Summary of the Film “The Smartest Guys in the Room”

‘Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room’ Frauds and financial scandals in the business world were before an Enron’s case and will be after it. That’s in human nature. But a chain of events lead to an enormous shock on the Wall Street and went down in history as one of the biggest business scandals. For a long time sequence of events was a basis for articles and books, documental films and analytic researches. Specialties were retold and discussed by analytics. It was real human tragedy.The film ‘Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room’ tries to answer the questions that all people somehow connected with the business world were interested in: How it could happened? What are the reasons and who is responsible for that? The film tries to lift the veil. From the beginning of the film it is clearly stated that the Enron case is exceptional. Working in a field of energy and power, having reputation of ‘unsinkable’ ship and demonstrating fasci nating financial results, Enron dramatically collapsed almost in a day. But the beginning of this story is bright and ambitious.Enron represents a company of great promise. The first seconds of the film represent an end of it: John Cliff Baxter committed a suicide, being heartbroken with what was happened. And it was a conviction of the fraud that was happened. After this crucial episode, viewers come to the best years of the Enron. It is a seventh largest corporation in America, valued 70 billion $. It is an innovative business with absolutely new business model. But how it starts? It starts with Ken Lay, who comes to the story of Enron from humble roots. His father is a Baptist minister and their life is rather poor.Probably, his background plays an integral role in having huge ambitions to make wealth of him. Ken Lay wants to change a market of power and energy. He convinces that government is not a solution but a problem to the business. In other words, he involves in the idea o f deregulations. Not only he but other participants of a power and energy business share this outlook. A tendency to deregulations starts to develop in 1985 and in this very moment the Enron is founded. Kay Lay thinks that it would be beneficial for his new company that gas prices float with the currents of the market.That is the power of deregulations. An important episode of Enron is a contribution to the presidential campaign of George Bush, who lately helps to secure money in government subsidies and to promote Ken Lay with idea of deregulations. Trading in oil market considers as a very risky business. But Enron always wins. Even then an improbable success gives a rise to doubt about legality of Enron’s business. Illegal actions start with the president of Enron Louis Borget, who takes about 3 billion $ of corporate funds in his personal account with the help of a treasurer Mastroeni and his phony books.When the rumors become too strong, Mastroeni discloses real books an d it becomes clear that all reserves of Enron are gambled away. This tremendous news is hidden by the bluffing of the market and that is how Enron stays afloat. But a little later Enron is forced to disclose the information about those manipulations and all guilt is focused on Mastreoni and Borget. Mastreoni receives a suspended sentence, Borget spends 1 year in a prison. So who will make money now? The second period of Enron’s history is connected with Skilling, who is a person with the biggest ideas of all. He is a great visionary as a Ken Lay.It is he who comes up with a new idea: make energy a financial instrument like stocks and bonds. And it is like an explosion in the industry. Enron becomes a genius of the industry. All employees are proud of being working in Enron. It is worth mentioning, that it is a moment when SEC approved an implementation of a mark-to-market accounting approach, which allows estimating assets of the company by a market price and not by a real. I t also allows booking potential profit as it is already gained before money comes to Enron. That is the first almost unobservable alarm bell to a room for unethical actions and frauds.If to speak about work environment, it is clearly seen that Skilling is an unconstrained leader. Interesting fact of his power is that when he stops wearing glasses, everyone in the company does the same. But the culture that is cultivated is aggressive and tough, like in a wild nature with the basic instincts of survival of the fittest. Skilling is convinced that money is the only thing that motivates people. He wants employees to show him great results, great profit. Therefore, traders are encouraged to gamble. Making money no matter what the methods are used.Skilling also implements a system of evaluation of employees and every employee who does not meet the demand of Skilling’s vision is fired. As a result of this system, turnover index is 15% that is really negatively impressive. Skilingâ⠂¬â„¢s vision of people is based on the theory of ‘People with spikes’. Only extraordinary and exceptional people deserve his attention and respect. The list of people consists of Ken Rice who is a salesman of Enron; John Cliff Baxter who is very talented but prone to depression (as viewers of the film know, that will be a fatal point in his future).The list continued with Lou Pai – a key skilling lieutenant, working in one of the business units of Enron – Enron Energy Services (EES). His activity is wrapped in a mystery; employees even call him ‘Invisible CEO’. Lou Pai is highly motivated by money. When he loses interest in his work in Enron, put another way, when he achieves a marginal profit, he leaves or better to say escapes from Enron with 250 million $ and becomes the 2nd largest landowner in Colorado. The next stage of Enron is connected with its stocks that are being increased significantly day by day.Everyone wants to play in the mar ket because prices go up and up; there is an illusion that it will never end. The heading of this time is ‘A new day a new record’. By all means, these records have a direct impact on a profit of Enron, which gets higher and higher. But how they get these numbers? It is a questionable issue. In the books everything goes perfect but in reality it was quite the opposite. At this time Enron invests in India that is unreasonably risky. And they fails because India could not afford to pay for the power which Enron offers. As it is said in the fim ‘Failure was not an option’. Hence, Enron hides nsuccessful results in India, continuing show artificial bright results. Later, a merger with electrical company makes it possible for Enron to come into a new deregulated market of California. The company shows unrealistic results: stock price are soared by 34% in 2 days. Analysts were blinded to the doubtful information that is already occurred. It is not an unfortunate occurrence, but it will be disclosed only later. Enron diversifies its activities; in particular, it covers a new market of broadband. But it does not work. It is a mark-to-market accounting that helps Enron to book revenues as it is wanted to be.In reality there are not any revenues. And that is the moment when executives of Enron begin to understand a certainty of collapse; they start to sale their stocks. In other words, they leave a sinking ship. The end is coming. In 2001 dotcom companies undergo massive difficulties whereas Enron is a shining star of an American economy. It is named as the â€Å"most admired† corporation by Fortune magazine. But Enron is a black box. Nobody knows how exactly money is made. Suspicions of falsification of financial statements begin to occur. The next key figure in the Enron’s case is Andy Fostow who is a financial officer.He is motivated by a future career. He tries to please Skilling and therefore he hides debts in artificial comp anies and handles finance so that stock prices continue to going up. Moreover, he encourages 96 individual banks to put their money in LGM (Andy’s artificial company) to somehow change Enron’s situation. Why respectful banks do not suspect illegality? Analytics suppose that they do suspect, but agree to give money because Andy Fastow plays on their greed. They are ‘useful idiots’. Actions cross the line when Skilling responds unethically to one reporter.It is already seeable that Skilling starts to lose his countenance. He does not know how to keep stock prices high. Meanwhile, one more illegal chance to keep Enron’s stock prices takes place. It is called ‘California’. Enron produces an energy crisis. Blackouts take plays; as a result a demand on electricity is soared and so do the prices. Consequently, Enron gets money. These manipulations lead to a lot of domestic problems of citizens of California but nothing changes. During this par t, there is a comparison of Enron’s activity in California with Milgram’s experiment which is quite remarkable.Both ‘experiments’ are about how people can be convinced to do something morally wrong if a person in authority tells them it is his responsibility and he will not be blamed. As in the Milgram’s experiment Enron continues to manipulate with electricity and things become worse and worse. People understand that nothing is left to accident, they blame Enron in this; desperate protests take place. In this time George Bush becomes a president of the USA and therefore with the old beneficial relations Enron does have an easy access to the administration.As a consequence, government does not interfere in the Californian difficulties. People stop believe in Enron and its stocks begin to fall. In this moment Skilling suddenly announces that he resigns from Enron. Employees take this is as a betrayal. One of the employees – Sherron Watkins bec omes aware of the fraud that takes place at Enron. She tries to speak with Ken Lay but he does nothing. Meanwhile Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) starts an investigation and discovers that in reality millions of assets are millions of debts. And it is Andy Fostow who is blamed by all Enrons’ executives for falsifications.It is interesting to note that the same situation was with Borget and Mastreoni in the early 1990s. The end comes in 2001 when Enron declares a bankruptcy. Employees feel that they are on the sinking whip without lifeboats. They lose everything. Cliff Baxter commits a suicide 7 months later. Concerning tragic specialities, $ 1,2 billion in retirement funds and $2 billion in pension funds are disappeared in a matter of weeks. 20,000 employees lose their jobs. Ken Lay and Skilling are under a precise look of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The congressional committees launch court proceedings.It is the end of the film ‘Enron: The Smartest Gu ys In The Room’. Enron’s tragedy is often compared with Titanic. And that is not just empty words. In both cases there were a lot of warnings of possible danger but ‘ships’ continue a full-speed running. In both cases there were great opportunities but then a combination of human errors and hubris lead to a fatal meltdown. The fall of Enron is a story not only about people but about whole system, consisting of government, financial and business institutions, conditions and relations. All participants in fraudulent actions have their share of a pie.That is why this story is called ‘a story of synergetic corruption’. I am absolutely fascinated by this film, to be precise, by a scale of greed and addiction to money and power. Understanding that characters of this film are the real people and all actions that were showed really took place makes me fascinated even more. To my mind, Enron case is not an aberration; it is a consequence of way of livi ng. It is a ‘dark shadow of the American dream’ as it is said in the film. Therefore, it can be repeated. And it can be us who would be affected by manipulations. That really boggles the mind.

