Why are you pursuing a career in nursing What makes you capable to be Essay

Why are you pursuing a career in nursing What makes you capable to be a nurse - Essay Example It is an unequal encounter in all aspects. When I read, â€Å"the sick soon come to understand that they live in a different world from the well and that the two cannot communicate† in a book by Jessamyn West, I could really feel the vast expanse of solitude that surrounded the protagonist and my eyes became wet (West, 29). That was way back in 2000 but I gradually nurtured a secret wish to become a caring companion for such solitary souls. Even before that, I used to volunteer for taking care of the members of our family who had been sick and bed ridden. I would clean up the room for them, take flowers to them, read to them and keep them company. All those moments gave me deep satisfaction and a sense of purpose in life. The smile in their eyes brightened up my days. And once, I heard my sick grand mother whisper in a feeble voice, â€Å"my little Nightingale,† when I was kissing her good bye. Those words made a deep imprint in my heart. It was then I started thinking about taking up nursing as my career seriously. I already knew that I could feel empathy for others. It naturally came to me. I thought it as my asset and decided that I could really make this profession, my passion. Even now I remember, when I was a child, my grand mother had kept awake at my bedside whenever I fell ill. So I felt I owe to reciprocate that care to her.

Teaching Essays| Teacher Stress

Teaching Essays| Teacher Stress The problem of teacher stress was a great concern in Hong Kong. As in many media also mention that nowadays teachers are suffers from great pressure. Professional teacher’s union (2005) has conducted a survey and the results showed that 28% of teachers always have more than five burnout symptoms. The situation is serious as such a high percentage of teachers complained about burnout. It would affect the quality of teaching and the quality of life among teachers. The situations have been for a long time. The professional teachers’ union of Hong Kong (1995) also conducted a survey on teacher stress. 1000 questionnaires were distributed to its members by random sampling method in January 1995, with a return rate of 45 per cent. The results showed that 61 per cent of the respondent found teaching stressful. The main sources of stress are: students’ unruly behavior, large class size, too much marking, too much clerical work and so on. Recent research finding has suggested that when worker suffer from prolonged stress of the organizational factor, they are potentially to have burnout. There are few study conducted in Hong Kong to investigate the correlation between work stress and burnout. In this study, I would like to find which stress factor contribute to teacher three dimension of burnout in Hong Kong. Definition of Burnout Burnout is a term used to describe people who are physically and psychologically burnout. Burnout is defined originally by Freudenberger to describe health-care workers who were physically and psychologically burnt out (Byrne, 1994). It means people would deplete themselves and when they experience burnout, they would feel their physical and mental resources have been exhaust. The reason to get burnout because people wear out themselves by excessively to strive or reach some unrealistic expectation, so burnout is developed gradually over time as a result of excessive demands derived from task structure. The concept distinguishes between work stress and burnout is when people have stress. Stress can have negative or positive effects. Positive side is mean that people have average and suitable stress can motivate people work hard and to attain the goal. But burnout is a long term negative result of work stress. Burnout has been viewed as one type of chronic response because of cumulative, long-term work stress experience.(Ling, 1995).If an employee is under stress for a prolonged period of time, he or she may finally come to a situation that he or she no longer cope with it. When individual feel that they are unable to maintain the caring, this finally leads to the feelings of burnout. â€Å"Machach (1996) defines burnout syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment.† (TonyLillian,2007, p.469). So emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment is not exist separately, three of them are correlate each other. Emotional exhaustion refers to the characteristic that individual experience that they seem lack of energy and feeling that their emotional energy is used up. This feeling can be come from that they feel frustration and tension in their workplace, so they appear compassion fatigue that they feel that their emotional and psychologically cannot continue to continue their work. Depersonalization is characterized that display a detached and an emotional callousness and cynical attitude toward their co-worker, clients or people surrounding in their workplace. When people under the state of depersonalization, they may use some derogatory word when communication with other people. They may withdrawal to communicate with other co-worker. When people appear reduce personal accomplishment, the characteristic is they would have a tendency to evaluate oneself negatively, they would not appreciate themselves even though they have contribution at work and even have a decline on feeling job compete nce and successful achievement in their work and interaction with people at work. (Coedes Dougherty, 1993) Burnout is a syndrome that affects employees in all occupations, but is especially prevalent among human services workers. Hasida and Keren (2007) indicated that burnout associate with people which the job is giving care to others . Burnout is occurs most in helping professional such as teachers, lawyers, physicians, nurses, social workers and psychotherapist. According to Maslach and Jackson (1981), professional staff in human service, they have many opportunities in intense involvement with other people, and this interaction would have chance for staff is charge with feeling of anger, embarrassment, fear or despair. When people who work continuously with people under such circumstances, the chronic stress would leas emotional draining and have risk for burnout. There are more emotional strain is greatest for the individual who work in helping professions because they are constantly dealing with other people and their problems, their work need they have involve their emotion to client’s problem and face-to-face interaction with other people is emotional charged situations. Cordes and Dougherty (1993) indicated that burnout is a process, the process of burnout is the sequencing of the three components of burnout, Maslach suggested that emotional exhaustion is first developed by the excessive chronic work demands, and this demand would drain individual’s emotional resources, thus individual would feel they lack of emotional energy and feeling of being worn out. Emotional exhaustion would lead ones distant oneself from self from work, so depersonalization may be viewed as a type of avoidance coping mechanism used to cope with emotional exhaustion. Depersonalization seem provide an emotional buffer between individual and the stress induced by emotional demand of the job. Depersonalization is a unique response to burnout.Then when people recognized that their current attitude and their original expectation of performance in the work is discrepancy. Diminish the feeling of personal accomplishment were developed. Individual would feel that their abilit y is not enough to care other people and perform their job. Janssen, Schauffi and Houkes (1999) have mentioned that emotional exhaustion is significantly positively related with depersonlization. (r=0.33) And there are significant negatively related between depersonalization and personal accomplishment (r=0.38) Based on the previous findings, the research question in this study is how three dimensions of burnout are related to each other. The two related hypotheses are formulated. The first hypothesis is there are positive association between emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The second hypothesis is there are negative association between depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Consequence of burnout Burnout has negative consequence on organization, as burnout would affect employee performances. In organization, burnout would affect people’s psychological factor. It would result in low morale, absenteeism, more frequency of tardiness, work alienation, physical and emotional ill-health, teachers leaving the professional, early job retirement. This factor would make organization loss many experienced and experienced people. (Baker, O’Brien Salahuddin, 2007; Pines Aronson, 1988). The burnout have been linked with a variety of mental and physical health problems. The effect of mental health is decrease in self-esteem, depression, irritability, helplessness and anxiety. Physical health problems include fatigue, insomnia, headache. (Cordes Dougherty, 1993)In the field of influence the quality of education, burnout would decrease the quality of teaching because teacher’s performance’s decline. Ioannou and Kyriakides (2007) indicated that when people experience burnout, they would accompany several symptoms, such as physical depletion, feeling disillus ionment, they would develop negative attitude toward the work. Teachers experiencing burnout tend to be dogmatic about their practices and to rely rigidly on structure and routine. If people suffer form burnout, it would affect their attitude toward others and it would affect the quality of social relationship. Ioannou and Kyriakides(2007) indicated that if teacher suffer form burnout, they would have poor interpersonal relationships with colleague and students. Tatar and Yahav (1999) also indicated that generally burned-out teacher provide significantly less information, less praise, and less acceptable of their student’s ideas, and they interact them less frequently. The burnout syndrome would affect the teacher perception of their student as when people have suffer from burnout, as teacher would lower student’s ability and usually they would provide little positive feedback for students’ answer. Abel and Sewell (1999) also indicated that the consequence of burnout would reduced teacher-pupil rapport and pupil motivation. Teachers are the key persons in the frontline to ensure the quality of teaching to provide to the next generation. So it is important to investigate the situation of burnout phenomenon of teachers in Hong Kong nowadays. Work stress Tam and Mong (2005) indicated job stress means people experience psychological state which is incongruence and misfit between worker’s perceptions of the demands on them and their ability to cope with those demand Abel and Sewell (1999) used transactional model to defined stress, this model emphasized that stress depends on individual’s cognitive appraisal of events and circumstance at work and the perception of owns ability to cope with. The experience of stress is due to perception of demand and inability to meet this demand, and finally threat teacher’s mental or physical well-being. Teacher stress Many studies have been done to identify the causes of stress in teaching. Previous factor analytic studies have identified identify guidance work, school management, student behavior management, workload and time pressure and work relationship is source of stress in Hong Kong. Workload and time pressure are the commonly reported stress in Hong Kong. As in several reports also reported that teachers have to work overload and it is one of the major sources of stress. (Professional teachers’ union of Hong Kong ,2005) Work stress and burnout There are many research have done before had indicated that work stress is related to burnout. Capel.(1991) indicated that individual differences and personality alone can not predict burnout. Because burnout is affected by the long-term impact of stressor come from environmental stressor. In Kokkinos(2007) measured the relationship between job stressor and burnout in primary school teachers. It used 63 job stressor which have 11 subscales of work stress, it is student’s behavior, managing student’s misbehavior, decision making, relationships with colleagues, role ambiguity, poor working conditions, appraisal of teachers by students, work overload, appraisal of teachers, time constraints, specific teaching demands. This study run correlation analyses, it showed that emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were significantly positively correlated with all job stressor. And work stress was negative correlated with personal accomplishment. I would use teacher stress scale designed by Hui and Chan (1996) to measure teacher stress in Hong Kong, as this scale is 20 relevant items were selected form the 55 items in factor analysis. This scale have been conducted in Hong Kong secondary school, it is more representative in present study as my target participant is secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. Based on these finding, I formulate the these hypothesis. The third hypothesis is there are positive association between work stress and emotional exhaustion. The forth is there are positive association between work stress and depersonalization. The fifth hypothesis is there are negative association between work stress and personal accomplishment. Guidance work Apart from teaching student academic knowledge in school. Teacher in Hong Kong also have responsibility to guide students in their individual development. Kyriacou (2001) indicated that many teachers in Hong Kong have been given additional duties in school guidance work in order to improve the quality of guidance. As a result, guidance work has become a part of every teacher’s workload in Hong Kong teachers. It is one of the responsibilities that Hong Kong teachers need to do in their routine of job. â€Å"In 1990, the Hong Kong Education commissions, a body which defines educational objectives and formulates education policy, formally endorsed guidance work as a responsibility of all teachers, thereby advocate a whole school approach to guidance† (Hui. Chan,1996,p.201). Guidance work is a process of helping students in their self-understanding and self-development, and facilitate students in their educational, vocational, personal-social development. Hui and Chan (1996) indicated that guidance aspect of works as a potential dimension of stress, until now it has not yet received much research attention. But it may lead teacher increase their workload as they have additional responsibilities in planning and monitoring whole school guidance programmes. Therefore it would become a part of every teacher’s workload. In Hui and Chan (1996) study, it indicated that guidance-related aspect of work is one of major dimension of stress in Hong Kong secondary teachers, they have most stress on individual guidance work, it includes guiding students with behavior, emotional and learning difficulties, the