Airport Noise and Pollution Can Effect Your Health

Airport Noise and Pollution Can Effect Your Health Researchers have known for years that exposure to excessively loud noise can cause changes in blood pressure as well as changes in sleep and digestive patterns, all signs of stress on the human body. The very word â€Å"noise† itself derives from the Latin word â€Å"noxia,† which means injury or hurt. Airport Noise and Pollution Increase Risk for Illness On a 1997 questionnaire distributed to two groups (one living near a major airport, and the other in a quiet neighborhood), two-thirds of those living near the airport indicated they were bothered by aircraft noise, and most said that it interfered with their daily activities. The same two-thirds complained more than the other group of sleep difficulties, and also perceived themselves as being in poorer health. Perhaps even more alarming, the European Commission, which governs the European Union (E.U.), considers living near an airport to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, as increased blood pressure from noise pollution can trigger these more serious maladies. The E.U. estimates that 20% of Europe’s population (about 80 million people) are exposed to airport noise levels it considers unhealthy and unacceptable. Airport Noise Affects Children Airport noise can also have negative effects on children’s health and development. A 1980 study examining the impact of airport noise on children’s health found higher blood pressure in kids living near Los Angeles’ LAX airport than in those living farther away. A 1995 German study found a link between chronic noise exposure at Munich’s International Airport and elevated nervous system activity and cardiovascular levels in children living nearby. A 2005 study published in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, found that kids living near airports in Britain, Holland, and Spain lagged behind their classmates in reading by two months for every five-decibel increase above average noise levels in their surroundings. The study also associated aircraft noise with lowered reading comprehension, even after socio-economic differences were considered. Citizen Groups Concerned About Effects of Airport Noise and Pollution Living near an airport also means facing significant exposure to air pollution. Jack Saporito of the U.S. Citizens Aviation Watch Association (CAW), a coalition of concerned municipalities and advocacy groups, cites several studies linking pollutants common around airports (such as diesel exhaust, carbon monoxide and leaked chemicals) to cancer, asthma, liver damage, lung disease, lymphoma, myeloid leukemia, and even depression. A recent study pinpointed ground taxiing by planes at busy airports as the source of large amounts of carbon monoxide, which in turn appears to increase the prevalence of asthma within 10 kilometers of the airport. CAW is lobbying for the clean up of jet engine exhaust as well as the scrapping or modification of airport expansion plans across the country. Another group working on this issue is Chicago’s Alliance of Residents Concerning O’Hare, which lobbies and conducts extensive public education campaigns in an effort to cut noise and pollution and rein in expansion plans at the world’s busiest airport. According to the group, five million area residents may be suffering adverse health effects as a result of O’Hare, only one of four major airports in the region.

Abbas Ibn Firnas Biography

Abbas Ibn Firnas Biography Ibn Firnas was born during the rise and development of Islam in the Middle East. He was a member of the Berber community that was ruled by the Umayyad Caliphate. â€Å"The exact date of his birth is not clear, but he lived from 810 to 887 A.D†.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Abbas Ibn Firnas Biography specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since his childhood, Ibn Firnas keenly observed his surroundings. After the death Abd al-Rahman, Armen Firman became the new caliph in 852 and was interested in promoting inventions. He attempted to fly using a makeshift cloak, but he accidentally fell down. His invention became the initial parachute in the Middle East. Ibn Firnas witnessed this experiment and got interested in performing a similar test. Ibn Firnas created a workshop in which he performed various experiments. Thus, â€Å"he attempted to make transparent glassware items using various materials, which he assemble d from his surroundings†. He created a water timepiece, which was dubbed â€Å"Al-Maqata†. In the field of astronomy, Ibn Firnas created various instruments that he applied in studying the sky. Ibn Firnas was also interested in writing poems and songs. Besides, he made remarkable efforts in making ornaments by shaping rocks into various designs. A part from the aforementioned inventions, Ibn Firnas created a glider and attempted to fly. His flight was good, but he made a dangerous landing. Unfortunately, he sustained a serious back injury that almost crippled him. His critiques contended that he hurt himself because he did not carry out proper research. After this accident, â€Å"Ibn Firnas never attempted to fly again and died after about twelve years†.Advertising Looking for report on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Benson, A. (2009). Great Lives from History: Inventors In ventions Set. New York: Sage. Morgan, M. (2008). Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers, and Artists. New York: National Geographic. Salim, T., Woodcock, E. (2006). 1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World. Manchester: Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation.

