Language Learning

IntroductionA foreign language is the language that people from another specific country/nation speak. Why should we learn foreign languages? As Frank Smith (Voxy, 2011) stated: â€Å"One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way†. Learning a foreign language is a fundamental way to broaden one's horizon, to find a job, to communicate with people from all over the world, to understand and respect other civilizations, to study or work abroad, to consume knowledge from the foreign media and others. The list of the gains of speaking a foreign language is endless. It is not only about having the skills to speak a language; it also serves personal potential to grow and to improve oneself. In the era of globalization and massive migration, language learning is more needed than ever before. The last decades, millions of people have been moving from one place to another (for various reasons such as political, economical, cultural reasons) in order to ameliorate their lives and get more opportunities to develop themselves. This situation sets the language learning inevitable because without it people could simply not communicate. As education has been always the most shaping mechanism, foreign language teaching is a main purpose in nowadays' schooling. A key note of UNESCO's proposes in the  «Guidelines on Intercultural Education » is that  «the role of language is a basic tool through education to arise understanding among people's cultures » (Cowen, 2009, p. 1019). The primary education level is considered one of the most important periods in a child's life. It is a core-stage that comes after pre-schooling, where children get the basic knowledge in order to evolve themselves and to build later a personal cognitive system where they can add all the following knowledge they are going to face during education (either formal or informal). School curriculums worldwide include teaching students at least one compulsory foreign language as they start primary school. Regularly, those school curricula in each country form the way of language teaching and they are continuously looking for the best methods and policies in order to achieve the greatest cognitive result. Education should prioritize and support the language teaching in favor of students to have access to a very broad information/knowledge area.  English as a foreign language in EuropeHaving a global language makes our lives much simpler and our communication attainable. The selection of English language benefits people from different national contexts to connect and interact in several levels (for example: educational, professional, political, social level). In fact, without having a common language as a means of communication, the struggle of it would be noticeable everywhere in our lives. According to Collins Dictionary for the definition â€Å"English as a foreign language† is: â€Å"the practice and theory of learning and teaching English for use in countries where it is not an official medium† (English as a Foreign Language definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary†). The heads of European Union in 2002, focused on a two foreign language teaching from a very early age. This process would develop children's tolerance to deal with the different cultures and/or languages. The positive outcomes of this action would also benefit children in cognitive and academic level as they would be more effective in all other areas (Dedrinou, 2013, p.46). Therefore, the urgent need of foreign language acquisition is a vital matter in recent years' schooling and its position becomes stronger and stronger. Reviewing the â€Å"Key data of teaching languages at schools in Europe† the most common foreign language that students learn in primary and secondary school, is English. English is a mandatory foreign language in nearly all education systems that stipulate a particular foreign language that all students must study, that is, in almost half of the European countries studied (Union, 2018, p.13). The percentage of European students learning English during the whole process of education is 97.3%. In Primary schools it is lower (79.4%) due to the non-compulsory character of English teaching at the first years (grades) of Primary education in several countries. The last ten years 18.7% more primary school students were learning English compared to 2005. The reason is that the starting point of English teaching moved in lower grades of schooling (Union, 2018).Aim and significanceThe present exam paper points to reflect the importance of learning the first foreign language from the very early age of Primary school. Moreover, it aims to add knowledge to the existent information in language learning generally and particularly in these two countries, in order to promote international overview understanding of educational methods and policies. The cases of Greece and Sweden are compared as a means to review the similarities and the differences of language teaching practices in each educational system. The Swedes are highly motivated to learn English and their rankings are on the top of the list of non-native English speakers (Number 2 among 80 countries/regions)(â€Å"EF EPI 2017 – Sweden,†). Greek people spent a fortune in additional English teaching outside school and they hardly achieve proficiency in English as they finish their education (Number 23 among 80 countries/regions) (â€Å"EF EPI 2017 – Greece,†). These rankings above inspired the author of the present paper to examine the process of English language teaching in these two specific primary school systems. Featured information within this paper could help to point out and explain each system's weaknesses and also, to highlight good quality methods or/and results. The two –country selection is also, author's high-interest topic. Specifically, Sweden is often used as a â€Å"great example† of educating students with innovative techniques and considerable results. Greece is the author's country of origin. As a result of personal experience as a student and as an English language private teacher in six-year old children, this paper aims to examine the teaching process and efficiency in Greece. It is considerable to examine the whole process of English learning in Greece because it is not only about schooling but also, a matter of external factors. The analysis of Greece is a slightly more extended by the case of the explanation of these external factors mentioned above. Of special concern is to pose some basic questions that are going to be investigated within this paper:Which age is the most suitable to start learning a first foreign language?Who supposes to teach the foreign language?How children that are taught English perform in two different countries?How the teaching process is accomplished in Greece and Sweden?What the current data state about total student assessment in English?Which country's method seems to be more efficient?  MethodFirstly, as far as the comparative part within this paper, it is based on the famous cube by Bray and Thomas. The chosen dimensions/ levels of comparison are the following: age groups (primary school children), countries (Sweden and Greece) and teaching methods (first foreign language teaching) (Bray, Adamson & Mason, 2014, p. 9). This multilevel analysis gives comparative approach to an international issue, the one of teaching the first foreign language. The aspects of comparison are three so this cube is a perfect model of comparative usage because it makes it more comprehensible and accessible. The specific comparison constitutes an indisputable piece of International and Comparative Education and as Marshall reports: â€Å"Comparisons enable us to view education from alternative perspectives, potentially leading to a greater understanding of the world, the people who live in it, and the issues they may face.† (Marshall, 2014, p.61-62). Furthermore, the main material information for the two comparing countries is collected from the Eurydice Report of EU Publications: â€Å"Key data on teaching languages at school in Europe†. This report contains information and statistics in language teaching from 42 countries/regions in Europe. Due to the broad character of the report, the chosen level is primary schools and English language teaching in both Greece and Sweden. However, the report includes data for second language teaching in each country or minority language teaching (Union, 2018). Research in journal articles, academic papers and web pages contributed to indentify the process of learning English as the first foreign language and both the similarities and differences in the countries of question. International and Comparative education's literature is also used to examine paper's topic through the lens of the field.LimitationsAs already mentioned above, the main material within this paper comes from a European Report found on Eurydice, where the phenomenon of language teaching is examined in 42 European countries/regions. It was not possible to compare all these countries/regions, the levels of education or several languages provided during education and come to conclusions, so the selected areas are just two countries (Greece and Sweden), one foreign language (English) and one level ( Primary education). Therefore the language teaching in secondary education and the learning outcomes of both countries are not examined and well-explained in the present paper. As it is expected in every national context, social, historical, economical and lingual reasons shape a different reality in each country. In this paper those reasons are not analyzed due to paper's formation. For instance, Swedish language structure is closer (comparing to Greek) to the English one, so the Swedes are way more familiar with the English alphabet, grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure . Therefore it is expected that the Swedes are more likely able to conquer the target language rather than anyone else whose native language is quite different (Igawa & Yagi, 2011, p. 106). Probably, it is an interesting perspective for future academic research and analysis. Moreover, the following analysis of Greece is going to reveal the situation of additional English classes that Greek students are encouraged to take in order to ameliorate their English status. These classes divide into two categories: Foreign Language Schools (Frontistiria) and private lessons at home (Idietera mathimata). As it comes to the second option (private lessons at home) data is limited owing to the informal character of these lessons.

