Childhood Cancer Clusters in California’s Central Valley

Childhood Cancer Clusters in California’s Central Valley Case report :Sakshi Arora March 22, 2012 This case study examines childhood cancers in agricultural communities of Mc Farland and Earlimart from 1978 to 1995. According to the local residents of these communities the main reason for cancer is contamination through pesticide in the agricultural farms which is the major source of employment for the residents of the community. McFarland is a small community in Kern County, with the population of about 6200, located at the southern end of California’s San Joaquin Valley.They are the main source of cotton and Almond in the area. Census Data of 1980 revealed that 40 percent of the population is less than 18 years of age. Main source of employment of the population is the farms with the annual income of merely $4300. Due to the limited source of income they were incapable of having health insurance of themselves and the kids. it has been observed that since1978 to 1990, 14 children in McFarland have childhood cancer which is four times the expected rate.The cancers were of many different types including liver, kidney, eye, adrenal glands, and bone. By 1992, five of the children had died. The families of Mcfarland were disturbed and are in pain due to increasing numbers of the victims. Earlimart is another small farming community located in southern Tulare County about 15 miles north of McFarland in the San Joaquin Valley. Child population of the area is one-third of the adult population. It is surrounded by vineyards.In 1989, the United Farm Workers union uncovered a second cluster of twelve childhood cancers in Earlimart among children of farm workers. Study of Dr. Marion Moses, a medical consultant for the union, revealed that the cancers occurred in area is 12 times higher than estimated numbers. All the victims were not of same kind. Some of them had leukemia where some died of lymphoma or kidney cancer. â€Å"In adults, when you get different types of cancer, then most of the time it is not a Cluster,† It as really shocking as Cancer is rare disease in children, the main thought of question arise about the increasing number ignoring the type of cancer. According to the residents, pesticides are the main cause of increasing number of child death rate in the area. Mcfarland and Earlimart are small communities who are not engaged in lot of activities. Victim’s parents have been examined and most of them reported it is caused by pesticides whereas some residents living have reported that no such incident has been observed in their families.Their main occupation is agriculture in the farms where pesticide is being used. They have reported contamination of water is also one of the reasons for the cancer. The case unfolds the number of cases which happened with the people throughout the period. They also reported that in spite of informing the harmful effect of the pesticides to their boss . To which no action has been taken instead their interference in such matter would a reason of them to be fired from the job.The figures of The California Department of Food and Agriculture revealed that there are more than 1,200 cases in California alone in 1986 based on worker compensation records. Nationwide, one estimate calculated as many as 313,000 pesticide-related illnesses among farm worker each year. Dr. Marion Moses, a San Francisco physician active with farm worker groups and a member of the pesticide advisory committee of the Environmental Protection Agency said the main reason for cancer deaths has direct relationship with the pesticides being used in given county.In 1984, after the discovery of the cancer cluster in McFarland, United Farm Workers, Began a boycott on five chemicals being used on the crop such as phosdrin, captan, dinoseb, methyl bromide, and parathion which were found the main reason for situation. Concerned citizen groups from McFarland asked Kern County officials to look i nto the cancer cluster in their community. Within the year the investigation took over of California department of health services. After five years of their investigation on the area they came up with the conclusion that pesticide is not the reason for the cancer deaths in the area affected. despite of all the researches they were unable to find the specific cause for the situation. on the other hand farmers were confident about the reason for the same. They felt abandoned by the government as they didn’t see and drop of hope. Numbers have been significantly increasing every year. After years of study on the area department of health services decided to stop their study as they didn’t determine the cause for the new cases of cancer every year. Proposition 65, officially known as the â€Å"Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act,†.It is based on the premise that the public and workers have a right to be informed about exposures to chemicals that are known to the state to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. According the proposition list of chemicals has been maintained with its effects to the people. According to the proposition it is the responsibility of the business to inform its employees, clearly about the effects of such materials used in the process. It should be reasonably defined.Also 20months after the pesticide is listed business must not knowingly discharge the waste material into soil or water. The State hazard communication program requires that, whenever employees are working in treated fields or handling pesticides, the employer must display Pesticide Safety Information Series (PSIS) leaflet A-9 (â€Å"Pesticide Safety Rules for Farmworkers â€Å"), PSIS A-8 (â€Å"Safety Rules for Pesticide Handlers on Farms), or PSIS N-8 (â€Å"Safety Rules for Pesticide Handlers in Non-Agricultural Settings â€Å") at the work site or at a central location where workers gather.The State hazard communicatio n program requires that, whenever employees are working in treated fields or handling pesticides, the employer must display Pesticide Safety Information Series (PSIS) leaflet A-9 (â€Å"Pesticide Safety Rules for Farmworkers â€Å"), PSIS A-8 (â€Å"Safety Rules for Pesticide Handlers on Farms), or PSIS N-8 (â€Å"Safety Rules for Pesticide Handlers in Non-Agricultural Settings â€Å") at the work site or at a central location where workers gather.As the information gathered from the case report workers have not been informed about any of the above hazards of health. Also it is strange to observe that pesticides being used in the farms also listed in the list of chemicals under prop 65 which were hazardous are not been informed to the farmers. Also investigations done by the agency didn’t reveal the fact that the pesticides the main cause for the cancer in the area. Under prop 65 list of chemical it is clearly stated pesticide phosdrin causes cancer. I don’t hink the research on the contamination water, air and soil was done properly as none of the facts mentioned under prop 65 has been revealed. Neither list of chemicals has been listed by the farm owners to inform to the workers about the hazardous pesticides in the farm nor the researches revealed the facts. All these researches have been done but victim parents did not got any justice. Since they are poor they got no choice but to live on those farms to earn their living and lost their family members just like that.From 1978to 1990 the people suffered, 28 died . California department of health services took samples for examination, tested soil and air but result were not noticeable. They were only be able to analyses the situation today but couldn’t do anything for the innocent people died in last 12 years. Question arises from this study in the mind as to why this facts were not being examined after years of research by the state and county officials? Were they biased in making a decision?Although lot of research took place in the area but nothing proved fruitful and the mystery remained unsolved by the health department. Since 1992 no case has been examined but the above time period mentioned couldn’t reveal the facts of the history. Sources: Case report retrieved from http://www. law. stanford. edu/publications/casestudies/case_abstracts/ Pesticide and proposition 65 retrieved from http://www. cdpr. ca. gov/docs/dept/factshts/prop65. htm

Government Regulation of Tobacco Products Essay

Read the Government Regulation of Tobacco Products Discussion Case at the end of Chapter 8 in your text. In one to two pages, supported by evidence from your text and from other research, answer the following questions: Would you describe the orientation of Reynolds toward tobacco regulation as cooperative or at arm’s length? How about the attitude of Altria? What do you think explains the differences between the two companies’ positions? What public policy inputs, goals, tools, and effects can be found in this discussion case? Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment. Make sure you schedule dedicated study time every day. Even though you may find other things to do, make sure to find time to study. Promise yourself that you will study for one hour each day. If you feel confident in your understanding of the subject, you should still use that time to study. This smart habit will help you to stay focused when your workload gets heavier later in your college career.

A Biography of Sidney Poitier

In 1967, a press conference with Sidney Poitier, at that time one of the most successful and popular American actors and certainly the most famous African-American actor, turned from his many roles on screen and stage and became something else entirely.Due to a rash of racial riots across the nation at that time, Poitier was asked pointed questions concerning whether or not he was in favor of the racial riots, his theories on segregation, and other racially oriented topics (Goudsouzian).It was at that point that something happened which changed the course of Poitier’s life as well as the role of African-Americans everywhere- rather than avoid the question, turn the focus back to his fame or storm off in a rage, Poitier came to the realization that it was impossible for him to separate his status as an entertainment icon from his obligation to use his fame to advance the cause of minority rights in America.   Since then, Poitier has done just that.This research will discuss A ram Goudsouzian’s pivotal 2004 biography of Sidney Poitier, not only as a review of this book, but also in an effort to try to better understand how and why Poitier has become one of the most influential African Americans since the end of Civil War.Author’s PurposeWhen gaining a better understanding of why Goudsouzian chose Poitier as the subject of his book, one not only gains an understanding of the author’s purpose in writing the book, but also a grasp of the major social and historical issues that are tackled through a book which is biographical at its core, but becomes much more expansive as it unfolds.First, one must realize that Goudsouzian is not a biographer by nature, but in fact is a history writer, which is why Poitier was chosen as the subject of the book.By choosing a pivotal historic African-American who bridges the gap between the faà §ade of Hollywood and the real world of the urban streets of the nation, Goudsouzian has been able to tell not o nly the story of the struggles of an ambitious African-American man coming of age in the racially charged 1950s and 1960s, but also of a man who parlayed his fame not into a mere vehicle for his own enrichment, but to try to aid and support his entire race.Goudsouzian’s Central ThemeEarlier, the point was made that Goudsouzian’s book is much more than biography or history, but is rather a powerful combination of the two.   Looking beyond this assertion, it is also interesting to explore the central theme of the book, which can fairly be identified in one word-perseverance.For Poitier, perseverance has meant the constant jumping of hurdles, placed in front of him by a society which still wrestles with the issue of equality for African-Americans, even decades after the strife which advanced African-Americans significantly, and almost a century and a half after a bloody Civil War which settled the issue of African-American freedom once and for all.   For African-Ameri cans in general, it would seem that Goudsouzian paints perseverance as a struggle to gain equal footing with the mainstream of America.This being said, however, a fair critique of Goudsouzian’s approach is in order.   It would seem that the author is too quick to always portray Poitier, and African-Americans as perpetual underdogs who never gain any significant ground.However, in truth, much progress has been made in cause of racial equality, while keeping in mind of course that there is much progress yet to come.   Goudsouzian could have presented a bit more of a balance in his contrast.

