Sunday, November 24, 2019

Power Of People Essays - Medical Ethics, Euthanasia, Nonviolence

Power Of People Essays - Medical Ethics, Euthanasia, Nonviolence Power of People There are times throughout the history of the United States when it's citizens have felt the need to revolt against the government. One way they might revolt against the government is to disregard the law peacefully. There was such a case during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., when there was unfair discrimination against the African American community. They used peaceful protests to eventually get legislation passed to stop the injustice brought against them. Another name for this is called civil disobedience. A more recent case of civil disobedience involves Dr. Jack Kevorkian who is an activist for the right to die. Dr. Kevorkian believes that a person should not have to go through the pain of being kept alive by machines. There are times when a person can no longer handle such things as terminal illness. Dr. Kevorkian breaks the law openly for what he believes in knowing fully of the consequences. In an article out of a May 9th, 1996 edition of The Sacramento Bee reads that "Kevorkian attends another suicide", tells about Dr. Jack Kevorkian attending another assisted death during a recess in his current trial. Austin Bastable, a Canadian right-to-die activist who had multiple sclerosis killed himself May 6th with the help of Dr. Kevorkian who reportedly gave Bastable the mask and carbon monoxide canister. Bastable felt that his death was for the fight of freedom to have the right to die under such conditions as his. In the article it tells us that hours early that same day he testified in his assisted-suicide trial in the deaths of two women in 1991. Michael Modelski, a former prosecutor said "It's an in-your-face kind of thing", He also goes on to say "It's par to the course. He's a loose cannon". Modelski feels Dr. Kevorkian shows no respect for the law. This is the 28th assisted-suicide Dr. Kevorkian has attended since 1990. He is currently on trial for the two assisted-suicides of two women in 1991. The article also reads that some assisted-suicide supporters were taken back by his actions. State Senator Jim Berryman said he finds Dr. Kevorkian's methods offensive. He also said "He really continues to flaunt this in the face of the Legislature". Berryman feels that the focus is more on Dr. Kevorkian rather than the cause of death with dignity. The Judge of the case has ordered the jury in Dr. Kevorkian's trial not to read or listen to news accounts of the case. If there are any jurors indicating that they have heard any of the latest new they would be removed because of the influence it might have on them. There are four alternate jurors and the article reads if the count falls below the 12 members there could be a mistrial. If the jurors get a hold of the news it could influence them by giving them the feeling tha! t Dr. Kevorkian has no respect for the law. It also might be seen as a man with strong beliefs who does the right no matter what the law. In Henry David Thoreau's "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience", he tells us that he refused to pay poll taxes and he was once sent to jail for not paying his taxes. He believed strongly that he should not have to pay these taxes and would rather end up in jail then go against his will. A certain passage shows how strong he felt when he said "Your money our you life," why should I haste to give it my money? (Thoreau). Thoreau's strong beliefs are seen in what he did and Dr. Kevorkian's case is very similar to what Thoreau does in breaking the law. Dr. Martin Luther King used peaceful sit-ins and rallies to unite the black community. This was a very effective way of showing that they would not stand for the unjust discrimination. They used methods such as banning the busses and instead walked. The busses could not afford to go without their business and this hurt them enormously. Such protests as these caused the passing of legislation that gave equal rights to all. King protested without breaking the law such as Dr. Kevorkian does. Dr. Kevorkian breaks the

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Implications for Defence Managers and Commanders of the Findings of Research Paper

Implications for Defence Managers and Commanders of the Findings of Zimbardos Stanford Prison Experiment - Research Paper Example Take one prisoner as an example; he is kept inside a closed room with only one opening ornamented with hard iron rods but, what happens when one good human being is put in an evil place Does humanity win over evil, or does evil triumphs "A prison is any situation in which one person's freedom and liberty are denied by virtue of the arbitrary power exercised by another person or group. Thus our prisons of concrete and steel are really only metaphors for the social prisons we create and maintain through enforced poverty, racism, sexism, and other forms of social injustice." (Committee on the Judiciary, 114) The above quote is what Dr. Philip Zimbardo, a Ph. D. in Psychology from Stanford University derived from his famous Stanford Prison Experiment. The Stanford prison experiment was a psychological study of "human responses to captivity and its behavioral effects on both authorities and inmates in prison". The experiment was conducted in 1971 in Palo Alto, California by a team of researchers led by