lack of improvement in students. Moreover, Lam, Yuon and Mak (1998) stated that teachers feel difficulty in guidance work is one of the factor which teacher feel difficulty they encounter in their work. There is no research conducted on the relationship between stress on guidance work and burnout. But there are two factors are potential emerged from guidance work. The first one is guidance work increase workload to teacher and the other is guidance work may induce role conflict and role ambiguity for teacher. In the workload of guidance work, it may increase their workload as they are given additional responsibilities to plan, formulate and carry out the guidance work may be related to burnout. The workload and time pressure may be out of expectation. Teacher will devote more time and energy to perform their guidance work, it may make them work over time in this aspect. Futhermore, Hui and Chan (1996) stated that teachers would have role conflict between guiding and teaching because there are different responsibility in guidance role and teacher role, and role ambiguity were other aspects of guidance work which constitute sources of stress for teachers. Role theory stated that every role would have a set of expected behavior, such as teacher would have expected behavior such as teaching .Role conflicts would induce in the situations which two incompatible behavior are expected to one individual .Work role ambiguity occurs when the persons lack of clear, consistent information which have rights, duties, responsibility of the job (Manlove, 1994). Lack of clarify to perform job tasks or criteria for performance evaluations would lead role ambiguity. Manlove (1994) study proved that there are positively association between work ambiguity and emotional exhaustion there are positive association between work ambiguity and depersonalization and there are negative association between work ambiguity and personal accomplishment. Based on these findings, I formulate three hypotheses on guidance work and three dimension of burnout. The sixth hypothesis is there are positive association between stress on guidance work and emotional exhaustion. The seventh hypothesis is there are positive association between stress on guidance work and depersonalization. The eighth hypothesis is there are negative association between stress on guidance work and personal accomplishment. School management and burnout Cheng and Ng (1994) indicated that the policy of school-based management is started in 1991. It is a new policy â€Å"school management initiative† issued by the education and Manpower Branch and Education Department; it is a reform of management in school in Hong Kong. This policy and reform focus on changing schools management style from external control management to school-based management. The purpose of reform is increase the quality of education and increase the effectiveness of management at school. In this new policy, every school’s administrative and management is decided by each school oneself. Every school would responsible for planning and structuring the school’s teaching system. School-based management can be viewed stressful if teacher cannot participate in school-base management. Byrne (1994) indicated that one of the sources of stressor is lack of decision making in school. Lack of decision making means they lack of involvements in their quality of work life. If teacher perceived that they have not enough in participate in decision making, it would increase their opportunities to suffer from role conflict and role ambiguity. Teacher autonomy is important for teachers as teacher working in work condition. When teacher contains higher autonomy, teacher would have higher satisfaction of their job. Autonomy in teaching professional means teacher can control themselves and their work in working environment. It include teacher have freedom to make prescriptive professional choice to decide appropriate service and activity to their students. Teacher would experience autonomy when they have freedom and opportunities to interfere or supervision on their teaching process, such as have autonomy to decide own teaching style. Moreover, autonomy also include it can give teacher freedom to participate in some collaborate decision-making which are relevant to the service of student and school policy. And autonomy can give teacher have right to formulate their own rule according to their own choosing. (Pearson Moomaw, 2005). Maslach, Schaufeli and Leiter (2001) indicated that a lack of autonomy is correlated with burnou t. Schwab, Jackson and Schuler (1986) indicated that there are correlation between autonomy and personal accomplishment. It using multiple regression, it find that autonomy of teacher have 12% variance to predict personal accomplishment. In contrast , lack of autonomy would lead to lower the personal accomplishment. Lack of participations gives employees a feeling of lack of control over critical aspects or demands of their work. Jackson, Schuler and Schuler (1986) found that lack of participation in decision making was linked to depersonalization. the reason behind is when individual perceived that they lack of participate in decision making, they would feel that they are in condition which is uncontrollable, so they feel helplessness and feel uncertainly of the operation in workplace. In order to cope with the situation, individuals will depersonalize their relationships with co-worker, clients or the organization. Miller, Ellis, Zook and Lyles (1990) mentioned that participation in decision can decrease the role stress. As there are negative association between participation in decision making and role stress. And there are positive association between role stress and emotional exhaustion. It can explained that people participate in decision making can reduce role stress, and when role stress reduce, it can reduce emotional exhaustion. So it can explained that participation in decision making may reduce emotional exhaustion. I would make hypothesis that there are negative correlation between participation in decision making and emotional exhaustion. Pearson and Moomaw (2005) indicated that several researcher have noted that lack of control or autonomy in one’s job contribute to burnout. Feeling of control and autonomy include employee can perceive they have opportunity on decision making on work schedule and develop the policies that directly affect their environment at work. Moreover, participation in decision making is significant correlate to burnout. There are mentioned that there are there are negatively association between participant decision making and emotional exhaustion with r=-0.33. this means that when people have high participation in decision making, they would have lower emotional exhaustion. Based in previous research, hence, we formulate three hypotheses which stress on school management and three dimension of burnout. The ninth hypothesis is there is positive association between stress on school management and emotional exhaustion. The tenth hypothesis is there is positive correlation between stress on school management and depersonalization. The eleventh hypothesis is there is negative correlation between stress on school management and personal accomplishment. Student’s behavior management and burnout Managing students’ behavior in classroom is one of the important responsibilities in teacher’s role, because teacher would perceive that they need to manage student’s behavior in classroom as they must be ensure that every students in classroom have equal opportunities to gain knowledge in classroom. But in some situation, there are some student do some misbehavior to distract the pace of teaching and affect the quality of teaching, such as many student talking at the same time, it would induce much noise which would affect other student acquire knowledge in classroom, so teacher have duty to prevent the situation which have influence normal teaching. Hastings and Bham (2003) indicated that several researchers found that teachers identify student misbehavior as a source of stress. It would make teachers feel stress as there are no clear patterns or consistent action to handle different type of student misbehavior. Many studies paid attention on the association between teacher burnout and student misbehavior. Bilbou-Nakou, Stogiannidou and Kiosseoglou (1999) also indicated that difficulty in managing disruptive children have been presented as one of the major cause of burnout. Friredman (2001) indicated that teachers perceive their students as the main source of burnout in their work because of different problems among different problems such as discipline problems in classroom, unsatisfactory achievement, and absenteeism. Teacher feel irksome to handle the student behavior which interfere with the teaching process. Student misbehavior includes disrespect behavior of student. It include students in class interrupt, derisive, quarrel each other, student’s in class all speak at the same time, which makes a lot of noises. In Kokkinos (2007) study, there are positive relationship between managing student behavior and emotional exhaustion, with r is 0.53. There are positive relationship between managing student behavior and depersonalization, the r is 0.33. There are negative correlation between manage student behavior and personal accomplishment, the r is –0.20. According to the results of previous studies, we formulate the three hypothesis between stress on student behavior management and three dimension of burnout. The twelve hypothesis is there are positive association between stress on student behavior management and emotional exhaustion. The thirteenth hypothesis is there are positive association between stress on student behavior management and depersonalization. The fourteenth hypothesis is there are negative association between stress on student behavior management and personal accomplishment. Workload and burnout Teacher experience high workload is a serious problem in Hong Kong. Professional teacher’s union of Hong Kong (2005) survey show that 35.6% teachers report that they have to work overtime for more than 21 hours per week and 14% of them have to work overtime even over 31 hours each week. It also mentioned that education reform is one of the sources to increase teachers’ workload as teachers have to do many things to keep pace on education reform. Education reform need teacher to do much extra time and effort to match with the pace of education reform. Chan and Hui (1995) have explored teacher burnout in a study of 415 secondary school in Hong Kong have indicated that one of the major sources of stress was having too heavy workload. There are many duties for teachers in Hong Kong, it includes teaching, administration and clerical work, extracurricular activities and discipline and guidance work. Lam., Yuon and Mak (1998) found that the two major difficulties of secondary school teachers feel the most difficulties in work were heavy workload and insufficient time. Santavirta ,Solovieva. And Theorell (2007) indicated that workload means people suffer from excessive demands under time pressure, and also mismatch between the demands of teacher and the teacher’s ability to cope with this demands. Greenglass, Burke and Fiksenbaum (2001) demonstrated that workload was positively associated with emotional exhaustion in hospital nurses. It indicate that when nurse workload has increased and too heavy, they were more likely to experience emotional exhaustion. Dr. Moises Salinas(2004) indicated that work overload in teacher include teachers experience excessive paper work, oversized classes filled with student of different academic abilities and the need for teachers to complete tasks beyond their knowledge base. In Janssen, Schaufel and Houkes (1999) use conservation of resources theory, emotional exhaustion was primary associated with job demand such as work overload. It indicated that emotional exhaustion is positively related to work overload, whereas depersonalization and reduce personal accomplishment are not. Hence, i hypothesized that the fifteenth hypothesis is there are positive association between stress on workload/time pressure and emotional exhaustion Work relationship and burnout Social support has been seen as useful resources to let individual cope with stress efficiency. In moderating hypothesis, when individual who have supportive social relationship; they are able to rely on others to help them to deal with some problems in stressful situations, so they would perceive less stress and less affected by stress. In contrast, people who lack of supportive social relationships are vulnerable to the effect of stress. (Russell., Altmaier Velzen, 1987) The quality of work relationship with others could be one of stress at work. The nature of the relationship with one’s boss, subordinates, and colleagues can be a major source of stress at work. A trusting and caring environment in the organizations and an effective support system is essential in combating burnout. Burnout can be reduced if individual have good work relationship with others and better support systems at work. When individual have good work relation and support from others, people advice and support can act as tension reduction, help people achieving distance from the situation and a sense of shared responsibility. The stress can release in this situation and hence those people have social support and work relationship would have less prone to burnout. (Pines Aronson, 1988) Codes and Dougherty (1993) indicated that the effect of social support on stress and burnout have received extensive attention in literature. Social support has been identified have a role to buffer job-related stress. Social support can make individual has perception that they can cope with the situations by increasing their perception that others will provide the necessary resources. Greater perceived social support from co-workers or supervisor is associated with lower reported levels of burnout Baker and O’Brien (2007) indicated that supervisor and coworker support are important sources of social support, relating to lower level of burnout in the workplace. Rebecca and Wendy (2007) indicated that supervisors and work colleagues are able to provide support in the form of relevant information and feedback, practical assistance and emotional support relevant to the stressful work situation, it can help individual can have more confidence in solving stress. Teachers with receive social support from supervisors reported less emotional exhaustion, more positive attitudes and greater personal accomplishment. Cordes and Dougherty (1993) indicated that social support may cause the individual to redefine the bad situation at work and enhance the individual’s perceived ability to cope with the demand induced by the stressful workplace. Maslach, Schaufeli and Leite (2001) indicated that social support is one source of job resources; they indicate that job resources can acts as buffer effect from the process of job demand and burnout. In this result, it indicated that lack of social support is linked to burnout. Hasida and Keren(2007) mentioned that social support at work were negatively related to exhaustion, depersonalization and positively related to personal accomplishment. Base on these findings, I formulated three hypotheses on stress on work relationship and burnout. The sixteenth hypothesis is there are positive association between stress on work relationship and emotional exhaustion. The seventeenth hypothesis is there are positive association between stress on work relationship and depersonalization. The eighteenth hypothesis is there are negative association between stress on work relationship and personal accomplishment. Method Participants The sample consists of 44 participants. In the aspect of gender, 20 were male and 24 were female. They were all full-time teaches in secondary school in Hong Kong. In the aspect of teaching experience, 14 participants have 5 years or less teaching experience, 5 participants have 6-10 years teaching experience, 25 participants have 11 years or more teaching experience. 