Health Effects of Hazardous Chemicals from Old Electronics

Health Effects of Hazardous Chemicals from Old Electronics What are the effects on human health of hazardous chemicals from obsolete electronic products? With the rapid advancements in technology and engineering of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the ‘waste mountain’ of obsolete electrical products appears to be growing at an alarming rate. This essay evaluates five Internet-available resources which directly address the title in an attempt to assess the level of evidence available on the subject. The first resource to be considered is the Greenpeace webpage ‘Eliminate Toxic Chemicals’ (Greenpeace, 2007), which highlights the negative impact that electronic equipment has on the environment, particularly in relation to toxic chemicals involved in the manufacturing process. It gives companies a ‘green ranking’ which one can assume is to allow the individual consumer to make informed choice about their buying options. It also highlights the fact that there are two environmental dangers from the rapid obsolescence of today’s products – the damage caused by manufacturing, and the damage to the environment of the large amounts of waste products being disposed of. As a resource, it directly informs the topic and provides plenty of information about the issue. In terms of reliability, Greenpeace has a mixed reputation of activism and credibility, and given that many of the electronics companies themselves are listed on the site, this may add cre dibility. It may, however, simply be another marketing ploy, given that environmental issues have become the latest commercially manipulated topic to fall victim to the capitalist bandwagon. The resource seems up to date, with reports filed in June 2007. There are no authors cited, and little reference to scientific evidence in these pages themselves. However, the website is highly accessible, easy to read and easy to navigate. In criticism, the notion of the environmental impact of this issue is presented as a given, a fait accompli, with little or no critical debate on the issue. The second resource is the article by Hischier et al (2005) on waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling. The authority of the authors is established on two fronts. The first is that this is published in a peer reviewed journal, and the second is that the authors’ affiliations to a Technology institute are given. The approach is scientifically credible, but the article remains readable, giving a good literature review, and a clear discussion of two Swiss take back and recycling systems with scientific analyses (Hischier et al, 2005). However, it does require a degree of technological and scientific knowledge to read the tables and results. It is reasonably up to date, having been written and published in 2004-2005. It highlights the issues related to recycling of these products, and concludes that the proposed systems would have clear environmental advantages (Hischier et al, 2005). It also notes some of the limitations and the need for ongoing assessment of such sys tems. The third resource is an article by Poole and Simon (1997) on technological trends, product design and the environment. It is readable, accessible and easy to follow, but it’s greatest drawback is its age. However, it does demonstrate that the environmental impact of these technologies has been anticipated in the scientific literature. The authors are from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University, which suggests a degree of authority in addressing the subject. They demonstrate means by which products can undergo lifecycle analysis, and suggest that reducing environmental impact may come in the guise of smaller, mobile technologies (Poole and Simon, 1997). This would indeed perhaps reduce the waste volume of obsolete computational electronics, but not necessarily the environmental impact associated with the manufacturing processes of up to date products, or the challenges of recycling the materials used in original manufacture. Focusing on design trends, however, seems a positive approach in terms of longer term management of environmental insult. The fourth resource is an article by Tanskanen and Takala (2006) which looks at a simplified model for an end of life process for mobile terminals. The authority of the authors may be questionable, given that they work for Nokia. On the one hand, this may suggest considerable knowledge and acumen of the subject; on the other, a degree of bias is inevitable given their affiliation. The publication of this in a reputable journal however does offset some of the possible bias, and it is up to date. It is accessible, but considerable specialist terminology is used which affects readability. The focus on efficacy and effectiveness in recycling processes and the need for further development is clear, showing that there is a potential to reduce environmental impact but the necessity for appropriate processes to achieve this (Tanskanen and Takala, 2006). The fifth resource is by Macauley et al (2003), which is a little more dated but still within the last four years. The authors are affiliated to an environmentally focused company, and so their authority in terms of scientific or technological acumen is harder to establish. Again, the article is published in a reputable journal, is readable and in this case, easy to follow with logical discussions and some use of relevant literature. They examine the cost of computer monitor waste management in terms of environmental and health impacts of components, and cost of recycling or waste management policies (Macauley et al, 2003). There are considerable costs here, and this article demonstrates some elements of the economic minefield which characterises this debate. The authors clearly highlight the need to target research in the areas described, perhaps to lend further weight to environmentally-conscious policies of recycling and waste management (Macauley et al, 2003). These resources have demonstrated some of the dimensions of the debate on this subject. All the resources assume and demonstrate that there is an environmental (and a general health) impact of electrical and electronics waste in the light of rapid obsolescence and increasing demand for these products. While ways in which to address this are suggested, no clear resolutions are apparent, and economic and practical concerns remain a barrier to implementation of environmentally sensitive recycling policies. References Greenpeace (2007) Eliminate Toxic Chemicals http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics Accessed 508-07. Hischier, R., Wager, P. and Gauglhofer, J. (2005) Does WEEE recycling make sense from an environmental perspective? The environmental impacts of the Swiss take-back and recycling systems for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Environmental Impact Assessment Review 25 525-539. Macauley, M., Palmer, K. and Shih, J-S. (2003) Dealing with electronic waste: modelling the costs and environmental benefits of computer monitor disposal. Journal of Environmental Management 68 13-22. Poole, S. and Simon, M. (1997) Technological trends, product design and the environment. Design Studies 18 237-248. Tanskanen, P. and Takala, R. (2006) A decomposition of the end of life process. Journal of Cleaner Production 14 1326-1332.