Application of Moral Values Essay

There are several moral values we’ve learned throughout the whole event. Hardworking is one of the moral values that we’ve learned. The end of this event is the result of our hard work. We’ve also faced several issues and problems on the road to the success of the event. For example, some of our sponsors suddenly declined to be our sponsors, so we have to find alternative solution to overcome the problem we had. Apart from that, we’ve also work endlessly before the day of the event to finish up our preparation as soon as possible. Of course the outcome of the event must be credited to all of our team members as all of us played a part in the preparation of the event. Apart from that, we’ve also learned to be responsible from this event as some of us have provided the wrong information for our sponsors and clients. This has caused them to withdraw their sponsorship few days before the start of the event and people that responsible for providing the wrong information has also admitted and also finds new sponsors to overcome the problem that he/she had caused. Not only that, all of us has also worked as a team to do our corresponding tasks to complete this event. Throughout this event, we’ve learned to be responsible of our action. Not only that, we’ve also learned to be polite towards one another. We have been polite to customers that are buying stuff from our booth as well as our teammates that are also to do their jobs. As this event requires more sponsors, we’ve also learned to communicate with new people and meeting new faces by being polite to them. Apart from that, we are also building up our college’s reputation as we represent the â€Å"face† of our Sunway College with our way of communicating with other people. Furthermore, we’ve also learn to be aggressive through the experience of hosting this event. By being aggressive, we’ve managed to thrive in this society by taking the first steps to communicate with other people and learned how to make a business deal with a certain company as this event requires sponsors to be able to make our event into a big scale event. On the process of doing this event, we’ve also discovered several competitors hat is fighting over our sponsorship, and to defeat our competitors, we’ve learned to be aggressive than our competitors. Lastly, we’ve also learned that teamwork plays an important part during the preparation of this event. As we’re preparing for the event, we’ve learned that all of us must communicate with each other to have a perfect planning. We’ve learned to look out for each other as all of us will get tired at some point; we’ve also learned to be tolerant among each other. Without teamwork, this event wouldn’t be so successful.

The (PSP) Pennsylvania State Police was the model for the (DSP) Research Paper

The (PSP) Pennsylvania State Police was the model for the (DSP) Delaware State Police - Research Paper Example The labor struggles related to mines and steel mills were the initial reason that Pennsylvania decided to organize an official police force with statewide jurisdiction during the early 1900s. (PSP-HEMC, 2011) As the Pennsylvania State Police Historical, Educational and Memorial Center writes in their history of the force: â€Å"The turning point came in 1902 with what became known as The Great Anthracite Strike. It began May 15 and lasted until October 23. The violence disrupted the peace of seven counties and caused a nationwide coal shortage, driving up the price of anthracite coal. The strike did not end until President Theodore Roosevelt intervened. During the strike's aftermath, it was finally recognized that peace and order should be maintained by regularly appointed and responsible officers employed by the public. This led to the formation of the Pennsylvania State Police.† (PSP-HEMC, 2011) Initially there was fear among organized labor and other liberal parts of societ y that the Pennsylvania State Police force would be used as â€Å"a private army,† and because of this the initial force was limited to around 225 men divided into four divisions and tasked with the security of the state. (PSP-HEMC, 2011) These four initial divisions were related to the geographical areas: Troop A, Greensburg Troop B,. Wilkes ­Barre (later moved to Wyoming) Troop C, Reading Troop D, Punxsutawney . The historical society also reports that the Pennsylvania State Police force was originally limited to unmarried men, and this continued until after WWII. (PSP-HEMC, 2011) The four troop divisions were commanded by a Police Superintendent and under the authority of the Governor of the State of Pennsylvania. Within 20 years of its founding, the size of the PSP doubled due to the need for police with the increasing population and modernization of the country. In 1920, the PSP instituted a Police Training Academy and bought a number of motorcycles for the officers to use in policing the long distances of the districts. These characteristics can be seen as identifying the important aspects of the Pennsylvania State Police: The use of uniforms, badges, weapons, & other symbols of authority similar to the Army. The use of military organization and command structures within the police force. The jurisdictional recognition of authority and the limitation of powers to a district. The use of training academies to recruit and drill members in the standards of the group. The use of motorcycles and motor vehicles to patrol the area the force is tasked to enforce. In viewing these characteristics as fundamental to the model on which the Pennsylvania State Police force was formed and operated, it can be seen how other states modeled their own police forces on this same pattern during the early part of the 20th century. Pennsylvania’s political and cultural influence was stronger over the rest of the country during that era than it is now, with the w ealth of steel and mining generating swift economic growth and population expansion. Other states looked to Pennsylvania for leadership and the labor struggles there would influence the union movement in other parts of the country as well. Mines and factories had used Pinkertons as a type of organized private police force to combat organized labor strikes and riots, but as the economic interests of the industrialists were ingrained in the political authority of the governor, they could also trust the State to protect their capital

Fianal paper paragraph Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fianal paper paragraph - Thesis Example The director Kenji Mizoguchi reveals how the young woman Asai tries to refuse the advances made by her boss at the pharmaceutical company. It emerges that the young woman represents the responsible Japanese women, who believes in moral actions but is failed by her own and family’s conditions, an aftermath of war. Asai’s father‘s drinking habits, which has put the family in a deplorable financial situations represents irresponsibility. It is notable that, the irresponsibility has compelled Asai to work and sustain her brother in school. In addition, Asai has tried to settle many of her father’s debts. However, Asai’s weakness and irresponsibility is indicated when she joins prostitution, a form of sexual violence, to sustain the family needs. The effect of this is soon realized as she is finally arrested and jailed. Violent scenes and occurrences are associated with traumatic stress afterwards. This research aims at examining violence and how it causes traumatic stress among people living in the affected areas. It focuses on explaining how violence is directly associated with stress and the effects that this resulting stress causes to the development and well-being of a society. In the stated film, the themes reveal the mind of the producer and the director. This film reveals a strong thematic expression, which entails the aspects of trauma, violence and responsibility. This paper intends to examine the aspect of violence and its resulting traumatic effects as it is expressed in the film. In addition, the effects of violence and trauma during and after the war shall be investigated in this study as well as how the Japanese people managed to cope up with other unforeseen resultant effects. It is imperative to note that, this film represents the ordinariness of the environment after the bomb. The film reveals how the Japanese people though stressed and traumatized, focused to build their

Evolution of English Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evolution of English Language - Essay Example This paper will address evolution of English over time. Languages don’t just happen-they evolve naturally and are a constant work in progress in addition to being a result of thousands of years of development. English, as we know it, is under constant state of change and is also relatively new as vocabulary is always being enriched with new words from all fields, which are coming up on daily basis. Every day, new words are introduced to the English language while others are losing their significance thereby becoming obsolete leading to their being dropped. The rise of this language is worth mentioning especially due to the fact that when Caesar first entered Britain, English language did not exist. Even after five hundred years, it was only spoken by as few people as those who currently speak some other Native American or Australian languages. Nearly about a thousand years later, when  Shakespeare  was at his peak, English was only known to approximately five to seven million people. Today, more than 750 million people speak E nglish, and half of these are native speakers whose first language is not English. English is a global language now and it has become one of the most powerful and influential languages on the planet. In America, Dude is a word that lies between bloke, a slang term for a man or a guy, and the official British English term for mate. Similar to the usage of the word mate, Dude can be used in a vaguely affectionate manner while referring to another person: â€Å"Do not worry about it, dude.†Ã‚   In context of Bloke, Dude can be used to describe a third person: ‘That dude is stressed out.† Nowadays the usage of this word can be found almost in any section of the World. There is no restriction to its use as anybody can use it in general conversations to refer both to the second person and third person for example; what’s wrong with that dude? Or what’s wrong with you, dude? YouTube is an internet site, which facilitates uploading of

Film Glory Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film Glory - Movie Review Example Rawlins revised his style to transformational leadership, which was effective in producing the necessary attainment of the group's mission and goals. There had been a slew of films about the American Civil War but the movie "Glory" stood out because it was unique and because it not only focused its energies on bombings, hand to hand combats and killings but it featured the African American people's aspirations to prove its self-worth, courage and dignity under fire and under pressures of racial prejudice and honor amidst the backdrop of a bitter divisive war between the northern Union states and the southern Confederate states. Moreover, the film illustrates the anatomy of leadership as a young colonel was given the daunting task of recruiting, training and leading an all-black regiment, which was the first such black regiment to fight under the American flag, many of whom were older than he was and most of whom were embittered by the demeaning experiences they had under the white men. This film showed that heroism knows no color and its significance was that after the 54th Massachusetts regiment showed to all and sundry their he art-wrenching guts and heroism, President Lincoln conscripted more of such black regiments, assigning them challenging roles in a number of major battles. The 54th regiment was the start of black power in military warfare. It explained why blacks were worthy of being endowed with citizenships to the United States. The Relationships Among the Dramatis Personae Bonding within an infantry led by young white officers and composed of colored men,Glory 3 majority of whom had experienced indignities, brutalities and acts of inhumanity as former slaves from white men, was almost an unattainable situation. Leadership was even an impossible dream. But the regiment had to be formed as ordered by abolitionist Massachusetts governor John Andrew (Blatt et al,2000,p.19) and in its formation, everything had to start with an effective leadership or else the infantry will only be in a state of disarray and disintegration. It was incumbent upon Col.Robert Gould Shaw portrayed by Matthew Broderick to alter the relationship which started from distrust, aversion, contempt, bigotry and even hatred. He had to turn things around to make the regiment functional. This had to be accomplished without the needed boost and support from the command force and worse, from a flip-flopping stance of the command higher-ups who even issued absurd orders designed to make the regiment a nonentity. This was due to the belief that blacks had no capacity to fight and th at they would merely incite the border States to defect from the Union. There

