Discussion of Abortion Essay -- Social Issues Abortion Teen Pregnancy

Discussion of Abortion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion is the surgical termination of a pregnancy. How odd that people are able to define something, that is such a controversial issue, so easily. There are hundreds, thousands, and even millions of things to say about abortion. When it comes to abortion, I find myself thinking like a symbolic interactionist. Abortion is a personal social issue and it needs to be seen on a micro level first. Although abortion can also be seen on a macro level, seeing abortion on a micro level lets people see the different symbols of abortion. No social condition creates the same symbol. If abortion is seen on a macro level, all the myths and stereotypes of abortion seem more realistic. For example, some of those myths and stereotypes being, most abortions are from minorities and most people who have abortions are teen girls. If abortion were seen on a micro level it would be evident that these myths and stereotypes are simply not true. Every abortion that occurs has a story beh ind it or a reason behind it. Many of us automatically assume that the person who had the abortion is immoral without even knowing the reason for why the abortion took place in the fist place. And this brings up a series of questions. When is an abortion considered moral or immoral? What should the legal status of abortion be? Should the father have a say if one should have an abortion or not? The answer to these questions are within a persons own mind and how they view this social condition. My answers to these questions are as follows.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that when an abortion is considered moral or immoral all depends on the symbol. For instance, one of my family members had an abortion and I found her decision to have an abortion moral. The symbol behind my family members abortion is as follows. For the purpose of privacy I will refer to my family member as Kate and her first love as Sam. When Kate was fourteen years old, she met her first love. They both went to the same high school but Sam was two years older than Kate. Sam and Kate went out for the next two months and got closer with each passing date. Sam was one of the popular guys in school and could have any girl he wanted so Kate didn’t understand why he was setting his eyes on her. Kate was extremely flattered that Sam even considered going out with her. So as one of the popular guys in school and being... ... in our society for a long long time, maybe even forever. One to two percent of women who have had an abortion will have another one. Twenty percent of abortions are still back ally abortions and thirty nine percent of women that have back ally abortions become infernal. It is really hard for me to believe that there are one point five million abortions every year and that’s only counting the legal abortions. The number one thing that divides moral from immoral when it comes to abortion is the symbol. The symbol basically decides all opinions on abortion. If the symbol is of a woman with a life threatening pregnancy then people would consider this woman’s abortion moral. On the other hand, if the symbol is of a woman that just doesn’t feel like having a baby and wants to get an abortion then people would consider this woman’s abortion as immoral. Like I said before it all depends on the symbol. This is why, when it comes to abortion, I find myself thin king like a symbolic interactionist. There are just too many different symbols of abortion to think of it in a macro level. Symbolic interactionists are completely right when talking about abortion, well at least that’s my opinion.

Globe Telecom Essay

I. INTRODUCTION Globe Telecom (PSE: GLO), commonly shortened as Globe, is a major provider of telecommunications services in the Philippines. Formed out of a partnership between Ayala Corporation and Singapore Telecom, the company operates one of the largest and most technologically advanced mobile, fixed line, and broadband networks in the country, and maintains a large distributor and over-the-air reload network of retailers, distributors, suppliers, and business partners nationwide. In 1928, Congress passed Act No. 3495 granting the Robert Dollar Company, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of California, a franchise to operate wireless long-distance message services in the Philippines. The Robert Dollar Company subsequently incorporated in the Philippines as Globe Wireless Limited and in 1934, Congress passed Act No. 4150 transferring the franchise and privileges of the Robert Dollar Company to Globe Wireless Limited. Globe Wireless Limited was subsequently renamed G lobe Mackay Cable and Radio Corporation. Congress, through Republic Act 4630 enacted in 1965, further expanded its franchise to allow it to operate international communications systems. Globe Mackay Cable and Radio Corporation was closed in the Philippines by Martial law. Shortly before the expiration of its franchise, the Batasan Pambansa in 1980 enacted Batas Pambansa 95 granting Globe Mackay Cable and Radio Corporation a new franchise. In 2013 Globe Telecom open its new corporate