The Natural Resource Curse

The natural resource curse affects countries with abundant natural resources. Studies done to investigate this phenomenon reveal several paradoxical issues relating the presence of natural resources in a country.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Natural Resource Curse specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, countries that rely on natural resources for budgetary financing seem to have an inverse economic growth in relation to the percentage of the national budget financed using natural wealth. This paper looks at the issue of the natural resource curse with a view of uncovering why some countries suffer from it, while others do not. Natural resources refer to endowments in mineral wealth, or naturally occurring plant and animal life. Mineral wealth in this case refers to mined substances such as precious metals, gemstones, or oil wealth. Some of these resources occur near the surface of the earth. In thi s case, the resource may not require mining in the conventional sense. Timber is one of the most valuable natural resources extracted from naturally occurring forests. The worldwide demand for timber is growing mainly because of increasing control and restriction on logging by authorities concerned with the conservation of nature. To a certain extent, the presence of animals such as elephants and rhinos makes a country vulnerable to natural resource issues related to the ivory trade. However, the significance of animal related natural wealth is reducing because of greater enforcement of animal protection legislation. The natural resource curse refers to the paradoxical situation where countries endowed with natural resources tend to suffer from poor economic growth, war, and poverty, more than countries not endowed with these resources. This is counter intuitive because the presence of natural resources should mean the availability of finances to bankroll development projects in a c ountry. However, many countries that have vast amounts of natural resources tend to suffer from slow economic growth, resource wars, and disproportionate levels of corruption. Scholars present various reasons for this situation that range from corruption, to weak governance.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Why Some Countries Suffer From the Natural Resource Curse There are many reasons why many countries suffer from the natural resource curse. This section examines the role of corruption, resource dependence, weak central governments, and the international business environment surrounding trade in natural resources. The nature of natural wealth is such that it is difficult to track the exact quantities produced and then delivered to markets. In addition, after the sale of the resources, it is difficult to track with accuracy the exact amount of money that eventually ends up in projects that are for the benefit of the country. Many times, governments do not control the actual mining or extraction operations of the natural resources in their territory. For instance, oil companies such as BP control mining operations in many territories around the world. This means that the governments cannot know with complete accuracy whether the quantities of oil mined by oil companies are the actual ones. It is also possible for a minister in charge of mining to collude with the company to defraud the country. Since the government trusts the minister to control and report on the operations of the company, the country ends up losing revenue. On the other end, after the mining companies extract and sell minerals in the international market, the money may not reach development projects in the country because of corruption within government. The second cause of the oil curse is resource dependence of countries endowed with natural resources. This especially affects oil-pr oducing nations. A good example is Nigeria where the country relies on oil and gas exports to fund more than eighty percent of its recurrent expenses. This overreliance on mineral wealth makes it difficult for the government to develop a sustainable tax base. Studies show that countries that do not have an effective tax net also tend to lack the capacity to address social issues in the country. Nigeria’s reliance on its oil wealth is part of the causative factors of the social challenges espoused by the conflict in the Niger Delta. In addition, Nigeria is in no position to challenge the activities of oil companies when they fail to meet environmental stipulations simply because the government relies on these companies to generate its operating revenues.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Natural Resource Curse specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This situation, compared to the America for instance is appall ing. America took strong action against BP after the Deep Water horizon oil spill. America does not rely on oil in the same terms as Nigeria. Therefore, it had the liberty to enforce its laws after the spill. Thirdly, weak governments amplify the negative effects of the resource curse. A weak government does not have the capacity to address the social ills in the country. This usually comes from ineffective planning, or inconsistent implementation. Any government that cannot guarantee the territorial integrity of the country, or does not have the power to manage social order, is weak. Countries with mineral wealth also tend to have rebel groups seeking to control mineral rich areas. For instance, rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) takes place around mineral centers. No government in the DRC has gained control over the entire territory of the country. The fact that natural resources tend to occur in one region makes the resource rich areas easy targets of armed group s since they are easy to seize and control. Finally, the resource curse is a product of tilted international trading terms. For instance, OECD countries encourage the importation of raw material such as crude oil, but it discourages the importation of processed products. Importing processed products to the OECD is difficult because of a raft of tariff and non-tariff barriers. The net effect is that any country that wants to sell its natural resources to the OECD countries cannot establish a strong local manufacturing sector. The result is that the country remains dependent on the export of natural resources, while it imports equipment and finished products from its natural resource export destinations. How Countries Avoid the Natural Resource Curse Despite the strong indication that natural resources tend to bring more problems for some countries that solutions, there are examples of countries that seem to have avoided the curse. In this section, we look at three factors that contri bute to avoiding the natural resource curse. These factors are the presence of a strong central government, diversified economies, and diversified markets. Saudi Arabia is one of the largest oil producers in the world. Oil accounts for about fifty percent of its national budget, and is responsible for about ninety percent of its export revenues. As such, Saudi Arabia should be suffering from the oil curse. This is not the case. The country has one of the most stable governments in the Middle East.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It did not suffer during the Arab spring and it does not have any formidable rebel groups operating within its territory. Its only exposure is from terrorists who loath the presence of American bases in the country. This is an ideological issue, rather than a resource one. The case of Saudi Arabia shows that a strong central government can avert the resource curse. The ability of the government to maintain territorial integrity is a key part of the process of avoiding the natural resource curse. It is also instructive to note that Saudi Arabia is not a western democracy. Rather it is a monarchy. Its laws are some of the harshest in the world especially in regards to issues of social harmony. The point here is that avoiding the resource curse is not a question of the type of government in place. Rather it is a factor of how strong the government is in the management of the country. The second way in which countries can avert the natural resource curse is by diversifying their economi es. A good case in point is Dubai, which is part of the UAE. Dubai struck oil in the mid twentieth century. The rulers of the city-state soon recognized that while the oil wealth was a great resource for the country, reliance on oil was not sustainable. This led to the development of economic plans that sought to transfer the oil wealth to other sectors of the economy. The goal of this move was to diversify the economic base of the country. The result of this is that Dubai is now an international trade hub, known more for its free port that for its oil. Oil is still an important part of the economic mix of the country, but even if the oil sector collapsed, the country will still be operational. Apart from its famous free port, Dubai is becoming a financial capital, a tourism hub, and a transport hub. Emirates Airlines, which is currently one of the largest airlines in the world operates from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Apart from the diversification of the economic base of the c ountry, the UAE makes efforts to maintain social stability by ensuring all the citizens have access to quality education and healthcare. The third pillar in the effort to avoid the natural resource curse is diversifying the markets for the primary natural wealth. Diversifying the market for a country’s natural wealth makes it possible for the country to develop other sectors of the economy, and to control the prices of the natural wealth. Instead of relying on exports to regions with many tariff and non-tariff barriers, it is better to develop new markets for finished products to create jobs locally. Kenya exports processed oil to its neighbors after importing crude from the Middle East. If Kenya had its own oil, then it would have the full benefits of oil extraction. In conclusion, the natural resource curse is not impossible to deal with. However, it takes strong leadership on the part of the country endowed with natural wealth to deal with the associated issues. In this se nse, the natural resource curse is really the product of bad leadership in the midst of abundance. Works Cited Bannon, Ian and Paul Collier. â€Å"Natural Resources and Conflict: What We Can Do.† Bannon, Ian and Paul Collier. Natural Resources and Violent Conflict: Options and Actions. Washington DC: The World Bank, 2003. 1-16. Print. Chapin, Rosemary. Social Policy for Effective Practice: A Strengths Approach. New York: Francis Taylor, 2010. Print. Deloitte. 2011 Survey of the UAE Healthcare Sector Opportunities and Challenges for Private Providers. Survey Report. London: Deloitte, 2011. Print. Mwanika, Phillip Arthur Njuguna. â€Å"Natural Resources Conflict.† ISS Paper 216 September 2010: 1-12. Print. Ross, Michaeal. â€Å"The Natural Resource Curse: How Wealth Can Make You Poor.† Bannon, Ian and Paul Collier. Natural Resources and Violent Conflicts: Options and Actions. Washington DC: World Bank, 2003. 17-42. Print. Schnurr, Matthew A and Larry A Swatuk. Na tural Resources and Social Conflict: Towards Critical Environmental Security. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Print. This essay on The Natural Resource Curse was written and submitted by user Brooklynn K. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free sample - Problems Related to Bullying of Students. translation missing