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 7

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example Therefore in this context, when a marketer wishes to grow and prosper then it’s necessary for him/her to consider the entire world as their consumer. This is true for products as well as services. Marketers majorly aim at improving brand image through several avenues. In most cases, the marketers aim at addressing the social and psychological needs of their customers to buy their brands over their competing brands in the market. The marketers also intend to identify the sociological and psychological drives such as attention and perception drives and motivations, consumer learning and memory, personality and self-concept, and attitude formation and change. The sociological needs include the peers and reference groups of the customers, the impact of social class and culture, family, and social categorization on the buyer behavior. The report at hand focuses on the marketing mix of a brand and the means through which the brand convinces and satisfies its customers. This current research paper delves into the marketing mix of Coca-Cola, a global brand in the soft drink industry, which has been a leader of the market. The Coca Cola Company has been successful in its operations commanding a large portion of the soft drink industry. Despite competition from other companies such as PepsiCo, the company has always been firm in its operations. The marketing strategies of the company have been very influential and its advertising appealing. The Coca Cola company license or owns and markets more than 500 non-alcoholic beverage brands, mainly sparkling beverages in addition to still beverages such as juices, waters, sports and energy drinks, ready-to-drink coffee, and enhanced waters. The company serves the global market, which include Europe, Africa and Eurasia, North America, Latin America, Pacific, Corporate and Bottling

The Portable Machiavelli ( Edited and Translated by Peter Bondanella Essay

The Portable Machiavelli ( Edited and Translated by Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa) - Essay Example This paper will analyze the qualities of successful leaders in maintaining a healthy state as argued by Machiavelli. To found and to maintain a healthy republic, according to Machiavelli, the founder utilizes the virtu-fortuna dynamic, and the people engage in healthy conflict and renewal processes. The word virtu means acceptable morals in the society. However, Machiavelli uses the word to refer to the personal characteristics that a ruler must have in order to lead a state successfully. Machiavelli argues that princes’ need to possess certain virtues in order for them to remain in power and make great achievements. The virtues include the ability to vary change from a democrat to a dictator according to the circumstances that they face generosity, courage, and faithfulness (Machiavelli, Bondanella and Musa 1979, 38). Efficient leaders should be generous to the public so that they can be loved and accepted. The generosity should be in the form of offering public goods for low prices and redistributing wealth. The redistribution of wealth ensures that the income gap between the rich and the poor is minimal meaning that at least everyone in the society is satisfied. The satisfaction that people derive from the income and wealth equality enables them to love the leader who makes this possible (Machiavelli, Bondanella and Musa 1979, 41). Machiavelli argues that generosity will guarantee love and support from the public, and this will help leaders to issue authority and remain in power. Since the main objective of a prince is to remain in power according to Machiavelli, he argues that those in power should have the courage to face every situation that comes their way. Courageous leaders are able to defend themselves and their states from the war with other states. Therefore, Machiavelli argues that an efficient leader should have mastered the art of war and always be ready for it because it takes place without plans (Machiavelli, Bondanella and Musa 1979, 40 ). The preparation that the author describes is in the form of possessing the essential fighting tools and training the military. The author argues that a leader can employ war in situations that call for it as long as it helps them to maintain their power. Since war is unacceptable in most societies, it means that Machiavelli advocates for leaders who have the ability to outdo the societal expectations. An example of a leader who possesses this characteristic is Obama; he demonstrated this quality when he ordered his military to find and kill Osama Bin Laden, who was the most wanted criminal. Thus, it means that this quality is applicable in the real world despite the fact that it is offensive. The ability of a leader to take part in war and be generous at the same time demonstrates that leaders should be capable of changing from good to bad people depending on the circumstances at hand. Machiavelli recommends this character because according to him, a leader should be lovable and fearful at the same time (Machiavelli, Bondanella and Musa 1979, 42). The lovable character helps leaders to gain support from the public because it is the citizens who bring them into power. The fearfulness quality, on the other hand, helps a leader to be different from the common citizens. This difference enables citizens to respect and regard

Process-Analysis Essay on How to Ask Someone Out

Process-Analysis on How to Ask Someone Out - Essay Example In order to prepare to ask someone out, it is important to get to know that person a bit better first, perform random acts of kindness for them, and gauge their opinion of you before you ask them out.The first step in asking someone out is to get to know them beforehand. The reason for this is simple—you will be able to see what their personality is like and also you can judge whether he or she would be a waste of your time or not. The purpose of learning more about their personality is to that you can figure out if the other person will be compatible with you. Too many people take the plunge without realizing that it would never work out due to a personality clash. From this point, you can decide whether to push ahead with your plans or not.The second step to ask someone out is to be noticed by them. There is no point in asking someone out if they don't really know who you are because they will likely say no. Try to get their attention by performing random acts of kindness fo r them, but don't go overboard because otherwise, it will look like you are trying too hard. Getting the right balance is crucial because this will either help them to catch your attention or it will turn them right off you.The final step of the process to ask someone out is to figure out if there is a chance for a connection or not. This can only be done once all the other steps have been completed because there will be moments when you can see what a potential relationship will look like. If you feel that there is a high chance of receiving a successful response, then go ahead and ask your crush out. If, however, you don't feel like you will receive a positive response then either go back to one of the previous steps and try again or simply move on from that person.

Nature of employment relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nature of employment relationship - Essay Example Since 2002, SABB has implemented a strategic plan called "Putting Customers First". Under this plan, customers would be the primary focus of the bank instead of giving more priority to products and services. The plan called for a total internal re-organization of the Bank to train employees to be focused and to align the delivery of its services to both corporate and personal customers (SABB 2002: 14). SABB's confidence that the plan will deliver benefits to its customers, the shareholders, and the Bank as part of its vision to be the leading financial services group in Saudi Arabia is shown by the successful increases in net income from SAR 830 million to 2.5 billion, assets from SAR 41.92 to 65.9 billion, and deposits from SAR 31.5 to 48.5 billion from the end of 2001 to the end of 2005 (SABB 2006: 16-17). SABB is the leading provider of value added and innovative Islamic financial product and services in Saudi Arabia. This is achieved while following principles of Shari'a whose core investment and market guidelines are to follow the Islamic Shari'a, honesty and integrity, professionalism, strong customer focus, and excellent reputation (SABB, 2006: 9). The main reason is that SABB is a service organization that relies on customer contact and satisfaction for its business. It will be successful if the customers of the Bank are happy with how the employees perform their work of service. This is why employees have to be first satisfied with their relationship with the Bank, because if they are not, this lack of satisfaction will be reflected in poor service quality to the customers. Poor customer service quality results in poor performance, because customers will not deposit their money in the Bank or buy the financial services that the Bank offers. The need for quality customer service is the main reason why the Bank put into effect their "Putting Customers First" strategic plan. Research has shown that in service companies like retail banks, the quality of the customer relationship can give the bank an advantage over its competitors by attracting more customers (Keltner 65-68). The Bank's customer relationship strategy requires that it upgrades its employment relationship to help bank employees to meet the different needs of its customers, not only for personal banking products and services but for the Bank's more profitable private, corporate, and investment banking products and services. Like other banks all over the world, most of its low value-added transactions like cash deposits and withdrawals, bank balance inquiries, questions about basic products and services are all done through Automatic Teller Machines, Telephone Banking, widely available Point of Sale (POS) terminals in retail outlets all over the Kingdom, and the Internet where it is cheaper to deliver the service. The cost to the Bank is lower because technology is used to serve customers by processing their transactions (Morisi 32). This will allow high value-added services like private, investment, and corporate banking to be transacted face-to-face in the Bank's branch network. The use of technology allows the Bank to reach more

Talent Management Practice Analysis of Lan Airlines Company Research Paper

Talent Management Practice Analysis of Lan Airlines Company - Research Paper Example Being a highly successful company in Latin America, the company has been known for its ideal business integrated model. Almost 86 years in the aviation industry has allowed the organization to accomplish its desired goals and objectives but still the organization is working towards the accomplishment of its challenging vision (i.e. to be recognized as one of the top 10 airlines in the world) (LAN Airlines. (2013). The utmost attention given to efficiency and performance has resulted in ‘0’ (zero) flight accidents since 1991. The key success factors of LAN include the timely care and professional development of the workforce. This has allowed the organization to perform effectively while providing the employees with several opportunities for development through professional training sessions (LAN Airlines, 2012b). The talent management system at LAN has played a crucial role in the success of the company over the past few decades. Through the talent management system, the organization has continually been provided with opportunities to convert LAN into a highly successful and high performance company in the aviation industry. In addition, the corporate training and development sessions at LAN are considered to be an investment through which it strengthens its workforce to become fundamental pillars of LAN Airlines. As a result of such extensive training sessions, LAN has always been equipped with quality staff (i.e. staff with skills and competencies to overcome internal and external issues effectively). BACKGROUND OF THE INTERVIEWEE Mr. Johnson works as a HR Executive at LAN Airlines and has been with the organization for the past 3 years. He is responsible for... This research paper discusses the talent management of the LAN Airlines company, that could be defined as a systematic process through which an organization ensures quantity as well as quality of people that could help it to achieve the desired business objectives effectively. Through this process, the organization is provided with an opportunity to identify the gaps between the talent available at the organization and the required talent for the profitable achievement of organizational objectives to drive business success. Moreover, organizations have become aware the talent management not just helps in the management of employees but also plays a crucial role in the creation of organizational value. The aim of this research paper is to evaluate the talent management practices taken into consideration at LAN Airlines for the accomplishment of desired goals and objectives. In addition, the practices through which LAN Airlines enhance it values through the talent management practices. For the achievement of the challenging vision of LAN Airlines in a highly competitive industry, the organization has shifted its focus towards the achievement of overall success and increased performance through talent management system. Talent management as well as succession planning has always been the strength of LAN Airlines and has provided the organization with inevitable success over other competitors in the market and with several opportunities to enhance the capabilities and abilities of its workforce.

Assigning gender roles starts very early and it creates a segregation Essay

Assigning gender roles starts very early and it creates a segregation in children's future - Essay Example These mainly include parents, teachers, peers, social media, religion, music, books and literature, among others. Therefore, each community has distinct gender roles, which define masculinity and femininity in the community. Nonetheless, the aspect of gender roles begins even before birth, and this has an effect in society, as it promotes an acceptable segregation in society. This will be shown in this essay through comparison of the views of two authors on the aspect of gender roles. In the article, Welcome to Your World, Baby, Willer notes that the aspect of gender role socialization begins immediately when a child is born. Normally, before seeing the baby, people will want to know the sex of the child; whether it is male or female. On the other hand, during the growth process of the child, parents raise them differently, according to their sex. Boys will be taught how to do things, and what things they should not do, and this is normally different from how girls are advised. (337) . Additionally, the Willer posits that depending on how a parent brings up their children of different sexes, they will have different expectations of their boys and girls (337). On the other hand, Bennhold (Web) shares a similar view, as she argues that mothers are responsible for nurturing stereotypes in their babies. This is because ideally, mothers are the ones that play the biggest role in taking care of their babies, and socializing them into the society. However, mothers treat and teach their boys and girls differently, thus nurturing in them stereotypes, which act as an obstacle to gender equality in later life (Bennhold Web). Additionally, in the article Welcome to Your World, Baby, Willer notes that the greeting card industry contributes to the early assignment of gender roles in society. The congratulatory messages on cards are different for boys and girls. In addition, the colours used on the cards, as well as the pictures are different in congratulatory cards meant for baby boys and baby girls. For instance, when pictures on the boys’ cards show young boys participating in active activities such as sports, while those on girls’ cards show young girls in passive activities, this already portrays the difference that exists in boys’ and girls’ roles (Willer 344). Similarly, in the article Toys Start gender Equality Rift; the author associates the differences in the positions of men and women in society today, to their early socialization in the gender roles. For instance, this author observes that gender roles have resulted in segregation, as in the past, women were denied leadership positions, and today, women are lowly represented in the leadership arena (Bennhold Web). Nonetheless, in the article Welcome to Your World, Baby, apart from the message cards, which portray boys involved in active activities and girls in passive ones, the toys bought for boys and girls also vary. While boys are bought for gun and car toys, gi rls are given dolls. This therefore, shows that boys are more aggressive than girls. Girls are seen as tender and caring (Willer 340-1). Similarly, the author in the article Toys Start gender Equality Rift notes that the toys young children are bought for are the ones, which influence segregation and the division in gender. Since boys are perceived more aggressive in society, the men are given more leadership position, since leadership is believe to suit people who exhibit high levels of aggressiveness. On the other hand,