headquarters in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) (Formerly Located In Pioneer Highlands InMandaluyong City) last August 6, 2013. To mark its arrival in BGC, a part of the commercial hub (known as Bonificio High Street) was turned into an amusement park in August 2–4, 2013. As of December 2013, Globe Telecom has a total of 14,952 base stations and 9,012 cell sites nationwide to support its 2G, 3G, 4G HSPA+, LTE and WiMAX services. The Globe Telecom Headquarters at 32nd Street in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, II. STRATEGIC PLATFORM A. Vision Globe is indispensable to people’s lives- We provide our customers with superior experience, We are center of excellence for innovation wolrdwide, We create a rewarding environment where people strive for excellence and grow, We attract people who are innovative, passionate and result-oriented, We create superior value to our shareholders We make great things possible. B. Mission Transform the lives of people, businesses and communities through innovative solutions. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT METHODOLOGY a. SHAREHOLDERS Attractive Dividend Yield For Shareholders Globe Telecom’s sustained revenue momentum and improved market position were reflected in the financial valuation metrics. The company’s market capitalization remained relatively steady at â‚ ±144.6 billion by the end of 2012. Globe likewise maintained an attractive dividend yield of 5.8%. Globe paid dividends totaling â‚ ±8.6 billion in 2012, representing a pay-out rate of 86% of 2011 core net income. This is consistent with its recently updated dividend pay-out policy of distributing 75% to 90% of prior year’s core net income. Continued Commitment To Creating Shared Value For All Stakeholders In addition to our commitment to ensure the sustainability of our core business, we continue to develop opportunities in adjacent spaces. In the area of mobile banking and microfinance, under BPI Globe BanKO Inc. (BanKO), (our mobile microfinance joint venture with Ayala Corporation and the Bank of the Philippine Islands) Globe’s mobile money platform and BPIà ¢â‚¬â„¢s banking infrastructure combined to deliver affordable microfinance services to the unbanked segments of the population. Through 2012, BanKO has continued to expand its network of partner outlets, which today number 2,000. Its wholesale loan portfolio has grown to more than â‚ ±2.4 billion, spread across microfinance institutions, including non-government organizations, rural  banks, cooperatives and financing companies. Within two years of operations, BanKO has gained over 261,000 retail customers and increased its retail loan portfolio nine-fold. Business Incubator Program Another pioneering initiative by Globe is the launch of its business incubator program through Kickstart Ventures, Inc. (Kickstart). Designed to support and develop the Philippines’ dynamic and growing technopreneur community, Kickstart is envisioned to provide aspiring technopreneurs with needed funds, facilities, infrastructure, mentorship and market access to build new businesses. By providing the tools needed to build and test ideas, by providing seed funding, and by providing training and mentorship as well as connecting technopreneurs with partner companies within the Globe, Singtel, and Ayala networks in the Philippines and abroad, Kickstart provides selected startups increased chances to succeed and scale faster. Since its launch last April 2012, Kickstart already has 10 companies in its portfolio covering the digital media and technology, and web/mobile platform space. b. EMPLOYEES A. Employment Diversity Globe Telecom believes in the potential of the Filipino workforce. That is why the company welcomes every employee regardless of gender, age, religion or ethnicity. Any form of discrimination is never acceptable and embracing every unique worker is part of the company’s philosophy. Currently, Globe employs close to 6,000 male and female workers from staff to senior management levels. The table below shows the summary of the company’s total workforce by employment type, contract and region. B. Employee Remuneration The lowest actual salary of Globe Telecom employees covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is 15% above the minimum wage mandated by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). As per ratio of basic salary, male employees have a slightly higher rate compared to female employees due to the varied responsibilities undertaken by male employees compared to female employees. however there is no discrimination for a given job profile  based on the gender. The variance in comparative salary is due to the varying job profile undertaken by male and female employees. a. Employee Benefits b. Employee Health And Safety Affirming its commitment to quality health and safety practices in the workplace, Globe obtained an Occupational health and Safety Management System (OhSAS) 18001 certification for the Valero Telepark. Steps are being undertaken for other Globe Telecom locations which aim to achieve the OhSAS certification. To strengthen ensure employee health and safety, the company employs a dedicated health and safety committee. 