How does hitchcock create Essay Example for Free

How does hitchcock create Essay Hitchcock produced Psycho in 1960. It was a groundbreaking film as it was the first American motion picture to feature a toilet being flushed. Also, Janet Leigh was shown in her underwear on more than one occasion, and, during the famous shower scene, its possible to see hints of flesh. Hitchcock used the media to sell his film to a younger, fresher audience. The poster for this movie, at that time was sexually explicit. Hitchcock started a policy whereby viewers would not be permitted into the theatre once the film had begun, a measure, which had never before taken. Hitchcock wanted to manipulate his audience into fear and loathing so he reverted the film to black and white instead of colour. The story concerns a psychopathic murderer; its technique reveals the dark side of all mankind; the inner secrets, deceits and guilts of all human beings. And as this is so true of even the most ordinary situations in life, nothing is as it really seems and that is how the play opens. Showing the ordinary life of her going to work and getting jobs to do. Marion had been given $40,000in cash to deposit in a local bank. When Marion decides to run away with the money the viewers feel quite tense and want to know what will happen next. The psycho is not yet introduced so the viewers focus is on the money. We see Marion with the money, packing a suitcase. It is obvious that she plans to flee with the money but the sympathy of the audience remains with this apparently harassed woman. Throughout the scenes, we have seen reflections of her in mirrors and through windows, all suggest the split personality aspect of the plot. As she makes her escape to leave with the money, she is stopped at a traffic light, her boss pass by in the crosswalk in front of her; the camera angle changes from showing his face to Marions. He at first smiles and nods when recognising her, and leaves the frame of the windshield. Likewise, she smiles nervously. But then he stops, turns and furrows his brow at her. Mr. Lowery is puzzled and concerned to see her in her car when she was supposed to be home sick. Likewise, her face turns frozen after realising that she has been caught. The audience becomes more terrified and nervous to whats going to happen next. Marion is pulled over by a mysterious policeman; the appearance of him with his sunglasses made him look inhuman. He follows her many miles to a car dealer, where Marion cleverly trades her current car in for a used junkie to camouflage herself from peering enemy. Marion then continues to drive along the busy highway until a shielding rainstorm persuades her to stop to rest at The Bates Motel. When Marion arrives at the motel, it immediately tells the viewer that its unusual. The appearance of the motel makes you feel isolated because no one was around. The lights were off it was very disturbing. The gothic image of the house on hill is positioned above the motel, which is very effective and also menacing. The camera angle shows both the motel and the house in one shot. The fact that when she arrives its dark and theres silence the connotations with these factors make you feel unsure. The viewers feel petrified, as something is to happen out of the blue. She meets a shy-but-kind manager, Norman Bates, who offers her a room, a meal, and a sympathetic ear. During her conversation with Norman, when he speaks about the traps that life places everyone in, Marion resolves to return on the following morning and give back the money. Events of the night, which involve violence and the jealous rage of Normans twisted mother, put an end to Marions plans. Norman is dressed plainly and appears normal. The camera zooms into his face making the audience question whether Norman is all that he seems. This close up invites the audience take a closer look at him. Norman hesitates when choosing which cabin to put Marion in. He puts his hand by the key to cabin three; he stops and gives Marion a sneaky look out of the corner of his eye. He then decides to give Marion the key to cabin one. The way in which he hesitates about the key suggests that he has a hidden motive, which the audience later find out is the spy hole in the wall of cabin one. When showing Marion around her room, Norman hesitates when talking about the bathroom. He will not even say the word bathroom and when he has to turn the bathroom light on he quickly puts his hand in and then pulls it back out. This makes the audience think that something may have happened in the bathroom before or Marion may die in the bathroom. Norman seems quite forceful when asking Marion to have dinner with him; this creates tension. When he brings her tray of food, which he suggests she eat in his office because it is more comfortable, he comments, Motherwhat is the phrase? Isnt quite herself today. While shes eating he watches her eat extremely closely which is not typical behaviour this unnerves the viewer. Norman bates has a fascination with death you can see this by the images of the dead birds its like his hobby of taxidermy and also there are birds of prey on the walls which give an idea of killing. After seeing this, the audience becomes all tense and frightened thinking of murder. Their conversation includes references to death and entrapment. He says to Marion you eat like a bird (when there are dead birds on the wall) and he also says that were all in our private traps. This makes the audience know that something is to happen. He also mentions his mum well not directly but he refers to we which implies there is someone else at the house but the viewers dont no who so it leave it as an answered question which is very effective. His conversation show his conflicts with his mother the feeling of hate for her illness this implies hidden secrets. This brings a lot of tension to the audience. The shower scene is one of the most famous sequences ever captured on film for two reasons. As violent as it is you never see the knife go into Marions body and it was the first time the film in history that a major movie star was brutally killed of in the first thirty minutes of the movie. The famous shower sequence, which runs only a minute, took a week to film. Seventy cameras were set up for this scene and more than ten different scenes were used. The scene starts of very calm and peacefully. She opens up a bar of soap, and turns on the overhead shower water from a high up showerhead nozzle that sends arched needles of spray over her like rainwater. There in the exposed privacy of her bathroom, she begins to bath, visibly enjoying the luxurious and healing feel of the cleansing water on her skin. Marion is relieved as the water washes away her guilt and brings energising, reborn life back into her. Large close-ups of the showerhead, that look like a large eye, are shot from her point of view they reveal that the water bursts from its head and pours down on her and the audience. She soaps her neck and arms while smiling in her own private world unaware for the moment to the problems surrounding her life. With her back to the shower curtain, the bathroom door opens and a shadowy, grey tall figure enters the bathroom. Just as the shower curtain completely fills the screen with the