Are banks losing their traditional role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Are banks losing their traditional role - Essay Example However, over the last few years, banking has changed radically and is expected to continue changing in a foreseeable future. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the principal functions of banks, the emerging challenges and the impact of market and global dynamism on the future of banks and banking institutions. The types of institutions performing banking business have been changing. Banks seem to be foregoing their traditional role. In many countries, the income coming off-balance sheet exceeds the income coming from the traditional intermediary roles in finances. Banks have become financial services organizations. The actual role of banks is increasingly becoming ambiguous since it is no longer clear what banks are or the details of the businesses they conduct. The actual definition of a bank seems to be missing. This has caused banks to be under intensive regulations compared to many financial institutions. Banks the world over are experiencing formidable challenges. Banking institutions have been losing their past monopolies and perceived comparative advantages. These attributes have underpinned the dominant positions taken by the banks in the financial systems. Banks are increasingly facing stiff competition from potential or actual suppliers of banking services (Fredrick 2005). Some of these include non-financial institutions of banking, capital markets, non-banking institutions of finances and money markets. The entry of electronic banking has caused the retail banking markets to become relatively closed (Skinner 2007). This has made it difficult for the foreign banks to enter into such markets. In other cases, the corporate clients are considering having in-house banks. Under this initiative, the banking operations are conducted through internalized banking operations. This is forcing banks to shed staff and closed down branches. The entry of new technologies and alternative means of banking services delivery is pushing banks to the reconsider rest ructuring to meet the demands of the dynamic nature of the market (Skinner 2007). Banks have been squeezed by inroads affecting their conventional businesses and ever growing competition, banks are swiftly expanding to unit trusts, insurance and life insurance sectors (King 2010). As these trends emerge, banking institutions have been coerced to conduct major structural changes in their mode of operations. Major structural changes have been emerging in the financial systems. There has been a push to increase the strength of institutions that deal with saving and investment businesses (Gap 2003). These institutions have a growing role in the modern financial systems. At the same time, the financial markets have been experiencing extreme dynamism. The world is having complex financial instruments and globalised financial markets. The role of the managers of institutional funds has been on the rise in the financial markets (Skinner 2007). The traditional distinctions between financial institutions have been gradually eroded. New financial suppliers have been entering the markets at an increasing rate. There seems to be a declining share of bank loans in the corporate sector borrowing (Skinner 2007). The money markets mutual funds have experienced tremendous growth. The business of the corporate lending has been steadily declining which the financial mar

International Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International Marketing Strategy - Essay Example This has been done evaluating the current position of the hotel group and the future aims and goals of the same. 1.1 About the Company Holiday Inn is a significant brand of InterContinental Hotel Group. For more than 50 years, Holiday Inn has been offering its friendly and modern services. The company’s 1300 attractive and convenient facilities are spread across the globe. The brand is one of the most recognized hotel brands. The brand has recently been launched with enhanced and contemporary brand identity and image. The brand is expected to come up with enhanced consistency and improved service levels. 2.0 Situation Analysis Holiday Inn hotels are spread across various locations including North and South America, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Central America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Oceania. Even in Middle East, the company has several hotels its facilities in Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. In this proj ect the consideration has been Holiday Inn hotels in UAE. This segment would analyse the current situation in UAE. In UAE, the hotel brand has its facilities in locations like Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. 