psychologist Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University. As per the scheduled plan, voluntary participants were recruited via a newspaper ad and offered $15 a day to participate in a two-week "prison simulation." An astonishing number of 75 students responded. The applicants were interviewed and tested "to eliminate candidates with psychological problems, medical disabilities, or a history of crime or drug abuse" (Stanford Prison Experiment website). Twenty-four students from the U.S. and Canada, a group of healthy, intelligent, middle-class males, were considered for the experiment and were promised of $15/day. They were divided into two groups, to act as guards and prisoners. A former prisoner who had served nearly seventeen years behind bars served as the consultant. A prison was constructed in the basement of Stanford's Psychology Department building, To create prison cells, doors were taken off some laboratory rooms and replaced by specially made doors with steel bars and cell numbers. Bars on cells were put in place and had three prisoners living in small quarters night and day. A small closet, about two feet wide and two feet deep was constructed to act as "The Hole" for solitary confinement. The local police co-operated in sweeping through the town, picking up suspects who were actually the selected volunteers, they were put into a car, driven to the Stanford county jail for further processing and subsequently brought to the make-shift jail. The prisoners were each searched, stripped naked, and deloused. The prisoner has then issued a uniform. The main part of this uniform was a dress, or smock, which each prisoner wore at all times with no underclothes. On the smock, in front, and in the back, was his prison ID number. On each prisoner's ri ght ankle was a heavy chain, bolted on and worn at all times. Rubber sandals were the footwear, and each prisoner covered his hair with a stocking cap made from a woman's nylon stocking. The entire experiment was recorded and videotaped. The guards weren't given any specific training; they made up their own rules upon supervision of Warden David Jaffe, an undergraduate from Stanford University. They were dressed in identical uniforms of khaki, carried a whistle and a billy club borrowed from the police.  Ã‚  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Food and Drug Administration should regulate the content of Essay

The Food and Drug Administration should regulate the content of vitamins and supplements to ensure the American public is safe - Essay Example Dietary supplements are defined under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) as products that contain the one or a combination of the following dietary ingredients: vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, amino acids, hormones, concentrate or metabolites. Supplements usually come in the form of pill, tablet, liquid form or capsule with some being administered intravenously. They differ from pharmaceutical drugs for most of them have unproven therapeutic benefits and is considered more like a food product with the exception that they bear a ‘dietary supplement’ label. With the influx of dietary supplements in the marketplace, claims of medical benefits abound with little scientific proof. The problem is that human society have become so conscious with their health but so lazy to maintain it by exercise and proper food intake that dietary supplements have become so popular and so much in demand. In the face of this dilemma, there is only one possible resolution: for the FDA to strictly monitor and control the production and entry to market of dietary supplements. This paper aims to underscore this choice of action through an analysis of facts and events. A preliminary analysis to serve as a platform for a full scale research is presented in the following passages. Vitamins and minerals have long been recognized by medical science to have beneficial medical effects. For example, Vitamin C more commonly known as ascorbic acid, have been shown to stimulate the production and function of white blood cells thereby boosting the body’s immunity. It has also been found to prevent the formation of carcinogenic compounds such as nitrosamines. Vitamin A, a pale yellow primary alcohol, improves eyesight by aiding in the formation of mucous membranes and tear glands. Almost all vitamins have some

Monday, November 18, 2019

Quality management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Quality management - Assignment Example In this experiment, a one half fractional experiment was conducted. It was done in k – 1 runs. The experiment was conducted to assess the effect of five factors on a coil spring. The free height of the spring was denoted as y. The goal of the experiment was to obtain a height of eight inches or a height as close to eight inches as possible. The number of factors used was five, while the number of runs was sixteen with three replicates for each run. The experiment was a 2k – 1 design, thus it was a one half fractional factorial experiment. It was denoted as 25 – 1. Based on the evaluation of the cause and effects, the following factors and factor levels were chosen for the experiment. Below is a table of the factors and the factor levels for both high denoted by a plus sign and low depicted by a minus sign. From the determined factors and factor levels the fractional factorial experiment was conducted. This was because the number of runs needed for a full factorial experiment would