Problems Related to Bullying of Students. Problems Related to Bullying of StudentsBullying of Students in Schools and Suggested Solutions Bullying of students in schools has both long ranging emotional and physical problems to both the students being bullied and the bully. The emotional problems that the bullied children encounter are quite enormous (Olweus, 1994, p.23). Some of these problems are lack of self esteem for the student since if the form of this bullying involves teasing; abuses or even physical beating they weigh down the emotions of the child leaving them feeling unworthy to live. Stress is eminent in children being bullied in school and this will always cause the child mental problems in the future if not mitigated in time to allow the child to live a normal life (Craig ,1998, p.13). The issue of stress will generate a further problem in the child where you are likely to witness diminishing academic performance. Bullying can also lead to lack of social confidence. This occurs mainly because the child will feel they lack in their social standing and that is why they are constantly bullied by their peers. They also feel that they are being silenced and that way they may not have the confidence to even face those in authority and explain what is happening to them. This fact aggravates the situation because this will give their bullies the confidence to perpetrate this vice further. Behavioral change occurs in students who constantly get bullied. this may manifest itself in all manners ranging from withdrawal symptoms, unhappiness, poor appetite, complaining of being always 'sick' so as to avoid going to school even in situations where the student had been very enthusiastic about it daily, and avoidance of using certain routes which the student used routinely (Craig ,1998, p.16). These issues will always affect the students’ ability to live a free life due to the fear of being attacked by their bullies. Being frightened is also a problem associated with bullying in schools. Students who are constantly bullied are always frightened and this will hamper the students' ability to socialize freely with the people around them. The underlying problems generally associated with bullying not only affect the bullied students but also affects the bully themselves. These behaviors may culminate in poor academic performances on these bullies since once they do it they may have a sense of satisfaction thus leading poor concentration on studies. Some of them do it to get noticed by their peers and this also gives them a sense of pride despite poor grades in school (Salmivalli, Lagerspetz Bjà ¶rkqvist, 1996, p.7). Students who bully their fellow students may carry this behavior to their adulthood leading to poor social interrelations which may impede their pursuit of fine jobs since they do not fit well at work place. These behaviors may also lead to poor relationships in adulthood and affect their ability to establish family relations and even raise one (Whitney Smith, 1993, p.11). Students who get bullied are also affected physically. The physical attack on a student will leave the student with bodily harm which may be bruises or even serious injuries such as fractures in severe cases or deep cuts to the body. Severe bullying may also leave the students’ health deteriorating day by day. This may manifest itself in form of serious body weight loss. Students who have severe stress as a result of bullying may experience loss of appetite and lead to serious health problems such malnutrition, lack essential vitamins (Whitney Smith, 1993, p.11). Poor health may lead to poor brain development depending on the age of the student and in the long run lead to poor academic performances. Early childhood development being a crucial stage in life ought to be handled carefully so as to give the child a great future (Kaltiala-Heino, Rimpel Rantanen, 2000, p.6). When the above problems are noticed in school going children, it is imperative for parents and guardians to take the first step to establish what is bothering their children (Smith, 1999, p.5). This is because knowing and understanding the causes of their children's problems will give them the next cause of action towards eliminating the causes and helping their children to heal. Firstly, talk to your children and encourage them to talk freely about what they are going through, assuring them that whatever they are going through can be solved if they reveal all the details of their problems (O’Connell Pepler, 1999, p.18). It is important that you clearly tell the child all that you have noticed them in terms of behavioral change and also assure them that whatever they are undergoing is not their own fault and therefore revealing information will lead to solving all the problems they are undergoing. As a parent or guardian it is important to get to the bottom of the matter by gathering all related information from the child. This should include who has been bulling your child, when and where this occurred and maybe what may have triggered this to happen (O’Connell Pepler, 1999, p.18). Once these details are obtained from the child it gives the parent clear guidelines on how to approach the whole situation Parents are advised to encourage children to report the matter or any form of bullying to the school authorities whenever they occur, giving all the details of the vice to the best knowledge of their child (Olweus, 1991, p.12). In cases where the child is too frightened to speak about the same .parents are advised to take up the matter firmly and go to the school authorities and give the all the details as obtained from their child. By doing so, the authorities will find the matter more serious and give it immediate attention (Olweus, 1994, p.8). Schools are also advised to partner with the government so as to formulate policies of addressing cases of bullying in learning institutions for this will set up a framework within which schools will generate policies in line with the set legal framework.

Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Hinduism - Essay Example This can be seen by their varying ideas and explanations of the world, as well as the distinct differences in their beliefs and religion systems. Hinduism is a complex, ancient religion. It is unique because it has no known founder, as with the other religions. Hinduism cannon was put together over the years and mixed with other traditions and lore, until it finally was written down in the Vedas. It is the world's oldest religion, and also the worlds third largest, falling in place behind Christianity and Islam (Hin). Often, Hinduism is confused and labeled as a polytheistic religion, when it is not as simple as that. The writings teach that there is one main deity, Brahman, who can from time to time appear to humans in many different forms and shapes. The Brahman is the supreme deity in the Hinduism religion, however it offers an interesting shape and role to the kind of divine and divinity most religions offer. The God of Hinduism is referred to as Brahman when it is referred to as the all encompassing supreme power of the world. It is one and part of the world, and is part of everything and everyone within its creation. "Brahman is often described succinctly as sacchidananda, meaning 'Truth-Consciousness-Bliss', not only possessing the qualities but also being their very essence."( Hin) showing that inside the religion of Hinduism, the Brahman is everything and anything, and is the supreme force and energy of the world. There are many different interpretations and understandings of Brahman. One such belief states that "ultimately Brahman (the impersonal God) is beyond mere intellectual description and can be understood only through direct spiritual experience, where the 'knower' and the 'known' are subsumed into the act of 'knowing'. The goal is to "wake up" and realize that one's atman, or soul, is really identical to Brahman, the uber-soul(Hin). This helps explain the idea that the Brahman unites all people, and is part of everything and the entirety of the world around us. Several different areas of thought have ideas that contradict this school of thought, and may believe that the Brahman actually has being and personality, and may associate the Brahman with one of the lesser gods of the religion, such as Vishnu, Shiva, or Shakti. All of these different interpretations of the Hindu understanding all come from its ancient history, different readings of the sacred texts, as well as different and modern interpretations of faith. There is also another understanding of the Hindu divine, this being the idea of Isharva, of a more personal idea and personality of the God figure. This is the idea of God as a supreme being, and not an overwhelming force and eternal power such as tied into the Brahman ideology. Some sects of Hinduism do not believe in this idea at all, and some of them believe in it in different forms and facets of belief. Also included in the Hindu belief system is the idea of devas, or demi-gods. It is not uncommon for a Hindu worshipper to pick one of these gods as their personal god, and this god may be passed down as part of family life, traditions, or culture. These personal demi-gods are very unique to the Hinduism religion, and a integral part of their culture, artwork, and history (Hin). Hindus also have varying thoughts and beliefs on the connection between the human and divine. The Atman is the Hindu word for "soul" or "self", and is associated with Hindu

