American Disabilities Act - 2342 Words

In nineteen ninety Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act. This act was established in order to eliminate discrimination of people with disabilities and to break down barriers in society that limits the freedom a disabled person. According to Section 2 Subsection A part one, some 43,000,000 Americans have one or more physical or mental disabilities, and this number is increasing as the population as a whole is growing older. As the number suggests there are a lot of people that would be classified as disabled making this act very important. This paper will look at the Americans with Disabilities Act as how it pertains to helping people with disabilities based on who is covered, what are their rights, and what legal actions†¦show more content†¦To file a complaint under Title I of the ADA the person bring the complaint must contact the EEOC. It has to be filed within one hundred and eighty days of the act of discrimination. It will be handled in the same manner a s charges filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If the plaintiff wins they are entitled to any economic loss because of the discrimination, attorney fees, then have reasonable accommodations put in place, and punitive damages. Title II deals with public entities and transportation which includes state and local governments. This includes all activities offered by the state and local government such as town meetings, courts, and motor vehicle licensing. Under the ADA state and local government must follow the following rules: 1. They cannot deny a disabled person from participating in a service, program, or activity. 2. They must provide equal opportunity for those disabled to be involved in an activity or program. 3. They have to eliminate rules or standard that may unintentionally discriminate against those with disabilities unless it is based on safety. 4. They are required to make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, and procedures that deny equal a ccess to individuals with disabilities, unless fundamental alterations to the program would result. 5. They must provide auxiliary aids and servicesShow MoreRelatedThe Americans With Disabilities Act1277 Words   |  6 Pageshaving a disability was seen as a physical imperfection. People with disabilities were treated as moral and social subordinates. We were trained that if a person had a disability they were not able to perform a task with the same ability as a normal person. They have been denied jobs for which they are highly qualified because they have been considered incompetent, or because employers were not comfortable with their presence in the workplace. Occasionally people with certain disabilities have beenRead MoreThe Americans With Disabilities Act Essay964 Words   |  4 Pages All Americans deserve the right to receive the best medical treatment available, that includes those with disabilities. So what is ADA? What makes it so essential? ADA may seem like just a co uple letters from the alphabet, although to a person that has a disability it means a whole lot more. ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act. The Americans with Disabilities Act is extremely vital in the medical field. Not only is it the law to ensure that there is appropriate access to those with disabilitiesRead MoreThe Americans With Disabilities Act931 Words   |  4 Pageslaw in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been a challenge for employers to implement. This law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in both public and public businesses. There were numerous lawsuits where disabled employees have charged that employers have failed to accommodate his or her needs in the workplace. However, Supreme Court decisions interpreted the act in a way that made it difficult to prove that an impairment was a disability thereby ruling inRead MoreThe American With Disabilities Act971 Words   |  4 Pages The American with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. (Mayerson, 1992). According to Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen (2015, P, 14) â€Å" the ADA provides protection of the civil rights in the specific areas of employment, transportation, public, accommodation, State and local government, and telecommunication. According to Mayerson (1992, P1) â€Å"the ADA did not began at the signing ceremony at the White House, but it began in the communities, when parentsRead MoreThe Americans With Disabilities Act1577 Words   |  7 PagesAmericans with Disabilities Act I Introduction The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is federal legislation designed to prevent discrimination against disabled people. It applies to all disabled persons, no matter the nature of their disability. This paper examines the ADA and discusses some of the ramifications of the legislation. II Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act (hereafter ADA) was enacted in 1990, and its purpose is stated thusly: â€Å"The Americans withRead MoreAmericans with Disabilities Act779 Words   |  3 PagesAmericans With Disabilities Act Website 1 http://www.cato.org Sponsoring Agency: The CATO Institute Content and Website Layout: The CATO Institute has afforded the public with myriad resources, regarding disabilities, education, child policy, welfare, government and politics. This website is fraught with publications, informative videos and commentary. Summary of Contributions: In essence, the CATO Institute has invariably aided the public, including segments of the population who have sufferedRead MoreThe Americans With Disabilities Act1779 Words   |  8 PagesEverest. For many disabled Americans, Zack’s experience was an all too common daily occurrence until the Americans with Disabilities Act became law. Before the act was passed, disabled individuals struggled to get around and do everyday activities, such as going to church, going out to eat, and getting to class on time, which were simple for other Americans. When the Americans with Disabilities Act became a law in 1990, it enabled the disabled to take part in the American Dream. The ADA not only ensuresRead MoreAmericans with Disability Act926 Words   |  4 PagesAmericans with Disabilities Act was established to restrain illegal discrimination in employment against individuals qualified to be disabled. The purpose of the law was to generally end discrimination in the place of work and to deliver equal employment chances for individuals living with disabilities or have had histories of disabilities. The act defends employees that experience physical or mental deficiency that greatly limits a key life activity. In addition to that, it protects the rights ofRead MoreThe American With Disabilities Act1885 Words   |  8 Pagestimes a few children were born with disabilities, it was very hard for them to survive due to lack of resources and accommodations; in some countries they were even killed at birth. Over time the governments realize d that there was a problem for children and adults and disabilities that needed to be solved. The American government came up with the ADA also known as the American with Disabilities Act, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against disability, it was signed in July of 1990 andRead MoreThe Disabilities Of The Americans With Disabilities Act1551 Words   |  7 Pageswith a disability (US Census Bureau, 2015). There are 6.4 million children between the ages of 3 to 21 that are receiving special education services (National Center for Education Statistics, 2014). In Georgia, 23.4% of the population are people under the age of 21 living with a disability (Erickson Schrader, 2014). Bulloch County has a population of 71,214 and of the entire population, 16% of them are living with a disability (Cornell, 2012). By the standards of the Americans with Disabilities

The Use of Agent Orange in Vietnam - 936 Words

The Vietnam War is the most controversial war in United States history. From the Bay of Tonkin, to the draft, Vietnam often debated in the United States. One of the instances that made Vietnam so controversial was the use of Agent Orange in South Vietnam. Agent Orange is the name of a pesticide composed of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). Agent Orange also contained a chemical compound called dioxin, which has been found to be very toxic to humans. It was sprayed over Vietnam during Operation Ranch Hand, as a part of the United States Military’s herbicidal warfare from 1961-1971. It was dispersed over the Vietnamese jungle via airplanes, tanks, and ground troops. Agent Orange wreaked havoc on the Vietnamese ecosystems, people, and on United States service men. The use of this chemical was damaging to both American and Vietnamese people and greatly damaged the Vietnamese jungle. Agent Orange and the chemical’s eff ects continues to be studied, through military and environmental history and the use of oral accounts and written accounts. The first reports of Agent Orange were from the military. The first sources justify the use of the chemical as a military strategy to help prevent the loss of more American lives in Vietnam. The military sources also argue that the use of Agent Orange would use less man power, while being more cost effective, and the use of the herbicide would ultimately help with the outcome of theShow MoreRelatedAgent Orange : Description, Use, And Effects Of The Vietnam War Essay1452 Words   |  6 PagesAgent Orange: Description, Use, and Effects of the War in Vietnam Many of the scars of the Vietnam War have healed, but one toxic wound continues to fester. An herbicide used by the United States promised to save the lives of many GIs by decreasing the strategic cover of the Viet Kong, who were North Vietnamese Communist. Agent Orange proved to have side effects that were not intended. Not only did it destroy the environment, but the lives of those it surrounded. While people can make moral judgmentsRead MoreEssay On Agent Orange1623 Words   |  7 PagesAgent Orange was a strong and powerful herbicide used by the United States during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange was used to eliminate forest cover for the North Vietnam Army, and kill crops to try and starve them. It was very effective in its job and was used for 10 years during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange not oly kills the plants that it was targeting, but it also had a amjor affect on the people that were exposed to it. Agent Orange is a very deadly weapon, and people are still facing the co nsequencesRead MoreEffects of Agent Orange During the Vietnam War Essay993 Words   |  4 Pagesapplication of the chemical nicknamed Agent Orange was sprayed on Vietnamese foliage in an attempt to stop guerilla warfare, launching a herbicidal disaster (Herbicidal Warfare). The consequences of agent orange, unbeknownst to the former government officials, led to a series of catastrophic effects including, but not limited to neurobehavioral and physical anomalies of the human body. As a result of the lacking knowledge of Agent Orange, the United States and Vietnam are still cleaning up the herbicidalRead MoreAgent Orange : Medical Ethics1657 Words   |  7 Pagesyears the Vietnam war and it’s after effects have shaped and changed so many individuals and their lives. I will expose a deeper look at what actually occurred during the war and most importantly what actually caused the millions and millions of lives; both Vietnamese, Japanese, and American. Problem statement: With war comes after effects and throughout the past Forty years many American Veterans from Vietnam have had health complications and issues due to the widespread use of Agent Orange duringRead MoreAgent Orange : A Herbicide / Defoliant Used By The U.s. Military During The Vietnam War1420 Words   |  6 PagesAgent Orange was a herbicide/defoliant used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War as part of the Herbicidal Warfare Program. Agent Orange was given its nickname due the the barrels it was stored in, marked with a single orange stripe, other herbicides used in southeast asia were given similar nicknames such as Agents Blue, Green, Pink and Purple. Despite the large veritable rainbow of different defoliants, Agent Orange was primarily used during Operation: Ranch Hand [HowStuffWorks Science]Read MoreAgent Orange : History, Science, And Politics Of Uncertainty1132 Words   |  5 PagesAgent Orange Throughout the Vietnam War, American soldiers faced a problem. Thick foliage covering Vietnamese soil hid Vietnamese soldiers, causing difficulty for the Americans, but advantages for the Vietnamese. This foliage also allowed Vietnamese soldiers access to essential crops. Both of these advantages from plant growth allowed Vietnamese soldiers to fight efficiently and allowed them success. According to the book Agent Orange: History, Science, and the Politics of Uncertainty by EdwardRead MoreAgent Orange : A Herbicide Mixture Used By The Us Military During The Vietnam War Essay1350 Words   |  6 PagesAgent Orange is a herbicide mixture used by the US military during the Vietnam War. (Agent Orange Vietnam War History). The Department of defense advance project (DARPA) had an important role in the U.S development of herbicides as a military weapon (usa.gov). The first large scale defoliation by the US military took place in Fort Drum using a chemical called agent purple and a spr ay system that was the model for the one used in Vietnam (Buckingham). The use of chemicals in war is considered biologicalRead MoreAgent Orange, Ddt, And Benzene821 Words   |  4 Pagesenvironment can create devastating health problems such as cancer in humans. This paper will evaluate three of the many carcinogenic chemicals that have the propensity to cause cancer and other health problems. Therefore, the paper will evaluate Agent Orange, DDT, and Benzene. In addition, the paper will discuss incidents relating to each respective chemical. Also depicted in this paper is the type of cancers caused by each chemical and other related health problems associated with each chemicalRead MoreAgent Orange, Ddt, And Benzene809 Words   |  4 Pagesenvironment can create devastating health problems such as cancer in humans. This paper will evaluate three of the many carcinogenic chemicals that have the propensity to cause cancer and other health problems. Therefore, the paper will evaluate Agent Orange, DDT, and Benzene. In addition, the paper will discuss incidents relating to each respective chemical. Also depicted in this paper is the type of cancers caused by each chemical and other related health problems associated with each chemicalRead MoreThe Effects Agent Orange Produced on Health Essay1668 Words   |  7 Pagessafe and it won’t hurt you at all,† he added. â€Å"We were told you can drink it, you can brush your teeth with it, or you can bathe in it. It won’t hurt you. Those were lies.† (â€Å"U.S. Soldiers Sprayed Agent Orange across Korea† 1) Agent Orange was an herbicide used by the United States military forces in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971 to destroy their enemies’ food supply, land, and protection. Twelve million gallons of this toxin were sprayed. (Department of Preventive Medicine 1) It affected the Vietnamese