have been a lot. Because the resources at hand coupled with the knowledge that the relations would not be of concern, a 25 – 1 fractional factorial was used. The design matrix and the height data are given in the table below. Thus, the design was not able to differentiate D from ABC. Effect D which was the main effect was aliased with the interaction ABC. Hence, D was equal to ABC which meant that I was equal ABCD. I was the column of plus’s which was the characteristic element in the set of multiplications. I is equal to ABCD was the characterizing relation for the 25-1 design experiment. This means that all the effect aliasing relations are: A = BCD, B = ACD, C = ABD, D = ABC, AB = CD, AC = BD, AD = BC, E = ABCDE, AE = BCDE, BE = ACDE, CE = ABDE, DE = ABCE, ABE = CDE, ACE = BDE, BDE = BCE. The main effect is named clear if it is not aliased with other main

Friday, November 15, 2019

Key Benefits And Limitations Of LCA Environmental Sciences Essay

Key Benefits And Limitations Of LCA Environmental Sciences Essay Major benefits can arise from LCA. Through the ability to analyses exchanges that take place in the environment, it enables decision-makers to select the product or process that result in the least impact to the environment. LCA data identifies the transfer of environmental impacts from one media to another and/or from one life cycle stage to another (EPA 2001). Quantification of emissions, detection of variation between the various life cycle phases, the ability to estimate environmental burden of materials, the ability to compare and contrast competing products and the potential to structure and improve the flow of data between stakeholders are just some of the obvious benefits that can be gained through adoption of LCA. Papers by Deloitte Enhancing the value of life cycle assessment and Lifecycle assessment: where is it on your sustainability agenda? provide an insight into several benefits from utilizing LCA, including (Deloitte, 2009): Innovation: Through revealing the source and magnitude of environmental impacts, product level LCA data can inform the innovation agenda. Cost savings: Clarity in relation to cost drivers can lead to increased efficiency via material and energy requirements minimizing the negative environmental impacts. Furthermore, certain investments in RD and projects related to renewable energy may be eligible for tax credits or other incentives. Internal alignment: LCA provides a common ground for internal goal-setting and communication. Different departments within an organization can unite on enterprise-wide priorities. Regulatory preparedness: LCA can help quantify the projected product cost implications of future carbon legislation and flag those areas that warrant immediate action. LCA can also enhance general transparency to deflect scrutiny from regulators and other stakeholders. Corporate reputation: LCA can demonstrate a companys deeper commitment to improved environmental impact. Improved sustainability claims can strengthen stakeholder relations. Risk reduction: LCA helps companies develop their position around environmental issues to which their operations contribute. Increases awareness of potential liabilities the company should be aware of. On top of these benefits examples of how customized LCA studies can support significant sustainability objectives include (Deloitte, 2012): Enhance brand value for competitive differentiation: Compares the environmental impact of an organizations product to alternatives to determine which benefits are distinguishable. Improve design decisions: Evaluates resource and materials use to inform product and process design decisions that increase environmental efficiencies. Make better procurement decisions: Engages multiple stakeholders and suppliers to allow organizations to make procurement decisions that significantly boost their sustainability efforts. Meet communications needs: Provides a platform for authentically communicating positive environmental attributes about products to buyers and consumers. Achieve compliance: Addresses regulatory mandates at local, national and international levels. Create better policies: Evaluates internal and external policies of the organization to determine realistic objectives. While all of the above benefits help paint a positive picture of LCA, one also has to consider the various disadvantages or limitations of such systems. As with all new and evolving systems there will always be significant teething problems during development. The more noteworthy of these include the fact LCAs utilizing the same and different methodologies can have vastly different results with assumptions, which can be subjective, being a requisite even for simple comparisons to be carried out. The validity of data is always a concern and whether the most up to date data has been used. Performing LCA is resource consuming and gathering data can be problematic. As a result, it is essential to weigh the resources needed against the projected benefits to measure feasibility. There is still no widely accepted standardised format for LCA, with most of the already existing ones such as ISO 14040 having several imperfections. Finally results of LCAs focused on national and regional level m ay not be suitable for local applications. These limitations do take some of the shine away from LCA and indicate that in essence at present LCA is fundamentally flawed given it can be near impossible in many cases to know the validity and relevance