Environmental Issue raised in the Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling

Environmental Issue raised in the Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling In the article, â€Å"Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling†, weather change was the major environmental issue affecting the United States. This change comes in different forms such as vicious storms, famine and high temperature, which have adverse effects on the nation’s infrastructure (Wald and Schwartz par. 1).Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Environmental Issue raised in the â€Å"Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Notably, the environment is susceptible to human and natural activities; for instance, the heavy construction of highways in the country affects the natural ecosystem. In addition, the article indicated that the nuclear power plant in Illinois affects the natural attributes of the environment due to the consequences of reacting components. There are considerable environmental effects arising from complicated engineeri ng, steel and concrete works in the US, which have altered of natural ecosystem (New York Times 1). The article further outlines the affects of asphalts on the landscape. For example, the condition interferes with the flight operations because jets sometimes stick in the asphalts, thus threatening the human life (Wald and Schwartz par. 2). Similarly, train operations are also affected by the stretching of the track. This means that the environmental disasters could pose danger to the human life and interfere with the natural aspects of the ecosystem. Another observation in the article was its revelation that the excess heat interferes with the behavior of clay soil, especially those found beneath the highways. This condition makes the soil shrink (Wald and Schwartz par. 2). Consequently, it affects the roads since they crack to adjust to the weather conditions, thus becoming risky to the users. As outlined in the article, the other effect of heat on the environment was that it could lead to unprecedented expansion of certain sections of the highway.Advertising Looking for article on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This expansion sometimes goes beyond the planned limits and the force excreted from each end could lead to jarring and other dangerous speed bumps, which alter the traffic flow in the affected areas. The article also pointed out that the intense heat affects the grid, a situation that increases changes in the environment. For instance, the temperature of a water pond in Chicago that was used to cool the units in a nuclear plant increased to a high of 102 degrees, which has serious consequences on the aquatic life (Wald and Schwartz par. 3). Since the temperature of the pond should only reach 100 degrees, an increase beyond this limit is environmentally disastrous. The other aspect of the environmental issue that was presented in the article was the devastating s torms, flood and forest in some areas of the United States. For example, the article highlighted the flooding in New Orleans, which brought several damages to the environment and the inhabitants of the area, such as washing away bridges, roads, plants and loss of human life (Wald and Schwartz par. 8). On the other hand, the forest fires and storms were attributed to prolonged drought and intense heat respectively. They create environmental disasters in the areas affected, thus must be controlled. Solutions to the Environmental Issues According to the article, the author proposed that since extreme weather patterns effect environment and the country’s infrastructure, the construction of highways and nuclear plants should be done while considering such extreme episodes (Wald and Schwartz par. 4). For example, the designs for roads and railway tracks should consider the seasonal changes in rainfall and temperature because this could help minimize their affects on the environment . It could also reduce the amount of money wasted on the construction of highways on disaster prone areas.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Environmental Issue raised in the â€Å"Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More New York Times, Environment. 7 Aug. 2012. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/section/climate Wald, Mathew and J. Schwartz. Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling, 25 Jul. 2012. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/us/rise-in-weather-extremes-threatens-infrastructure.html?_r=1ref=earth

