed at a time. First they undressed in a nearby room. Then, they were told to go into another room to be deloused; they filled the gas chambers like packed like sardines. After a few minutes of horrible suffering, the victims died. The bodies were then transported to ovens where they were burned.(Weapon of War) The gas chambers were not large enough to execute great numbers at a time, so crematoriums were built. The crematoriums would burn 2,000 bodies in less than 24 hours. Many Jews and non Jews tried to escape from Auschwitz. Some succeeded. Of course they wanted to inform the world of what was going on. Those who escaped wrote descriptions of the horrors they suffered. Information spread to many countries,yet no countries seemed to do anything to help the situation. In fact, as the war progressed, the number of prisoners increased. In total, between one and a half and thr ee and a half million Jews were murdered at Auschwitz between the years 1940 and 1945 Usually, the death camps were part of existing camps, but some new ones were just set up for this purpose. When the prisoners first arrived at the camps, those sent to the left were transferred to death camps. Once in the death camps the prisoners were again divided. Women were sent to one side to have their hair shaven and the men to the other. There were six death camps; Chelmno, Treblinka, Auschwitz (Birkenau), Sobibor, Maidanek, and Belzec. These camps used gas from the shower heads to murder their victims. A seventh death camp, Mauthausen, used a method called extermination through labor. Basically they worked their prisoners until their bodies couldnt handle it anymore and they died. In conclusion, The Nazis, organized the destruction of the Jews. Why they did it is unknown. Perhaps it was because of a history of tension between the Christians and Jews, or perhaps, because Hitler needed a scapegoat for Germanys problems. People throughout history have been murdered; but never as many people as during the Holocaust in such a short period of time. One third of all the Jews in the world were eliminated. Hitlers method of killing the Jews and other undesirable people was first by torture and then by plain murder. In the early days of his leadership, he took away their rights as citizens and then as people. They were treated like slaves and lived like animals. After 1942, his goal was to exterminate all Jewish and impure(Stillman) people. Many Jews were killed before that date, but they were a small number compared to the mass murdering of the Holocaust.

Hormonal Replacement Essay -- essays research papers

THE PRO’S AND CON’S OF HORMONAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY The Pro’s and Con’s of Hormonal Replacement Therapy LaSalle University   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this paper I will be focusing on the positive and negative aspects of hormonal replacement therapy. To understand replacement therapy we first need to look at what occurs in a women’s body during menopause. As a woman is my 40’s like so many others, I will be in need of this information in the not so distant future, and as such this topic serves a considerable purpose. Awareness and education in this area can alleviate problems and make what could be a traumatic experience more manageable thereby raising the quality of ones life. Hopefully, women today will no longer have to suffer through menopause, as most of our mother’s did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All women experience menopause. There are periods of pre-menopause, peri-menopause and post-menopause. The period from pre-menopause to post-menopause can be as longer a 30 years. Premenopause is the stage in a women’s life when menstrual cycles are normal, or the reproductive years before the change of life. Perimenopause can be as long as ten years. This is the period when women go through what is sometimes called the change of life. This is the period when the signs and symptoms of menopause occur. Menopause is when you have had your final period and have been amenorrhea for one full year. Post menopause overlaps with perimenopause. It is the years after you have your last menstrual period. The pattern of menopause is similar in all women, but there are considerable individual differences. All women have a drop in their hormone levels. How their bodies react to these drops can vary significantly. Until fairly recently women have been made to suffer in si lence.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several disease processes associated with menopause. One of these diseases is osteoporosis. A bone density test can be ordered to help in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Estrogen helps bones absorb and hold calcium to keep the bones strong. Due to low estrogen levels in menopausal women the bones are unable to absorb calcium as well. A women’s bones can become brittle. They can experience an increase in fractures. Bone is lost quickly in the 10 years after estrogen levels fall. Women who do not take hormones or osteoporosis medication can lose ... ...;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Estring 2.0 mg 1 ring $110.99 Ogen cream $68.99  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Estrace cream &68.99 Provera 5.0 mg 30 tablets $40.79  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Generic Provera (medroxyprogesterone) $14.59 These drugs can be brought on line at higher quantities for slightly less in price. For example you can get Estraderm, 8 patches, for $21.00. Premarin 0.625mg for $20.00 for 28 tablets. Provera 5mg is $45.00 for 100 tablets. Women need to be prepared to do their homework when it comes to finding out the best price for HRT. Some of the other expenses women can incur are loss of time at work for sick days due to the side effects of menopause. Doctors visits and laboratory testing to examine if the women is goig through menopause. Also, if they are not sure what is happening to them or if depression from a previous time in their lives reoccurs women may need phyciatric care to help them to realize what is occurring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Csr in Sme