of conclusions drawn by the practitioner. While this may be true what has to be consider is that LCA is the best tool we have at present to tackle this significant area of concern. In reality the benefits of LCA far outreach its flaws and as transparency of methods and data becomes the norm its integrity will increase. What is for certain is LCA is set to become a fundamental element of product and service design. Applications and potential of LCA Applications of LCA The application of LCA has been well documented and includes supporting initiatives to assessing environmental impacts that need addressing. Studies (Frankl and Rubik, 1999; Frankl et al., 2000) have highlighted key areas of application including: Bottleneck identification Information and education to consumers and stakeholders Compare existing products with planned alternatives Compare existing company products with products of competitors Procurement specifications, supplier screening, product co-makership Internal information and training Anticipate and negotiate legislation Marketing, advertising policies joining eco-labelling criteria Environmental cost allocation Assess the gap from eco-label criteria Radical changes in product life cycle What can be taken from these findings is that there are three principle areas of application are; (1) comparison on an environmental basis which includes comparison of materials, methods and conformity. (2) In manufacturing LCA can be used to find the most ecological method through optimal material and processes selection. (3) In commercial development LCA can be used for marketing purposes and as a public informational aid (in example EPDs). In reality there are many different views among the scientific populace as to use and best practice for LCA. What is of interest is that one article by Grantadesigns in 2011 called Grantas new Guide: Five Steps to Eco Design proposed that up to 80% of the environmental footprint of a product is determined during the design phase. From this we must assume that the best application for LCA would be in the design phase via evaluation of design alternative. Potential of LCA LCA is a methodology for quantifying and assessing the potential impacts of goods and services from an environmental perspective. From this viewpoint it can be taken that LCA can be applied to any kind of product or decision where environmental impacts are of concern. This in turn implies LCA can be applied by all the different stakeholders who are invested in a product or service including governmental, non-governmental and industries. While this dissertation cannot elaborate on all the opportunities open to LCA, focus will be placed on the following areas which are of particular interest to this study: The potential of LCA at multinational corporation level The potential of LCA for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) The potential of LCA at governmental level The potential of LCA for multinational enterprises Multinational companies face important strategic decisions that help establish the direction of their environmental performance. The decision whether to adopt a global standard or not is one such decision. While specific characteristics of multinationals make the application of LCA easier including; dedicated resources made available, separate departments responsible for implementation and co-ordination, development of internal databases and operating methodologies, and the ability to influence stakeholders, among others; there are equally other factors which present significant challenges including; diverse cultural approaches and consensus on methodologies including weighting across impact categories (Schmidt and Sullivan, 2002; Reap et al., 2008), and how to integrate LCA across the whole organisation as LCA in general tend to be reserved to environmental departments. The value which can be extracted by large corporations who adopt LCA tends to be in terms of material choice, tech nology choice, infrastructure and location choice, and product and process improvement. The potential of LCA for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) While the need for environmental practices have been widely accepted in SMEs, as can be seen through the widespread adoption of ISO 14001, the adoption of LCA has being met with less enthusiasm. This is largely to do with the fact most SMEs need to focus their available resources on establishing their position in the market and cant afford to extend resources to non essential activities. However, many small and medium enterprises are now seen the economic benefits that can be reaped from LCA implementation via simplified low cost approaches. Significant advantages can be gained in the RD stage of products via material swap outs, process improvements or benchmarking (Hunkeler, 2003). One could even go as far as to say that LCA can be useful to improve credit terms as it improves resource allocation and minimises the risk of resources being spent inappropriately. The tangible benefits with regard to environmental business policy include (Hunkeler et al., 2004): reduced operating cost, improved resource efficiency, improved relations with authorities, improve external image, improved credit terms and reduced overheads. It is also worth noting that the addition of LCA will add value for firms in their IPO (initial public offering) as it will be recognised that the company will be more likely to be sustainable with future environmental requirements. The