Contemporary Theories of Political Economy Essay

Contemporary Theories of Political Economy - Essay Example The Second World War had a great impact on almost all the world economies as it led to greater spending and a need for more and more arms and ammunition. All of this led to the building of more and more industries, which made countries around the world tap and realise their industrial potential. The 1950s and 60s were a time when most economies began to understand the true power that they possessed in terms of both physical as well as mineral resources. This World War was termed as the age of anxiety – when people were running helter-skelter for their lives and wishing for their sons, husbands, and fathers to return from the war scene, as well as families growing and prospering in terms of consumer spending because of the incessant revelation of the need and desire for more and more things. Prior to the war, the country had thus been witnessing a boom in the economic sphere; this was because of the introduction of machines, tools and all kinds of equipments which were helping the primary, secondary as well as the tertiary sector of the economy to grow and develop. A number of changes were being brought into the economy as more and more women began working which helped labour and knowledge go hand in hand and get nurtured. Scientists began finding ways to implement their thoughts in terms of inventions and discoveries and with the help of machines, everything had become possible and people were beginning to realise that it was possible to achieve the American dream by just having access to some purchasing power and being able to spend money. However, it is only natural that every economic demand and supply structure can never remain a constant because the needs and wants of the people or the consumers change with time. Thus, the American economy too, began to witness a decline in the profits around the year 1968. Post the Second World War, profits related to industrialization began to see a close not only in America, but also in various parts of the world , because of the impact that the American economy had had on the various world economies. Various steps were taken in order to help the economy boost and find constancy in its establishment. For example, President Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ program helped to establish Keynesian economics within the American economy and stabilise it with respect to understand demand and supply of the consumers. However, since profits from industries and firms kept on decreasing, something had to be done in order to make changes and not let the economy decline to an extent that it would fall into a depression and not be able to recover from the depths of the same. In the year 1972 the then President, Richard Nixon, even took the dramatic step of pulling the American dollar off the Gold Standard; this was considered to be a very pragmatic step taken in order to move towards a fiat currency system which had been started in the 1910s. Back in the year 1933, President Roosev

Concept of courage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Concept of courage - Essay Example Fear is a prerequisite for courage. Fear is the consequence of an insight of vulnerability, which is recognized by the accurate or inaccurate assessment or estimation of a threat as outweighing the individual resources. The only validated scale used to calculate courage was of late produced by Schmidt and Koselka in a cognitive therapy research. The Courage measuring Scale used in this study was constructed 7-item scale. The first three items used were to assess the broad-spectrum of courage, while the last four items assessing panic-specific courage. The scales do not illustrate the number of situational domains, and the third item on the three-item scale questions participants if they are fearless. Despite the fear being said to be a precondition for courage, it is rated to be in a positive direction as other items that result in two high scores. One indicating courage and the other indicating a general absence of fear. Many analysis and correlations were used to see the sights of the relationships among courage, toughness, and physical illness. Hardiness or toughness was not found to be a considerable analyst of physical illness for the participants’ Hardiness was found to be a weak predictor of physical illness for men. There are no other variables in this study that were found to be an important predictor of physical illness, and the variations of the courage scores did not enhance the relationship between hardiness and physical illness when variance accounted for by gender was controlled.