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN SMES (Small and Medium Enterprises) THE LITERATURE REVIEW The importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been increasing rapidly over the past few years (Crawford and Scaletta, 2005) although meaning of the term CSR remains a subject of much debate (Roberts, 2003; Hopkins, 2003). The reason behind the debate is that the beliefs and attitudes on the nature of CSR have varied over time (Hill et al. , 2003). However, according to European Commission’s Green Paper on CSR (2001), CSR is a concept whereby the companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their daily business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. On the other hand, CSR can also be understood as the business contribution to sustainable development (EC, 2002). Regardless the definitions, CSR is all about effectively managing the relationships that can affect the business and taking responsibility for the consequences that running the business has on society (Mallen Baker, 2008). Again, the arguments so far shows that all organizations have an impact on society and the environment through their operations, products and services and through their interaction with key stakeholders and therefore CSR is important in all firms, large and small (Williams, 2005; Hopkins, 2003; Roche, 2002). But it seems that less research have been made regarding the engagement of CSR in SME (Vyakarnam et al. , 1997; Schaper and Savery, 2004; Perrini et al. , 2006; Spence et al. , 2000). This literature review has been prepared with the aim of clarifying the engagement of CSR in SMEs. Small and Medium Enterprises as defined by DTI and EU are those organizations with a turnover of under 40 million Euros (? 27 million) and either has employees below 250 or over 25% owner-managed is proven to be important both numerically and economically since the last couple of decades (Jenkins H. , 2004). According to the research conducted by UNIDO (2002), SMEs make up over 90 per cent of businesses worldwide and account for between 50 and 60 per cent of employment. Similarly, a recent research suggests that SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises) in the UK may make a social contribution worth up to ? 3bn each year – about ten times that of large corporations (BITC, 2002) which proves their equal importance like companies. *Unlike in large organizations, the ownership and management of small organizations seems to be more closely related (Spence and Rutherfoord, 2001). Thus, control remains in the hands of one of the owners, potentially enabling him or her to make personal choices about the allocation of resources (Spence, 1999). As described by Burns, 2001 small businesses are like social entities that revolve around personal relationships, which are often short of cash, likely to operate in a single market, who find it difficult to diversify business risk and are vulnerable to the loss of customers. Thus, in SMEs, the acceptance of CSR is largely a factor of the personal attitudes of the owner/manager (Hopkins, 2003; Perez-Sanchez, 2003). Improved image and reputation. Improved trust and understanding. Better market position. More business. Increased employee motivation. Increased attractiveness to potential recruits. Cost savings and increased efficiency. Risk management The overwhelming motivating factor for SMEs to engage in CSR is not external pressure but an internal drive to ‘doing the right thing’ or ‘putting something back’ or showing ‘entrepreneurial spirit’(Jenkins H. , 2001). *However, from the viewpoint of SMEs, CSR means to pay attention toward social and environmental responsibility (Southwell, 2004). Similarly, Grayson (2005) suggests that, researchers and practitioners should recognize that lots of small firms are already doing things that benefits society, but those are not described as CSR. Another important element in the field of CSR research is stakeholder theory. There is an inherent acceptance that all business has stakeholders and appropriate management of which can help reduce risk and improve all companies’ social responsibility (European Commission and Observatory of European SMEs, 2002; Irwin, 2002). However, stakeholder research has tended to focus on â€Å"corporation† or large company. But the nature of stakeholder