Coyote Blue Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22 Sprinkling the Son of the Morning Star Santa Barbara After almost twenty years as a salesman, Sam found that when he was confused his head filled with homilies that pertained to the profession. Win an argument, lose a sale. If you look hungry, you will be. You can't sell if you don't pitch. There were hundreds of them. He'd been running them through his mind for hours, trying to find some clue as to what he should do. The one that kept returning was Never confuse motion with progress. To leave the house in search of Calliope without a clue as to where she might be would be movement for the sake of movement. Progress would be actually finding a clue to her whereabouts. He had no idea where to start looking for clues, so he lay on his bed and smoked, and tried to convince himself that he didn't want her. She's probably found some other guy, he thought. Losing the kid is just an excuse, a cowardly Dear John letter. It was just a one-night stand and I refuse to let it mean more to me than it meant to her. I've got my life back, intact, and there's no room for a young girl and a child. Nope. I'll rest up today and get back to work tomorrow. After I close a couple of deals, this week will just seem like a bad dream. It was a good rationalization. Unfortunately, he didn't believe a word of it; he was worried about her. Sam closed his eyes and tried to imagine the pages of his appointment book. It was a visualization he used to relax, a salesman's version of counting sheep. He saw the days and weeks spread out in front of him, and he filled in the blanks with lunches and prospects. By each of the names he made mental notes on how he would approach the pitch. Before long he was lost in a world of presentations and objections; the image of the girl faded away. As he started to doze off he heard the sound of heavy breathing. He rolled on his side and steamy hot dog breath hit him in the face. He didn't open his eyes. There was no need to. He knew Coyote had returned. Perhaps if he feigned sleep the trickster would go away, so he lived there in the land of dog breath. A wet nose prodded his ear. At least he hoped it was a nose. With Coyote's sexual habits it could be†¦. No, he still smelled the breath. It was the nose. I'm asleep, go away. I'm asleep, go away, he thought. He'd seen opossums try the same method to fool oncoming semi trucks, and it was working about as well for him. He felt the coyote climb onto the bed. Then he felt a paw on each of his shoulders. He groaned as he thought a truly sleeping guy might groan. Coyote whimpered and Sam could feel the canine nose press against his own. Dog breath, Sam mused, seems to have no distinction to it, yet it is distinctly dog breath. You could be at the cologne counter at Bloomingdale's, and someone could mist your wrist with an atomizer, and a single whiff would reveal the elusive scent to be dog breath as surely as if it had been squozen straight from the dog. Yet, what a wide spectrum of foulness dog breath can span, both in odor and humidity. This particular version of dog breath, he felt, is especially steamy, and carries a top note of stale cigarettes and coffee, as well as the usual fetid meat and butthole smells found in more common dog breath. This, he thought, is supernatural dog breath. I'm not likely to be breathed upon by another dog in my lifetime that has recently enjoyed a Marlboro over a cup of Java. Despite his effort to distract himself with dog breath aesthetics, Sam's tolerance was wearing out and he thought he might sneeze or throw up any second. Coyote licked him on the mouth. â€Å"Yuck!† Sam sat upright and wiped his mouth on his arm. â€Å"Ack!† He shivered involuntarily and looked at the big coyote, who grinned at him from the end of the bed. â€Å"There was no need for that,† Sam said. Coyote whimpered and rolled over on his back in submission. Sam got up from the bed and grabbed his cigarettes from the nightstand. â€Å"Why are you back? You said you were gone for good.† Coyote began to change into his human form. No longer afraid, Sam watched the transformation with fascination. In a few seconds Coyote sat on the bed in his black buckskins wearing the coyote-skin headdress. â€Å"Got a smoke?† he asked. Sam shook one out of the pack and lit it for the trickster. Sam took a small plastic box from his shirt pocket and held it out to Coyote. â€Å"Breath mint?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"I insist,† Sam said. Coyote took the box and shook out a mint, popped it in his mouth, and handed the box back to Sam. â€Å"The girl is going to Las Vegas.† â€Å"I don't care.† The lie tasted foul in his mouth. â€Å"If she tries to take her child from the biker she will be hurt.† â€Å"It's not my problem. Besides, she'll probably find another guy to help her out.† Sam felt both righteous and cowardly for saying it. This role he was playing no longer fit. Quickly he added, â€Å"I don't need the trouble.† â€Å"In the buffalo days your people used to say that a wife stolen and returned was twice the wife she had been.† â€Å"They aren't my people and she's not my wife.† â€Å"You can be afraid, just don't act like it.† â€Å"What does that mean? You're worse than Pokey with your fucking riddles.† â€Å"You lost Pokey. You lost your family. You lost your name. All you have left is your fear, white man.† Coyote flipped his cigarette at Sam. It hit him in the chest and hot ashes showered on the bed. Sam patted out the embers and brushed himself off. â€Å"I didn't ask for you to come here. I don't owe the girl anything.† But he did owe her. He wasn't sure what for yet, except that she had cut something loose in him. Why couldn't he cut loose the habit of fear? Coyote went to the bedroom window and stared out. Without turning he said, â€Å"Do you know about the Crows who scouted for General Custer?† Sam didn't answer. â€Å"When they told Custer that ten thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors were waiting for him at the Little Bighorn he called them liars and rode on. The Crow scouts didn't owe Custer anything, but they painted their faces black and said, ‘Today is a good day to die. â€Å" â€Å"The point?† Sam bristled. â€Å"The point is that you will never know what they knew – that courage is its own reward.† Sam sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at Coyote's back. The red feathers across the buckskin shirt seemed to move on the black surface of Coyote's shirt. Sam wondered if he might not be light-headed from prolonged dog breath inhalation, but then the feathers drew a scene, and in a whirl of images and feathers, Sam was back on the reservation again. There were three of them: boys hiding in the sagebrush by the road that led into the Custer Battlefield National Monument. Two were Crow, one Cheyenne. They were there on a dare that had started in ninth-grade gym class. The largest boy, the Cheyenne, was from the Broken Tooth family – descendants of a warrior who fought with Crazy Horse and Red Cloud on this very land. â€Å"You going to do it?† said Eli Broken Tooth. â€Å"Or are you full of shit like all Crows?† â€Å"I said I'd do it,† Samson said. â€Å"But I'm not going to be stupid about it.† â€Å"What about you, breed?† Eli asked Billy Two Irons. â€Å"You a chickenshit?† Broken Tooth had been taunting Billy about his mixed blood for the whole school year and citing his own â€Å"pure Indian† lineage. The fact was that in buffalo days the mortality rate had been so high for young plains warriors that a woman might have three or four husbands in her lifetime, and have children by them all. Sometimes one of the husbands was a white man, yet since they all traced their kinship through their mother's line, the white ancestor could easily be forgotten. Billy said, â€Å"I'll bet you got a few whiteys in your wigwam you don't even know about, Broken Dick.† Samson laughed and the others shushed him. The security guard was making a pass by the monument's high wrought-iron gate. They ducked their heads. A flashlight beam passed over them, paused, and moved on as the guard turned to walk up the hill toward the Custer burial site. â€Å"You going to do it?† Eli asked. â€Å"Once he's past the grave he has to go check on the Reno site. He'll take the jeep for that. When we hear the jeep, we'll go.† â€Å"Sure you will,† said Eli. â€Å"You coming?† Samson asked. He was more than a little afraid. The monument was federal land, and this was a time when an Indian causing trouble on federal land was something the government was going to great lengths to discourage after the Alcatraz takeover and the killings at Pine Ridge. â€Å"I don't have to go,† Broken Tooth said. â€Å"My people put him there. I'll just sit here and twist up a doobie while you girls do your thing.† He grinned. â€Å"The gate will be the bitch,† Billy said. They looked at the fifteen-foot iron spears suspended between two stone pillars. There were only two cross members they could use as footholds. They watched the guard amble the hundred yards down the hill to the visitor center. When they heard the jeep fire up, Samson and Billy took off. They hit the gate at the same time. The gate swung with the impact and clanged against the chains and padlock that held it closed. They scrambled up the bars, then hung over spearpoints and dropped to the asphalt. As they let go the chain sent a loud clang ringing down the valley. They both landed on their butts. Samson looked to Billy. â€Å"You okay?† Billy jumped to his feet and dusted off his jeans. â€Å"How come the Indians in the movies can do this shit in complete stealth?† â€Å"Vocational training,† Samson said. He started running up the hill toward the monument. Billy followed. â€Å"Snake ahead,† Samson said as he ran. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Snake,† Sam repeated breathlessly. He leapt into the air over the big diamondback rattler that was lying in the road, warming itself on the asphalt. Billy saw the snake in time to pull up and slide on some loose gravel within striking distance. When he heard Billy's shoes sliding he stopped and turned. Billy said, â€Å"You were saying ‘Snake, right?† â€Å"Back away and go around, Billy.† Samson was so out of breath he could hardly talk. The rattler coiled. â€Å"I thought you were saying ‘Steak. I was wondering, Why is he yelling ‘Steak' at me?† â€Å"Back away and go around.† â€Å"‘Snake. Well, I guess this explains it.† Billy backed slowly away, then once out of striking distance ran a wide arc around the snake and up the hill. Samson fell in beside him. The monument was still a hundred yards away. â€Å"Pace yourself,† he said. â€Å"Did you say ‘Snake' again?† Billy said between pants. Rather than answer, Samson fell into a trot. The monument was a twenty-foot granite obelisk set on a ten-foot base at the top of a hill that overlooked the entire Little Bighorn basin. â€Å"Let's do it,† Samson said, heaving in breaths. The hill had been longer and steeper than he'd thought. Billy unzipped his pants and stood beside Samson, who had already bared his weapon. â€Å"You know,† Billy said, â€Å"it would have been easier to gang up on Eli and beat the shit out of him.† â€Å"I think I hear the jeep coming back,† Samson said. A long yellow stream arced out of Billy and splashed the side of the monument. â€Å"Then you better get going.† Samson strained. â€Å"I can't.† Billy grunted, trying to force his urine to run faster. â€Å"Go, man. That's headlights.† â€Å"I can't.† Billy finished and zipped up, then turned to face Samson. â€Å"Think rivers, think waterfalls.† â€Å"It won't come.† â€Å"Come on, Samson. He's coming. Relax.† â€Å"Relax? How can-â€Å" â€Å"Okay, relax in a hurry.† Samson pushed until his eyes bugged. He felt a trickle, then a stream coming. â€Å"Push it, Samson. He's coming.† Billy began to back down the hill. â€Å"Push it, man.† The jeep's headlights broke over the hill and descended toward the monument. â€Å"Duck!† Billy said. Samson squatted by the base of the monument and managed to stream urine down both pant legs before he got himself reaimed. Billy dove for cover next to Samson. â€Å"Did you say ‘Duck'?† Samson whispered. â€Å"Shut up,† Billy snapped. Despite his fear, the adrenaline had made Samson giddy. He grinned at Billy. â€Å"I thought you were saying ‘Truck, which would have made more sense, but-â€Å" â€Å"Would you shut up?† Billy risked a peek at the road. The jeep was coming toward them, rather than returning to the visitor center where it had started. As the jeep approached the monument, they worked their way around its base, keeping the obelisk between themselves and the guard. â€Å"He won't stop, will he?† Billy said. Samson could hear the jeep slowing as it passed the monument on the other side of them, not twenty feet away. They held their crouch until the jeep descended the hill and stopped halfway to the gate. â€Å"He sees footprints,† Billy said. â€Å"On asphalt?† â€Å"He saw us. I'm going to end up in jail like my brother.† â€Å"No, look, it's the fucking snake. He's waiting for it to get out of the road.† Indeed, the guard was inching the jeep forward slowly enough for the rattler to slither off into the grass. When the snake was gone the jeep revved up and continued down the hill, by the iron gate, and back around to the back of the visitor center. â€Å"Let's go,† Billy said. They ran down the road, Samson almost falling while trying to zip his pants and run at the same time. As they reached the gate Samson grabbed Billy's shoulder and pulled him back. â€Å"What the fuck?† Billy said. Samson pointed to the chain. Billy nodded in understanding. The clanging. Samson went to the center of the gate and grasped it. â€Å"Go,† he said. â€Å"When you get over, hold it for me.† Without hesitation Billy leapt to the gate and climbed over, sliding down the opposite side instead of dropping as before. He held the gate and Samson started over. As Samson reached the top of the gate and was working his feet between the spearpoints, he heard Eli's laughing from down the road and he looked up. A second later he heard a metal fire door slam at the visitor center. The quick turn took his balance and he tried to jump, but one of the spearpoints caught his jeans leg and he was slammed upside down into the gate. Billy held the chain, but there was a dull clank as Samson's forehead hit the bars. It took Samson a second to realize that he was still hanging from the gate, his head still eight feet off the ground. â€Å"Unhook your leg,† Billy said. â€Å"I'll catch you.† In this position Samson was facing the visitor center. He could see some lights going on inside. He struggled to push himself up on the bar, but the spearpoint was barbed. â€Å"I can't get it.† â€Å"Shit,† Billy said. He held the gate with one hand and drew a flick knife from his back pocket with the other. â€Å"I'll come up and cut you down.† â€Å"No, don't let go of the gate,† Samson said. â€Å"Fuck it,† Billy said. He let go of the gate and it clanged with Samson's swinging weight. Billy jumped on the bars and as he climbed Samson could hear the fire door open and slam again, then footsteps. Billy stood at the top of the stone pillar and put the knife to Samson's pant leg. â€Å"When I cut, keep hold of the bars.† Billy pulled the knife blade through the denim and Samson flipped over and slammed the bars again, this time right side up. The gate clanged again. Samson heard the jeep starting and saw the beams of the headlights come out from behind the visitor center. He looked to Billy. â€Å"Jump!† Billy leapt from the fifteen-foot pillar. As he hit the pavement he yowled and crumpled. â€Å"My ankle.† Samson looked to the visitor center, where the jeep was pulling out. He grabbed Billy under the armpits and dragged him down into the ditch. They waited, breathlessly, as the jeep stopped and the guard, gun drawn, checked the lock and chain once again. After the guard left they crawled down the ditch toward Eli. When he came into view, Samson helped Billy to his feet and supported him while he limped up to the big Cheyenne, who was taking a deep hit on a joint. â€Å"Want a hit?† he croaked, holding the joint out to Billy. Billy took the joint, sat down in the grass, and took a hit. Eli let out a cloud of smoke and laughed. â€Å"That was the funniest fucking thing I've ever seen in my life.† Then he spotted the wet streaks on Samson's pants. â€Å"What happened, Hunts Alone? I thought you were going to piss on Custer's grave. You get so scared you wet yourself?† He threw back his head to laugh and Samson wound up and tagged him on the jaw with a vicious roundhouse punch. Eli dropped to the ground and didn't move. Samson looked at his damaged fist, then at Eli, then at Billy Two Irons. He grinned. Billy said, â€Å"You couldn't have done that twenty minutes ago and saved us all this trouble, could you?† â€Å"You're right,† Samson said. â€Å"I couldn't have done that twenty minutes ago. Let's get out of here before he comes to.† Samson helped Billy to his feet, then out of the ditch onto the road. As they headed toward Crow Agency it seemed to get darker as they walked, then darker still, until there was no light at all and Sam was in his bedroom staring at the back of a black buckskin shirt trimmed with red woodpecker feathers. â€Å"It was a stupid thing to do,† Sam said. â€Å"It was brave,† Coyote said. â€Å"It would have been stupid if you had failed.† â€Å"We found out later that Custer wasn't even buried there. His body was taken to West Point, so it was all for nothing.† â€Å"And what about the night on the dam? Was that all for nothing?† â€Å"How do you know about that?† Coyote turned and stared at Sam with his arms crossed, his golden eyes shining with delight. â€Å"That was nothing but trouble,† Sam said finally. â€Å"Would you do it again?† â€Å"Yes,† Sam said without thinking. â€Å"And the girl is nothing but trouble?† Coyote said. Sam heard the words echoing in his mind. Going after the girl was the right thing to do. After all the years of doing the safe thing, it was time to do the right thing. He said, â€Å"You really piss me off sometimes, you know that?† â€Å"Anger is the gods' way of letting you know you are alive.† Sam got up and stood face-to-face with the trickster, trying to read something in his eyes. He moved forward until their noses almost touched. â€Å"All you know is that she's going to Las Vegas? No address or anything?† â€Å"Not so far. But if she misses them there, the biker is going on to South Dakota. She'll follow. I'll tell you the rest on the way.† â€Å"I don't suppose you could change into a Learjet or something practical.† Coyote shook his head. â€Å"Just living things: animals, bugs, rocks.† Sam reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out the box of breath mints, and handed them to Coyote. The trickster raised his eyebrows in query. Sam said, â€Å"Eat those. I can't handle dog breath through an eight-hour drive.†

