Environmental Issues For The Countries Of Asia Environmental Sciences Essay

Environmental Issues For The Countries Of Asia Environmental Sciences Essay Asia and its various countries have considerable environmental issues which are cause for concern if not managed effectively. Most of these issues stem from the introduction of capitalism, which has meant rapid industrialisation at a pace difficult to keep up with. Environmental issues arising from capitalism are exploitation of land and natural resources, with devastating effects. Rapid population growth has seen an increase in air pollution and has also been a major issue in developing countries. This paper will look at some of the important environmental issues in Japan, China and Indonesia. It will also look at what governments and transnational organisations have done to address them. Currently, environmental issues are population, water eutrophication, air pollution, waste management, nature conservation, chemical management and international co-operation for environmental conservation  [1]  . Japan currently has one of the worlds highest life expectancies at 81.25 and ranked at the 10th most populated country with 127 million in 2006  [2]  . It has been anticipated that due to falling birth-rates the population will be lower in the long term, yet the current ageing population will rise from 6% to 15% by 2025  [3]  . One issue is how the smaller, younger working generations will support the larger ageing generations  [4]  and what plans the government has in store to address these issues. From an environmental viewpoint, on one hand the workforce and younger generations contribute to the economy, and so balance out their own greater energy consumption. However it is thought that the older generation will ultimately consume more energy via the residential sector  [5]  . Another issue is how to keep Japans modest natural resources for e.g. land, air and water healthy for future generations  [6]  to enjoy. Lake Biwa provides a good example of water eutrophication. Post Second World War economic activities led to economic growth of Japan  [7]  . Due to no knowledge of water quality management, contamination from local industry and agricultural runoff led to rapid and intense pollution and deterioration of many water systems e.g. Lake Biwas plankton biomass, red and bluegreen algae blooms and eventual high rate of eutrophication  [8]  .The introduction of wastewater treatment, banning of certain detergents containing polyphosphates and construction of wetlands to support drainage by local government and community efforts led to a halt in degradation  [9]  . At the same time as Lake Biwa, Minamata Bay was being poisoned. Minamata Disease was not discovered until it was realised that approximately 4000 victims  [10]  had in common the fact they had all eaten fish from the Minamata Bay. After years of testing, along with protests from the Nippon Chisso Company who had a defective production process for acetaldehyde, it was finally determined that massive amounts of mercury had been dumped into the bay by the same company, and had caused much suffering and death  [11]  . Industrialisation has caused air pollution to be a major issue in Japan. In the 1950s and 60s it experienced levels of pollution 3-5 times higher than current national ambient air quality standards  [12]  hence very high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses  [13]   Japans population, limited resources and past environmental experiences have meant moving toward more sustainable development. The government has recognised the need to address these problems. The Millennium Project is one strategy whereby the government is committed to achieving set Millennium Development Goals to help reverse international problems of poverty and sustainable development  [14]  . Concurrently, ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) began a study called A study on Economic Social Structure in the 21st Century, which manages issues of ageing impact on the environment. Strict regulations; strong monitoring abilities; overhauling of relevant legislative framework; setting new standards and monetary assistance for research on sustainable technologies have been effective in the implementation of environmental policy  [15]  . Family policy was implemented in the shape of pension reform; the introduction of the LTCI (Long Term Care Insurance) and its reform in 2005  [16]  and Health Policy  [17]  . All are all ways in which the government and transnational organisations have attempted to address the environmental problems. China According to Thavasi and Ramakrishna, China represents 20% of the global population with 1.3 billion people. There is no doubt that the urbanisation of the Chinese population and environmental issues are directly connected. The link between population growth, the need for economic growth and energy consumption unfortunately overlaps with agriculture, natural resources and industrial activities. This overlap is has a negative impact upon human health and the immediate environment, and according to Bannister is