10.06% of the Globe workforce provides hands-on commitment on health and safety practices covering all areas – nationwide in areas where Globe Telecom operates. For the year 2012, 5.04% employee accident rate was recorded, mostly due to vehicle driving-related incidents. however, no fatalities causing death or permanent disability were recorded. In order to minimize these incidents, the company conducts several trainings and awareness programs for the relevant employees, on safe driving and fuel economy. 1. Defensive Driving Course 2. Construction Safety 3. Confined Space Entry 4. Electrical Safety 5. Industrial First Aid and Basic Life Support 6. Industrial Climbing, hauling & Rope Access Guaranteeing employee safety and security, qualified licensed security guards are hired by Globe to provide protection in case of uncontrolled events. Globe ensures all security staff undergoes trainings every three years. This includes a two-day course on RA 5487 – Private Security Agency Law which discusses professional conduct and ethics that must be performed by the security. Laws on arrests, searches, seizures, strike and lock-outs are also tackled. Furthermore, a one-day course on RA 9372 – human Security Act of 2007 is also undertaken, as well as a half-day course on Gender Sensitivity Awareness. C. Strategic Objectives A. PROFITABILITY B. PRODUCTIVITY C. COMPETITIVE POSITION a. Faster and Better Network Business In 2011, in line with the vision of a differentiated customer experience, Globe shifted beyond the regular Customer Satisfaction mindset and created the total customer experience, which would allow the company to engage not only its customers but also the employees and shareholders who are at the forefront of Globe Telecom’s priorities. Faster customer service feedback was put in place truly making the customers satisfied with the improved modifications. The company’s commercial transformation in the year 2012 focused on changing the very foundations of its back office systems, including the corporate support and internal processes. By allowing changes to ripple out from within, the customers and stakeholders could see past the change in the faà §ade and overall ambiance of its stores. The customers can actually experience the difference with each transaction and interaction in every Globe Store. The company’s strength is its dynamism and boldness to ch ange for its customers, employees and shareholders. In order to fully become a catalyst of change, Globe understands its need to be relentless in the quest for excellence and continuously transforming the company from within. In 2012, Globe continued with the transformation programs under the 5-pillar transformation plan which was started in 2011. b. Network As an innovator in the telecommunications industry, a constant part of Globe Telecom’s transformation includes the continuous development of the network. Invested a total of $700M for its network modernization program which envisioned delivering faster and unparalleled customer experience in the country while positioning itself as the leader and one of the best telecommunications providers in Asia. People have started to rely more and more on social networking to stay connected. Also, with the growing number of smartphone users, Globe saw the need to future-proof the network to accommodate the constant increase in network traffic especially on data. Phase 1 of the Network Transformation is the upgrading of the network system’s access portion. The company replaced the old hardware and technology in its cellular sites, power sources, base stations and switches allowing the access portion to become more powerful and energy-efficient. At the end of 2012, Globe was able to modernize more than 80% of its cellular sites and upgrade its network system nationwide. Starting within the National Capital Region (NCR), Makati City, being the country’s premier business area, significantly benefitted from the network transformation. The network development coverage includes key locations of the city and are now enjoying stronger Globe signal. Aside from Makati, other areas such as Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela (CAMANAVA), Marikina, Manila, San Juan and Mandaluyong were completed in the last quarter of 2012. Taguig, Pasig, Paranaque, Pasay, Las Pià ±as and Pateros followed after. In the Visayas region, Cebu took the lead in equipment modernization. Other Visayan key provinces lined-up for the transformation are Leyte, Samar, Bohol, Iloilo and Roxas, consecutively. Meanwhile in the Mindanao region, the major modernization took place in Davao as well as in Zamboanga and Misamis Oriental. Improved mobile connectivity was achieved through the modernized facilities. Improvements for the province of Sulu, cities of Surigao and Butuan were carried out during the last quarter of 2012 and in Agusan del Sur by early 2013. In addition to the upgrades, Globe installed more resilient fiber optic cables in more areas to serve more customers and greatly improve voice and text messaging quality as well as provide faster internet services. An installation of a submarine cable in Boracay was also completed and the same facility is being worked on in Palawan, which