Cdr Sample Mechanical Engineer Essay Example For Students

Cdr Sample Mechanical Engineer Essay CAREER EPISODE 1 Designing of the Side Arm Charger During the time I have worked at XXXXX since February 2001 for approximately 5 continuous years as a full time mechanical engineering expert I have been assigned several engineering design projects. One of the projects I have been assigned at October 2005 to work on was to design the side arm charger of a wagon un-loader system. XXXXX was selected as the designer and execution supervisor of this project. The wagon un-loader system will be installed in KHORASAN Steel Complex (; KSC) at Neyshabour. The main purpose in KHORASAN Steel Complex is to construct a reduction plant in order to increase the amount of produced sponge iron to be used in the steel industries. This plant is going to be constructed within a period of 3 years. In order to supply the required oxide pellet, a railway is designed for the plant. Obviously, the major function of wagon un-loader system is to supply the required oxide pellet to the direct reduction plant. I would like to describe my job in this project in 4 different stages as follows: 1) Total Project Planning ) Preliminary Studies 3) Detail Design and Engineering Documentation 4) Project Execution Planning 1) Total Project Planning 1-1) The design project was to be started at October 2005, so the project leader at XXXXX held an introduction meeting approximately at the beginning of September 2005 and the project organization was introduced to include: A project manager, An engineering coordinator and other discipline coordinators were electrical e ngineering, mechanical engineering, process engineering and fluid coordinators. The project leader also determined a time limitation of only 3 months for all design and engineering activities before implementation supplier selection. The credit for this part of the project was considered to be around 1. 5 million euros regarding an offer received from a foreign engineering consulting firm out of a 150 million euros as the total credit for KSC reduction plant. 1-2) I was supposed to work under the supervision of the mechanical engineering coordinator accompanying with two other mechanical engineer and two CAD drafters as the mechanical engineering design team. In this project the mechanical coordinator assigned me the following tasks to assist him in the project: 1-2-1) Design the side arm charger 1-2-2) Communicate with other coordinators 1-2-3) Prepare the design project plan and predict the executive requirements and interfaces with other disciplines. 1-2-4) Prepare the cost/benefit analysis of the design 1-2-5) Attend the meetings as mechanical design team representative 1-2-6) Preparing and finalizing the project progress reports of mechanical design through teamwork. -3) Approximately about 3 working days later I held a meeting with the mechanical design team members and also invited the representatives of other discipline coordinators’ teams. In this meeting we discussed the mechanical design plan, and our overall estimation on design requirements of each individual parts and equipments. I asked about any available information resources and one of our team members suggested to have a visit of such similar systems active under operation in MOBARAKEH Steel Complex BANDAR ABBAS Harbor. After assignment of design activities, I asked all team members on how to make effective and fast communications when required. Finally we decided to communicate with emails through our INTERANET and provide a flat network connection to inform each other and take the responsibility of each other activities with close relations and communications through a fully authorized friendly working environment. We also defined and agreed on our weekly technical meetings time. 1-4) I suggested providing such a mentioned friendly flat environment for work to my direct boss and he accepted and approved the suggestion. At the same meeting I suggested to communicate the project progress and relevant technical issues each week on Mondays and every body accepted. 1-5) Finally I ordered to prepare a design project draft plan and we discussed it through our technical team and asked for any required modifications from other disciplines representatives then I finalized the mechanical design project plan at the same time when the other teams were working on their own plans. I submitted and discussed the design project plan to the mechanical coordinator and took his approval on the plan. I had planned to complete all the activities including design, verification, and inquiry document preparation and engineering drawing and quality control plan documentation within 3 months. 1-6) After I took the approval of the mechanical design project plan, I conducted to provide an overall cost estimation of the design and execution of such a project considering a parametric cost estimating method based on a conceptual and preliminary draft design and reported the documented results to the mechanical coordinator. Regarding the results achieved we predicted an approximate saving of 250,000 euros only due to mechanical engineering design and execution. 2) Preliminary Studies 2-1) To get aware about the client’s technical requirements, since the wagon un-loader system was designing for the first time in Iran, first of all it was required to know about the function and duty of the wagon un-loader system. I requested a technical meeting with the process engineering team under the supervision of process engineering coordinator to get introduced to such an un-loader system. Nuclear Holocaust EssaySo I conducted to provide a written draft and held a meeting with other top leaders representatives and some non-technical people from XXXXX contract department to discuss and finalize the execution tender documents. After some open negotiations some suggestions were applied and a complete inquiry document was finalized and agreed. In addition I ordered the procurement of the hydraulic drive system and related accessories to XXXXX international partner called IRASCO through our contract department to be on time on delivery of these parts that had to be imported. 4) Project Execution Planning 4-1) After finalizing the mechanical equipments inquiry documents, I conducted to provide an execution project cost/benefit analysis along with the relevant gunt chart for such a project. I combined all these documents together and after taking the mechanical coordinator approval in addition to other coordinators agreement, we passed the inquiry documents to XXXXX contract department for tender. 4-2) The contract department held the tender and finally the execution supplier who was responsible not only for mechanical and total process engineering but also for electrical equipments, was selected and introduced to our technical supervision team. 4-3) I accompanying the representatives of other teams finalized the execution project plan with the supplier and revised the required man-hour per each activity in some areas and helped his technical team with the 2D workshop drawings and other engineering documents provided for ease of implementation. -4) I conducted teamwork to prepare the required quality control plans for mechanical equipments and parts during the 5 weeks to the end of the 3rd month of the design and engineering when the design was completed and the worksho p executive 2D drawings were under preparation. My practical knowledge and experiences in quality control and inspection either in-site or by taking services from outside inspectors and laboratory services always helps me effectively in preparation such a quality plans. I always bear in mind when in execution any suggestions from supplier’s technical staffs have to be studied and accepted if practical as compared to our experienced experiments. 4-5) The finalized project plan passed to the supplier for execution and it was estimated to take around 12 months to be totally implemented and the equipments would be installed. Our final calculations together with all the other teams indicated with the design activities done in XXXXX there was a saving of around 500000 euros out of the 1. 5 million euros offer received from the foreign engineering consultation company. Summary At October 2005, I was assigned by XXXXX to work on a project to design a side arm charger in a wagon un-loader system for KHORASAN Steel Complex reduction plant in Neyshabour. I was working under the supervision of mechanical engineering coordinator of this project and two other mechanical engineers and two CAD drafters were working under my supervision and directly reported to me. I had to perform the following activities: 1) Total Project Planning 2) Preliminary Studies 3) Detail Design and Engineering Documentation 4) Project execution Planning Each of the above-mentioned steps was executed in further sub-steps for further considerations. Also I had to report continuously to mechanical coordinator. To show the progress and respective improvements and engineering design results I prepared project progress reports including engineering details with supporting graphs and charts using Microsoft Power Point. Apart from this I have always tried to achieve recognition from by doing my duties on time and in the best way possible. The engineering design part of the total project was planned for 3 months and we successfully conducted the project and spent no more time even after providing the mechanical parts quality control plan.