21 participants are single and 20 are married. In the religion aspect, 14 participants have religion and 28particpants have no religion. Measures Teacher stress were assessed using the Teacher stress scale designed by Hui and Chan (1996) for Hong Kong teachers. There are 20 items which have five dimension of stress. It is stress on guidance work, school-based management, student behavior management, workload and work relationship. Teacher were requested to rate each item on 5-point scale ranging from 1to 5. 1 means â€Å"no stress†, 2 means â€Å" mild stress†, 3 means â€Å"moderate stress†, 4 means â€Å"much stress†, 5 means â€Å"extreme stress† Teacher burnout were assessed using Maslach burnout inventory. The three subscales of the MBI are emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion includes 9 items. Depersonalization contains 5 items, and personal accomplishment include 8 items. The 22 items are rated on a 7 –point-likert-type scale on which the respondent indicates how often a feeling has been experienced ranging from 0 (never) to 6 (everyday). 0 means â€Å"never†, 1 means â€Å"a few times a day, 2 means â€Å"monthly†, 3 means â€Å"a few times a month†,4 means â€Å"every week† , 5 means â€Å"a few times a week† and 6 means†everyday† (Abel Sewell, 1999; Maslach Jackson, 1981) The scoring of MBI using .Lau, Yuen and Chan (2005) indicated that scores of the MBI subscales is using the normative distribution, high if they fall into the upper third portion of the normative distribution average if they fall into the middle third and low if they fall into the lower third. As this study sample size is quite small, it would not representative to analysize using normative distribution. So I would use scoring based on the study in Lau, Yuen and Chan (2005) study. As their study was conducted in Water: An Important Source Of Life Water: An Important Source Of Life Water is an important source of life on earth and about 71 percent of the surface of the earth is water. Almost 40 percent of the world population is directly at the mercy of fresh rivers water and about 2/3rd of these people live in developing countries. Water for all as a basic need can be defined as a public good and human right. This target dominates the entire world as a global water challenge. Water politics refers to the political strategy or diplomacy majorly affected by water availability and growing demand of water. When water is involved in the formulation of political policies for a particular country, and is used as a political weapon, it is known as water politics or hydro-politics (Nazakat, 2011). Hydro politics is the systematic study of conflict and cooperation between states over water resources that transcend international borders(Elhance, 1999). Water shortage has badly affected the agricultural sector of Pakistan which heavily depends on agro based economy. The agricultural lands of the Punjab and Sindh, mostly depend on canal water irrigation because in some areas underground water is salty. Present water crisis, if allowed to continue, would reduce the production of wheat, rice and sugarcane etc. Briefly water crisis in the country has spread deep concern. The shortage is threatening to create famine like condition across Pakistan (Ahmed, 2012). 1.2-Historical Background On partition of India, Ravi, Sutlej, and Bias were allocated to India under the Indus Waters Treaty (1960) and the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan. Unfortunately, the hydrological Region from where these six rivers originate lie in occupied Kashmir under the forcible occupation of India. As such, the control of these rivers is in the hands of India because of the unjust partition of India. India has started politics in water and uses water as a weapon to further terrorist objectives. India has therefore acquired the capability to control water of Pakistans rivers namely, Chenab River, Jhelum River and the Indus River that originate in the Indian occupied Kashmir-a disputed territory. Pakistan faces great danger at the hands of India as it has built 32 large dams on these rivers creating dead storage of more than 10 MAF and live storage of about 38 MAF in violation of the IWT that only allows 4.19 MAF of water to India. Besides this, India is building another 9 major dams on thes e rivers (Kabbes, 2007). India uses water as a weapon of mass destruction. In fact, it is terrorism using water as a weapon so that Pakistan is unable to produce food for its rapidly growing population. As a result, Pakistan will face famine, hunger, death and economic destruction. India has acquired the capability to use water as a weapon of mass destruction by causing famine and hunger. India has turned water terrorist an international crime. Water failures are prominent, both materially and politically, by international and subnational hydro politics. Within Pakistan there are many water issues like shortage of waterless crops cultivated which results in food crises and huge reserve be spent to overcome the problem and externally many issues rising like India stopped the supply of water to Pakistan from every canal flowing from India to Pakistan. The internal issues of Pakistan include the wrong planning of Kalabagh which created controversy on two counts, and there was status quo for 37 years as no dam w as allowed to be built. This resulted in flood and the crippling load shedding destroying economy (Kabbes, 2007). India cheated Pakistan on Indus Waters Treaty by depriving it of its perennial waters irrigating East Punjab of Pakistan. In replacement to the permanent water diverted by India, Pakistan, in return got storage water in Tarbela Dam Reservoir on the Indus, and Mangla Dam Reservoir on Jhelum River, both are Pakistans own rivers, allotted under the Treaty. Storage created on our rivers cannot be part of the deal. This means, Pakistan got nothing in return of the perennial water diverted by India irrigating East Punjab of Pakistan (Kabbes, 2007). 2.1-Hypothesis Government lacks the resources and political will for the construction of small and big dams. Indus Water Treaty discrepancies in the implementation of IWT are the main cause of water conflict in South Asia. 3.1-Research Questions What is hydro politics? What are the internal and external issues in water sector of Pakistan? What are the factors behind the delay of construction of dams and reservoirs of Pakistan? What is the Indus Water Treaty and its implications on hydro politics? RESEARCH OBJECTIVES à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To gain an intellectual understanding of what hydro politics is about. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To identify internal and external issues related to hydro politics in Pakistan. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To identify the reasons behind the delay of construction of dams 4.1-Rationale To analyze the factors behind the delay of construction of dams and the distribution of water within Pakistan 4.2-Statement Of The Problem Hydro politics is an important factor and life without water is impossible. Population rate is rising day by day and we dont have enough water nor do we have dams and reservoirs to store water so researcher has selected this issue to aware government who shall make such water policies which proved to be helpful in agricultural sector. 5.1-Research Methodology The method during the research will be descriptive and analytical. Researcher will conduct both qualitative and quantitative method for research study. Both primary and secondary source of information will be used for the collection of data which would comprise of books, journals, articles and newspapers. Interviews will also be conducted and statistical method will be applied for testing of hypothesis. 6.1-Literature Review Idris (2011) analyzes how the conflict of water distribution arose. Initially water distribution was through a system of canals without any control structures and withdrawal was governed by the level of water in the inundation canals which remained unpredictable. As demand of water usage of one actor grew, it consequently lead to conflict with the other actors. Steps in this regard were taken in the 19th century to control the unpredictable water supply and provide assured water supply in the inundation canals by constructing head works across rivers. The first head works was commissioned in 1859 by which supply on the Upper Bari Doab became assured followed by several other head works across tributary rivers in Punjab during 1882 to 1901 and two major irrigation projects by 1935 viz Sukkur Barrage on the Indus and the Sutlej Valley project. This article would help researcher to analyze how erratic water supply lead to inter-provincial as well as external water issues in Pakistan. Mustafa (2010) explains that the official argument depicts the picture of a scarce water resource, which is being wasted by being allowed to flow out to sea , and outlines a doomsday scenario should additional storage not be built on the Indus River.However, water scarcity especially in the aftermath of the drought in southern Pakistan in the latter half of the 1990s, coupled with the single-minded focus of the Pakistani water bureaucracy on water development, has made the issue of the construction of Dams and reservoirs a substitute for a repeated series of inter-provincial grievances. The controversy is beginning to split public opinion in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh province, where more than 80 percent of the groundwater is saline, making the provinces farmers exceptionally dependent on surface-water supplies, which itself may be compromised by the construction of upstream dams and reservoirs. The dam project at the moment is in cold storage, particularly on account of the com bined opposition of not just Sindh but also of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is concerned about the potential flooding of rich farmland and Pashtun cultural heartland by the lake that will be created behind the dam. The province is also unwilling to lend its support to the project because of doubts based on the poor record of the Pakistani government in providing for the recovery of those affected by earlier large-dam projects. This article would help the researcher in evaluating that the methodology behind the construction of dams and reservoirs was consequent to bring about delays because it did not include all stakeholders and unsettled negotiating process. Akhtar (n.d.) explains that that the Indus Water Treaty was devised to find a solution that was not driven by legal principles, but instead by principles of water engineering and economics. IWT was signed as a permanent solution to the water sharing problem between the two countries when water was in abundance in the Indus system. This Treaty governs trans boundary water rights and obligations of India and Pakistan in relation to each other by assigning full use of waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers to Pakistan, with minor exceptions, for existing uses in Kashmir giving Pakistan 75 per cent of the waters of the Indus Basin system and allowed India, under carefully specified conditions, to tap the considerable hydropower potential of the three Western rivers, before they entered Pakistan. The heightened climate changes underway, growing water scarcity and insecurity in the basin has resulted in politicization of the water issue between the two countries coinciding with Indi as ambition to construct a large number of hydropower plants, especially on the Chenab and Jhelum rivers. This article will help the researcher to access the Indus Water Treaty and the implications of hydro politics on it. Pakistans Waters at Risk (2007) in this report it has been discussed rapid population growth, urbanization and unmanageable water consumption practices to have placed an huge stress on the quality as well as the quantity of water resources in the country which have led to hydro politics in the region. With regard to growing tensions, there is an urgent need to develop policies and approaches for bringing water withdrawals into balance with recharge. Though relevant policies like National Environment Policy, National Water Policy (Draft), National Drinking Water Policy (Draft), National Environment Policy; regulatory framework like the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 and laws like the Canal and Drainage Act (1873) and the Punjab Minor Canals Act (1905), which prohibit the corrupting or fouling of canal water; Sindh Fisheries Ordinance (1980), which prohibits the discharge of untreated sewage and industrial waste into water, and The Greater Lahore Water Supply Sewerage and D rainage Ordinance (1967) etc. are in place, there is no clear strategy devised so far to implement them. This report helped in guiding the researcher to know how hydro politics plays a crucial role in shaping national/international water policies. Turton and Henwood (2002) explain the concept and limitation of hydro politics in developing countries. They assert in the book that hydro politics is emerging as a specific discipline, largely as a result of the increased awareness of water scarcity and erratic supply due to rapid population growth, urbanization and unsustainable water consumption practices. For these reasons, a greater focus on the development of conceptual clarity has become essential. The realization of the fact that life is impossible without water is the fundamental driving force behind hydro politics. As more and more people compete for and rely on the declining water resources, it has become a challenge for the environment and therefore a political issue. This book would help researcher to analyze the concept of hydro politics and the factors inflicting its importance. TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Chapter-1 : Introduction Historical Background Chapter-2: Hypothesis Chapter-3: Research Questions Chapter-4 Rationale Statement of the problem Chapter-5: Research methodology Chapter-7: -Literature review Chapter-8: -Conclusion.

