The Clean Air Act Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Clean Air Act - Term Paper Example The 1990 amendment also addressed requirements for gasoline reformulation to control its evaporative emissions (Jacobson 2). This paper will discuss the emission regulations contained in the Clean Air Act and how it has helped the environment. The Act contains several emission regulations as listed in the below description. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) These are regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Act to set up primary and secondary NAAQS which define the standards of air quality permitted (Martineau and Novello 12). The primary standards aim at providing public health protection, which include protecting the sensitive population like the elderly, children and asthmatics. On the other hand, secondary standards provide protection to public welfare such as crop, buildings and animal damage, and poor visibility (Jacobson 4). New Source Review (NSR) Permits They govern regulations requiring new stationary sources of emissions of air pollutants to be permi tted prior to construction (Turner 36). It incorporates three types of permits, which are Nonattainment NSR, Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Minor NSR permits. The Nonattainment NSR permits apply to new sources or modifications of sources that already exist in areas that do not meet the attainment requirements of NAAQS. The PSD permits apply to significant sources or modifications of sources in areas meeting attainment requirement and also areas unclassifiable by the NAAQS. Thirdly, Minor NSR permits apply to sources that do not require a PSD or Nonattainment permit (Martineau and Novello 12). New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) They are regulations issued by the EPA that establish air pollution standards to be met by new stationary sources (Turner 40). They encompass categories related to development of energy like gas and oil producing facilities, petroleum refineries and onshore processing plants for natural gases, coal preparation plants and bulk gasoline t erminals. The NSPS regulations have two elements, the Clean Air Interstate Rule that caps nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide emissions in the eastern part of the United States, and the Clean Air Mercury Rule that reduces emissions of mercury from power plants powered by coal (Martineau and Novello 14). National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) These are regulations that govern emissions of hazardous air pollutants that are not covered under the NAAQS, and they are issued by the EPA. They contain standards for categories of sources that emit significant quantities of air pollutants (Martineau and Novello 14). The environment has benefited from the Clean Air Act in various ways. There has been a 25 percent reduction in ground level ozone, a hazardous component of smog, from 1980 to 2011 (Turner 39). Mercury emissions into the environment have also gone down by 45 percent within the past two decades. In the same period, rules enforced by law have facilitated a reduction in emissions of sulfur and nitrogen dioxide, the key pollutants that cause acid rain, by 71 percent and 46 percent respectively (Sperling and Deborah 191). The ozone layer has also seen the phasing out of production and use of chemicals contributing to its depletion. The reduction of acid rain due to a cut of emissions that cause it has led

Peer Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Peer Review - Essay Example â€Å"What Tecumseh is fight for is the ability of Indian people east of the Mississippi to hold onto their homelands,† R. David Edmund, a historian, says in We Shall Remain. Tecumseh’s confederacy fought alongside the British (ICTMIN Staff, June 18, 2012, pp. 2) to protect Canada from the onslaught of American forces during the War of 1812. Tecumseh’s defeat at the battle of Thames in Canada in 1813 was the beginning of the end for Native nations. Tecumseh was mortally wounded and with his death his confederacy fell apart, as did his vision of driving back the white settlers. After the war, (ICTMIN Staff, June 18, 2012, pp. 1) the United States negotiated more than 200 treaties with Indian nations that involved ceding land and 99 of those resulted in the creation of reservations. There were also key left outs in terms reasons behind some key decisions that arose as part of the war. An example of this has to do with reasons why the British were supporting Native American in their fight. This allegation takes a larger political twist and should therefore have been elaborated further to draw correlation with some key happenings in world history as far as British and American political histories are concerned. The most memorable part is how the fall or death of the hero could become the end of his entire dream. This is memorable because that piece of phenomenon whereby political dreams and aspirations are left to rest in the hands of only some people so that when they die, their dreams fade continues to exist in modern times. In Port Angeles, Washington the Elwha Dam was removed and once the waters receded a sacred site was found. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe knows the area as their creation site. Oral stories have been passed down that claim the Creator blessed the Klallam people at the site and it is a place where tribal members voyaged to learn about their future (Associated Press 2012). Prior to the removal of the dam it was determined