The Dream of the Civil Rights Movement Essays - Activism

The Dream of the Civil Rights Movement Of all the movements that have happened throughout American history, the civil rights movement was arguably the most important in shaping American culture today. the civil rights movement was a series of mass protests against racial inequality; notably, Martin Luther King Jr. used his powerful speeches to inspire the nation, and bring together people who had been separated for the previous 200 years. The civil rights movement can be defined as the struggle of African-Americans in the 1950's and 60's to achieve civil rights and liberties equal to those of white people, including equal opportunity in employment, housing, and education, as well as the right to vote, the right of equal access to public facilities, and the right to be free of racial discrimination (Civil). Though the majority of the civil rights movement took place in the 50's and 60's, it actually began during the 1800's. One event that sparked debates on civil rights was the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. At the conclusion case, the US supreme court decided that facilities for black and white people could be "separate but equal" (Civil Rights). This was a major setback in the advancement of African American Rights because it basically made public discrimination legal. Though it was slow, and especially hard in the beginning, the portion of the civil rights movement that took place during the 50's and 60's, whic h is now known as the "civil rights era" was a major turning point in American culture, and helped to shape the way Americans view race forever. During the movement, some of the ugliest parts of American society were brought to light, and the real, disturbing injustices that were happening every day were exposed. One of the most notable events of the civil rights movement was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The King Encyclopedia summarizes the boycott by stating, "Sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks on 1 December 1955, the Montgomery bus boycott was a 13-month mass protest that ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional." At the forefront of the boycott were many important figures involved in the civil rights movement, the most notable of them being Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. Born and raised in Atlanta, King attended public school by age five, and graduated Booker T. Washington High School at age 15 in 1944 after skipping 9th and 11th grade (Martin). The fact that he graduated 2 years early shows that he was exceptionally intelligent, which would translate into his later life. King took on an important role in 1955 as the leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In a biography about King it says, "On the night that Rosa Parks was arrested, E.D. Nixon, head of the local NAACP chapter met with Martin Luther King Jr. King was elected to lead the boycott because he was young, well-trained with solid family connections and had professional standing" (Martin). King's election as leader of such a massively important protest at only the age of 25 shows how much faith and trust the black community had in him, and how great his ability to inspire and lead people on a path to goodness and e quality already was. One of King's greatest talents as a civil rights leader was his ability to deliver powerful speeches, his most famous speech being the "I Have a Dream" speech. King's speech titled "I Have a Dream" is arguably one of the most powerful, and influential speeches of the past century. For one of the first times, it painted a picture of the struggles suffered by African-Americans in a way that all Americans could understand. As History.com puts it, "Weaving in references to the country's Founding Fathers and the Bible, King used universal themes to depict the struggles of African Americans, before closing with an improvised riff on his dreams of equality." Almost as important as the speech itself, the setting in which the speech took place allowed for it to be so widely heard by the American public so quickly. The speech was delivered at the end of the March

The Fast Food industry

Introduction People keep talking about negative effects of fast food on people’s health. Lots of people claim that the growth of the rate of obese people correlates with the growth of fast food chains in the region. For instance, it is now believed that the American ways and lifestyles are spreading worldwide which leads to the increase of obese people (â€Å"Globesity† n.p.).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Fast Food industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time, there are people who agree that fast food restaurant chains contribute to the change of lifestyles and eating behaviors, but they are not totally responsible (Zollinger-Read n.p.). It is possible to consider a number of central issues concerning fast food to understand whether fast food industry is totally responsible for the change in eating behaviors and lifestyles. Fast Food Harms People’s Health Admittedly, lots of people find fast food tasty and quite cheap. Hence, it is an easy way to eat as one does not need to spend time cooking and washing up. Therefore, fast food saves a lot of time, which is really important for a contemporary hectic life. However, they often ignore the fact that this food contains a lot of calories. It has been acknowledged that fast food restaurants have come up with less fatty foods, but they are still far from being healthy due to fatty sauces (Zollinger-Read n.p.). Moreover, people often do not even realize the amount of calories they consume. Fast Food Affects People’s Lifestyles It is also believed that fans of fast food restaurants are often prone to unhealthy lifestyles as these people consume a lot of calories but do not take enough exercise. People also believe that the fast food industry heavily markets its products and promotes unhealthy lifestyles (Schlosser 9). Thus, people of the first part of the twentieth century used to eat at home and have active lives, but contemporary people do not have time to live healthier. Fast Food Industry Is not Solely Responsible Of course, the fast food industry uses media to market its products and many people say that it is wrong as these commercials make people live unhealthy lives (Schlosser 46). However, it follows that media share this responsibility. Obviously, media have become an important tool of affecting people’s choices. Some people say that officials should affect the spread of fast food restaurants as they are harmful (Schlosser 244). Nonetheless, fast food restaurants are not something people are forced to attend. There are lots of smokers in the world even though all people know about the harm of smoking. Likewise, it is well known that fast food is harmful but people still make their choice and eat it. Thus, people are the ones who are solely responsible for their eating habits and lifestyles.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we ca n help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion Therefore, it is important to understand that fast food industry is not solely responsible for the change. It is possible to note that popularity and unprecedented success of the fast food industry is a reflection of trends existing in the society. People try to save time, and they stop cooking and eating at home as it is faster, cheaper and easier to get some food from a local fast food restaurant. Of course, fast food industry has certain impact on people’s eating habits, but still each person is responsible for his/her health. Works Cited Globesity: US Junk Food Industry Tips Global Scales 2013. Web. https://www.rt.com/usa/us-obesity-food-global-regulation-551/. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. Print. Zollinger-Read, Paul. â€Å"Is It Time Fast Food Restaurants Became More Responsible?† The Guardian 5 J uly 2013. Web. This essay on The Fast Food industry was written and submitted by user Rosemary Wolfe to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Fixes for Ambiguous Headlines

Fixes for Ambiguous Headlines Fixes for Ambiguous Headlines Fixes for Ambiguous Headlines By Mark Nichol Headlines that can be read more than one way, or that contain a confusing or erroneous element, have been a source of amusement for journalists and newshounds and of consternation for the perpetrators since the dawn of written mass communication, but anyone who writes or edits should be aware of the dangers of careless headline writing. Here are several headlines that prompt a double take. 1. â€Å"Gadhafi Forces Retreat† This could be interpreted as meaning â€Å"Gadhafi compelled rebels to retreat† or â€Å"Gadhafi’s military units were compelled to retreat† two readings about as diametrically opposed as possible. Space is often a consideration in print publications, requiring verbal shortcuts and curt words, but â€Å"Gadhafi’s Forces Retreat† or â€Å"Gadhafi Forces Foes to Retreat,† depending on the intended message, adds no more than a few characters. 2. â€Å"Second Toddler Found in Pool Also Dies at Hospital† This headline reads as if the toddler died twice once in the pool, and then again at the hospital. The explanation that two toddlers had been retrieved from a pool, and that one had already died at the hospital, should be introduced in the article, not in the headline. The solution is to not attempt to make a reference to the first toddler at all: â€Å"Second Toddler Found in Pool Dies at Hospital.† 3. â€Å"Retiring Police Officer’s Novel Tactics† This headline can be read three ways, listed in increasing order of likelihood: 1) â€Å"A shy police officer’s unusual tactics,† 2) â€Å"A police department is ceasing to use a police officer’s unusual tactics,† and 3) â€Å"Unusual tactics of a police officer about to retire.† (The headline could also be referring to a full-length work of fiction perhaps the officer, now retired from law enforcement, is applying his or her knowledge of police tactics to the plot of a novel but that misreading is unlikely.) The headline’s intended meaning is the third one, and though no one is likely to assume otherwise, the ambiguity is nevertheless distracting. â€Å"Novel Tactics of a Retiring Police Officer† has only three more characters and spaces than the original headline, and although retiring could still be misconstrued as referring to a personality trait rather than cessation of a career, that’s a stretch; the inverted word order makes the context clearer, diminishing the probability of initial confusion. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire YouFive Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"Drama vs. Melodrama

Racial segregation in schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Racial segregation in schools - Essay Example This case had been by parents of Topeka city and called for the Board of Education to reverse racial segregation since educational in these schools were unequal (Miller, 3). The Mendez case of 1947 challenged segregation in education successfully. It involved Mexican-American California farmers who took their children to a local school but were rejected by the administration (Straum, 1). The parents had to take their children to a separate school reserved for Mexican Americans. The Plessy case legalized the establishment of separate schools for different races. These schools were supposed to have equal facilities but the races would never mix. The Brown and Mendez cases challenged racial segregation in the educational sector in Kansas and California states. Racial segregation in the education center has existed for several years since the legalization of separate public facilities in the ruling of the Plessy vs. Ferguson case. Racial segregation is a violation of the Fourteenth const itutional amendment that gives every child the full protection by the law. The separate public facilities were supposed to have equal resources. ... These conditions undermine student achievement and can be blamed for the small number of Latinos and Africans in higher learning institutions (Camille and Siebens, 5). White schools have qualified teachers, appropriate learning materials and environment, and adequate facilities. According to the educational report, majority of the students in colleges and universities are white (Camille and Siebens, 4). Blacks and Latinos have the lowest number in the overall number of citizens who have a bachelor’s degree, masters, doctorate or professional degree. This can be termed as the racial opportunity gap that disadvantages African American and Latino students. Asians have the highest percentage of people with bachelors, masters, professional, and doctorate degrees among nonwhite citizens. This opportunity gap greatly undermines the educational and career life chances of California Black and Latin students. This crisis can be attributed to under qualified teachers, little access to le arning materials, and few instruction days due to overcrowding. Racially segregated schools have lower API scores compared to those recorded in white schools. The state emphasizes the use of standards-based tests to evaluate schools, which requires sophisticated teaching, learning materials, and uncrowded school buildings (ULCA, pp.8). According to Strum, segregated education is damaging to Mexican-American children on the grounds of psychological, social, and pedagogical costs (Strum, 1). The struggle between Mendez and Westminster provided Latinos with equal educational opportunities in public schools. These students were considered to be white but experience a language deficiency. The ULCA report indicates that most segregated schools have few text books and