Natural Law :: essays research papers

Natural Law The School of Natural Law Philosophy was an intellectual group of philosophers. They developed new ways of thinking about religion and government. Natural law was based on moral principles, but the overall outlook changed with the times. John Locke was a great philosopher from the middle of the 17th century. He was a primary contributor to the new ideas concerning natural law of that time. He argued that humans in the state of nature are free and equal, yet insecure in their freedom. When they enter society, they surrender only such rights as are necessary for their security and for the common good. He also believed that each individual retains fundamental prerogatives drawn from natural law relating to the integrity of the person and property. This natural rights theory was the basis of not only the American, but also the French revolution. 1 During his lifetime, he wrote many essays and letters to his colleagues on a variety of topics:2 †¢ Letter on Toleration (1689) †¢ Second Letter on Toleration (1690) †¢ Two Treatises of Government (1690) †¢ Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) †¢ Some Considerations of the Consequences of Lowering of Interest, and Raising the Value of Money (1691) †¢ Third Letter on Toleration (1692) †¢ Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693) †¢ Further Considerations Concerning Raising the Value of Money (1693) †¢ The Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) †¢ A Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) †¢ A Second Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) †¢ A Letter to the Bishop of Worcester (1697) †¢ Discourse on Miracles †¢ Fourth Letter for Toleration †¢ An Examination of Father Malebranche's Opinion of Seeing All Things in God †¢ Remarks on Some of Mr Norris's Books †¢ Conduct of the Understanding Locke's greatest philosophical contribution is his Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In the winter of 1670, five or six friends were talking in his room, probably in London. The topic was the "principles of morality and revealed religion," but arguments arose and no real progress or serious discussion took place. Then, he goes on to say, "it came into my thoughts that we took a wrong course, and that before we set ourselves upon inquiries of that nature, it was necessary to examine our own abilities, and see what objects our understandings were, or were not, fitted to deal with." At the request of his friends, Locke agreed to write down his thoughts on this question at their next meeting, and he expected that a single sheet of paper would suffice for the purpose. Little did he realize the importance of the issue which he raised, and that it would take up his free time for nearly twenty years.