Prenatal Diagnosis for Abnormalities Detection

Prenatal Diagnosis for Abnormalities Detection PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS The incidence of major abnormalities apparent at birth is 2 to 3 percent. These anomalies cause a significant portion of neonatal deaths, more than a fourth of all pediatric hospital administration results from genetic disorders. Prenatal diagnosis is the science of identifying structural or functional abnormalities, birth defects in the fetus. With this information clinicians can hope to provide appropriate counseling and optimize outcome. Birth defects can arise in at least three ways. The malformation i.e structural fetal abnormality, then the deformation, then the third type is disruption. Sometimes multiple structural or developmental abnormalities occur together in one individual . A cluster of several abnormalities can be a syndrome. Prenatal diagnosis helps to detect these abnormalities. Thus prenatal diagnosis basically comprises of different techniques and methods used to determine any diseases or heath condition of the unborn fetus or embryo. SOME PROCEDURES FOR EARLY DETECTION OF FETAL 1)GENETIC 2) CHROMOSOMAL 3)STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES Amniocentesis Triple test Chorion villus sampling Cordoncentesis Ultrasonography Fetoscopy Maternal serum alpha feto protein Peri-implatation genetic diagnosis Fetal cell isolation from maternal blood 3-D or 4-D ultrasound with increased resolution a) Amniocentesis: This test is developed byRichard Dedrick .Examination of a sample of amniotic fluid makes possible the prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and certain metabolic defects. The procedure can be used as early as 14th week of pregnancy when abortion of the fetus is still feasible. The diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities is made by culture and karyotyping of fetal cells from the amniotic fluid, and of metabolic defects by biochemical analysis of the fluid. Karyotyping is a test used to detect genetic problems. Before the procedure begins a local anesthetic is given to the mother to get relief from the pain, a needle is inserted into the abdominal wall and then the amniotic fluid is withdrawn. The fetal cells are distinguished from the extract and the cells are cultured in medium, further stained and examined under microscope for abnormalities. Amniocentesis is very accurate in detecting the abnormalities in fetus as well as to find the gender of the fetus, hence is banned in many countries. Amniocentesis is called for in the following circumstances if the parents are prepared to consider abortion. A mother aged 35 years or more (because of high risk of down’s syndrome with advanced maternal age). Patients who have had a child with Down’s syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities. Parents who are known to have chromosomal translocation. Parents who have had a child with metabolic defect-detectable by amniocentesis. The most commom are defects of the neural tube, anencephaly and spina bifida which can be detected by an elevation of alpha feto protein in amniotic fluid b) Chorionic villus sampling(CVS): This is another prenatal diagnosis used to find chromosomal or genetic disorders in the fetus. CVS was first described in China in the mid-1970s. This technique is also called as chorionic sampling. This is usually performed at 10 to 13 weeks of pregnancy. This new technique allows prenatal diagnosis at 9 to 11 weeks of pregnancy. By this test the chromosome status can be easily determined. Prenatal diagnosis of congenital abnormalities offers the parents the option of therapeutic abortion. Samples may be obtained transcervically or transabdominally, depending on which route allows easiest access to the placenta. Relative contraindications include vaginal bleeding or spotting, active genital tract infection, extreme uterine ante or retroflexion, or body habitus precluding easy uterine access or clear sonographic visualization of its contents. The indications for CVS are essentially the same as for amniocentesis, except for a few analysis that specif ically require either amniotic fluid or placental tissue. The primary advantage of villous biopsy is that results are available earlier in pregnancy, which lessens parental anxiety when results are normal. It also allows earlier and safer methods of pregnancy termination when results are abnormal. Complications of CVS are similar to those of amniocentesis. There is an understandable desire to perform CVS as early as possible. Technically, this can be done successfully as early as six weeks’ gestation. However, a few clusters of limb reduction defects have been reported following CVS, with a trend toward an increased incidence of these defects when CVS was done before nine weeks gestation. Subsequent, large epidemiological follow-up studies failed to confirm this association, but most clinicians delay this procedure until after 10 weeks gestation. The incidence of amniotic leakage or infection is less than 0.5 percent. c) Alpha fetoprotein: Neural tube defects can be detected by measurement of a specific protein of foetal origin called alpha fetoprotein in maternal blood and amniotic fluid during pregnancy. A neural tube defect is termed as a opening in the brain or spinal cord that occurs very early in the developmental stage of human. Neutral tube defects include spina bifida. d) Ultrasound: This can be used to visualize the foetus and detect many abnormalities of the foetus . Ultrasound is the method of choice for detection of anatomical problems (e.g. absent kidneys, spina bifida), but provides no information on the genetic constitution of a fetus. Maternal serum screening, alone or in combination with ultrasound, is often used to identify fetuses at risk of Down’s syndrome, but the definitive chromosomal diagnosis can only be made from fetal cells. e) Fetal cells from maternal blood can be isolated for prenatal diagnosis during pregnancy. Fetal trophoblast, lymphocytes, granulocytes, and nucleated red blood cells are studied. Generally, 1ml of maternal blood contains one fetal cell. f)Â  Peri-implantation genetic diagnosis(PGD): This is done by polar body biopsy, blastomere biopsy, trophectoderm biospsy. Polar body biopsy is done by removing first or second polar body in the preconceptional phase. Paternal genotypeis not assessed here. Blastomere biopsy –one or two cells are aspirated through a hole made in zona pellucida by mechanical, laser or chemical means. This does not effect the normal embryonic development. g)Â  Triple test: This is basically a screening test. It mainly detects the presence of three substances in the maternal blood, i.e of alpha feto-protein, human chorionic gonadotropin(hcp)which is basically a hormone in placenta, and estriol. The triple test detects the presence of high level or low level of these substances. Both high and low level can creat abnormalities. h)Â  Cordocentesis It is also called as Percutaneous Umbilical Cord Blood Sampling (PUBS), this is a test that mainly examines the blood from the fetus to detect fetal abnormalities. The procedure carried out is quite similar to amniocentesis. This test helps in finding any malfunction and abnormalities of the fetus. i)Â  Fetoscopy-This procedure provides a direct visualisation to the fetus, amniotic cavity, umbilical cord, and fetal side of placenta. It does this by ultrasound scanning. Here an endocope is inserted into the abdomen of the mother which acts as an analyzer. Thus many prenatal diagnosis are available nowadays which allows to detect any kind of abnormalities in the fetus. Once diagnosed, some genetic abnormalities can be treated with partial or complete success by medical and surgical measures. Genetic counseling can also have impact when individuals or couples at risk are identified.