Cultural Differences and Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cultural Differences and Justice - Essay Example From a social science perspective, the term refers to an individual's subjective perceptions of whether or not he/she is treated fairly (Markovsky, 1985 in Mueller and Mulinge, 2002). It is likewise important to consider that justice pertains to the application of a normative rule to the allocation of resources to recipients (ibid). It is important to examine these subjective perceptions of justice and injustice since individuals' understanding affects their attitudes and perceptions of the subject. Since cultural differences may alter a group's perception on what is just and what is not, it then implies that people's actions and approaches to these actions on the given subject also vary. The perception and understanding of justice is different in various nations and cultures, thus there is a need to focus on cultural differences when attempting to understand how a particular group views this concept. It must be noted that the concept of justice has not only emerged from levels of individual issues but also from levels of group or collective issues (Hayashi and Sekiguchi, 2006, p. 207). This is where the importance of how a group perceives the concept of justice and injustice takes place. It is from this multi-level perception that this paper considers describing how cultural differences alter understanding of injustice and approaches to justice. Collective justice perception is tended to be viewed to have associations with group-oriented cultures such as India. It connotes whether a group as a whole is treated fairly within the organisation and how such understanding of justice alters their view of said treatment (Hayashi and Sekiguchi, 2006, p. 207). In India, it may be inferred that religion is a factor that alters people's understanding of injustice and approaches to justice, accounting for a cultural difference between its people and the rest of the world. As a starting off, it is important to mention that the Indian culture and its general economic structure are heavily founded on religion and there is a need to understand the system of worship as well as the central concept of reincarnation governing people's lives. The cultural differences of the Indian people in terms of understanding justice and injustice lie on the understanding of various connections between Hinduism and general Indian culture, which includes history with an underlying caste system that has thrived for several centuries. The Indian caste system governs the social system in India, directly linking religious beliefs and social segregation into status groups, thereby creating divisions. Weber notes the prevention of the development of urban status groups by this caste system (Dumont and Gulati, 1980). He analysed how the aspect of traditionalism of the caste system is supported by religion and posits that the economic development of India is slowed as the "spirit" of