irreparable in the medium term  [18]  . Many would agree that air pollution is one of Chinas major environmental issues and is determined by some to be one of the leading causes of death. It is caused mainly by burning of fossil fuels for electricity production and transport  [19]  . The transport sector has grown in conjunction with the population over recent decades. The consumption of petroleum for transport increased on an average 6.7% a year between 1990 and 2002. Although China was a primary producer of petroleum, they began importing in 1996 as consumption outweighed produce. By 2007 Chinas net oil imports including crude and refined petroleum products had increased rapidly at an astonishing rate of 22 percent annually, reaching 197 million tonnes in 2007  [20]  . About 90% of the fuel used to generate electricity from consists of coal, making thermal power stations a major source of concentrated pollution. This pollution consists of primary particles and S0à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ emissions, of which China is classified as 99 in the world based on its C0à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ emissions per capita  [21]  . Larger power plants are more efficient in terms of coal use than smaller plants because they have higher combustion efficiency, so less coal is needed to create the same amount of power. Also, the taller smoke stacks of the larger power plants disperse pollution over a much larger area making them appear less damaging per ton than the smaller plants, whose pollution is spread over a more concentrated area  [22]  . Government strategies have been to close down the smaller plants, limit mining of high -sulphur coal and encourage encourage high stacks on power plants. These strategies were not enough to keep emissions below the emission standards. In 2004 the government implemented a decree to raise fees for sulphur emissions. All new plants will install desulphurisation and older plants will install over time  [23]  . Most recently, the government plan to reduce sulphur emissions is to install (FGD) flue gas desulphurisation so that by2010, emissions will be reduced by 6 000 million tons  [24]  . With the exception of cement manufacturing which is spread throughout urban and rural areas, heavy industry such as chemical manufacturing plants and large iron and steel mills were a major part of Chinas economy in the past. By means of government policy of the time, these plants and mills were built close to cities to create employment and increase economy  [25]  . Human exposure to these and other air pollutants can cause health issues such as respiratory illnesses, chronic bronchitis, skin and eye irritation, chronic and obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary heart disease, asthma and lung cancer  [26]   Water quality has also been affected by industry. Population growth led to expansion of cities and industry. This resulted in a large increase of freshwater aqua cultural fishing, more dumped industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and sewerage which has caused rapid decline of Chinas water supply and similar to Japan, the worsening eutrophication of lakes  [27]  . Between 2000 and 2005, an increase from 30% to 45% in wastewater treatment should have seen a slowing down of eutrophication. However, due to the mentioned expansion, the amount of wastewater entering the lakes continues to increase accordingly. The four trophic states of a lake are ogliotrophic being most pure, mesotrophic, eutrophic and hypereutrophic being virtually dead. To reach the hypereutrophic state could take thousands of years if at all. However the waste continually enters the lakes at such a rate that it has caused some like Dianche Lake, to change from eutrophic to hypereutrophic in less than 20 years  [28]  . Measures implemented by the government to reduce water pollution include building more wastewater plants and sewer collection systems, promoting clean production in factories, control of types and quantities of pesticides used, and more environmentally friendly methods of irrigation. Research on economical technologies into prevention of damage from fertilisers is also being conducted by the government in conjunction with local communities  [29]  . South-east Asia The most important pressures on Japans environment today originate from transport, agriculture, industry and, particularly, the growth of energy demand and private final consumption. Priority environmental issues include urban air pollution (NOx, suspended particulate matter, toxics), waste management, water eutrophication, nature conservation, climate change, chemical management and international co-operation for environmental conservation. The Ministry of the Environment was established in 2001, 30 years after the Japan Environment Agency (which it replaced), with extended or strengthened environmental responsibilities such as waste management, international environmental co-operation. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/0/16/2110703.pdf Environmental performance review of Japan:summary and conclusions