is due for completion during the first quarter of 2013.All in all, the nationwide improvements allowed  clearer voice call quality, easier connection, on-time delivery of text messages and faster mobile surfing and downloading. Globe has successfully upgraded 4,000 cell sites to 4G – LTE, hSPA+ and WIMAX providing better network experience to 91% of its customers. As the transformation program continues to take place in the year 2013, Globe would be able to provide greater network availability, impressive quality on voice calls, instantaneous delivery of SMS, improved call set-up rates and faster browsing with minimal buffering of multimedia content to every Filipino mobile user. D. EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT GROW AT GLOBE Globe continues to invest in its people through various professional training and development activities. Globe follows a 70/20/10 Development Plan – 70 % of the learning occurs on-the-job, 20% from others and 10% from formal training. The 70% on-the-job experience includes the regular employee tasks based on their office function. Others are their committee participation, customer immersion and job rotation. Meanwhile for the 20% learning from others, the development comes through the coaching or mentoring of the immediate superiors and other colleagues. Job shadowing and observation also help as well as knowledge transfer from other professionals and consultants. Last but not least, the 10% formal training and learning is expanded through the offered training programs and courses offered by Globe. A. Integrated Leadership Development Programs a. iLeadGlobe iLeadGlobe aims to develop key talents into future leaders who role-model the Globe Way and practice the 7 Globe Leadership Competencies, namely, customer orientation, people orientation, personal values, entrepreneurial mindset, execution excellence, innovation and strategic thinking. The programs are all highly selective with eligibility criteria relevant to the participants that are handpicked by the Senior Leadership Team through a stringent talent review and nomination process. The series of trainings include the Executive Development Program (for the next generation of senior leaders), Fast Tracker Program (for the mid-career talents) and Young Leaders Program (for emerging talents). b. University Partnerships Globe Telecom partnered with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and the Ateneo de Manila – Center for Continuing Education and opened programs for the employees who are interested to develop their leadership and management skills the Globe way. The series of trainings include the Globe-AIM Management Development Program (for managers who aspire to hone and apply management skills), Globe-Ateneo Empowering Leader program (for mid-career to seasoned career employee who has the potential of a Globe Leader) and the Globe-Ateneo Emerging Leader Program (for junior leaders with the potential of evolving as a Globe Leader). To date, more training are being developed by Globe to ensure coverage and eligibility of all employees and grant them more learning and knowledge to future-proof their careers. Course descriptions for Sales and Marketing Academies are presently under development at the time of production of this report. c. Junior Mobile Wizard The Junior Mobile Wizard Program is a one-month summer program offered to Globe employees’ high school children, providing them the opportunity to better understand the Philippine telecommunications industry. Pioneered in 2012, 18 high school students joined the program to assist in selected Globe concept stores in Metro Manila. They were tasked to demo the latest gadgets and mobile data services, as well as sell other Globe offers and services. d. Graduate 2 Globe Graduate 2 Globe (G2G) Program is a development program for high potential, future talents of Globe in partnership with top colleges and universities. Activities include the Get-to- know-Globe (Company Orientation), Singtel Undergraduate Scholarship, Globe Summer Internship and Post Graduate Internship Program, Cadetship and Management Development Program. e. Customer First Circle (CFC) Program Customer First Circle is a continuous improvement program that ultimately  aims to foster and create a customer-centric culture within Globe. In order to achieve this, CFC uses the Lean Six Sigma Methodology as a vehicle to drive down cost, improve customer experience and increase revenue. To date there has been over a thousand employees participating actively with over a hundred projects and billions of financial benefit. B. TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERSHIP C. PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY Globe Telecom continues to aspire growth in all facets of the business but at the same time in fully taking care of the planet. The efforts to minimize impacts persist through the Environmental Management System being implemented in the workplace. The system already began in 2011 for the Valero Telepark office as certified by the ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) while certification of GT-IT Plaza in Cebu started in 2012 with completion in 2014. Such initiatives and