The Red Tsar of all Russia Essay Example for Free

The Red Tsar of all Russia Essay Introduction There is no doubt that Josef Stalin represents the ultimate figure of paradox in the world of communism, as this man of steel was early on concurred as the safe gray blur yet later acknowledged as the Red Tsar of all Russia. How did this pedestrian man, who was illustrated by Leon Trotsky himself as the most eminent mediocrity 1 rise to develop into the epithet, the Red Tsar of all Russia? The multifaceted and ironic process of his ascension to supremacy defines Stalin as an exceptional phenomenon. His rise to the top is remarkable on the grounds that Stalin was neither a philosopher nor a cogent orator, but managed to administer his way to the top. Many maintain that his rise was a combination of political genius and sheer luck. But when we examine the factors of luck, it can be clearly seen that it was due to this dynamic that Stalin was able to rise to the top. Without the factor of luck as an underlying basis to his accomplishment in succeeding Lenin, Stalin would not have been able to use his abilities and skills to rise to the top in any case. The perplexities of Stalins rise can be narrowed to an inquiry of manageable proportions; from investigating the luck he experienced in securing his grip on the USSR and the extent of his political genius. The foundations of Stalins triumph which were laid before Lenins death played into his hands, including the luck considerations that embrace the nature of the State, the death of Lenin and another key figure, new policies from which Stalin benefited and Stalins nature and skill considerations as an opportunistic politician armed with political and economical pragmatism, correct timing, building of alliances of convenience and manipulation of political resources and available supporting state of affairs. III. Background Information Stalin, born Josef Vissarionovich Djugashvili in 1879 in Georgia, had Slavic, humble beginnings. In 1912 Djugashvili became a member of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party and changed his name to his famous pseudonym, Josef Stalin, meaning man of steel. Lenin had been impressed by Stalins organizing ability and blind loyalty, describing him as that wonderful Georgian. 2 Stalin played relatively minor roles in the October Revolution and an inconspicuous part in the Civil War.3 After the Bolsheviks secured their position in Russia, Stalins non-Russian background proved invaluable, landing him the post Commissar of Nationalities. From there he became the Liaison Officer between the Politburo and Orgburo and Head of the Workers and Peasants Inspectorate in 1919, and General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1922 until he became the Lenin of his day according to his official biography. 4 Stalins posts enabled him to know by heart the works of the government and personnel, record Party policy, build up personal files on all members of the Party and appoint supporters and later purge his rivals.5 Lenin died in 1924, at the time Stalin was forty five. At that juncture, Stalin was not in the lead to succeed Lenin. He was considered as less of a threat than Trotsky, who was thought of as a Bonapartist threat who would, if given Lenins preeminence, commence a military dictatorship. This led to the alliance between Zinoviev, Trotsky and Stalin that was finalized in the form of a triumvirate in order to marginalize Trotsky by blocking his policies, defeating his debates and preventing his advance.6 By pursuing their policy of Socialism in One Country which was based upon the more Leninist approach of the continuation of the NEP in order for the USSR to first focus on the USSRs problems then build a modern state, the triumvirs were able to outmaneuver Trotskys radical Perma nent Revolution which believed in the export of revolution to achieve true revolutionary socialism. 7 Then between the years 1925-1927, Stalins conflict with Zinoviev and Kamanev led to their assembling of a New Opposition with Trotsky whom they now considered as a lesser threat. Opportunistic Stalin simply aligned himself with the Partys rightists Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky. The alliance accordingly secured the expulsion of the New Opposition members. Yet in 1929, the Rightists were in turn attacked, when Stalin removed his them, proving himself as the consummate player in this political chess game of power manipulation. 8 IV.A. Luck: The Nature of the infant Bolshevik State Unintentionally, the Party had assisted Stalin in assuming supremacy. When Lenin and the Bolsheviks assumed total control of Russia after the 1917 Revolution, they realized that they were not a traditional form of Russian government; they were unskilled and untrained in matters concerning government due to the fact that all their original efforts and actions were inclined towards just pure revolution. When all other forms of government could count upon precedent or tradition as a guide to governing their countries, Lenins Party faced the fact that their revolutionary government did not possess such advantages. Additionally the highly radical degree of the Russian Revolution was a first in history, assuring the chastity of the Bolsheviks in matters of government. This was much supported by the growth of bureaucratism in the Party, whereupon traditional Tsarist practices were becoming standard procedure in the USSR to which Lenin himself had opposed strongly. The Party had no policies in the beginning, thus the Bolsheviks touched and felt their way through, which created opportunities for individual advancement. Stalins rise would have been obvious in other traditional forms of government and because of this, perhaps even deterred.9 IV.B. Luck: The Nature of Josef Stalin Another fortunate factor that enabled the Party to believe that Stalin was the safer alternative was the general perception of him at that time, as he was Slavic in origin and was isolated from the outside world, speaking no other language than Russian and having no contact with European culture. This proved advantageous when Trotskys Permanent Revolution failed, as seen, for instance, in the short-lived Hungarian Bela Kun regime. This boosted Stalins nationalistic and Leninist Communism in One Country program, proclaiming that Russia needed to first overcome their agricultural and industrial problems unaided, and by doing so he won the most favor as his pure Russian origins comfortably assured the Russian people. IV.C. Luck: The Death of Yakov Sverdlov (1919) One of the decidedly significant pillars of Stalins successful rise to power is the death of Yakov Sverdlov, a highly respected influential Bolshevik who continually supported Lenin and developed a reputation as one of the Partys most excellent orators. Sverdlov was reputed as one of the supporting pillars of the armed uprising of October. Sverdlovs role proved significant in the Party as he persuaded leading Bolshevik figures to put down the lid on both the Constituent Assembly and to sign the Brest-Litovsk Treaty despite its controversial nature. Despite his young age, Sverdlov was expected to be Lenins choice as the partys next leader. 10 This was most almost certainly due to his nature as an influential Bolshevik whom Lenin had laid his trust upon to the extent that Lenin had an eye for Sverdlov in promoting him as the next General Secretary. Yet Yakov Sverdlov died aged thirty-three in March 1919. Had Sverdlov not died in 1919, Stalin would not have stood a chance to become General Secretary, a highly significant post in which Stalin exploited and manipulated to gain supporters and purge his rivals.11 IV.D Luck: The 1921 Ban upon Factionalism Policy One luck aspect that was in Stalins favor was the 1921 ban upon factionalism, a policy issued by Lenin in order to ban organized factions at the Tenth Party Congress which sprung up due to the Partys squabbling over the perplexities over the civil war, revival of capitalism through the issuing of the NEP and the shock of the Kronstadt rising. 12 When scratching beneath the surface of this action, we can see that this frustration over criticism inevitably meant that any form of criticism towards the party was extremely condemned, furthermore suppressed. This is definitely a noteworthy luck element in Stalins rise to power as this issue provided him with the means to readily resist challenges to his criticism-inviting authority. IV.E Luck: The 1923-1925 Lenin Enrolment Another luck factor that played into Stalins hands was the Lenin Enrolment, a recruitment campaign made to increase the number of true proletarians in the Party.13 Whereas at the Tenth Congress the Party had only 732,000 members, by 1930 this had grown nearly to a million members.14 As supervisor for the enrolment in the years 1923 to 1925, Stalin purged members that were potentially hazardous to his campaign. With his power of patronage, Stalin admitted workers at the bench, ill-educated people who were less ideologically aware of their beliefs and surroundings. New proletarian party members favored and supported the more down-to-earth Stalin who spoke their language with practical and understandable directives rather than his scholarly comrades. 15 What was impressed on the new members was that that blind loyalty and absolute obedience was required to achieve privileges. This was inclined to come from loyalty to those who had first admitted them into their appointed positions, and in that case, General Secretary Stalin. E.H Carr described this as being a change from the elite party of Lenin to the mass party of Stalin. 16 With this knowledge, Stalin was able to control the current of support in the Party; carefully choosing new members that he was aware would support him. IV.F Luck: Stalin versus Lenin, Lenins Death (1924) the Failure of Demoting Stalin Another fact that can be counted as luck involves the certainty that Stalin would have been demoted on the basis that he had proved himself a power-exploiting danger to Lenin himself due to his criticism-inviting actions. Stalin, whom Lenin had previously respected aroused Lenins distrust which led to a conflict between the two. Lenin allegedly believed that Stalin was as responsible as anyone for the bureaucratic existence of traditional Tsarist elements in the Partys standard procedures. 17 When in 1922 Stalin supported the idea of independence of Transcaucasian Georgia, his homeland, that sought to become an autonomous republic, Stalin was in fact dismissive and discourteous towards his national spokesmen to the extent that Lenin himself was obliged to intervene to resolve the situation and even sided with the injured party of the Georgians, when in fact as the Commissar for Nationalities Stalin was essentially responsible for relationships with local bodies within Russia. Exacerbating his head-to-head clash with Lenin, Lenin dictated a letter to Stalin warning that he would break off relations if he did not apologize to his wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya, whom he had personally insulted, calling her a syphilitic whore for allowing Lenin to write a letter to Trotsky four days after the Central Committee placed Stalin in charge of Lenins health. 18 Stalins actions could lead us to a perception that Stalin did want power badly and that he did have tendencies of rebellion despite being referred to a pedestrian. However, again luck seemed to favor Stalin. If Lenin had not been ill and died in 1924, Stalin could have been relieved of his post, absolutely ruling out any possibility to his rising up to power. The failure of reading out Lenins Testament a year before Lenins death in 1923 as he had requested and its neutralization after his death in 1924 definitely played a significant role in the failure of having Stalin removed from his post. Concerned of what might happen after his death, Lenin wrote a Testament in which he acknowledged the strengths and weaknesses of Central Committee members. Reflecting back on Stalins policies towards national groups, most significantly Georgia, Lenin was clearly concerned over the power that was currently in Stalins hands and how he had the potential to misuse his power, 19 Lenins codicil unquestionably proved his concern over Stalin which reached it paramount point just previous to his death, by requesting that Stalin to be removed from his post and to be replaced by appointing another man in his stead who in all other respects differs from comrade Stalinmore tolerant, loyal, polite and more considerate to the comrades, less capricious etc 20 This w as a definite deterrent to achieving supremacy for Stalin. Yet Lenin was not able to convey publicly his final thoughts before his death due to his illness that restricted him from taking active part in Bolshevik politics. The too-damning nature of the harsh criticisms of major Party personalities contained in Lenins Testament consequently kept his wishes held in reserve until the following Congress in the following year. Furthermore, Lenins Testament was also neutralized by Kamanev and Zinoviev; cleared of elements that would uplift Trotskys name in order to prevent Trotsky, personally Lenins most capable man in the Party, 21 from rising to power. Another error that Lenin made before his death is that he did not officially hand down his position to anyone of his comrades, thus a game of tug of war for supremacy was quickly commenced right after his death in 1924. With these elements combined, emphasizing the shelving of Lenins Testament until after his death, not publicizing it and its neutralization positively played a noteworthy role in the failure of conducting the supposed act of removing Stalin of his post as had been firmly requested by Lenin in his addendum. IV.G Luck: The Attitude Towards Trotsky and his Errors The negative attitude towards Trotsky, the most likely successor of Lenin again proved as one of the facets of luck on Stalins side. Trotsky was known as the most significant and likely successor of Lenin. Nevertheless his comrades thought of him otherwise; Trotsky was considered as a Bonapartist threat largely due to his behavior in which he had built the successful Red Army during the period of the Russian Civil War of 1918 and 1921. Trotsky was also a Jew in a society of deeply engrained anti-Semitism, essentially undermining Trotskys image. Trotsky was also known as a man of complex personality, famous for his excessive self-assurance, as mentioned by Lenin himself in his Testament. At times he also suffered diffidence and lack of judgment, especially in the error of turning down Lenins offer of putting Stalin as deputy chairman of the Sovnarkom thus gaining for himself the most senior and second-in-command after Lenin in 1922. 