Christian and Islamic art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Christian and Islamic art - Essay Example Though the traditions that make up the techniques and philosophy of Islamic artworks are derived from Islamic ideas, works categorised as Islamic art are not necessarily religious in their use or significance; it is often the case that the themes of these works are entirely secular in nature. CHRISTIAN ART is art that spans many segments of Christianity. For each religious sect, art mediums, style, and representations change; however, the unifying theme is ultimately the representation of the life and times of Jesus Christ and in some cases the Old Testament. Much of the art surviving from Europe after the fall of the Roman empire is Christian art. The religious hierarchy of the Catholic Church funded and supported production of sacred art. As a stable Western European society emerged during the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church led the way in terms of art, using its resources to commission paintings and sculptures. Christian art is found in architecture, principally in the form of churches, cathedrals, monasteries, tombs and manuscripts. Over the centuries, Christian art has had three primary purposes: Depicting the actual events of the Bible, depicting the events of the Christian life or communicating the message of Scripture in a visual form. Today’s Christian art is denoted by a combination of Biblical events and Scriptural truth. Traditional Christian art mediums include architecture, iconography, sculpture, wood carving, manuscript miniature, stained glass and oil on canvas. the Quran, or the Muslim holy book, which is written in Arabic. Another important characteristic is the covering of surfaces with patterns composed of geometric or vegetal elements. Figural imagery is also used widely in manuscript illustrations, though not in a religious context. Robert Irwin says optics, perspective, colour and geometry shed light on Islamic art, so also did astronomy and astrology. In most manuscript

Modern Business in Comparative Perspective (EXAM PREPARATION) Essay - 1

Modern Business in Comparative Perspective (EXAM PREPARATION) - Essay Example Successful production in any company needs proper coordination and control of activities Leaders in a country or companies have significant roles in improving the financial condition of the company as well as that of the country at large. However, leaders in different countries employ different management styles as well as leadership styles in order to boost the economy of the state. For instance, the northern European countries have industry coordination of their market economies. The leader’s primary concern in this scenario, leaders focus much on technology transfer, industrial relations and initial training of employees (Lee, McCann and Messenger, 2007). In these countries, it takes place through industry section other than individual firms. The leaders ensure that they have adequate as well as skillful personnel to carry effectively out the task. In addition, the leaders also ensure that that they operate within modern technology in order to produce quality work to meet c ustomer’s expectations. However, the country like Japan, leaders practices group coordination of their market economies. Their primary concern is on company coordination that usually takes place within a cross industry grouping of large firms. In this category, the groupings entail firms from each major industry with little market product difference between the companies in any group. In this case, small businesses have close relations with large enterprises thus learning some few things from the large firms. various countries are employing different management techniques so as to improve their daily operations. For instance, in the year 2002, china’s transportation industry had to motivate their employees in order to improve their production. The management of the country ensures that it provides training to its staff to update their skills. The was employment of the same thing in Korea in the

Compensation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Compensation - Coursework Example This discourse delves into analyzing these problems in addition, recommends solutions that the management needs take to sort out the problem. It is crucial for the management because the modern economic environment poses additional problems that would make the situation complex. Several questions concerning compensation of employees at the workplace generate complex answers. Among them, who handles employee compensation, what it entails, as well as why it is necessary for employers to carry it out (Mizell, 2010). This discourse delves into explaining the definition of employee compensation, its elements, ways through which institutions comprehend the needs of users, and reasons explaining the need for compensation. Mainly, the paper deals with ethical and legal issues pertaining to compensation a person while discharging his or her duties. The biggest question surrounds appropriate issues to consider while undertaking employee compensation. Is it legal and ethical for organizations to remunerate employees while they discharge their duties? What components should the institutions consider while setting standards of remuneration? What aspects of compensation are acceptable both ethically and legally? In the process, various theories assess whether the employe es have any privacy over what they earn at while at work. Many issues exist to support the privacy of employees terms while at work. However, opposing stands on organizations granting rights to employees are equally strong. The development of technology leads to the need to create new rules with the best example being the U.S postal system. The type of employer also carries the potential to determine the protection extended to employees. While legal issues relating to employee compensation come under extreme assessment, the same issue raises many ethical questions that the discourse will address in detail. To keep an efficient and safe work