Commercial speech Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Commercial speech - Research Paper Example Indeed, Cynthia Montgomery asserts that business leaders can appreciate the crucial role of being a strategist for purposes of defining and driving the objectives and advantages of their business in the industry. Indeed, the author teaches businesspersons how to develop the skills and sensibilities that living strategy and real leadership demand. The book, The Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs by Cynthia Montgomery teaches us the need to become strategists in our businesses. Indeed, the author uses relevant examples to show how leaders play vital roles that depict strategists rather than setting a new set of models for learning and applying in a business. Indeed, the book asserts that there is an overlap between strategy and execution. With this information, the author challenges the businesspersons to consider the design and implementation of their current business strategy. The business leaders with thus establish whether they are strategists or they are just setting a new set of models for learning and applying in a business. Indeed, the author encourages business leaders to become strategists rather than just defining a strategy. This will significantly depict strategy as a continuous process in a business and not a chance to manifest leadership. The author equally teaches us that strategy is the most powerful means a leader has for shaping their business and not just a tool for outwitting the competition in the industry. Indeed, through her course, Montgomery derives a better understanding to all established business executives, owners, and CEOs on how to integrate leadership with strategy by being visionary and subjecting to defined values. Indeed, there is abject need for businesspersons to develop the skills and sensibilities that living strategy and real leadership demand for purposes of establishing significant competitive advantage in the industry. Ideally, in absence of strategy, leaders cannot succeed in their objectives since a leader

National Collegiate Athletic Association Assignment

National Collegiate Athletic Association - Assignment Example This means that every division has its own mode of operation, as shall be seen forthwith. The money that is allocated and used in the three divisions is disbursed or handled under one collective umbrella body, the NCAA. For instance, on August 31st, 2010 and 2011, NCAA received 16,800,000 dollars and 17,900,000 dollars, respectively. The need for this money is underscored by there being 430,000 student-athletes who are participants of NCAA sports. For Division I, prospective student-athletes have to achieve the present minimal initial-eligibility in their test scores. The score should at least have a minimum 2.0 GPA in the core courses. However, for immediate access to competition, the prospective student-athlete must have at least a GPA of 2.3 and an increased sliding scale (NCAA, 2012). To continue being a Division II member, it is important that the individual fulfils a three-year membership system which is again divided into two phases. The first phase is the candidacy period while the second is the provisional period. The member must therefore complete the two years of the candidacy period, and one year for the provisional period. The school has a large sway in determining whether one will be a Division II or not, since it is schools which apply for inclusion into a given division, based on the ascertainment that the school has met the threshold required. The same case applies to Division III membership (NCAA, 2012). Division I offers a given number of financial aids as awards, to student-athletes, without exceeding the maximum amount that is allowed. Division I sports issue grants-in-aid as a grant program to help the students settle their fees, buy academic literature and settle personal needs. As for Division II, there is the disbursement of basketball fund. The issuance of this basketball fund is pegged on an individual’s historical performance in Women’s and Men’s Basketball

Analysis and Critique of Francoise Roy's Diversity Management Plan For Essay

Analysis and Critique of Francoise Roy's Diversity Management Plan For PBQ - Essay Example Although Francoise has outlined and detailed various aspects of the plan, she is still unsure as to how to implement it within the organization as she foresees that it will be opposed by many managers and workgroups. The present organizational makeup is highly ethnocentric, with the Quebecois population proud of their heritage and achievements. Since the People’s Bank of Quebec has been lagging behind in its diversity plan for the last ten years or so, there has been no serious or determined effort to comply with the requirements and the results are that the diversity element is visible in only about 6 percent of the bank’s workforce of over 7000 employees compared to the national average of 18 percent. 12 percent is the legal requirement for meeting the diversity goals. It is clear that Francoise and others in senior management echelons will have to take drastic steps to hurriedly push forward the program so as to meet the legal requirements. Meanwhile there are also a number of elements missing in the plan developed by Francoise which will be explained below. Strengths and Weaknesses of Francoise's Plan According to Das (1998) creating and implementing a good, effective and efficient diversity plan consists of the following steps: (1) identify current and future ideal state; (2) analyze present systems and procedures; (3) change policies, procedures and practices as needed, and (4) follow up and evaluate results (Panacchio & Waxin, 55-56). Step 3 itself is also comprised of a number of sub-steps, such as getting senior management commitment, establishment of a diversity committee, education and training of key personnel and an institution-wide communication of changes. Let us now evaluate the steps in Francoise’s plan from this point of view. The CEO, Pierre Belanger, has assured her his support of the diversity initiative, and had even written senior management a letter to this effect, but much more needs to be done. Francois has not arr anged for the necessity of the implementation to be officially communicated through the Board of Directors or the Diversity Committee. It would have been good for the CEO to communicate the necessity of implementing such a plan and the need to do so quickly to meet legal requirements. Francoise has also not identified the current and future state of the enterprise regarding diversity goals and implementation. She has yet to redesign and convert HR policies to incorporate the diversity elements. While she has identified the training needs for key personnel, she has not included the employee training requirements and programs. She has also identified the need for a Diversity Committee but has not appointed a head. Normally this function resides with the Head of Human Resources so Francoise must be ready to undertake this responsibility. After implementing the diversity plans, there must be some method of feedback and correctional control for which open and transparent communication mu st be fostered at both ends but this element is also missing so Francoise will never know how well or badly the plan is working or what needs to be improved and what doesn’t. Although Francoise’s diversity plan includes most of the necessary attributes, there are certain missing elements or misplaced priorities and moreover she does not have the courage to