22 Had he accepted the position, he could have undermined Stalins rise to power through his authority. Another serious error that Trotsky made was that he handed over Lenins notes to the Politburo at the beginning of the struggle, thus leaving himself left with no documentary proof of Lenins growing opposition to Stalins actions. To the advantage of Stalin, Trotskys errors, miscalculations and origins further weakened his already suppressed position in the Party and society, therefore increasing Stalins chances of rising. V.A Introduction to Stalin and his Skills As it is too simplistic to ponder upon luck alone as the driving force of Stalins rise, one must acknowledge Stalins skills as a brilliant politician and his own nature that provided him with the means of assuming power. Stalin was originally a pedestrian, the eminent mediocrity as referred by Trotsky. A significant quality that Stalin possessed was that he had dogged perseverance and willingness to undertake and endure the laborious work demanded by his posts. 23 By managing to stay patiently in the background, Stalin used his timing skills waited for when the time was opportune after Lenins death to strike out his opponents, as of when he outmaneuvered the Partys Left and with his skill to form alliances, such as the Triumvirate which marginalized Trotsky, then afterwards the Duumvirate with the Right to oust the Left. V.B Skill: Stalin as General Secretary of the Bolshevik Party (1922-1929) As a part of Stalins own adroit nature, he took advantage of his position as General Secretary which controlled the passage of business in the Politburo and the appointment of people to positions in the Party. Stalin could even manipulate the membership of the Party itself. 24 Stalins supporters were given the incentive of filling vacancies of those moved above them, usually his rivals. 25 Furthermore Stalins position enabled him to appoint supporters to the Orgburo and the Secretariat, which had power over local bodies. Hence Stalins appointees developed a sense of gratitude and obligation to Stalin, and through this he gained strong influence over the regional party apparatus that led to control over delegate selection for the annual Party Congress. Therefore one of the skill aspects of Stalins eventual victory also lay in the influence he had over the Partys personnel. V.C Skill: Stalin as the Orator at Lenins Funeral in 1924 and Active Support of Leninism As the orator at Lenins funeral, Stalin used his manipulating skills to assure the public that he was the right successor of Lenin by presenting himself as Lenins disciple, not equal. Although many others sought to define Leninism, Stalin made the first move by delivering a remarkable speech at Lenins funeral, for whoever was perceived to be the best Leninist would be the one best placed to inherit Lenins authority. 26 Stalin even set out to define Leninism through six lectures about the foundations of Leninism. Historian Martin McCauley, author of Stalin and Stalinism, states that Stalins uninterested attitude to ideology was utilitarian, whereupon Stalins incursion into ideologyserved two purposes: to provide a simple, accessible exegesis of Marxism-Leninism, and to outmaneuver his opponents. McCauleys book proves to be a reliable source as it has hardly any presence of bias, as the given arguments are based on facts. The high credibility and value of this book can be judged when evaluating its abundance of critical assessments, new brought up issues, and detailed information. Yet a limitation is found in this book on the basis that the information given of Stalins rise to power was not adequately provided, as the bulk of the book itself mainly focuses on the Stalin years and not his journey to the top. Hence by skillfully presenting himself as the continuer of Lenin, Stalin gained unimpeachable authority by implying to the public that he was the right successor. V.D Skill: Stalin Takes Advantage of the Attitude Towards Trotsky: Permanent Revolution versus Socialism in One Country Furthermore in respect to Stalins skills, Stalin cleverly took advantage of the attitude towards Trotsky as well by constantly reminding the Party of Trotskys Menshevik past and pointing out the flaws in his so-called anti Lenin ideas, especially that of the Permanent Revolution. Under this banner, Stalin placed Trotsky as an enemy of the Soviet Union as Stalins Socialism in One Country was of a more Leninist, nationalist approach. This proves that Stalin had the ability to rally support and silence opponents at critical moments by taking on the role of the Great Russian patriot intent on saving the nation from its internal and external enemies. 27 V.E Skill: Stalins Economic and Political Pragmatism Another variable that contributed to Stalins rise in respect to his skills was Stalins economic and political pragmatism that enabled him to outmaneuver the Left and Right while always staying with the majority in the Politburo. After having Trotsky removed from his position, Stalin drastically changed his Socialism in One Country policy to a Trotskyist repressive collectivization and industrialization program to solve local-level problems. Alan Todd, author of The European Dictatorships: Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini, argues that It can be said that Stalins policies were consistent and also in tune with the majority of the party membership, who desired stability most of all. Alan Todds book proves to be a credible and valuable source of historical information for there is hardly any presence of bias in his writing as many arguments are based on facts that are evaluated by gathering assessments from various historians. The lack of bias definitely proves the source reliable. It is hard to find any limitations to this useful historical source for Alan Todd balanced opinion and fact in chronological order showing how Leninism eroded into Stalinism, then evaluating it based on historians arguments. As Stalins last deterrent to supremacy laid in the figure of the Rightists after he had outmaneuvered the Left with the Duumvirate, Stalin began attacking his fellow Duumvirate Rightists by abandoning Bukharins economic policy that agreed the continuum of the NEP using the argument that the policy had failed and industrialization must take precedence over agriculture. 28 Fearful of creating factionalism, the rightists hoped to win the Party without creating deep divisions. Yet Stalin portrayed the Rights as a dangerous clique by manipulating the Rights supporters who were largely responsible for drafting and distributing Party information. 29 Stalin progressively and politically crushed the Rights, pragmatically securing his position as leader by sending two Politburo members to undertake purges in the trade unions, the Rights only remaining power base, and to purge local Party members. 30 VI. Conclusion It seems that it was to a large extent that Bukharin was right about Stalin being the New Genghis Khan. Stalins school of falsification 31 ensued after and even before his succeeding Lenin through dynamics that played into his hands and that were controlled by him. One may argue that there should not be any questions about whether Stalins rise to power was based on luck or skill. Yet it is comprehensible that Stalins mixture of luck and skill along with both planning and opportunity produced inevitable results: power that was left for him to take over. Luck and skill inform each other to such a degree, that, on the basis of its contributions to Stalins rise to power, they cannot be separated. But when examining the relative importance of luck and skill, it can be concluded that luck was most significant as it provided Stalin with the grounds and basis for him to rise. Another may argue that Stalins rise to supreme authority was purely on the basis of his skills, maintaining that without the skills Stalin exercised, he would not have been promoted to his posts through which he manipulated central organs of the Party that eventually crowned him with triumph. However, considering many crucial factors that were based purely on luck, such as those of the death of Lenin that saved Stalin from a certain demotion and Yakov Sverdlovs death in 1919 which placed Stalin in the chair of General Secretary, an essential position which we can refer to as the ultimate catalyst to Stalins triumph, we may argue that without these essential luck factors, Stalin would not have had the chance to use his adroit aptitudes to manipulate his way to the top. Hence in reality Stalin did prove to be the consummate player in the game of politics, along the way verified himself to be the cleverer politician by outmaneuvering his rivals through the use of many unintentional read ily available resources provided by the Party and by exploitation of his rivals miscalculations which made him look positive and constructive while making his opponents look negative and destructive. Despite the findings, a new issue could be raised regarding Stalins head on clash with Lenin that led to the request of Stalin to be removed of his post, why did the grey blur clash with his leader? Couldnt he have acted as the obedient cohort and wait for the wounded lion to die before challenging some of his views? 32 Does this prove that Stalin had tendencies of rebellion, fighting to justify his beliefs despite considerable political risks? Nonetheless, Josef Stalin was a lucky inheritor, ascribing luck as the basis of his rise. So many if onlys could have saved Russia from the so-called grey blur, whom, with the aid of time, would be referred paradoxically as the Red Tsar of Russia. VII. Bibliography 1. Thomas, David and Mcandrew, Mark. Russia Soviet Union 1917-1945. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 2. Marcombe, Margot and Fielding, Mark. Spirit of Change: Russia in Revolution. Australia: McGraw Hill, 1998. 3. Todd, Allan. The European Dictatorships: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 4. Lynch Michael. Stalin and Khrushchev: The USSR 1924-1964. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2001. 5. McCauley, Martin. Stalin and Stalinism. Essex, England: Longman, 1995. 6. Yakov Sverdlov. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSsverdlov.htm Accessed: 10-02-04. 1 Lee, Stephen .J. Stalin and the Soviet Union. London: Routledge, 1999. p. 3. 2 Lynch, Michael. Stalin and Khrushchev: The USSR 1924-1964. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2001., p.8-9. 3 Lee, p. 1. 4 Lee, p. 13. 5 Pauley, Bruce. F. Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini: Totalitarianism in the Twentieth Century. Wheeling, Illinois, U.S.A: Harlan Davidson, 1997. p. 20. 6 Marcombe, Margot and Fielding, Mark. Spirit of Change: Russia in Revolution. Australia: McGraw Hill, 1998. p. 178. 7 Lynch, p. 2. 8 Lee, p.1-2.. 9 Lych, p. 11. 10 Yakov Sverdlov. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSsverdlov.htm. Accessed: 10/02/04. 11 Todd, Allan. The European Dictatorships: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press, 2002. p. 21. 12 Todd, Allan, p. 36. 13 Lych, p. 13. 14 Lych, p. 13. 15 Thomas McAndrew, p. 126. 16 Lych, p. 13 17 McCauley, p.14. 18 McCauley, p.14. 19 Marcombe Fielding, p. 177. 20 Marcombe Fielding, p. 177. 21 Thomas McAndrew, p. 123. 22 Lych, p. 15. 23 Lych, p. 11. 24 Thomas McAndrew, p. 123. 25 Lee, p. 4. 26 Thomas McAndrew, p. 126. 27 Lych, p. 22. 28 Thomas McAndrew, p. 124. 29 Stalins Rise to Power, p. 26. 30 Stalins Rise to Power, p. 26. 31 Todd, p. 58. 32 McCauley, p. 14.