Budget Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Budget - Assignment Example It constructs, reconstructs, maintains, and snow and ice removal throughout the state. It also provides funding for rail, airport, bicycle, pedestrian, and canal programs as well as local government highway and bridge construction. MTA is one operator under DOT besides other more than one hundred and thirty operators running the transportation system. The budget provides funding for DOT capital program of over $3.5 billion to facilitate capital improvement of highways, rail, bridges, aviation infrastructure, non-MTA transit, and DOT facilities. The first $150 million in the $750 million proposed above, for state and local bridge initiative to accelerate the rehabilitation of a hundred bridges serving critical freight, agricultural and commerce corridors. $477.8 million is set aside for funding local highway and bridge projects under Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) and Marchiselli program. DOT will also invest $50 million to accelerate planned fleet upgrades such snow plows, up-fitting heavy pickups to assist in snow removal and installation of vehicle management systems (New York State, 2015). The main transit system will get $4.8 billion of transit operating aid for systems throughout the state broken down as $4.35 billion in new funding and $464 million for other transit systems. An extra $121.5 million is proposed from downstate taxes to fund capital expenses for MTA Downstate Transit Systems. Thruway Authority is to be funded with $1.285 billion for Thruway Stabilization Program for expenditures on NY Bridge, and statewide system. The authority will also continue receiving $85 million in overall support including $21.5 million via direct appropriation. Towards the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Executive proposed an all funds appropriation of $324.9 million with $199.2 million as capital funding while the rest are fees charged by various departments (New York State, 2015). The Senate agreed with a majority of the budget

Sigmund Freuds Theories On Psychoanalysis In Cinema Essay

Sigmund Freuds Theories On Psychoanalysis In Cinema - Essay Example The conflict is that the film portrays these Freudian theories, but many of these theories have since been rebuked. The film becomes a satire by showing Freud's teachings, but subtly disputing and showing their errors. With Freud's belief that one's actions are mostly motivated by sexual urges and that these urges are based on the development of psychosexual stages, he limits an institution's ability to correctly diagnose and cure a mental patient. So in the film, although the patients represent various stages of Freud's theory, e.g., anal (Nurse Ratchet), oral (McMurphy), and so on, their treatment is limited by these basic categorizations. If the doctors and Nurse Ratchet did more than treat their basic symptoms they could have focused on true healing and tried to get to the root of the problem. Instead, patients were controlled through medication and lobotomies. Freud's Oedipus complex theory, that every man is in love with his mother and hates his father is illustrated in the film. The female in control of the hospital, Nurse Ratched, represents the mother figure. She controls the blood of patients. Based on Freud's theory, each of the men would love her, as the mother figure. ...The conflict occurs because of Nurse Ratched's abuse of such power. This causes confusion and a love/hate relationship with the men. They feel the urgings to love her as a mother, but are confused by her rejection and abuse.In this example, it would appear to be a reverse Oedipus complex in that the relationship goes the extreme opposite with the patients hating her. Still, the need to please exhibited by some of the patients still exhibits an Oedipus complex. The female figure or mother image is represented in a negative light throughout the film. Vera Harding, Candy, Nurse Ratchet all exert and abuse the power they have over men. Each of the men reacts in his own way: McMurphy resents her power; Chief shuts down emotionally; Billy Bibbitt craves the love his mother withholds.

The Victorious Youth Essay Example for Free

The Victorious Youth Essay The Victorious Youth is a Grecian bronze sculpture dated to be between 300-100 B.C. whereas the Riace Warrior was older and was probably made between 460-450 B.C. The Greeks had their art of portraiture, in which a victorious youth would lend his features to images of the gods, while the portrait of the general, the philosopher, or the poet was fashioned like a statue of the divine, and was given superhuman touches.   The divine remained a generalization and intensification of the human. The Greeks did not endeavor to reproduce particular details, but to present a picture in which had been elaborated the idea they embodied.   Hence the victorious Youth has more god-like features whereas the Riace warrior has been given superhuman characteristics.   Also, the Victorious youth is wearing a wreath on his head which is a symbol of victory and kingship in Grecian art. In the case of the Riace warrior, its   attitude of defiance represents the moral force of the people it symbolizes. The Victorious Youth appears to be more relaxed and the olive wreath on his head identifies him as a victorious athlete. The muscles on the Riace Warrior are very naturalistically sculpted. Both the sculptures depict the concept of weight shift as they both rest on one leg each.   The Riace warrior, however, seems more tense and his muscles taut, as if waiting for something in anticipation. The hair and the beard seem more intrinsically sculpted compared to those of the Victorious Youth. Not only is that but the expression on the face of the Victorious Youth more dreamy and distant whereas that on the face of the Riace Warrior is more aggressive and focused as if concentrating on something. The facial expressions of both the sculptures identify and collate with the whole idea of the Victorious Youth being a successor and the Riace warrior having to do with war. Also contra- posto is in effect as both the figures experience a certain degree of gyration. It is essentially a new technique in art as rigid frontal sculptures gave way to more natural poses. However, in the Victorious Youth, the hands seem to be out of proportion compared to the rest of the body. It seems as if the sculptor meant to exaggerate the hands so that the action of the youth touching his wreath is more prominent hence the whole idea of him being the winning athlete. Riace warrior- http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Arts/RiaceWarrior.htm Gardner’s Art through the Ages- A concise history.

Study of Demographics Essay Example for Free

Study of Demographics Essay The city of Wildwood is a sleepy city in the county of Sumter in Florida. It is a city which is primarily similar to the Wildwood’s initial economy that was put together around the lumber industry. A business man by the name of Barwick constructed and had possession of a timber mill close tor town. In the year of 1882 is when the railroad emanated to Wildwood in, and Wildwood became the hub for the railroad until the 1960’s and that is when Seaboard Coastline inaugurated â€Å"laying off† workers (Visit communities in Sumer, 2014). After Seaboard Coastline railroad degenerated in the 1960’s, there were a hardly any farsighted select few which were competent enough to efficaciously redirect the township. This is the point where a shopping center was constructed and it is when the Floridas Turnpike was completed in 1964 (soon followed by I-75), it was the efforts of J.W. Peebles and E.C. Rowell that got the Wildwood-. The U.S. census for 2010 demographic profile for Wildwood, Florida is the hub of transportation for the central western part of the state. Wildwood is where Interstate 75 and the Florida Turnpike intersects (Visit communities in Sumer, 2014) Wildwood’s has a total population of 3,551. The following 2010 U.S. census reports the housing status (in housing units unless noted) at a total of 2,197 of those 1,608 are occupied and of those 1,281 are owner-occupied. The population in owner-occupied (number of individuals) 2,731, those renter-occupied numbered at 327. Population in renter-occu pied dwellings (number of individuals) is valued at 820 of those households with individuals fewer than 18 estimated at 343. With the number of vacant properties was 589; there are 55 vacant for rent, 67 vacant and for sale. The population by sex and age; Male- 1,746 Female 1,805 Under 18 630 18 over 2,921 20 24 140 25 34 278 35 49 646 50 64 777 65 over 1,012 Population by Ethnicity; Hispanic or Latino -82 Non-Hispanic or Latino 3,469 Population by Race: White- 3,383 African American 52 Asian- 28 American Indian and Alaska Native- 10 (QuickFacts:Locate a counti.., 2012) The reported 2010 household income statistics for the City of Wildwood, Florida states that there are those who have less than $15,000 in earnings a year. With a mere 10% of families’ income is between $15,000 and $24,999, 15% of families income is $25,000 to $49,999, then 20% have between $35,000 to $49,999. The median wage of Wildwood is those making $50,000 to $74,999 are rated the most with a total of approximately 22%, and 5% earn $100,000.00 to $124,999, $124.999 to $149.999 is 5%, 1% earns $150.00 to $199,999.99 and 2% with earnings $200,000.00 (Wildwood, FL Household Incomes, 2012). Of those in the city of Wildwood the population was stretched out with 22.3% of the people are under age 18, 6.5% are between 18 to 24, 18.4% from 25 to 44, 19.0% are 45 to 64, and 33.8% who were 65 years of age or older. â€Å"The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males† (QuickFacts:Locate a counti.., 2012). The City of Wildwood’s educational level is based upon C LRsearch.com approximately 20% did not complete high school,40% completed high school, 20% had some college, 55 completed an associates program, 105 completed a bachelor degree program, and 55 had completed a Graduate Degree at age 25 or  more (Wildwood, Fla Education Le., 2012). Employment statistics for all potential employees (population age 16+); civilian males 195, civilian females 18%, 1% of males are in the armed forces, 0 females in service, 2% males and females unemployed, 28% males not among work force, and 32% of the females not in work force (Wildwood Employment, Occupation and Industry, 2012). The English language is the dominant language with Spanish coming in second amongst the city’s 42 ministries in Wildwood ranging from Baptist 6, Church of -1. Episcopal Church -1 Churches, Temples, and Shrines – 9, Christian and Reformed Church – 1, Brethren Church – 1, Miscellaneous Denomination Church 6 (Visit communities in Sumer, 2014), Industries associated with the trucking industry and lumber is a major factor in the economy and according to observation has that this city will continue to grow in these fields. The area’s geography, demographics, and tax deductions for businesses, fuel the motive for businesses to locate in Wildwood. It makes perfect sense since the area has plenty of labor; it is at the hub of Interstate 75 and the Florida Turnpike. The natives are well versed in English as the language of the majority. References QuickFacts:Locate a counti.. (2012, n.d. n.d.). Retrieved March 16th, 2014, from U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Census Bureau: http://quickfacts.census.gov/cgi-bin/qfd/lookup?state=12000 Visit communities in Sumer. (2014, n.d. n.d.). Retrieved March 16th, 2014, from Sumter County Chamber of Commerce: http://www.sumterchamber.org/sumter-government.asp Wildwood Employment, Occupation and Industry. (2012, n.d. n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2014, from CLRresearsh.com: http://www.clrsearch.com/Wildwood-Demographics/FL/Employment-Occupation-and-I