Technical feasibility of using forest biomass for energy Term Paper - 1

Technical feasibility of using forest biomass for energy - Term Paper Example Woody feedstock can be utilized to generate power and useful heat energy. Wood pellets are considered as a renewable energy source as it has low moisture content and give a great amount of thermal energy by a controlled combustion. According to the article â€Å"Wood to Energy: Use of the Forest Biomass for Wood Pellets† (2009), the writer states â€Å"Harvesting debris  or logging residues such as tops, limbs, and roots, and forest understory are promising feedstock alternatives for wood pellets†. Forest’s raw wood and wood from the sustainably managed forests can be utilized to produce wood pellets, which can be burnt on a small or large scale to produce energy (TheBioenergySite.com 2009). In the article â€Å"Sustainable Forest Biomass: Promoting Renewable Energy and Forest Stewardship†, Caputo (2009) writes â€Å"In fact, improved markets for woody biomass have potential to reduce costs associated with hazardous fuels reduction, wildlife habitat man agement, ecosystem restoration, and other proactive stewardship activities† (Caputo 2009). Today the feedstock used for the production of pellets comes from pulpwood chips. Logging residues can be a feedstock for the wood pellets (TheBioenergySite.com 2009). Because the smaller size of a pellet, it can be burnt easily and the residue could be utilized as a fertilizer. The residue which is a charcoal is mixed with soil to increase the water holding capacity of the soil. The produced large amount of energy can be utilized generate large amount power. The main factor that is associated with the wood pallets is that the controlled combustion of the wood pellets costs less as compared to any other conversion. Wood pallets can be gasified to produce synthetic gas which can be a simple process. The wood pallets are heated at a certain temperature. The heating of the wood pallets gives wood gas that is highly combustible gas and is capable of replacing natural gas. The wood gas can be utilized to produce steam in the

Introduction to Operating Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Introduction to Operating Systems - Assignment Example An answer file is a key component of an unattended installation. Users only need to run the setup program using a command-line parameter which makes the setup program take inputs form the answer file. During the rest of the windows setup process, the setup hardly requires administrators for guidance as the program takes all input form the answer file component of the unattended installation. As Koons (n.d.) states, â€Å"the computer manages to bypass user interaction by reading instructions that are coded within a response file†. The setup installs all files in an automated manner minimizing user interaction to a large extent. The setup program also automatically restarts the computer system during installation when necessary. Users/administrators only need to customize their settings during the process of installation. Although many tools work in an operating system’s built-in mechanism, I would like to use a file-protection tool which should take care of all files required to run the operating system. Sometimes, important files get damaged affecting the working of an operating system. Therefore, I would like to include a file protection tool in an operating system’s built-in

Designing Public Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Designing Public Policy - Essay Example 1 Toward a Gender-Neutral Policy: Protecting the Rights of Men Executive Summary Overview of Problem - Domestic violence rates in the U.K. have remained high despite laws aimed at criminalizing domestic violence and increasing the reporting of violent offenses to the police. Domestic violence is the cause of as much as 25 percent of all reported violent crime (British Crime Survey report, 2007-08). Surveys from the Home Office and a British Crime Survey have revealed that men were the victims in more than 40 percent of domestic violence incidents reported between 2004 and 2009. Yet cultural biases and gender pressures prohibit men from reporting acts of violence against them from women. â€Å"Domestic violence is often seen as a female victim/male perpetrator problem, but the evidence demonstrates that this is a false picture,† said a 2010 report from the charity group Parity. Outline of the Problem Introduction - This paper proceeds from the understanding that domestic violen ce as a whole – and violence against men in particular - represents a far more pervasive problem than is reflected in current government policy. This perspective provides the basis for a discussion of constraints, and of opportunities, to strengthen the rights of male domestic violence victims in the U.K. Recent proposals and subsequent inhibiting factors will be discussed, followed by the presentation of a targeted policy initiative. 2 Context: Summary and Identification of Impacted Group - The intent of this paper is to recommend a program for adopting a more equitable policy stance vis a vis improved victim advocacy for men. The outcome of a more enlightened approach would be heightened awareness of a far more troublesome issue than has generally been understood. As the government moves ahead with a test program intended to better protect domestic violence victims, policy should reflect a more balanced approach to gender –based violence. Otherwise, men will be vulne rable to what may well amount to cursory justice. Cause of the Problem: Impact of Current Conditions - In 2009, the Labour Party announced its intention to give police unprecedented authority in domestic violence situations. Their proposal included Domestic Violence Protection Orders, also known as Go orders, which would require violent offenders to leave their homes immediately for up to two weeks, giving victims a respite during which they could reflect on their situation in safety and determine a course of action. Offenders who violate the terms of a Go order would be in contempt of court, subject to further criminal charges and could be incarcerated. Previously, only offenders placed under arrest could be removed from the premises. A Go order would give police extensive discretionary power to act on behalf of a victim believed to be in imminent danger. Despite its non-gender-specific language, the scheme has been criticized for giving police too much leeway to act based on confl icting information and 3 possibly spurious claims made at the scene of the crime. This is troubling in light of the fact that police, in general, have too little training to accurately assess and react to often confusing circumstances surrounding a domestic violence event. Men continue to be responsible for domestic violence incidents by a considerable amount, however, the 2009 study revealed that violence against men rose considerably between 2004 and 2008. Nearly 3,000

Stereotypes of Teenagers Essay Example for Free

Stereotypes of Teenagers Essay Stereotype: Ster ·e ·o ·type, [ster-ee-uh-tahyp], noun, verb- a set of inaccurate, simplistic generalizations about a group that allows others to categorize them and treat them accordingly. Teenager: teen ·ag ·er, [teen-ey-jer], noun- a person between the ages of 13 and 19 inclusive. How could these two words, so opposite in meaning, make so much sense when put together? Being a teenager doesn’t just define your age, it classifies you into a pre-determined stereotype where people see you differently; you are no longer â€Å"that sweet Jenny girl who lives down the street†, you are now a reckless teenager who is clawing at a chance to rebel or throw a raging Project X worthy party. In our immature years ranging from around 12-18, teenagers are generally seen as being rowdy, irresponsible, and sneaky, and generally speaking, these assumptions are pretty accurate, based on how many times we’ve been grounded from our parents. However, not all adolescents fall into this classification of being â€Å"young, wild, and free†; I am the exact opposite of what someone my age is expected to be- I pride myself on being responsible, trustworthy, and just a better person all around. I try my hardest to stay out of the typical stereotype of a â€Å"teenager†, and I think I do a pretty good job at it. One thought that is generally associated with the facade of teenagers are parties- everything about them. Throwing parties, attending parties, getting wasted at parties, getting caught at parties, or maybe even getting arrested at parties. Whenever a boy or girl at my school says something like â€Å"my parents are going out of town for a week on vacation†, nine out of ten times the responding question will be along the lines of â€Å"are you going to have a party? † or â€Å"nice, what address can I tell people to come to? †. So, adolescents like to have fun, but usually it’s to a dangerous extent. Even dating back to middle school, I can recall old stories of Halloween parties getting busted by cops because some parents forgot to lock their liquor cabinets, and the kids wanted to get a little rowdy. But that’s just an innocent eighth grade party- today, you can take it to even more extreme levels with the high school parties, which almost always includes marijuana or other deadly drugs. So why do teenagers like to participate in these activities, when they normally only end in turmoil? Throughout my high school career, I have not attended many parties, which I do not have a problem with. I am not the kind of person who wants to publicly humiliate myself by getting drunk just so I can have a â€Å"good† time. I have witnessed numerous accounts of teenagers being sent away to private schools, or being thrown out of the house by participating in these â€Å"typical high school activities†. But why do you need narcotics and liquid courage to be a fun person to hang out with on a Friday night? You don’t, you’re just fooling yourself. Another place teenagers are stereotyped and looked down upon is in a working environment. When something goes wrong, the excuse is â€Å"oh, they’re just a teenager, they don’t know any better†. But some of us do know better. There is a popular television show on the TLC network called Restaurant Stakeout; this show is a prime example of teenagers, taking advantage and putting forth a bad effort at their work place. Willie Degel is a well-known respected restauranteur and restaurant owner. He goes in to struggling restaurants and places hidden cameras in the work place where he watches the employees as they handle their customers and shift responsibilities. Most of the time, the cameras focus on the poor performing employees, such as the ones who yell at customers, throw things at them, spill food, treat people with disrespect, or lie to their managers. More often than not, these irresponsible workers just happen to be teenagers. But is anyone really surprised at this behavior? After all, you would never see the oh-so-mature adult treating another adult with straight up disrespect, would you? Well certainly not without good reason. I work in a bakery and have witnessed my current boss, Dee, handle situations with the same kind of mindset that a teenager would have. When a customer was rude and impatient with one of my co-workers and caused too much unnecessary drama, Dee thought it would be nice to give that customer a taste of her own medicine†¦by throwing a cake right in her face. Was this the mature thing to do? Not necessarily, and certainly not from any rational adults point of view. But logically thinking, all of these â€Å"rational adults† were once â€Å"immature teenagers† at one point, right? Maybe we never do grow completely out of our child-like mindsets. The only thing worse than grown-ups acting like teenagers are when teenagers fulfill the stereotype that is thrust upon them. I used to work at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, where I saw incorrect handling of problems and situations by my fellow teenage coworkers. When someone was unhappy with their meal, the employee wouldn’t handle the situation themselves, but instead hand it off to someone else, which was usually me. I didn’t always enjoy dealing with the angry guests, but it taught me how to handle unhappy people in a positive way, which has helped me now in my current job and the other social aspects of my life as a whole. Teenagers have mastered the art of one thing: lying. Well, for the most part anyways. We think we are so good at lying that we can hide almost anything from our parents. Sometimes, this works. Other times, you get caught in your lie, and you end up getting in lots of trouble. My mother, for example, is excellent at telling when I am fibbing to her, and she will call me out on it. This has taught me to just be an honest person, and not to do things that would result in me lying about where I am or what I am doing. Other teenagers at my school however have mastered the art of lying and sneaking around, and basically can get away with anything if they wanted to. If a boy wants to sneak out to go buy alcohol and get drunk, he knows just what to tell his parents to make them believe differently. If a girl wants to go to a party and hang out with a guy her parents don’t approve of, she just has to say the usual â€Å"I’m sleeping over at Jessica’s tonight†. These lies and dishonesty are what helps create the stereotype of untrustworthy and dishonest teenagers- we think we can get away with everything and we are invincible, when in reality we’re just adolescents who don’t know any better. Why have teenagers changed so much over time that now being classified as a â€Å"teenager† automatically has a negative connotation with it? I’m sure when my parents were teenagers, they were probably looked down upon too, but not in this much of an immature and irresponsible light as adolescents today are. Why have the times changed so much that because I am a teenager, I am automatically looked at as being an irrational, disrespectful, sneaky party animal? When I am not like that at all? I wouldn’t say I am trying to completely break the stereotype for my age group, but I am definitely trying to change it so people don’t view me in that negative way. So those two little words that fit together so perfectly are going to be attached with a negative connotation for many more years to come, as the stereotyping of teenagers are just going to become deeper as the actions we do become worse and worse. As we grow older and move on to have children of our own that will grow into these crazy adolescents, where will we draw the line with them? Why kind of people will they turn out to be? What will be considered socially acceptable for their age group by the time they are in high school? If we keep heading in the direction we are now, it worries me to know what our future generations have in store.