The Early History of the Internet

The Early History of the Internet On a cold war kind of day in 1969, work began on ARPAnet, the grandfather to the Internet. Designed as a computer version of the nuclear bomb shelter, ARPAnet protected the flow of information between military installations by creating a network of geographically separated computers that could exchange information via a newly developed technology called NCP or Network Control Protocol. ARPA  stands for the Advanced Research Projects Agency, a branch of the military that developed top secret systems and weapons during the Cold War. But Charles M. Herzfeld, the former director of ARPA, stated that ARPAnet was not created due to military needs and that it â€Å"came out of our frustration that there were only a limited number of large, powerful research computers in the country and that many research investigators who should have access were geographically separated from them.   Originally, there were only four computers connected when ARPAnet was created. They were located in the respective computer research labs of UCLA (Honeywell DDP 516 computer), Stanford Research Institute (SDS-940 computer), University of California, Santa Barbara (IBM 360/75) and the University of Utah (DEC PDP-10). The first data exchange over this new network occurred between computers at UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute. On their first attempt to log into Stanfords computer by typing log win, UCLA researchers crashed their computer when they typed the letter g. As the network expanded, different models of computers were connected, which created compatibility problems. The solution rested in a better set of protocols called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) that were designed in 1982. The protocol worked by breaking data into IP (Internet Protocol) packets, like individually addressed digital envelopes. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) then makes sure the packets are delivered from client to server and reassembled in the right order. Under ARPAnet, several major innovations occurred. Some examples are  email  (or electronic mail), a system that allows for simple messages to be sent to another person across the network (1971), telnet, a remote connection service for controlling a computer (1972) and file transfer protocol (FTP), which allows information to be sent from one computer to another in bulk (1973). And as non-military uses for the network increased, more and more people had access and it was no longer safe for military purposes. As a result, MILnet, a military only network, was started in 1983. Internet Protocol software was soon being placed on every type of computer. Universities and research groups also began using in-house networks known as  Local Area Networks  or LANs. These in-house networks then started using Internet Protocol software so one LAN could connect with other LANs. In 1986, one LAN branched out to form a new competing network called NSFnet (National Science Foundation  Network). NSFnet first linked together the five national supercomputer centers, then every major university. Over time, it started to replace the slower ARPAnet, which was finally shutdown in 1990. NSFnet formed the backbone of what we call the Internet today. Here’s a quote from the U.S. Department report The Emerging Digital Economy: The Internets pace of adoption eclipses all other technologies that preceded it. Radio was in existence 38 years before 50 million people tuned in; TV took 13 years to reach that benchmark. Sixteen years after the first PC kit came out, 50 million people were using one. Once it was opened to the general public, the Internet crossed that line in four years.

Human Rights Movements in International Politics and its Effect on Research Paper

Human Rights Movements in International Politics and its Effect on State Behaviour - Research Paper Example The issue that will be tackled in this paper is the role of human rights movements in international politics and its impact on state behaviour—thus it shall be resolved whether the protestations and vigorous representations in international bodies which has jurisdiction over these acts of violence and other human rights transgressions eliminate or eradicate the occurrence of assault or attack against individual human rights. However, this paper shall limit its analysis on human trafficking which assaults the basic rights of individuals to life and liberty and whether the response of states towards its eradication is sufficient. According the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT), 2.5-million of the global population are in this predicament which includes forced labour and sexual exploitation. Majority of the victims or 1.4 million (56%) originate from Asia and the Pacific while the rest come from Latin America and the Carribean (10%), Middle East and North Africa (9.2%) and other sub-Saharan countries (5.2%), including industrialized countries (10.8%) and transition economies (8%). The tentacles of human trafficking can be felt in 161 countries either as source, route or destination countries. The recruitment occurs in 127 countries where these individuals will be sent or distributed against their will to 137 countries thus exploitation reportedly affects every continent and every type of economy.