Freedom is Not Free in Bread Givers Essay -- Bread Givers Essays

Freedom is Not Free in Bread Givers  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Anzia Yezierska in Bread Givers and "Children of Loneliness" explores the theme of reconciling assimilation to American culture and retaining her cultural heritage. "Richard F. Shepard asserted in the New York Times that Yezierska’s people†¦did not want to find themselves. They wanted to lose themselves and find America" (Gale Database 8). Rachel and Sara, the main characters, move ahead by employing the America motto of hard work will pay off. The problem for both is losing their Jewish identity in the process. Yezierska, like the female characters, experienced the loneliness of separation from the Jewish people when she rose above poverty. "I am alone because I left my own world" (Ebest 8). She explores this issue repeatedly in her work trying to find a solution to a problem with no easy answer. In order to obtain religious, social, political, and equality 23 million Jews immigrated to America during the years between 1880 and 1920 (Chametzky, 5). Anzia Yezierska wrote about her experiences as a poor immigrant in her fictional work becoming a voice of the Jewish people in the1920s. She struggled to obtain an education that allowed her to rise above her family’s poverty and gain a measure of autonomy. Rachel and Sara, the female protagonists, mirror the author’s life going from struggling immigrant to college graduate. Yezierska uses her own experiences to portray the Jewish immigrant experience with a woman’s perspective. She successfully gained a commercial following that allowed her to mediate the cultural differences between the mainstream culture and the Jewish people that helped resolve differences between the established Americans and these new immigrants for a time (Ebes... ...iable to a particular ethnic identification. Freedom in America is not free; each immigrant ethnic group loses their culture identity eventually but they also add to the diverse American voice. Works Cited Chametzky, Jules. Introduction. ." Jewish American Literature. Ed. Jules Chametzky, John Felstiner, Hilene Flanzbaum, and Kathryn Hellerstein. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001. 1-23. Ebest, Ron. "Anzia Yezierska and the Popular Periodical Debate Over the Jews." The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnics Literature of the United States. Spring 2000 Gale Literary Database. 2001. Gale Group Yezierska, Anzia. Bread Givers. New York: Persea Books, 1925. ---. "Children of Loneliness." Jewish American Literature. Ed. Jules Chametzky, John Felstiner, Hilene Flanzbaum, and Kathryn Hellerstein. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001. 233-244.   

Mary Shelly Essay

Compare the way Susan Hill and Mary Shelly Create tension in extracts from their novels â€Å"The Woman In Black† and â€Å"Frankenstein† Gothic Horror was born with the arrival of the book â€Å"Frankenstein† by the author Mary Shelly in 1816. This book fuelled the future wring of horror and changed the future of horror forever. The book â€Å"Frankenstein† came about after Mary had a horrific dream one night. Mary’s writing was influenced by many factors in her life. Her father used to take her along with him to demonstrations, showing that electricity had the potential to bring people back to life, also science was largely unknown about then, there were many endless possibilities and unanswered questions. She also visited a village of clockwork dolls, which she was very impressed by. All this and the hurt of the loss of her premature baby added to the birth of the most popular book of its century. The book â€Å"The Woman In Black† by Susan Hill was written about 150 years later. At this time science had progressed and many things that were once a mystery were now explained. There was less of the unknown; Yet Susan still managed to create this chilling tale. The extract from â€Å"Frankenstein† is set in a dreary basement, used as Victor Frankenstein’s laboratory. The very first line starts off with ‘It was on a dreary night of November†¦ ‘ which adds to the creepy atmosphere, because the night, darkness and cold weather of the November month are usually associated with bad scary things, like chilly weather and shadows in the dark. It then mentions that its one in the morning with heavy rain pattering against the pains, and his candle nearly burnt out, which tells you it was a barely lit room, with a dark chilling atmosphere in the middle of the night, when most are normally asleep, dreaming or having nightmares. This setting and atmosphere very much fits the gothic horror genre, leaving you with a very particular sense of tension. In â€Å"The Woman In Black† extract, we find out in the first small paragraph, is set in a small dilapidated graveyard, this is scary within its self because of a graveyards ossociation with death, ghosts and all things evil. The second paragraph starts with ‘In the greyness of the fading light’ again adding to the dark, gloomy atmosphere with a feeling of tension of what is to come. The language used in both extracts is very sophisticated and quite complex, as is typical to the gothic horror genre, but while they both use big words â€Å"Frankenstein† is much more old fashioned in wording, obviously due to the time it was written in. Whereas in â€Å"The Woman In Black† the language used is much more modern while still keeping to the more complex wording of the gothic horror genre. It’s the first time Victor meets his creation alive in the extract of â€Å"Frankenstein†. His reaction to the â€Å"monster† he has created very much sets up your opinion of it. The way he describes this creature clearly gives you the impression it is evil with its ‘watery eyes’ and ‘His shrivelled complexion’. In â€Å"The Woman In Black† her appearance is not described very much, the focus is more on the feelings she provokes within Arthur. He does however describe the look on her face as ‘as a desperate, yearning malevolence; it was as though she was searching for something she wanted, needed- must have, more then life itself, and which had been taken from her. ‘ Through Arthur’s thoughts and feelings being explained to you, you feel, or are supposed to feel, what he is feeling. I think the writer is very good at making you experience these dramatic emotions through the character Arthur Kipps, and I certainly was affected by how Arthur is affected when he sees the woman in black. â€Å"Frankenstein† was written at a time when science was new, strange, exciting, and threatening. Much was unexplained and seemed scary and illogical. Strange new ideas were being explored, some far fetched and some that just seemed far-fetched but were the start of vast new scientific knowledge. People began to travel all around the world and experience many new things, different social and cultural attitudes. All this obviously had a profound affect on Mary; she began questioning things and was very aware of the reality of the world around her. In her book it sends out the message of what would happen if people started playing â€Å"god† with life. She obviously felt strongly about this and maybe feared this is what was to come. â€Å"The Woman In Black† was written about 150 years later, in a much more developed time. When science was accepted and we are used to travel, we are less religious and life is very different. The paranormal is less unexplained and the unexplained scares people, this is why Susan has chosen the form of a ghost in her story, as it is more believable then a â€Å"monster† like Frankenstein’s creature, as we know that wouldn’t be possible knowing more about the way things work through science, yet a ghost is still unknown and unexplainable. Both extracts are very typical of the gothic horror genre. They both use complex language with big words and long flowing sentences, with only a few short ones for dramatic affect. They both tell a story about a â€Å"creature† and the unknown at the times they were written. I personally like the extract from â€Å"The Woman In Black† the best, as I can understand the more modern language and I can relate to the story line better because the paranormal is a lot more believable to me then the creation of a â€Å"creature† from dead parts. By Jemma Burke Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