Governments On Preventing Air Pollution In Colombo Environmental Sciences Essay

Governments On Preventing Air Pollution In Colombo Environmental Sciences Essay Air pollution is the presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one or more contaminants such as dust, fumes, gas, mist, odour, smoke, or vapour in quantities and of characteristics and duration such as to be injurious to human, plant, or animal life or to property, or to interfere unreasonably with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property. 1. Air is the very basic need of every living organism. Air is essential to life on earth. All organisms require moderately pure air, and they cannot survive without it. Air is considered safe when it contains no harmful dust and gases. Air pollution effects global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain and various respiratory illnesses. 2. The air pollution has worsened in most large cities in the developing world. In Sri Lanka, Colombo city is facing this problem due to the highly increased vehicle emission and few other environmental issues. The high density of population and industrialization is the other most important environmental issues that have drawn the attention of policymakers, administrators, and environmentalists in the recent past. Most countries in the world are trying to give a solution to air pollution in their countries by revising their policies, rules and regulations. However Sri Lanka is still not taken firm action to revise the environmental policies, rules and regulations to prevent air Pollution. 3. Colombo is the main commercial and business hub of Sri Lanka and as a result, many people are arrived into the city daily. The central district, which comprises of Fort and Pettah, provides more than 100,000 jobs and is estimated to have a daytime population of more than 650,000. The greater Colombo area contains more than 4 million people or 26% of the countrys population, but covers only 5.6% of the entire land area. Outside the city, Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport and the Free Trade Zone further increase traffic congestion in Colombo. As the most important commercial and administrative center, Colombo attracts the maximum number of vehicles and individuals. Therefore it is highly vulnerable to health hazards due to vehicle emissions. 4. Clean, dry air contains 78.09% nitrogen by volume and 20.94% oxygen. The remaining 0.97% is composed of a gaseous mixture of carbon dioxide, helium, argon, krypton, nitrous oxide and xenon, as well as very small amounts of some other organic and inorganic gases whose amount in the atmosphere vary with time and place. Various amounts of contaminants continuously enter the atmosphere through both natural and man-made processes that exist upon the earth. Man as a pollutant has labelled that portion of these substances which interacts with the environment to cause toxicity, disease, aesthetic distress, physiological effects or environmental decay. 5. The human activities are the primary cause of pollution and as the population increases, the attendant pollution problems also raise proportionately. The first significant change in humans effect of nature came with his discovery of fire. Prehistoric human built a fire in his cave for cooking, heating and to supply light. The problem of air pollution came into existence at this time. OBJECTIVES 5. General Objective. To analyze the responsibility of the Government and its authorities towards the reducing of air pollution in Colombo City and give recommendations to prevent Air pollution in Colombo City. 6. Specific Objectives. The specific objectives of the research are as follows. a. To examine the various Air pollutants. b. To examine the impact of the air pollution. c. To examine the actions taken by the Government and its authorities to prevent Air Pollution in Colombo City. d. To analyze and suggest the recommendations for implementations based on the findings of the study. CHAPTER 02 METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF PROBLEM 1. The air pollution in main cities in developing countries is one of the leading critical environment problems. The health impact of the air pollution looks likely to be greater in the capital of Sri Lanka. Therefore the responsibility of the government and its authorities is to protect air and minimize the air pollution in the country. 2. However, the actions taken on air protection in Colombo are inadequate and not suit the present day context. Therefore, this paper will identify the effects of air pollution in Colombo and analyze the impact of air pollution in Colombo City. Further this paper will analyse the effectiveness of existing legal remedies in preventing air pollution. HYPOTHESIS 3. Actions taken by the Government and its authorities to prevent air pollution in Colombo City are inadequate. SCOPE OF THE STUDY 4. This study will explore the air pollution in Colombo city and the responsibility of the Government and its authorities and how air pollution can undermine the goals of development. 5. Furthermore, policies that are necessary on economic basis can deliver significant environmental benefits. However, these policies are not enough to ensure urban air protection. Therefore the strong public organizations and policies for urban air protection are very essential. The policies adapted by the Sri Lankan government over the past two decades to rely more on development. However, natural air protection is an area which government must uphold a central role. 6. Examine the effects of air pollution in Colombo and validity and practicability of the existing environmental policies and regulations in Sri Lanka. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION 7. The primary study shows that the Colombo city would be the area where the air pollution can be seen predominantly. The both primary and secondary data will collect regarding the subject of air pollution in Colombo City from the available resources like publications, books and internet web sites. 8. The main decisive factor is to look at this problem in government and citizens perspectives. Thus, the views of government authorities and citizens will seek to get their expectations of the desired strategies and policies. Scholars on the subject and professionals on this subject will be interviewed through discussions. A predetermined questionnaire will be distributed among the selected citizens in Colombo city to absorb their views. LIMITATIONS 9. This research study was done within three months of period and with limited time. Hence it was difficult to cover all the pollution proven areas in Colombo area. Therefore the calculation might be showed slight difference if compare with another research. It also faced the difficulty of getting genuine answers from the community. CHAPTER 03 AIR POLLUTION ATMOSPHERE 1. The atmosphere surrounds the earth. It is composed of gas molecules held close to the earths surface by gravitation. It consists of Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (20%), Carbon dioxide (0.03%) and small amounts of inert gases such as argon, neon, and krypton. It also consist changing amounts of water. Dust participles called as particulates are also consist with varying amounts. 2. The earths current atmosphere consists of several layers as Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. The average composition of the atmosphere varies little from place to place, except for its moisture contents. The variation of moisture condition is a very important natural condition affecting plant growth. Air temperature is another important environmental condition that profoundly affects both plant and animal life. Air is in constant motion and its movement is creates wind. 3. Some of the atmospheric gases have the capacity to absorb heat. These are called Green House Gasses. Carbon Dioxide, Water vapour and Ozone are three of the naturally make green house gasses in the atmosphere. Green house gasses are liable for maintaining the level of temperature of the earth. If the quantity of these gasses increases in the atmosphere then additional heat will be trapped and the earths atmosphere will get warmer. These gasses have been increasing in the atmosphere in recent years in the earth. 4. In the normal condition the atmosphere contains a layer of ozone in the atmosphere. This layer traps a part of Ultra violet rays and X-Rays, reducing the amount of these deleterious rays reach to the earth. However, the introduction of Chlorofluoro carbon (CFC) in to the atmosphere has been shown to damage the ozone layer. CFC is chemical that have been used for many years in aerosol, air conditioning and in refrigeration. AIR POLLUTION 5. Air Pollution is the presence in the atmosphere of one or more foreign materials such as dust, fumes, gases, mist or smoke in quantities and in durations which are harmful to human, plant or animal life or to properties. A gas like CO2 which is a normal element of the atmosphere can in certain conditions, become a pollutant, when its concentrations increase to levels that threaten the well-being of living things or disrupt physical or biological processes. 6. Air pollution is as old as civilization itself. The first air pollution incident took place, when early humans made fire in poorly ventilated or set fire to a dry forest. But it was the growth of industries after the industrial revolution that became the largest engine of air pollution first in Britain, Europe, North America and then spread to the other places of the World. 7. Damage to the clean air has three possible costs to present and future human welfare. The Health of Human may be harmed. Also the economic productivity may be reduced. In addition, the pleasure or satisfaction obtained from an unspoiled natural air may be lost. Since spoiled urban air problem vary across countries and with the stage of industrialization, each country required to assess its own priorities carefully. Emissions from transport industry and population growth impose serious costs for health condition and productivity in Sri Lanka. AIR POLLUTANTS TYPES OF AIR POLLUTANTS 8. Basically air pollution can be classified as primary and secondary types. Primary pollutants get into atmosphere directly by various processes. Major part of this is added to the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels in transport vehicles and by industries. Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Sulphur oxide and Hydrocarbons are some examples for primary air pollutants. Secondary air pollutants are those formed in the air through various chemical reactions. Some of the primary pollutants undergo chemical reactions once they are in the atmosphere and produce secondary pollutants. For an example Sulphur oxides will react with atmospheric water vapour and produce acids. This way acid rain is produced and it leads to disruption of various eco-systems. Another example is the smog produced by the action of sunlight on automobile exhaust emitted in to the atmosphere. 9. Air pollutants can be either in the form of gases or in the form of particles. Some of the common pollutants are Carbon Dioxide, Sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, methane and ozone. Particulate pollutants include dust, fume, mist, smoke and sprays. 10. Dust particles get in to the air when materials are being handled or processed. Dust from cement, coal, and bricks and saw dust from wood working are few examples of such particulate pollutants. Fumes and mist are not many solid particles, formed in the atmosphere due to condensation of vapours by sublimation or chemical reaction processes. Smoke particle are formed as a result of incomplete combustion of carbonaceous materials. Liquid particles referred to as spray are formed by the atomization of a parent liquid. SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTANTS 11. Some pollutants are formed and emitted by natural processes. Pollen grains from flowers, smoke particles from forest fires, volcanic eruptions and wind blown dust are examples of particulates of natural origin. There are also naturally occurring gasses such as nitrogen oxide and methane. 12. Man made sources of pollutants can be considered under stationary combustion processes transportation, industrial and the agricultural processes. 13. When fuel such as oil or coal used in power plants, gasses and particulate pollutants are emitted in to air. These pollutants consist of a mixture of particles such as fly ash and smoke and gasses such as the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are also produced in combustion process. 14. In transportation, particularly from vehicles, the pollutants are emitted in to the air. These pollutants comprise particulates such as smoke, lead and gasses like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. These pollutants are high in concentration around traffic light junctions in the cities such as Colombo. 15. In industrial processes, depending on the type of energy used, a wide range of pollutants are emitted. If the industry burns oil as its energy source, smoke, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides will be emitted to the air. 16. In Sri Lanka a large percentage of the energy consumed comes from fuel wood. Burning of fuel wood, used for industrial purposes or domestic use, also produces pollutants. Some agricultural activities such as crop dusting add particulate pollutants to the atmosphere. Further, the burning of forests for chena cultivation can be grouped in to this category. 17. Vehicle Emission: Increased vehicle emission in Sri Lanka mainly Colombo is the most significant environmental issue that has drawn the concentration of policymakers, administrators, and environmentalists in the recent past. Various studies undertaken by regulatory agencies and researchers clearly indicate that inefficient combustion of petroleum in motor vehicles is the primary cause of growing air pollution in Colombo city. Lack of information on economic and environmental costs of vehicle emission and its improvement and prevention have inhibited public response and enforcement, and impeded the implementation of existing laws, and the development of further regulations. The worst prevalent air pollutants emitted from vehicles comprise particulate matter (PM), lead (Pb), non-methane volatile organic components (NMVOC), nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO). Of these, particulate matter and lead are the most detrimental components of vehicle exhaus t that affect the environment and human beings. 18. Apart from pollutants emitted by petrol-driven vehicles, the amount of exhaust from diesel-driven vehicles is large and therefore a matter of major public concern due to its undesirable environmental effects. However diesel-engine exhaust contains less toxic gases, it has a much higher particulate matter consideration than petrol-engine exhaust. In Sri Lanka, the observed levels of TSP, SO2, O3, and lead are significantly higher than air quality standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) in Sri Lanka. This clearly reveals the special nature of the vehicle emission problem in the country which is directly linked with a wide range of factors such as composition and increase in number of vehicles, price structure of fuel, lack of traffic management, use of low-quality fuel, and lack of alternative fuels. 