potential of LCA at governmental level The pattern to which goods and services are produced and consumed is established and controlled via government regulated frameworks and conditions. LCA falls within the reams of sustainable development and is of key importance in addressing waste and emissions attributes of products and services. Government activities are ongoing in regards to LCA with supporting strategies becoming widespread. This has led to the development of several nationally managed databases along with new methodologies and tools. Government bodies, including the departments of environment, energy and defence etc., are now active in supporting LCA development via conducting case studies and making data available. Websites have been developed and product orientated environmental policy is evolving, none more so than in the European Union (EU). In its Communication on Integrated Product Policy (COM (2003)302), the European Commission concluded that Life Cycle Assessments provide the best framework for assessing the potential environmental impacts of products currently available. There is an understanding within the EU for the need of life cycle thinking in stakeholder consultations and in policy implementation. There is an acknowledgment that information from LCA can support public policy making in eco-design criteria setting, such as contributing to performance targets within the Environmental Technology Action Plan (ETAP) and for energy-using products within the EuP Directive, in green public procurement (GPP), and in environmental product declarations (EPDs) (European commission, 2003). However, consideration has to be giving to the fact that LCA is only a decision supporting tool, and not a decision making tool. While advances aid its progression it is still limited with regards economic and social impacts, along with local environmental issues. As a result it can only be utilised in support of other tools to aid detection of potential improvement areas. Policies, Laws, Standards and Incentives Life-cycle analysis (LCA) is not a new phenomenon with scientists and manufacturers increasingly using it to expose opportunities to reduce environmental impacts of products and services, from cradle to grave. This has led to the rise of policies, legislation, standards and incentives in the race to control and maximise the potential of this rapidly expanding sector. Policies LCAs offer the opportunity to shift the traditional policy basis away from waste and resource amounts to one where the potential environmental impacts they cause is the focus and in so far as is feasible the related consequences to humans and the ecosystems is catered for. Laws While traditionally focus has been on reducing impacts of production processes, the responsibility is now being extended to manufacturers to reduce the impacts of products as well. This extension of manufacturers responsibility to cover the entire lifecycle of a product is known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The EC Sixth Environmental Action Programme Environment 2010 emphasises the importance of product policy which is also reflected in the Integrated Product Policy. Standards The International Organization for Standardization introduced the ISO 9000 series quality management standards in 1987. These were later followed in 1992 by various environmental standards known as the ISO 14000 series. These voluntary standards require verification by an external certification body to obtain the ISO certificate. In the ISO 14000 series there is a family of standards to choose from, so when you want to get environmentally certified you need to consider which best matches your requirements. The point of note in relation to the ISO 14000 series is that it is generic, meaning any business, regardless of size or sector can apply. The following provides a brisk overview from a European perspective of the main policies, laws and standards where the life-cycle approach is emphasised as an important element. Table : Overview of relevant policy, law and standards (Developed with data from European commission and Irish department of environment) Designation Class Foundation Title Subject matter Policy Framing policy 06/2008 Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan, (SCP) This communication sets out the measures to deliver more sustainable consumption and production, while improving the competitiveness of the European economy. It builds on several EU policies including the renewed Sustainable Development Strategy. The Community Lisbon Programme for 2008-2010 includes the promotion of an industrial policy geared towards more sustainable consumption and production as one of its major orientations (European commission, 2008). Framing policy 12/2005 EUs thematic strategy on the sustainable use of natural resources The objective is to reduce environmental impacts linked to resource use in a growing economy enabling sustainable development (European commission, 2005a). A review carried out by the Bio Intelligence Service in 2010 indicates the integration of key concepts conveyed by the resource strategies have had a positive but partial influence with the clear need for clear objectives and targets, and the establishment of data centre for natural resources being highlighted (Mudgal et al., 2010). Framing policy 12/2005 EUs thematic strategy on prevention and recycling of waste Describes a number of key objectives as part of an evolving EU policy on