Rhinoceros Poaching Essay Example for Free

Rhinoceros Poaching Essay Despite of the protective measure, prosecution of this animal continues with the exceptionally high and illegal price on the rhino horn in clandestine market. In Kaziranga National Park, 69 rhinos were poached during the period of 1988 to 1991 (Bhattacharya 1993). In Nepal, data shows that intensity of rhino poaching is depend on the action taken by the management authority. During 1976 to 1983 poaching was completely stopped due to the Army involvement in the conservation of rhinoceros. Since 1984, poachers restarted poaching and reached maximum at 1992, about 18 rhinoceros were killed in this year. The Anti-Poaching Units (APU) was established to control the situation and this measure did work and minimized the poaching and was virtually stopped by 1995. However, from 1996, poaching was started again, out of 98 rhinoceros died during the period of May 1996 to July 2000, 28 were from poaching (DNPWC 2000a). It shows that slack in protection due to the political instability, transfer of APU staff and the merging of Gainda Gasti (Rhino Patrol Unit) to the forest guard enhanced the rhino poaching in Chitwan Valley (Fig 1. ]. Fig 1. Rhino poaching trend in Royal Chit wan National Park Data Source: DNPWC 2000 Heavy poaching in Africa and Asia (Williams 1993, ARSG 1999) is mainly for the high priced rhino horn and it has been proved that better protection is the only successful means so far to protect this animal from extinction. Thus, to decrease incentive to poach rhino, management should either increase the opportunity cost of crime through imposed wage elsewhere or increase the probability and severity of the punishment or decrease the actual profit from the crime (Williams 1993). Rhinoceros in Nepal In Nepal, rhinoceros population was estimated at about 1000 animals until 1950 in Chitwan Valley. Rhinoceros populations were dropped down to less than 100 individuals during late 1960s (DNPWC 2000a). After a successful effort of His majesty’s Government of Nepal by creating Royal Chitwan National Park in 1973, disappearing population of rhinoceros started to increase gradually and reached 270-310 individuals by 1975 (Laurie 1978). By 1988, the park was supporting a viable population of 358 rhinos (Diner stein and Price 1991). In 1994, 466 individuals were recorded, like wise in rhino count 2000 the number increases to 544 in Chitwan and 67 in Royal Bardia National Park (DNPWC 2000a) (Fig 2). Fig 2. Population trend of Greater one horned Rhinoceros in Nepal. Rhino Conversation in Nepal Community mobilization Army Information and awareness. Conclusion In adequate large chunk of habitat due to the human interference along with the rampant poaching are the major causes for the depletion of the rhino population in the past. Once depleting population of greater one horn rhinoceros can be recover by the intensive protection measure. However, increasing habitat fragmentation due to the human population growth and confined population of rhino may lead to the loss of genetic variability. Inadequate habitat and the small population can be managed through developing different sub-populations of the animal in a met population concept. Which not only assure the genetic variability but also save from the various natural calamities? Assuring genetic variability only may not enough to safeguard this animal for long term. Externalities like poaching and the hostile nature of the local inhabitants may conflict with the conservation goal. Thus, building social capital of the local people towards the conservation is very much essential. Fulfillment of daily need forest resource and economic incentive to the local people may bring the awareness for the conservation among the local people. Initiation has been begun in Nepal to conserve rhinoceros in the holistic way. Successful translocation activities, satisfactory increment of the host and sink population and encouraging supports from the local people shown that there is great potentiality and hopes to conserve greater one horn rhinoceros. However, the long-term success of this effort will be determined by the regional and international cooperation. 1. strict law establishment: First consider whether the supply or demand curve shifts. Secondly consider the direction of shift and lastly see how the shift affects the equilibrium price and quantity. Its direct impact is on the sellers rather than the buyers. When government able to stop some Rhino poachers or arrest more poachers, it raises the cost of selling that product (Rhino) and therefore, reduces the quantity of product supplied at any given price. Such law was successful during early 70s and 90s due to establishment of Anti-Poaching Units (APU) but later fail due to political instability and centralized management approach. So in this way we can show the economic figure (demand and supply curves) of Rhino horn on black market. Fig: demand and supply curves on black market economy when implementing strict laws. As demand for Rhino Horns are inelastic, the decrease in supply of raises the price of drugs proportionately more than it reduces poaching act. It raises total amount of money that Buyers pay for Rhino horns. Thus implementing harsh law does not always reduce the poaching crimes because Nepal government cant spend or allocate such huge money on conservation alone.

Geological Applications of the Stable Isotopes of Nitrogen

Geological Applications of the Stable Isotopes of Nitrogen Bruce Botton Hard rock, geological applications of the stable isotopes of nitrogen. Introduction. Gammon and Ebbing book of general chemistry define isotope as â€Å"an atom with the same number of protons, but differing numbers of neutrons. So isotopes are just different forms of a single element.†[ Gammon, Ebbing. (2005). (8th ed., p. 467)] There are two broader definitions of isotopes, light isotopes are elements that are lighter (contain less neutrons) than the common more stable element (eg. 12O,26S and 34Cl) and Heavy isotopes are the atom contains greater number of neutrons than the most common form( eg. Fe, Cu and Zn). Focusing on light stable isotopes in low temperature environments such as H, C and O and with specific reference to Nitrogen isotopes. Below are a few properties of light stable elements: They are usually of low atomic masses. The mass difference between the heavy, uncommon isotopes and the common light isotopes is usually very large. The lighter elements form bonds with more covalent properties. These light elements form a large number of compounds that are found in the natural environment. Exist in more than one oxidation state. The relative abundances of isotopes are high enough for precise determination of isotropic ratios by mass spectrometry. Sedimentary rocks, low grade igneous and metamorphic rocks (ie. That form at temperatures of 350 degrees Celsius and less) are the type of rocks that we are expecting to find these stables isotopes of interest. Any temperature above this constitutes as high temperature geochemistry. The use of isotopes in analysis of rocks is of increasing popularity, it uses the variations in isotope abundance of various elements to determine certain properties of a rock. These properties that are available are origin and age of the rocks; air or water bodies and even to see if there has been any mixing of magmas to change the composition of the rocks. Stable isotope geochemistry is mainly focussed on the isotropic variations from mass dependant isotope fractionation as compared with radiogenic isotope geochemistry which uses the products of natural radioactive decay (eg. Half lives). Equation 1. Enrichment factor equation. Many isotopes the amount of fractionation that an atom or body of molecules undergoes is very small (both kinetic or equilibrium), so small measured in parts per thousand or less. The formula above shows us the enrichment factor that is present in a sample. This formula uses the ratio of heavy isotopes to light isotopes as compared with a standard sample. So for nitrogen we will be using 15N/14N For the purpose of this assignment, we are focusing on the use of nitrogen and its two isotopes 14N and 15N in the analysis of hard rocks. Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless tasteless and most commonly a diatomic non metal gas, it actually makes up 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere. Not only is it over three quarters of our atmosphere but it is a part of all living tissues and is an essential part of life as it is part of DNA and therefore important in the genetic code and the evolution of life. The nitrogen cycle (figure below) is an essential part of existence on earth. Nitrogen cycle. Figure 1 . Schematic diagram of the Nitrogen cycle.[ Petrucci, et al (2002). (8th ed., pp. 887–889). Prentice Hall.] There are 9 stages of the nitrogen cycle, there is no start point the nitrogen cycle is a complex, continous and simultaneous system. Nitrogen fixation: this is a chemical processes by which atmospheric nitrogen is transformed into organic compoundsby microorganisms. N2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NH4+ à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   N-org Ammonification: this process is a conversion of organic nitrogen to ammonium by bacteria. N-org à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NH4+ Nitrification: this is a process by which a nitro group is substituted for another group in organic compound. NH4+ à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NO2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NO3 Assimilation: is the conversion of nutriment into a usable form that is incorporated into human tissue and organs after digestion NH4+ à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   N-org Dentrification: is a process by which microbacteria breaks down a nitrate to produce N2. NO3 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NO2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NO à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   N2O à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   N2 Volatilization: in this instance it is when liquid ammonium is transformed into ammonia gas. NH4+ à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   NH3 gas Case studies: Nitrogen isotopes in peridotitic diamonds from Fuxian, China: the mantle signature. Nitrogen is of low abundance in the earth’s mantle due to lack of knowledge. But fibrous diamonds are a N rich form and are associated with MORB vesicles these have been tested and give a ÃŽ ´Ã‚ ­15N value of -5†°, the reason for a negative value is due to it being a relative value to the external sources (atmosphere) This has lead people to believe in the heterogeneous accretion model of the earth. In Pierre Cartigny et al experimental procedure they separated diamonds into broad categories, type 1 has no nitrogen and type 2 does not contain any Nitrogen. These abnormalities are linked to diffusion process and might help tell us if diamonds formed in multiple steps. The nitrogen and the ÃŽ ´15N were measured with accuracy  ±2.5% and 0.5% respectively. After IR analysis 25% of the diamonds taken from Pipe 50 were determined as type 2 , and the remainder a mixture of type 1 and 2 diamonds. These ‘mixed diamonds’ are separate platelets compacted together, this zonation of the aggregated states of type 1 and type 2 platelets conform that the octahedrally shaped diamonds growth was over a extended period. 25% of the samples that were analyzed were found to have a lower value of a ÃŽ ´Ã‚ ­15N the in previous works ranging from -12†° to -25†° and the nitrogen concentrations vary from 0 to 1473 ppm. Below figure 2 shows us the ÃŽ ´ 15N histogram which show us fibrous diamonds from all over the World and the octahedrally shaped diamonds from pipe 50, the result as can be seen is that they are based around the same value ( -7†° and -5†°). These results are coincidently similar to the ÃŽ ´13C; this shows us that the fractionation of stable nitrogen isotopes during non fibrous diamond growth is unlikely. The growth of octahedral shaped diamonds should be seen as a large open system with limited supply of volatiles and periods of time in which resorption can occur. Geochemical evidence shows fibrous and peridotitic diamonds originate from similar sources, believed to be the convecting asthenosphere with values of ÃŽ ´Ã‚ ­15N being -5  ± 2 and -4.5  ±1†° respectively. If we wanted to strengthen this argument we would have to look at Diamonds that are found in the lower mantle. These diamonds would originate from a less degassed mantle, this would mean that there wou ld be little to no nitrogen present. If the nitrogen content is controlled by rate of growth rather than the carbon nitrogen ratio of the fluid, this means that there will be little or no correlation between N and ÃŽ ´Ã‚ ­15N, and even less between ÃŽ ´13C and nitrogen which is present in this case. [ Geà ¢ochimie, et al. (1997). Terra Nova, 9(4), 175–179.] Figure 2. histogram comparing ÃŽ ´15N values of diamonds from pipe 50 kimberlites and previously analysed fibrous diamonds.[ Geà ¢ochimie, et al. (1997). Terra Nova, 9(4), 175–179.] Concentrations and isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur in the ocean floor basalts. The concentration of stable isotope ratios in fresh basalts on the sea floor provides us with information on abundance and isotope ratio of volatile elements in the upper mantle and crust. Samples were taken from less than 10mm from billow basalt ridges and then other samples were taken from the inner portions of the pillows where the groundmass ranges from glassy to crypto-crystalline. The isotropic ratios ÃŽ ´ was atmospheric nitrogen and the uncertainties was  ±1†°. The contents and the ratio of nitrogen present in the ocean floor basalts range from 0.3 – 2.8 ppm and from -0.4†° – 0.8†°. The nitrogen that was attained was of one order of magnitude bigger than the blank nitrogen cycle. This said but the uncertainties in the experiment were rather large  ±1†°, this is due to the small sample sizes. This said, the discrepancy of the isotope ratios should not be taken to be significant but the uniformity of the isotropic ratio and their similarity to the N2 ­ in the air should be emphasized. Nitrogen’s most common form in igneous rocks is in the form of N2 ­ and ammonia. When nitrogen vapour is in contact with magma it would most likely exist as N2, but if it is in the magma it will most likely be in the form of ammonia. The nitrogen in the magma itself will most likely escape as N2 from ascending magma and decreasing confining pressure and will act as a alkaline cation when undergoing fractional crystallization and therefore will be more evolved in a more evolved magma. As Degassing and fractional crystallization proceed NH+4 is enriched relative to N ­2, and NH3 would become depleted and more enriched in 15N this means that 15N/14N in igneous rocks increases with decreasing nitrogen content. According to Sakai, H et al. The average ÃŽ ´ 15N of magmatic crust, atmosphere and sedimentary rocks are 4.2, 0 and 5.2†° respectively. Therefore the global distributions of nitrogen isotopes have been interpreted as the result of out gassing of magma and fractiona tion between N2 and NH+4. ÃŽ ´15N found in MORB are close to the crustal values and therefore can be said to support the above model. Conclusion: Finally in conclusion we can see the importance of nitrogen not only in the atmosphere and our very being. But we can see that there are uses for the stable isotopes in the continued attempts to try and understand the Earth’s history and origin. Reference list: Gammon, Ebbing. (2005). General Chemistry. (R. Stratton, Ed.) (8th ed., p. 467). New york: Charles Hartford. Geà ¢ochimie, L. De, Physique, I. De, Vii, U. D. P., Cnrs, U. R. A., Cartigny, P., Boyd, S. R., Harris, J. W., et al. (1997). Nitrogen isotopes in peridotitic diamonds from Fuxian , Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: the mantle signature. Terra Nova, 9(4), 175–179. Petrucci, Harwood, Herring. (2002). General Chemistry. (J. Challice, Ed.) (8th ed., pp. 887–889). Prentice Hall. Sakai, H., Des Marais, D. J., Ueda, a, Moore, J. G. (1984). Concentrations and isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur in ocean-floor basalts. Geochimica et cosmochimica acta, 48, 2433–41. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11540821 Sharp, Z(2007), Principles of stable isotopes Geochemistry. Prentice Hall,NJ.