2.1 Internal Environment SWOT analysis has been used to discuss the internal environment of Holiday Inn in UAE. The company’s strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities are discussed to frame the strategies of this company. Strengths Holiday Inn is a significant brand which has its reach throughout the world. The hotel has attractive rooms and facilities to offer the customers a refreshed and relaxed experience. Apart from that, the hotels have almost all the amenities starting from the high speed internet services to the specific fitness amenities. The company has come up with family line hotels with the concept of ‘Kids Stay and Eat Free’. The hotel has also introduced rewards for the priority club members. These rewards include free hotel stays to some free airline miles. The company has recently re-launched itself in accordance to the changes in the market demand and trends. Another significant of the hotel is that it is a part of a leading group, IHG, which have a strong balance sheet. This would be helpful to spend more on capital expenditure to sustain the expansion and growth in the service industry. Weaknesses During the recession time, the hospitality industry has been suffering from declining demand. The purchasing power of the customers has reduced due to the economic downturn. This has reduced the demand for Holiday Inn. Apart from them, there are certain services like shopping malls and spa services are not there in the Holiday Inn hotels, which can emerge as the weakness of this hotel compared to other

A History of Bravery and Conflict Essay Example for Free

A History of Bravery and Conflict Essay Although many protest against the SWAT team’s use of force, history shows how vital it is for SWAT teams to wield more power than standard police officers. SWAT officers have captured and killed criminals who could not be stopped by conventional methods. Without them, incidents such as the Texas Tower Massacre might occur with more frequency and with a greater number of casualties. Therefore, the SWAT team ought to be applauded for its power of protection and not hampered in its duties. ? Although many note that specialized weapons and tactics were used as early as the time of the civil war, special SWAT teams were not created until much later. Chris Pizzo cites William E. Fairbain as the creator of the first SWAT team. Fairbain organized his specialized teams, the Shanghai Municipal Police Force, to defend against riots, guerilla attacks and terrorists in the 1920s. Fairbain’s men were the first police group to use automatic weapons, carbines and high-powered rifles. They also used body armor, armed motorcycles, and chemicals to repel attackers. They countered snipers, used martial arts, and excelled at hand-to-hand combat. While Fairbain’s men originally worked in Shanghai, they brought their methods back to the United States (Pizzo, 2007). In Los Angeles, the need for teams with specialized weapons and tactics was made evident in 1965, when Marquette Frye, a black man, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. His mother tried to stop the arrest, and drew a crowd. The event sparked anger and rioting against policemen in Los Angeles. According to Lee W. Minikus, the rioters threw rocks and gigantic pieces of concrete at patrol officers. The officers were armed only with eleven shotguns – one per car, and batons. After being attacked, they used their batons on the rioters to defend themselves. According to Minikus, â€Å"They were not rioters, as far as I’m concerned, they were gangsters. † The officer’s neighbors, some white, some Latino, defended his wife and children, holding rifles on their front porches. The riots left 25 blacks and nine whites dead. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 others were injured. Rioters burnt businesses to ash and damaged more than 600 properties. Ironically, Minikus and Marquette remained friends after the incident (Reitman Landsberg, 2005). In the summer of 1966, America’s need for SWAT teams became even clearer when a tragedy struck Texas. A disturbed engineering student and former marine, Charles Whitman, killed his wife and parents, then climbed to a tower on the University of Austin’s campus and began shooting down students. Whitman allowed others to get close enough to aid the wounded victims, and then shot the would-be rescuers as well. He even shot an eight months pregnant woman in the stomach, killing her baby. When police arrived on the scene, they had to plan to reach Whitman or to help the victims. Some tried to bring him down with an airplane, but were repelled by his gunfire. Eventually, the officers were able to bring Whitman down by using an underground tunnel. When they reached Whitman, he fired on them. They returned fire and finally ended Whitman’s attack (Snow, 1996). The tower massacre lead police to the realization that they needed to be more prepared for such attacks. Meanwhile, after the Watts riots, several snipers shot innocent civilians and police were not able to respond efficiently to such disasters. The Los Angeles Police Department was the first to find a way to respond (LAPD, 2008). Officer John Nelson, supported by inspector Darryl Gates, came up with a special weapons and tactics squad, which would enlist a small group of extremely disciplined officers to handle the most challenging and unusual problems faced by the force. The original LAPD SWAT team consisted of fifteen men, who had both police and military experience. They operated once a month, or when they were actually needed. By the 1970s, however, SWAT teams operated on a full-time basis in larger cities. In 1971, they officially adopted the name of SWAT (Snow, 1996).