The Issue Of Eve Teasing Sociology Essay

The Issue Of Eve Teasing Sociology Essay Eve teasing is a very common social problem and everyday women come across some form of eve teasing. In this case, do you think that women should be empowered to fight back to end this evil act Explain and Illustrate Aai shundori, ekta gaan shuney jao na, said one of the boys. Ekdin toh amar shathey jetei hobey, said another. Terrified, fourteen year old Lima kept her head lowered and quickened her pace as she walked to school. That group of notorious boys heckling her again as they have been for the past few weeks. Three months ago one of the girls in her school committed suicide. When she heard the news, Lima couldnt figure out why another young girl like her would take her own life. That was until all this daily harassment started. She thought to herself, So this is what Shathi must have felt like, this humiliation, this embarrassment, this is why she killed herself . . . so this is the terrible Eve Teasing. Eve teasing is a euphemism used for public sexual harassment, street harassment or molestation of women by men. It is a growing social problem considered to be related to delinquency in youth. This is a form of sexual aggression that ranges in severity from sexually suggestive remarks, brushing in public places, catcalls, to outright groping. Sometimes it is referred to with a coy suggestion of innocent fun, making it appear harmless with no resulting liability on the part of the performer. Eve teasing, as heinous as it is, is thus also a difficult crime to prove. In my opinion, eve teasing is a very serious moral and social crime carried out by ruffians in the most degrading manner and it is not so much an act of masculinity but rather of low-life cowardice. The general socioeconomic status in Bangladesh is much lower compared to neighboring countries such as India and Sri Lanka. For the average girl in Bangladesh, one of her most prized possessions is her dignity. Following the culture and traditions also have the girls dress up in a conservative manner so as not to incite uncalled attention from the males. Historically, the upbringing of girls in Bangladesh differs in many ways from the boys. That is one of the reasons why the psychological impact and consequences of eve teasing are so devastating to the victim and her family. Eve teasing is now a social pandemic in Bangladesh. Based on empirical study (2008), the Hunger Project has identified some impacts of eve teasing in the society of rural Bangladesh. These are: a) Curtailed education: Sexual harassment increases girls drop-out rate from school. Parents concerned about their daughters honor or safety sometimes keep their daughters home and/or marry them off at an early age. b) Early marriage: Girls who are teased or harassed are also pushed into marriage, before they are physically or mentally prepared. This also leads to increase of maternal and infant deaths. c) Hindered development: Eve teasing contributes to maintaining the low status of women. It also hinders women in participating in the formal employment sector. As nearly half of the population of the country are women, for the economic development of the country their participation in employment is a must. d) Eve teasing leads to young womans suicide in Bangladesh. Some young women, unable to bear the repeated insults, have even gone so far as to commit suicide. According to the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA), almost 90% of girls aged between 10 and 18 years are victims of public sexual harassment. According to the Ain-O-Shalish Kendra (ASK) human rights organization, atleast fourteen girls and women have taken their own lives between March and June 2010 across Bangladesh as a direct result of eve teasing. It has not only been suicides, but, even parents of the victims and protestors against eve teasers have been assaulted and killed by the perpetrators. From January to November 2010, twenty six females and one father of a bullied girl committed suicide, and ten men and two women were murdered after protesting against eve teasing / sexual harassment, according to a Bangladeshi rights group. The High Court on November 02nd 2010 expressed grave concern in stalking, tragic suicides of victims, and associated revenge killings. Since then, mobile courts in Bangladesh have been empowered to prosecute people accused of sexually harassing women or eve teasing. Anyone convicted of sexual harassment or stalking of women will face a year in jail or a fine of about BDT 5000 or both. The Ministry of Children and Women Affairs have linked up with mobile phone service providers in Bangladesh and taken the initiative to send mass text messages urging people to be more vocal against eve teasing. Undercover police have been stationed in playgrounds to prevent young males from molesting female pupils. UNICEF has also joined in the fight against the growing social peril of eve teasing in Bangladesh. UNICEF and its partners also are working to create awareness by establishing and supporting local adolescent groups called Kishori Clubs. The clubs allow girls and boys to learn to socialize in positive ways and they participate in activities that empower them to become agents of change. There are also laws that essentially make Eve teasing a punishable crime. For example: Section 10 of Women and Children Repression and Prevention Act provides for punishment of rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine if a person with a view to illegally satisfy his sexual lust by any of his organ touches genital organ or any part of the body of a woman or violates her modesty. Section 9A of the same Act states that if a woman commits suicide because of violation of her modesty by willing acts of any person without her consent or against her will, such person for the offence of instigating her to commit suicide will be punishable with rigorous punishment for a term not exceeding 10 years Section 354 of Bangladesh Penal Code provides for a punishment of up to two years and a fine for any person who assaults or uses criminal force to any woman intending to outrage her modesty or knowing it is likely that said act would. Alike Bangladesh, eve teasing has also been a nuisance in India. The Government of India took some admirable steps to deal with the problem. They took effective remedial measures both judicial and law enforcement wise. The police were asked to be on the alert to round up Eve teasers. The deployment of plain clothed female police officers for the purpose was particularly effective. In addition to this were Womens help-lines, Women police stations and also, special anti-eve teasing cells by the police were set up in various cities. In some cities