Ethics Case Study Essay

What are Ethics? Ethics are standards of behavior, developed as a result of ones concept of right and wrong (Judson & Harrison, 2010). Code of ethics is a list of principles that is intended to influence the actions of healthcare professionals within an organization. Ethical principles help guide the decision-making process among healthcare workers in complicated situations. This paper will review the assigned case study and provide the reader with the ethical issues and principles. The case study discussed an 8-month old child brought into the emergency department by the mother due to inconsolable crying. It was reported that the child had been crying since picked up at daycare. The nurse found that the child’s vital signs were slightly elevated and child’s thighs were edematous and warm to the touch. The assessment was then presented to the physician; concern was expressed that the child may have been injured. An x-ray was ordered revealing fractures to both femurs. The mother was informed of the findings by the physician; after speaking with the mother the physician decided it was not child abuse and therefore, the situation did not need to be reported. The ethical issues involved in this case study are the nurse and physician’s responsibility to report suspected child abuse. Social services should have been consulted to assist in the process of reporting the situation to Child Protective Services (CPS). Hardy and Armitage state â€Å"In all actions concerning children, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration† (2002, p. 109). In this case, the primary consideration was not in the best interest of the child. According to Judson and Harrison the physician has the responsibility to understand the tools for diagnosing and treating abuse and to be familiar with the available resources (2010). The nurse in this case has the ethical duty to report the physician for not having concern regarding a possible child abuse situation. Healthcare professionals have an ethical duty to expose unethical behaviors by other members of the healthcare field. Nursing has progressed over the years into a respected and honorable profession. Insaf Altun (2008) states it best by saying, â€Å"The six key roles  of nursing are: advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy, in patient and health systems management, and education† (p. 839). The two key roles the nurse in this case study failed to provide for the patient are advocacy and promotion of a safe environment. If the nurse was using good moral and professional judgment, he or she would have reported the situation immediately for the wellbeing of the child. Three of the ethical principles that are discussed are nonmaleficence, veracity and paternalism. The first ethical principle is nonmaleficence, meaning first do no harm (Judson and Harrison, 2010). A question asked by Milton and Cody (2001 p.290) was, â€Å"How can one keep from doing harm if one acts without knowing what the reality of the lived experience is for the person?† In the case study, neither the nurse nor physician knows what happened to the child or the reality of the circumstances that led to fractured femurs. The healthcare professional would have upheld this ethical principle and the law by reporting the suspected abuse, thus doing no harm and protecting the child from further harm. Another ethical principle that the physician could have used is veracity. The ethical principle of veracity deals with the truth or truth telling (Henry, 2005). The physician in this case should have discussed the health status of the child with the mother, made a â€Å"good† moral judgment, and told the mother the incident must be reported to CPS; the case could have been presented to the mother in a non-accusatory manner. The physician should have been reported for assuming the incident did not need to be reported. Furthermore, the nurse should have stepped forward and reported the incident, thereby promoting veracity on behalf of the case at hand. The third ethical principle in the case study to discuss is paternalism. At times paternalism viewed as a negative act because it allows healthcare providers to make decisions for the patients (Andre & Velasquez, 2008).The facts in the case study provide for an excellent example of when paternalism should be exercised. The nurse or physician in the case study could have used paternalism as a guiding ethical principle to do what was right for the  safety of the child by reporting the incident. The child has no voice to defend or protect him or herself and in this situation, the nurse should have advocated for the patient. The three ethical principles mentioned above are valued in my personal and professional life as a mother, nurse and student. The first ethical principle discussed nonmaleficence has been a personal value of mine throughout my life, used in all aspects of my life. The second ethical principle, veracity is maintained most of the time. I believe there are situations where telling the person the whole truth would not have an optimal outcome. The third ethical principle mentioned paternalism is used at times in my professional life as a nurse and in my personal life as a mother. The outcome of the case study could have been optimal for all involved the child, mother, nurse, and physician if the situation occurred at a children’s hospital. The likelihood of staff in a children’s hospital to have the proper training on signs of, diagnosing, treating, and reporting suspected abuse is much higher than an adult focused medical center. The American Association of Heart Failure Nurses incorporates ethical principles in the respect of advancement of care, education, and research to promote the best outcomes for patients’ with heart failure. One ethical principle used by the association is beneficence; this principle is used by providing evidence-based research, treatment, and education for patients and healthcare professionals. Using evidence-based medicine the association is giving optimal care for this patient population. Using ethical principles healthcare professionals can ensure they are making good moral decisions regarding care and treatment of patients. The ethical principles do not have to be a value of the healthcare professional, but must be upheld for the best interest of the patient. References Altun, I. (2008). Innovation in behavior patterns that characterize nurses. Nursing Ethics, 15(6), 838-840. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from EBSCOHost database. Andre C. & Velasquez M. (2008). For your own good. Retrieved April 21, 2009, fromhttp://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v4n2/owngood.htmlHardy, M., & Armitage, G. (2002). The child’s right to consent to x-ray and imaging investigations: issues of restraint and immobilization from a multidisciplinary perspective. Journal of Child Health Care, 6(2), 107-119. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from SAGE database. Henry, L. (2005). Disclosure of medical errors: Ethical considerations for the development of a facility policy and organizational culture change. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 6(2), 127-134. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from SAGE database. Judson, K. & Harrison, C. (2010). Law and ethics for medical careers (5th ed). New York,NY: McGraw-Hill. Milton, C. & Cody, W. (2001). The ethics of bearing witness in healthcare: A beginning exploration. Nursing Science Quarterly, 14(4), 288-296. Retrieved April 20, 2009 from SAGE database.