Politics Essays Organisation Global Governance

Politics Essays Organisation Global Governance Organisation Global Governance Introduction and organisation of work Contemporary international politics have rendered irrelevant the Westphalian order which bestowed sovereign states ultimate authority within a defined territory. This began shortly after the end of the Cold War in 1989. The end of the war gave the hegemonic power; the United States the chance to reform the world along its capitalist ideology. Coincidentally, the animosities suppressed for decades by the Cold War alliances were also released and led to intrastate conflicts. The effects of these post cold war relations led the society to metamorphous into the emerging system of governance. Professor Duffield in his book, ‘‘Global Governance and the New Wars: the Merging of Development and Security’’ postulates that the emerging system is that of a global governance which emanated out of the complexes into a system striving to address the development and security issues. To assess this argument, this paper is divided into five parts. The first part will be used to define key concepts while the second part will evaluate the post cold war changes and trace the erosion of the powers of sovereign states to show the vacuum being filled by global governance. The third part will evaluate the strategic actors of the process and trace the networks of operation adopted by each. The fourth part will examine the process of governance between state and non state actors, identify the approach adopted by the system to contain or neutralise conflict and the concluding part will examine the effectiveness or otherwise of this approach. Definition of Concepts Complex emergency is defined by United Nations agencies as any crisis capable of igniting a conflict-related humanitarian disaster and social dislocation which requires a collective response from the international community (Duffield 2001; 12). Complex emergencies are easily identified by these characteristics; deteriorating central government, ethno-religious conflicts, food insecurity, drought, hyperinflation just to mention a few. These emergencies lead to the displacement and subsequent movement of people (refugees) across national boundaries (Weiss and Gordenker; 1996,67). The clashes between insurgents and government troops in Somalia, the Darfur crises in Sudan and the looming crisis in Kenya following the results of the just concluded elections are examples of complex emergencies. Globalisation is simply the process of increasing interconnectedness between societies such that the event in one region have impacts on people in other parts of the world (Baylis and Smith 2001;8) Duffield defined globalisation as the process of deconstruction and decentralisation of the power and authority of the state. He noted that the growing influence of non state actors, market liberalisation, formation of networks between various actors from the local to global level are stages in globalisation which has given rise to a growing private sector (Ibid;2001,164). Proponents of Neo medievalism opined that the process where states are overlaid, cross-cut and replaced by a range of multilayered public/private arrangements bridging the micro-level, the meso-level and transnational poses a threat to state stability. They predicted a likely replay of the medieval period and its chaos as the modern day state structure in the face of overstretched functions (Cerny; 1998). This neo-medievalism fear is being solved by the emerging system of global governance which Duffield opined that it is an adaptive and selective inclusive system that; ‘‘thrives on creating networks that bridge traditional boundaries, specialism and disciplinesIn response to the new wars and the merging of development and security, innovative strategic complexes-linking state and non-state actors, public and private organisations, military and civilian organisations, and so on (Duffield 2001; 45). You can get expert help with your essays right now. Find out more Global governance to Weiss and Gordenker is the summation of efforts meant to bring more orderly and reliable responses to social and political issues beyond the capacities of individual states (Weiss and Gordenker; 1999, 12). Finkelstein (1995; 365) defined global governance as governing without sovereign authority with relations that transcend national frontiers. It is simply a new infrastructure of global regulation that has evolved, reaching ever more deeply into the domestic affairs of states and societies (Held and McGrew;2002, 8). Post Cold War Changes During the period before 1970s, state government aspired and provided several welfare services to its citizens. However, the end of the economic boom in the North that began in the 1940s challenged the ability of the state to meet the welfare needs of the populace. Instead of providing more welfare services, the growing inflation led to increased tax which resulted in revolts in Carlifornia, Denmark etc. (Wilson, G. 2000,238 ). While the state was being internally challenged, the end of the Cold War and the raise of capitalist ideology brought external challenges of globalisation to the overstretched states. Free market economy reduced state powers to impose tax or regulate imports and exports. There was also an increase in nationalist separatist movements such as the Irish troubles in Britain, Quebec crisis in Canada, separatist movement in Basque land in Spain, Italian Northern League secession, France has Corsica conflicts to deal with. These conflicts compounded the plight of the sovereign state and resulted in adjustments of state authority. The South was not excluded from these crises but rather had more challenging situations to deal with (Graham, W. 2000). The new wars account for the raise in seceded state in the 1990s. Singapore and Bangladesh were the only countries to succeed in the 40 years before 1989 while the 1990s witnessed the emergent of 10 states. Failed states also became a reoccurring phenomenon in Africa. The on-going Islamic fundamentalism is part of post cold war development that is challenged the essence of sovereign nation-states (Duffield, 1997, 528, 2001,13). Rather than interpreting the new wars as symptoms of a failed modernisation process, Duffield views them as extension of politics between opposing societies which transforms the socio-economic and political sectors of the societies. The new wars and the decline in parallel economy brought about a new socio-economic and political structure in agreement in Duffield notion on wars. This is reflected in the number of countries that subscribed to the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) of the World Bank. This transformed most economies into shadow economies and opened them up to international influence. Donor aid agencies applauded this transformation to conventional international practice by stating that such policies complement their development activities. Part of the reforms of SAP is the privatisation of state owned enterprises to cut down government welfare expenditure. Duffield contends that SAP polices ‘‘accelerated the dismantling of non-viable state patronage networks’’ (ibid; 2001, 150). Privatisation opened state economies to international financial institutions and brought about innovatory reforms. The 1980s was marked with therefore marked with efforts by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Regan and leaders of the north to roll back the frontiers of state. Their successors also accepted that the time had come to modify state competence as the verbal rhetoric was matched with state reforms. Efforts to salvage the dwindling economies and escalating new wars resulted in a re-interpretation of development and security as interwoven. Tracing the new wars to development crises, raised the awareness that ‘‘poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere’’ and the mergence of development and security efforts. Underdevelopment is now considered dangerous and capable of causing violence and regional instability. This posture is accented by the European Union and other organisations. The EU asserts this fact by stating that development agencies need to take into cognizance the need to balance various interests in the society to legitimise democracy while building peaceful conciliation between various interest groups. (Ibid; 2001, 38) Find out how our expert essay writers can help you with your work Duffield opined that, post cold war security threat to the North is no longer perceived in terms of interstate conflicts to be defeated through formation of alliance and nuclear deterrence. The new wars blur distinctions between civilians, army and government. The nature of these intrastate conflicts resulted in the formation of network and links between non-territorial states and non-states actors akin to the threat. Instead of military alliances, state governments now team up with NGOs, donor agencies, military organizations and other development partners. Security sector reforms which aims at providing security for people in an effective and efficient manner within a democratic civilian control is now universally pursued. These developments reduced the power of sovereign states to independently resolve all the crises within its territories. While states were losing their competence, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation increased their influence as proponents of the emerging liberal economy. The liberal market favoured conglomerates who were now transnational corporations after buying up public enterprises. The formal power the states had to regulate the economy and provide welfare services to the populace were now with the international financial institutions and transnational corporations. In the same vein, the trans-border crises led to a proliferation of community bases and international NGOs. In partnership with each other, these NGOs have a world-wide network advocating for better conditions and providing humanitarian services to people, especially in war torn states. Hence, NGOs became relevant organisation meeting the needs of people while the states were cutting down their public expenditure. To establish a liberal peace through conflict resolution, society reconstruction and establishment of a functioning market, states and non states actors entered into a purpose driven relationship analysed in the following section. Key Actors and Networks of Global Governance To limit global governance to humanitarian intervention, multi-lateral relations and all that without looking at the economic driving force is limiting the entire process. It is common knowledge that the liberalisation policies formulated by the Bretton Wood Institutions set the set for globalisation. The institutions are the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The World Trade Organisation (WTO) by virtue of its role in the international financial system partners with the two. These three financial institutions regulate the system of global governance base on their different mandates. The World Bank promotes Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) as the panacea to problems of underdevelopment and fund large scale development projects. The IMF provides loan to interested countries while the WTO sets the rule for free and fair world trade. They work together to open up channels and remove barriers in every country for free flow of trade and investment across boundaries. (Cavanagh and Mander; 2004, 55) The Structural Adjustment Programme, the recipe for development works by devaluing the country’s currency, liberalising markets, eliminating tariff and cutting down government expenditure through removal of price subsidy (Ibid; 2004 ). Though World Bank conditionalities have drawn criticisms from various sectors, it remains the condition for taking development loans. This financial power of the World Bank has spread its influence worldwide, especially in resource poor countries. World Bank loans have contributed to the development of some countries as well as entrapping others. The total debt of all developing countries in 1980 was $609 billion, the amount rose to $2.4 trillion in 2001. This shows the amount committed by the bank to development efforts and the debt burden which has become a string binding third world countries to the bank. (Cavanagh and Mander; 2004, 57). Apart from providing loans to countries, World Bank also issues low-interest loans to transnational corporations to enable them establish control over natural resources. The bank remains a major contributor to global greenhouse emissions. The bank also finances capital intensive development projects in various states. Similarly, the IMF was created to ensure stability in the international financial system. It does this by making balance of payment adjustments and imposing sanctions on erring states. IMF sanction is an effective tool for regulating nation states. In conjunction with the World Bank, IMF work strives to remove protectionism and other government anti-liberal economic policies. The recent ‘comprehensive development framework’ enacted in consultation with the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the Group of Seven (G7) shows the incorporation of state actors in the decision making process. The criticism of the SAP policy has necessities its modification. This shows that the body relies on input from the society to function properly. While it is difficult to list countries that developed on loans and economic prescription from the IMF, the body remains a key actor in the emerging global governance. You can get expert help with your essays right now. Find out more The 1994 Uruguay Round of General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) armed the WTO with a strong enforcement system to coordinate fair trade among countries and impose sanction on those exceeding the agreed boundary. This regulatory power is demonstrated in the body’s sanction on the US when the latter tried to impose 100% tariff on certain European exports in retaliation to the 1999 WTO ‘banana wars’(Cavanagh and Mander; 2004. 