Chandler Health Strategy 2015-17

Chandler Health Strategy 2015-17 CHANDLER HEALTH  STRATEGY FOR 2015-2017 INTRODUCTION With the voyage of time, the need of quality and prompt healthcare services has become unevitable asset in the heathcare system. Chandler health, a non profit organsisation, is equipped with highly qualified and adroit healthcare manpower, devoted to deliver the finest services regarding acute, community and elderly healthcare as per the necessity and demand of the general peblians. This document outlines the three years strategy that has been considered by the chandler health to achieve the odjectives set by the organisation and establish organisation as a one of the finest healthcare organisation to deliver prompt and apt care and faclity to the consumers. MOTO: â€Å"OUR ENDEAVOUR IS TO MAKE YOU FELL BETTER.† GOAL To bolster adroit manpower and work as a unit to deliver excellent health services. In the healthcare system, teamwork has been a major focus in the longevity of the organisation. Involvements of healthcare worker are pillars for the establishment of healthcare organisation. And in additions administrative staff and stakeholders also play a significant and symbiotic role in the betterment of the organisation. Potent collaboration between the manpower, respect and understanding and communication in a healthcare certainly boosts the quality of patient care and furthermore curtails the adversity in the healthcare and reduces physical and mental stress among the healthcare professions. OBJECTIVE ACTION CHALLENGES Build and expand health care workforce Recruitment of qualified staff. Orientation of job and accountability. Provide training if necessary. Time consuming phenomenon and economically expensive. Some applicant may have negative interpretation about organisation so leads to loss of adroit manpower Construct a team as per the requirement of organisation Create team as soon as possible for better mutual understanding within the team members. Selection must be done on the basic of capacity expertise and knowledge embodied by the individuals. Some individual savour isolation and do better without a team effort. Conflict to represent a team leader may arise. Establish collaborative team work between workers and appreciate the team effort. Actuate all the team members to work as team and understand, respect and communicate each other for the betterment of the organisation. Unwillingness of some of the team member to work as a team and share ideas and skills. Misunderstanding between the team members due to poor communication. Enhancement of dexterity and knowledge within the staff Funding in educational opportunity. Update with the current health services and technology. Provide training and professional opportunity. Hesitation of the staff to cope with new technology and health related issues, especially aged staffs. Due to lucrative nature of health organisation skilled staff may leave work for other opportunity. Transparency within workforce Establish robust harmony between the clinical and non-clinical faculty. Conflict within the workers With the establishment of objectives, it is obligatory the measure whether the objective and action deployed by the organisation has been successful or lagging behind. Measurement can be achieved by evaluation of team, accomplishment of team, conducting a query within the workers and obtain a feedback from the staff about the team and pros and cons of the team strategy. And furthermore a meeting can be organized to understand and discuss about the challenges prefaced by the staff, outcome of the strategy and enlighten flaws and weakness of team, that need to be amended for the healthcare organisation to thrive and sustain in this lucrative world. Framework for the implementation of strategy Strategy, ironically, is a tool through which an organisation meets the vision and objectives allocated and further enable an organisation to elect the appropriate pathway and proper action to determine the future of the health organisaton in a limited time frame (Morden 2007). As strategies are meant to achieve in a certain time frame, proper planning, establishment of priorities and development of strategic framework is mandatory for the better progress, outcomes and longevity of Chandler Health organisation. The chief executive officer (CEO) of chandler health organisation has the major accountability to provide a specific and precise direction and motivation to the staff to achieve the goals within the limited time frame. CEO further invents a methodical and structured plan or strategy to meet the objective and vision of the organisation within three years (Stephen Barnwell 2007).The major strategic framework of Chandler Health organisation includes, Understand the need of the consumers and establish customer–centered care. Consultation with the stakeholders of Chandler health Organisation. Formulation of committee. Establish transparency within the staff of the organisation. Evaluation of the strategy. 