From Jack Kevorkian to Terry Schiavo

From Jack Kevorkian to Terry Schiavo, much media attention has been given in recent years to the question of the right to die. Most American states have laws against taking one’s own life and many also have specific laws against assisted suicide. Many others charge those who would assist with suicide with manslaughter or attempted murder. Opponents of euthanasia say that there is no provision in American law for the right to die. Many specific rights are spelled out in the Bill of Rights and others have been granted through the Constitution and its amendments, but nowhere has the law granted a person the right to die.Proponents claim the right is inherent, God-given and a matter of free will. The truth lies somewhere in between. Americans should have the right to determine when their lives should end. That right is granted them by the Declaration of Independence. Americans have the right to die, as it is included in the right to life, the right of self-determination and the pu rsuit of happiness. The first legal standard allowing Americans to choose to die should be the words of founding father Thomas Jefferson.In writing the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson said that people should have the right to â€Å"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. † By simple logic, death is an inherent part of life and therefore should be protected by Jefferson’s words. As death is the ending of life and the right to life is guaranteed by the Declaration, it is clear that citizens should be afford the right to die as they choose. By guaranteeing people the right to life and liberty, Jefferson may have been simply spouting the philosophies of John Locke and others, but he inadvertently guaranteed people the liberty to choose their own death.Clearly, in 1776, the concept of keeping people alive through the use of machines was not a consideration. However, Jefferson makes it clear that self-determination is a right of the people. It is that very self-de termination that gave the American colonies the right to revolt against England and form their own country. That same right of self-determination should also apply to the average citizen. Nothing is more a matter of personal freedom than the right to die. Other cultures have long practiced this form of self-determination.In many cultures, the sick, infirmed or elderly would leave their society to die when they decided it was time. The concept that society has become more civilized should not prevent people from making this choice if they desire. The reality is that modern medicine has allowed many people to live beyond what would once have been a normal life expectancy. Many of those people regret their longevity as they feel isolated, due to the deaths of contemporaries, and feel the guilt of being a financial or emotional burden on their families.Others do not want to face the pain of chronic disease. These people have earned the right to do as they please and by the theory of sel f-determination, they should be granted that right. Finally, the Declaration grants people the right to â€Å"the pursuit of happiness. † Again, despite the advances of modern medicine, there is no guarantee that simply lengthening a person’s life grants them additional happiness. In fact, some elderly persons are simply lonely and in pain. The pursuit of happiness for them might include an end to their suffering and as such, the right to die.The simple matter is that by guaranteeing people the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and by predicating our society on the right of self-determination, America has already made it clear that the right to die is inherent in our beliefs. It should be as clear as the right to freedom of the press or the right to bear arms. Unfortunately, though we preach a separation of church and state, America is also a religious country and the right to die will not be acknowledged until the fear of the moral repercussions is o vercome.

Of Mice and Men Animal Imagery Essays

Of Mice and Men Animal Imagery Essays Of Mice and Men Animal Imagery Paper Of Mice and Men Animal Imagery Paper Essay Topic: Of Mice and Men In the novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses comparisons between animals and humans to demonstrate Lennie’s animalistic qualities. Steinbeck compares Lennie to animals to illustrate his innocence, immaturity, unawareness, and curiosity. Animal imagery is used to provide insight to the characters personalities and behaviors through the comparison between Lennie and a bear, his obsession with rabbits, and his similarities to Candy’s dog. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck compares Lennie’s natures and habits to that of a bear. At the beginning of the novel, Lennie’s gait is described as similar to the way a bear drags his paws (2). The word â€Å"drags† hints a sense of relaxation and calmness which is evident in Lennie’s personality. Lennie is not concerned with the trivial matters that consume the other characters. As Lennie bends down to get water from the pond, he dabbles his big paw in the water and wiggles his fingers to make circles(3). â€Å"Dabbles† illustrates the delicacy in his movement and shows his unawareness to his immense, bearlike size. Lennie is not worried about anything except how the water ripples. He remains unaffected by the everyday struggles of the majority of people in this time period. The comparison between Lennie and a bear show his unusual and immense size, but also the curious and careful nature of his personality. Lennie’s obsession with rabbits shows his immature and innocent personality. After Lennie kills one of the pups, he is extremely concerned with the fact that George might not allow him to tend the rabbits anymore(85). Lennie’s immaturity is portrayed by his inability to realize the full extent of what he has done. Before George shoots Lennie, Lennie makes sure that he will still assume the position as the rabbit tender(105). This is another example of how Lennie’s immaturity is illustrated. Although Lennie just killed Curley’s wife, he is only concerned with the rabbits. Lennie’s love of rabbits is a clear example of his immaturity and innocence. Candy’s relationship with his dog is similar to George and Lennie’s connection. Candy tells Slim â€Å"He doesn’t mind taking care of his dog,† but Slim agrees he needs to be shot(45). Lennie and Candy’s dog both were unable to escape death, and Slim agrees in both situations that it is for the better. Towards the end of the dog’s life, Carlson explained to Candy that â€Å"he’d shoot the dog right in the back of the head. He wouldn’t feel it†(45). After George shoots Lennie, Curley points out â€Å"right in the back of the head†(107). George shot Lennie himself so Lennie would not be afraid. Neither the dog or Lennie saw it coming, nor were they aware that their lives were about to end. The comparison between Candy’s dog and Lennie illustrate Lennie’s innocence and his unawareness of what he had done. Animal imagery is used throughout the novel to show the comparison between Lennie’s personalities to that of an animal. Each animal demonstrates a different behavior of Lennie’s. The bear shows his curiosity, the rabbits show his innocence and immaturity, and the dog shows his unawareness.

Pornography and Violence against Women

Pornography and Violence against Women Pornography is the description of explicit content with the aim of arousing someone sexually. The media used in storing contents of this nature include books, video, film, animation, painting, photos, and magazines just to name but a few.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Pornography and Violence against Women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More People who pose for pornographic pictures are referred to as models whereas those who assume a character in pornographic movies are called porn stars. Emanuelle (2002) argues that pornography can be classified into several forms namely alt, armateur, fetish, orientation based, orgy, race oriented, reality, and soft and voyeur pornography. Studies conducted in the recent past indicate that the increase in the accessibility of pornographic materials has led to increase in sexual crime, especially against women. When the person who is being exposed to explicit content is not married or in a stable relationship he/she will look for alternative means to quench his/her sexual desires. The alternatives here include other people who are forced into having sex unwillingly. Others include animals such as dogs and sheep. In such a situation the weaker sex, that is, women and children are prone to these attacks. If pornography is applied appropriately it can be used to improve the sex lives of married people and responsible adults. This is because sex in marriage is very vital because when it is not satisfactory, spouses will seek satisfaction from other people that they consider knowledgeable in matters regarding sex. Rape is as old as mankind and can be traced to biblical scriptures hence governments should invent proper structures that can be used to reduce its occurrence. Marriage counselors recommend use of pornography to conduct sex education. Most women do not appreciate pornography as a sexual reference database because they argue that the habits portrayed by po rn stars make them uncomfortable, such as licking ones genitals. According to Marianna (2003), women also experience marital rape perpetrated by their husbands. This kind of rape is rarely reported to the authorities because the society does not recognize marital rape. In most cases the husband comes out of nowhere and is sexually aroused but the wife in question is not ready for sex. Since men have stronger masculine than women, the wife is rendered helpless and gives in to her husband’s desires. The husband might inflict pain or injuries on the woman depending on the intensity of force used.Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In general the society does not see anything wrong with marital rape because in most communities the woman is under obligation to satisfy her man’s sexual desires regardless of whether she enjoys it or not. This is the underlying reaso n as to why women don’t report cases of marital rape because they will be labeled as wives who do not want to grant their husbands their conjugal rights. Women also contribute to the rise in sexual crimes by putting on provocative clothes such as mini-skirts and tight trousers. Many people do not agree with this argument but it has been found to insight men into sex. Men are more sexually aroused by what they see with their eyes as opposed to women who view sex as emotional. Women should keep off from lonely places because those are the most appropriate areas for this evil. They should not accept lifts from male drivers that are not known to them. Date rape can also be avoided by bringing along a close friend and by informing their families and friends about their whereabouts. This will be useful in tracing them just in case they go missing. Women should also avoid watching adult movies with people they would not want to have sex with because when the other person is turned o n they will choose the person who is most convenient to them. Violent sexual contents make men believe that women are sexual objects that can be used as one wish. Sexual offenders should be punished heavily to discourage the would-be offenders. Sexual crime rarely happens in Arabian countries because the women in those countries are prohibited from wearing clothes that are provocative and also men are not allowed to look at women in a suggestive manner. Men who commit sexual offense in these countries are stoned to death. The Islamic law strongly opposes sex before marriage but encourages men to marry as soon they come of age. Most men who commit rape are under the influence of drugs and therefore such men should be taken to rehabilitation centers where they receive guidance and counseling. People who produce pornographic contents should be held accountable for the social effects brought by their materials. This will make them to be cautious on who views their contents hence encoura ge responsible sexual behavior. References Emmanuelle, R. 2002.The Naked Untruth. AlterNet. 9 November 2010.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Pornography and Violence against Women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Marianna, B. 2003.†The Roots of Western Pornography: Victorian obsessions and Fin-de-siecle predilections. Libido.† The Journal of sex and sensibility. Available at libidomag.com/nakedbrunch/archive/europorn07.html

Strangler Fig - South Floridas Strange Hammock Tree

Strangler Fig - South Florida's Strange Hammock Tree Figs are successful forest trees with some 900 separate species worldwide. Figs are extremely common because of their excellent means of dispersal including abundant and good-tasting fruit. The strangler fig, or Ficus aurea, is one of the most interesting trees in a North American Everglades tropical hardwood hammock. Strangler figs, sometimes called golden fig are native to south Florida and the West Indies. The strangler fig produces a continuous crop of seeds via the fruit that is very important to the ecosystem and a major food source for animals. Birds transport and spread these seed in droppings. Strangler Fig's Unusual Propagation Method Strangler fig seeds are sticky and attach to a host tree where it germinates and thrives in tropical moisture. The strangler fig begins its life as a parasite-like epiphyte or air plant but is always seeking a path to the ground and a more dependable source for root uptake of nutrients. The trees seeds lodge in bark fissures of an unfortunate host, germinate and send out air roots that take in nutrients and water from the air and host tree. Eventually, the air roots grow to reach the ground and develop their own underground root system. Cabbage palms are favorite hosts for the strangler fig. Why the Name Strangler Fig The Stranger Fig is one of the strangest plants in a tropical hardwood hammock. It completely entwines its roots and trunk around a host tree. The figs crown grows foliage which soon overshadows the tree. Eventually, the host tree is strangled and dies, leaving the fig with a hollow trunk where the host used to be. The fig takes advantage of the nutrients produced by the rotting host. The Tropical Hardwood Hammock Strangler figs generally grow on raised land called hammocks. The typical tropical hardwood hammock in the Everglades develop only in areas that are protected from fire, flood and salt water. The strangler fig is a very important tree in a typical hammock but not the only tree. A figs tree cover type or biome includes Cabbage palm, slash pine, gumbo-limbo, saw-palmetto, poisonwood and live oak. The Importance of a Strangler Fig It is important to note that this killer epiphyte provides an important niche and food source to many tropical forest creatures. Its hollow trunk, with an abundance of nooks and crannies, provides an important home to thousands of invertebrates, rodents, bats, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. The strangler fig is also considered a keystone tree and necessary in the tropical hardwood ecosystem. Many forms of life are attracted to the fig tree because of its production of large amounts of fig fruits and can be the only source of food during certain seasons.