Patient Education Plan

Pamela is 30 years old and a married Filipina with a two-year-old daughter. She was born in the Philippines and came to the United States at age 13. She has a high school diploma and she attended Cal Poly Pomona and received her degree in Electrical Engineering. She works Monday thru Friday at least eight to nine hours a day and still takes work home. When Pamela was 16 years old, she had an appendectomy. She enjoys drinking alcohol every week with her friends during happy hour since she was 21 years old. Otherwise she has no other significant medical istory. Her family history is very significant especially from maternal grandmother and grandfather who passed way with diabetes and paternal grandmother who passed away with lung cancer and paternal grandfather who passed away with brain aneurysm. Her mother currently has high blood pressure and her father has nothing significant going right now. Just about a few days ago Pamela showed symptoms of abdominal pain and projectile vomiting that had her husband worried about her and took her straight to the emergency room. Her pancreatic enzymes were levated, her abdominal ultrasound and CT of the abdomen showed inflammation of her pancreas. She was then admitted for further evaluation. Introduction Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. With pancreatitis, the pancreas becomes inflamed, edematous, hemorrhagic, and necrotic. The pancreas is a long, flat gland that is located behind the stomach towards the upper abdomen. The pancreas produces enzymes, which help regulate the way your body digest glucose. Chronic pancreatitis is the progressive destruction of he pancreas as characterized by permanent loss of endocrine and exocrine function. The patient usually has chronic pain. Most studies of the pathophysiology of chronic pancreatitis are performed with patients who drink alcohol as stated by Nair, Lawler & Miller (2007). The signs and symptoms for acute pancreatitis are upper abdominal pain, which could radiate to the back, you would feel worse after eating a meal and there will be nausea and vomiting. There will be tenderness when the abdomen is being touched. The signs and symptoms f chronic pancreatitis is also upper abdominal pain, weight loss, indigestion and oily and foul smelling stool. Complications of pancreatitis include breathing problems that could be due to the oxygen level is low in the blood, diabetes may occur since the pancreas is the organ that produces insulin, infection may occur and have the pancreas be vulnerable of bacteria, acute pancreatitis may lead to kidney failure which could lead to hemodialysis if it is not treated. Malnutrition could be another complication since the pancreas cannot break down the food because a few nzymes are being produced. If the chronic pancreatitis does not get treated and it’s still reoccurring it could lead to pancreatic cancer. Treatment for this disease is hospitalization to stabilize the patient. Having her not consume any food during her stay will help the pancreas recover fully. Once its in control then liquid diet and advancing the diet may be course of treatment. A nutritionist will be involved in her care. IV fluids will help her stay hydrated. Pain is another factor to this disease and pain medications will be prescribed. At discharge some alternative therapy might help alleviate the pain. As mentioned on WebMD Tylenol should be avoided (2011). Exercises, yoga and meditation might be of good help to distract her. It can’t treat what she has but it could keep her comfortable. Age and Development/Educational Need In Erickson’s developmental theory Pamela is a young adult in Erickson’s that is Intimacy and Isolation. As long you have her trust in you, I believe using direct measurement as the approach of her method of learning. Just observing her behavior can help me distinguish hether or not she will be compliant. But during our session I noticed that she is willing and eager to learn and get well soon and she has shown that she is willing to be involved with her treatment. She has verbalized her understanding of what she needs to do once she goes home. Effect on Quality of Life Pamela would have to change her life style as she recovers from being diagnosed with Pancreatitis. She has to realize that whatever she has been doing on a daily basis would have to change. Her drinking of beer during happy hour every week has to stop. She’s not a smoker, hich is great. She has to drink lots of fluids and eat less fat on her diet. She would have to eat more fruits and vegetables, consume more whole grains and water. Perceived Challenges Pamela has always enjoyed her social life in going out with her friends to happy hour every week. Having to let that go might be a little difficult, being that she has always been going out ritually since she was 21 years of age. She is considered to be a very busy person that she uses alcohol to relieve her stress. So having her to give alcohol might be somewhat of a challenge. Eventually, with the support of her family and her husband especially might help her get through this stride. I see a person who is willing and get better not just for herself but for her daughter. Summary Teaching Pamela has been an experience. She showed to be very knowledgeable and very receptive. She asked questions that were relevant to her condition and since she asked shows me that she interested in getting better. She is willing to receive the help that she needs. She has verbalized her understanding and will call her physician if any of the symptoms reoccur.

Review the education system essays

Review the education system essays Education is the essence of life. The primitive man was no better than a wild animal but that same man has now become dignified and coherent to a great extent only due to education. Education helps us throughout our life. An educated person is better equipped to face any kind of dangers or difficulties that come his way at various stages of life. He not only understands the problems better but is also able to derive more logical and enhanced solutions to the problems. An educated person knows his rights and duties and so does not sustain any wrongs done to him. Education being so important is given full attention to in India too. In India, the two most recognized patterns of secondary education are the CBSE and ICSE. Both of these are organizations that affiliate the voluntary institutions to the board. The affiliated schools are then required to follow a given syllabus that is the same countrywide. The students are then assessed by means of question papers provided which are prepared by the experts of the respective fields. This education system is somewhat good as the students are evaluated at national level and in a set pattern. But the system has more cons than pros. The worst is the presence of two boards itself. The problem is that an institute affiliated to a certain board considers any student of the other board to be below par of a student who is scoring the same in their board. This leads to the students being spellbound to a certain board and reduces the alternates available for higher education. Another problem is the syllabus. It is far too wide in scope and results in the students ending up studying all day and night long. This in turn starts to affect the health of the students. The syllabus has now, in many terms, become obsolete and the students are thus forced to study heaps of matter about topics that will by far not be of any use besides in school life. A definite solution to this is th ...