where the problem was particularly serious like Tamil Nadu, eve teasing was made a non-bail able offence. I believe that if the Government of Bangladesh also applies such measures, eve teasing will be further controlled to some extent. While the above are some encouraging examples of initiatives undertaken to combat eve teasing, I think that another crucial element that would help this cause is women being empowered as means to fight back. The roles that men and women play in society are not biologically determined they are socially determined, changing and changeable. Although they may be justified as being required by culture or religion, these roles vary widely by locality and change over time. UNFPA has found that applying culturally sensitive approaches can be the key to advancing womens rights while respecting different forms of social organization. Womens empowerment is vital to sustainable development and the realization of human rights for all. Empowerment means giving legal and moral power to an individual in all spheres of life social, economic, political, psychological, religious and spiritual, which are essential for the survival and over all development of the mankind. Empowerment expresses the bold idea that all people have claims to social arrangement that protect them from the worst abuses and deprivations and secure the freedom for a life of dignity. The process of empowerment helps shift the priority to the most deprived and excluded, especially to deprivations because of discrimination. Womens empowerment could be considered as a process in which women gain greater share of control over resources, material, human and intellectual like knowledge, information, ideas and financial resources like money. Women should also be given control over decision making in the home, community and the society. They should be able to break free of the mould set by patriarchal norms. According to Labour Force Survey 2000 of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the total estimated civilian labour forces of the country is 60.3 million and among them 37.81% are female.  These days women are increasingly entering into job market mainly in ready-made garments and allied sector, tea gardens, NGOs, health care services, food processing industry, export processing zones, services sectors and commercial enterprises and informal sector such as construction, agriculture etc. One of the major areas where women have found employment has been the garment sector. This industry employs around 10 million people directly or indirectly, of which ninety percent are women workers.   In Bangladesh, women are also involved with politics. The prime minister, foreign minister, home minister, agriculture minister, deputy leader of the House and the leader of the opposition are female. Yet, according to a survey, every five minutes a woman is sexually harassed. Every two minutes one woman is molested. Eve teasing is something that a woman has to contend with everyday. But, we can make it better for our women by resolving the following problems of the different Empowerment types: Social Empowerment: Social empowerment includes equality of treatment, equality of respect, equality of opportunity, equality of recognition and above all equality of status. The indicators of social empowerment of women include the base of gender inequality, sex ratios, life expectancy rates and fertility rates which shows the general status of women in terms of literacy, economic growth, availability of health care and birth control facilities, educational status of women, age at marriage, literacy rates and participation of women outside the home. Economic Empowerment: In nearly every country, women work longer hours than men, but are usually paid less and are more likely to live in poverty. Poor women do more unpaid work, work longer hours and may accept degrading working conditions during times of crisis, just to ensure that their families survive. In subsistence economies, women spend much of the day performing tasks to maintain the household, such as carrying water and collecting fuel wood. In many countries women are also responsible for agricultural production and selling. Often they take on paid work or entrepreneurial enterprises as well. Unpaid domestic work from food preparation to care giving directly affects the health and overall well being and quality of life of children and other household members. Yet womens voices and lived experiences whether as workers (paid and unpaid), citizens, or consumers are still largely missing from debates on finance and development. Educational Empowerment: Education is important for everyone, but it is especially significant for girls and women. This is true not only because education is an entry point to other opportunities, but also because the educational achievements of women can have ripple effects within the family and across generations. Investing in girls education is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty. Girls who have been educated are likely to marry later and to have smaller and healthier families. Educated women can recognize the importance of health care and know how to seek it for themselves and their children. Education helps girls and women to know their rights and to gain confidence to claim them. Political Empowerment: Throughout much of the world, womens equality is undermined by historical imbalances in decision-making power and access to resources, rights, and entitlements for women. Either by law or by custom, women in many countries still lack rights to: Own land and to inherit property Obtain access to credit Attend and stay in school Earn income and move up in their work, free from job discrimination Moreover, women are still widely under-represented in decision-making at all levels, in the household and in the public sphere. Addressing these inequities through laws and public policy is a way of formalizing the goal of gender equality. Legal changes, which most countries have now implemented, are often a necessary step to institute gender equality. But addressing the gaps between what the law proscribes and what actually occurs often requires broad, integrated campaigns, which I believe each of us should take the initiative of. Jawaharlal Nehru had said, To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves. I do agree with that statement. We can help curb eve teasing by empowering our women. Instead of feeling abused by hooligans, misunderstood and shamed by their families, shunned by the society, our women will be better equipped to deal with the situation. Be it with pepper spray cans or other passive approaches, an educated and aware woman can, by herself, fight back the evil act of eve teasing.