People With Dementia In Hong Kong Social Work Essay

People With Dementia In Hong Kong Social Work Essay Nowadays, day care, or nursing home is one of centers of providing stimulation to participants with dementia and scheduling relief to caregivers. However, day care did little to resolve continuing care issues that resume upon the individual returning home while it provided tremendous relief during the hours of service. So, family caregivers still provide extraordinary, uncompensated care, predominantly in the home setting (Lavretsky et al., 2010).   Unfortunately, caregivers are often placed at great risk for negative outcomes that also compromise the well-being of the patients with dementia and heighten their risk for placement in institutional settings. As a result, caregiver needs are overlooked in most clinical and service settings, which may exacerbate the issue of care of people with dementia. Challenges of family caregivers 1. Biological perspectives Caregivers of people with dementia must manage their loved-ones activities of daily living, such as dressing, toileting, and eating. Physically, caregivers are faced with demands involving assistance with daily activities and increased daytime dysfunction compared to non-caregiving controls (McKibbin et al., 2005). Besides, sleep disturbances have deleterious effects on family caregivers health, which is also documented as being predictive of heightened risks, including cardiovascular disease (Rose et al., 2008). At the same time, fatigue may contribute to the depletion of caregivers decision to institutionalize their demented spouse (Vitaliano et al., 2003). 2. Psychological perspectives The stress of caregiving in dementia has been highlighted in numerous studies, often described as an on-going stress process (Schulz Martire, 2004). At the beginning, loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, leaving many with a sense of dread, uncertainty, fear, and shame (Gorina et al., 2006). Moreover, in one study, caregivers expressed their concerns about a lack of knowledge on the cause of illness, on the treatments available for their relative, and on the types of services available and how to access those services (Wong et al., 2003). In addition, they feel frustration when having difficulty managing drug compliance and medical follow-ups, positive symptoms, such as bizarre behaviors, excessive and uncontrollable emotions, and negative symptoms of their relatives with mental illness, such as idling at home and lying in bed all the time (Wong, 2000). Later, grief might occur in response to loss of personal freedom, worry about the future, changes in roles and role conflict, and disruptions in functioning (Holly Mast, 2009). Compared with Western culture, the sense of familial responsibility among Chinese caregivers in Hong Kong exacerbates the stress of caregiving in dementia (Wong, 2000). Social perspectives Social costs are being borne by caregivers with relatives suffering from chronic mental illness (Lowder et al., 2005). Many studies have found that family members, particularly the caregivers, experience an increase in family conflicts, limited friendship and social life, financial difficulty, change in daily routines (Wong et al., 2002; Schulz Martire, 2004; Wong, 2006).Moreover, Hong Kong caregivers scored significantly higher in social costs than the Australian caregivers (Wong et al., 2002). Considering the challenges of family caregivers above, the purpose of this article is to explore the potentiality of supporting to caregivers of people with dementia in Hong Kong, in consideration of the well-being of the patients, especially of themselves. Current situation in Hong Kong Services provided in Hong Kong In Hong Kong the service provided for caregivers of dementia people is holistic. Social Welfare Department has hotline services as well as family services centers to offer counseling, support, and referral services to carers. And the carers support cernter in it and in Caritas Hong Kong also provide support services for those who need to take care of the elderly at home. Scope of service in such kind of centers are mianly skill-training and educational programs, self-help and mutual support groups, resouce corner, couseling and referral services, information giving, demonstration of rehabilitation-aid equipment and social recreational activities (GovHK, 2006). Although there are holistic intervention programs for the caregiver of dementia person in Hong Kong, we find that those programs maily focus on how to better care for the dementia people. After analyzing the challenges faced by family caregivers above, it is necessary to put emphasis on the carers as well. Secondly, prevention programs or services for carers of people with dementia which is diagnosed at the first stage are mentioned little. However, the prevention is important for carers as they may know the difficulties early and have the psychological preparation for all the possible challenges in order to provide better service for patients or supportive strength for themselves. Thirdly, the majority of intervention programs aim at primary caregivers. Nevertheless, according to the systemic family perspective (Yan, 2003), family is ecological. Although the primary caregiver is responsible for the daily care of the dementia elder, all family members will experience stresses. In ord er to establish a new equilibrium of family dynamics, roles and relationships, power and boundary restructuring are needed to be adjusted to the changing situation. Therefore, family as a system to be considered when an intervention plan is adopted is necessary and helpful to maintain a harmony and consolidate environment. 2. Policies supported Prior to World War 2, no community-based psychiatric service was available for people with mental illness in Hong Kong. These individuals were put into asylums run by charitable organizations, such as Tung Wah services (Yip, 1998). During 1960s and 1970s, very few community-based facilities, such as half-way houses and sheltered workshops for mentally ill persons were established (Wong, 2006). In 1982, the incident that an acutely psychotic person went into kindergarten, injured, and even killed a number of children created a scare in the community. As a consequence, the Hong Kong government took more responsibility in financing social and vocational rehabilitation services. In the early 1990s, psychiatric inpatient and community rehabilitation services have undergone many changes (Wong, 2006). However, there are several limitation of the mental health care system and policies. First of all is lack of direction and coordination of service. Whereas various political, social, and cultural conditions may have shaped the development and setting of different priorities in different countries, the Hong Kong SAR government still has not established an overall mental health policy to guide the development of mental health services in Hong Kong, even though various mental health acts have been legally endorsed in such countries as the United States, and Canada. Secondly, delivery of mental health services is inadequate. In Hong Kong, the dominant service delivery mode is still largely office-based, with a nine-to-five working schedule. Very few services operated on the weekends and after office hours. Therefore, when caregivers need professional help, their relative with chronic mental illness who is passive to treatment may not be able to receive timely interventions. Thirdly, ther e is a lack of community rehabilitation services. Currently, four government subsidized resource centers are available, but three of these four centers have been funded by the Social Welfare Department of Hong Kong only since October 2003. Moreover, lack of use of informal care is also a limitation. In Hong Kong, only several government-subsidized relative resource centers exist along with a few self-help groups with small memberships. The mental health care system has not fully utilized the resources available from these informal and networks (Wong, 2006). Finally, resources are lack for caregivers of people with dementia. At present, most of the resources in mental health care have been put into services for people with serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, and very few resources have been devoted to establishing services for caregivers of people with mental illness, especially with dementia, within the misunderstanding of dementia as a normal phenomenon among the elderly . Moreover, some social workers may not have the clinical knowledge and skills in mental health to perform psychiatric assessment and counseling for caregivers and their relative with illness. Strategies on how to do prevention and intervention When to intervene? According to Rabins (1994), prevention can be categorized into three types: primary prevention, in which a disorder is prevented from occurring; secondary prevention, in which an intervention is provided early when the disorder is identified; and tertiary prevention, in which morbidity occurs, but long-term consequences of disorder are diminished after appropriate intervention (Rabins, 1994). A primary-prevention strategy would aim at families at risk and most current caregiver-intervention studies are secondary- prevention studies. They focus on individuals who have sought help from an organization. Identifying individuals who are at great risk of developing impairment due to social, financial, physical, intrapersonal, or interpersonal resources limit early in the course of caregiving could improve the use of existing services and prevent them from exacerbating more serious problems. Tertiary prevention, that is to minimize the morbidity of individuals who have clearly developed undesirable outcomes because of caregiving (Rabins, 1994). Based on the three phases, different interventions are used. Prevention programs can be applied to the family members with elderly people who might become possible patients or the caregivers of dementia people who have been diagnosed at an early stage. Public education programs about dementias can be useful to those families with elderly people. Also, people need to be encouraged to communicate with dementia patients or their caregivers to understand the possible challenges they may meet which also can be a way to support the existent caregivers. Besides, psycho-education group is another good way to help caregivers which offers support, knowledge and skills training. For the intervention plans, they are mostly applied to the carers who have already faced the difficulties and felt challenged for themselves as well as the patients during the caring. They may encounter the problems from biological and psychological perspectives. Moreover, they face the challenges of lacking family supp ort as well as social support which make them feel suffering. As a result, the following part will introduce the intervention plan for carers of dementia elderly. Different aspects to intervene a. Biological aspect It can be counterproductive for family members to continue caring for their relatives when they are under bad healthy situation, so it is necessary for family caregivers to recharge their energy by taking a break from caring for their relatives. They should be encouraged and helped to establish more fulfilling and interesting social lives or they can choose a relaxer such as aerobics, massage, watching movies with friends (Stehman, Strachan, Glenner, Glenner, Neubauer, 1996). Moreover, some skills such as Body scan (Stehman, et al., 1996) can calm the caregiver down when he or she feels stressful or has tight tension. Regular body examination is necessary for the carers as well. b. Psychological aspects According to psychological problems of caregivers, the most serious points are distress, low self-efficacy which can lead to depression and anger during the caring process (Gallagher-Thompson, 1994). When counseling with the carers, listening is valuable to them as they always need someone to listen to their feelings and experience which is a way of release (Marshall Tibbs, 2006). Moreover, using psycho-educational intervention programs can be helpful in which two programs were developed. One is Increasing Life Satisfaction, the one that focused on handling depression by increasing the frequency of engagement in pleasant activities, and the other one is Coping with Frustration which aims at anger-management skills and reducing the frequency as well as intensity of anger feelings (Gallagher-Thompson, 1994). Both of the two programs are developed from cognitive-behavioral perspective. And the duration can be last 10 sessions at three-month intervals between every three sessions. Secondly, other caregiver training programs which provide support to enhance positive emotion are always needed. The training shares two major goals: to improve caregivers ability to cope with the stress of caregiving and to empower caregivers by developing problem-solving strategies (Kaplan, 1996). The ability of solving problems when caring often relates to the cognitive status and will influence the stress level. Another pivotal aim is to increase the self-efficacy of carers. Since self-efficacy of caregivers relates to their physical and mental health and high level of depression may lead to low self-efficacy and more burden to caregivers, it is particularly significant to enhance the self-efficacy of caregivers (Fortinsky, Kulldorff, Kleppinger, Kenyon-Pesce, 2009). In a word, efficient intervention to help caregivers improve their problem-solving skills and thus enhance self-efficacy and reduce the stress as well as negative emotion such as guilty or anger is important when considering the psychological aspect. c. Family support As mentioned before, balanced family dynamics and support from other members are benefit to both the patient and the caregiver. Intervention programs that attempt to help the family members develop proper attitudes toward their relatives, acquire basic information on the day-to-day management of their relatives, improve communication skills are found to be useful. Indeed, it is necessary for the worker to see family members as partners and resources in the care of people with dementia disease. Family therapy (Marshall Tibbs, 2006) is traditionally practised in dysfunctional families and usually it is useful when families are under stress. Viewing dementia as a family problem rather than a problem for a single person, or the person and the carer, can be very constructive. In the family system, normally there are some subsytems such as siblings relationship, parent-child relationship, and marital relationship. And when one of the members have demetia problem, conflict or argument arises under the stressful environment. Under this circumstances, better communication and intimate relationship help to cope with the crisis (Quinn Herndon, 1986). The family had a clear but flexible boundary, which allowed other systems come in to provide assistance. The family members were also flexible in adjusting different roles and positioning in the family to achieve stability. So having family counseling, and involve all the possible members to discuss and share with each other is importa nt. Under the agreement, the members can support each other and the burden or emotional problem can be eased. d. Social support Caregiver support groups throughout the community to help people better cope with complex issues is necessary like the groups provided by Alzheimers Community Care (Caregiver Support Groups, 2010). Besides, it concludes one special service called 24-hour crisis line to provide crisis intervention. Such kind of intervention is quite useful because it will stabilize and coordinate emergency resources and advocate for the patient and caregiver. Moreover, it ensures the patient to achieve the optimum level of functioning, enabling the patient to remain in the least restrictive setting. Educational support group is an intervention used by the majority of the programs. The objectives are to help caregivers develop knowledge about dementia and the process of caring for someone with the disease; to assist caregivers to learn about the resources and services available to them and to support them in their experience of caregiving and in their need for self-care. Small groups of less than fifteen people can be offered to deepen and personalize the knowledge gained through the seminars. Caregivers feel more at ease to raise their concerns and questions. Moreover, workers can have the time to address concerns and issues selected from them. Enhanced Home and community services (EHCCS) program provided by Social Welfare Department of Hong Kong and Carer support Group organized by Hong Kong Alzheimer`s Disease Association offer such kind of platform for carers. Caregivers can get professional resources and emotional support from the sharing of experienced carers. Besides, resp ite care (Lawton, 1994) allows caregiver to be temporarily relieved of the responsibility for care. It qualifes as a broad generalized intervention because it supplies the wherewithal of time for the caregiver to do whatever he or she wishes-a ture open-ended intervention. Moreover, case management services provided by community help caregivers to negotiate the social services or health care system. Through this way, multiple professionals can be gethered to support and meet the needs of caregivers and patients. At last, social workers also can help through home visiting and offering couseling. During the helping process, communication skills and techniques such as nomalization, attending and miracle questions are needed to encourage caregivers to share and express their negative emotions and thus to assess the caregivers problem and help. When doing the couseling, music and art therapy can be an opportunity for carers to enjoy and improve the quality of life. 3. Suggestion for policies First of all, the provision of psychiatric care involves such different departments as health care, social services, education, and vocational training, and involves different professionals such as psychiatrists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and social workers. Different operation units have their own sets of criteria and procedures for accepting service user. It is easy to appreciate the difficulties and confusion family members face when accessing the mental health care system. Therefore, a systemic, comprehensive health care policy should be established, which provide the family caregivers with information on the various services available and secure the services for his or her relative. Secondly, since a large number of mentally ill individuals live with their family, and some these family members have taken up the caring roles, the government has the responsibility to provide resources and funding to support these family members. In essence, if family members can adequately perform their caring roles, it may reduce the chance of their relatives relapse and consequently fewer hospitalizations will occur. Finally, in order to increase the familys functioning of caring the dementia people in Hong Kong, the government needs to administer more resources to agencies that provide individual and group counseling for caregivers of people suffering from serious and mild psychiatric illness. Conclusion