1 Understand the need of consumer and establish customer-centered care Understanding the basic need and necessity of the consumers and establishment of consumer centered care within the community is the major aim of Chandler Health organisation (Constand et al. 2014). The organisation firmly asserts that establishment of consumer centered care not only recuperate illness and tribulation of the consumers, outstanding health consequences, better consumers satisfaction and lessen health expenses (Freeman 2003), it also envelop the mitigating partnership, profound communication and faith between the consumers and provider (Epstein et al. 2009). Pay attention to the opinion of the consumers, enhancing effective communication with the consumers, review the consumers’ feedback about the services delivered by the organsation and to meet the expectation and trust of the consumers (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2008) are the major action considered by the organsation to attend superlative consumer centered care. And in addition Candler Health actuate all the staf f and faculty members to respect single consumer and savour diversities. And further assures that existence of poise between the patients centered care delivery and racial, ethnic and socio-cultural value, as organisation believes that lack of disparities in delivering patient care ministers to attend quality of healthcare services and facilities for every consumer (Johnson et al. 2004). 2. Consulting with the shareholders of Chandler Health Organisation Implementation of strategy, constructing a framework and to make a precise and accurate decision is simply impossible without the involvement of stakeholders, as all the financial activity for instant funding, and decision making are achieved through stakeholders. By and large, stakeholder has a significant and crucial involvement in formidable outcome of the organisation. Chandler Health firmly understands the importance of the presence of stakeholders in the planning and plotting for the establishment of effective strategic framework in a limited lapse of time. Primary step needed to be considered before consultation with the stakeholders is to identify the stakeholders of the organisation (Wood et al. 2012). Indeed, there is no apt definition of the stakeholders. Stakeholders could be people and any institution, funding and assisting the organisation relating internally or externally (Morden 2007). After the completion of identification procedure, classification of stakeholders is obligatory. Basically stakeholders can be categorise as Internal stakeholders Internal stakeholders represent the manpower employed by the organisation and work within the circumference of organisaton. The internal stakeholders embodies owners, CEO, the board of directors, shareholders, shareholders family, trust members and all the non clinical staffs and clinical staffs Including General Practitioners, Nurses, and all the allied health professions (Mordern 2007; Freemam 2010). External Stakeholders External stakeholders represent people or professional institution living outside the boundary of organisation ministering the organisation in decision making or providing moral support for the progress and welfare of the organisation. Immediate external stakeholders are customers and family member of the consumers and other external stakeholder comprises of, professional bodies, regulatory institutions, community, social services agency and government representative at local, regional and state level capable to clout the board regulation and legislation (Mordern 2007; Freeman 2010) Chandler health organisation also implement a stakeholder crosswalk , constructed mainly to consider appropriate stakeholders in decision making in a peculiar area of expertise and in appropriate time (Eveleigh et al 2012). And finally Chandler health is committed to create stakeholder network map and maintain robust relationship and ambience among the stakeholders (Wood et al. 2012). 3. Formulation of committee After planning of strategy, it is a herculean task to implement, manage and maintain the strategy. A team is needed to create to implement and maintain the efficacy of the strategy. Establishment of strategic committee is extremely important for the betterment of organisation. Chandler health would select the members in the strategic on basic of interest and expertise in the relevant field so that skills and knowledge embedded within the committee members could be utilised for providing the apt direction in decision making (Jeffrey, April Daniel, 2003). Chandler Heath is committed to involve top level managers, middle managers, frontline supervisors (Hoon 2007),shareholders, individuals with professional dexterities, and other internal as well as external stakeholders (Jeffrey, April Daniel, 2003; Swayne, Duncan Ginter 2013). And further organisation would create strategic management community and strategic operating committee (Steiner). Strategic management committee comprises of top management, shareholders and other important board members, providing recommendation and pathway to operating committee (Steiner). And Operating committee include middle managers and other frontline supervisors implementing all the action need to be achieved in limited time zone (Steiner). And finally, Chandler health assures that there exist a healthy and harmonious interaction and relationship among the individual within the strategic community and act as a unit. 4. Establish transparency within the staff of the organisation. For the effective execution of strategy, each and every individual employed within the organisation must be conscious and have a profound insight about the vision, mission, values and aim of the strategy. As transparency within the staff is the