Ethnic diversity in China Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethnic diversity in China Journal - Essay Example Zhizou people believe that two parallel house cannot be of the same height because they may cause unnecessary competition. The community encourages ties amongst siblings’ right from when they are still under their parents’ care to when they have been married away. In grandmother Wasomo’s story, a community where old people pass virtues to young children is depicted as one that is desirable and as one which yields a well-mannered crop of citizens. Respect for morals is a pillar in the community and elderly people though married have different beds to avoid ridicule. Spirits are considered part and parcel of the community; they, alongside the deceased are held highly in the community through ways such as observation of rituals to honor them and effigies, which are made in their memory. They are also perceived as the custodians of the people and are believed to be able to prevent harm. The community also had close ties, and this is exemplified by the fact that there is a granary that stores grain for a group of people. Women in the community are seen as the creators of wealth as in the example of a woman whose six kilos of rice is taken per day and another who shares two kilos for a family of six and has enough to see her through to the next harvest while the former does not. Chapter five questions the authority where the writers memories of rules and procedures are founded as his tapes and notebooks filled with deep thoughts. In order to explain why a somewhat different scripts model of memory has long been associated with respect to authority of written communication in China, the story of Nepi is told. The story of the origin of Nepi tells of two men; a Lolopo and another Han, who after traveling for nine nights and days the Lolopo man ends up ingesting what he had written on his buckwheat while the Han who had written on a piece of paper retained his information. The writer maintains that unlike scripted memory,

Comparing History and Historiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparing History and Historiography - Essay Example Likewise, historiography is a complex part of history course that many students struggle to understand and lack confidence in discussing. This essay will aim to elucidate what history and historiography are, analyze differences between the two terms and discuss why it is essential to have an understanding of them. Definition of terms History can be defined as the study of past events and the originality, compilation, organization, and arrangement of information about these events. Additionally, history can be termed as the intellectual discipline that utilizes narratives to scrutinize and inspect a series of historical events, and aim at establishing the patterns of cause and the effect that verify them. Precisely, history is the study of past events whereby the authors and scholars of history are referred to historians (Stunkel, 2011). On the other hand, historiography can be defined as the study of how historians and other scholars construe the past primarily as a study of their wr iting. In addition, it can also refer to the different ways of understanding or interpreting historical events, groups or leaders, and also understanding the reasons why there is the existence of different interpretations and theories. Candidly, historiography is an intriguing field of discussions and arguments regarding preceding and present illustrations of the past (Jayapalan, 2002). Differences between History and Historiography The differences between history and historiography are numerous and miniature starting from the meaning of the words themselves to other ways in which the subjects are applied in the academic sphere and beyond. From the definition, history is the exploration of past events while historiography is the examining of how history is studied and transmitted. As a matter of fact, the discipline of history is not going anywhere (Watts, 1997). On the other hand, the decisive perspective of historiography is becoming more vital to the field of history through offe ring latest conclusion regarding the past events and people’s relationship to them. While historiography is a sub-discipline of history, history is a discipline itself, with other sub-disciplines such as chronological theories, social and cultural history, amongst others such as political and economic history, and historical anthropology. "History" is an academic discipline nevertheless it is also a frequently used the word that does not fundamentally represent academia. "History" can be used colloquially to mean any approved period of time or stories associated with it. On the other hand, "historiography" came into existence in1979, and was introduced by Stanford University professor and scholar Lawrence Stone. As a result, "Historiography" cannot be applied conversationally. As much as historiography is a sub-discipline of history, they both fall into diverse form of discipline due to their methodology. History is classified under humanities because of its emphasis on philo sophy, art, literature and other fields that are not sciences, whereas historiography is classified under social sciences because of its social scientific approach to history. Furthermore, history is a narrative when considering its nature and character, whereby it is portrayed history as sequential, chronological and logical storytelling. On the other hand, historiography is a "new history" which focuses on analysis and not on narratives, and it is "structural history" since it emphasizes more on the state of humanity than on the accurate, objective conditions. Therefore, historiography emphasizes on the "how," of the past whereas history on the "what." Hence, historiography is extremely focused and wide (Gustafson, n.d). Importance of understanding history and histo

Ethics in the Business Research and Reporting Process Paper

Ethics in the Business and Reporting Process - Research Paper Example Ethical Concerns in Business Research and Reporting Plagiarism Business research and reporting, calls for no condoning of plagiarism since it effects badly on the integrity of the business. Plagiarism in business research may include previous reviews, historical researches, methodological and even interpretations of other previous researchers. Every research conducted in business that uses ideas from previous research must acknowledge the source properly. Tenbrunsel and Messick argue that if research is conducted by a group it is unethical for one person to claim responsibility for the finished product. All members who participated in a research should be accorded proper acknowledgement wherever practical (1996). Misuse of Privileged Information In the course of undertaking business research and reporting, the researcher usually comes into contact with privileged information. The use of privileged information may take the form of plagiarism; for instance when information concerning p roposals for grant applications is not kept in confidence by a researcher, or when an editor does not keep draft manuscripts in confidence which may preempt rights of first publication. Such actions may end up depriving the originator of the idea of due acknowledgement and profit. The breaching of confidentiality by a researcher is a serious matter as it may expose the researcher to legal obligations of intellectual theft if the information is subsequently used by unauthorized entities (Pimple, 2008). Data Management There are various ethical issues under data management which the business researcher has to adhere to such as; the integrity of data; the use or misuse of data; access and ownership to data and retention and storage of data. The significance of ensuring the integrity of data cannot be overstated. The giving of false or fabricated data is a serious breach of the ethical standards in business research and reporting. The business researcher will be held accountable for any findings presented which leads to erroneous decision making. The researcher should not release findings which are yet to be confirmed until he has confirmed them. It is the responsibility of the researcher to maintain clear record of his research which would enable a validation of the research conducted (Farell & Fraedrich, 2011). As such the researcher must store his research in a manner which enables other people to easily access it for review. A researcher who errs in the representation of material unknowingly is however exempted from liability unless reckless misconduct can be proved. A good example is a researcher who is supposed to interview 17 people in a firm, he has interviewed 13 but he is wary of getting late for his plane leaving for a holiday in Hawaii. He makes his conclusions based on the 13 which is a breach as the information is potentially misleading. Concerning the use and misuse of data, it is important for the researcher to acquaint himself with the relevant re search methodology and use it in the right way. Ethical standards in reporting and research require that all information that is relevant be included in the final analysis. Disregard of any information should be explained if liability for gross misconduct is to be avoided. Any changes in methodology or protocol in an ongoing research must be sanctioned by management and

Interactive Planning and Occupational Safety Research Paper

Interactive Planning and Occupational Safety - Research Paper Example Such can be said on COPPST Circuitry. It is a global organization with site-level units in ten US states, a site in Canada, another in Nigeria, and several in Europe and Asia. The most recent emergency that occurred at one of the US sites of COPS Circuitry should be considered as a learning opportunity, as well as a time to propose an interactive planned improvement to encompass mandated safety standards in the site. In planning for safety, Leeman (14) described four parts of this phase in the planning process the systems analysis, obstruction analysis, reference projections, and reference scenarios. The Occupational Health and Safety Hazard Administration (OSHA) provides an extensive standard and guideline for employers and managers that address the four said parts of the planning process. ... Â  mission (EOCC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At the state level are Department of Environmental Protection (Air, Water, Soil, Waste, Facility Response Plans, and Emergency Notification), Department of Health and Human Services (Radiation Control Program), State Office of the Fire Marshall (Occupancy and Life Safety Codes), Department of Economic and Community Development, Department of Labor (Workers Comp, Disability, etc.), Department of Public Safety, and the Department of Transportation. And at the local level are Code Compliance Division, Planning and Development Department, and the Water Resource Protection Department. Together with the employers, they play a crucial role in the provision of safety in the workplace. Interactive Planning These various levels and agencies of the government all contribute to the mass knowledge and information in t he formulation of interactive planning for the organizational operations. Various standards are required by these agencies to be met, with the continuing and safe operations of businesses as end-goal. These include safety of workers at the workplace and structural standards and procedures that ensure safety and environmental requirement compliance are met. However, additional considerations include the welfare and goals of the various stakeholders of COPS Circuitry. They are the employees, customers, suppliers, distributors, other local businesses, the local community, corporate OHS, other business units, and the overall corporation.