camera positioned just inside the tub, the outline figure whips aside the barrier. The outline of the figures dark face, the whites of its eyes, and tight hair bun are all that is visible she uses a scary butcher knife high in the air at first, it appears to be a stab, a stab, stabbing us the victimised viewer! The piercing, shrieking, and screaming of the violin strings play a large part in creating sheer terror during the horrific scene they start screaming before Marions own shrieks. Marion turns, and screams (her wide-open mouth in gigantic close-up), and stands firm as she shields her breasts, while the knife repeatedly rises and falls. The music tenses up the audience and the audience are now very shocked. The murderer appears to stab and pierce into her, shattering her sense of security and escape. The savage killing is kinetically viewed from many angles and views. She is standing in water mixed with spurts of blood dripping down her legs from various gashes symbolic of a deadly and violent rape. She turns and falls against the bathtub tiles, her hand clawing and grasping the back shower wall for the last shred of her own life as the murderer (resembling a grey-haired woman wearing an old-fashioned dress) quickly turns and leaves. With an unblooded face and neck/shoulder area, she leans into the wall and slides, slides, and slides down the wet wall while looking outward with a fixed stare the camera follows her slow descent. The audience is left terrified; the main character has died. As Marion collapses on the floor the cameras slowly tracks the blood and water that flows and swirls together counter-clockwise down into the deep blackness of the bathtub drain Marions life has literally gone down the drain. The drain dissolves into a memorable close up of Marions right eye with one tear drop (or drop of water). The camera pulls back up from the lifeless, staring eye, which was the last shot of the scene. Through out the film music was used to reflect the viewers feeling and, where needed, to heighten them. This was the first time this technique was used. The pace of music changed quite a bit through out the movie. The pace builds up from a slow pace to a faster pace in both scenes when Marion plans to escape with the money and the stabbing in the shower scene. When Marion arrives at the motel there is minimal background noise other then the rain this is very effective because it makes you that shes alone in an isolated place where no one is around. The silence makes the natural/unnatural hesitations in the speech more disturbing and therefore builds tension. The camera angles in psycho were somewhat experimental. It used a wide range of camera shots varying from straightforward long shots to iris shots. Hitchcock was the first person to experiment with this wide range of camera angles. Seeing as this was the first film to use these new techniques, they were used relatively effectively. The use of long shots of the house and then the medium shots of Norman Bates kind of connect the viewers association with the gothic house to Norman making him just as intimidating as the building. One of the most effective shots in the film was the extreme close up of Bates eye when he was looking through the peep hole at Marion getting changed. The only thing in the shot was his eyes and the wall. A beam of light shone through the hole onto Bates eye and this was very effective. This was effective because the scene stood out as his eye appeared through the hole. Psycho was a terrifying film in its day, and still makes the viewers tense with anticipation of whats to come. Many different and subtle innovative techniques were adopted to manipulate its audience and these techniques are very effective. I think this film was very good even though its quite old and its in black and white.

Epidemiolgy of Chikungunya Fever in Srikakulam District

Epidemiolgy of Chikungunya Fever in Srikakulam District Abstract Background: Chikungunya virus is no stranger to the Indian sub-continent. Since its first isolation in Calcutta, in 1963, the last outbreak of chikungunya virus infection occurred in India in 1971. Subsequently, there has been no active or passive surveillance carried out in the country and seemed that the virus has disappeared till the large outbreaks of fever occurred in several parts of Southern India. We report a prospective analysis of cases of chikungunya fever referred from various primary health centers of rural, tribal and semiurban areas of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. Aims of study: To analyse the burden of Chikungunya fever in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh Material and Methods: A prospective descriptive study was under taken between January-2013 to December-2014 by testing clinically suspected chikungunya fever patients attending tertiary care centre in the Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. The sera collected from suspected patients were analyzed for CHIK specific IgM antibody by IgM antibody capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using NIVCHIK kit. The data was analyzed. Results:-During the study period the total number of samples screened with clinical suspicion of chikungunya fever was 127, out of which 23(18.11%) were positive for IgM antibodies. The number of seropositive cases referred from rural area was 3 in number and from tribal areas 20.The seasonal distribution of cases was variable. Conclusion: Chikungunya fever is self limiting disease. Efforts have to be made through community awareness and early institution of supportive therapy. Vector control measures should be in full swing. Key words: Chikungunya fever, IgM positivity, Srikakulam district EPIDEMIOLGY OF CHIKUNGUNYA FEVER IN SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT Introduction Chikungunya (that which bends up) is an infection caused by the chikungunya virus (arbo virus). It features the sudden onset of fever usually lasting two to seven days, and joint pains typically lasting weeks or months but sometimes years.[1] The mortality rate is a little less than 1 in 1000, with the elderly most likely to die.[2] The arbo virus is passed to humans by two species of mosquito of the genus Aedes: A.albopictus and A.aegypti. Animal reservoirs of the virus include monkeys, birds, cattle, and rodents. This is in contrast to dengue, for which only primates are hosts. [3] The best means of prevention is overall mosquito control and the avoidance of bites by mosquitoes in countries where the disease is common. [4] No specific treatment is known, but medications can be used to reduce symptoms. Rest and fluids may also be useful. Material and Methods: A prospective descriptive study was under taken between January-2013 to December-2014 by testing clinically suspected primary Chikungunya patients attending tertiary care centre in the Srikakulam District, Andhra.Pradesh.This centre receives samples from semiurban, rural and tribal areas from Srikakulam district. Blood samples were collected from patients with clinically suspected Chikungunya fever attending the Pediatric and Medicine clinics. The patents were diagnosed as having Chikungunya fever based on standard criteria; presentation with febrile illness of 2 to 7 days duration with skin rash