Oman Crude Oil Futures Contract Essay

1. Exchange: Dubai Mercantile Exchange 2. Trading Unit: 1,000 U.S. barrels (42,000 gallons) 3. Contract Value: The contract value shall be the Final Settlement Price multiplied by one thousand (1,000) multiplied by the number of Contracts to be delivered 4. Price Quotation: U.S. dollars and cents per barrel 5. Trading Symbol: OQD 6. Trading Hours : Electronic trading is open from 16:00 CST/CDT Sundays and from 17:00 CST/CDT Monday to Thursday and closes at 16:15 CST/CDT the next day, Monday to Friday. 7. Trading Months: The current year and the next five years will be listed. 8. Minimum Price Fluctuation: $0.01 (1) per barrel ($10.00 per contract) 9. Daily Settlement: A daily OSP settlement price will be published as at 16:30 Singapore time. This price represents the weighted average price of trades in the nearby Contract Month between 1625 and 1630 (Singapore). The DME will also publish an end of trading day settlement price for all listed Contract Months, determined as at 13:30 CST/CDT, which coincides with the end of the trading day for NYMEX Light Sweet Crude Oil. This latter settlement price is used by the Clearing House to calculate daily variation margin on all open DME Contracts. 10. Final Settlement Price: The Final Settlement Price for a Contract Month shall be the OSP settlement price on the last Trading Day of the Contract Month. This price represents the weighted average price of trades in the nearby Contract Month between 1615 and 1630 Singapore Time. The Final Settlement Price will be used for purposes of margins for delivery of the Oil. 11. Last Trading Day Trading in the nearby Contract Month shall cease on the last Trading Day of the second month preceding the Delivery Month. 12. Settlement Type :Physical 13. Delivery: F.O.B at the Loading Port, consistent with current terminal operations. Complete delivery rules and provisions are detailed in Chapter 10 of the rulebook. 14. Governing Law: English Law The future price always converges towards the spot price. From the formula side, future quote F=S0 (1+(r+a)T), S0 is the spot quote, r is the interest rate for the future months, a is the cost of carrying. As it comes closer to the delivery day, T becomes smaller. On the other hand, the cost of storage and the interests of loans reduce as time goes by. Therefore, S0(r+a)T decreases. When it is the delivery day, which means that T equals to 0, S0(r+a)T =0, and the future quote F=S0. On the other side, there are always different opinions for investors. For the crude oil futures contract, if an airline company wants to buy a large amount of crude oil at a fixed price in the future, it will currently buy crude oil futures to hedge the risk of fluctuation of oil price. Meanwhile, there may be many speculators who expect that the oil price in the future will go down, thus they will currently sell crude oil futures. Due to massive speculations in the futures market, the futures price and spot price become similar as time goes by. For example, on 11/13/2012, I sell 10 contracts of 6-month crude oil futures, which will be delivered on 5/13/2013, and the spot price is 103.14 $/ barrel. Suppose the interest rate for 6 months is 2%, and cost of carrying is 1% of spot price, The nominal amount of 10 contracts is 10000 $. The price of the futures should be F=103.14(1+(1%+2%)*0.5)=104.69$. If the futures settlement price traded on the market today is 115$, the quantity that should be delivered is Q=10000/115=86.96 barrels. 1. I need to borrow 103.14* 86.96=8968.70$ for 6 months. 2. Buy 86.96 barrels crude oil. 3. Store the oil for 6 months, cost of storage is 8968.70*1%*0.5= 44.84$ 4. After 6 months, I deliver the oil at 115$/ barrel and receive 10000$. And I pay loan interest, which is 8968.70 (1+2%*0.5)=9058.38$ 5. The arbitrage is 10000-44.84-9058.38=896.77$, which is a gain. In this case, I suppose that the futures price is higher than spot price, and speculators are willing to buy underlying asset, and sell futures contract in order to make profits. As a result, the spot price will go up while the futures price will go down. Finally, the futures price will converge to the spot price of underlying asset. When the futures price is lower than spot price, and speculators will buy futures contract, and sell underlying asset in order to make profits. In this way, As a result, the spot price will go down while the futures price will go up, and finally the futures price will converge to the spot price of underlying asset.

Project Management A Successful Project Manager - 885 Words

1. Successful project managers possesses the following characteristics: They are visionary with a clear objective, they communicate with their team about their objectives, how to achieve and distributing the responsibilities. Thereby, making a feasible road map to achieve the objective. They are structured; work on proper alignment, creating a feasible and workable environment with clear objective, motive and proper direction. Making plan layout and action plans and executing as per the plan properly says that a project manager is efficient. A successful project manager loves his work and enjoys taking more responsibilities and challenges in his field. Team building; a successful project manager builds his team with effective communication, impartial or unbiased decisions and management skills. Strong interpersonal skills such as responding, listening to team members and leading their teams from the front makes a project manager successful. 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