Story of an hour Essay Example for Free

Story of an hour Essay ?Prompt: Read â€Å"The Story of an Hour† carefully. Examine the protagonist’s attitude about the death of her husband. How is this attitude revealed and how does it contribute to the meaning of the story? Authors reveal characters attitudes through different literary devices. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, the author Kate Chopin, uses irony to reveal Mrs. Mallard’s attitude toward her new husband’s death. Chopin first describes in the story how a typical woman might respond to her husband’s death. â€Å"She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. † Most women would have been in shock and not want to accept the fact that their husband had indeed passed away. However, Mrs. Mallard had a rather ironic reaction. She wept suddenly and wanted to be alone. This revealed she was not like most women and had a rather peculiar view about her husband’s death. As the reader continues, they discover more irony into Mrs. Mallard’s attitude. After she has retreated to a room to isolate herself from the others, she sits in a chair facing a window and whispers to herself, â€Å"Free, free, free! † No widow would whisper that only minutes after their husbands death, if ever at all. Though she knows her husband had loved her, and she had loved him, she had felt trapped inside their marriage. Now recognizing she has regained her freedom, her sense of entrapment diminishes. The irony continues as the reader learns Mrs. Mallard’s husband had not actually died. Not only is the reader in shock, but so is Mrs. Mallard. So shocked in fact, that she dies at her husband’s arrival. â€Å"When the doctor came they said she had died of a heart disease – of joy that kills. † Mrs. Mallard had actually died because for one hour she actually got to live with true freedom. Most women would be overwhelmed with joy that their husband was alive, where as Mrs. Mallard has more of an ironic reaction. She had realized at the sight of her husband that her glimpse of freedom and joy was over, and she could not go back to living under her husband’s will. Her final attitude towards the death of Mr. Mallard is revealed, Mrs. Mallard was happier as a widow. Kate Chopin uses irony as a literary device to reveal her character, Mrs. Mallard’s attitude towards her husband’s death.