environmental system in place contribute to a greener and more sustainable Globe Telecom. a. Environmental Sustainability Policy We are committed to promote environmental sustainability by reducing the impact of our business operations to environment and we shall achieve this together with the help of our employees, business partners and clients. We have robust systems in place to manage our environment impact and integrate them into our corporate social responsibility management. We commit to: †¢ Consciously move towards the continuous reduction of our ecological footprints from our operations. Where possible, we will move beyond regularly compliance and apply best practices and global voluntary standards on environmental and social responsibility. †¢ Manage emissions from our energy use, particularly to our networks and ensure that we carry out regular assessments on how energy is consumed within our network to monitor our climate impact and identify opportunities to reduce it. †¢ Comply with all environmental laws and other laws relevant to our business. †¢ Encourage and train our employees and business partners to help us reduce our environment impact by communicating our policies and programs. †¢ Partner with organizations which share the same environmental values and  find ways of cooperation to protect the environment. †¢ Conduct a review of our environmental management system to ensure that the commitment of this policy are delivered and that we strive for continuous improvement. †¢ Report our environmental performance to our stakeholders. b. Globe telecom Environmental Strategy c. Globe Brigding Communities Globe BridgeCom Pillars 1. i-Prosper The i-Prosper program works with social enterprises and micro-entrepreneurs to establish sustainable forms of livelihood for bottom of the pyramid (BOP) sectors nationwide. Applying the same philosophy of Globe Telecom’s triple bottom-line approach of doing business, the program aims to introduce socially responsible income- generating opportunities for the entrepreneurial poor through capacity development, provision of capital and market access. 2. i-Lead The i-Lead pillar is dedicated to the establishment of peaceful, orderly and progressive communities through the advancement of good governance and excellence in public service. It aims to promote accountability, transparency and increase one’s participation in governance through infrastructure support capacity development. More importantly, the program intends to empower barangay officials and the youth to become transformational leaders and active citizens. 3. i-Conserve i-Conserve is the environmental protection and sustainability pillar of the Globe Bridging Communities, a strategic venture to characterize the commitment of Globe to business and environmental sustainability through the use of its ICT competencies. 4. i-Access The i-Access pillar supports a portfolio of programs harnessing mobile and broadband technologies to improve access to and delivery of social services to help national government agencies, local government units and other development players achieve equitable and responsive delivery of mandates to citizens and disadvantaged communities through sustainable and relevant ICT-enabled content and technology solutions. 5. i-Give The program aims to mobilize Globe employees to be active citizens through volunteerism, whereby its employees are encouraged and supported to volunteer during relief operations, fundraising for Globe Bridging Communities projects, and mentoring the youth, teachers, micro-entrepreneurs, barangay leaders and other non- government organizations. Globe BridgeCom Projects Sagot Ka ni Kap! The â€Å"Sagot Ka ni Kap!† program hinges on the core business and competencies of Globe Telecom—mobile communication and broadband services. More than just equipping the community watch volunteers with mobile phones and hand-held radios, Globe also provides capacity-building workshops designed to inspire and enable them to be more proactive in community development. The workshop includes modules on community leadership, conflict resolution, and crisis management. The beneficiaries also receive a one-year comprehensive personal accident insurance package. The â€Å"Sagot Ka ni Kap!† program also strengthens the local security infrastructure and inspires the essential set of capabilities needed for effective leadership and at the same time, develop their capacities as future community leaders. My Fair Share ProgramIn 2012, Globe Bridging Communities inked partnerships with social enterprises Gifts & Graces Inc. to produce eco-bags for the Globe M y Fair Share program. The bags are made by the Bulacan-based Kaibhan Women’s Association, Caritas Manila, and Pamana ng Pag-asa and are sold for â‚ ±99 each. The program transforms the way Globe gives back—not only by aiding partners and beneficiary communities with capital, funds for capacity and skills development and ICT tools—but also by empowering them with livelihood opportunities and by bringing them into the Globe value chain. Globe Cordillera Challenge 3 Bigger in scale than the previous Globe Cordillera biking events held in 2010 and 2011, the Globe Cordillera Challenge 3 targeted not only