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

Gambling - Research Paper Example In the UK, more people are investing in gambling totaling to millions of Dollars and the returns on investment is good (Arnold, 2007). According to Stuart, the increased number of Casinos has exposed the young and vulnerable children to social problems like prostitution and drug trafficking. The economy of an area improves due to increased businesses from the people involved in gambling, and the taxes levied by the state are also significant (Arnold, 2007). Therefore, about 48% of the population will attempt to gamble if a casino is located within their locality because they will be attracted by it. Moreover, in New Hampshire, the total worth of casino investment total to about $180 million and the government takes about 30 to 40 percent of this in taxes. Most of the states in the USA have legalized gambling despite opposition from Non-Governmental Organizations over the social effects to the communities. Before 1989, only Nevada had legalized gambling and by 1995, eight states had l egalized gambling even though gambling was done in other states but illegally (Walker, 2009). Easy tax benefits have encouraged other states to legalize gambling so that they can enjoy the tax benefits and the leisure that comes with the game. Today, there are fifteen states that allow commercial casinos and private companies and private individuals operate them. The states according to yahoo data are Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Washington. According to California State library, most of the states are enjoying huge financial benefits from taxes levied from gambling and the associated activities. The following were the earnings in million dollars from different states form gambling according to California State Library Advantages of gambling The tax revenues for countries states that have legalized gambling are very significant to the development of the economy. Some states have been shown to earn as high as eight percent of their budget from gambling business, and the figure has continued to rise over time (Walker, 2009). According to walker, good results from casino gambling and rotaries are impressive that most states are considering legalizing other forms of gambling like horseracing. The tax gains from gambling facilities is higher (30%) compared to tax from the direct sales therefore, most states cannot risk losing the luxurious gambling practice due to its tax benefits. Casinos are always associated with crime, and since it has, been found that it is the perfect place where criminals make use of their money (Walker, 2009). Moreover, the presence of casinos is known to attract tourist who carry cash and therefore, criminals find it as a perfect place to make their strikes. According to Walker, there are high rates of crime in states where casinos are legalized as opposed to states where casinos are prohibited. Casino promotes crimes due to luxurious nature of the business. The presence of casinos also encourages laziness to the youths who most often find it as a perfect resting place instead of being creative in doing something constructive. The job opportunities