66). The power to impose sanction, regulate trade and maintain order shows how the system is managed. On-going plans by the WTO to further annihilate territorial barriers include the bid to prohibit government from making policies in banking, media and policy that give local investors preference over their foreign counterparts (Cavanagh and Mander; 2004,69) The same economic arrangement is in the regions by regional banks such as the African Development Bank, (ADB), the Inter-America Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). These banks work with the various finance ministries and Central Banks in their region to tailor economies after the World Bank model. Closely related to that is complimentary change in the commercial sector. Duffield asserts that liberalisation of the economy gives transnational corporations and private security firms economic powers to regulatory the economy and influence government policies. Therefore it is no longer possible for states to have a separate economy as all economies are controlled by transnational companies. Willetts (Baylis and Smith; 2001, 430) observed that government have lost the control of financial flow as demonstrated by the currency crisis of 1980s and 1990s. During this period the dollar, the pound, the French franc and the yen were hapless against the transnational banks The impact of these reforms is felt by countries trying to regulate internal commercial activity. Under unfavourable state economic policies, transnational corporations threaten to move their investments out of the country. Relocating these investments will ignite serious economic problems for the host countries such as unemployment and a fall in the gross domestic products. Governments in their efforts to attract foreign direct investment formulate policies that accommodate transnational companies. Hence a government that imposes least demanding health safety, welfare and environmental standards is an investors’ haven (Baylis and Smith; 2001,431). However, transnational corporations are not a low to themselves. Regulations on their conduct are arrived at between the corporations and the UN, an example is the 1999 UN Global Compact Initiative which deals with issues of labour, human rights and the environment. Transnational corporations also carry out various development projects in host communities under the principle of corporate social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility ensures that corporations make business decisions that meets the ethical, commercial and public expectation of how business should be managed (Garsten, C: 2003, 360). While building alliances with NGOs such as the Amnesty International and Transparency International, some transnational corporations adopted the voluntary codes of conduct and industrial human rights within their governing principles. A recent example of adhering to human rights principles is the recent withdrawal of some products from the market in by GAP, a transnational company following discovery that child labour was used in the production process. Global governance has led to an unprecedented growth in the number of multinational corporations collaborating with the UN, World Bank and other actors of global governance. This resulted to various commitments made by NGOS, IGOs and donor agencies to partnership with the private sector to achieve sustainable development and security. The 1997 UK government White Paper on International Development made a commitment to; ‘‘move away from a narrow relationship based on individual contracts to a broader sharing of approaches to the eradication of poverty, drawing on the extensive skills of the British private sector’’ (Duffield; 2001, 63) . Duffield described this system as one characterised by decentralisation of power, devolution of authority and cooperation in various capacities between states and non states actors, private and public institutions as well as military and civilian establishments. The emerging global governance thrives on establishing networks across boundaries to share information, build synergies of comparative advantage and coordinate actions against contemporary challenges. This accounts for the continuous economic integration and political unification being pursued by regional organisations such as the European Union and African Union albeit weak resistance and hesitation from some member states (Duffield; 1997, 528). The border restrictions have withered away as citizens of any West African country has free access to other West African countries. In Europe, the Euro is now a legal tender within some EU member nations. Talks for common foreign policy and other unifying reforms are in high gear. Despite losing some of its influence in the state due to the emerging global governance, Duffield alludes that ‘‘governments have acquired the ability to project authority through non-territorial and non-state systems’’ (Duffield; 2001, 72). Besides creating conduit for other actors to intervene in troubled zones, state participation legitimises activities of non state actors like NGOs. Governments’ controlled military force remains a sine qua non for peacekeeping. As key actors in global governance, states make up the IGOs, regional organisations, and finance some donor agencies. A case in point is the US President Bush Emergency Plan for Aids Relief in Africa (PEPFAR), a health programme coordinated by the Harvard University in collaboration with local NGOs in Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria. Closely related to that is strengthening of development and security ties between countries in regional, continental and multilateral organisations. Duffield posit that the shortly after the end of the Gulf War, the rise in complex emergencies demanded a system-wide approach to bring succour to the affected people. This led to the creation of the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) now Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), to mobilise and coordinate aid agencies in emergency situations. In the same vein, regional organisations emerged to prevent occurrence of man made emergencies and alleviate peoples’ suffering during complex emergencies in their regions. While the European Union established ECHO in 1993 for this course, ECOWAS has a Humanitarian and Social Affairs Department manage disaster and coordinate emergency management response team. ECOWAS Department of Defence and Security manage ECOMOG, the military monitoring unit of ECOWAS in conflict areas. Apart from ECOWAS, other African countries group under other regional umbrellas such as the East Africa Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC) Community of Sahel-Sahara States (CEN-SAD) and others. These regional bodies meet periodically in the African Union to foster development and security of each region and Africa as a whole. It is important to note that these bodies strive to partner with state and non state actors to provide succour during emergencies. A case in point is the recent assessment of development and stability of African states conducted by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) with the African Peer Review Mechanism. It is in this light that the African Union in collaboration with UN Global Compact is organising a forum on Africa’s industrial drive: The private sector and corporate citizenship billed for 22 January, 2008. With such trans-border relations’ going on in other regions of the world, to say that a system of global governance is emerging is stating the obvious. Another response to the inability of states to solve world problems is the proliferation of influential NGOs since the 1990s. Duffield compared the current role played by NGO in complimenting government development and security strives with their former subcontractor status to illustrate this steady rise in their activities and influence. Presently, relationships are established as means to an end -sustainable development and security. NGOs have taken over some functions of state governments. For example, the primary education in Sri Lanka was managed by NGOs when the state government collapse during the 1987 civil war while the Bangladesh Rural Action Committee (BRAC) runs 35,000 schools in the country (Weiss and Gordenker; 1996, 30). The World Bank also partner with NGOs to provide capital intensive projects in communities. For example, the bank made provisions for NGO participation in 30% of its projects in 1993. In the same vein, the UN relies on NGOs to provide humanitarian assistance during and after conflict. NGOs managed 40% of the refugees created by the 1991 Kurdish crisis in Iraq while the UN catered for 30% of the refugees (ibid; 1996, 31). Find out how our expert essay writers can help you with your work During conflicts, UN gets the consent of warring groups to enable humanitarian agents provide aid for civilian in war zone. This negotiated access has increased the influence and efficiencies of NGOs and other humanitarian groups. The common commitment of NGOs to alleviate human suffering makes them intervene in emergencies. This can be through Northern NGOs funding relief efforts via their Southern partners or by direct involvement of local and international. In direct involvement, Northern NGOs build partnership with Southern governments, Southern NGOs and the local affected community (Anderson and Woodrow; 1998, 37). Another pointer identified by Duffield to buttress the rising relevance of NGOs which supports his postulation of emerging global governance is the expanding network of NGOs. This includes platforms such as the Sterling Committee for Humanitarian Response, whose responsibility is to further cooperation among aid agencies. Furthermore, NGOs have become advocates of international reforms preaching the message gotten from field to other players of international politics. The International Federation of Red Cross Societies’ code of conduct governing impartiality and accountability in humanitarian operations has been widely subscribed to by key organisations. Closely related to that, Amnesty International monitors human rights abuses in the states and puts pressure on the state to turn over a new leaf, while Transparency International monitors the socio-economic and political activities in states. It rates state annually from the most corrupt to the least corrupt. This rating goes a long way to determine investments made by transnational corporations in various countries. While the Bretton woods institutions spin the economic wheel of global governance, Duffield asserted that the present liberal system of global governance dashed the expectations of many who following the end of the cold war expected the United Nation (UN) to evolve into a global government. Rather than that happening, the UN remains an important actor in the emerging global governance. As an organisation of all nation states, the UN article 71 empowers its organ the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to ‘make suitable arrangements for consultation with non-governmental organisations which are concerned with matters within its competence’’. Similarly, in 11 paragraphs of principle in ECOSOC Resolution 1296 (XLIV), NGOs that seek consultative status in world affairs must have embrace goals within the UN economic and social scope. It further requires submission of data on the NGO budget and source of funds (Weiss and Gordenker; 1996, 21-22). These provisions enables the UN to play a coordinating role in the emerging system to ensure that non-state actors imbibe and work within the common guiding principles of nation-states enshrined in the charter of the world body. Closely related to the framework of ECOSOC, the UN Department of Public Information maintains a check on the information dissemination of NGOs. (Ibid; 1996, 23) These trends show the importance the UN on behalf of member states attach to network and alliance formation between NGOs and other non-state actors. In practical situations, UN foster cooperation with NGOs base on NGO community based approach which effectively bridges the gap between relief and development. A case in point is the formation of Partners in Action (Par in Ac) by the UNHCR and ICVA to increase the capacity of responding to global refugee crisis and internally displaced persons.(ibid; 1996, 29) To direct global policy towards eradiating the world problems, the UN set a Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015. The MDGs have become the policy thrust for most countries of the Southern hemisphere. Alongside the aforementioned linkages between the various states and non-state actors to combat global crises is the role played private security companies. Duffield asserts that a cordial understanding between the military and civilian exist in global governance. Regular state military are used to police agreed ceasefire and create conduit for aid providers. During intervention when state military is not provided, private security companies are contracted to provide military advice and security for aid workers. Duffield sites an example with when the US based Military Professional Resources Incorporated (MPRI) was contracted to provide military service to the Croatian government in 1994 under the Democracy Transition Assistance Programme, due to UN arms embargo on Croatia. In summation of the various forms and relations among state and non-state actors, it is evident that sovereign states are gradually losing their competence to provide security and development in the new system. However, they have adapted themselves as partners in progress with non-state actors who now provide innovative forms of mobilisation, intervention and systems of material reward in the interests of global governance. (Duffield; 2002 77) You can get expert help with your essays right now. Find out more Process of Global Governance Base on its definition, global governance is the process of governance which involves state and non state actors working through formal and informal ways to find solutions to the problems of development and security that is beyond the capacity of any individual public or private actor. Interdependent networks of action are formed in the process between all actors from the state level to the regional, continental and global plane. James Rosenau captures this as the degree which authority is formally established to the degree it flows in horizontal and vertical order. (Sending and Neumann; 2006) Hence the variety of actors such as governments, transnational corporations, NGOs and IGOs involve in the process is of major interest. The working arrangement shows that the result of the erosion of state power and the proliferation of NGOs and other actors resulted in the state losing its principal control of governing activities within or across its territories and adapted to the emergent system as a mediator to legitimise the powers of the new actors before its citizens. (Sending and Neumann:2006,655) To assert sovereignty, the bedrock of government, states enact laws to dictate how the country is governed, while global governance replaces law with tactics. Tactics are used to enforce compliance from individuals, groups and the state as a whole (Sending and Neumann: 2006, 656). The conditions set by the Bretton Woods institution to dictate how states run their economy is a strong example of using means rather than laws to achieve set objectives. Sending and Neumann use the Graham Burchell work quoted below to drive home the point; ‘‘offering’’ individuals and collectivities active involvement in action to resolve the kind of issues hitherto held to be the responsibility of authorized governmental agencies. However, the price of this involvement is that they must assume active responsibility for these activities, both for carrying them out and, of course, for their outcomes, and in so doing they are required to conduct t