Globe employees, members of the media, and stakeholders, but also a broader audience of recreational bikers  and triathletes nationwide to bike a total of 27 kilometer-trail along the Cordillera mountain range from Baguio City to Mount Cabuyao and Mount Sto. Tomas in Benguet. Together with Cordillera Conservation Trust (CCT), Globe Bridging Communities changed the game by creating three different bike trails following the theme, â€Å"Choose your trail, Bike your way, Save the Cordilleras†. Bikers were given the freedom to decide which route to take based on their skill level, bike discipline and bike set-up. Total registered bikers for the Globe Cordillera Challenge 3 reached 319, while 222 bikers were in attendance on the event day, May 5. The event raised a total of â‚ ±800,000 from online registration, corporate sponsorship, and from the pooled donations of Globe Telecom employees’ own fundraising activities. The Globe Cordillera Challenge 3 also raised the bar in employee volunteerism: Globe Telecom bikers from Manila, Negros, and La Union joined the event in Baguio. Since May 2012, the Roots and Shoots nursery program of CCT has established seedling nurseries in twenty-one (21) public elementary schools in the Cordillera area. Global Filipino Teacher (GFT) ProgramThrough the Global Filipino Teacher program (GFT), educators are trained to integrate ICT in teaching basic subjects like English, Science, Math, and heKaSi. GFT is done in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Coalition for Better Education, a Cebu-based non-profit organization composed of various education stakeholders from the academe, students, parents, non- government and business organizations. The GFT training program equips teachers with knowledge using the project- based learning approach and will train 100 new teachers and existing GFT teachers to become peer coaches to their co-teachers on the use of project-based learning (PBL), creating a community-based ripple effect of 21st century learning. Volunteaming. Volunteaming encourages employees to customize their volunteering projects and promote camaraderie in their communities of choice. As part of i-Give’s commitment to support corporate citizenship, Globe Bridging Communities matches the project with minimal funding. This project is open to all Globe employees nationwide who can form a group of five and is willing to commit eight (8) volunteer hours each. Volunteaming  allows employees to be vigilant with the social issues of the communities nearest to them. They are able to customize the assistance needed according to the needs of their communities or charity of choice. Through volunteaming, Globe employees are given access to Corporate Social Responsibility projects regardless of their work location and expertise by simply volunteering their time and talents.

Critical Literary Essay

Critical Literary Essay Critical Literary Essay While writing a critical essay you should analyze and explain one of the literary works such as drama, poetry or fiction. Your task is to explain the literary work by means of interpretations and analysis. The interpretation of the work requires your deep understanding of the text you are going to investigate. Interpretation is about your individual understanding of the literary work. Critical thinking essay requires a deep exploration of the text. The thesis statement should reflect your interpretation of the literary text. You should start your examination of the work with the overview of the title. The title informs about the main idea of the work. Read the text carefully to gain the understanding of the plot, setting, main and secondary characters, and the conflict in the text. In the process of critical literary essay writing, you should prove and support your interpretation - find several examples and quotes in literature that support your idea. While writing an essay, remember that you must persuade the reader that your point of view is the best one. It will depend on your arguments. While writing a critical essay, your point of view should be supported by secondary sources as well. You do not need to retell the story; brief summary will be enough. The critical literary essay writing is based on the assumption that the reader of your essay has read the text. Document all the secondary sources. The direct quotes should also be documented at the end of the literary essay. Usually, MLA style is the most appropriate for this type of essay writing. Critical Essay Outline The introduction of the critical literary essay consists of one paragraph that obviously includes thesis statement at the end of it. Give a brief presentation of your critical essay. Thesis statement will be your main idea that is meaning of examined text in your interpretation. Make sure that your introduction includes the name of the author and the title of literary work you write about in your critical essay. The subject of your critical writing is a topic. A thesis statement is a specific idea you are making about the chosen topic. You have to state a clear, strong, and interesting thesis which gains attention of the reader. While writing a critical essay body, give more detailed information on the literary work you are investigating. Describe setting, the main characters and the conflict in more details. Concentrate critical essay writing on your point of view. Write arguments that support your point of view. Conclusion is the final step of the critical essay writing that restat e your main ideas and thesis statement: Critical Essay Writing Help Seek assistance with writing a critical essay? Welcome to site! We can write a great critical literary essay for you on any book, article, or publication! Free revisions and free plagiarism report! Truly experienced writers are employed! Read more: Thesis Ideas Political Science Thesis PhD Thesis Writing Parts of a Thesis My Dissertation