Voting Essay :: essays research papers

Voting Essay Can you imagine walking into the scheduled spot chosen in your riding for voting, to find a group of young teenagers just hanging around talking and laughing amongst themselves? Wouldn't you be thinking, what do those kids know about voting? Look at them just mingling about with each other! This election could determine my lifestyle in the future! For this reason and others, I believe the voting age should be left at 18, if not raised a year or two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is it not true that the Young Offenders Act was created because youths under the age of 18 cannot think rationally for themselves and need special guidance? Well one could argue that for the same reason, youths shouldn't be given the right to vote. Politics, Federal Bills, and the government can all be classified as jobs for the elders. Perhaps it is best for the elders to decide upon who they are. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to put down young people, obviously not, look at myself, its just that it is safe to say that citizens older then me, even one year older have more knowledge then me and would have better understandings of who to vote for. People may argue that some teens do have more knowledge then some adults, but we're talking majority wise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Voting is also not an easy task. It takes a lot of effort and research to distinguish which Member of Parliament would be the best to vote for. Some representatives may even come door to door to persuade you to vote or them and since they would be aware that young teens now have a say in elections, they would use their sneaky minds and somehow promise something attractive to youths, possibly a four day school week or three months summer of summer break as opposed to two. Surveys have shown that teens are much more gullible then adults and this could also cause a problem within a group of friends. e.g.(Hey man! Who are you voting for? Umm… The Reforms. All right sounds good to me, I'll choose them too.