Acid Rain :: Free Essay Writer

Screaming at the Perception of Death   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I definitely will always remember this cold and rainy night as if I was just waking from the night before. We were young then and had no idea what this life had to offer us. It was careless and at the time I could have cared less...my whole world could have come crashing down at this one moment with one smash, one swerve or one scream and I could have cared less...we were on so many drugs and so many highs we couldn’t have cared about things like life, love or family...When I thought I was dead I could not have cared more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all started late that night. It was a freezing night and the sky was dark and gloomy. The air smelled of rain and moisture because it had been raining all day. One of my good friends, Tony, and I were staying the night at my house after a long night of drinking, partying and hanging out at The Palace, an underage dance club down the street from my house. We had already told my mom goodnight and headed off to bed. Our night was not over yet though...A friend of ours, Dana, was having a party at her house all weekend because her mom was out of town. We had asked my mom earlier if we could stay at Tony’s house because we knew his dad would just let us go, but I think she had a hint already of that situation so she said no and that she thought we should just stay there. We were going to the party anyways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The phone rang and it must have been one of the loudest most piercing rings ever because we were on our way out the door trying our hardest to get out without making a sound so that we could escape the house without my mom knowing. My mom’s scream, â€Å"TOOONY...who in the hell is calling my house at two o’clock in the morning?† was all I heard as I sprinted back in the house to throw my shoes off and answer the phone knowing it was probably one of my friends being drunk and ignorant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This time the phone was for her... perfect time to leave â€Å"Moooom, its for you! Pick it up in there!† I slammed the phone down. We bailed outside as quiet and quickly as we could.