Essay --

Summary 1. In your own words what are the main points and ideas of the material in the chapter? Performance measurement is the criteria for providing direction in the development of instruction. It is important to establish these measurements to determine if the learners performance is aligned with the organization's vision and strategy. Performance measurement guides us in strategically selecting and managing the instructional content and activities that will advocate learner achievement. It also provides a more systematic way of monitoring the learners performance during and after instruction has been delivered. This leads to increasing focus on learner accountability. Without performance measurement, it would be difficult for us to determine if the organization is moving in a positive direction, knowing whether the learners are improving their performance, and defining how future efforts may be enhanced. Efficient instruction loses its relevance if it does not foster positive learning outcomes. We cannot just assume that a learner will gain knowledge and improve performance because they attended a training session. How well learners perform can largely depend on their own motivation. But, we must also be held accountable for delivering the right instruction to develop their skills and enhance their knowledge. It is important to ask ourselves what we want the learners to do differently after the training has been administered. Keeping that at the forefront, we can then begin to develop the performance objectives and measurements. It is necessary for us to be cognizant of what the learners knew before the training to decipher what we want the learners to accomplish. We cannot test learners on something that we did not teach... ...ever-changing business environment. Organizations can only move as fast as their workers want to move. We can ensure that our learners keep up with change and can transfer the knowledge and skills they obtain to effectively perform on-the-job. We need to welcome the opportunity to be accountable for our performance. We should want to promote and demonstrate the value we bring to an organization with what we do. We are the ones who can create a meaningful learning experience. To me, it is exciting to have the opportunity to impact learners with new knowledge. We have the ability to be creative, solve problems, understand learning styles, and keep up with technology. Having these attributes to create engaging content that has real meaning and purpose and builds on the knowledge and skills of learners is something to be proud of and accountable for in an organization.