Purpose of Urban Greenbelts

Purpose of Urban Greenbelts The term â€Å"greenbelt† refers to any area of undeveloped natural land that has been set aside near urban or developed land to provide open space, offer light recreational opportunities, or contain development. And, yes, the natural greenbelts along areas of Southeast Asia’s coastlines, including the region’s mangrove forests, served as buffers and helped to prevent even greater loss of life from the December 2004 tsunami. The Importance of Greenbelts in Urban Areas Greenbelts in and around urban areas have probably not saved any lives, but they are important nonetheless to the ecological health of any given region. The various plants and trees in greenbelts serve as organic sponges for various forms of pollution, and as storehouses of ​carbon dioxide to help offset global climate change. â€Å"Trees are an important part of the city infrastructure,† says Gary Moll of American Forests. Because of the many benefits trees provide to cities, Moll likes to refer to them as the â€Å"ultimate urban multi-taskers.† Urban Greenbelts Provide Links to Nature Greenbelts are also important to help urban dwellers feel more connected to nature. Dr. S.C. Sharma of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India believes that all cities should â€Å"earmark certain areas for the development of greenbelts [to] bring life and color to the concrete jungle and [a] healthy environment to the urbanites.† While urban living may hold important advantages over rural living, feeling disconnected from nature is a serious drawback of city life. Greenbelts Help to Limit Urban Sprawl Greenbelts are also important in efforts to limit sprawl, which is the tendency for cities to spread out and encroach on rural lands and wildlife habitat. Three U.S. states- Oregon, Washington,  and Tennessee- require their largest cities to establish so-called â€Å"urban growth boundaries† to limit sprawl through the establishment of planned greenbelts. Meanwhile, the cities of Minneapolis, Virginia Beach, Miami,  and Anchorage have created urban growth boundaries on their own. In California’s Bay Area, the nonprofit Greenbelt Alliance has successfully lobbied for the establishment of 21 urban growth boundaries across four counties surrounding the city of San Francisco. Greenbelts Around the World The concept has also caught on in Canada, with the cities of Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver adopting similar mandates for the creation of greenbelts to improve land use. Urban greenbelts can also be found in and around larger cities in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Are Greenbelts Essential to World Peace? The greenbelt concept has even spread to rural areas, such as those in East Africa. Womens’ rights and environmental activist Wangari Maathai launched the Green Belt Movement in Kenya in 1977 as a grassroots tree-planting program to address the challenges of deforestation, soil erosion and lack of water in her home country. To date, her organization has overseen the planting of 40 million trees across Africa. In 2004, Maathai was the first environmentalist to be awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. Why peace? â€Å"There can be no peace without equitable development, and there can be no development without sustainable management of the environment in a democratic and peaceful space,† said Maathai in her Nobel acceptance speech. EarthTalk is a regular feature of E/The Environmental Magazine. Selected EarthTalk columns are reprinted on About Environmental Issues by permission of the editors of E. Edited by Frederic Beaudry

Precedent- Statutory Interpretation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Precedent- Statutory Interpretation - Essay Example ferentiates the English Common Law system from Civil Law, where every case is tried based on a judge’s or jury’s interpretation of law at a particular time, regardless of the outcome of similar cases in the past. This begs one big question: Given that the judiciary has the task of interpreting laws and giving judgments when two or more parties do conflict; add to the fact that it is supposed to play a role that is separate from the legislature, has stare decisis effectively made English courts the rivals of Parliament in making laws? To be able to do that, let us examine the current rules of court in Britain. There are different rules of precedent for each court. There are cited as follows: (â€Å"Rules of precedent†, n.d.) Their Lordships regard the use of precedent