Immunization :: essays research papers

We are always hearing on the news and in newspapers about children catching diseases and often dying from them. Why is this happening when all of these diseases are easily preventable by simply being immunised, why aren’t parents getting their children Immunised, is it for religious beliefs or just carelessness. What ever their reason may be is it really good enough, because why would anyone rather let their child be able to catch and spread a deadly disease then have them Immunised, so Immunisation should be made compulsory for all children. In Australia in the last ten years more then 137 known people have died and many more fallen very ill from contagious and infectious disease. Diseases such as diphtheria; tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps rubella and Haemophilus influenzae, This is a great tragedy considering all these diseases are easily preventable by immunisation. Immunisation or vaccination is a very effective and safe form of medicine used to prevent severe diseases occurring from viruses and other infectious organisms and increase the amount of protective antibodies. It is given by drops in the mouth or injecting a person with a dead or modified disease-causing agent, in order for the person to become immune to that disease. If enough people in a community are immunised, the infection can no longer be spread from person to person and the disease will eventual die out altogether. This is how smallpox was eradicated from the world, and polio, which has been removed from many countries. But for this to happen in Australia at least 95 percent of the population would have to be immunised, which is far more then what it is now being at only 78 percent. So by making it compulsory for all children to be immunised this percentage would rise well above 95 and the diseases that are in our country now will soon disappear all together. Immunisation is the only effective way of protection for children against these diseases because children’s immune systems are defenceless ageist them because they are not fully developed yet, and once infected in most cases there is no cure or at least a very low chance of one. Minor side effects of immunisation, like redness at the injection site, or occasionally a mild fever, which can easily be reduced with a paracetamol. But why would any one rather let your child be able to catch and spread these deadly diseases then get them immunised because of these rare and very minor risks. Immunization :: essays research papers We are always hearing on the news and in newspapers about children catching diseases and often dying from them. Why is this happening when all of these diseases are easily preventable by simply being immunised, why aren’t parents getting their children Immunised, is it for religious beliefs or just carelessness. What ever their reason may be is it really good enough, because why would anyone rather let their child be able to catch and spread a deadly disease then have them Immunised, so Immunisation should be made compulsory for all children. In Australia in the last ten years more then 137 known people have died and many more fallen very ill from contagious and infectious disease. Diseases such as diphtheria; tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps rubella and Haemophilus influenzae, This is a great tragedy considering all these diseases are easily preventable by immunisation. Immunisation or vaccination is a very effective and safe form of medicine used to prevent severe diseases occurring from viruses and other infectious organisms and increase the amount of protective antibodies. It is given by drops in the mouth or injecting a person with a dead or modified disease-causing agent, in order for the person to become immune to that disease. If enough people in a community are immunised, the infection can no longer be spread from person to person and the disease will eventual die out altogether. This is how smallpox was eradicated from the world, and polio, which has been removed from many countries. But for this to happen in Australia at least 95 percent of the population would have to be immunised, which is far more then what it is now being at only 78 percent. So by making it compulsory for all children to be immunised this percentage would rise well above 95 and the diseases that are in our country now will soon disappear all together. Immunisation is the only effective way of protection for children against these diseases because children’s immune systems are defenceless ageist them because they are not fully developed yet, and once infected in most cases there is no cure or at least a very low chance of one. Minor side effects of immunisation, like redness at the injection site, or occasionally a mild fever, which can easily be reduced with a paracetamol. But why would any one rather let your child be able to catch and spread these deadly diseases then get them immunised because of these rare and very minor risks.

The Causes of the Industrial Revolution Essay -- Industrial Revolution

The Causes of the Industrial Revolution The causes of the Industrial Revolution were complex and remain a topic for debate, with some historians seeing the Revolution as an outgrowth of social and institutional changes wrought by the end of feudalism in Great Britain after the English Civil War in the 17th century. The Enclosure movement and the British Agricultural Revolution made food production more efficient and less labor-intensive, forcing the surplus population who could no longer find employment in agriculture into the cities to seek work in the newly developed factories. The colonial expansion of the 17th century with the accompanying development of international trade, creation of financial markets and accumulation of capital are also cited as factors, as is the scientific revolution of the 17th century. The presence of a large domestic market should also be considered an important catalyst of the Industrial Revolution, particularly explaining why it occurred in Britain. In other nations, such as France, markets were split up by local regions, which often imposed tolls and tariffs on goods traded among them. Why Europe? One question of active interest to historians is why the Industrial Revolution occurred in Europe and not other parts of the world, particularly China. Numerous factors have been suggested, including ecology, government, and culture. Benjamin Elman argues that China was in a high level equilibrium trap in which the nonindustrial methods were efficient enough to prevent use of industrial methods with high costs of capital. Kenneth Pommeranz, in the Great Divergence, argues that Europe and China were remarkably similar in 1700, and that the crucial differences which created the Industrial Revolution in Europe were: sources of coal near manufacturing centres and raw materials such as food and wood from the New World, which allowed Europe to expand economically in a way that China could not. Indeed, a combination of all of these factors is possible. Why did it start in Great Britain? The debate around the concept of the initial startup of the Industrial Revolution also concerns the lead of 30 to 100 years that the British had over the continental European countries and America. Some have stressed the importance of natural or financial resources that the United Kingdom received from its many overseas colonies or that profits from... ...ailroads for more durable rail led to the development of the means to cheaply mass-produce steel. Steel is often cited as the first of several new areas for industrial mass-production, which are said to characterize a "Second Industrial Revolution," beginning around 1870. This "second" Industrial Revolution gradually grew to include the chemical industries, petroleum refining and distribution, electrical industries, and, in the twentieth century, the automotive industries, and was marked by a transition of technological leadership from Great Britain to the United States and Germany. The introduction of hydroelectric power generation in the Alps enabled the rapid industrialization of coal-starved northern Italy, beginning in the 1890s. The increasing availability of economic petroleum products also reduced the relation of coal to the potential for industrialization. By the 1890s, industrialization in these areas had created the first giant industrial corporations with often nearly global international operations and interests, as companies like U.S. Steel, General Electric, and Bayer AG joined the railroads on the world's stock markets and among huge, bureaucratic organizations.

The Full Cupboard of Life Essay -- essays research papers

The Full Cupboard of Life is the fifth book in a delightful series of books by Alexander McCall Smith. The series started with The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. Situated in Botswana, a country where the traditional values are slowly diminishing but life, as a whole rolls on. There are three main characters in the book; Mma Ramotswe, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni and Mma Makutsi. Mma Ramotswe is the star of the series and Botswana's No.1 Lady Detective. She started her agency after her father Obed Ramotswe, who was a good man and knew cattle like no other, died and left her the herd. She sold most of the cattle which enabled Mma Ramotswe to buy a house in Zebra drive and start her 'world famous' No.1 Ladies detective agency. Mma Ramotswe was in danger of being swamped by paperwork but luckily Mma Mak...