and features like joint pains typically lasting weeks or months but sometimes years. Mixed infection with dengue and chikungunya fever and secondary infection were excluded from the study. The exact date of sampling was not available for most of the patents .Approximately 3 ml of blood was collected, serum was separated. The sera collected from suspected patients were analyzed for CHIK specific IgM antibody by IgM antibody capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using NIVCHIK kit. The data was analyzed. Results During the study period (2013 and 2014), the total number of samples screened was 127 of which 23 (18.11%) were positive for IgM antibodies (Table 12). There was increase in the percentage positivity in the year 2014(28.78%) when compared to 2013(6.55%) with (P value of .005). Of the 23 reactive cases, 1(4.34%) was positive in a child of four years and 22 (95.65%) were adults. The IgM positivity was 12 (52.17%) in males and 11 (47.82%) in females. The distribution of seropositive cases in adults was uniform in the age group ranging from 29 years to 62 years. (Table 34). The observed chikungunya IgM seropositivity month wise is illustrated for the year 2013 and 2014.The percentage of IgM positivity recorded was found to be variable, high during the months of September in 2013 and May in 2014. (Table 12).The number of seropositive cases referred from tribal area was more 18(78.26%). Discussion The word chikungunya is thought to derive from a description in the Makonde language, meaning that which bends up, of the contorted posture of people affected with the severe joint pain and arthritic symptoms associated with this disease. The disease was first described by Marion Robinson and W.H.R. Lumsden in 1955, following an outbreak in 1952 on the Makonde Plateau, along the border between Mozambique and Tanganyika (the mainland part of modern day Tanzania).According to the initial 1955 report about the epidemiology of the disease, the term chikungunya is derived from the Makonde root verb kungunyala, meaning to dry up or become contorted. The first recorded outbreak of this disease may have been in 1779. This is in agreement with the molecular genetics evidence that suggests it evolved around the year 1700. [5] In India first outbreak of Chikungunya was documented in Kolkata during 1963 and after that 4 to 5 outbreaks had occurred. [6] The last outbreak was reported in 1971 and after that no such outbreak occurred. [7]It was assumed that virus had vanished from this region. Surprisingly since December 2005, more than 1,80,000 cases of Chikungunya was detected in India which clearly indicates re-emergence of Chikungunya in India.[8] Since then Chikungunya become a major public health problem in India. An estimate of prevalence of infection due to Chikungunya from several surveys conducted during an outbreak gives us an idea of burden of problem in a specific region which seems crucial for initiating any intervention strategy.[9] It is evident from prior survey that the main reason for this outbreak is lack of herd immunity, in-appropriate vector control strategy, emergence of rapid mutation of the virus.[7.9] Another issue with such outbreak is non-availability of proper laboratory diagnosis .[6,7] The reasons for outbreak for Chikungunya virus is unclear and yet to be explored Andhra Pradesh (AP) was the first state to report this disease in December 2005, and one of the worst affected (over 80,000 suspected cases). Several districts of Karnataka state such as Gulbarga, Tumkur, Bidar, Raichur, Bellary, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Kolar and Bijapur districts have also recorded large number of chikungunya virus related fever cases. Over, 2000 cases of chikungunya fever have also been reported from Malegaon town in Nasik district, Maharashtra state, India between February-March 2006. During the same period, 4904 cases of fever associated with myalgia and headache have been reported from Orissa state as well. According to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, out of 362 samples collected from different places in AP such as Kadapa, Secunderabad, Chittoor, Anantapur, Nalgonda and Prakasam, Kurnool and Guntur districts, 139 were found positive for chikungunya.[10] Laboratory diagnosis of Chikungunya poses a great threat as most commonly practiced test like ELISA for detection of IgM antibodies is not standardized and interpretation of test results should be done with caution. Diagnosis is usually done based on triad of clinical symptoms like sudden onset of fever, skin rash and arthalgia. [11] As Chikungunya is self-limiting disease and treatment is mainly supportive. The best strategy for control of such outbreak is raising awareness of the community through mass education by public health officials. Vector control measures like spraying insecticides for example temephos, fenthion, malathion and DDT, clearing stored water and personal protective measures is also a key element in control of such outbreak.Research has shown that most important reservoir of vector of Chikungunya is in stored water in plastic or metal container and also available at construction sites. During this present survey community received education regarding safe water storage practices and personal hygiene which seems important issues in control of such outbreak. [12] In the present study 127 cases presented with clinical features of chikungunya fever out which IgM positive cases were 23(18.11%).The ratio of IgM positive dengue fever to chikungunya fever was 2.2:1 in 2013 and 1:3.3 in 2014.Maximum number of cases presented beyond 28 years of age with only one case in a four year old boy with male preponderance. Cases recorded were more from tribal area (78.26%). Conclusion: Seasonal transmission of chikungunya fever is highly variable and more cases are recorded from the tribal area in the present study. Intensive efforts have to be made through community awareness and vector control measures should be in full swing throughout the year. Education regarding safe water storage practices is very much essential. References Powers AM, Logue CH (September 2007). Changing patterns of chikungunya virus: re-emergence of azoonotic arbovirus. J. Gen. Virol. 88 (Pt 9): 2363–77 Mavalankar D, Shastri P, Bandyopadhyay T, Parmar J, Ramani KV (2008). Increased Mortality Rate Associated with Chikungunya Epidemic, Ahmedabad, India. Emerging Infectious Diseases 14 (3): 412–5. Lahariya C, Pradhan SK (December 2006). Emergence of chikungunya virus in Indian subcontinent after 32 years: A review (PDF). J Vector Borne Dis 43 (4): 151–60 Caglioti C, Lalle E, Castilletti C, Carletti F, Capobianchi MR, Bordi L (Jul 2013). Chikungunya virus infection: an overview.. The new microbiologica 36 (3): 211–27 Cherian SS, Walimbe AM, Jadhav SM, Gandhe SS, Hundekar SL, Mishra AC, Arankalle VA (January 2009). Evolutionary rates and timescale comparison of Chikungunya viruses inferred from the whole genome/E1 gene with special reference to the 2005-07 outbreak in the Indian subcontinent. Infect. Genet. Evol. 9 (1): 16–23. Inamadar AC, Palit A, Sampagavi VV, Raghunath S, Deshmukh NS. Cutaneous manifestations of chikungunya fever: observations made during a recent outbreak in south India. Int J Dermatol 2008;47:154-9. Ravi V. Re-emergence of chikungunya virus in India. Indian J Med Microbiol 2006; 24:83-4. Chhabra M, Mittal V, Bhattacharya D, Rana U, Lal S. Chikungunya fever: a re-emerging viral infection. Indian J Med Microbiol 2008;26:5-12 Kalantri SP, Joshi R, Riley LW. Chikungunya epidemic: an Indian perspective. Natl Med J India 2006;19:315-22 Chikungunya and Dengue in the south west Indian Ocean. Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response (EPR).2006. Mohan A, Kiran DH, Manohar IC, Kumar DP. Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of Chikungunya fever: lessons learned from the re-emerging epidemic. Indian J Dermatol 2010;55:54-63. Tikar SN, Mendki MJ, Chandel K, Parashar BD, Prakash S. Susceptibility of immature stages of Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti; vector of dengue and chikungunya to insecticides from India. Parasitol Res 2008;102:907-13. TABLES TABLE 1: DISTRIBUTION OF CASES MONTH WISE IN THE YEAR-2013 TABLE-2: DISTRIBUTION OF CASES MONTH WISE IN THE YEAR-2014 TABLE 3: SEX WISE DISTRIBUTION OF IgM POSITIVE CASES TABLE 4: AGE WISE DISTRIBUTION OF IgM POSITIVE CASES TABLE 5: DISTRIBUTION OF IgM POSITIVE CASES AS PER HABITAT

Environmental Management Systems

Environmental Management Systems Will Environmental Management Systems and associates Environmental Reporting initiatives aid the concept of Sustainable Development in application? The International Organization forStandardization (ISO) is a federation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)created to elaborate and improve international standards. The ISO initiallycreated general management standards (the ISO 9000 Series) for organizationsand industries that acknowledged the value of a systematic approach tomanagement. However, as economic growth and the environment have often been inconflict with one and other (and industries today face many political, socialand economic pressures to improve their environmental performance Gale, 1996)the ISO further developed the 14000 Series, which applied the same managementsystem as the 9000 Series to companies environmental issues (The LexingtonGroup, 2005: 5). The principles behind the ISO 14000 Series apply to any organization, public or private, whose activities, products or services interact directly or indirectly with the environment (The Lexington Group, 2005). The ISO 14000 Series quickly became the environmental policy standard for companies to follow, and since its establishment in 1996 thousands of organizations have adopted the Environmental Management Systems (EMSs). EMSs are used in the public and private arenas, at all scales, from national to local government, and from large multi-national corporations to small privately owned businesses. This essay will discuss if, and towhat extent, EMSs (and specifically the Environmental Reporting subsidiary)will aid the concept of sustainable development in application. This essay isstructured as follows: first, it discusses the most important of the ISO 14000standards, the EMS; second, it considers another ISO 14000 component,Environmental Reporting; third, it analyses and considers the variables andapplication of sustainable development; fourth, it turns to a few case studiesto illustrate how EMSs work in practice; and finally, it draws some conclusionsabout how effective these standards are in aiding the concept of sustainabledevelopment. Environmental Management Systems As discussed in the Introduction,the ISO 14000 Series was developed to apply the ISOs widely recognizedmanagement systems to a companys environmental issues (The Lexington Group,2005). The EMS, or ISO standard 14001, quickly became the internationallyrecognized framework for environmental management, measurement, evaluation andauditing (GreenBiz, 2005: 1). To list a few examples, the responsibilities ofthe EMS include: creating a detailed environmental policy for an organization,examining the environmental impact of its products, activities and services,establishing environmental objectives, assisting the organization in meetingits legal and regulatory requirements, providing training to employees, andoverseeing the companys auditing procedure. The EMS meets international standards, but is tailored to specific operations, allowing companies to control the environmental impact of their activities, products, and services (GreenBiz, 2005: 1). Though an organization could, ofcourse, establish these very guidelines and parameters themselves, companiesoften find that ISO 14001 adherencehelps to meet the ever-increasingenvironmental standards and concerns of the global marketplace (GreenBiz,2005:1). Other likely benefits for a company effectively implementing an EMSare numerous and include, among others: .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a more effective and systematic approach to managing itsinteractions with the environment (The Lexington Group, 2005); .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  improving cost-effectiveness (by saving the money and staff timenecessary to manage environmental affairs independently The Lexington Group,2005, as well as by improving efficiency and in turn reducing the costs ofenergy, materials, fine and penalties Morrow and Rondinelli, 2002:162); .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  allowing companies to convey their environmental policies moreeffectively to neighbouring communities and other stakeholders (The LexingtonGroup, 2005); .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and improving their image and attracting customers through theestablishment of a strong image of corporate responsibility (Morrow andRondinelli, 2002: 163). All of these benefits, of course,increase the likelihood that companies will help contribute to sustainabledevelopment. However, the cost and benefits of an EMS (and in turn, theprobability that the EMS will play a role in sustainable development) fluctuateconsiderably depending on a range of criteria. These might include: the type oforganization, its existing eco-efficiency,the organizations potential environmental impacts or risks, the extent towhich a company previously implemented aspects of environmental sustainability,and the premium placed on sustainability by the organizations stakeholders andcustomers (The Lexington Group, 2005). Whilst this section has outlined EMSs and their potential beneifts, the following section will discuss Environmental Reporting, its association and influence on EMS, and its contribution to the sustainable development of organizations. Environmental Reporting Corporate reporting is an essentialcomponent of business management. It is defined as the voluntary publicpresentation of information about an organizations non-financial performance -environmental, social and economic over a specified period, usually afinancial year (Department of Environment and Heritage, 2005: 1). These can bemade public in a variety of ways, including as a stand-alone document, on a companywebsite, or as a component of an Annual Report (Department of Environment andHeritage, 2005). An Environmental Report is a key component of the ISO 14000 Series, and an essential step to increasing transparency and, as a result, accountability in a companys environmental practices (Department of Environment