Animal Benefits

Much More Than Just a Friend In history there has always been the phrase, â€Å"man and his best friend†. This symbolizes the special bond shared between a dog and his master. Man and canine have been attached to each other historically by the necessity of protecting the herds and hunting for food. Man and dog originally became paired as humans were considered hunters and gathers, and both dogs and humans we're social creatures that hunted in the daytime. On the other side it has been found that dogs have a natural instinct to attach themselves to man.This longstanding relationship has been roven as † a dog Jawbone found in Iraq led scientists to believe that dogs were domesticated over 14,000 years ago' (Lear). By human nature, we seek unconditional love. Animals help enhance people's quality of life, not only by improving their physical well being, but also improving their mental state. Animals have been scientifically proven to decrease stress, lower blood pressure, d ecrease incidents of heart attacks, and improve overall mental health. There is evidence of simple facts such as, â€Å"People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than hose without pets† (Segal 1). Playing with a pet can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax which then has pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets. Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without again supporting the evidence of the physical affects of owning a pet. Research states that pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets. † The physical benefits of owning a pet seem to be endless on so many levels (â€Å"The Benefits of Pet†).Then there are a variety of examples that are connected to the mental and physical well being ofa pet owning individual. On a daily basis owners of dogs have been found to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels when compared to their non-dog owning counterparts. Interestingly enough, studies have included an even match with patients evenly matched for weight, diet, and smoking habits. The study progresses with the participants taking stress tests and physical examinations. The patients who were dog/pet owners, or who were in the presence of n animal demonstrated lower heart rates and blood pressure during the test (O'Connor).The integration on animals in various forms of treatment has had an overwhelming response of shortened recovery time from children to the elderly. Most would not think that the companion of an animal may help a person physically but in many ways it does both directly and indirectly. Dogs were initially used in a mental health facility in the 1700s, and then again by the American Red Cross in military convalescent care after World War II. The Children's Hospital of Orange County stablished one of the nation's first, and leading pet th erapy programs.This hospital became one of only a few hospitals in the nation to offer such services. Currently, only fifty hospitals offer pet therapy and this is a surprisingly low number considering the proven medical benefits. However, in this instance the pets used to assist in the recovery were only used with young/pediatric patients. The therapy dogs and their owners aid children in the medical and surgical wards of the hospital, as well as in the physical, occupational, and speech therapy departments. (â€Å"Patients Appreciate Pet Partner†).The unconditional care and love given by these dogs not only raised the spirits of the sick children but it also provided time where they could escape from the daily treatments and life of living in a hospital There is also statistical data supporting the many benefits of pets and their affect on the elderly. For example therapeutic horses have been shown to have a positive impact on many individuals with a variety of disorders. à ¢â‚¬  Anna suffered a stroke and was physically sound in every way except for her speech. She could only utter one word, and then 0 seconds to a minute would pass before she could say another.But when leading her around on Lucky, I looked back at Anna and asked how she liked the ride. She said, ‘l like it Just fine. This is the first time IVe ever been on a horse! ‘ I nearly fell over! † (Barnard 2) â€Å"The Human-Animal Bond may be defined as the relationship between people, animals and their environment† (â€Å"The Human-Animal Bond†). Clearly these examples above show that no matter the age of the person, animals will have a positive effect on the quality and quickness of the healing process. Additionally, pets elp keep their owners in shape as well as assist the physically and mentally challenged.To have a dog means added responsibility such as walking, lifting, and physical grooming ofa pet, which supplies daily physical activity. Physical acti vity leads to overall improved health with leads to fewer visits to the doctor for minor health issues (â€Å"Why Man's Best Friend Is Man's Best Friend†). These are all common movements that a physical therapist would require of their patients that can be reinforced in the home â€Å"off hours† keeping the patient strong and moving. In one tory, a dog sits for hours caring for a mentally and physically disabled person while enduring immense pain but not whining due to not wanting to upset her. [V]anZante realized she had been parked on Max's tail the entire time. Max hadn't complained at all. ‘He was in pain, clearly, but he seemed to know that she had special needs, so he just sat through it,†(Carmichael 1). It is a heartfelt story that illustrates how dogs aid in the support of the handicapped. Throughout the nation, there are therapeutic riding programs design to work with physically or mentally challenged individuals to mprove their physical strength a s well as a compassion for another creature.UpReach, located in Derry, is a non-profit organization, which works with children and adults with the interaction with horses. The program is designed to improve the physical, emotional, and psychological development of these individuals. Research has found that the walking motion of the horse imitates movement of the human body. Many of the children have difficulty with gross motor skills, and riding moves the muscles in their backs and buttocks, which helps with the improvement of these motor skills. Grooming, petting, and feeding of the horses incorporate fine motor skills. The community they (UpReach) serve includes, but is not limited to, people with the following challenges: Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Visual or Hearing Impaired, Intellectual Disabilities, Down Syndrome, Sensory Integration Processing Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Youth-at- Risk† (http://www. upreachtrc. org). Patty Sexton, a volunteer at the UpReach Program of New Hampshire commented, â€Å"l have seen huge improvements while I have been here this past year.When I began, the therapist and I had to hold/position the young client the entire time. Unable to sit unassisted in the beginning, ne now sits rather well independently. The therapist spends a great deal of time alternating positions; sitting forward, riding backwards, sitting side-ways. These changes work to develop different muscles†¦ † Personal stories are written all over the world of how animals have physically changed a person's life. Pets have been found to decrease depression, increase self-esteem, and give individuals a sense of control.This area as endless research in support of the positive affects animals can have on a person. â€Å"Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets† (Segal 1). According toa new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, pets offer the same emotional benefits as human friendship. Current research at the Miami University and St. Louis University surveyed 217 people looking at variables such as depression, loneliness, illness, self-esteem, and activity-levels.Individuals who had pets scored higher on all aspects of the survey and were found o have overall higher self-esteem and less loneliness. Another study was administered to look at dog owners and how a pet filled their social needs. The authors write, â€Å"†¦ to the extent that their dogs fulfilled needs related to belongingness, self-esteem, meaningful existence, and control, owners enjoyed a range of better outcomes (i. e. , less depression, less loneliness, greater self-esteem, greater happiness, and less perceived stress)† (â€Å"The Psychological Benefits of Owning Pets†).As told in the movie, War Horse, â€Å"We'll be alright Joey. We're the lucky ones , you and me. Lucky since the day I met you. This demonstrates the companionship between a man and his horse, and how it was the strength needed to overcome the hardship that the main character faced throughout the story. Pet owners with AIDS are far less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. â€Å"The benefit is especially pronounced when people are strongly attached to their pets,† says researcher Judith Siegel, PhD (â€Å"What Are the Health Benefits of Owning a Pet†). There is also currently a program called PAWS for reading.This program allows children to read aloud to a therapy dog or cat, or even a bunny in order to improve reading and ommunication skills. Children read individually to trained therapy pets (and their handlers) in schools, libraries, or other settings so that they can feel comfortable and confident. This has also been applied to children with fears of going to a dental procedure. After all, a dog will not correct them or make them feel awkward if they stumble, unconditional love and respect seems to apply in so many different ways and applies to a variety of pet therapy programs.Animals have been proven to give mood stabilization and a feeling safety. A pet provides consistency to our lives. â€Å"[Pets ay well represent the lost relationship of the mother to infant; that is complete and total devotion, love and adoration. They can help bridge the developmental transition from infancy to childhood; from dependence to independence; from isolation to social integration at varying times and stages in our lives† (Friedmann 1). Caring for a pet can significantly affect daily routine and gives us something to look forward to each day.All of this is an important factor to include when a person is dealing with grief and death. For example in the book, Marley and Me, Marley creates a sense of security in the household emotionally. There the three of us stayed, locked in our embrace of shared grief† ( Grogan 49). Pets have been found to relax us and focus our attention away from our problems and worries. Research even suggests that a pet can be a better listener than most people.Married women teel that they are listened to better by their dog than their husband, and husbands like to talk to their dog more than their wife since they never give their opinion. This constant communication helps people problem solve and work through difficult situations. If we look back to one of the original intentions of the dog, it would be for protection. As families traveled across dangerous terrain and encountered unknown predators, the dog has given a sense of safety. It is proven that pet owners feel less afraid of being a victim of crime while walking their dog or in their home.I personally know my family has no desire to have a gun in their home since we feel confident in our dogs' abilities to protect us. This leads toa home with less anxiety as well as one of our most important emotional s tabilities of safety. From 1970 to 2010, the number of dogs and cats in homes has increased from 67 million to an estimated 164 million (â€Å"Pet Overpopulation†). The National Institutes of Health, with funding from Mars Pet Food, recently developed a to study to analyze the benefits of human-animal interaction.The program, operated through the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, offers scientists research grants to study the impact of animals on child development, in physical and psychological therapeutic treatments, and on the effects of animals on public health, including their ability to reduce or prevent disease. The institute feels it's critical to establish a scientific foundation for the vidence that animals are good for people, even if it already seems obvious to most of the population.Our current insurance system needs to reward individuals or families that own a pet, since it is clear they can reduce health issues and improve overall physic al and mental wellness. An animal is non-judgmental, they help us feel needed and give us unconditional love and trust. They listen to our troubles and sit close through the good times and bad. In stories they have always have been our hero. All research seems to conclude that theyre numerous physical and psychological benefits of having a pet in your life.