Area Based Regeneration Programmes | Evaluation

Area Based Regeneration Programmes | Evaluation Area based regeneration programmes contribute to managing social exclusion but they do not resolve the problem. Critically discuss this statement. The following is a critical discussion of the statement that area based regeneration programmes contribute to managing social exclusion yet fail to resolve the problem. Area based regeneration programmes were developed for various reasons, such as tackling poverty, economic regeneration, reducing unemployment, and managing social exclusion. That the latter was not the sole or exclusive objective of the area based regeneration programmes may explain whether these programmes have or have not resolved the problem of social exclusion. There are also arguments that social exclusion is not a problem that could be completely resolved by any single political, economic, and social policy operating by itself. Social exclusion could be understood in different ways so that some organisations or individuals may be believe that managing it or resolving it would be harder or easier than other people would expect. The management of social exclusion without resolving the problem as a whole may or may not be a commendable achievement within its own right, even if it still leaves the problem of social exclusion in existence, this to will be critically discussed. Area based regeneration programmes came into existence to counteract the damaging economic and social consequences of industrial decline in Britain’s inner cities like Liverpool, London, or Birmingham; and in some of the country’s most heavily industrialised areas such as North Eastern England, the Clyde, and South Wales from the1970s onwards. These industrial areas were locations were the Conservatives electoral support had often been weak although until the Thatcher government the party had been content to subsidise industries in these areas. Previously, government policies did not specifically attempt area based regeneration programmes to tackle social exclusion. Instead governments aimed to use Keynesian economic policies to maintain full employment, and when necessary would keep factories, coalmines, and shipyards open in run down areas with government subsidies. Where any regeneration had taken place it had usually been the replacement of slum housing with new hou sing estates and tower blocks (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p. 12). Government policies were meant to reduce, manage, or resolve social exclusion by helping people upon an individual basis by targeting social security, health, education, and housing policies to those that needed that help the most. Individuals rather than geographical areas, or local communities were the focus of help from the government. To tackle social exclusion governments had also introduced legislation to reduce social and economic discrimination, such as race relations and equal pay legislation (Coxall, Robbins, Leach, 2003 p. 397). Ironically enough the impetus for the development of area based regeneration programmes would occur under the Conservative governments after 1979, which were not initially interested in managing social exclusion or implementing area based regeneration programmes. Running these regeneration programmes was contrary to the Thatcherite ethos of reducing state involvement in social and economic policies. Thatcherite economic policies ended subsidies to the nationalised industries leading to factories, coalmines, and shipyards closing down. Those closures and the collapse of uncompetitive private sector companies lead to high unemployment in former industrialised areas and the inner cities, that in turn increased levels of social exclusion (Moran, 2005 p. 14). The Thatcher government only began area based regeneration programmes as a response to the inner city riots of 1981, which, highlighted the problems that social exclusion and economic decay could cause (Taylor et al, 2000 p.331). At this point the social exclusion and economic deprivations in the former industrial areas and the inner cities reached levels that had not been witnessed since the hard hitting depression of the 1930s (Jones, 1999 p. 8). At first the Thatcher government seemed unable to slow down the increasing levels of social exclusion let alone manage or reduce that problem, which it considered less important than lowering inflation, weakening the trade unions, and rolling back the state. Of course increasing levels of unemployment actually meant that expenditure on social security benefits increased rather than decreased. No doubt the Thatcher government was helped in its decision to start area based regeneration programmes by the availability of European Union regional development funds, that were allocated to the most economically deprived and socially excluded regions within the member states. This meant that the government was able to receive extra funding to regenerate the areas most severel y affected by the recession of the early 1980s, and were by-passed any economic recovery or moves to manage social exclusion (Moran, 2005 p. 100). Area based regeneration programmes were primarily aimed at economic regeneration to reduce unemployment, and its linked social consequences such as rising crime levels and increased incidence of social exclusion. It was believed that reducing unemployment would manage and perhaps eventually remove social exclusion, whilst social security benefits were supposed to help those that did not or could not work. The Conservatives established regional development corporations to carry out regeneration programmes in the inner cities and former industrial areas, for instance regenerating parts of London, Birmingham, and Liverpool. However under the Conservatives the main efforts to manage social exclusion were confined to helping individuals through government training schemes such as Training for Work and the Youth Training Scheme (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p. 