and Heritage, 2005). The practice of Environmental Reporting is becoming more common because of pressure from stakeholders, as well as a general public demand for increased openness on environmental issues (Kolk, 1999). Further, some countries have now begun to impose legal obligations on firms to produce Environmental Reports (Kolk, 1999). A Corporate Environmental Report(CER) is, in essence, a means to imparting a companys environmental performance.Arguably, the most important function of the CER is to allow the organizationto evaluate its observance of the environmental policies, goals and objectivesset out in its EMS (United Nations Environment Programme, 2005). It is alsoused to: exhibit a companys EMS and corporate responsibility; demonstrate tokey stakeholders, as well as to customers, that it is complying with theirdemands; help a company track its own progress and identify internal strengthand weaknesses (United Nations Environment Programme, 2005); and evaluate itscurrent performance and set further future goals. The general societal demand for increased transparency on environmental issues, and in turn environmental reporting, is exemplified by the fact that the most complete reports are published by industries with poor or controversial public images, i.e., the chemical or timber industries (Davis-Walling and Batterman, 1997). In so long as there is objectivityand honesty, environmental reporting can be conducted either internally orexternally (Rice, 2005). Undeniably, for environmental reporting to beworthwhile, it must be credible, and there is increasing pressure from twospecific directions to verify environmental reports: first, there is asignificant move from environmental statements and intentions to quantified,comparable, verifiable, and even verified information (Kolk, 1999: 225); andsecond, the requirement of independent, third-party verification andcertification as an almost expected element of every worthwhile effort(Rice, 2005: 1). Though Environmental Reporting hasa big role to play in aiding the long-term sustainability of an organization,it is nonetheless a process plagued with problems. Research seems to indicatethat environmental reporting is typically deficient and not of a standard tosatisfy the information needs of various classes of report readers (Deegan andRankin, 1999). An independent study of the environmental reports of the Fortune50 firms found that none provided information that was sufficient forcomprehensive or comparative analyses of environmental performance(Davis-Walling and Batterman, 1997: 1432). Research suggests that one of thebiggest problems is that a company can begin its environmental reportingwhenever it wants, and that this often leads to disappointing results. Environmental Reporting, then,typically comes before the EMS, and could therefore only act as a statement ofobjectives, and not the researched and analysed report on the achievement ofenvironmental objectives under an EMS that its meant to be. To be practicaland effectual (and not simply a statement of environmental policies)environmental reporting should really be developed further along theimplementation of the ISO 14000 Series. Additionally, it should be a continuousprocess, and referred back to again and again in an attempt to consolidate theEMS and effectively analyse the companies progress. This chronology supports the ISOspecification that organizations seek continuous improvement: bycontinually reporting, as opposed to providing a one-off initial report,organizations can repeatedly evaluate and adapt their EMS. In essence, it isimportant to underline that the CER is a means to environmental improvement andgreater accountability, not an end in itself (United Nations EnvironmentProgramme, 2005: 1). Consideration of the variables and application of Sustainable Development The term Sustainable Developmentwas first used in 1987 in Our Common Future, also known as theBrundtland Report of the United Nations Commission on Environment andDevelopment (WCED). The definition offered by the Brundtland Report is stillthe most commonly used today, and describes Sustainable Development simply, andarguably vaguely, as development that meets the needs of the present withoutcompromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs (WCED, 1987:43). Sustainability is often regarded as the buzz-word of development policy in the 21st Century. Indeed, as The Economist aptly stated: No one in their right mind is against sustainable development. Everyone thinks it would be terrific if there were less poverty, less pollution, less disease, less war, less corruption (2002). As an umbrella-term, its WCED definition has been instrumental in creating a consensus, but less helpful in creating and outlining a framework for its achievement. Currently, there are in the region of 70 different definitions for Sustainable Development, and each allows organizations to interpret the term in whatever way they see fit. For that reason, EMS and Environmental Reporting are especially important for giving public and private organisations alike, from a national to a local level, the standardised framework necessary not just for demonstrating their commitment to the practice of sustainability, but for making progress towards its actual achievement. As mentioned in the Introduction,economic growth and the environment are often regarded as being at odds, andthe ISO 14000 Standards are particularly important for helping organizationsand industry to reach their desired level of sustainability, and to incorporatethe environment into their general framework. Determining an EMS is anorganizations first, and most vital step in establishing what itsenvironmental aspects are, and how it is going to deal with them. That said,any organization can develop an EMS, and though it is an important startingpoint, it proves little about an organizations sustainability in and ofitself. Environmental Reporting is therefore essential not just to act as the companys own environmental audit, but to demonstrate to stakeholders and society that they are indeed conducting themselves in a sustainable manner. Moreover, achieving sustainability is a complicated and long-term (if not permanent) process; Environmental Reporting allows a company not only to evaluate its accomplishments, but also the opportunity to re-evaluate its target. The following section outlines some case studies of how organizations have used EMS and Environmental Reporting to minimize their environmental impact. Case Studies This section will present a fewcase studies to illustrate the value of EMSs and Environmental Reporting. Eachcase study has been selected to show range in the applicability of thestandards as well as to demonstrate their use in both the public and privatesectors. Solid Waste Management Division, Department of Public Works. Berkeley,California, USA. Description The Solid Waste Management Divisionis Berkeleys municipal waste collection and disposal facility. It collectsplant debris, refuse and recycling from approximately 40,000 residential andcommercial properties, as well as operating a transfer station, anoil-recycling depot, and a drop-off and buy-back recycling centre. The SolidWaste Management System decided to implement an EMS (involving about 