The Men Who Knew Two Much A Compairson of Hitchocks Classic Original an

The Men Who Knew Two Much A Compairson of Hitchocks Classic Original and Remake Many works of art can be considered artifacts that hold volumes of information regarding the culture of the people that created them and the historical context in which they lived. Films are also treasures of culture, filled with clues and insights into the attitudes and perceptions of the people of the day. While documentary films obviously present a historical record of people and events, dramatic fictional movies can also reveal the same. Comparing the main characters in Hitchcock's 1934 The Man Who knew Too Much with their 1955 counterparts unveils many differences between American and English cultures, expectations of their women and the pre- and post-war world view. THE HEROES [top] The heroes, heroines and villains portrayed in the two versions of the film were drawn quite differently. Lawrence (1934) was assertive and took control of the situation, while McKenna (1955) seemed to let the situation control him. When Lawrence got the message from his wife about the cryptic note, he immediately ran into Louis' room to get it. He used his resources and wit to get him through sticky situations, from standing up to the authority of Scotland Yard, to tangling with the dentist to the chair fight at the church. Lawrence even recruited Clive to do most of the dirty work such as getting a tooth pulled or being hypnotized by the 7-fold ray. Unlike Lawrence, McKenna was largely ineffectual and kind of bumbling at times. It wasn't until the very end that he actually took any risk when he went to the hitman's box at Albert Hall and then when he tripped up Mr. Dreighton on the stairs. McKenna's wife seemed the stronger and smarter one throughout as she was suspicious of Louis in Marrakech and later figured out Ambrose Chapel was a place instead of a person. THE VILLAINS [top] The portrayal of the villain was different in both versions as well. In the first one, the villain was singularly personified in the form of Abbot, but the second film's villain was shared by the Dreightons and the foreigner who wanted to become Ambassador. In contrast, the motive of Abbot was rather ambiguous and only referred to as "the cause," while the assassination of the Ambassador in the color version was clearly a means for personal advancement... ...and hugged. However, the role of women in 1995 America is a little bit 1934, a little bit 1955 and a lot of neither. The following generalizations are just that: Today in this society, women are expected to be sexy and smart,but not too much of either one. If a girl is very glamorous, she is not expected (or desired) by males to be smart, and women see her as hurting the liberation movement, perpetuating the "object" stereotype. On the other hand, a smart, assertive woman is often viewed as being unfeminine and bitchy, especially in the workplace. Hillary Clinton personifies this dichotomy - she was applauded for abandoning the subservient First Lady role and at the same time criticized for overstepping her bounds. Wonder Woman is perhaps the only cultural hero to solve this problem. She could be sexy and strong in her little Wonder Woman outfit and tiara, as well as loyal and subordinate in her glasses as Diana Prince. But she only succeeded by becoming two people. We still have a long way to go. Bibliography: Â ©1996 Chris Sheridan All views expressed are the opinions of the author. Feel free to link to this page. For educational and informational purposes only.

Import Cars vs. Domestic Cars :: Compare Contrast Cars Car Essays

Muscle cars have always been a big in the United States such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette. These cars have been some of the most popular cars for the past 35 or more years, but over the past 20 years, Japanese cars are becoming more and more popular. Many people who are into muscle cars despise these 'imports' and people who are into these imports have the same feelings toward muscle cars. These two types of car lovers have a strong dislike for each other and these cars. Many people see both muscle and import cars as just a car and don't perceive any difference between the two cars. One of the major differences between the two is the type of engines they have. Most muscle cars have a V-8 or even a V-10 with a large displacement. These engines produce a large amount of horse power and create a lot of torque at the higher RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) range, but to fit these large engines, they need large cars to put them in. On the other hand, imports have a much smaller, inline 4 engine, and because it has a smaller engine, it can fit into a smaller car. To make comparing easier, a 2004 Ford SVT (Special Vehicle Teams) Mustang Cobra and a 2000 Acura Integra Type R will be used as the comparison. The engine in the Mustang is a 4.601 liter, 280.8 cubic inch V-8 engine with 32 valves DOHC (Dual Over Head Cams), sequential electronic fuel injection, and an Eaton Generation IV roots-type supercharger, with a TTC T-56 6 speed Manual creating 390 break horse power at 6000 RPM and 389 foot pounds of torque at 3500 RPM. It has a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds, a quarter mile time of 12.6 seconds at 112 mph, and has a limited top speed of 155 mph. The Integra has a B18C5, 1.797 liter, 110 cubic inch, 4 cylinders, 16 valves DOHC VTEC engine. It creates 195 horse power at 8000 RPM and 130 foot pounds of torque at 7000 RPM. It has a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds, a quarter mile time of 14.7 seconds, and has a limited top speed of 135 mph. Even though the Integra is slower than the Mustang, the Integra engine has something the Mustang engine does not have, and that is a VTEC.