Sustainability and Waste Management

Sustainability and Waste Management Introduction The rapid economic development of Australia has underlined the necessity to minimize the impact of human activities on the environment. Scientists and public administrators pay close attention to waste management. One can say that the increasing dependence on landfills is one of the problems that should be addressed by policy-makers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainability and Waste Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper is aimed at showing that people recover energy from waste, rather than deposit it in landfills. This is the main thesis that should be elaborated. Overall, this strategy has several important advantages that can be of great value to Australian community. In particular, it can reduce water, air and soil pollution caused by disposing of refuse in landfills. Secondly, this approach can decrease the cost of energy, and this opportunity is important for the economic sus tainability of the country. Finally, in the future, this approach can improve the use of land in various urban areas. These are the main aspects that can be singled out. The challenges associated with landfills In order to examine this topic, one should first illustrate the problems that are associated with landfills in Australia. It should be mentioned that during the period between 2001 and 2007, the amount of waste, which was deposited in landfills, grew by approximately 12 percent (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013). In 2001, there were 19 million tons, while in 2007 there were 21.3 million tons (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013). Overall, one can speak about commercial, industrial, and municipal waste that is not recycled in any away (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013). This trend is likely to continue in the future. It should be noted that the dependence on landfills can increase in the future due to the rapid demographic growth of the Australian society. This argume nt is particularly relevant, if one speaks about large urban areas such as Sydney or Melbourne that attract people from different parts of the world. There are several challenges that are associated with the growth of landfills, for example, leachates or emissions to water, visual disamenities, or the release of greenhouse gases (BDA Group 2009, p. 4). Moreover, one should bear in mind that approximately 30 percent of Australian landfills do not have the technologies that can enable them to capture methane and other chemicals that can produce an adverse on the environment (Lancaster 2012, p. 133). Thus, the increasing reliance on landfills can contribute to greenhouse effect (BDA Group 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, one should not forget that the decomposition of waste is a very time-consuming process (Lancaster 2012, p. 133). In some cases, the decomposition can take from 50 to 450 years (Lancaster 2012, p. 133). This is why this trend should not be overlooked by policy-makers who must ensure the environmental sustainability of the country. In particular, they need to find some viable alternatives to landfills that cannot remain the only approach to waste management. The benefits of waste-to-energy technologies There are several solutions to this problem, and one of them is the recovery of energy from waste. The most widespread method of achieving this goal is the incineration of refuse. In the past, policy-makers did not favor this approach because the incineration of waste could result in the emissions of various toxic materials such as dioxins and fly ash that can pose a threat to the health of a person (Afgan Carvalho 2002). However, in the course of the last two decades, waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies have considerably evolved and their negative impacts have been minimized (Worrell Vesilind 2011). For exampl e, modern incineration facilities emit a smaller amount of CO2 in comparison with landfills (Letcher 2008, p. 151). This is one of issues that should be considered by public administrators. Additionally, there are other methods of deriving energy from waste. For example, one can mention pyrolysis, thermal depolymerization, or plasma arc classification (Letcher 2008, p. 151). These processes can produce fuel-cell hydrogen, biodiesel, bioethanal, or crude oil that are necessary for the generation of energy (Letcher 2008, p. 151). These techniques can be useful for processing different types of waste. Furthermore, such processes can minimize the emission of toxic substances into air. Thus, one should not suppose that incineration is the only technique that can be used. To a great extent, these examples suggest that technological developments can help people generate from waste. This is one of the points that can be made.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sustain ability and Waste Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are several examples that can illustrate the usefulness of WtE technologies. For instance, this approach minimizes the release of various greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrogen oxides (Afgan Carvalho 2002, p. 445). These substances can be used for the generation of energy. More importantly, this approach can be a valuable tool for decreasing the greenhouse effect which is caused by methane or carbon dioxide (Worrell Vesilind 2011). This is the main environmental benefits of transforming refuse into a source of energy. Furthermore, these technologies can decrease the overall quantity of waste by more than 80 percent (Worrell Vesilind 2011). This benefit should not be overlooked by public administrators because in the future, the increasing amount of refuse can prevent the community from making an effective use of land in various urban areas of Australia w hich become much more populated (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013). Furthermore, the growth of landfills can be attributed to intensifying economic activities. Thus, one should find ways of addressing this problem in the following years. To a great extent, the adoption of WtE technologies can be important for improving the environmental sustainability of the country and overall quality of life. These are some of the main examples that can be distinguished. Additionally, this strategy can help the national economy overcome its dependence on natural resources such as oil, natural gas, or coal that may eventually become depleted (Afgan Carvalho 2002, p. 445). It should be kept in mind, waste can be used to generate approximately 20 percent of electric power that urban areas need (Worrell Vesilind 2011, p. 23). Overall, the investment in these technologies can enable the country to save the cost of generating energy and use it for other purposes such as healthcare or education. Ye t, this opportunity is often lost nowadays. For example, a signification fraction of municipal waste combustible; furthermore, it can be used for the generation of energy (Worrell Vesilind 2011, p. 23). However, in many cases, it is not processed at all because there are not many facilities that can recover energy from this type of waste. The need to find alternative sources of energy can become even more urgent at the time when the price of fossil fuels increases.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is why the community should consider the benefits of WtE technologies because they can make Australia more self-sufficient. This is one of the issues that should be singled out because it is important for understanding the economic aspects of waste management. Admittedly, the recovery of energy from waste is not the only approach that policy-makers can consider. In particular, one should not forget about such a strategy as recycling which can also be viewed as a good alternative to landfills. In many cases, it can be a valid solution to environmental and economic problems. Nevertheless, this method is not always sufficient for reducing the volume of refuse. The problem is that some materials such as polymers cannot be effectively recycled. However, they can be used for the generation of energy. Therefore, one should not disregard the use of WtE technologies since these tools can decrease the amount of waste produced by various human activities. Conclusion Overall, this discussi on shows that by recovering energy from waste, one can derive considerable environmental and economic benefits. At present, the Australian community should find some alternative to landfills because the volume of refuse increases significantly due to demographic growth and intensifying economic activities. The use of various WtE technologies is helpful for reducing the volume of waste that can originate from households or commercial enterprises. Secondly, this type of processing minimizes the emissions of substances that contribute to greenhouse effects. Apart from that, this approach is critical for reducing the dependence on fossil fuels that can eventually become depleted. These are the main issues that can be identified. References Afgan, N Carvalho, M 2002, New and Renewable Technologies for Sustainable Development, Springer, New York. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013, Waste Disposed to Landfills. Web. BDA Group 2009, The full cost of landfill disposal in Australia. Web. L ancaster, S 2012, Green Australia, Wakefield Press, Melbourne. Letcher, T 2008, Future Energy: Improved, Sustainable and Clean Options for our Planet, Elsevier, Boston. Worrell, W, Vesilind, P 2011, Solid Waste Engineering, SI Edition, Cengage Learning, New York. Sustainability and Waste Management Executive Summary The waste assessment was conducted to identify the waste generating processes and how to minimize waste at Nowra Chemical Manufacturers. The assessment indicates that wastes are mainly generated during the production of various chemicals. Specifically, wastewater is produced in the process of cleaning the manufacturing facilities. The wastewater is collected in a single waste tank where the chemicals in it mix to form solid waste (sludge).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Sustainability and Waste Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, the main waste minimization opportunity is to eliminate the formation of sludge. This can be achieved by installing at least three different waste tanks to collect wastewater. Wastewater that contains a specific chemical will be collected in a particular tank to prevent sludge formation. This strategy will enable the company to reduce the cost of waste m anagement significantly. Description of the Facility Nowra Chemical Manufacturers (NCM) is a medium sized producer of various chemical products in Australia. The company has employed 45 people who are specialized in various disciplines such as chemical engineering. The company produces â€Å"over 200 specialty chemicals, which include various detergents, cleaning products, and disinfectants† (NCM 2014). These products are manufactured in the company’s production facility that covers 5 acres of land. The company’s production site is located in Nowra, New South Wales. The site has three sections, which include the administration block, the storage area, and the factory. The factory area has 24 reactor tanks that are used for various chemical processes (NCM 2014). It also has 38 mixing vessels that are used to blend various chemicals and raw materials. The capacities of the vessels vary from 200 to 20,000 liters. The factory has 20 tanks that are used for bulk stor age of raw materials and finished products that are in liquid form. Currently, the company’s waste management practices focus on reducing discharge of effluent into the ambient environment. In this regard, the company has built bund walls to prevent spillage of wastewater and chemicals. The company also recycles wastes and steam to reduce pollution. Moreover, it strives to reduce the wash down water that it uses to dispose wastes from 50KL to 30 KL per week. These practices cost the company $60,000 annually (NCM 2014). Rationale for Waste Assessment The reasons for conducting the waste assessment include the following. First, it will help the company to comply with the regulations in its industry. The government