My Windsor investigation

Tourism is the business of going on holiday and making services at the same time. This is more people being provided with jobs. There has been an increase in tourism, because people have more money nowadays to spend on holidays. There are many reasons for this. Some are paid holidays, cheaper flights, and more leisure time. All of these factors make it possible for a person to be able to go on holiday. Also, some parts of the government occasionally promote tourist areas which they support in making successful. There are quite a variety of tourist destinations. There are adventure holidays, such as Disney Land, beach holidays, such as Spain, which is most commonly associated with sunny weather and attractive beaches. Many also like to go on ski resorts, such as Switzerland and historical sites are as popular type of tourist destination. Windsor is a historical destination, because of its famous Windsor Castle. Tourism is important to Britain, as, creates employment opportunities, in turn improving Britain's economic status. Tourism in popular places, such as Windsor builds a better reputation for Britain across other countries. In addition, the money tourists spend helps Britain economically. Tourism provides potential for future visits and business, and is a good way of creating cultural exchange, and allowing others to learn about the country and traditions within. Tourism offers the opportunity to diversify local economy and helps the conservation of famous sites around many different countries. A good tourist centre requires mainly exciting attractions. Most tourists would want tour guides to take them around places. Transport would be essential for being able to move from place to place properly. Most tourists like to shop for souvenirs so shops would be seen as something important for tourists if they wanted a reminder of their visit. Good accommodation such as hotels and places to eat, e.g. a fast food restaurant is what tourists would also need. Friendly people and a good, safe environment would also be something required by many tourists. A good place to live would require, first of all, houses to live in, good, clean, quiet environment. Families would want satisfactory schools for their children. Residents would want local superstores or shops, to buy food and luxuries etc. Hospitals and any other sort of medical aid is an essential for every resident living in a certain area, e.g. doctors, dentists. People would want places of entertainment to attend. These can be cinemas, pubs, and clubs or anywhere where a person may want to socialise. A resident would need some extent of safety and security to ensure that they are living in a safe environment in case anything should happen, so police would have to be in hand to help secure the area. Local job vacancies would be probably more convenient than essential for residents, and would be preferred by people living in Windsor. Car parking availability should be provided as well. Tourism affects Windsor in many ways; both in negative and positive ways. It can cause crowded streets, inflated prices, and traffic, parking difficulties, litter and pollution. Particular activities that tourists take part in contribute towards environmental damage. Purchasing of goods by tourists in Windsor cause inflated prices, which makes it difficult for most residents in Windsor to afford many of the things sold in stores. Litter and pollution make it increasingly difficult in Windsor to maintain cleanliness in the environment. Parking difficulties can cause conflict between residents and tourists, and make it tricky for either residents or tourists (or both) to actually travel anywhere or find a decent parking space which is convenient for them. However, on the other hang, tourism in Windsor encourages employment, raises status for Britain, improves facilities and it also helps to preserve historic sites such as its famous Windsor Castle. Tourism also brings more income to the country enhancing the state's economic wealth. Windsor Windsor is on the west side of London, near Heathrow airport, in Berkshire. The attractions that Windsor has got are the Windsor Castle, Guildhall (where Prince Charles and Camilla Bowles got married), Lego land, and Curfew Tower. People visit these attractions, mainly for its historic content. Whereas many others visit it for the adventure of Lego Land. METHOD At the beginning of the project, our class had to learn about Windsor. We learnt many basic facts about Windsor, and the fact that it is a tourist destination. We did class work, engaged in discussions about Windsor, and had to research facts about Windsor as homework, as part of our own independent research. We also learnt about tourism itself, and its effects. The sources we used to gain this information were secondary sources. This was the internet, textbooks, the library etc. We then drew up an introduction to our project based on our knowledge about Windsor and tourism. Once learning about Windsor and tourism, we then practised the questions on each other in class in order to prepare us for the real thing. After using secondary research, we then moved on to using primary research. This was carrying out our surveys in Windsor. We went to Windsor on 3rd May. We travelled by coach for roughly one hour, and we arrived at a coach park. One of the first things we, as a group noticed was the large amount of other coaches that were there and lots of tourists that were coming out of the coaches. The first thing we did was had a tour around the area. There were signposts displaying greetings in many different languages. Some of which were French, German, and Japanese. We passed many tourist shops and many high street shops, which also exist in London, and were obviously aimed at the residents. We then took a visit to the River Thames, which was a lot narrower in Windsor, than in London and we saw many swans. We visited Peascod Street and the Guildhall. We also visited the crooked house near the extremely small Queens Charlotte Street. Nearby, was Nell Gwynne's House, where Shakespeare wrote one of his famous plays â€Å"Merry Wives of Windsor†. We witnessed the changing of the guards, and visited the outside of the castle. It was very big, with guards standing at the entrance, with lots of tourists coming in and out, mostly looking at their maps for directions. We also saw the â€Å"long walk†. We then all gathered around the castle, from where we were distributed into small groups of mostly four. We had to go around asking our questions to the people who looked like residents and people who looked liked tourists. We had to do this to five of each. This was easy for me and my group. We approached the people in a polite way and asked the questions in the survey thoroughly. The residents were very polite and enthusiastic. However, although it was very easy to interview the residents, the tourists were more difficult to obtain our results from. The reason we felt for this was because many of them were foreign and had difficulties speaking English. However, in the end, we received our results, and our (me and my group's) research was successful. This was because we managed to obtain a balanced sample of people to interview. We tried to make sure we interviewed people of different ages and genders. This is important, as a balanced opinion is needed to give fair results, and a better insight into the people's views about the topic. When we finished our surveys, we were allowed to have some free time to eat and rest. We then met up at an agreed time back outside the castle, from where we took off and left to come back to school. MY RESULTS This graph shows us how the tourists rated the facilities in Windsor. This shows me that the residents think that the best things in Windsor are the signposting, the historical interest, the cleanliness and the friendliness. The fact that the tourists find the residents friendly possibly shows that the residents do not mind the tourists being there and that there isn't a conflict of interest between tourists and residents in Windsor. The things that the residents rated the lowest were the value for money and the amenities. This means that the prices are expensive in Windsor and the tourists see this as a problem. This graph tells me what the tourists I surveyed thought that needed improvement in Windsor. This graph tells me that the tourists think that the shops and pedestrian areas need least improvement in Windsor, but parking and availability of toilets is limited and a problem for the tourists in Windsor. This shows that there could be a conflict of interest between the tourists and residents, as it appears to be a battle of who can get parking spaces etc. This graph shows us what attractions the tourists prefer to go to. This graph tells us that most of the tourists do not like Lego Land as an attraction to visit in Windsor nor do they like the tours around the area. I think this is, because all of the tourists surveyed were adults and were without children so were not expected to go to Lego Land. The most popular tourist attractions in Windsor are the river and the shops. The shops in Windsor were very good, as they had all of the things a tourist would look for, e.g. souvenirs. This pie chart shows me how many tourists were willing to visit Windsor again. This graph shows me that 16 (80%) out of 20 tourists are willing to visit Windsor again, and 4 (20%) aren't. This statistic could be used to conclude that Windsor is in fact a successful and satisfying tourist centre and that there isn't a conflict of interest between the tourists and the residents in Windsor. This graph shows me if the tourists were willing to recommend visiting Windsor to their friends or family. 19/20 said yes, they would. That is 95%. Only one person said they wouldn't recommend Windsor to friends and family. This shows me that the tourists enjoyed their visit to Windsor. + This graph shows us what problems the tourists cause in Windsor. From my results, I can judge that the biggest problems tourists in Windsor cause are parking difficulties and crowded streets. This could be a cause for conflict between the tourists and residents. The least problems caused by tourists, according to my graph, shows inflated prices and too many shops aimed at tourists. These results are surprising, as a successful tourist centre like Windsor would be expected to have high prices, which would affect residents living in the area. This graph illustrates whether the residents avoid shopping in certain areas because of the tourists. I can see from my results that most of the residents do not avoid shopping in any parts of the town, because of the tourists. This could be because the tourists and residents go to different kinds of shops, i.e. tourists would be expected to go to shops which sell things for tourists, e.g. souvenirs etc., whereas residents are more likely to go to a superstore. The other argument could be that the residents and tourists get along well with each other, and have no problem with going to the same shops, which would prove that there is no conflict of interest. This graph shows us what benefits the tourists bring to Windsor. This graph tells me that the biggest benefits that tourists in Windsor bring to the town are employment, income, and preservation of historic sites. All of these things show the most obvious benefits which tourism would bring to an area. The least benefits they bring to the town are status. This result is particularly surprising, as I expected people to say Windsor's status has been affected by tourism, especially as Windsor is popular as a tourist destination, and this is widely known. This graph shows us how the residents rate the facilities in Windsor. This graph shows me that the residents think that the historical interest, the pedestrian areas, and the food in cafes and restaurants are the best things in Windsor. The tourists in Windsor agreed that the historical interest in Windsor is good as well as the food. However, they think that parking and amenities aren't very good in Windsor. I think that this is because of the tourists being in Windsor. Parking availability would probably be a lot better if there were no tourists visiting Windsor, as well as amenities provided there. This graph shows us what the residents think would improve Windsor. This graph shows me that the residents would want the biggest changes made to supermarkets, toilets and parking spaces. The toilets and parking spaces could be a cause of the tourists and the residents wanting to improve these things could mean that they have a problem or problems with the tourists' visits. The things that the residents think need the least improvement are the shops aimed at tourists, the amount of tours, and the opening times of the castle. This graph shows us who the residents think the council favours more. From these results, I can see that the changes introduced by the council have mostly got the balance right between the tourists and residents. This means that Windsor is not only good as a tourist centre, but as a residential area too, which means that the residents in Windsor are satisfied with where they live. This is true, as there were no residents who thought the council favoured the tourists more, but a minority said the residents were favoured more. This graph tells us if there is a conflict of interest between the tourists and residents. Most of my residents said ‘no'. This shows me that generally, the residents do not think there is a conflict of interest between the residents and the tourists. RESULTS Tourists Results: There were many streets/areas which seemed to be aimed at the tourists. Some of these were: 1 Thames Street 2 Station Parade 3 Castle Hill 4 Eton All of which have particular things to attract the tourists, which stands out from the rest of the areas in Windsor. Most of the tourist sample came from the UK, with 11/20, however a similar amount of tourists came from abroad with 9/11. This shows no correlation between Windsor and the tourists who visit it. Most of the tourists i surveyed travelled to Windsor by car, which were 8/20. This shows me possibly that most of the tourists were independent visitors. The least used transport to Windsor by the tourists was a bus. The most popular of attractions for the tourists was the river, the Guildhall, and the shops. 