major value of Chandler health, organisation is committed to provide a level of transparency with the staff so that there is better exchange and sharing of ideas, expansion of innovative insight, critical investigation and give and take discussion (Swayne, Ducan Ginter 2013; Davis 2014). Communication undoubtable plays a vital role in the delivery of the information. In order to enhance effectiveness of strategy and to minimise errors, Chandler Health has formulated an efficient communicating strategy (Mortenius et al. 2011; Davis 2014). And further on organisation has focused to allot simple, transparent, accurate and understandable format and means of communication to employees as incomplete, complex communication misguide the staff from the goals of the organisation. Chandler Health organisation has introduced three major communication pathways; oral, written and Electronic pathways (Mortenius et al. 2011). Oral Pathway: Meeting, Seminar, workshops and training Written Pathway: Newspaper, Organisation magazine and broachers, reports, researches and bulletins Electronic Pathway: E-mails, official websites and other visuals means. On the other hand, chandler Health actuate all the core member of the organisation and employee to be expressive and receptive while communicating and respect individuals (Davis 2104) and planning to introduce â€Å"SBAR (Situation-Background- Assessment- Recommendation)† (Davis 2014) â€Å"a system of communicating crucial and cardinal information requiring prompt decision and operation. 5. Evaluation of strategy Evaluation of the strategy is the major phenomenon to measure the progress of the organisation (Pumet). Chandler Health organisation is obligated to conduct; â€Å"Customer experience online survey system† (Forest Research 2007) and collect all the feedback from the customers about the facilities and healthcare delivered by the organisation, as Chandler health believe in customer centricity which not only refines healthcare and services but also motivates to meet the appetite and intention of the consumers (Lutz 2008). â€Å"Balance score sheet† that measures the outcome of four field of organisation; relationship with consumers, interpersonal relation, values of organisation, and financial structure of organisation (Braam Nijssen 2004). Annual meeting of the all the stakeholders including staffs of the chandler health organisation and discuss about the feedback, issues and hardship induces in the implementation and action process of the strategy. Identify the flaws of strategy through discussion and amend it in future. References Lutz, S. 2008, A Strange Fit for a King: A Customer Experience Framework, Consumer-Driven Healthcare, vol. 53, pp. 356-9 Rumelt, R.P., Evaluation of strategy: Theroy and Models, pp. 196-217. Forrester Research 2007, North American Technographics ® Customer Experience Online Survey,Cambridge, MA. PricncewaterhouseCoopers 2008,How Consumer conversation will Transform Business, 10/01/2008,www.pwc.com/extweb/pwpublications.nsf/docid/452132E0E4043D6E852573D9005BF037>. Braam, G.J.M. Nijssen, E.J. 2004,Performance effetcs of using the Blance Scoresheet on the Dutch experience,LongRange Planning,vol 37,no. 4,pp. 335-349. Epstein, R.M., Fiscella, K., Lesser, C.S. Stange, K.C. 2009, Why The Nation Needs A Policy Push On Patient-Centered Health Care, Health Affairs, vol. 29, no. 8, pp. 1429-95. Davis, A. 2014, Core Communication Competencies in Patient-Centered Care, ABNF Journal, pp. 40-45. Freeman, R. E. 2010, Strategic management: A stakeholder approach, Cambridge University Press,United Kingdom. Morden, T. 2007Principles of Strategic Management,3rd edition, Ashgate. Mortenius, H., Maklund, B., Palm, L., Fridlund, B. Baigi, A. 2011, The utilisation of knowledge of and interest in research and development amnong primary care staff by means of stratgic communication-a staff cohort study., Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, vol. 18, pp. 768-75. Swayne, L.E., Duncan, W.J. Ginter, P.M. 2012,Strategic Management of Health Care Organizations, 6thedn, John Wiley Sons Ltd, USA. Steiner, G.A.,Strategic Planning What Every Manager Must Know,A Division of Simons Schuster Inc.1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York. Hoon, C. 2007, Committees as strategic practice: The role of strategic conversation in a public administration., Human Relations, vol. 60, no. 6, pp. 921-51. Jeffrey, L.C., April, K. Daniel, T. 2003, Board Composition, Committees, and Organizational Efficiency: The Case of Nonprofits, Nonprofit Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol. 32, no. 4, p. 493. Wood, J., Sarkani, S., Mazzuchi, T. Eveleigh, T. 2013, A framework for capturing the hidden stakeholder system, Systems Engineering, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 251-66. Johnson, R.L., Saha, S., Arbelaez, J.J., Beach, M.C. Cooper, L.A. 2004, ORIGINAL ARTICLES Racial and Ethnic Differences in Patient Perceptions of Bias and Cultural Competence in Health Care, JGIM: Journal of General Internal Medicine, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 101-10. Constand, M.K., MacDermid, J.C., Bello-Haas, V.D. Law, M. 2014, Scoping review of patient-centered care approaches in healthcare, BMC Health Services Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 572-92. Stephen, R. BArnwell, N. 2007,Organisational Theory Concepts and Cases,5th edn, Pearson Education Australia.