of Australia requires all manufacturers to submit annual reports on the amount of wastes that they discharge into the environment (Chauhan 2008, p. 57). Manufacturers are also required to report on the actions that they have taken to reduce pollution. Second, the asse ssment will enable the company to achieve its desire to reduce wastes. The assessment has identified the areas that require improvement in terms of reduction in waste production. It has also recommended strategies for reducing the wastes. Third, implementation of the recommended waste reduction measures will enable the company to reduce its operating costs.Advertising Looking for case study on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Methodology Waste Assessment and Data Collection Site visits were conducted in order to collect the data that was required for the assessment. The first visit focused on collection of firsthand information concerning the operations at the manufacturing site. Specifically, the aim of the visit was to identify the sources of the wastes, the disposal routes, waste generation rates, and the composition of the wastes. Subsequent visits were conducted in order to review the compa ny’s waste management system. The main objective of the subsequent visits was to identify opportunities for waste minimization and safe disposal of wastes. The data used for the assessment was collected through the following strategies. First, interviews were conducted during the site visits to collect information concerning the waste generation processes. The interviewees included the company’s technical manager, production engineer, and the general manager. Second, observations were made during the site visits to identify the waste disposal routes and the composition of the wastes generated by the company. Finally, data was collected by reviewing relevant documents such as the company’s environmental sustainability reports, financial statements, and strategic plans for waste management. These documents provided important information such as the amount of waste generated per year, the cost of disposing the wastes, and the strategies being used by the company to minimize waste. Waste Generating Processes The company’s wastes mainly consist of solid and liquid materials. Sludge is the main solid waste produced by the company. The liquid waste mainly consists of used water and toxic liquid chemicals. The liquid waste is often treated before being discharged into the ambient environment. This helps in reducing the environmental effects of various toxicants in the liquid wastes (Kumar 2007, p. 78). NCM produces a large number of chemicals on a regular basis to meet the needs of its customers. As a result, it uses a wash down approach to clean vital facilities such as reactors and mixing vessels after every operation. This process generates large volumes of wastewater that is contaminated with various chemicals (NCM 2014). The wastewater and toxic liquid chemicals are collected in a waste tank where they are treated before being discharged into the environment. However, mixing the liquid wastes in the tank leads to formation of large qua ntities of solid wastes in the form of sludge. Overall, the company produces 25 tons of solid waste (sludge) and 2,400 KL of wastewater annually (NCM 2014).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Sustainability and Waste Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The disposal route begins at the waste tank where the liquid wastes are collected. The sludge produced in this tank is transferred to another tank where it is diluted and discharged into the company’s sewer. The sludge that remains in the tank is shoveled into filter bags to separate water from any solid wastes (NCM 2014). The sludge is then disposed in landfills that have been hired by the company. The cost of disposing the wastes is very high due to the inefficiencies in the company’s waste management system (Australian Government 2008). In particular, the waste management system is labor intensive since most of the processes such as shovelin g sludge is done manual. Additionally, the solid wastes have to be transported by trucks to landfills where they are disposed. Overall, the company spends approximately $60,000 annually to dispose its wastes. Results from the Waste Assessment Solid Wastes Analysis Sludge formation in the company’s waste stream is mainly caused by 41 chemical products that are regularly produced (NCM 2014). The 41 chemicals are categorized into three groups namely, anions, nonions, and others (disinfectants, emulsions, and oils). These chemicals react differently when mixed in wastewater as shown in table 1. Table 1 Chemicals in wastewater Results Anions mixed with anions No sludge is produced Nonions mixed with nonions No sludge is produced Disinfectants, emulsions, and oils mixed together Sludge is produced Nonions mixed with anions Sludge is produced Anions mixed with disinfectants, emulsions, and oils Sludge is produced Nonions mixed with disinfectants, emulsions, and oils S ludge is produced The production rate of each of the three categories of chemicals that produce sludge is summarized in table 2. Table 2 Chemical category Tons per year Anions 696 Nonions 571 Disinfectants, emulsions, and oils 433 Total 1,700 Waste Management Costs Table 3 presents a detailed analysis of the cost of managing the company’s solid and liquid wastes.Advertising Looking for case study on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Item Cost per unit in $ Cost per year in $ Water intake 0.30 per KL 3,487 Effluent Regular wastewater 0.04 per KL 461 BOD wastewater 0.70 per KL 2,822 Suspended solids 0.55 per KL 2,028 Labor 40 per hour 31,200 Equipment operation 876 Warehousing/ storage 8,250 Transportation (sludge) 75.30 per ton 1,920 Neutralizers 8,400 Figure 1: comparison of waste management cost items Figure 2: Six-year waste management costs Analyses of Results Waste Generation Table 1 indicates that solid waste (sludge) is generated when wastewater that contains different categories of chemicals mix. In addition, sludge is produced when wastewater that contains disinfectants, emulsions, and oils mix. Table 2 shows that anions form the largest share (40.94%) of the chemicals that cause sludge formation. Thus, much of the sludge formation can be attributed to wastewater that contains anions. The data presented in table 1 and 2 means that generation of solid waste can be reduced if the company avoids mixing wastewater that contains different chemicals. Table 3 and figure 1 indicate that labor is the major cost item in the company’s waste management budget. This is attributed to the fact that the waste management system is labor intensive. Figure 2, shows that the waste management costs have been increasing in the last six years. Thus, the company has to minimize its wastes in order to reduce its operating costs. Waste Minimization Opportunities The alternatives that the company can adopt to minimize waste include reduction of wastewater and solid wastes. Reduction of wastewater is likely to reduce the costs associated with treating wastes and discharging them into the ambient environment (Anand 2010, p. 89). However, achieving significant wastewater reduction will be difficult since future increase in production will lead to increased water intake. However, the company can achieve significant reduction in solid waste generation if it integrates clean pr oduction principles in its operations (Berkel 2000). In particular, the formation of sludge can be eliminated if the wastewater is discharged according to the chemicals that it contains. This means that the wastewater that contains each chemical will be discharged in a separate tank, thereby eliminating the formation of sludge (solid waste). Cost Benefit Analysis The costs associated with implementing clean production principles in order to reduce solid wastes include the following. First, the company will incur the costs associated with modifying its waste disposal system in order to prevent wastewater with different chemicals from mixing. Second, the company will incur the costs associated with conducting chemical mixing trails in order to identify more chemicals that are likely to form sludge when mixed. Finally, the company will have to train its employees on how to implement the new waste disposal system. In this case, the company will have to pay for the training if it is outs ourced. The benefits of implementing the new waste disposal system include the following. First, the volume of solid waste (sludge) will reduce considerably. As a result, the cost of disposing wastes will reduce significantly. Second, the company will not be required to change its production system by eliminating some products or using alternative raw materials (Australian Government 2008). Thus, the company will improve its competitiveness by reducing its waste management costs without changing its product range. Third, reducing sludge formation will reduce labor costs significantly. Labor costs will reduce because disposal of sludge is labor intensive. Finally, the storage space that is currently being used to store large filter bags that are used in the solid waste disposal system will be available for storing other items. Savings Analysis The new waste management system will enable the company to realize cost reductions as shown in table 4. Cost reduction will be achieved in wat er intake, labor, warehousing, and transportation. Table 4 Item Current cost per year in $ Expected cost per year in $ Savings per year in $ Water intake 3,487 3,200 287 Effluent Regular wastewater 461 461 0 BOD wastewater 2,822 2,822 0 Suspended solids 2,028 2,028 0 Labor 31,200 10,400 20,800 Equipment operation 876 1,000 -124 Warehousing/ storage 8,250 2,750 5,500 Transportation (sludge) 1,920 640 1,280 Neutralizers 8,400 8,500 -100 Total 59,444 31,801 27,643 Recommendations for Waste Minimization Objectives The aims of future waste minimization include the following. The first objective is to reduce the volume of solid waste (sludge) by 60% in the next two years. The second objective is to reduce the volume of wastewater from 2,400KL to 1,200 KL (50%) in the next two years. The final objective is to train all the five employees who are working in the technical department on the new waste management system. The waste minimization strategy is to prevent sl udge formation at the disposal point. In this regard, the waste disposal system will be modified by installing different waste tanks to collect wastewater that contains each of the major chemicals that produce sludge. The reduction in sludge formation will lead to reduction of wastewater since little water will be required to dilute solid wastes at the treatment plant (Berkel 2000). Implementing the Recommendations The first stage should focus on conducting chemical mixing trials to identify all the chemicals that are likely to form sludge when mixed. This will enable the company to determine the number of waste tanks that it should install to dispose wastewater that contains various types of chemicals. The second stage should focus on training the employees on the new waste management system. The training should focus on improving environmental conservation awareness among the employees, cleaning procedures, installing waste disposal facilities, and effluent management. In the last stage, the company should modify the effluent stream by installing at least three waste tanks to collect wastewater that contains each of the three types of chemicals that have already been identified as major causes of sludge formation. Each tank should have a unique color to prevent confusion during disposal of wastewater. Timeframe for the Implementation Activity to be implemented Time Chemical mixing trials 3 months Training employees 8 months Modifying the effluent stream 12 months References Anand, S 2010, Solid Waste Management, McGraw-Hill, New York. Australian Government 2008, Cleaner Production Demonstration Project at Nowra Chemical Manufacturers,. Web. Berkel, R 2000, Cleaner Production for Process Industries. Web. Chauhan, B 2008, Environmental Studies, McGraw-Hill, New York. Kumar, A 2007, Environmental Studies, John Wiley and Sons, New Delhi. NCM 2014, About Us: Sustainability. Web.

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