relationship for SMEs may not be drastically different (Jenkins, 2004). Stakeholder relationships for an SME may be based on a more informal, trusting basis and characterized by intuitive and personal engagement with less of a gap between the relative power and influence of company and stakeholder; whilst large companies are far more likely to engage in carefully planned, formal strategic stakeholder management (Jenkins, 2004). Thus, SMEs approach to CSR is likely to influence according to the way they manage their key stakeholder. Brussels, 2001, Green Paper for Promoting a European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility, Commission of the European Communities, COM (2001)366 final, p. 6. Burns, P. 2001, Entrepreneurs hip and Small Business, Hampshire: Palgrave. Business in the Community (BITC), 2002, â€Å"_Engaging SMEs in community and social issues_†. Cohen, A. P. , 1985, The_ Symbolic Construction of Community, _London: Routledge. EC and Observatory of European SMEs, (2002), ‘‘_European SMEs and Social and Environmental Res ponsibility_†, No. 4, Enterprise publication, p. 12. Fuller, T. : 2003, ‘Small Business Futures in Society’, Futures 35 (4), 297-304. Hill, R. , Stephens, D. and Smith, I. (2003), ‘‘Corporate social responsibility: an examination of individual firm behaviour’’, Business and Society Review, Vol. 08 No. 3, pp. 339-64. Irwin, D. , 2002, Encouraging Responsible Business, Small Business Service, London. Jenkins, H. (2004), â€Å"A Critique of Convectional CSR Theory: An SME Perspective†, Journal of General Management, Vol. 29 No. 4. Pp. 37-57. Mallen Baker, (2008), â€Å"Arguments against corporate social responsibility – redoubled†, Business Respect, 26 October, Issue Number 139. Perez-Sanchez, D. (2003), ‘‘Implementing environmental management in SMEs’’, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 67-77. Perrini, F. , Russo, A. and Tencati, A. 2006), ‘à ¢â‚¬ËœSMEs and CSR theory: evidence and implications from an Italian perspective’’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 67 No. 3, pp. 305-16. Roberts, S. (2003), ‘‘Supply chain specific? Understanding the patchy success of ethical sourcing initiatives’’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 44 Nos 2/3, pp. 159-70. Roche, J. (2002), ‘‘CSR and SMEs: chalk and cheese? ’’, Ethical Corporation, Vol. 9, pp. 18-19. Sarbutts, N. (2003), ‘‘Can SMEs ‘do’ CSR? A practitioner’s view of the ways small and medium sized enterprises are able to manage reputation through corporate social responsibility’’, Journal of Communication Management, Vol. No. 4, pp. 340-7. Schaper, M. and Savery, L. (2004), ‘‘Entrepreneurship and philanthropy: the case of small Australian firms’’, Journal of Development Entrepreneurship, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 239-50. Southwell, c. : 2004, ‘Enga ging SMEs in community and Social Issues’, in L. J. Spencer, A. Habisch and R. Schimidpeter (eds. ), Responsibility and Social Capital: The world of small and medium sized enterprises (Palgrave MacMillan, Hampshire), pp. 96-111. Spence, L. (1999), ‘‘Does size matter? The state of the art in small business ethics’’, _Business Ethics: A European Review_, Vol. No. 3, pp. 163-72. Spence, L. and Lozano, J. (2000), ‘‘Communicating about ethics with small firms: experiences from the UK and Spain’’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 27 Nos 1/2, pp. 43-53. Spence, L. and Rutherfoord, R. (2001), ‘‘Social responsibility, profit maximisation and the small firm owner-manager’’, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 126-39. Tilley, F. , P. Hooper and L. Walley: 2003, â€Å"Sustainability and Competitiveness: Are there Mutual Advantages for SMEs? †, in O. Jones and F. Tilley (eds. ,_ Competitive Advantage in SMEs: Organising for Innovation and Change,_ pp. 71-84. Vives, A. (2006), ‘‘Social and environmental responsibility in small and medium enterprises in Latin America’’, Journal of Corporate Citizenship, Vol. 21, pp. 39-50. Vyakarnam, S. , Bailey, A. , Myers, A. and Burnett, D. (1997), ‘‘Towards an understanding of ethical behaviour in small firms’’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 16 No. 15, pp. 1625-36. Williams, A. (2005), ‘‘Consumer social responsibility? ’’, Consumer Policy Review, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 34-5.