20. Combustion Engine Exhaust: Cars, busses, trucks, jet airplanes and other combustion engine vehicles cause air pollution. The exhaust from these contains carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and gaseous oxide. This type of air pollution creates smog which causes respiratory health problems and holes in the ozone layer, which increases the exposure to the harmful rays of the sun. 25. Mills and plants: Mills and plants, such as paper mills, power plants, chemical plants, iron mills, steel mills, cement plants and asphalt plants, release emissions into the atmosphere causing air pollution 21. Factories: Factories, homes and power stations burn fossil fuels, which cause air pollution. The burning of oil and coal also contributes to smog. This air pollution destroys plants, damages buildings and creates oxidation on iron. 22. Petroleum: Petroleum refineries such as Sapugaskanda release hydrocarbons and various particulates that pollute the atmosphere. 23. Pesticides: Pesticides used to destroy indoor and outdoor pests, insecticides used to destroy insects and herbicides use to kill weeds all cause air pollution. 26. Indoor Air Pollution: This happens when there is insufficient ventilation to disburse the toxic fumes from new carpet, paint and/or cleaning chemicals that are used indoors. CHAPTER 04 IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION 1. Several studies conducted in Sri Lankan cities show that air pollution leads to reduced health and quality of life, damage to property, and economic losses. PM10-related health damage in the City of Colombo is about Rs. 26.0 billion per annum; and in the case of PM2.5 it is about Rs. 774 million per annum. This is according to a study by Chandrasiri,S. et. al. (2004) which quantified the health effects of PM2.5 from auto-diesel emissions. Based on the above estimates, the researchers calculated the cost per ton of auto diesel emissions in Colombo. These estimates of the health damage values for PM10 in Colombo come quite close to previous estimates in these studies: 2. Another study on the Exposure to Aerosol Pollution and Reported Respiratory Symptoms Among City Dwellers by Perera, G.B.S., Emmanuel, R., Premasiri, H.D.S., (2006) shows that urban dwellers report higher prevalence of respiratory illnesses since they spend more on the roadsides, have higher exposure and also have all the common respiratory symptoms. Comparison of most common causes of mortality and morbidity data shows that although non-air pollution-related causes remain the primary cause for mortality, air pollution is a significant contributor to morbidity. 3. The average property damage due to urban air pollution in Colombo is estimated at Rs. 12677 (US$ 126) per household per year. The average willingness to pay to avoid property damage from urban air pollution is at Rs. 520 (US$ 5.20) per household per year. If an Air Quality Improvement Fund were to be established, the public would be willing to pay Rs.15460 (US$ 154) per household per year. THE HEALTH IMPACT OF THE AIR POLLUTION 4. Air pollution is increasingly recognized as a threat to the health of people in mainly developing countries. The World Health Organization states that 2.4 million people die every year from causes directly attributable to air pollution. A study by the University of Birmingham has found a strong co-relation between pneumonia related deaths and air pollution from motor vehicles. More Worldwide deaths per year are linked to air pollution than to road traffic accidents. The causes of air pollution related deaths include aggravated asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, lung diseases and respiratory problems. 5. The health effects caused by air pollutants may range from subtle biochemical and physiological changes to difficulty in breathing, coughing, wheezing, and aggravation of existing respiratory and cardiac conditions. 6. These effects can result in increased medication use, increased doctor or emergency room visits, more hospitalizing and premature deaths. The human health effects of poor air quality are far reaching, but principally affect the bodys respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. Individual reactions to air pollutants depend on the type of pollutant a person is exposed to, the degree of exposure, the individuals health status and genetics. . RESPIRATORY HEALTH 7. The effects of air pollution on health of residents in an industrial areas in Colombo city using a cross-sectional design and reported that the adult population living in the industrial area was more likely to have unexplained episodic cough and a significant reduction in expiratory flow as compared to the adult population living in a non-industrial area. The younger population (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 12 years) living in the industrial area were times more likely to have rhinitis as compared to the younger population living in the non-industrial area. 8. School children are another group exposed to high levels of pollutants exaggerated by overcrowding of major schools in cities, especially in Colombo. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms among school children attending a school in Colombo situated close to a busy main road was significantly higher than that of children attending a school situated in a rural area. 9. Based on data of the Colombo Fort monitoring station, episodes of bronchitis, emphysema and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases had a strong association with PM10 levels. Nearly 20% of asthma patients who visited the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo in 2005 could be attributed to exposure to PM10 in Colombo based on the health impact assessment software developed by WHO. Although the location of the Colombo Fort monitoring station may not represent the entire area of study population, this study provides evidence for implementation of early mitigation strategies. 10. Air pollutants were measured using passive samplers in Mount Lavinia, a metropolitan area bordering Colombo, to measure the 24-hour average levels among city dwellers engaged in different occupation. Bus drivers were exposed to more NO2 and SO2 as compared to three-wheeler drivers, shop keepers and outdoor vendors. The highest prevalence of respiratory symptoms was reported among bus drivers. BLOOD LEAD LEVELS 11. Following the introduction of unleaded gasoline, atmospheric lead levels reduced by 81.5%, 82% and 84% in three locations in Colombo measured blood lead levels of a sample of children living near a traffic congested junction in Colombo in 1998 and then one year after the introduction of unleaded gasoline. In 1998, 6% of children had blood lead levels above 10 ÃŽÂ ¼g/dL; in 2003, not a single child had a blood lead level >10 ÃŽÂ ¼g/dl (range 1.67 ÃŽÂ ¼g/dl to 9.7 ÃŽÂ ¼g/dl). 12. The mean blood lead levels in traffic and non-traffic policemen were 7.47 ÃŽÂ ¼g/dl and 7.06 ÃŽÂ ¼g/dl, respectively. Abdominal discomfort, tremor and hypertension were higher in traffic policemen as compared to non-traffic policemen, although the differences were not significant. There may be exposure misclassification as non-traffic policemen are duty bound to control traffic during busy hours. ASTHMA 13. Low air quality, from traffic pollution or high ozone levels, has been repeatedly associated with increased asthma morbidity. Recent studies show a relationship between exposure to air pollutants (e.g. from traffic) and childhood asthma. This research finds that both the occurrence of the disease and exacerbation of childhood asthma are affected by outdoor air pollutants. LUNG CANCER 14. Studies of the American Cancer Society cohort directly link the exposure to particulate matter with lung cancer. For example, if the concentration of particles in the air increases by only 1%, the risk of developing a lung cancer increases by 14%. Further, it has been established that particle size matters, as ultrafine particles penetrate further into the lungs. 15. The majority of the population (more than 50%) was between the ages of 41-50 years and male; the majority of the cases were directly exposed to tobacco smoke (48%). There was an association between smoking and lung cancer but not with biomass fuels use. THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS AUTHORITIES TO PREVENT AIR POLLUTION IN COLOMBO CITY 16. Banning of importation of two-stroke engine three- wheelers: One of the main accomplishments in improving air quality in Sri Lanka is Banning of importation of two-stroke engine three- wheelers since 2006. The Government banned the importation of two-stroke petrol three-wheelers from 1 January 2008 and prohibited the import of full engine, engine blocks and cylinder heads after 2011 in order to avoid the local assembly of two-stroke engines. 17. Implementation of vehicle emission testing program: Sri Lanka is in the process of implementing the Vehicle Emission Testing program. The Program was launched on 15 July 2008. Several agencies play an important part in its implementation. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources developed the emission standards; the Department of Motor Traffic is the nominated implementing agency of the program. This program is designed as a public-private partnership and is a centralized System with two large private sector companies contracted to conduct the vehicle emission tests. Two private sector companies have been selected to set up testing centers in all the main cities of Sri Lanka. The testing centers in the main cities are already in place. 18. Under the Program, vehicle owners must secure an emission certificate because it is a necessity to obtain the annual revenue license in Sri Lanka. After the vehicle is tested, the owner of the vehicle gets an emission certificate which states the emission levels of the vehicle. If the vehicle meets the standards, the owner of the vehicle gets a pass certificate; if he fails, he has to repair the vehicle and go back to the testing center for a re-test. 19. Amendment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards: Considering the latest revised WHO guideline values, Sri Lankan authorities reviewed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and incorporated PM10 and PM2.5. Sri Lanka set the interim targets 2 as given in the Global update of WHO Air Quality Guideline in 2005. 20. Preparation of National Action Plan for Air Quality Management (Clean Air 2015): Clean Air Sri Lanka and the Air Resource Management Center of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Development have prepared the Clean Air 2015 action plan to manage the air pollution in Sri Lanka. The main areas under the action plan have been identified as priorities, action plans prepared and work started for each: Monitoring Emissions of Power Plants and High Polluting Industries, Monitoring and Reducing Vehicle Emissions, Provisions of Cleaner Fuels for Motor Vehicles, Prepare and Maintain Emissions Inventory, Monitoring Ambient Air Quality, Enhance Public Awareness and carry out health impact assessments and Providing an Indoor Air Pollution Management Programme. 21. Strategic Plan for Traffic Management in Greater Colombo Area (2008-2010): The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ordered the preparation and implementation of the Strategic Plan for Traffic Management in Greater Colombo Area. Therefore, the National Transport Commission of the Ministry of Transport has conducted wider discussion with stakeholders and prepared an action plan. This action plan includes several interventions such as the formulation of an urban transport policy, set up of an urban traffic coordinating mechanism, operation of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), operation of at least two new multimodal terminals and introduction of the advance traffic control system etc., for completion by 2010. CHAPTER 05 ANALYSIS ACTS, RULES AND REGULATIONS 1. In the past in Sri Lanka there were a number of statues with scattered provisions pertaining to Environmental protection and Pollution control. Following are the Acts and regulations published in Sri Lanka in order to prevent air pollution. ACTS National Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980 National Environmental (Amendment) Act, No. 56 of 1988 National Environmental (Amendment) Act, No. 53 of 2000 REGULATIONS PUBLISHED UNDER THE NEA Motor Traffic (emission control) Regulation Number 817/6 dated 3rd May 1994. Ozone Depleting substances and Natural Environmental (Ambient Air Quality) Regulations 1994. Gazette Notification Number 850/4 dated 20th December 1994. Amendment to National Environment (ambient air quality) Regulation 1994. Gazette Notification Number 1562/22 dated 15th August 2008. Amendment to Gazette Notification Number 1295/11 dated 30th June 2003.Gazette Notification Number 1557/14 dated 19th July 2008. Amended Regulations (Air Emission, Fuel and Vehicle Importation standards) Gazette Notification Number 1137/35 dated 23rd June 2000. National Environmental (Air Emissions, Fuel HYPERLINK http://www.cea.lk/pdf/reg1295-11.pdfHYPERLINK http://www.cea.lk/pdf/reg1295-11.pdf Vehicle Importation standards) Amended Regulations. Gazette Notification Number 1295/11 dated 30th June 2003. 2. When compare with many other South Asian countries, Sri Lanka has the best environmental protection regulations. However the enforcement is very unsatisfactory. Sri Lanka has a good National Environmental Act and Environmental Impact Assessment process. However its implementation is rather weak. 3. As an example we can take the vehicle emission test of Sri Lanka. As per the questionnaire distributed among the vehicle drivers in Colombo city it is found that the emission test certificate can be obtain without required standard of the vehicle. The drivers confirmed that they have experience for such incidents. 4. Further, during the research it was found that the only one monitoring site in Colombo is not in a position to check the every pollutant due to the system failure since April 2010. CEA hasnt taken any action to reactivate the system up to now. This shows the least priority given by the government towards the air pollution WEAKNESSES OF ACTIONS TAKEN FOR AIR PROTECTION IN COLOMBO BY THE GOVERNMENT 5. . The National environmental act of Sri Lanka approved in 1980 and it was again amended in 1988 and 2000. For the last 30 years amendments were not in a considerable frame and there are many lapses in the amendments. This shows the least priority given by the ruled governments at that time towards the air pollution. The citizens who were participated in this research also clearly indicated this in the questionnaires. 2. When considering the countries, which achieved less air pollution percentage, there were the separate air pollution act and activating it in a proper manner. A separate authority was established to facilitate in administrational functions. Sri Lanka is still relying on the common environmental act. Due to the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka, it is very essential to have a separate act with special laws to reduce the air pollution in the country as well as the Colombo city. 3. The hierarchy of the Central Environment Authority of Sri Lanka are appointed by HE the president in consultation with the environmental minister of the ruling government. Therefore, a question emerged regarding the impartiality of the members of Central Environmental Authority. All the decisions made by the government may be approved by the CEA in this nature. 4. Authority of issuing licence and approving projects had been granted to the minister of environment by the amendment to the NEA in year 2000. As a result of this amendment the minister has sole authority to activate any harmful project to the environment if the government required it. Further this amendment has increased the validity time of the licence for the projects from one year to three years. The suspension and cancellation the licence, given to the minister from this amendment. If the minister insist it, the owner can continue his project without any interference. 5. The prior way of urban air pollution is the use of motor vehicles.