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Finance - Essay Example which often threaten businesses profitability due to unexpected cost, and if some businesses fail to comply with these regulations they faces penalties, and other stick regulatory problems and in short there is threat to their long term sustainability, so organization need to be serious while dealing with such regulatory issues, which are not often taken serious by most companies and at last faces huge financial liabilities Companies operating in Europe has entered into a new era of environmental risk management with regard to prevention and remedy of environmental damage as per a recent survey by Harvard Business Review Analytic services 60% of the companies are now concerned about the environmental risk and are serious about it, therefor lglo Group should conduct a complete study that this new investment should not bring such threats for which company may bear regulatory obligations that effect its profitability and bring long term sustainability of company into question, (sustainable, 2015) As for as long term business strategies are concerned lglo group need to be proactive regarding its strategic plans of either new installation or introduction of new ways power resources, that either all these activities have any environmental effect and if they have then are there any breach of regulation with regard to environmental regulation, because if such new changes affect these environmental regulations then it may harm companies long term sustainability. First of all in future it will reduce cost of production of lglo and other products also due low cost of power resource, hence it will affect production department costing, marginal cost of production reduces due to this low cost of production, so selling price would also be affected means marketing department would be affected, further external stake holders would also be affected like environmental agencies

Finance and Accounting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finance and Accounting - Research Paper Example It is without doubt that table salt had developed into a well-rounded and mature enterprise but Sea Shore Salt had grown gradually over the years however, on the peril of its competitors that were not well known in the business. The company had developed a legacy with its brand name that was ideally known and recognized in the area giving the company a competitive advantage despite it being very difficult to pronounce the name quickly (Sages & Grable 57). Bernice reported to work on January 2, 2006 and everything was seen to be going smoothly until Mr. Brinepool sent her a memo on the company’s cost of capital, giving her the task of explain to all the other managers the company’s weighted average cost of capital. Bernice had not expected such a task so soon and hence, she stayed at the office late that night to prepare for any questions that may be shot at her during the meeting that was scheduled to be held the following day. Bernice at first analyzed and summarized t he company’s recent balance sheet to and later on wrote down some points she had discovered: (Sages & Grable 58). The bank where the company had taken a loan charged an interest that was similar to the existing market rate bearing in mind that the long- term debt had previously been issued not so long ago. This meant that the book as well as the market values of the debt could not have a great difference in margin. The company had issued stock about 35 years ago at the time when the interest rates were significantly lower than they are now. The stock were expected to rise by a large margin over the years and eventually become very lucrative in future though this did not happen. The current stock which was initially preferred was now trading at only $70 per share contrary to what the management expected the share price to stand at by this time. Common stock was expected to trade at $40 per share by this time. Earnings for the subsequent year were projected to be at about $4 an d the dividends shareholders were going to receive at the end of the fiscal year was probably expected to be around $2 per share. Sea Shore Salt had a tradition of using 50% of her earnings to pay dividends to its shareholders and the rest would be retained by the company for future expansion and growth. Fig 12. 2 Mr. Brinepool’s cost of capital memo Sea Shore Salt Company Spring Vacation Beach, Florida CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM DATE: January 15, 2006 TO: S.S.S. Management FROM: Joe- Bob Brinepool, president SUBJECT: Cost of capital This memo gives and insight and understanding about the company’s long- term policy concerning rates to be considered in terms of making decisions involving capital investment. Recently, many people have started to raise questions and there has been an air of confusion with regards to this disturbing matter. Sea Shore Salt analyses investment by discounted a cash flow that is discounted. The problem in discount rate is the weighted average co st of capital experienced by the company after tax. The weighted average cost of capital is the combination of the amount of returns that investor expect a company to generate at the end of each fiscal year. These investors include persons or institutions such as banks, bond holders or even stock investors; this is on top of the already present stock owners. Sea Salt financings are summarized in the following table Amount (in millions) percent of total rate of return Bank loan 120 20% 8% Bond issue 80 13.3

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Finance - Essay Example which often threaten businesses profitability due to unexpected cost, and if some businesses fail to comply with these regulations they faces penalties, and other stick regulatory problems and in short there is threat to their long term sustainability, so organization need to be serious while dealing with such regulatory issues, which are not often taken serious by most companies and at last faces huge financial liabilities Companies operating in Europe has entered into a new era of environmental risk management with regard to prevention and remedy of environmental damage as per a recent survey by Harvard Business Review Analytic services 60% of the companies are now concerned about the environmental risk and are serious about it, therefor lglo Group should conduct a complete study that this new investment should not bring such threats for which company may bear regulatory obligations that effect its profitability and bring long term sustainability of company into question, (sustainable, 2015) As for as long term business strategies are concerned lglo group need to be proactive regarding its strategic plans of either new installation or introduction of new ways power resources, that either all these activities have any environmental effect and if they have then are there any breach of regulation with regard to environmental regulation, because if such new changes affect these environmental regulations then it may harm companies long term sustainability. First of all in future it will reduce cost of production of lglo and other products also due low cost of power resource, hence it will affect production department costing, marginal cost of production reduces due to this low cost of production, so selling price would also be affected means marketing department would be affected, further external stake holders would also be affected like environmental agencies

Question and Quote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question and Quote - Essay Example This action is to strengthen the financial structure of the country through the regulation of the individual institutions and the promotion of the interdependence of the financial firms and the participants of the financial system (Morgan Lewis Website, 2009, p.1; US Department of Treasury, 2009) The need for the improvement of the regulation of financial firms had been realized during the latest financial crisis due to the credit boom and housing bubble. This triggered the need for reformation of the financial system (Walker, 2009, p.1). The action of the US government is an immediate response to the need of the nation. There are comments and criticisms on the limitations of the Financial Regulatory Reform. On a personal point of view, the US government made an immediate effort to act upon the financial crisis, thus, it is commendable. This hindered the worsening of the situation. At such a short period of time, alertness had been a crucial strategy. II.