The Environmental Effects Of Human Waste Disposal Environmental Sciences Essay

The Environmental Effects Of Human Waste Disposal Environmental Sciences Essay Human activities create waste, and it is the way these wastes are handled, stored, collected and disposed of, which can pose risks to the environment and to public health. The growing volume of solid wastes generated in Mauritius is having major implications on the state of our environment. It is estimated that the amount of solid waste generated is about 1200 tonnes per day. Each Mauritian generates around 1 kg of solid waste daily. The composition of waste varied from summer to winter according to (Mohee Romeela). Household products used in our everyday life in the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and garage can cause harm to our health and to the environment during their use or after their disposal. After the usage of these materials, they ends up in the bins as wastes. These hazardous chemicals are available at any retail point or supermarkets. The landfill at Mare Chicose is the only site, which takes in all forms of wastes collected over the whole country, and evidence suggests that it is almost filled to choking point. The environmental degradation caused by inadequate disposal of waste can be expressed by the contamination of surface and ground water through leachate, soil contamination through direct waste contact or leachate, air pollu tion by burning of wastes, spreading of diseases by different vectors like birds, insects and rodents, or uncontrolled release of methane by anaerobic decomposition of waste. Our country, being committed to ecofreindly global initiative, has to devise the right strategies to keep a proper balance between economic growth and environment control, hence the need for information to consumers. Literature Review Approximately 163 million tonnes of municipal solid wastes are generated every year in the European Union (1997 basis, CEC 1999)( CEC (1967) Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances. Official Journal L 196, 16/08/1967). The quantities of hazardous wastes arising from households (HHW) represents only a very small percentage of the overall municipal waste stream, estimated to amount to 1% (by weight) of the total quantity of waste generated per household (Poll and Pendle, 1993). However, there are differences per country reported in quantities arising of HouseHoldWaste(HHW) per capita due to different consumption patterns but also to different definitions applied to HHW as mentioned above. The total quantities of HHW arising in the fifteen Member States have been estimated to amount to about 1.5 million tpa(tonne per annum). The growing concern of waste generated per capita keep on increasing day by day and as Mauritius is a small island we have to take into account the disposal of the wastes generated. There were 372, 434 tons of solid waste land filled at the only sanitary landfill of the country in 2003. (http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/menvsite) It is estimated that the amount of solid waste generated is about 1200 tonnes per day. Each Mauritian generates around 1 kg of solid waste daily. Domestic waste in Mauritius consists of 60 % 70 % of biodegradable waste. (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev) Sources of Solid Waste Generation Solid Waste Management Effective household hazardous waste management cannot be achieved without consumer awareness. To be effective the education must be comprehensive and widespread. If household hazardous waste education is limited to information about collection programs, then consumers will think the HHW problem is solved by collections. Collections minimize part of the problem but also exacerbate other problems associated with hazardous materials disposal. A good education program leads consumers to accept responsibility for products they choose to buy, and to understand the health and environmental impacts of product use, storage and disposal. Education on household hazardous products and waste can be linked to other community efforts addressing indoor air quality, poison prevention, health, fire safety, non-point source pollution, and recycling. There are several key points that an education program should cover and resources to assist in developing these educational components. Hazardous product identification-Consumers should be able to recognize hazardous products and identify the main hazards associated with use, storage and disposal. Health and environmental effects-Consumers should learn to identify the risks involved with choosing products and materials that generate hazardous waste. Safer alternatives and least toxic products-Consumers need to know alternatives to resolve the issues identified. Safe handling-Not all hazards can be avoided. Techniques to safely handle hazardous wastes provide consumers with information to protect themselves. Waste management options-Consumers need to know that the disposal available at HHW collections represents least desirable alternative for waste management, while prevention represents the most favorable option. HOUSEHOLD WASTE Waste is a material that no longer serves a purpose and so is thrown away. In some cases what one person discards may be re-used by somebody else. All wasters is particularly hazardous: If not carefully disposed of, it will have an impact on the environment, whether it be unsightly litter in urban streets or contaminated air, soil or water. But what is equally important about waste is that it is recyclable. For example, if all human, animal and solid wastes are recycle back to soil, then we do not need inorganic fertilizers to maintain the high yields of crops. Today India produces 180 million tonnes of food grains and consumer 13 million tonnes of inorganic fertilizers at a huge cost. Therefore, time has come when we have to look at the waste not merely as an environment polluter but a recyclable material of great potential and energy saver. In India we produce 300 to 400 gms. of solid waste per person per day in town of normal size. The figure is 500 to 800 gms. per capita per day in cities like Delhi and Bombay. The problem in these cities is how to dispose such large mass of solid waste daily and this poses a massive and expensive problem to the authorities. The composition of average domestic dustbin can be broken down as follows : 10% Glass 30% Paper/Cardboard 9% Metals 3% Textiles 4% Plastics 23% Vegetable Waste 21% Dust, Cinders, Miscellaneous Some of the waste on the other hand may also contain poisonous substances like mercurys lead and cadmium from batteries, old medicines, household cleaning and decorating chemicals and garden chemicals. Many of these chemicals are similar to these found in industrial waste, although in low concentration. The problem about waste is two fold (a) How to dispose it of (b) How to extract its recycling wealth. Disposal : The disposal system has four aspects. (a) Control of waste at source (b) Segragation of waste at source (c) Collection and transportation system (d) Final disposal. (The Directorate of Environment, S.C.O. 1-2-3, Sector 17-D, Chandigarh Tel.: 541628) Solid Waste is differentiated by their origin, physical form, detailed composition and risk potential. The quantity and the composition of some types of solid wastes, such as municipal waste, varies from day to day, season to season and from locality to locality. Types of waste Waste is any material/liquid that is thrown away as unwanted. As per physical properties, waste can be categorized as: A: Solid waste: Any waste other than human excreta, urine waste water, is called solid waste. Solid waste in rural areas generally includes-house sweeping, kitchen waste, garden waste, cattle dung waste from cattle sheds, agro waste, broken glass, metal, waste paper, plastic, cloths, rubber, waste from markets shopping areas, hotels, etc. Solid waste can also be defined as the organic and inorganic waste materials produced by households, commercial industrial establishments that have no economic value to the owner. As per biodegradability, solid waste can be classified as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Biodegradable: Waste that are completely decomposed by biological processes either in presence or in absence of air are called biodegradable. e.g. kitchen waste, animal dung, agricultural waste etc à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Non-biodegradable: Waste which cannot be decomposed by biological processes is called non-biodegradable waste. These are of two types: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Recyclable: waste having economic values but destined for disposal can be recovered and reused along with their energy value. e.g. plastic, paper, old cloth etc à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Non-recyclable: Waste which do not have economic value of recovery e.g. tetra packs, carbon paper, thermo coal etc. B: Liquid waste-Used unwanted water is called waste water à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Black Water: Waste water generated in the toilet is called Black water. It contains harmful pathogens à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Greywater: Waster water generated in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry is called Greywater. It may also contain pathogens. Classification of Solid Waste Solid Waste is classified based on their origin, treatability and risk potential. Classification based on Origin a) Food Waste: Food wastes are the animal, fruit and vegetable residues resulting from the handling, preparation and eating of foods. They are putrescible (Solid waste that contains organic matter capable of being decomposed by microorganisms and of such a character and proportion as to cause obnoxious odors and to be capable of attracting or providing food for birds or animals.) and decompose rapidly causing malodour. b) Rubbish: This comprises combustible and noncombustible solid wastes of households excluding putrescible materials. The combustible rubbish consists of materials such as paper, cardboard, furniture parts, textiles, rubber, leather, wood and garden trimmings. Non-combustible rubbish consists of items such as glass, broken crockery, plastic, discarded tins, aluminum cans and materials made of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. c) Ashes and residues: Materials remaining from the burning of wood, coal, coke and other combustible wastes in Homes and stores for the purpose of heating and cooking and above all the remains of combustible wastes are categorised as ashes and residues. Ashes and residues are normally composed of fine powdery materials, cinders, clinkers and small amounts of burned and partially burned materials. d) Demolition and construction wastes: Waste from demolished buildings and other structures are classified as demolition wastes. Wastes from the construction, remodeling and repairing of individual residences, housing complexes, etc are classified as construction wastes. The constituents of this waste are stones, concrete, bricks, plaster and plumbings. What can we recycle? Glass Bottle banks can be found in various local council regions and are divided into those accepting clear, green and brown glass. Blue wineglass can be deposited into the green bank, and clear glass with coloured coatings can be put into the clear bank as the coating will burn off. The makes on bottles and jars will be removed during the recycling process; yet eliminate as many plastic or metal rings and tops as possible. Only recycle bottles and jars- never light bulbs, sheet glass or Pyrex type dishes as these are made from a different type of glass. Paper Most local societies have recycling banks for newspapers and magazines, as this is the most plentiful type of paper in household waste. Make sure that you do not put other types of paper in, such as cardboard or junk mail, as this will pollute the load and the reprocessors will not allow it. Wrapping such as milk and juice cartons cannot be recycled as paper as they have a plastic lining which would contaminate the process. Aluminium and steel cans Many local authorities have mixed can banks accepting both aluminium and steel cans, although some have aluminium only banks as uncontaminated aluminium has a higher value. Aluminium can be recognised by the fact that it does not stick to a magnet, has a very shiny silver base and is very light in weight. Steel cans are also called tins as they contain a very thin layer of tin. Try to crush drinks cans before recycling, either with a can crusher or by squashing them underfoot. Aerosol cans made from steel or aluminium can be recycled in Save-a-can banks (check the front of the banks for guidance), but they must be empty and should not be crushed. Plastic Plastic is a difficult material to recycle as there are many different types of plastic (often indicated by a number, or letters such as PP, PET or PVC). The difference in plastic means that different reprocessing techniques are required. The different types of plastic therefore need to be collected separately, or sorted after collection, as reprocessors will specify which type of plastic they will accept. Plastic in household waste is often food packaging and therefore too contaminated to be recycled effectively. Plastic is a light, bulky part of household waste, and consequently it is difficult for councils to store and transport ample quantities of plastic to make recycling economically viable. Many councils have found it to be too expensive and do not have facilities for plastic at all, while others recycle only plastic bottles which are worth more money. If your council does recycle plastic, make sure that you are recycling the right type of plastic, and always remove the tops of plastic containers so that they can be crushed. Organic waste Organic household waste is food and garden waste. Organic waste is a problem if sent to landfill, because it is impossible to separate out from other waste once mingled, and will rot, producing methane, a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. The best use of organic waste is to either compost it through a centralised composting scheme run by your council, or to compost it at home. Find out if your council has facilities for taking garden waste for composting, or you may be able to separate kitchen waste for a kerbside collection scheme if one exists in your area. Alternatively, build or invest in a home composter for the garden, or try a worm bin for indoor use! Check to see if your council supplies reduced cost recycling bins. Hazardous waste Household hazardous waste such as paint, solvents and garden chemicals comes under the jurisdiction of your local council. Take them to a civic amenity site if facilities exist, or contact your council. Some association also provide facilities for de-gassing fridges and for recycling fluorescent tubes. Mixed packaging Packaging is often made up of a combination of materials, such as tetra paks which can be made up of paper, plastic and metal, making recycling difficult. There is a lack of facilities and expertise for recycling mixed packaging, meaning that the materials are difficult to separate out without contamination. Packaging is a very visible form of waste, making up around one third of the average household dustbin. Packaging is often necessary to protect the product, to prolong its lifespan and to provide essential information. However, over-packaging does occur, especially for marketing purposes. Basic foods such as bread and rice are rarely over packaged, while convenience foods often have two or three layers of packaging. Try to avoid over covering where possible, and when choosing a product, pick the packaging material which is easiest for you to recycle locally. Classification based on Characteristics Based on characteristics, solid wastes can be classified as biodegradable and non-biodegradable. This classification is based on the quality of solid waste generated from different sources. The biodegradable waste consists of all carbonaceous wastes that can be biodegraded into useful or less polluting products by the action of microorganisms and such animals like Annelids and Insects. Non-bio degradable wastes include inorganic wastes, and non-degradable polymeric organics like certain type of plastics. Classification based on Risk Potential Wastes that pose a substantial danger immediately or over a period of time to human, plant or animal life are classified as hazardous wastes. A hazardous waste exhibits the characteristics like ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity or toxicity. They are classified into following categories as radioactive substances, chemicals, biological wastes containing radioactive materials, flammable wastes and explosives. The chemical category includes wastes that are corrosive, reactive or tonic. The biological waste category is represented by dangerous wastes emanating from hospitals and biological research facilities. Sources of Solid Waste(Waste from Residential areas) The wastes generated from residential areas are generally classified as domestic waste. Waste generated from residential areas varies a lot based on the socio-economic and cultural situations. In high-income residential areas where gas or electricity is used for cooking, the waste generated will be less compared to the houses using wood and charcoal as fuel. Paper, cardboard, tin and bottles are found to be more in prosperous settlements and in commercial areas. Characteristics of Solid Waste Physical characteristics The physical characteristics of solid wastes vary widely based on socio-economic, cultural and climatic conditions. The physical qualities of solid waste like bulk density, its moisture content etc., are very important and to be considered for the selection of disposal, recycling and other processing methods. Chemical characteristics Information on the chemical composition of solid wastes is important in evaluating processing and recovery options. In addition, the analysis helps in adopting and utilising proper equipment and techniques for collection and transportation. The chemical characteristics like pH, chemical constituents like carbon content, N, P, K micronutrients etc are to be analysed for the selection of proper waste management technology. But this cannot be readily and accurately measured nor can they be standardised due to its wide range in composition. Each and every category of waste varies with locations and local conditions. However the percentage of Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and non-combustibles are determined. Higher organic content of Carbon in refuse activates the process of putrefaction. Thus both physical and chemical characteristics of the solid waste determine the selection of the final method of waste disposal. 1.4 Environmental and health problems associated with solid waste mismanagement A variety of environmental hazards are associated with the mishandling or mismanagement of refuse. The solid waste which is not properly stored, collected, transported and disposed off will lead to short-term as well as long term health risks. In the long term, there may be dangers arising from waste dumps particularly from it to the pollution of our drinking water sources. Fly breeding will be encouraged by uncovered piles of rotting refuse and the flies may play a role in the mechanical transmission of faecal-oral diseases. Piles of refuse will also contain mosquito-breeding sites where pools of rain water form in discarded cans, tyres etc. The mosquito Aedes aegypti will survive in these conditions and may transmit dengue, yellow fever, and other arboviral infections. Rats will also based and live in and around refuse. The main source of food for rats and other small rodents is refuse, and in dump yards they quickly proliferate and spread to neighbouring houses. They may promote and transmit a variety of diseases, including plague, leptospirosis, rat bite fever etc. Piles of refuse present a fire risk. Flammable waste materials when dumped together at dump yards are a great danger at source. Hot ashes added to the dumped wastes are also a reason for the fire at dump yards. Usually the fire starts with the practice of open burning of refuse. Sometimes this becomes uncontrollable. When the open dumps are fired, toxic gases will be released to the atmosphere. The dump yards may contain rubber tires, PVC, plastic materials etc and while they burn toxic gases like dioxin, furan etc., are released into the atmosphere, which are deadly poisonous. An additional danger that occurs due to fire at dump yards is that large quantities of water will be used for stopping the fire which may result in leaching of toxic materials to ground water. Badly managed refuse can promote water pollution by rain washing debris out of piles of refuse and into surface water. Ground water pollution may also occur. Piles of refuse rot and smell, which is a nuisance and is aesthetically unpleasing in the urban environment. Where refuse disposal services are lacking much refuse is deposited in open street drains and urban waterways. This causes them to block and can cause flooding. Apart from diseases for which insects and rats are carriers, the handling of ref use can cause illness to workers who work in collection and transportation process. Infection of roundworm and whipworm are common among people who work with solid waste disposal activities without proper protective measures. The risks to health and environment during disposal of these products depend very much on the compliance by consumers with instructions for disposal and on the relevance of these instructions themselves as well as types of disposal treatment. For most hazardous household products, the quantities of waste produced are very small. However, for some categories of hazardous household chemicals e.g. pesticides and paints, quantities can be larger and present a real threat to the environment. For example consumers tend to stockpile paints and pesticides for a considerable number of years (up to 30 years) and in large quantities, and may discard large numbers of obsolete products as a single consignment. The one-off release of these obsolete or expired products into the waste streams can create high risks to health (during waste collection and treatment) and to the environment if not properly treated. The obsolete or expired products are often more hazardous than newer formulations and pack aging may not be robust enough to satisfactorily contain the products. In addition, printed labels on the packaging may no longer be readable, preventing the identification of the active ingredient and the instructions for appropriate disposal. Health hazards of Incineration or waste burning Dioxins and Furans: Dioxins and Furans are extremely persistent toxic substances that produce a remarkable variety of adverse effects in humans and animals at extremely low doses. They are a family of 210 compounds and are produced when burning halogenated substances. They are persistent in the environment and accumulate in magnified concentrations as they move up the food chain, concentrating in fat, notably breast milk. Dioxins can cause cancer and act as an endocrine disruptor with adverse effects on reproduction, development and the immune system. Heavy Metals : These are present in many waste streams and cannot be destroyed by incineration. They end up in ash or are released as air emissions. Typical heavy metals emitted by incinerators include mercury, which causes birth defects, immune system damage, and nervous disorders; lead, which is known to cause nervous disorders; and cadmium, which causes kidney failure, hypertension, and genetic damage. Other heavy metals include arsenic which damages many tissues including nerves, stomach, intestines and skin, causes decreased production of red and white blood cells and abnormal heart rhythm. Chromium damages nose, lungs and stomach and beryllium causes chronic lung problems. Incinerators are significant sources of these forms of air pollutants. Worldwide, incinerators are the source of 21 percent of air emissions of manganese and lead, 19 percent of antimony, 15 percent of tin, and 11 percent of selenium. 1. (Total Sanitation Campaign, 2007, Malinya Muktha Keralam Action Plan, Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala. 2. Total Sanitation Campaign, 2008, Zero Waste Kasargod Project Report Kasargod District Panchayath, Government of Kerala 3. Dr. K.N. Nair and Sridhar R., 2005, Cleaning up Kerala Studies in Self help in dealing with solid waste, Centre for Development Studies. 4. Jeff Conant and Pam Fadem, 2008, A Community guide to Environmental Health, Hesperian Foundation, CA, USA 5. Brenda Platt, David Ciplet, Kate M. Bailey and Eric Lombardi, 2008 June, Stop Trashing the Climate, ILSR, Eco-cycle and GAIA 6. GAIA, Aiming for Zero Waste 10 steps to get started at the local level Education and Publicity A household waste (hhw) collection program cannot succeed without a strong public education effort that provides general information about HHW and specific instructions about how to participate on collection day. This education also might benefit the community by reducing the quantity of HHW collected in subsequent programs. It is still too early to know, however, just how effective educational efforts will be in reducing the generation of HHW. At current collection program participation rates, it will be some time before the stored waste is cleaned out of a community. It is likely, though, that the amount of waste per participant will decrease in communities with regular or permanent collection programs. Many examples of well-planned education programs are available. Target the Audience Residents are the most important target of a HHW education program. Information about HHW also should reach public officials, civic groups, solid waste personnel, and the business community to encourage financial support, donations of in-kind services, or other assistance. The media is an especially important vehicle; media understanding of HHW issues helps ensure accurate and responsible reporting. Educators need resources to develop and communicate a strong understanding of the issue to the people they teach. Manufacturers, retail stores, school chemistry departments, hospitals, agricultural extension services, and farmers also can benefit from education about HHW. Determine the Message and Select Educational Methods Public education about HHW is a good idea even if a HHW collection event is not yet planned. The scope of this effort will depend on the finds and personnel available. Early education can focus on: Qu1. What products contain hazardous constituents. Qu2. How household generation of hazardous waste can contribute to pollution. Qu3.Why source reduction is a major goal of a HHW management program. (Source reduction is defined as the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products to reduce their amount or toxicity before they enter the solid waste stream.) Qu4.What products contain fewer or no hazardous constituents. Qu5.How to shop smart (e.g., buying only what is needed). Qu6.How to reduce the amount of HHW generated (e.g., using up household products or giving away what cannot be used). Qu7. How to use products in a way that minimizes harm to the environment. Qu8. How to properly store and handle products containing hazardous constituents in the home. Public education before a planned collection day should not only focus on identifying HHW and helping people understand the hazards associated with HHW, but also should present the sponsors plans for addressing HHW management. Public education efforts also should communicate the individuals role in the HHW management program, including what to bring to a collection and how to transport it safely. This phase of the education program should begin at least six months before the collection day. Intensified education in the final two weeks before a collection day can have a major impact on participation rates. Publicity, a component of public education, focuses on a single goal-bringing the Public Education Methods and Techniques Education through the media. Well-prepared media handouts-feature articles, public service announcements, and other materials for the press-m inexpensive options and require less staff time than many other educational methods. Information about HHW can be presented in a variety of ways. For example, a radio broadcast might feature a hazardous waste expert who can answer phone-in questions on HHW. A local television station can cover a tour through a home with an environmental expert, who can discuss the products that can become HHW and how to manage them safely. Information and referral services. A publicly advertised local telephone hotline can encourage people to call for information about managing HHW, and also can facilitate a waste exchange/referral service. These services can be effective but require telephones, office space, training, and personnel. Mailings and mailing inserts. Utilities, banks, billers, and advertisers may be willing to include HHW announcements and informational literature in their regular mailings. Inserts mailed with water bills, garbage bills, or tax bills not only provide information about HHW, but also can educate the public about the links between HHW generation, waste management ground-water protection, and water/garbage rates. Community groups can include educational information about HHW management in their mailings or newsletters. HHW program sponsors can send direct mailings to people who participated in previous HHW collections. Posters, handouts, and brochures. Flyers and posters often are displayed or handed out at schools, libraries, community centers, and senior citizen centers. Businesses can post signs and notices for shoppers and customers on how to safely manage household products that might become HHW. Real estate agents can offer their clients information about HHW with their other community resource materials. Solid waste facility personnel at drop-off landfills, transfer stations, and recycling centers can discuss HHW and provide written information when residents drop off waste or recyclable. Handouts can include HHW wheels that highlight the potential hazards of household products and suggest less hazardous substitutes. Aims: This project aims to identify the types of wastes generated by the consumers, classify the wastes produced by daily activities at home according to it being environmentally friendly or not, plastics, papers, food waste, metal and glass. Then according to the results obtained from the questionnaire survey, a chart will represent each aspect of the waste produced and its percentage. An evaluation of the health hazard that the household wastes can represent if not properly disposed will be carried out. Objectives: Hazardous product identification-Consumers should be able to recognize hazardous products and identify the main hazards associated with use, storage and disposal. Health and environmental effects-Consumers should learn to identify the risks involved with choosing products and materials that generate hazardous waste. Safer alternatives and least toxic products-Consumers need to know alternatives to resolve the issues identified. Safe handling-Not a