Causes of Environment

cause of environmental degradation The primary cause of environmental degradation is  human disturbance. The degree of the environmental impact varies with the cause, the habitat, and the plants and animals that inhabit it. ————————————————- Habitat Fragmentation Habitat fragmentation carries long term environmental impacts, some of which can destroy entire ecosystems. An ecosystem is a distinct unit and includes all the living and non-living elements that reside within it. Plants and animals are obvious members, but it will also include other components on which they rely on such as streams, lakes, and soils.Habitats become fragmented when development breaks up solid stretches of land. Examples include roads which may cut through forests or even trails which wind through prairies. While it may not sound all bad on the surface, there are serious consequences. The largest of these consequences are initially felt by specific plant and animal communities, most of which are specialized for their bioregion or require large areas of land to retain a healthy genetic heritage. Area Sensitive Animals Some wildlife species require large stretches of land in order to meet all of their needs for food, habitat, and other resources.These animals are called  area sensitive. When the environment is fragmented, the large patches of habitat no longer exist. It becomes more difficult for the wildlife to get the resources they to survive, possibly becoming threatened or endangered. The environment suffers without the animals that play their role in the food web. Aggressive Plant Life A more critical result of habitat fragmentation is land disturbance. Many weedy plant species, such as garlic mustard and purple loosestrife, are both opportunistic and invasive. A breach in the habitat gives them an opportunity to take hold.These aggressive plants can take over an envir onment, displacing the native flora. The result is habitat with a single dominant plant which doesn't provide adequate food resources for all the wildlife. Entire ecosystems are threatened with extinction, according to the National Resources Defense Council. Effects of Environmental  Degradation One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is environmental degradation, including deforestation, desertification, pollution, and climate change – an issue of increasing concern for the international community.Environmental degradation increases the vulnerability of the societies it affects and contributes to the scarcity of resources. Climate change will lead to an increase in the intensity and frequency of weather extremes, such as heat waves, floods, droughts and tropical cyclones. The people hardest hit by climate change and environmental degradation are those living in the most vulnerable areas, including coastal communities, small island nations, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asi an delta regions. It is the poorest of the poor, who lack the resources to prepare, adapt and rebuild, that are most affected.Environmental degradation can lead to a scarcity of resources, such as water and farmable. Extreme weather events, such as severe flooding, increase the spread of waterborne diseases, such as malaria and diarrhoea. The effects of the major environmental problems on both health and productivity are: a. Water pollution and water scarcity: As per the estimation of UN, more than two million deaths and billions of illnesses a year are attributable to water pollution. Water scarcity compounds these health problems.Productivity is affected by the costs of providing safe water, by constraints on economic activity caused by water shortages, and by the adverse effects of water pollution and shortages on other environmental resources such as, declining fisheries and acquifer depletion leading to irreversible compaction. b. Air pollution: As per the estimation of UN, urb an air pollution is responsible for 300,000—700,000 deaths annually and creates chronic health problems for many more people. Restrictions on vehicles and industrial activity during critical periods affect productivity, as does the effect of acid rain on forests and water bodies. . Solid and hazardous wastes: Diseases are spread by uncollected garbage and blocked drains; the health risks from hazardous wastes are typically more localized, but often acute. Wastes affect productivity through the pollution of groundwater resources. d. Soil degradation: Depleted soils increase the risks of malnutrition for farmers. Productivity losses on tropical soils are estimated to be in the range of 0. 5-1. 5 per cent of GNP, while secondary productivity losses are due to siltation of reservoirs, transportation channels and other hydrologic investments. e.Deforestation: Death and disease can result from the localized flooding caused by deforestation. Loss of sustainable logging potential and of erosion prevention, watershed stability and carbon sequestration provided by forests are among the productivity impacts of deforestation. f. Loss of biodiversity: The extinction of plant and animal species will potentially affect the development of new drugs; it will reduce ecosystem adaptability and lead to the loss of genetic resources. g. Atmospheric changes: Ozone depletion is responsible for perhaps 300,000 additional cases of skin cancer a year and 1. million cases of cataracts. Global warming may lead to increase in the risk of climatic natural disasters. Productivity impacts may include sea-rise damage to coastal investments, regional changes in agricultural productivity and disruption of the marine food chain. Conclusion:  The impact of environmental disasters can be devastating on the social, economic, and environmental systems of a country or region as well as the global ecosystem. Environmental disasters do not recognise man-made borders, and threaten the legacy le ft to future generations of a clean and supportive environment.Because of the interdependency of earth ecosystems international co-operation is paramount to prevent, and when disaster strikes, respond to relieve quickly and effectively the effects of environmental disasters. Thus, Governments, International organizations and communities must work together – at all levels – to lessen the risks associated with environmental degradation and its contributing factors, such as climate change, and ensure that vulnerable people are prepared to survive and adapt. At the same time, companies, organizations and individuals must also ensure that their work is environmentally friendly and sustainable. Similar essay: Disadvantages of Plants Living on Land

Radon1 essays

Radon1 essays Radon is earths only naturally produced radioactive gas. It comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Radon has no odor, no taste, and can not be seen. When it comes indoors it can become a health hazard. Radon can enter your house through cracks and openings in the foundation, floor, and walls. Radon decays and is inhaled into the lungs. The energy released can damage the DNA in lungs and can cause cancer. I think that a law making it illegal to sell a home containing radon in the basement would be a good idea. Radon is estimated to cause thousands of cancer deaths each year in the US. On a graph I saw on the Internet there was the amounts of deaths in drunk driving, radon, drowning, fires, and air planes crashes. Radon had the second highest amount of deaths a year, right after drunk driving. The Surgeon General has a warning that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US today. The only way you can detect that you have radon coming into your house is by testing it. EPA and Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. If radon is found in your home it can be fixed. Nearly one out of every fifteen homes in the US is estimated to have high radon levels. High radon levels have been found in every state. The levels of radon can vary widely from homes in the same neighborhood. The average person in the US gets more radiation dose from the exposure to indoor radon than from any other source of natural or man made radiation, according to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Radon is classified as a Class A human cancinogen. Many underground miners have cancer or end up with cancer. This is from the close exposure to radon. The EPA action level of radon is 4pCi/L. that are belived to be the same exposure to radon as miners. The National Cancer Institute believes that 10% of lung cancer deaths in the US could be due to indo ...