50% of the tourists said they would be visiting the river, and 30% of the tourists said they would be visiting the Guildhall, which is still quite a low score. But, with the highest score, 60% of the tourists said that they would be shopping in Windsor on that day. The tourists rated all of the facilities in Windsor over four, with the exception of only a few. These were: 1 Value for money 2 Amenities (such as toilets) 3 And information on things to do. These however, still scored a rating of over three, which is still a high score, which shows that Windsor is good as a tourist centre, as it provides all of the needs for tourists. The most popular facilities were: 1 Signposting 2 historical interest 3 cleanliness 4 and friendliness These are all very important elements needed for a site to be particularly successful for tourism. Signposting is needed for guidance around the area, and since they were written in many different languages, this is extremely helpful for foreigners. A clean environment is needed for not only a tourist, but residents too. Tourists want a place to feel safe from insanitary when they are visiting somewhere to enjoy themselves. Friendliness also is a very important factor in being successful as a tourist site. Tourists want to feel welcome, and wanted there. If there wasn't any friendliness in Windsor, the tourists would probably be put off, and not want to visit Windsor again. 80% of the tourists said they would visit Windsor again, and 20% said they wouldn't, which shows Windsor is a big preference for the tourists, and they were impressed by the visit. 95% of the tourists said they would recommend visiting Windsor to a friend or member of family. Residents Results: There were many streets/areas which seemed to be aimed at the residents. Some of them are: 1. Peascod Street 2. Kind Edward's Court 3. High Street/Thames Street 4. Around the station From my residents' sample, I found out that every one that i surveyed lived in Windsor for at least 6 months. A few which I interviewed had been living in Windsor for: 19 years, 28 years, 50 years, 65 years, 40 years, 66 years, etc. So a lot of the residents i surveyed had been living in Windsor most of their lives. All of my residents said they visited the town centre at least once every two weeks. The majority visited the town centre daily, which shows that Windsor is a good place to live in; otherwise my residents wouldn't have said this. The results from my residents chart shows me that on average, the residents think tourists do not Bring that many problems to the town. However, the problems they did bring were: * Crowded streets * And parking These could cause a conflict of interest between the tourists and residents, as this would mean residents/tourists cannot go to certain places, as they have to worry about parking their car, or be worried about crowded areas. The least problems they caused were: * Inflated prices * Traffic * And shops aimed at tourists. Although the tourists think that there is a problem with crowds, they do not think there is much traffic to the extent of being a problem. This can be expected, as the tourists spend their time walking around more in groups, than using means of transport. The residents all rated the facilities in Windsor over 2.5, which is slightly less that what the tourists rated the facilities. This (although vague) shows that the tourists prefer Windsor to the residents. The lowest scored facilities were the parking and amenities. The tourists share this same problem, as they rated amenities as one of their lowest. This suggests that the council in Windsor should put this as one of their main priorities for improving Windsor for the residents and tourists. The highest rated facilities by the residents were: historical interest, pedestrian areas, and cafes/restaurants. The tourists also rated the historical content of Windsor highly as well. The biggest changes residents thought would improve Windsor for the better were: * Toilets (80%) * Supermarkets (70%) * And parking (85%) The tourists share the same view about toilets and parking. However, compared to the residents, a lot less suggested improvement for these things. 25% of my tourists suggested improvement to toilets and 25% of tourists suggested improvement to parking. The least changes suggested by the residents were for: * Shops (70%) * Amount of tours (70%) * Opening times of the castle (70%) The tourists also agreed that shops didn't need improvement, (90% said this). Overall, tourists appear to be more content with Windsor than the residents. The most changes needed are for parking and amenities (toilets). This means that the council needs to take this into consideration in order to improve Windsor for tourists and residents. EVALUATION OF RESULTS I can conclude, from everything I have found out, using my graphs/results that Windsor is a successful tourist centre. I have collected sufficient information in backing up this point, which gives me full confidence in stating this. In asking my tourists to rate particular things in Windsor, all were rated over 3 out of 5 for a score, and 8/14 being scored 4 or over. This showed me that as a whole, tourists are satisfied with the content of Windsor and the different services it provides as a tourist destination. Most of the tourists didn't feel that Windsor needed any improvement, and 80% of my tourists agreed that they would be coming to visit Windsor again in the future. There is some evidence according to my results to suggest that there is a conflict of interest between the tourists and residents in Windsor. A lot of the residents i surveyed claimed they had problems with the crowds and lack of parking availability which was caused by the tourists. This is/would be seen by the residents as inconvenient to a large extent i.e. Windsor is their home and having to live there whilst having no parking space for their car would be very hard to deal with, especially when having to go to work or travel for other needs essential to the residents. Another thing a lot of the residents I interviewed were displeased with was the lack of amenities served in the area such as toilets. This could be because of tourists constantly using them during their visit to Windsor, which a resident could find to be annoying especially if they are out all day, and cannot go home. However besides these facts, I found the residents to be overall fine with the tourists' visits to the popular town, and felt that there was a friendly atmosphere between the residents and tourists. A considerable amount of residents said that there were no places in the town they avoided shopping in because of the tourists. Also, most of my residents agreed that tourists did bring employment, income and were the cause of conservation of historic locations such as the Castle. The residents rated most of the facilities in Windsor over half, which shows approval of Windsor, including tourism. 16/18 of the residents believed that the council favoured both the residents and the tourists, making sure the balance was right and that neither was losing out. Finally, from the results I have assembled, I can see that the majority of residents I surveyed throughout my trip to Windsor said that there was no conflict of interest between the residents and tourists. The council, however has managed to try resolve the little bit of conflict between the tourists and residents by making sure to fulfil the residents' needs, by providing them with advantages as citizens in Windsor. One way they have successfully managed to do this, is by providing the residents in Windsor with Advantage Cards. These cards allow residents in Windsor to attend attractions such as The Castle with discounts. Special offers are also given on tour guides around the area's best attractions. Supplementary litter bins have been made for enhanced hygiene for the residents. Finally, further parking spaces have been set up to the residents' advantages to ensure no parking difficulties occur, which don't allow residents to park their cars whilst the tourists are visiting. EVALUATION OF METHOD On our visit to Windsor, the day went generally well. Firstly, the atmosphere was very good. There was a huge mixture of people from different backgrounds and areas, so it was very multicultural. It was a clean, tidy area, with hardly any litter lying around, which showed it was well maintained. I liked the attractions in the area, the shops, and just generally the things in the area. It was a good looking place, mostly because of its cleanliness, and quiet streets. The good weather added to the scenery. The interviews went considerably well. The people in the area were very polite, and welcoming. Most of the people cooperated, in helping me and my group fill in our survey. They seemed very enthusiastic. I was able to get an adequate amount of residents and tourists to fill out my survey, which obviously helped me a lot for my coursework, in creating my graphs and evaluating my results. All of the people I interviewed appeared to understand the meaning and the context of the questions which I asked them, and easily answered them, which was convenient and time-saving for my group. On our day to Windsor, I encountered minor problems. One of these was when I was looking for tourists to interview for my survey. A lot of the tourists at first kept refusing to do the interviews when requested. Some couldn't speak English which appeared to be the reason. It took a long time to find five tourists who were willing to cooperate, but eventually we did, however it was really time-consuming. I had a few problems when doing my Windsor coursework. One problem was being able to follow up on work inside and outside of school. I also had problems with attendance, which caused me to fall behind slightly at first with my coursework. Occasional difficulties with understanding parts of the project drew me back slightly, but help from my teacher and peers helped me overcome these drawbacks. I managed to get a balanced sample of people to interview. I tried to obtain fair results by interviewing as many men as I could women, and tried to interview people from different age categories. I managed to do this, by referring to my survey and seeing who I had to interview. It is important to have a balanced sample, so that the results I receive are accurate and reliable. CONCLUSION From the start of my Windsor project, my aim has been to successfully answer three questions about Windsor: 1. Is Windsor a successful tourist centre? 2. Is there a conflict of interest between residents and tourists? 3. What has been done to try to solve any conflict of interest In trying to accomplish these questions, I can finally conclude that from all of the information I collected in the duration of this project I have found Windsor to be a very successful tourist centre. The tourists I surveyed agreed that among many other positives in Windsor, the popular destination has good historical content and attractions and is full of friendly people. The tourists were willing to visit the town again in the future and even recommend it to friends and family. Windsor provides the tourists with wide varieties of ways to enjoy themselves and makes sure they have a good visit. The attractions such as Eton, the Guildhall and others play a big part in this as well. I have concluded in confidence as well that there is generally no conflict of interest between the residents and the tourists. The residents seemed happy to be accompanied by the tourists and this was shown through the survey I carried out, where the residents thought the tourists brought benefits to the town such as employment, status, preservation, income. My residents also said there was no conflict of interest between the residents and tourists in Windsor. Any minor conflicts in Windsor between the tourists and residents have been dealt with by the council. The council has introduced Advantage Cards which give residents in Windsor special advantages to visiting attractions, and allowing them discounts and offers on tours. Additional litter bins and parking spaces were also produced so that the residents and tourists have an equal balance in being provided with needs and wants.