The Benefits of Team Sports Participation Essay -- argumentative, persu

There are many benefits gained from participating in team sports. Team participation can build self esteem, promote social interaction and help one gain a sense of responsibility. Being involved in a team sport can also help you to attain personal fitness goals and maintain wellness. The time spent practicing with a team, will improve your skills and give you countless hours of enjoyment. Participating in a team sport can increase one’s self esteem. By being part of a team, you will give and receive praise. Receiving recognition from a team mate or a coach will boost your self esteem because you have been acknowledged for your efforts. As you are praised for your efforts, you will become more confident, thus improving your self esteem. Often times, the bond formed between team mates on the field translates into a friendship off the field. As team mates come to depend on each other and know that they are depended on, their level of commitment or responsibility to the game and skills needed for the game increases. Perhaps you have decided that you want to lose weight or just become more physically fit. Being involved in team sports can help you achieve this goal. First of all, decide on a sport that you enjoy. Secondly, start practicing and playing with the team on a regular basis. Last but not least, incorporate healthy food choices into your diet. As you become more active, you will lose weight and become more fit. After you have achieved your goal weight and level of fitness, maintain it by continuing to stay active and committed to a team sport. Having a fun, physical activity to share with friends, such as team sports, will help you maintain wellness. An article titled â€Å"The Benefits of Team Sports† fro... ... in a meeting that there is an upcoming project and that everyone must contribute to the completion of the project, he expects for all the employees to work together to finish. When it comes time to present your project and everyone else had completed their assigned task to specifications but you have gone off and made your own plans for how to complete the project, then it isn’t going to be completed or presented correctly. Because of your inability to listen and follow directions, you could run the risk of you being fired or possibly risk someone else’s job. You will also receive a poor performance review that could end up affecting your paycheck ultimately. Works Cited Alan Smithee, â€Å"How Participation in Team Sports Impacts People’s Lives† Found at www.helium.com Lucy Rector Filppu, â€Å"The Benefits of Team Sports† Found at www.education.com

Vygotsky And The We-Function Essays -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Vygotsky And The We-Function The room is bare with the exception of the long, glass table, six wooden chairs, and a blackboard, but one hardly notices this fact. Instead, the first thing that outsiders notice is the energy in room created by the dynamic of the six women seated around the table. As they share ideas and frantically sketch diagrams on the board, the problem they are attacking is simplified again and again until it is solved. Amid pats on the back and "Good job!" comments, each woman thinks to herself how impossible the problem had seemed while she was alone, but now, in this group, the solution had come so quickly. Over the past century, the idea of learning theory and society has become a prominent field in neuroscience and education. Neurologically, several theories exist concerning the actual processes of learning on an individual basis. The most significant aspect of these theories, perhaps, is the idea that learning can occur both consciously and unconsciously. In other words, humans are capable of learning without even being aware of the fact that the process is occurring. In the terms of Biology 202, it is possible for the brain to recognize patterns in a game, for example, without the I-function even realizing that there is a pattern or its structure (1). On a higher level, as well, similarities exist within the theories presented by different psychologists and neuroscientists. Virtually every theory, for example, relies on the existence of the usefulness of learning tools, such as toys or games, in the process of cognitive development. It is in the identity of these tools, however, that significant differences may begin within the various theories of learning. In particular, the ideas of Lev Semy... ...tion to Vygotsky's Theory http://www.massey.ac.nz/~ALock/virtual/trishvyg.htm 3)Social Development Theory, Vygotsky's Social Development Theory http://tip.psychology.org/vygotsky.html 4) Zone of Proximal Development , Summary of Zone of Proximal Development http://books.nap.edu/html/howpeople1/ch4_b1.html 5) Vygotsky's Cultural/Cognitive Theory Of Development , Tutorial on Vygotsky http://snycorva.cortland.edu/~ANDERSMD/VYG/VYG.HTML 6) Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky , Education Implications of Vygotsky's Theory http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/eflt/vyg.html 7) Three Stages of Speech Development , The Role of Language in Vygotsky's Theory http://snycorva.cortland.edu/~ANDERSMD/VYG/STAGES.html 8) Neurobiology and Behavior 2001 , Class Notes for Biology 202 at Bryn Mawr College http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/notes.html

Health Effects of Air Pollution