as an indispensable foundation upon which to decide what is the law and its application to individual cases. It provides at least some degree of certainty upon which individuals can rely in the conduct of their affairs, as well as a basis for orderly development of legal rules. Their Lordships nevertheless recognise that too rigid adherence to precedent may lead to injustice in a particular case and also unduly restrict the proper development of the law. They propose, therefore, to modify their present practice and, while treating former decisions of this House as normally binding, to depart from a previous decision when it appears right to do so. In this connection they will bear in mind the danger of disturbing retrospectively the basis on which contracts, settlements of property and fiscal arrangements have been entered into and also the especial need for certainty as to the criminal law†¦.This announcement is not intended to affect the use of precedent elsewhere than in this House. Many people believe that the House of Lords is bound by the rules it set, but his statement has implied that the House of Lords is not really bound by its own decisions,

Hearing loss Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hearing loss - Research Paper Example This paper explores the causes of, and diagnosis and available treatment for hearing loss. The types of hearing loss and their impact on the well-being of persons with hearing impairment, as well as on the society, are highlighted. The cause of hearing loss or etiology can be readily apparent like an ear infection or amassing of ear wax in the external ear canal and can also be indefinite such as in the cases of non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss (Connelly, 2005). Generally, the major causes of hearing loss include excessive noise, ototoxic reaction to drugs, aging, genetic inheritance or birth defects, infections, and head or ear injury. Exposure to harmful noise causes damage to sensitive inner ear structures, called hair cells, leading to noised-induced hearing loss. Hair cells are small sensory cells that are responsible for the conversion of sounds into electrical signals, which are then sent to the brain for perception. Once damaged, hair cells can hardly grow back, making loss of hearing permanent. Both the decibel levels of and one’s distance to sounds are equally crucial in determining the potential risks for noise-induced hearing loss. Repeated exposure to sounds at or higher than 85 decibels can impair hearing while a one-time exposure to a much intense sound like explosion can result in hearing loss (NIDCD, 2008). Meanwhile, chemotherapy drugs and radiation employed for the treatment of childhood cancer induce damage to hearing. High doses of radiation may result in ear wax build-up or inflammation in the outer ear, stiffness of eardrum or middle ear bones, or fluid build-up in the middle ear, which can lead to hearing loss (Landier and Ruccione, 2008). Further, radiation can induce damage to the inner ear’s hair cells, resulting in a sensorineural hearing loss. Hearing loss due to viral and bacterial infections such as in syphilis, toxoplasmosis, mumps, bacterial

Historical Homes in Natchez Mississippi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Historical Homes in Natchez Mississippi - Essay Example Natchez is one of Mississippi’s oldest cities and was founded in 1716. It is also famous as the southern terminus of the National Trace Parkway, located along the River Mississippi. Due to its strategic location, the city became famous in American history for the role it played in the development of the Old South West. Lorenz, Karl G. (2000). Natchez is the county seat (National Association of Counties. 2008) of and the largest and only incorporated city within Adams County, Mississippi, in the United States. According to a census taken in 2000, Natchez has a population of about 18, 464 people. According to archaeological findings, the original site of Natchez was the chief ceremonial village that was occupied by an Indian tribe since the 8th century. The society of Natchez was segregated according to matrilineal descent into nobles and commoners and their chief was called the â€Å"Great Sun.† At Natchez, the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians is well preserved as a great National Historic Landmark, and is maintained by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Natchez Mississippi is very famous for some of the most interesting historical landmarks in the world. Our study would also cover this aspect of investigating the different important historical landmarks and make a detailed study of each one of them. Some of these important landmarks include Natchez National Historical Park, Fort Rosalie and many other interesting landmarks. Natchez National Historical Park celebrates the rich and interesting cultural history of Natchez, Mississippi and gives us an interpretation of the pivotal role that the city exhibited in the settlement of the Old Southwest, the Cotton Kingdom and the Antebellum South. The Park comprised of three different units and Fort Rosalie is the location of an 18th Century fortification built by the French which was