Critical Minerals And Uses Of Precious Metals Environmental Sciences Essay

Today I will supply some background information on which metals are the most built-in to our state ; these metals are widely used in mundane life, in some manner or another, by most Americans. I will besides discourse the beginning and formation of our cherished metals, every bit good as where in the state – and the universe – they are normally found and mined. As with all natural resources, the opportunity of someday running out of these metals is non merely possible, but really likely. I plan to besides discourse solutions to this hereafter job, including the usage of both man-made and naturally-occurring replacements for each type of metal. Cherished metals are considered critical for good ground. They have a broad assortment of applications in industry, engineering, jewellery, and even medical specialty. It is agreed among mineralogists that the most critical minerals which fall under the class of cherished metals are gilded, Ag, and minerals in the Pt metals group: Pt, Pd and Ir. Although the U.S. went off the gilded criterion in 1972 thanks to President Nixon, gold is still normally used in the countries of medical specialty, jewellery, electronics, and industry. The component is lissome and ductile, so it can be transformed into assorted forms and made utile in different facets of industry ; it can even be made so thin that it is about crystalline. Silver, much like gold, besides has an array of utilizations in today ‘s universe. Besides the obvious usage in the jewellery concern, Ag is besides used in dental medicine, medical specialty, electronics – Ag even has a topographic point in the industry of c ertain types of vesture. Platinum group metals, which are known as PGMs, have a broad scope of applications. Platinum is normally used in electronics, catalytic convertors, jewellery, and dental medicine tools. Palladium, which is a comparatively rare metal, is besides used chiefly in catalytic convertors. It is besides used in jewellery, and surgical and dentistry equipment. Iridium besides has many influential applications in scientific discipline and industry ; it lends its belongingss to particle natural philosophies, acetic acid production, and the industry of engines that require corrosion opposition. Beginnings, Uses, and Supply of Gold Beginning and Beginnings of Gold In naturally-occurring sedimentations, gold ( atomic symbol Au ) is found in the signifier of single nuggets ; it is besides found as grains and flakes in certain stones, or as venas. A vena is a mass of crystallised mineral found within a stone, normally formed as a consequence of deposition from after the necessary mineral elements are carried to the topographic point via an aqueous solution and precipitated out of the solution. Alternately, gold can be found in alluvial sedimentations – by and large as nuggets – which are unconsolidated sedimentations of deposit that have been eroded or otherwise shaped by H2O outside of a marine environment. By and large the gold found in ores is really little, but in some exceeding instances, really big nuggets have been found. Gold that occurs together with either vitreous silica or sulphide minerals – such as fool's gold, besides known as â€Å" Fool ‘s Gold † – is called a load sedimentation. Because g old has such a low thaw temperature compared to other metals, it is readily carried by hydrothermal solutions as a consequence of chilling magma, and so solidifies alongside the vitreous silica. One of the best topographic points to happen gold sedimentations is near the invasion of environing stone by a cooled magma organic structure. These lode sedimentations normally form inside clefts ( known as crevices ) within a slab of stone. Gold can besides be recycled from scrap stuff, and 190 dozenss of gold were recovered this manner in 2009 in the U.S. The most common geographic locations for gold excavation worldwide are southeasterly Australia, East Asia, parts of South America and Africa, and parts of the United States. Gold militias are highest in South Africa ( 6,000 dozenss ) , Australia ( 5,800 dozenss ) , and Russia ( 6,000 dozenss ) . Militias are different from mined measures because the gold in militias is held by a cardinal bank of a peculiar state, and used purely for payment to other states or organisations. The U.S. shops about 3,000 dozenss of gold in its pecuniary militias. Along with the Treasury ‘s Stockpile, the Department of Defense runs a Cherished Metallic elements Recovery Program ( PMRP ) , which works to achieve cherished metals for economic intents. Specifically, the DOD recovers cherished metals from metal bearing stuffs such as photographic and X-ray stuff ( from infirmaries, printing installations, exposure labs ) ; metal dust collected from vacuity sweepers ; and scrap/waste metals from industrial workss. The PMRP focuses on the metals discussed in this testimony, every bit good as Os, Rh, and Ru. Harmonizing to the British Geological Survey, as of 2005 the top location for gold excavation was South Africa, with a sum of about 294 dozenss produced. In 2008, the gold excavation industry in South Africa produced 2260 dozenss. But even though much of the universe ‘s gold comes from South Africa and China, there is some to be found in the U.S. The most abundant beginnings of coal in the U.S. are found in mines in South Dakota and Nevada. Uses of Gold The most common usage of gold today is for the industry of jewellery. Gold is besides an ideal industrial metal due to its opposition to corrosion, every bit good as its electrical conduction for usage in machine equipment and electronics parts. Harmonizing to the U.S. Geological Survey ( USGS ) , approximately 90 % of gold brought into the market yearly ends up in manufactured merchandises, while the staying part of it goes to both private investors and pecuniary militias. In 2009, 72 % of mined gold was used for jewellery, 7 % was used for electronics, and 21 % went into dental equipment and other assorted utilizations. Domestic Supply of Gold In January of this twelvemonth, the USGS published a trade good study on gold for the old twelvemonth ( 2009 ) . Harmonizing to this study, gold was retrieved at 50 load mines, every bit good as a few placer mines, all of which are in Alaska. As a side note, the difference between the two types of mines is that a load mine occurs within solid stones ( for illustration, in a vena ) , while a topographic point mine is an alluvial sedimentation – normally of sand or crushed rock – which besides contains of import minerals and metals such as gold. Smaller placer mines in Alaska and a few of the western United States besides yielded gold. A smaller sum of the 2009 gold supply besides came as by-products from Cu excavation operations. In the last few old ages, the purchase of gilded jewellery has decreased well, doing monetary values to increase. Last twelvemonth, gold mines in Nevada showed significant lessening in production, while a mine in Montana and another in Nevada closed, to farther cut down production. In 2009, the mean monetary value of gilded jewellery rose over 20 % higher than the mean monetary value in 2008. Due to recent labour jobs in gilded mines of South Africa, the rubric of top gold manufacturer shifted to China, with Australia and the U.S. following near behind. Although comparatively important sums of gold are mined here in the U.S. , a good part of it comes from these international beginnings. Last twelvemonth, 210 dozenss of gold were mined in the U.S. , and gold militias in the U.S. totaled 3,000 dozenss. Import Beginnings of Gold Although China is presently the universe ‘s top manufacturer of gold, none of our imported gold comes from at that place. Alternatively, the gold import statistics are broken down as follows ( for the old ages 2005-2008, the most recent records from the USGS ) : Canada – 30 % Peru – 29 % Mexico – 16 % Chile – 9 % Other – 16 % Beginnings, Uses, and Supply of Silver Beginning and Beginnings of Silver Silver ( atomic symbol Ag ) , a soft passage metal, of course occurs as an metal with gold ; it is besides found in its native signifier, and in ores along with S and arsenous anhydride. However, the chief beginnings of Ag are really copper, lead, and nickel ores, which are mined in parts of South America, Mexico, China, Australia, and eastern European states such as Serbia and Poland. Mines which produce the highest planetary sums of Ag are located in Mexico, Australia, Russia, Peru, and, here in the U.S. , in Alaska. Silver, like most metals, organize compounds with sulphides inside the Earth ‘s crust. Metal sulfides which have dissolved in hot, piquant H2O within the crust finally precipitate as different minerals when they come into contact with ice chest H2O or air. Silver precipitates as a mixture with these other sulphides, which is how it is finally found at or closer to the Earth ‘s surface. It is usually found as a constituent of hydrothermal venas. Silver occurs natively, and is comparatively pure in this signifier. It besides occurs as ores, such as argenite ( Ag2S ) and chlorargyrite ( AgCl ) , and is recovered as a consequence of the Cu refinement procedure. Uses of Silver Silver is largely used for the intents of jewellery, utensils, industrial equipment, coins and decorations, and picture taking. The USGS notes that Ag has the highest thermal and electric conduction of all the metals. Pure Ag besides exhibits the whitest colour of any metal, every bit good as the highest optical coefficient of reflection. Because it has such powerful optical belongingss, it is used often to do mirrors. The USGS besides notes that the most common single-end usage of Ag is picture taking ; in this country, Ag can be found on photo paper, movie, and in darkroom and exposure lab chemicals used for publishing exposure. However, the demand for Ag in picture taking has declined significantly, from 2,290 dozenss in 1999 to around 900 dozenss in 2009 ; this is likely due to the rapid passage from traditional 35mm picture taking to digital picture taking worldwide. Harmonizing to the USGS, Ag is even used in vesture to decrease olfactory property. Domestic Supply of Silver In a mineral trade good sum-up of 2009 published in January 2010, the USGS provinces that the U.S. mined about 1,230 dozenss of silver- this supply of Ag was deserving about $ 520 million. As with gold, most of the state ‘s Ag comes from Alaska, with Nevada coming in at a close second. Last twelvemonth, 1,500 dozenss of Ag were recovered through refinement, including bit metal. The USGS notes that unlike gold, there is no authorities reserve of Ag. In the 1950s when the authorities reserve of Ag was at its highest, the U.S. Treasury was in ownership of the cheapest Ag, while any silver outside the Treasury significantly rose in monetary value. Since the authorities ‘s Ag was so inexpensive, demand increased steadily until the reserve disappeared wholly. Since Ag is no longer used to do American coins, there merely is no demand for authorities reserve. Aside from the measures of Ag we mine in the U.S. , we besides to a great extent on Ag imports from other states. Import Beginnings of Silver Over half of the Ag used in our today really comes from Mexico, with important sums coming from Canada and South America every bit good. Between 2005 and 2008, the import of Ag into the U.S. can be broken down as follows: Mexico – 54 % Canada – 26 % Peru – 15 % Chile – 3 % Other – 2 % Two-thirdss of the universe ‘s Ag trade goods came from treating Cu, gold and lead-zinc ores in 2009. From 2005-2008, the U.S. exported a sum of 3,850 metric dozenss of Ag to other states. More late, in 2009, we merely exported 360 dozenss to other states. Beginnings, Uses, and Supply of Platinum Beginning and Beginnings of Platinum The three most common and of import members of the Platinum Group Metals are Pt, Pd, and Ir. Platinum ( atomic symbol Pt ) is another malleable passage metal. Platinum is an improbably rare metal, and occurs at a concentration of merely 0.005 parts per million ( ppm ) in the Earth ‘s crust. The celebrated Bushveld Complex in South Africa is the top modesty of Pt in the universe. Harmonizing to the USGS, in 2009 South Africa produced the highest sum of Pt – 80 % of the universe ‘s Pt trade good, to be exact. Russia produced the 2nd highest sum of Pt that twelvemonth, at merely 11 % . Platinum can be found natively or as an metal with Ir. An metal is a solid solution of two or metals, in which the atom of one metal occupies unfastened infinites between the atoms of the other metal. Both Pt and Ir occur in perceptibly greater copiousness at the site of big meteorite impacts. This can be explained by the fact that the Moon and other extraterrestrial organic structures – particularly meteorites – incorporate a much higher copiousness of Pt and Ir than any topographic point on this planet. On Earth, Pt combined with other PGMs are frequently found in alluvial sedimentations. Some little Pt militias located in North America include the Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada, and the Absaroka Mountain scope in Montana. Uses of Platinum Platinum is a various metal that is really immune to staining, doing it another metal that is ideally suited for jewellery. It besides has first-class catalytic and electrical belongingss. Platinum has many utilizations in the chemical industry as a accelerator, and is used often in the production of fertilisers and explosives. Platinum even plays a function in the crude oil industry, in the refinement of petroleum oil and the production of gasolene. Harmonizing to the USGS, since 1979, the automotive industry has been the primary user of all PGMs, particularly Pt. PGMs are used often in catalytic convertors to keep acceptable exhaust emanation criterions. Platinum is a common metal used in jewellery industry and watch-making. Domestic Supply of Platinum and Other PGMs The lone two runing PGM mines in the U.S. as of 2009 were the Stillwater and East-Boulder mines in Montana. Combined, these mines produced 3,800 dozenss of Pt, 12,500 dozenss of Pd, and 1,300 dozenss of Ir in 2009. Small sums of PGMs may frequently be recovered from Cu excavation processes ; and, as with most metals, PGMs are recovered and recycled from other bit metal. Approximately 18 dozenss of PGMs were recovered in this mode last twelvemonth. About 900,000 dozenss of PGMs are presently in militias ; this means that they could be extracted for economic intents at a clip of much greater demand. Estimates of militias merely see the stuff that can realistically be recovered. The worsening economic system over the last few old ages has caused a reduced demand in car gross revenues, which in bend has caused less of a demand in PGMs since they are widely used in autos ‘ catalytic convertors. However, as