Earnest Hemingway: Would Be King :: Writing Literature Papers

Earnest Hemingway: Would Be King In the period immediately before World War I, there was a revolution in all art forms. The impressionists in France, late in the nineteenth century, had abandoned photographic realism to imply their emotional impressions of a scene. By the time of Picasso and Braqueat the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, painters were analyzing shapes, deconstructing them for component elements, or later, doing away with representationalreality all together. Composers like Igor Stravinski and Charles Ives introduced atonal, dissonant passages into music. Artists did not want to create in the same manner as theirpredecessors; they wanted to extend the range of their art. Beyond the arts, Sigmund Freud demonstrated the existence of the sub-conscious, a theory that would revolutionize the field of psychology. Einstein changed the face of Physics by proposing the theory of relativity and Werner Heisenberg predicted that complete and accurate depictions of phenomena wereimpossible. It was a time of sweeping change; the world if literature was no exception. In poetry, Ezra Pound was reacting against the metronomic beat of Victorian poetry. His credo was "Make it new." He insisted that writers use no superfluous word and avoidabstractions at all cost. T.S. Elliot followed Pound's technique, his voice and the voice of post-war Europe coming through in his masterpiece, The Wasteland. In fiction, James Joyce was insisting on removing the obvious presence of the author. Gertrude Stein was experimenting with sentence structure and word repetitions, trying to immerse her readers in a sense of ongoing present. Sherwood Anderson, like Joyce, wrote stories that did not snap shut at the ending, but developed gradually, aimlessly, their intent being a revelation of character. All these authors defined character less through authorial description and more through what the character said and did. Earnest Hemingway knew and studied with many of the best modernists. Their influence accentuated the spare laconic style he had already developed in high sc hool. The spare unadorned, grammatically simple, declarative sentences, largely devoid of adjective or adverb, also echoed Hemingway's own philosophy. For Hemingway, loss was inevitable: fate, circumstance, something always brought on the end. Love expired, through death or disenchantment, fame always dwindled, youth and vitality crumbled through the years; life itself was nothing more than a unpredictable feast of the senses. His philosophy is both stoic and existential: one should not complain, one should show grace under pressure (Hays, 41) Also, one should care about one's craft because it was the individual's actions which defined the character.

Euthenasia In Australia :: essays research papers fc

Euthanasia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sometimes, life can deteriorate to the point where a person loses their dignity and self-respect, and are unable to communicate; life like this is longer worth living, as the most enjoyable of things are no-longer enjoyable. Euthanasia could, in my opinion, be practiced when a person reaches this point, and then only passively. If the person in question is able to communicate rationally, then their opinion must be asked first.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assisted death, other than passively should most definitely remain illegal, and in the Northern Territory, it should be made illegal. The nation of Australia must be uniformed, or else people simply go to another state, where the law different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People should live their lives for as long as it is worth living, as defined above. Some people wish to use euthanasia to die when they are diagnosed with a terminal illness, and given a certain amount of time to live. These people still have those six months, or whatever. If they can, they should enjoy that time, doing all the things they like to do. If they wanted, they could go out and spend all their savings, or retirement money on things that â€Å"I always wanted to get one†, or make themselves feel good by donating to charities. They should not look at the amount of time they don’t have, but instead, at the time they have left. And besides, we all know we are going to die, these people are no different, except they know exactly how much time is left. It has been said that trials and pain make us stronger. Even if someone is in pain, that pain could make them mentally stronger than if they give up and take the easy way out. Life is full of pai n, and joy, everyone goes through both things in their lives, because that is what life is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some say that doctor-aided death is widespread already, only covertly, and that the Netherlands is a model of how to establish the right to die by bringing the practice out in the open, where the medical and legal system can oversee it. This issue is similar to how abortion was seen before it was legalized. The main reason for legalization of abortion was because it was being done anyway. People had access to abortion, it was just being done terribly. We're in exactly the same situation today: People have access to assisted suicide; it's just being done so badly.