25 percent of their 102 employees) for a variety of reasons, including: improving thefacilitys environmental performance, as well as employees participation inthis improvement; making the particular division consistent with the Citysoverall environmental principles; the EMS value as a marketing/publicrelations tool; the reduction of costs; and finally, an increased competitiveadvantage. Conclusions Through implementing an EMS, theSolid Waste Management Division was able to jointly determine whatenvironmental impacts the facility had, or might have in the future. These werethen ranked and goals set to lessen the environmental impact of the facility.These included: eliminating 98 per cent of dust particles, reducing theelectricity used by 250Kwh annually, improving the control of hazardousmaterials brought into the site by 75 per cent, adding three mailings per yearto enhance consumer participation in recycling collection, reducing waterconsumption by 25 per cent, and reducing number of pickups scheduled to reducefuel consumption and emissions. Some of the direct benefits andcontributions to Sustainable Development have been: a reduction in airpollution for the entire City of Berkeley; gaining respect and bettercooperation from the Department of Public Works, including budget changes; andconsultation by other City of Berkeley Departments and other Solid Wastepractices all over the United States. Additionally, conducting an EnvironmentalReport to determine the effects of the EMS allowed the facility not only to seethe improvements that it had already made, but to analyse them and set newtargets such as: revising the job descriptions, rerouting to reduce the numberof miles covered each day, and implementing a new dust suppression system. Beacon Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, United Kingdom. Description One aspect of the Beacon CouncilsEnvironmental Reporting System is a fully computerised monitoring andtargeting (MT) system for evaluating performance at all 600 of theirbuildings. Data from all utility providers (including electricity, gas, coal,oil, biomass, and water) are recorded in the specialist system. These are thenmonitored and benchmarked against national performance, and create the abilityto instigate corrective action to improve performance. Conclusions As reported by the Beacon Council,the MT system carries out the following functions: sets energy targets andmonitors performance; sets energy budgets and controls expenditure; validatesand verifies bills and recovers overcharges; and monitors and reduces CO2emissions. The continual reporting of the MT system has been vital in itsconstant monitoring and improving of the Beacon Councils environmentalsustainability. Gillepsie Decals, Inc. Wilsonville, Oregon, USA. Description Gillepsie Decals, Inc. is a40-employee screen-printing company in Oregon. To develop an EMS, the companytook the following steps: first, it developed its environmental policy; second,it identified the companys environmental aspects and then ranked them in orderof importance; and third, it set out environmental goals and developed programsto achieve them. Conclusions The company made a number ofimprovements and took significant steps towards achieving environmentalsustainability. Two noteworthy examples are: one, they reduced the amount ofwaste ink by developing standards for ink mixing, and a computer record ofcolours and mixes for repeat jobs; and two, they reduced their water usage by requestinginformation from other companies on their water recycling systems, bypurchasing bottled drinking water for employees (and thereby improving employeespirits); and by installing low-flush toilet models. Gillespies have stated their commitment to continuous environmental improvement, and have decided to develop other environmental aspects in the future. It is unclear whether Gillespies carried out Environmental Reporting, but it is apparent that this process would be useful for both confirming the environmental improvements already made, and determining what remains to be done to achieve the desired level of sustainability. Conclusion EMS and Environmental Reportingwill indeed aid in the concept of Sustainable Development in application. TheCase Studies in the previous section demonstrated some of the positive resultsof an organizations implementation of an EMS. All three examples illustratedhow an EMS, and Environmental Reporting, contribute to the improvedenvironmental performance of the institutions in question. The Gillespie CaseStudy was a very small-scale example of EMS that demonstrated how the systemcould work even for a small company. Furthermore, the first two case studies certainly are a demonstration of how the EMS and Environmental Reporting can contribute to more than just their institutions environmental performance. In the Berkeley example, it showed not just how an EMS can contribute to Sustainable Development for the single institution, but also how this affects the city as a whole, and can influence similar institutions nation- (or even world-) wide. The Beacon Council Case Study is a useful example of how EMS can make not just environmental sense, but financial sense as well. The first two examples also servedto illustrate what a vital component Environmental Reporting really is. Theyvalidated Rices line of reasoning that for an EMS to be effective, theEnvironmental Reporting not only has to occur, but occur continuously.Environmental Reporting needs to be pushed further down the time-line of theISO 14000 Series, and be something that occurs after the EMS has beenimplemented (so it acts not just as a statement of objectives but as an actualreport), and on a continual basis because sustainability it not a one-off andsimple achievement. The Gillespie example is therefore a useful illustration of how EMS can be effective, but without consistent re-evaluation and continuous reporting, the first set of changes are unlikely to be followed by another set. If this is the case, an organizations environmental performance will at best remain stagnant, but more likely decline, instead of continuously improving. This will certainly not aid the concept of Sustainable Development in application. EMS and Environmental Reporting arenot, however, the panacea for Sustainable Development. Critiques of thestandards that are proffered simply because they do not guarantee SustainableDevelopment are contrary, and risk throwing out the baby with the bathwater,or rejecting the essential with the inessential. EMS and EnvironmentalReporting are rather two single parts of a possible solution with an infinitenumber of components. They should be seen, and valued, as such. Works Cited Berkeley,City of (2005) Solid Waste Management Division, Department of Public WorksCase Study, available from Eco-efficiency is the primary way in which businesses can contribute to theconcept of sustainable developmentThe vision of eco-efficiency is simply toproduce more from less. Reducing waste and pollution, and using fewer energyand raw materials is obviously good for the environment. It is alsoself-evidently good for business because it cuts companies costs, excerptsfrom the Bulleting of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development(The Lexington Group, 2005: 6).