Air pollution could affect the climate, the environment, and human health.   Among these areas, the health is the main focus of this paper (Thomson Scientific, 2005).Polluted air may contain one or more hazardous substances that affect human health.   The term of measurement for this is â€Å"particulate matter† or the number of particles of potentially hazardous substances as percentage of air.This includes a wide range of pollutants.   Examples of particulate matter includes road dust, diesel soot, fly ash, wood smoke, nitrates in fertilizers, sulfate aerosols, lead, and arsenic to name a few.The suggested Federal limit of an â€Å"average† of 50 micrograms of â€Å"particulate matter† per cubic foot of air in one year period is considered poor air quality {Gore, 2005).Health effects of air pollution could be short-term or long-term. Effects will depend on the individual’s sensitivity.   When it comes to the extent of harm, it usually depends on the total exposure to damaging chemicals. Short-term effects may include simple symptoms such as headaches, nausea and allergic reactions.These symptoms could lead to irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.   There are also severe cases which could lead to upper respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis.   It may be short-term but the effects are severe and will need more medical attention.   Air pollutants also have long-term effects which include lung cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and heart disease.These effects could even damage the brain, nerves, liver or kidneys.   According to the National Resources Defense Council, some 64,000 people in the USA may be dying prematurely each year from cardiopulmonary causes linked to air pollution (Gore, 2005).The most affected people were the children, and the elderly.   In addition, people with health problems such as asthma, hearth disease also suffer more when air is polluted. In 1995 study by the American C ancer Society and Harvard Medical School, air pollution accounts for about 300,000 premature deaths in USA each year (Gore, 2005).Children are one of the most affected by air pollution because they have not yet fully developed their immune system.   Simple cigarette smoke and smoke coming from exhausts of motor vehicles could be detrimental to them.Researchers have reported in their long study that children teenagers in Southern California were likely to have diminished lung function because of severe air pollution.   The study made by James Gauderman of University of Southern California and his colleagues was published in New England Journal of Medicine on 1,759 children ages 10 to 18 in a dozen Southern California communities.The study was concluded that the reason for the diminishing lung function came primarily from car exhaust.   It was found out that 7.9 percent of the 18-year-olds in the highest pollution areas had lung capacities that were less than 80 percent of what they should have been.Among those subjected to the least-polluted air, 1.6 percent had underperforming lungs. It was also reported that there were similar effects when children live in the home of a mother who smokes.   Estimated was half a million die prematurely every year in the United States as a result of smoking cigarettes (Gore, 2004).Just like children, elderly and people with health problems are most at risk in polluted air.     As people grow older, they encounter more and more health problems which could be aggravated by air pollution.   The exact impact may not be thoroughly understood but long term exposure may increase susceptibility to infections.Also to be taken into account is the duration of the exposure and concentration of the particulate matter in the air.   It is estimated that polluted air shortened the lives by an average of one to two years. In the great â€Å"Smog Disaster† in London in 1952, four thousand people died in few days due to hig h concentrations of pollution (Gore, 2005).There are many steps made to protect human health against air pollution.   American Lung Association is very active and recommends the use of heat recovery ventilator or an energy recovery ventilator remove stale polluted air (Gore, 2005).A treaty called Kyoto Protocol in 1997 entered as part of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change made a great impact on reducing air pollution.   The treaty aims to reduce emission of dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide by industrialized countries which affects the health of their citizens. One measure adopted in the treaty to reduce harmful discharges is creation of carbon emission (CO) credits.Those who failed to observe the restriction will be ordered to install necessary equipment to reduce the air pollution under pain of severe financial sanction or buy (CO) credits.The credits are like ordinary commodities.   They could sell to it to companies that f ind it difficult to comply with the emission restriction.   If the market value of the (CO) credit is higher than the cost of pollution reduction equipment, they will be forced to comply thus, reducing the air pollution that affects human health.According to reports, these (CO) credits are now being traded in the exchanges of Chicago Climate Exchange in the US, European Climate Exchange in United Kingdom, Nord Pool in Norway and PowerNext in France. (Palabrica, 2007).ReferencesPalabrica, R. (2007). Trading on climate change, corporate securities info.Philippine Daily Inquirer.Thomson Scientific (2005). Air pollution. Retrieved September 7, 2007 fromESI Special Topics. Retrieved on September 7, 2007 from http://esi-topics.com/airpolGore, P. (2005). Air pollution health effects. Retrieved August 7, 2007 from http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/pollution-main.html