Air Pollution from World War Ii Production

Air pollution From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Air pollution from World War II production Smog over Santiago, Chile Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment into the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a complex dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet Earth.Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth's ecosystems. Indoor air pollution and urban air quality are listed as two of the world's worst pollution problems in the 2008 Blacksmith Institute World's Worst Polluted Places report. [1] Contents[hide] * 1 Pollutants * 2 Sources * 2. 1 Emission factors * 3 Indoor air quality (IAQ) * 4 Health effects * 4. 1 Effects on cystic fibrosis * 4. 2 Effects on COPD * 4. Effects on children * 4. 4 Heal th effects in relatively â€Å"clean† areas * 5 Reduction efforts * 5. 1 Control devices * 6 Legal regulations * 7 Cities * 8 Carbon dioxide emissions * 9 Atmospheric dispersion * 10 Environmental impacts of greenhouse gas pollutants * 11 See also * 12 References * 13 External links| [edit] Pollutants Main articles: Pollutant and Greenhouse gas Before flue gas desulfurization was installed, the emissions from this power plant in New Mexico contained excessive amounts of sulfur dioxide.Schematic drawing, causes and effects of air pollution: (1) greenhouse effect, (2) particulate contamination, (3) increased UV radiation, (4) acid rain, (5) increased ozone concentration, (6) increased levels of nitrogen oxides An air pollutant is known as a substance in the air that can cause harm to humans and the environment. Pollutants can be in the form of solid particles, liquid droplets, or gases. In addition, they may be natural or man-made. [2] Pollutants can be classified as either pri mary or secondary.Usually, primary pollutants are substances directly emitted from a process, such as ash from a volcanic eruption, the carbon monoxide gas from a motor vehicle exhaust or sulfur dioxide released from factories. Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly. Rather, they form in the air when primary pollutants react or interact. An important example of a secondary pollutant is ground level ozone  Ã¢â‚¬â€ one of the many secondary pollutants that make up photochemical smog. Note that some pollutants may be both primary and secondary: that is, they are both emitted directly and formed from other primary pollutants.About 4 percent of deaths in the United States can be attributed to air pollution, according to the Environmental Science Engineering Program at the Harvard School of Public Health. Major primary pollutants produced by human activity include: * Sulfur oxides (SOx) – especially sulfur dioxide, a chemical compound with the formula SO2. SO2 is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide. Further oxidation of SO2, usually in the presence of a catalyst such as NO2, forms H2SO4, and thus acid rain. 2] This is one of the causes for concern over the environmental impact of the use of these fuels as power sources. * Nitrogen oxides (NOx) – especially nitrogen dioxide are emitted from high temperature combustion. Can be seen as the brown haze dome above or plume downwind of cities. Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula NO2. It is one of the several nitrogen oxides. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odor. NO2 is one of the most prominent air pollutants. * Carbon monoxide – is a colourless, odourless, non-irritating but very poisonous gas.It is a product by incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, coal or wood. Vehicular exhaust is a major source of car bon monoxide. * Carbon dioxide (CO2) – a greenhouse gas emitted from combustion but is also a gas vital to living organisms. It is a natural gas in the atmosphere. * Volatile organic compounds – VOCs are an important outdoor air pollutant. In this field they are often divided into the separate categories of methane (CH4) and non-methane (NMVOCs). Methane is an extremely efficient greenhouse gas which contributes to enhanced global warming. Other hydrocarbon VOCs are lso significant greenhouse gases via their role in creating ozone and in prolonging the life of methane in the atmosphere, although the effect varies depending on local air quality. Within the NMVOCs, the aromatic compounds benzene, toluene and xylene are suspected carcinogens and may lead to leukemia through prolonged exposure. 1,3-butadiene is another dangerous compound which is often associated with industrial uses. * Particulate matter – Particulates, alternatively referred to as particulate matt er (PM) or fine particles, are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas.In contrast, aerosol refers to particles and the gas together. Sources of particulate matter can be man made or natural. Some particulates occur naturally, originating from volcanoes, dust storms, forest and grassland fires, living vegetation, and sea spray. Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants and various industrial processes also generate significant amounts of aerosols. Averaged over the globe, anthropogenic aerosols—those made by human activities—currently account for about 10 percent of the total amount of aerosols in our atmosphere.Increased levels of fine particles in the air are linked to health hazards such as heart disease,[3] altered lung function and lung cancer. * Persistent free radicals connected to airborne fine particles could cause cardiopulmonary disease. [4][5] * Toxic metals, such as lead, cadmium and copper. * Chlorofluoro carbons (CFCs) – harmful to the ozone layer emitted from products currently banned from use. * Ammonia (NH3) – emitted from agricultural processes. Ammonia is a compound with the formula NH3. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor.Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or indirectly, is also a building block for the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals. Although in wide use, ammonia is both caustic and hazardous. * Odors  Ã¢â‚¬â€ such as from garbage, sewage, and industrial processes * Radioactive pollutants – produced by nuclear explosions, war explosives, and natural processes such as the radioactive decay of radon. Secondary pollutants include: Particulate matter formed from gaseous primary pollutants and compounds in photochemical smog. Smog is a kind of air pollution; the word â€Å"smog† is a portmanteau of smoke and fog. Classic smog results from large amounts of coal burning in an area caused by a mixture of smoke and sulfur dioxide. Modern smog does not usually come from coal but from vehicular and industrial emissions that are acted on in the atmosphere by sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine with the primary emissions to form photochemical smog. Ground level ozone (O3) formed from NOx and VOCs. Ozone (O3) is a key constituent of the troposphere (it is also an important constituent of certain regions of the stratosphere commonly known as the Ozone layer). Photochemical and chemical reactions involving it drive many of the chemical processes that occur in the atmosphere by day and by night. At abnormally high concentrations brought about by human activities (largely the combustion of fossil fuel), it is a pollutant, and a constituent of smog. Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) – similarly formed from NOx and VOCs. Minor air pollutants include: * A la rge number of minor hazardous air pollutants. Some of these are regulated in USA under the Clean Air Act and in Europe under the Air Framework Directive. * A variety of persistent organic pollutants, which can attach to particulate matter. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes.Because of this, they have been observed to persist in the environment, to be capable of long-range transport, bioaccumulate in human and animal tissue, biomagnify in food chains, and to have potential significant impacts on human health and the environment. [edit] Sources Main article: AP 42 Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas Controlled burning of a field outside of Statesboro, Georgia in preparation for spring planting Sources of air pollution refer to the various locations, activities or factors which are responsible for the releasing of pollutants n the atmosphere. These sources can be classified into two major categories which are: Anthropogenic sources (human activity) mostly related to burning different kinds of fuel * â€Å"Stationary Sources† include smoke stacks of power plants, manufacturing facilities (factories) and waste incinerators, as well as furnaces and other types of fuel-burning heating devices * â€Å"Mobile Sources† include motor vehicles, marine vessels, aircraft and the effect of sound etc. * Chemicals, dust and controlled burn practices in agriculture and forestry management.Controlled or prescribed burning is a technique sometimes used in forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. Fire is a natural part of both forest and grassland ecology and controlled fire can be a tool for foresters. Controlled burning stimulates the germination of some desirable forest trees, thus renewing the forest. * Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol spra ys and other solvents * Waste deposition in landfills, which generate methane. Methane is not toxic; however, it is highly flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air.Methane is also an asphyxiant and may displace oxygen in an enclosed space. Asphyxia or suffocation may result if the oxygen concentration is reduced to below 19. 5% by displacement * Military, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ warfare and rocketry Natural sources * Dust from natural sources, usually large areas of land with little or no vegetation. * Methane, emitted by the digestion of food by animals, for example cattle. * Radon gas from radioactive decay within the Earth's crust. Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium.It is considered to be a health hazard. Radon gas from natural sources can accumulate in buildings, especially in confined areas such as the basement and it is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, aft er cigarette smoking. * Smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires. * Volcanic activity, which produce sulfur, chlorine, and ash particulates. [edit] Emission factors Main article: AP 42 Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors Air pollutant emission factors are representative values that attempt to relate the quantity of a pollutant released to the ambient air with an activity associated with the release of that pollutant.These factors are usually expressed as the weight of pollutant divided by a unit weight, volume, distance, or duration of the activity emitting the pollutant (e. g. , kilograms of particulate emitted per megagram of coal burned). Such factors facilitate estimation of emissions from various sources of air pollution. In most cases, these factors are simply averages of all available data of acceptable quality, and are generally assumed to be representative of long-term averages. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has published a compilation of air p ollutant emission factors for a multitude of industrial sources. 6] The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and many other countries have published similar compilations, as well as the European Environment Agency. [7][8][9][10][11] [edit] Indoor air quality (IAQ) Main article: Indoor air quality A lack of ventilation indoors concentrates air pollution where people often spend the majority of their time. Radon (Rn) gas, a carcinogen, is exuded from the Earth in certain locations and trapped inside houses. Building materials including carpeting and plywood emit formaldehyde (H2CO) gas. Paint and solvents give off volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as they dry.Lead paint can degenerate into dust and be inhaled. Intentional air pollution is introduced with the use of air fresheners, incense, and other scented items. Controlled wood fires in stoves and fireplaces can add significant amounts of smoke particulates into the air, inside and out. [12] Indoor pollution fatalities may be caused by using pesticides and other chemical sprays indoors without proper ventilation. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and fatalities are often caused by faulty vents and chimneys, or by the burning of charcoal indoors. Chronic carbon monoxide poisoning can result even from poorly adjusted pilot lights.Traps are built into all domestic plumbing to keep sewer gas, hydrogen sulfide, out of interiors. Clothing emits tetrachloroethylene, or other dry cleaning fluids, for days after dry cleaning. Though its use has now been banned in many countries, the extensive use of asbestos in industrial and domestic environments in the past has left a potentially very dangerous material in many localities. Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory medical condition affecting the tissue of the lungs. It occurs after long-term, heavy exposure to asbestos from asbestos-containing materials in structures.Sufferers have severe dyspnea (shortness of breath) and are at an increased risk regarding several different typ es of lung cancer. As clear explanations are not always stressed in non-technical literature, care should be taken to distinguish between several forms of relevant diseases. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)[dead link], these may defined as; asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma (generally a very rare form of cancer, when more widespread it is almost always associated with prolonged exposure to asbestos). Biological sources of air pollution are also found indoors, as gases and airborne particulates.Pets produce dander, people produce dust from minute skin flakes and decomposed hair, dust mites in bedding, carpeting and furniture produce enzymes and micrometre-sized fecal droppings, inhabitants emit methane, mold forms in walls and generates mycotoxins and spores, air conditioning systems can incubate Legionnaires' disease and mold, and houseplants, soil and surrounding gardens can produce pollen, dust, and mold. Indoors, the lack of air circulation allows these ai rborne pollutants to accumulate more than they would otherwise occur in nature. edit] Health effects The World Health Organization states that 2. 4 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution, with 1. 5 million of these deaths attributable to indoor air pollution. [13] â€Å"Epidemiological studies suggest that more than 500,000 Americans die each year from cardiopulmonary disease linked to breathing fine particle air pollution. . . â€Å"[14] A study by the University of Birmingham has shown a strong correlation between pneumonia related deaths and air pollution from motor vehicles. 