Human Cloning is not a Moral Issue Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive T

Human Cloning is not a Moral Issue There has been an onslaught of protests and people lobbying for a ban on human cloning ever since Dolly the sheep was cloned by Dr. Wilmut and his colleagues. Not only has the media exploited the ethics of the issue and scared the public with images of Frankenstein and evil scientists, but many worldwide authorities such as President Bill Clinton, Jacques Chirac of France, and Prime Minister John Major of Great Britain have all spoken out publicly against human cloning and have proposed legislation and committees to regulate and/or ban it. Religious leaders and the Pope have also talked about human cloning's dangers of "Playing God" and the "loss of uniqueness" that an individual would suffer if he or she were to be cloned. Many of these fears are misguided, misrepresented, and illogical. The benefits of human cloning would far outweigh the drawbacks, and cloning research should not lose funding or be banned. The most popular objection to human cloning is the assumption that science would be playing God if it was to create human clones. Reverend Albert Moraczewski states that cloning is intrinsically morally wrong, is an attempt to play God, and exceeds the limits of the delegated dominion given to the human race. (Madigan, 8) To say that this argument is unclear and unsupported is generous. It refuses to differentiate between cloning and the interruptions of biological processes which are viewed as commonplace in today's society. Religious objections were once raised at the prospects of autopsies , anesthesia, artificial insemination, organ transplants, and other acts which were seen to be tampering with divine will. (Madigan, 3) Yet enormous benefits have been reaped by each of these... ...crime or illegal activity has a victim involved with it. Human cloning has no victim or loser in it. It is a chance for the advancement of science and humankind. Banning it or eliminating research funds would be a tremendous mistake when we haven't even perfected it or discovered all of the possible benefits. Works Cited Hopkins, Patrick D. Bad Copies: How Popular Media Represent Cloning as an Ethical Problem. Hastings Center Report April 1998: 1. SIRS Researcher. West High Library, Iowa City. 25 Jan. 2000 Madigan, Timothy J. Cloning Humans. Free Inquiry Summer 1997: 1. SIRS Researcher. West High Library, Iowa City. 20 Jan. 2000 The benefits of Human Cloning. Human Cloning Foundation. 25 Jan. 2000 Vere, Stephen. The Case for Cloning Humans. Taking Sides: Science, Technology, and Society. T. Easton (ed.); McGraw-Hill Publishing, 2000. 1-12.

Abortion - Can You Hear the Babies Screaming? :: abortion argumentative persuasive argument

Abortion - Can You Hear the Babies Screaming?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On January   22, 1973,   the United States Supreme Court legalized abortion. When the it ruled that abortion was legal, the court not only gave women the right to choose but also gave the unborn   babies   a right to die. Since that day, millions upon millions of unborn children have been ripped apart, burned with saline solutions, and sucked from their mothers' wombs. With every abortion that occurs another inaudible scream from the unborn child   is silenced and the rights of that child   are   taken away .      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If someone where to be asked if murder was wrong, the general answer would be yes. When that same person is asked if abortion is murder,   the answer may be yes, but most likely   the answer is no. Why do most people think that murder is wrong, but do not agree that abortion is murder?   The reason for this contradiction is that   most people believe that the unborn infant is not a human, but an organ or part of the woman's body, which would make the act of aborting the child just the same as removing an appendix. This problem of when life begins stems from the inconsistencies which come from the case of Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court interrupted   that by the ninth   and fourteenth amendments that a woman has the right to an abortion. The court that day, however, did not rule when a life begins for a human.   If society is to assume that a fetus is a human the second it   leaves the uterus, then what is the unborn baby three minutes from birth , a monkey. When an unborn baby is aborted, society must realize that an organ was not taken out, but a living human being.   This would make abortion wrong because according to law, no one has the right to take away anther's life.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With many   people considering   the cases of unwanted pregnancy due to rape or incest to be acceptable, they must   realize that the child is not the crime.   Society's reason behind this is, why should the woman suffer from the pain and remembrance that the pregnancy brings.   Even though cases of abortion

“The Singer Solution to World Poverty”

World poverty has existed for many centuries and still exists today, gradually expanding and intensifying. This is the topic that Pete Singer, a professor of bioethics, calls attention to in his article â€Å"The Singer Solution to World Poverty. † Singer claimed that the solution was simple; â€Å"whatever money you’re spending on luxuries, not necessities, should be given away. † Considering Singer’s â€Å"solution† a controversial point arises between an idealistic, utopian, and morally just point of view and a realistic, pragmatic, and plausible point of view.Singer’s solution, although righteous and ethical, is not probable and thus would not be effective in curing world poverty. The few pros of Singer’s proposal are, at first glance, important and convincing. The money, prospering individuals are spending on luxuries, can total to a great amount, which can help pay for food and medical aid for the poor. With an increase of food a nd medicine, the rate at which children and adults die due to starvation and lack of medical help, can quickly decrease.Nations will less frequently struggle with high mortality rate among newly born and children as well as among adult people suffering from curable diseases. In addition, the donated money can allow for the improvement of educational opportunities for all individuals, which can result in advanced technological, scientific and humanities-focused research and discoveries. Ultimately, Singer’s utopian idea of a cure for world poverty, promises a developed, healthy, and educated world.Although Singer deals with morality and righteousness, one cannot help but criticize Singer’s idealism and naivety and resort to realism, practicality and plausibility. The first issue that comes to light when attempting to execute or enforce this â€Å"solution† is the unknown borderline between luxury and necessity. In reality, it would be impossible for every prosper ous person to agree upon what is and what is not a necessity, and if it were decided, for example that microwaves were a luxury, would the microwave manufacturers go out of business?A large percentage of companies and factories are dedicated to manufacturing luxurious items, however, if people no longer continued to buy these items and instead donated to the poor, this would be at the cost of the factory workers’ jobs; therefore, creating a cyclical effect and intensifying the issue of world poverty. Accordingly, Singer gives a highly idealistic and utopian theory and when we evaluate both pros and cons, it becomes obvious that the obstacles outweigh the advantages.His approach in curing world poverty is not only too extreme, but brings about cyclical and unsolvable issues. It is important to consider and apply this method to real life and then reflect upon all the possible consequences. Singer’s cure fails to provide a realistic solution and promising outcomes. A diff erent approach, or rather first step, to solving world poverty can be keeping to a minimum expensive worldwide projects. For example, millions of dollars are spent on the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, World Soccer Cups, etc.If instead the total money dedicated to these celebrations were to be saved and donated to the needy every few years, progress would certainly be a result. Moreover, the ceremonies can be replaced with simple, yet entertaining concerts performed by artists willing to volunteer and help fund-raise money for the poor. Ultimately, Singer’s â€Å"simple formula† for world poverty in reality is a naive and idealist theory, and most importantly an ill-considered and unfitting solution to one of the 21st century’s greatest issue: world poverty.