The Castle

Blue collar Kerrigan home, is filled with love as well as pride for their modest lifestyle, but their happiness is threatened when developers attempt the compulsory acquisition of their house to expand the neighbouring Melbourne Airport. 3 high view crescent, Coolaroo – not aesthetically pleasing ‘eyesore’ opening shot shows sense of pride (satire) Despite all this, sweet-natured family patriarch Darryl (Michael Caton) believes that he lives in the lap of luxury. Blissfully unaware of his family’s lack of style or sophistication, he busies himself by driving a tow truck, racing greyhounds and constantly adding tacky renovations to the house.Kerrigan clan shares and supports his enthusiasm in every way. Though he has no wish to sell, points out faults of the house with pride, believing they would add value. Iconic Australian film, Title – Castle; home figuratively castle, humble household cause humour, Genre – humorous, comedy, satire (mock/ ri dicule something), Kerrigans – main family, Working class family, Low budget film, Melbourne setting next to airport – house built on toxic landfill, beneath power lines, Events told by son Dale Kerrigan p. o. , Australian culture/ identity, Made in 1997 Rob Sitch, Michael Caton father, Stephen Curry son, Humour: created by self-image of Australians – blue collar workers – concept of working class Aus and their place modern Australia, Refers to land rights movement of aboriginals, Darryl Kerrigan draws on explicit parallel between his struggle and the Aboriginal people Mabo case Main Ideas/ Themes; Justice, Class division, Inequality, Family, Marginalisation of working class by large corporate groups, Value of memories and place as opposed to monetary value, Man’s struggle for equality and justice, Exploitation of disempowered groups (working class) by the empowered group, A satirical view of suburban working class life – home is where the h eart is, ,Importance of family and community, unity, comment on the fabric of Australian society, A home is a place of belonging – we find our home most when we lose it, represent self identity An idiosyncratic (habits peculiar to them) and loving family who face the challenges presented by ‘compulsory acquisition’ house gets taken forcefully, Identity of working class family and their triumph at conquering the system, Humour created by what is described and what we actually see on the screen – tells us how marvellous when really it isn’t yet so serious when describing it, Aussie battler, working class, constructed through Darryl, Mateship, ommunity spirit (looking after Jack who is vulnerable), Outdoors, Bonnie Doon, nature, holidays, Sport, fishing shots of father and son, Myths – Australia is an egalitarian (not equal) society, Xenophobia – fear of foreigners through Lebanese neighbour, Urban warrior – fight for rights, justi ce, Tall poppy syndrome – one thinks is better than the rest , Myth of lucky country – disempowered by their ethnicity and age, Jack and Farouk, value; home, sense of place, respect, trust loyalty Construction of Aussie Battler; Plight of working class; Exploitation of working class by gov’t and large corporations, Challenges to authority, Uncovering the myth of the egalitarian society (not equal) Representation of setting; Bonnie Doon; Small town, on big lake, holiday home ‘serenity’ escape from life, stillness, quiet, desolate, barren, powerlines, insect-zapper-ironic-noisy, Images family bonding – gender representation, Simplicity of family – easily satisfied Representation of Setting – City scrapers; Canberra: high camera angles, tall city building, symbolism of power, imposing, sombre, grey, foreboding, ominous.Contrast to Bonnie Doon and high view crescent Courtroom: positioning on judge-elevated to establish power. Darryl down below signalling disempowerment. Sterile, very formal. Symbolises authority, justice, truth. Hammill says it ‘should be fair. ’ Difference in class structure evident through discourse, responses, Dennis Denuto’s office: lacks professionalism, small, claustrophobic, photocopier doesn’t work, messy, disorganised. City Street: â€Å"cheap smokes† on sign, written code, busy, claustrophobic, noise, a contrast to their suburb Dennis supporting Lawrence Hammill; Clearly Dennis doesn’t understand the complexities of the crown court and he attempts to mirror the actions of the defence lawyer, Humour vs. Satire – criticising and making fun of.Lawrence Hammill; Represents character who is prepared to take on the establishment , we warm to him because he doesn’t do it for personal gain, He fulfils the stereotype of his gender and class, being old and wise, His wisdom allows â€Å"the battler† or â€Å"working man† to ta ke on bureaucracy, His skilful argument allows justice and humility to prevail therefore and as an audience we quickly warm to those positive attributes of his character, We are impressed by his honesty, dignity and the friendship and support he offers the Kerrigan family The Ending; An archetypal happy ending, we begin the scene as outsides viewing the party from the outside the house, the shot framed by the window, The arration from Dale describes the occasion as â€Å"one of the biggest party’s ever that night back at home†, It is important in the context of the film, that, despite the large amount of people the party should be held in home that is the central contention of the film, Con’s dialogue with Dennis adds humour to the scene when he says that: â€Å"this case has totally regained my faith in the legal system†, After this story board we could consider th representation of the Australian family Recurring figure in Australian films; â€Å"Typic al† Aussie bloke reflected in the behaviour of the male characters in this scene. Darryl takes on the traits of the bush myth – he values mateship, despises authority, bureaucratic institutions and snobbery