research continues for the usage of fuel cells in autos, the demand for PGMs may increase once more – Pd is an cheap option to platinum in the accelerators of such autos. Import Beginnings of Platinum and Other PGMs The USGS provides a dislocation of imported PGMs from other economically of import states: Platinum: South Africa – 27 % Germany – 17 % U.K. – 12 % Canada – 5 % Other – 39 % Palladium: Russia – 46 % South Africa – 21 % U.K. – 17 % Belgium – 4 % Other – 12 % Beginnings and Uses of Palladium Beginning and Beginnings of Palladium Palladium ( atomic symbol Pd ) is another PGM considered to be a rare component. It is pale Ag in colour, bearing a close resemblance to platinum but with a much lower denseness and runing point. In fact, out of all the PGMs, Pd exhibits both the lowest denseness and runing point. Ore sedimentations of Pd are non common, but like the Pt, Pd has been found in its highest copiousness in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. In North America, it can be found in the Sudbury Basin in Ontario and the Stillwater Complex in Montana. These â€Å" composites † are known superimposed pyrogenic invasions ( LIIs ) or layered mafic intrustions ( LMIs ) . These abbreviations can be used interchangeably, since â€Å" mafic † is a descriptive term for an pyrogenic stone that is dark in colour and rich in Fe and Mg. LIIs are big, superimposed organic structures of pyrogenic stone found in ancient cratons. A craton is a really old, stable subdivision of the Continental crust. The formation of LMIs requires a big volume of magma over a short period of clip, happening within the Continental crust so that they finally become exposed at the surface due to eroding. Layering of these invasions occurs from alterations in mineralogy and texture. Most LMIs, including the Bushveld Complex and Sudbury Basin, are Precambrian in age. ( The Precambrian encompasses the creative activity of earth 4.6 billion old ages ago to about 542 million old ages ago. Precambrian minerals and stones are the oldest on Earth. ) Uses of Palladium Palladium ‘s chief usage today is in catalytic convertors, due to its really stable electrical belongingss and optimum catalytic belongingss. This metal is used to fabricate medical and dental medicine equipment aircraft flicker stopper, and, like Pt, jewellery and tickers. It makes a good jewellery replacement for white gold and Pt, particularly since its picket Ag colour is natural and it is reasonably hard to state the three metals apart merely by looking at them. Up until comparatively late, Pd ‘s chief usage in the jewellery trade was as an metal to assistance in doing white gold. In the electronic industry, Pd and palladium-silver metals are used to do platings in common electronics. Palladium, every bit good as the other cherished metals, is particularly of import in electronics because of how frequently computing machines are used in merely about every facet of life today – in occupations, research, schools, and places. Metallic elements with superior elect rical belongingss are used to do computing machine french friess implemented in CPUs, cell phones, and iPods, merely to call a few devices most people use day-to-day. Palladium can be one of the by-products of atomic fission, and can be recovered – though non needfully in important sums – from spent atomic fuel. Beginnings and Uses of Iridium Beginning and Beginnings of Iridium Iridium ( atomic symbol Ir ) is the 3rd most familiar and widely-used PGM. Although it is highly rare in the Earth ‘s crust, hint sums can still be found. Iridium is a well-known PGM due to its abnormally high concentration in a bed of clay at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary ( normally abbreviated as the K-T boundary ) . As celebrated earlier in my testimony, Ir ( along with Pt ) is found at much higher concentrations in meteorites than anyplace on Earth ; this cognition is one of the cardinal pieces of back uping grounds for a meteorite impact at the terminal of the Cretaceous Period ( about 65 million old ages ago ) , which finally would hold caused the dinosaurs to travel extinct. One of the rarest elements on Earth, Ir occurs at 0.001 ppm in the Earth ‘s crust – whereas in meteorites, the concentration is significantly greater at 0.5 ppm. As with Pt and Pd, the highest concentrations of Ir are found in the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. Very little sums of this metal are found in the U.S. and the remainder of the universe, most notably in impact crater and pyrogenic invasions. Along with its other PGM relations, Ir is often found in Cu and nickel metal. Since all three of these cherished metals portion similar physical and chemical features, it comes as no surprise that they are normally found together and portion similar utilizations in industry and fabrication patterns. Uses of Iridium Iridium is acquired through the excavation processes of Ni and Cu, and is a by-product of the two. As with Pt, Ir is really immune to corrosion and wear, so it finds many utilizations in assorted industries. Iridium by itself is used in direct-ignition engines, where its first-class catalytic belongingss come in utile and let the engines to run decently. Natural Substitutes for Cherished Metallic elements With the possibility of our cherished metals resources going depleted, we are now turning even more towards the usage of naturally-occurring replacements for these peculiar metals. Silver and PGMs make suited replacements for gold, particularly in the industry of jewellery. Harmonizing to the USGS, base metals reinforced by gold metals have excellent usage in electronics. This method is besides used in jewellery, and allows a jewelry maker to sell the merchandise as gold while utilizing less of the metal itself. Stainless steel is a common replacement for Ag. In fact, most mean kitchen utensils are no longer made of Ag ; a speedy hunt for â€Å" silverware † on any common shopping web site will demo that most kitchen utensils are made of unstained steel instead than Ag. In picture taking, many factors now contribute to the cutback of Ag usage, including movie with diminished Ag content and digital picture taking. Aluminum and Rh are normally used to replace Ag in mirrors and other brooding surfaces. Many of the common PGMs frequently substitute for each other. For illustration, some car shapers have begun utilizing Pd in topographic point of Pt – which is more expensive – in catalytic convertors. Additionally, shapers of electronic constituents are cut downing the sum of Pd used by replacing base metals or silver-palladium metals that contain somewhat less Pd. We can surely populate without jewellery, but in such a technology-dominated society, we about can non populate without electronics, particularly computing machines ; and, although it works for some people, it would be unrealistic to believe we can populate without cars. Therefore, it is particularly of import to be cognizant of the supply of, and replacements for, cherished metals, since they are used on a regular basis in these facets of life. Recommendations for Policy Related to Cherished Metallic elements An appraisal of critical minerals conducted by the National Research Council in 2008 offered basic suggestions that can be applied to cherished metals every bit good: Identify critical metals and merchandises made from them that are important to industry and engineering. Address the beginnings of cherished metals and the planetary production/use of their terminal merchandises. Address any geologic, technologic, economic or political restrictions on the handiness of cherished metals. Acknowledge the effects of any breaks in the supply of cherished metals in the economic system and work force. These recommendations serve as a foundation and a starting point for farther research on cherished metal use: how they are acquired, when and why they might run out, the effects of acquisition ( excavation ) and what the U.S. authorities can make to turn to these issues. Our state ‘s metal resources are limited and will finally run out. Unlike fresh H2O, which is easy recycled thanks to H2O renewal workss, the per centum of metals we get from recycling is smaller than the per centum we attain from excavation. Mineral formation is a slow geologic procedure, so the refilling of these resources any clip in the close hereafter is non even an thought to see. Logically, if we mine at a faster gait than that at which the minerals are of course replaced, finally these resources will be depleted. For the clip being, we are able to trust on other states to export cherished metals to the U.S. , but their resources are limited as good. We need to take action to guarantee that we preserve these resources. As I have discussed in this testimony, these cherished metals serve a broad array of intents, and it would be a shame for them to run out in our life-time, which is a possibility. We need to measure how long we have before our resources run out. Government bureaus that deal with mineral issues, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, are responsible for carry oning mineral resource appraisals and mineral-environmental appraisals. These appraisals can help the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to better manage land usage for excavation intents. The Mineral Resource Program ( MRP ) of the USGS is in charge of supplying information and research about the usage and supply of our minerals, including cherished metals. In 2003, the National Research Council ( NRC ) addressed four undertakings of the federal authorities in mineral scientific disciplines: Supply an indifferent beginning of information, accessible to the populace. Conduct general research on mineral resources. Support of minerals-related international activities that benefit the U.S. Advise, when necessary, on minerals use and direction. The MRP besides takes into history the sum of undiscovered metals that are likely located in an country. When an initial study was completed as portion of the MRP, the USGS admitted that it was during a clip of significant passage within the bureau ; this included decrease in staff members, important restructuring of the Geologic Division, decrease in installations, and alterations both in ends and leading – all marks that more updated appraisals of our metal resources need to take topographic point. A new MRP survey should turn to our state ‘s present and long-run metal demands. The precedence for an updated survey should be to supply scientific evidences that would let for informed decision-making as to how much of the state ‘s land should go on to be used for excavation, and how we can run into future metal demands despite low resources in the U.S. Mining minerals and metals has negative impacts on the environment. When metals are mined, important sums of toxins are released into the environment, particularly into the dirt and groundwater. Pollution of dirt and H2O is considered secondary taint, and is damaging to agriculture and works life, every bit good as our imbibing H2O supply. The processing and refinement on metal ores can besides foul the air. In recent old ages, with subjects like planetary clime alteration taking centre phase, environmental impacts of merely about anything should ever be taken into history. Consideration of environmental effects is of import in guaranting that land is non overused for mining even more than it is overused for other patterns such as agribusiness. Furthermore, it would be good to analyze how metal sedimentations behave geochemically when exposed to enduring procedures, every bit good as the environmental effects of these reactions. If this affair contributes at all to the lessening in o ur mineral supply, research on the topic may let us to forestall this lessening. A new MRP survey should sketch possible results of environmental impacts of metal excavation, which should be taken into consideration by the BLM when doing land-use determinations. Additionally, research demands to research the possibility of utilizing man-made ( semisynthetic ) substitutes for these cherished metals. When makers want to be use replacements for a certain metal, they by and large use a different naturally-occurring metal. Since we are at hazard of utilizing up our metal resources, it would be good to develop man-made versions of gold, Ag, and PGMs. These replacements should possess the same desirable qualities, including catalytic and electrical conduction. Another manner to cut back on metals usage is to recycle. Many states, including the U.S. , already used recycled stuff from bit metal, but merely little per centums of metals used today come from recycled beginnings. In 2009, 190 dozenss of gold came from recycled bit metal in the U.S. , compared to 210 dozenss mined. Merely 17,000 kgs ( merely 17 metric dozenss ) of PGMs were recovered from bit metal in the U.S. last twelvemonth, compared to 16,300 dozenss that came from mines. The exclusion is silver: in 2009, 1,500 dozenss of Ag in the U.S. came from recycled stuff, exceling the 1,230 dozenss that were mined. Even though metals are recycled, bureaus like the USGS can rede makers on new ways to retrieve even more material from bit metal. Metal processing workss should besides work to implement new ways of treating natural mined metals so that less of the metals are lost before being refined into the concluding merchandise. Not merely would that scheme be economical, but it would b e much less uneconomical excessively. Development and execution of synthetics, increased recycling, and more efficient metals treating might someday even let the U.S. to halt excavation all together, which in bend would cut down any harmful effects on the environment. The USGS, and any other federal organisations chosen to roll up and form critical minerals informations, should hold more authorization when it comes to policies affecting the recovery and usage of cherished metals. Surveies to better our usage of metals, as outlined above, should have the proper support, and multiple federal bureaus need to work together to spread out basic scientific research, and to advance the usage of new thoughts and engineering to better understand the effects, effects, and benefits of cherished metal use. Decision Cherished metals – specifically gold, Ag, and the platinum-group metals – serve many valuable intents in our economic system and our day-to-day lives. But merely as our oil resources will finally run out, so our cherished metals will someday go depleted every bit good. Until farther surveies are conducted, we will go on to be limited in our apprehension of how rapidly these cherished metal resources will run out. We must besides research any possible major environmental injury that may come from mining these metals, and what, if anything, we can make to extenuate such injury.