16). New Labour was keen to extend area based regeneration programmes to proactively manage, and perhaps eventually resolve social exclusion, and increase measures to reduce unemployment. New Labour extended its New Deal initiative to cover deprived areas within the New Deal for Communities programme (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 175). The New Deal for Communities programme was meant to be in a slightly different form to previous area based regeneration programmes as local community groups were supposed to have a greater influence over the projects selected to regenerate their local communities (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p. 216). Generally community groups have welcomed being able to have an influence over the projects selected to regenerate their communities. Community groups before New Deal for Communities often felt excluded from the decision-making processes relating to the areas in which they lived in (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 175). Not every New Deal for Communities programme has gone well, most notably the Aston Pride Project which failed due to a poor relationship between the community groups, the local authority, and various government agencies. The project was closed down early amidst allegations of corruption within the community groups and counter allegations of racism within the local authority and government agencies (Dale, May 28 2004). Whilst area based regeneration programmes have been largely effective at managing social exclusion, there are limits to explain why these programmes are unlikely to resolve the problem of social exclusion altogether. When area based regeneration programmes have been completed there maybe new businesses that have moved to that location and sometimes the standard of housing has been improved, certainly positive achievements, yet not likely to resolve social exclusion by themselves (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005, p. 175). Both Conservative and New Labour governments have found through experience that area based regeneration programmes are more likely to succeed in managing and eventually resolving the problem of social exclusion when used in conjunction with other initiatives, such as tackling discrimination, poor housing, health and education services. Social exclusion will also need reduced crime levels to stand a chance of being managed (Jones et al, 2004, p. 619). Schemes such as Training for Work New Deal can lower unemployment, yet there are limits on what they can achieve. Completing those schemes has made people more employable, although they may gain employment outside of the deprived or regenerated areas that they live in. New Deal is probably here to stay as part of New Labour’s welfare to work strategy. New Deal itself targets extra help to those groups that have found it harder to find or keep jobs, such as lone parents and the disabled (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 316). These groups are more vulnerable to suffering from social exclusion without living in areas that are economically or socially deprived. These groups are not only helped by New Deal, they are also helped by tax credits and child tax credits. The government wished to improve the opportunity for all children with better education provision and the Sure-start programme for children from deprived areas or families with low incomes. New Labour has also attempted to tackle social exclusion am ongst pensioners with the introduction of pension credit (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p.315). Therefore it can be concluded that area based regeneration programmes have helped to manage social exclusion without being able to remove the problem itself. Area based regeneration programmes were primarily set up to lower unemployment and reduce social exclusion that was higher in the inner cities, and former industrial areas such as North East England, and South Wales. The Thatcher government in many respects made the problem of social exclusion worse rather than better as it pursued economic and social policies that increased unemployment, crime, and social deprivation. The inner city riots of 1981 got the Thatcher government to start area based regeneration programmes in order to maintain political stability, and economic growth. It however became harder to manage levels of social exclusion due to the sell off of council houses that made it harder for people on low incomes to afford their housing costs. The beginning of EU spending to boost and regenerate the most run down areas in the community provided extra funding for the British government to spend more on managing social exclusion. New Labour has been much more interested in managing and if possible resolving the problem of social exclusion by using area based regeneration programmes in combination with other measures such as Surestart, New Deal, and EU regional development funds. New Labour has tried to increase the amount of area based regeneration programmes in existence with its New Deal for Communities initiatives which have included local community groups in the decision-making process and have contributed to managing social exclusion effectively aside from the Aston Pride Project. Bibliography Coxall B, Robins L Leach R (2003) Contemporary British Politics 4th edition, Palgrave, Basingstoke Dale P – Aston Pride race bias allegation, Birmingham Post May 28 2004 Fisher J, Denver D, Benyon J, (2003) Central Debates in British Politics, Longman, London Jones B, (1999) issues in British Politics Today, Manchester University Press, Manchester Jones B, Kavanagh D, Moran M, Norton P, (2004) Politics UK, 5th edition, Pearson Longman, London Moran M, (2005) Politic and Governance in the UK, Palgrave, Basingstoke Seldon A Kavanagh D, (2005) The Blair Effect 2001 – 5, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Taylor P, Richardson J, Yeo A, Marsh I, Trobe K Pilkington A (2000) Sociology in Focus, Causeway Press Limited, Ormskirk