Palm Beach Community College Environmental Sustainability Essay

One of the biggest issues nowadays is environmental sustainability. Sustainability came from the root word ‘sustain’. â€Å"To sustain means to support, bear the weight of, to keep going and to keep alive† (Petry 2). In College Reading 4, Cheryl Benz and Cynthia Shuemann defined environmental sustainability as: â€Å"the ability of the environment to function indefinitely without going into a decline from the stresses imposed by human society on natural systems (such as soil, water, and air) that maintain life† (129). Here is another definition of environmental sustainability by Kelsey and Becker: â€Å"The general concept of ‘environmental sustainability’ refers to the necessary balance between human wants and needs and the capacity of the natural systems of the earth† (31). As stated in the website of Environmental Protection Agency, the term â€Å"sustainability† was first used in 1987 when World Commission on Environment and Development report: Our Common Future was published. The concept of sustainability is still in used nowadays and it is of great help for the human race. The whole world is currently experiencing one of the most serious problems regarding the environment which is global warming. We, the human beings are taking for granted the world we are living in. Instead of protecting the world from degradation, we serve as the agents of world’s deterioration through our selfish activities and behaviors. Pollution, fast population growth, non-conservation of energy and exploitation of natural sources are some of the human activities that cause environmental problems. Here now comes the issue on environmental sustainability. Can we still say that the environment is capable of sustaining or giving the needs of the present generation as well as the needs of the future generation? Environmental science and the concept of environmental sustainability can be used to help the nations, organizations or even the single individuals in resolving the problems we are facing right now. In opening the minds of individuals about the environmental issues and sustainability, higher education can be used as medium or means. Higher education specifically college level can be used in making the individuals, especially the youth, aware of the environmental degradation the earth is experiencing right now. The universities are one of the best channels in providing the individuals with knowledge and awareness about sustainable development. What is sustainable development? According to Environmental Protection Agency, sustainable development is defined as â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. † Sustainable development is very beneficial not only to the environment but also to economic growth, technological advancement and improvement of quality of life. According to Roger Petry, the university plays as a key contributor to sustainable development. The following are the reasons why Petry considers the university as mediator for sustainable development: a) The university can contribute breadth of knowledge, particularly of human and ecological systems; (b) it has the capacity to integrate knowledge regarding ecological, economic, and social issues, including local knowledge; (c) it has the capacity for global and local sharing of knowledge; (d) it provides knowledge to the poor and marginalized groups; (e) it has the capacity for long-term research; (f) it has academic freedom and institutional autonomy and (g) it is subjected to public accountabilities. 11) In order for higher education to become more sustainable, national and international sustainability declarations were developed. The sustainability declarations for higher education, which are stated according to chronological orders, are as follow: The Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment (1972), Tbilisi Declaration (1977), University Presidents for a Sustainable Future: The Talloires Declaration (1990), The Halifax Declaration (1991), Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development – Chapter 36: Promoting Education, Public Awareness and Training (1992), Ninth International Association of Universities Round Table: The Kyoto Declaration (1993), Association of Commonwealth Universities’ Fifteenth Quinquennial Conference: Swansea Declaration (1993), CRE Copernicus Charter (1994) and International Conference on Environment and Society – Education and Public Awareness for Sustainability: Declaration of Thessaloniki (1997) (Wright 1). The Stockholm Declaration of 1972 was the first declaration ever made for the sustainability of higher education. Its focus is on the relationship of humanity and environment. The declaration failed to protect the right of natures and it is clearly centered on human (Wright 2). The Tibilisi Declaration was created during the conference by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on 1977. The Tbilisi Conference echoed the sentiments of the Stockholm Declaration by stating that environmental education should be provided to people of all ages, all levels of academic aptitude and must be delivered in both formal and non formal environments. † (Wright 2) â€Å"The Talloires Declaration was the first statement made by university administrators of a commitment to sustainability in higher education. It stated that university heads must provide leadership and support to mobilize internal and external resources so that their institutions respond to this urgent challenge. † (Wright 2-3) The Kyoto Declaration of 1990 was created during the Ninth International Association of Universities Round Table with the attendance of 90 international university leaders. Agenda 21 and the United Nations Commission on Environment and Development Conference in Rio de Janeiro are two important conferences in environmental sustainability and biodiversity. The Kyoto Declaration is closely related to these two significant conferences (Wright 5). Almost 400 universities from 47 countries attended the ratification of the Swansea Declaration. One of its important contributions is the prioritization of the third world or the less developed countries. The wealthy countries must support those less developed countries regarding sustainable development among universities (Wright 5-6). The Thessaloniki Declaration of 1997 was ratified during the UNESCO Conference on Environment and Society: Education and Public Awareness For Sustainability that was held in Thessaloniki, Greece. The declaration argued that the concept of environmental sustainability must be clearly linked with poverty, population, food security, democracy, human rights, peace and health and a respect for traditional cultural and ecological knowledge. † (Wright 7) Palm Beach Community College is one of those universities that includes sustainability in their curriculum. â€Å"Palm Beach Community College is committed to providing the best educational opportunity for our current students while ensuring that the same opportunity for success is available to our future students as well. Therefore our entire educational organization has dedicated itself to focusing on improving the three areas of sustainability on our campuses and in our community: environmental protection, economic growth and social responsibility. (Palm Beach Community College Sustainability) The above passage is the mission statement of Palm Beach Community College as stated in their website. Palm Beach Community College promotes environmental sustainability by teaching their students about it. They also enhance the awareness of their students regarding sustainability. Palm Beach Community College is a very good example on how higher education can promote sustainability. Palm Beach Community College has many activities that practice sustainable development not only for their students but also for the whole community. Palm Beach Community College is indeed a very great model for promoting sustainability. A good example for this is the use of green buildings in their university. Green buildings are buildings made of materials that are environment friendly. They also made renovations of existing buildings in order to attain greater sustainability (Building and Renovation). Also through energy conservation, sustainability is attained. In order to conserve energy, the lighting in the campus is composed of bulbs that consume less energy. Air conditioning consumes large amount of energy. In order to lessen energy consumption, the university introduced technological innovations to their air conditioners and also the university implemented the greater temperature in their classrooms (Energy Management). Palm Beach Community College also improves their landscaping and grounds. Improvement on landscape and grounds that were mentioned in the website are reducing pesticide use, planting native vegetation, minimizing lawn space, removing pavement, or designing wildlife habitat areas. These activities not only promote environmental sustainability but also display aesthetic value of the campus (Grounds / Landscaping). Palm Beach Community College believes that wildlife must be saved so that the next generation will be able to see those endangered species. One good example of wildlife conservation is the protection of owls inside the campus. The owls give the campus with lesser rodent population in return (Wildlife). Services in Palm Beach Community also prop up environmental sustainability. They encourage their students to eat foods from plants like vegetables and fruits. They also discourage students to use non-environment friendly packaging of food like Styrofoam and plastics (Food Service). â€Å"Green Cleaning is an approach to janitorial services that offers better environmental performance and improved worker health and safety, while retaining the same sanitation quality as traditional, more chemical-intensive methods. † (Housekeeping) The university also pushes the use of environment-friendly cleaning products. Recycling is the best way for waste management. All wastes that can be still used must be reused or recycled in order to lessen the wastes that are being thrown away. By this, pollution can be avoided (Waste Management). Sustainable procurement involves making conscious purchasing choices to conserve resources, mitigate pollution and waste, and promote a healthy economy. † (Procurement) Toxic chemicals and substances are used in printing but Palm Beach Community College promotes another way of printing which is ‘green printing’. The university encourages their students to use recycled papers, double-sided printing, and soy-based inks that are not toxic and less harmful in the environment (Printing). â€Å"PBCC defines service-learning as a teaching method that increases student engagement and success through community involvement to apply theories or skills being taught in a course. (Service Learning) Through service learning, the students are exposed to real life social issues and by that the students can learn how to apply sustainability in order to improve the environment, economy and quality of life. PBCC encourages students to join Ecology clubs in order for them to join co-curricular activities regarding the environment. â€Å"Palm Beach Community College offers students the opportunity to become actively involved with award winning clubs and organizations, by promoting the development of leadership skills, challenging special interests and encouraging interaction with other students. † (Mission Statement & Student Clubs & Organizations at the Boca Raton Campus) Some of the events sponsored by Palm Beach Community College are Earth Day, Coastal Cleanup, Transportation transformation and Green Expo. These events are very important to the environment since it is when environmental sustainability is practiced. It is also a very good time for PBCC to educate other people about sustainable development of the environment. As an individual, what can we do to our environment? Palm Beach Community College suggests some ways that we can do for the welfare of the environment. Some of these ways are conservation of energy and water, waste management at home and at work and living a ‘green’ lifestyle (What Can I Do). Not only the youth and the adults can serve as stewards of environmental rehabilitation, the kids can also help. Palm Beach Community College offers activities for kids that can enhance their awareness on environmental sustainability and at the same time they are enjoying and learning. Some of these activities are Gorilla in the green house, Fish in the lake and National geographic kids (Green for Kids). Smoke emission and the use of non-renewable resources like fossil fuels are some of the problems that are being encountered in transportation. Since transportation is a necessity inside the campus, Palm Beach Community College implements ways and means in minimizing environmental degradation due to waste by-products of transport vehicles. Alternative fuels, such as ethanol and electricity, carpooling incentives, increased bike accessibility, and other solutions are being explored on campuses across the country†¦ and as a result, these campuses are saving money, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, decreasing water runoff, and realizing myriad other benefits. † (Transportation) In the world we are living right now, we can say that the environment is not that sustainable and it has now less capacity to support life. The people nowadays are destroying the nature that God had given us. It is not only the environment that we are not taking care of but also the lives of the future generations. We are leaving then but problems on environment and low quality of life. What we need right now are stewards of environments who will restore its beauty and sustainability. Through higher education, agents of environmental sustainability were being created. One example of the universities that produces individuals that are concerned to the environment is the Palm Beach Community College. It not only opens the eyes of students on current issues regarding the environment but it also brings-up the awareness and sense of responsibilities of students. By that, environmental sustainability is attained. Also, in our own little ways we can bring back what we have lost. If only each and every individual will help on the restoration of the environment, attaining sustainability will be faster.