Essay on Global Warming Essay

Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate. Even though it is an ongoing debate, it is proved by the scientists that the planet is warming. The 29th century is experiencing a continued increase of Earth’s mean atmospheric temperature by about 1.4 degrees F and about two thirds of it occurring since 1980. This is global warming is affecting the nature’s balance and has a huge impact on life like continued heat waves, and sudden occurrence of storms and floods. Don’t we see time to time the epidemics that are devastating to human life and the flooding of the farmlands that puts economy in a deep hole? Scientific evidence indicates that since 1950, the world’s climate has been warming, primarily as a result of emissions from non -stop burning of fossil fuels and the razing of tropical forests. Since the industrial revolution till this day, there is a constant emission of the carbon into the atmosphere, everything we do we leave carbon footprints. It is a man made cause of the global warming. The global emissions jumped 3 percent in 2011 and are expected to jump another 2.6 percent in 2012, researchers reported. The greenhouse effect is a process by which the greenhouse gases absorb thermal radiation; these are then reradiated in all directions. But when some of these radiations come back to the surface and lower atmosphere, it causes increase in the average surface temperature leading to global warming. Global warming Causes The causes are many of which the main culprit is the increase in the greenhouse gases that is produced by burning fossil fuel and deforestation, thus intensifying the greenhouse effect leading to global warming. The four main contributors of the greenhouse effect are, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. Mining for coal and oil releases methane in the atmosphere. More ever the leakage from natural gas fields and landfills are additional source of methane. Excessive cutting down of the trees is another factor causing global warming. When deforestation happens the efficiency by which carbon dioxide is stored and oxygen released by the green plants are decreased to a huge rate in turn causing increased concentration of carbon dioxide that leads to increased greenhouse effect. The nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes are other factors that cannot be forgotten as the cause of Global Warming. Another source of methane is methane clathrate, a compound containing large amounts of methane trapped in the crystal structure of ice. As methane escapes from the Arctic seabed, the rate of global warming will increase significantly. Ice caps and glaciers reflect sunlight, bouncing high temperature sun -rays back into space away from the Earth. When these icecaps are removed the earth gets warmer as the dark oceans absorb much thermal radiation from the sun. Some regions may be wet with rain and some areas will suffer drought due to global warming. The climatic changes happen due to global warming. Seasonal changes are unpredictable unexpected thunderstorms might result as mentioned earlier. The burning of wood (should be reduced to a greater extent) releases oxidizable carbon to the atmosphere whose presence in greater amount causes the elevation of temperature. There is strong evidence that emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were the major cause of the recent abnormal warming. Like carbon CFC do not trap heat but in the presence of UV rays the chlorine gets detached from CFC, drifts up into the stratosphere and these unattached chlorines catalytically convert Ozone molecules into Oxygen molecules depleting the ozone layer.