Health And Safety Hazards For Sewage Treatment Plant Construction Essay

Health And Safety Hazards For Sewage Treatment Plant Construction Essay All tanks and chambers above the safe flood level and the highest flood level of the nearby rivers/drain and design to what flood return period. There any buried pipelines or cables under buildings within the treatment facility and it is clearly indicated on the layout drawings. The layout of temporary diversion and location of temporary treatment facilities. The location of the screening bins is a far from process plant but easily accessible and the basis of sizing the bins area is lorry loading? There are lifting devices provided and they are vehicle working load and they are found in open air before the uv process and can lift about 1500kg. 1.2 Access Road The facility is located not near to a public road to allow immediate access to the plant/facility The ingress and egress routes to and from the plant are suitable for desludging tankers The entrance and exit gate is not nearby the public road .Road access should be provided adjacent to the equipment or crane extended to the nearest road. If fixed crane beam extends over the road, there is the minimum vertical clearance shall be 5.5m. Adequate signage provided. Head clearance for tanker trucks entering the gate provided and the clearance height is none as there is no obstruction. Sufficient turning radius on the roads to enable access and maneuverability for tankers and heavy vehicles. Location of sludge desludging area is suitable for tankers to access and empty the sludge into the chamber. 1.3 Handrails/Guardrails and Access Ladders Safety handrails or grating been installed at walkways and around open holes at the plant. Toe plates and kick plates shall be fitted along the outer edges of all walkways or ladders and shall be part of the structure and not the floor panels. Toe plates shall extends 100mm above the top level of the floor panels. Floor panels shall be sized so that each panel does not weight more than 50 kg. Hand railing provided at all places where there is potential of falling around al tanks and other places where falling height is greater than 1.5m. Staircases provided where height is greater than 300 mm. Fixed ladder to access working areas for purposes of servicing, maintenance or normal operation works. 1.4 Precaution Against Damp All wall mounted equipment is fitted with spacers to provide minimum gap of 5 mm. All holes in equipment is sealed against the ingress of water. Any items exposed to weather or water shall be free of water traps and drain holes shall be provided where necessary. Electrical equipment which is not sealed against free movement of air is protected from condensation with anti-condensation heaters and thermostatically controlled. 1.5 Substation / Electricity Meter/ Lamp Post Location of electricity meter or the substation. There is adequate street lighting provided around the plant and the number of lamp post provided is 2 .All buildings and major process units at the treatment facility are lighted adequately. 1.6 Buffer Zone The following buffer zone requirements satisfied? 30 m minimum from fence to nearest habitable building property line within residential and commercial development 20 m minimum from the fence of treatment plant to the nearest property line within industrial development 10 m minimum from the fence of the treatment plant to the nearest habitable building property line if the proposed treatment plant is fully enclosed. 1.7 Effluent Discharge Point Where is the location of effluent discharge point for the facility and is it clearly indicated on the layout drawings with relation to existing receiving water bodies. 1.8 Water Supply If tankers and desludging activities take place, there is provision for stand pipes for cleaning purposes. the stand pipe is located and location for toilets for operators to change and clean themselves after work is found within the same building at the reception, near the laboratory room. 2.0 Screen Chamber (Fine And Coarse Screens) 2.1 Bar Screens Dewatering or perforated plate or trough, provided for ease of maintenance of the screens 2.2 Mechanically Raked Screens Automatic conveyor to transfer screenings to skips. Screen motor located above the high water level and access provided for maintenance. Provision of explosion proof floodlights. Provision of emergency stop button at a convenient and visible location .A working platform for ease of operations and maintenance. Provision of hand rail or guard (Refer to item 1.3) .Location of screening bins must be near the screen area. Bins provided should have adequate capacity and must be equipped with leachate collection tray and covers to prevent odour release. Bins should be provided with rollers. 2.3 General Provision of staircase access with sufficient width (Refer to item 1.3) .All screen chamber sumps to be fully open at the top for good ventilation. Inlet penstock provided to isolate the inlet works for maintenance purposes. All drive units shall be weatherproof 3.0 Pump Sump Emergency overflow pipe to by-pass the influent sewage during power failure (away from residents) and location of overflow pipe discharge. Provision of crane for maintenance purposes .Sufficient access to the pump station either from the top surface or via entry from the screen chamber .Is dry well provided with force ventilation and air outlet shall be located adjacent to pump motors to assist cooling .Lighting systems shall be interconnected with ventilation .Provision of handrails and MS grating (Refer to item 1.3). If the valve chamber is located in the sump, the opening of the valve chamber shall be enclosed with MS grating .Provision of working space or platform for ease of operation in both wet well and valve chamber .Dry well adequately lit and it should be weather proof, vapour proof and explosion proof. Miscellaneous Issue 4.0 Grit Chamber Provision of working platform along the grit channel. Provision of handrails or guardrail at exposed sumps or elevated working areas (Refer to item 1.3). Provision of grit storage bin or skip with rollers, perforated tray and covers . Easy access to the grit removal facility by dump trucks and sufficient maneuver space (Refer item 1.2). To provide a chute to remove the grit into the skips. To provide sufficiently big grit chamber for ease of maintenance. To provide a drain pipe to drain water into the pump sump to avoid ponding. Provide steps into the chamber (pump). Misc Issues 5.0 Grease Chamber Provision of working platform along the grease chamber .Provision of hopper to collect scum and grease. Provision of handrails or guardrail at exposed sumps or elevated working areas. (Refer to item 1.3) Provision of grease storage tank with rollers and with drain pipes and valves at the bottom of the tank for removal of settled solids .Easy access to the grease removal facility by dump trucks and sufficient maneuver space. (Refer to item 1.2) .Staircases must not be beneath the walkway (staircase need to be away from walkway) Miscellaneous Issue 6.0 Blower Room/Control Panel Or Room Provision of acoustic enclosures for blowers including acoustic door .Provision of exhaust fan with silencer to circulate air around the blower room. Toilet facilities to be isolated from the blower room due to heat and noise hazards. Provision of lifting davit for maintenance of the blowers. Provision of rotating strobe light at the control room to indicate malfunction of blower or other equipment.Provision of adequate space for blower removal or installation during maintenance. Water storage tank to be located in such a way that water will not splash on the control panels. Control panels in the Blower/Control Panel room is to be isolated from the blower room .Allow at least 900 mm access space even when cabinet doors and the like are open. Miscellaneous Issue 7.0 Balancing Tanks Sufficient walking or working space along the tanks .Provision of handrails or guards if the tanks are elevated. (Refer to item 1.1 on handrail and guard rail)Miscellaneous Issue 8.0 Primary / Secondary Clarifier 9.0 Biological Treatment System 10.0 Sludge Thickener Provision of adequate walking or working space .Provision of potable/clean water for regular cleaning of the overflow weir .Provision of force main type of pipe from the thickener to the sludge holding tank .Desludging pipe provided to be situated above ground All sludge holding tanks to be on sloped flooring 11.0 Sludge Holding Tank . Adequate access for desludging tanker. (Refer to item 1.2 on access road) Provision of desludging pipe (if the sludge holding tank is elevated) appropriately positioned. Sufficient walking or working space along the sludge holding tank. (Refer to item 1.3). Provision of handrails or guards if the sludge holding tank is elevated. (Refer to item 1.1 on handrail and guard rail) .Provision of desludging pipe either by force main or gravity flow. All sludge holding tanks to have isolating facilities. Each sludge holding tank to have separate feeding pipes with individual isolating valves. The top level of holding tanks to be approximately 6 inches above ground should the tank be below ground level. Overflow pipe from sludge holding tank to the aeration tank to be of sufficient diameter to prevent possibility of the pipe choking. Miscellaneous Issues The key components of the wastewater-treatment plant each play an important role in the treatment process. The bar screens, primary and secondary clarifiers, aeration basins, and disinfection and effluent pumping station all must be in proper working order. Damage to any one of these components could result in inadequately treated wastewater. Wastewater-treatment facilities plan for natural disasters, but protecting the plant from attack has not been a high priority. Many facilities now are considering ways to improve their security. Experts have identified the headworks, where the wastewater first enters through the collection system, as particularly vulnerable to attack. Restricting or blocking the flow of the wastewater into the facility could cause backups throughout the collection system, creating a public health hazard. In St Martin, the wastewater facility access road connecting it to a main highway. There is the concerned that access to and within the treatment plant could be blocked by hurricane or storm-tide conditions. There is a guard at the main entrance. Nonetheless, the property is still vulnerable to acts of nature and terrorism. The impediment of movement to and from St Martins property would cause major problems with both response and evacuation. The sewage system uses pumping stations when gravity is insufficient to move waste. One expert explained in the Andress report, One pumping station has the capacity to pump 25 thoun gallons of wastewater per day. Another expert added that, Destroying or disabling a pumping station could cause the collection system to overflow raw sewage into the streets, and into surface waters, and back up sewage into homes and businessesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The remoteness and geographic distribution of pumping stations, and their lack of continuous surveillance, make them particularly vulnerable. With approximately 60 miles of sewer pipes and more than 2 pumping stations, St Martin vulnerabilities are spread throughout 14 municipalities. An overflow of raw sewage could threaten the health of humans, wildlife and the environment of Southern St Martin. According to GAO, wastewater facilities increasingly are using control systems, such as the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition network. These systems monitor and control operations from a central location. Misuse of the SCADA could cause too-high or too-low levels of chemicals to be introduced into the treatment process, reduction in biological treatment levels or the collection system to be shut down remotely. Many remote systems can still be worked manually but the personnel must be available when the time comes. In the case of the St Martin, the buildings on the property have a limited fire-protection infrastructure. The main control room in the operations building, with all the electrical equipment that controls the wastewater operations, is not even protected by a halon system. There are smoke detectors, but when activated, the alarm must be called in manually to 911 dispatcher Wastewater-treatment facilities present additional concerns to first responders. Regardless of the disinfecting agent used, there still will be hazardous materials on site. Laboratories also are likely to be on site, which should always raise a red flag. SARA Title III requires all hazardous materials to be inventoried on three separate forms. The forms, OCC-51A (small quantities), OCC-51B (small quantities in a laboratory) and OCC-51C (large quantities), must be filed with the locations fire and police departments. These forms also list the locations of each hazardous material and how many people work in that building. Additionally, Materials Safety Data Sheets for each chemical should be kept on site for use in the event of an emergency. As with any industrial facility, power is a concern to first responders. Wastewater-treatment facilities use electricity to collect and treat wastewater and discharge the clean effluent. There is a trend toward using alternative sources to generate this electricity. Methane gas produced during the anaerobic digester process can be used to generate part of the plants electricity. Methane gas adds to the list of hazardous materials and make for potential confined-space and high-angle rescues. Both scenarios present additional dangers that must be planned for during any risk analysis. All the wastewater operations are redundant, so the entire facility can continue to operate at a reduced capacity if part of the system breaks down or is in need of maintenance. Of its five primary clarifiers, six aerations basins and six secondary clarifiers, any number can be shut down temporarily as long as one of each is running. Problems would arise if an entire component were disabled and sewage were restricted or blocked the flow of wastewater through the facility. The clarifiers, aeration basins,, pumping stations and sewage pipes are all permit-required confined-spaces as defined by Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These areas create hazards to both employees and rescue workers. Wastewater-treatment facilities should have policies in place as guidelines for their employees to operate under when working in these areas. First responders are not responsible for the daily operations of a wastewater-treatment facility and have little or no control over how the utility is run. They are, however, tasked with responding to emergency incidents that arise in the course of their operations. Performing a risk analysis helps understand what types of emergencies they are likely to encounter and where those are likely to be. An incident at a wastewater-treatment facility is likely to involve multiple agencies. In addition to the fire department, personnel and resources from law enforcement agencies, environmental authorities and public health care facilities may be called on to work together. The likelihood of a successful outcome will be greater if there is communication and coordination between these entities beforehand. Information gathered from a risk analysis should be shared among those likely to be involved. Ultimately this information should lead to training drills and tabletop exercises. Wastewater Treatment Workers Wastewater treatment workers treat sewer and storm water to remove impurities and then release the water to rivers, oceans, or recycled irrigation and landscaping networks. Operators in waste water plants use mechanical equipment, treatment tanks, and chemicals to clean the water. This variety of processes can pose a mixture of hazards to workers. Because there is so much water involved in the treatment process, slips, trips, and falls are the main hazard for waste water treatment workers. Practice good housekeeping by sweeping up or squeegeeing water puddles. Mark areas that are prone to puddling. Fix leaks promptly. Use flooring surfaces that provide traction. Wear shoes that have a non-slip sole. Confined spaces are a serious concern at water treatment facilities. Exposures to a low oxygen environment or high levels of hydrogen sulfide, methane gas, or ammonia can cause serious illness or death. Survey the areas for explosion potential from flammable gas and water engulfment in times such as heavy rain and flooding. Survey the entire facility for areas with limited egress and other hazard potential. Use proper confined space procedures, personal protective equipment (PPE), and ambient air and personal monitoring to ensure your safety. Engulfment and/or drowning in treatment tanks are hazards at treatment plants. Put guard rails around all open water sources. Keep rescue equipment such as floats and hooks available near all tanks. If you will be doing work at height over an unguarded tank, consider fall protection gear and keep a coworker nearby to monitor you. When you lift grates over waterways and tanks for access, cordon off the area and place hazard warning signs to prevent accidental falls. Water treatment plants have pumps and valves for moving water and many moving parts such as screens, belt presses, and conveyors remove debris and move sludge. This equipment can cause caught/crush hazards if you place a hand, arm, or foot too near a moving part. Guard all moving machinery and watch for these hazards while you work. Operating this equipment in a wet environment requires maintenance and repair work, so use good work practices. Electrical safety is key when working in a wet environment, so work carefully. Also follow lockout/tagout procedures to guard against accidental equipment startup while you are working on it. Chemicals and biological hazards abound in water treatment. Use material safety data sheets (MSDS) to understand the properties, exposure limits, PPE, and emergency actions for your treatment chemicals. Good housekeeping controls odor and pests. Practice good hygiene by wearing gloves and washing your hands frequently. Decontaminate your clothing or change before you go home from work. Speak to your doctor and consider vaccination for some of the hazards that you may encounter. Waste water treatment can be a challenging work environment. Plants often operate continuously, so shift work and emergency work are common. Long work shifts wearing PPE can be tiring. To deal with the work load and job demands, get the rest you need and maintain your overall health. Outdoor work can expose you to cold, heat and the sun, so dress in comfortable layers and use sunscreen.