15] Worldwide more deaths per year are linked to air pollution than to automobile accidents. [citation needed] Published in 2005 suggests that 310,000 Europeans die from air pollution annually. [citation needed] Causes of deaths include aggravated asthma, emphysema, lung and heart diseases, and respiratory allergies. [citation needed] The US EPA estimates that a pro posed set of changes in diesel engine technology (Tier 2) could result in 12,000 fewer premature mortalities, 15,000 fewer heart attacks, 6,000 fewer emergency room visits by children with asthma, and 8,900 fewer espiratory-related hospital admissions each year in the United States. [citation needed] The worst short term civilian pollution crisis in India was the 1984 Bhopal Disaster. [16] Leaked industrial vapors from the Union Carbide factory, belonging to Union Carbide, Inc. , U. S. A. , killed more than 25,000 people outright and injured anywhere from 150,000 to 600,000. The United Kingdom suffered its worst air pollution event when the December 4 Great Smog of 1952 formed over London. In six days more than 4,000 died, and 8,000 more died within the following months. citation needed] An accidental leak of anthrax spores from a biological warfare laboratory in the former USSR in 1979 near Sverdlovsk is believed to have been the cause of hundreds of civilian deaths. [citation need ed] The worst single incident of air pollution to occur in the United States of America occurred in Donora, Pennsylvania in late October, 1948, when 20 people died and over 7,000 were injured. [17] The health effects caused by air pollutants may include difficulty in breathing, wheezing, coughing and aggravation of existing respiratory and cardiac conditions.These effects can result in increased medication use, increased doctor or emergency room visits, more hospital admissions and premature death. The human health effects of poor air quality are far reaching, but principally affect the body's respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. Individual reactions to air pollutants depend on the type of pollutant a person is exposed to, the degree of exposure, the individual's health status and genetics. citation needed] A new economic study of the health impacts and associated costs of air pollution in the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley of Southern California shows that mo re than 3800 people die prematurely (approximately 14 years earlier than normal) each year because air pollution levels violate federal standards. The number of annual premature deaths is considerably higher than the fatalities related to auto collisions in the same area, which average fewer than 2,000 per year. 18] Diesel exhaust (DE) is a major contributor to combustion derived particulate matter air pollution. In several human experimental studies, using a well validated exposure chamber setup, DE has been linked to acute vascular dysfunction and increased thrombus formation. [19][20] This serves as a plausible mechanistic link between the previously described association between particulate matter air pollution and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. [edit] Effects on cystic fibrosis Main article: Cystic fibrosisA study from around the years of 1999 to 2000, by the University of Washington, showed that patients near and around particulate matter air pollution had a n increased risk of pulmonary exacerbations and decrease in lung function. [21] Patients were examined before the study for amounts of specific pollutants like Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Burkholderia cenocepacia as well as their socioeconomic standing. Participants involved in the study were located in the United States in close proximity to an Environmental Protection Agency. clarification needed] During the time of the study 117 deaths were associated with air pollution. Many patients in the study lived in or near large metropolitan areas in order to be close to medical help. These same patients had higher level of pollutants found in their system because of more emissions in larger cities. As cystic fibrosis patients already suffer from decreased lung function, everyday pollutants such as smoke, emissions from automobiles, tobacco smoke and improper use of indoor heating devices could further compromise lung function. 22] [edit] Effects on COPD Main article: Chronic obstructive pu lmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) include diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and some forms of asthma. [23] A study conducted in 1960-1961 in the wake of the Great Smog of 1952 compared 293 London residents with 477 residents of Gloucester, Peterborough, and Norwich, three towns with low reported death rates from chronic bronchitis. All subjects were male postal truck drivers aged 40 to 59.Compared to the subjects from the outlying towns, the London subjects exhibited more severe respiratory symptoms (including cough, phlegm, and dyspnea), reduced lung function (FEV1 and peak flow rate), and increased sputum production and purulence. The differences were more pronounced for subjects aged 50 to 59. The study controlled for age and smoking habits, so concluded that air pollution was the most likely cause of the observed differences. [24] It is believed that much like cystic fibrosis, by living in a more urban environment serious health hazards b ecome more apparent.Studies have shown that in urban areas patients suffer mucus hypersecretion, lower levels of lung function, and more self diagnosis of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. [25] [edit] Effects on children Cities around the world with high exposure to air pollutants have the possibility of children living within them to develop asthma, pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections as well as a low initial birth rate. Protective measures to ensure the youths' health are being taken in cities such as New Delhi, India where buses now use compressed natural gas to help eliminate the â€Å"pea-soup† smog. 26] Research by the World Health Organization shows there is the greatest concentration of particulate matter particles in countries with low economic world power and high poverty and population rates. Examples of these countries include Egypt, Sudan, Mongolia, and Indonesia. The Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, however in 2002 at least 146 million Americans we re living in areas that did not meet at least one of the â€Å"criteria pollutants† laid out in the 1997 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. [27] Those pollutants included: ozone, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead.Because children are outdoors more and have higher minute ventilation they are more susceptible to the dangers of air pollution. [edit] Health effects in relatively â€Å"clean† areas Even in areas with relatively low levels of air pollution, public health effects can be substantial and costly. This is because effects can occur at very low levels and a large number of people can potentially breathe in such pollutants. A 2005 scientific study for the British Columbia Lung Association showed that a 1% improvement in ambient PM2. 5 and ozone concentrations will produce a $29 million in annual savings in the region in 2010. 28] This finding is based on health valuation of lethal (mortality) and sub-lethal (morbidi ty) effects. [edit] Reduction efforts There are various air pollution control technologies and land use planning strategies available to reduce air pollution. At its most basic level land use planning is likely to involve zoning and transport infrastructure planning. In most developed countries, land use planning is an important part of social policy, ensuring that land is used efficiently for the benefit of the wider economy and population as well as to protect the environment.Efforts to reduce pollution from mobile sources includes primary regulation (many developing countries have permissive regulations),[citation needed] expanding regulation to new sources (such as cruise and transport ships, farm equipment, and small gas-powered equipment such as lawn trimmers, chainsaws, and snowmobiles), increased fuel efficiency (such as through the use of hybrid vehicles), conversion to cleaner fuels (such as bioethanol, biodiesel, or conversion to electric vehicles). [edit] Control devices The following items are commonly used as pollution control devices by industry or transportation devices. They can either destroy contaminants or remove them from an exhaust stream before it is emitted into the atmosphere. * Particulate control * Mechanical collectors (dust cyclones, multicyclones) * Electrostatic precipitators An electrostatic precipitator (ESP), or electrostatic air cleaner is a particulate collection device that removes particles from a flowing gas (such as air) using the force of an induced electrostatic charge.Electrostatic precipitators are highly efficient filtration devices that minimally impede the flow of gases through the device, and can easily remove fine particulate matter such as dust and smoke from the air stream. * Baghouses Designed to handle heavy dust loads, a dust collector consists of a blower, dust filter, a filter-cleaning system, and a dust receptacle or dust removal system (distinguished from air cleaners which utilize disposable filters to remove the dust). * * Particulate scrubbersWet scrubber is a form of pollution control technology.The term describes a variety of devices that use pollutants from a furnace flue gas or from other gas streams. In a wet scrubber, the polluted gas stream is brought into contact with the scrubbing liquid, by spraying it with the liquid, by forcing it through a pool of liquid, or by some other contact method, so as to remove the pollutants. * Scrubbers * Baffle spray scrubber * Cyclonic spray scrubber * Ejector venturi scrubber * Mechanically aided scrubber * Spray tower * Wet scrubber * NOx control * Low NOx burners Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) * Selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) * NOx scrubbers * Exhaust gas recirculation * Catalytic converter (also for VOC control) * VOC abatement * Adsorption systems, such as activated carbon * Flares * Thermal oxidizers * Catalytic oxidizers * Biofilters * Absorption (scrubbing) * Cryogenic condensers * Vapor recovery systems * Acid Ga s/SO2 control * Wet scrubbers * Dry scrubbers * Flue gas desulfurization * Mercury control * Sorbent Injection Technology * Electro-Catalytic Oxidation (ECO) K-Fuel * Dioxin and furan control * Miscellaneous associated equipment * Source capturing systems * Continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) [edit] Legal regulations Smog in Cairo In general, there are two types of air quality standards. The first class of standards (such as the U. S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards) set maximum atmospheric concentrations for specific pollutants. Environmental agencies enact regulations which are intended to result in attainment of these target levels.The second class (such as the North American Air Quality Index) take the form of a scale with various thresholds, which is used to communicate to the public the relative risk of outdoor activity. The scale may or may not distinguish between different pollutants. [edit] Cities Air pollution is usually concentrated in densely populated metropolitan areas, especially in developing countries where environmental regulations are relatively lax or nonexistent. However, even populated areas in developed countries attain unhealthy levels of pollution. [edit] Carbon dioxide emissionsMost Polluted World Cities by PM[29]| Particulate matter, ?g/m? (2004)| City| 169| Cairo, Egypt| 150| Delhi, India| 128| Kolkata, India (Calcutta)| 125| Tianjin, China| 123| Chongqing, China| 109| Kanpur, India| 109| Lucknow, India| 104| Jakarta, Indonesia| 101| Shenyang, China| Total CO2 emissions Main article: List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions Countries with the highest CO2 emissions| Country| Carbon dioxide emissions per year (106 Tons) (2006)| Percentage of global total| China| 6,103| 21. 5%| United States| 5,752| 20. 2%| Russia| 1,564| 5. 5%| India| 1,510| 5. %| Japan| 1293| 4. 6%| Germany| 805| 2. 8%| United Kingdom| 568| 2. 0%| Canada| 544| 1. 9%| South Korea| 475| 1. 7%| Italy| 474| 1. 7%| Per capita CO2 emissions[30] Main article: List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita Countries with the highest per capita CO2 emissions| Country| Carbon dioxide emissions per year (Tons per person) (2006)| | Qatar| 56. 2| | United Arab Emirates| 32. 8| | Kuwait| 31. 2| | Bahrain| 28. 8| | Trinidad and Tobago| 25. 3| | Luxembourg| 24. 5| | Netherlands Antilles| 22. 8| | Aruba| 22. 3| | United States| 19| | Australia| 18. | | [edit] Atmospheric dispersion Main article: Atmospheric dispersion modeling The basic technology for analyzing air pollution is through the use of a variety of mathematical models for predicting the transport of air pollutants in the lower atmosphere. The principal methodologies are: * Point source dispersion, used for industrial sources. * Line source dispersion, used for airport and roadway air dispersion modeling * Area source dispersion, used for forest fires or duststorms * Photochemical models, used to analyze reactive pollutants that form smogVisualization of a buoyant Gaus sian air pollution dispersion plume as used in many atmospheric dispersion models The point source problem is the best understood, since it involves simpler mathematics and has been studied for a long period of time, dating back to about the year 1900. It uses a Gaussian dispersion model for buoyant pollution plumes to forecast the air pollution isopleths, with consideration given to wind velocity, stack height, emission rate and stability class (a measure of atmospheric turbulence). [31][32] This model has been extensively validated and calibrated with experimental data for all sorts of atmospheric conditions.The roadway air dispersion model was developed starting in the late 1950s and early 1960s in response to requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the U. S. Department of Transportation (then known as the Federal Highway Administration) to understand impacts of proposed new highways upon air quality, especially in urban areas. Several research groups were activ e in this model development, among which were: the Environmental Research and Technology (ERT) group in Lexington, Massachusetts, the ESL Inc. roup in Sunnyvale, California and the California Air Resources Board group in Sacramento, California. The research of the ESL group received a boost with a contract award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to validate a line source model using sulfur hexafluoride as a tracer gas. This program was successful in validating the line source model developed by ESL inc. Some of the earliest uses of the model were in court cases involving highway air pollution, the Arlington, Virginia portion of Interstate 66 and the New Jersey Turnpike widening project through East Brunswick, New Jersey.Area source models were developed in 1971 through 1974 by the ERT and ESL groups, but addressed a smaller fraction of total air pollution emissions, so that their use and need was not as widespread as the line source model, which enjoyed hundreds of different applications as early as the 1970s. Similarly photochemical models were developed primarily in the 1960s and 1970s, but their use was more specialized and for regional needs, such as understanding smog formation in Los Angeles, California.