waste including; Prevent waste, Promote re-use, recycling and recovery; and Establish the European recycling society. The aim of this strategy is to reduce the negative impact on the environment that is caused by waste throughout its life-span, from production to disposal, via recycling. The objective is that every item of waste is seen not only as a source of pollution but also a potential resource to be exploited (European commission, 2005b). Framing policy 06/2003 Communication Integrated Product Policy (IPP) Aims to support the realisation of environmental product innovations in order to achieve a broad reduction of all environmental impacts along a products life cycle (Commission, 2001). Due to the nature of products, IPP cannot consist of a single general policy instrument, a variety of measures must be employed to achieve the IPP objective (In example standards or so-called soft environmental policy instruments such as activities regarding voluntary agreements or environmental labelling.) (Rehfeld et al., 2007). European Commission, Integrated Product Policy Communication (IPP), 2003 states LCA is the best framework for assessing the potential environmental impacts of products, but the debate is ongoing about good practice with the European commission committing to; developing a handbook on best practice, Co-ordinating to make data more accessible and systematically collected, Regularly update directory of LCA databases, and develop a platform to facilitate communication and exchanges . All of the above commitments have or are in the process of being delivered. Specific instrument 2005 revised 2009 Eco-design directive Provides for improving the environmental performance of energy related products (ERPs) through ecodesign and prevents distinct national legislations on environmental performance becoming obstacles to the intra-EU trade. The ecodesign requirements must not lower the functionality of a product, its safety, or have a negative impact on its affordability or consumers health. The Directive is under the responsibility of DG Enterprise and Industry and DG Energy (European commission, 2012b). Specific instrument 2005 Energy-using products (EuP) Directive The main objective of the EuP Directive is to bring about improvements in energy efficiency throughout a products lifecycle, from cradle to grave. Its focuses on the design phase as it is considered that up to 80% of the environmental load of a product is fixed during design. EuP is a Framework Directive which outlines the legal context within which implementing measures will be developed and targeted at particular product groups (Premier Farnell, 2009). Specific instrument 1/2004 Environmental Technology Action Plan (ETAP) The plan covers a range of actions to promote eco-innovation and the take-up of environmental technologies including: promoting research and development, mobilising funds, helping to drive demand and improving market conditions. Information from LCAs can contributing to meeting performance targets within the Environmental Technology Action Plan (ETAP). In Ireland specific consideration will be given to projects that have the potential to address the three specific challenges identified in the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) State of the Environment Report 2004, namely: eutrophication of surface waters, meeting international commitments on air emissions and better management of waste (Department of the Environment, 2012a). Specific instrument 2008 Green public procurement (GPP) Defined in the Communication (COM (2008) 400) Public procurement for a better environment as a process whereby public authorities seek to procure goods, services and works with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle when compared to goods, services and works with the same primary function that would otherwise be procured. The EU committed to aiming to achieve by 2010 a proposed a target of 50% of all the EUs public procurement tendering procedures to be green. Although this target has not been met a recent report monitoring the uptake of GPP found 26% of the last contracts signed in the 2009-2010 period by public authorities in the EU included all core GPP criteria with 55% of these contracts having at least one EU core GPP criterion, showing that some form of green procurement is being done at a large scale (European commission, 2012c). In Ireland the GPP national action plan has been developed to make half the estimated à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬15 billion in public spendi ng to meet green procurement criteria (Department of the Environment, 2012b). Specific instrument 2002 and Under review Environmental product declarations (EPDs) Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are life-cycle based ecolabels that disclose the environmental performance of the product, similar to nutrition information labels. In France a law was passed in 2007 the Grenelle Environment which requires environmental product declarations for all mass produced consumer goods. 