Kindergarten History Essay

The development of early childhood education in the United States has been spearheaded by the need for an emerging society to cope with social and economic challenges. There are at important reasons why early childhood education gained more acceptance through the years. As society opened up to accepting women as part of the workforce, working mothers demanded more institutions that can accept early education for their children. The desire of the government to make their citizens more globally competitive increased thereby supporting education from the very young levels of citizenry. Educators and leaders believed that poor communities have better chances of development if illiteracy is arrested the earliest possible time. And best reason why early childhood education has developed is the great response in children that all programs have been challenged to sustain. Caldwell shares her thoughts on how parents and teachers could sustain this excitement for learning innate in children. â€Å"Yes, it’s thrilling to be part of that excitement for learning. I think the first thing that adults have to do is respect it. Curiosity is an absolutely wonderful thing, yet sometimes parents and teachers find it annoying-the 50th â€Å"why† question of the day, for example. Parents want to pull out their hair and say, â€Å"Oh come on, we’ve talked about that enough. † So the most important thing for that excitement and curiosity is to reward it, to let children know that we are impressed that they are curious about something. † (Mabie, 2001) Kindergarten is an educational program for students aged three to seven. Programs usually last from half to full days. Educators believe that the kindergarten is a venue for developing early knowledge, skills and attitude of children that will help them get a jump start at formal education. The origins of early childhood education in the US can be found in Europe. Jean Fredrick Oberlin founded a school in 1767 in France. His wife, Madame Madeleine Oberlin taught children from two to three years old. The school focused on exercise and play and handicrafts. It was more popularly known as the â€Å"knitting† school. In 1837, Freidrich Froebel put up the first school to be called a â€Å"kindergarten† in Blankenburg, Germany. His school became the first school in the world to envision education primarily for children in the pre-schooling age. Froebel is known as the creator of Kindergarten. His concept involved theories of childhood teaching and teaching material development. He also wrote the first Syllabus of Education of Man that listed basic theories of childhood education that guided schools worldwide. Early Childhood School in the US started as early child health centers. They were patterned after the French ‘cribs’ in Paris in 1844 where governments put up these centers to care for children of mothers who had to work. Whether these centers were first found in Philadelphia or New York, where women had to work during the Civil Wars, it is important to note that these centers were focused on caring for these children rather than educating them. But due to the migration of Germans to America, the concepts of kindergarten soon landed on American soil through Margarethe Schurz. In 1856, she put up the first American kindergarten in Watertown, Wisconsin. The school used German as the medium of instruction. â€Å"The first English-speaking kindergarten was found in Boston in 1860 by Elizabeth Peabody. For many years, she traveled throughout the United States, speaking about the purpose of kindergartens and their benefits to children. She helped establish kindergartens wherever she went. The first public school kindergarten was established in 1873 in St. Louis. Susan Blow, the teacher, lectured and taught kindergarten education, continuing to be a champion of Froebelian kindergarten education throughout her life. † (Spodek, 1991) By the late 1920’s, the centers realized that besides keeping the children clean and fed, there was the opportunity to transform the venue to serve for educational needs. â€Å"The average poor child in 1860s St. Louis completed three years of school before being forced to begin work at age 10. Susan Elizabeth Blow addressed that problem by offering education to children earlier. Applying Friedrich Froebel’s theories, she opened the United States’ first successful public kindergarten at St. Louis’ Des Peres School in 1873. Blow taught children in the morning and teachers in the afternoon. By 1883 every St. Louis public school had a kindergarten, making the city a model for the nation. Devoting her life to early education, Susan Blow was instrumental in establishing kindergartens throughout America. † (Watson, 1997) Maria Montessori has been a household name in early childhood education because of the amount of work and research that Maria Montessori has brought into early childhood education. As a physician working in a psychiatric clinic in Rome, she discovered that it was possible to train mentally defective children in order for them to be safer and become part of a productive sector of society. Her success of handicapped children led into her to be hired to help non-handicapped children as well. Her practice and further research helped Montessori develop a curriculum for children that helped them maximize their full potentials in reading and learning. Montessori schools began to get established in the United States before the World War. Although crash in the economy led these Montessori schools to fade in the 1930s, there came a resurgence of Montessori institutions by the 1950s. Though the Montessori Method was very popular, it would be best to note that some Montessori associations are purist of the methods while others were not. Today, early childhood educators are serious and committed in developing the kindergarten in helping future citizens of the country in becoming productive and responsible citizens. References: Watson, Bruce. 1997. Kindergarten. http://www. geocities. com/Athens/Forum/7905/fblkind. html Mabie, Grant E. 2001. A life with young learners: an interview with Bettye M. Caldwell. The Educational Forum. http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa4013/is_200110/ai_n8999175 Spodex, Bernard. 1991. Foundations of Early Childhood Education. Allyn and Bacon. Boston.