Future Direction in Organization Development Essay

The field of OD is evolving, but so too is the context within which OD is applied. As summarized in figure 25-2. Several interrelated trends are affecting the context within which OD will be applied in the near future. They concern various aspects of the economy, the workforce, technology, and organizations. In some cases, the trends will directly affert OD practice. Technology trends, such as Internet portals, voice over the internet, and wireless network, will no doubt influence how OD practitioners communicate with organization members, facilitate teams, and manage change. Other trends, such as the increasing concentration of wealth, represent important contextual forces that will indirectly affect OD through their interactions with other trends. The Economy Researchers and futurist have described a variety of economic scenarios, and there is subtantial agreement that the world’s economy is in the midst of a transition from the industrial age that characterized much of the twentieth century. Although these scenarios ditier in their particulars, they all fit under the rubric of globalization, and many of the same trends are identified as drivers, including technology, workforce, and organization, which will be discussed separately. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the and of apartheid, the breakup of the former Soviet Union, the creation of the European Union, terrorist attacks in many different countries, and the emergence of the chinese and indian economies are key events in the transition to a global economy. Organizations from arround the world are increasingly able to shift their manufacturing from high-to low- labor- cost countries. Execute international mergers and acquisitions, and build worldwide services businesses. The emergence of global economy is well under way, but the promise and rationalization of that process is far from complete. The initial steps toward globalization have fueled real price decrease in many consumers products, provided employment for people in less-developed nations, and driven revenue growth in a variety of industries. However , the transition to a global economy is for the most part un managed, and there is increasing concern over its social and ecological consequences. This raises trouble-some questions about three key issues: cultural diversity, income distribution, and ecological sustainability. First, transitioning to a global economy is a complex and daunting process that involves organizations, technology, people, and governments. Yhe role and function of national governments and the importance of cultural diversity in the process is not well understood. There are few generally accepted guidelines. On the one hand, some economists argue that globalization is good for countries and cultures. The cite numerous example of how music, art, political thought, technology, and other artifacts of culture have crossed boundaries and enriched people’s experiences. Other argue that governments must face the difficult choice of preserving or sacrificing their culture. Seconds, globalization of the economy is closely related to an increasing concentration of wealth in relatively few individuals, corporations, and nations. Third, there are increasingly clear warnings that the ecosystem can no longer be treated as a factor of production, and that success cannot be defined as the accumulations of wealth and material goods at the expense of the environment. The conclusions from the intergovernmental panel on climate change suggest that industrialization is not a controversial but a probable cause of global warming. Seceral traditional organizations are reserving long held opinions about their contribution to environmental decay by setting agressive goals to reduce greenhouse gases. The Workforce The workforce is becoming more diverse, educated, and contingent. Chapter 18 documented the diversity trend and suggested that organizations, whatever they operate primarily in their home country or abroad, will need to develop policies and operating styles that embrace the changing cultural, ethnic, gender, and age diversity of the workforce. Technology By almost any measure, information technology is a significant and increasingly common fact of life. An estimated 150. 9 million worldwide internet users in 1998 grew to 605. 6 million in 2002. In 2007, according to an internet world stats estimate, more than 1,24 billion people were on the internet, and of those, 37% were in asia. The internet is the backbone of a global economy, and although the technology sector of suffered financial setbacks, few people doubt its future importance. At the core of information technology is E-commerce, an economy that knows no boundaries. E-commerce involves using automated teller machines, buying games, on your cell phone, buying ang selling products and services over the internet, and selling advertising space. This range of activities makes estimating the size of the E-commerce market difficult. Two type of E-commerce seem particularly relevant to OD’s future: business-to-consumer and business-to-business. Business to consumer market garners much attention and awareness because it is how the public participates in E-commerce. This attention and awareness because it is how the public participates in E-commerce. This market, which includes E-tailers such us Amazon. com, eBay. com. in these businesses, OD must help to create and implement novel business models. The organizational issues in the business to business market are even more complex. A good example of the implications and potential of this market is the global automobile industry’s creation of an online store. In addition to providing the infrastructure for E-commerce, technology is also changing and enabling a variety of organizational processes. New technologies, such as SAP or PeopleSoft, drive changes in how information and work information and work processes are coordinated and managed: they also require modification in the way productivity is measured.

History of England in the 19th and Early 20th Century Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Just as phase one of industrialization stumbled into self-made depression and crisis, so phase two bred its own difficulties. The years between 1873 and 1896 are known to economic historians, who have discussed them more eagerly than any other phase of nineteenth-century business conjecture, as the Great Depression. (Hobsbawm 1999). Just as phase one of industrialization stumbled into self-made depression and crisis, so phase two bred its own difficulties. The years between 1873 and 1896 are known to economic historians, who have discussed them more eagerly than any other phase of nineteenth-century business conjecture, as the Great Depression. (Hobsbawm 1999). This deceleration of the economy could be attributed to the early pioneering of new and untried technology (Hudson 2001). As according to Hudson, Britain had become the workshop of the world from which its competitors had learned through its various mistakes. As competitors grew stronger and they enter the markets of the empires and caused destabilization through price wars, the British economy had slipped into Weakening of the UK due to wars. The success of the UK in the 19th century was followed by the weakening of the empire s force due to the two World Wards that it was involved. We will write a custom essay sample on History of England in the 19th and Early 20th Century or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page They, as well as people with special skills that were greatly rewarded such as engineering, comprised the growing middle class in the UK during the 19th and early 20th century. Increased demand resulted from rising incomes particularly for the middle classes and for workers with particular skills such as engineering (Hudson 2001).