The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary Book Summary

The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary Book Summary The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary is an illustrated account of the making of the movie by series author. Jeff Kinney provides a behind the scenes look at the casting and making of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, as well as its relationship to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, the first book in the series. Highlights Kinney then recounts the differing viewpoints of Hollywood executives on what the movie should be like, the initial drafts of the script and the hiring of the director. He describes the search for the perfect young actors to portray Greg and his friend Rowley and their screen test. Kinney includes sketches and essays by the young actors about the character each was to portray, which provide insight as to what they thought about their characters. Author Jeff Kinney and His Books Diary of a Wimpy KidDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick RulesDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly TruthDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin FeverDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book

Netflix 's Business Model and Strategy in Renting Movies and TV Case Study

Netflix 's Business Model and Strategy in Renting Movies and TV Episodes - Case Study Example Despite having constant revenues and profits, the company hit a major turnaround in 2010 that resulted in a constant decline of the company. This paper will therefore analyse Netflix case by focusing on the problems that resulted in the decline of Netflix business. The essay will also analyse alternative solutions and their application Netflix’s case. Problems That Led to the Company’s Decline The main problem that caused the decline of Netflix resulted from mismanagement of the steady growth process that the company was undergoing. By the last quarter of the 2010 trading period, Netflix’s annual revenues had reached $156 million (Arthur, 2010). This made the company’s shares to reach $170.83 that was the highest price in the company’s history. Between 2001 and 2010, the company recorded high profits but did not demonstrate any solid investment. It is possible that the company ploughed back its profits for short-term investment projects such as buil ding its customer base. The company failed to make long-term investments that would ensure its sustainability. Lack of appropriate strategies also made the company to lack perception on future changes in technology that would greatly affect the industry. The company failed to adopt new technology particularly the use of technology and the internet. Traditional renting of DVDs was replaced by online purchase of movies and TV episodes. During the trading period of 2009, the company experienced a sharp decline in revenues from renting of blockbusters and DVDs. Netflix suffered heavy losses from its purchase of association right from Hollywood Entertainment Company. In 2005, the company spend over $800 million to purchase Hollywood rights leading to its bankruptcy. Of the $800 million, Netflix recovered only $ 600 million, which did not even cover for its initial investments. The availability of alternatives methods where people can access movies or video game also affected Netflix annu al revenues making the company to incur heavy losses. Analysis Lack of a supportive business environment is the main factor that led to the decline of Netflix. Movies and video games were the only products that the company offered. Using the 4Ps analysis, Netflix’s main products were the movies and video games that were mainly targeted for the entertainment industry. The company was only involved with the marketing of the product with little or no modification on the original product. Netflix marketed its products in the form of DVDs. The company offered its products through rental service whereby customers would rent a DVD for a period ranging from one month. The price of the product depended on the duration and the package required by the customer. Netflix mailed most of movie DVDs to its customers on rental basis. Promotion is a significant aspect in marketing. However, the company seems to have failed in its advertisement strategies since it did not exploit the potentials of internet-based advertisements. The porter’s five forces are alternative marketing tools that can be used to analyse the company’s problem (Bade, & Michael, 2001). Blockbuster, Red box, and Netflix were the only competitors in the industry. This indicates that the industry had a finite number of competitors and hence minimum threat of new entrants. The competitors dealt with similar products that had

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 3 SLP Essay

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 3 SLP - Essay Example One major implication of health care fraud and abuse is the monetary loss due to e improper activities which endanger patient safety. The United States Attorneys' offices (USAOs) are held responsible for the civil and criminal prosecution of health care providers, professionals, and other specialized business agencies who engage with health care fraud and abuse. The US government has appropriated certain amount (DOJ, 2000) from the United States Treasury general fund and they in turn must appropriate the Account for transfer some to the federal Bureau of Investigation in order to carry out the purpose and processes as described in above statements. Another implication is the intensification of health care fraud enforcement. This can never be achieved without the cooperation of other stakeholders. In fact, the FBI is one organization involved in the said cooperative effort. Federal agencies needs to collaborate with health care fraud working groups, have a liaison program among organizations and attend trainings as well as conferences. New statutory tools are believed to support ad be provided in order to combat health care fraud. Although Around $451,000 was budgeted to HCFA ($395,500) as well as the ASMB or Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget at the end of 2000 for the formal risk management operations.