2012 has seen experiments begin to establish best practice to implement this law. The European Commission is following suit and has begun a program to develop guidance on environmental product declarations indicating this will be widespread shortly. Specific Instument 1992 Eco-labelling Is in general a voluntary scheme where producers, importers and retailers can choose to apply for the label for their products. Ecolabel criteria focus on the stage / stages with the highest environmental impact during a products life cycle. By the end of 2011, more than 1,300 licences had been awarded, and at present, more than 17,000 products have the EU Ecolabel. A licence gives permission to use the EU Ecolabel logo. (European commission, 2012d). Laws Legal requirement 2003 Restriction on the use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Adopted in 2003 by the European Union the directive took effect in 2006 becoming law in each member state. It restricts the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of electronic and electrical equipment. It correlates with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) 2002/96/EC which is part of a legislative initiative to reduce toxic e-waste. Legal requirement 2002 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) The WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC is an EU Directive founded on the principle of Producer Responsibility and its general objectives are to prevent waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and to improve the environmental performance of all operators involved in the life cycle of such including producers, distributors and consumers (European commission, 2012e). Legal requirement 2000 End of Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/ EC of the European Parliament on end of life vehicles was developed to limit or exclude the presence of dangerous substances including lead, cadmium, chromium IV and mercury in vehicles with the purpose of minimising their environmental impact. In 2006, the target for reuse and recovery was a minimum of 85% of the materials rising to 95% in 2015 with most major OEMs such as Ford, Honda etc on the way to meeting these targets. Legal requirement 1994 EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC This directive regulates the heavy metal content of, and recovery of any packaging put on the market. Implemented in Ireland through the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations S.I. No. 61 of 2003 as amended by the Waste Management (Packaging) (Amendment) Regulations S.I. No. 871 of 2004. While it should be noted the directive is under review at European level, the legislation is now well developed in Ireland with waste recovery schemes like REPAK in place. Legal requirement 2007 Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) REACH came into force in 2007 with the aim to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, the promotion of alternative test methods, the free circulation of substances on the internal market and enhancing competitiveness and innovation (European commission, 2012f). Manufacturers have to register each substance, assess the risks it poses and pass on the safety information to downstream users. Legal requirement 2006 Batteries Directive Directive 2006/66/EC prohibits placing certain batteries and accumulators with mercury or cadmium content above a fixed threshold on the market and promotes a high rate of collection and recycling of waste batteries and accumulators. The aim is the reduction of hazardous substances (mercury, cadmium and lead) dumped in the environment (European commission, 2012g). Standards Voluntary 1997 revised 2000 and 2006 Life cycle assessment: ISO 14040/44 When concerned with the environmental impact of a new or existing product, it may well be beneficial to carryout a complete life cycle assessment. In such a case you would look to the ISO 14040 certificate. It evaluates the products LCA framework and is intended to make reliable and reusable assessments. It endeavours to provide a clear overview of the findings to stakeholders, including those who have limited knowledge of life cycle assessment. The specific requirements and guidelines for LCAs are in ISO 14044. Voluntary 2001 Environmental site assessment: ISO 14015 This International Standard provides guidance on how to conduct an Environmental assessment of sites and organizations (EASO) through a systematic process of identifying environmental aspects and environmental issues and determining, if appropriate, their business consequences. Voluntary ISO 14020 1998 rev 2000 ISO 14024 1999 ISO 14025 2000 rev 2006 Environmental product declaration (EPD), Labelling: ISO 14020/24/25 ISO 14020/24/25 will help you label your product. It includes quantified data which helps ensure environmental data published is of a certain quality. These product labels are built upon the Life Cycle Assessment which means the information generated is relevant, verified and comparable. Voluntary 1999 Environmental Performance Evaluation: ISO 14031 When you dont require a certificate and just want to measure your environmental performance, this document gives guidance on environmental performance evaluation. It provides management with reliable and verifiable information on an ongoing basis through its Plan-Do-Check-Act system (PCDA). Voluntary 2002 Integrating environmental aspects into product design and development: ISO 14062 Guidance standard providing generic instruction on how to incorporate environmental criteria into product design and development. It can act as a reminder or a checklist and is applicable to all industry sectors. Other industry sectors have developed similar standards including:- Standard ECMA 341, Environmental design considerations for electronic products developed by ECMA International. EN/BSI 13420:2000 Packaging Requirements for packaging recovery by material recycling. BS/EN 13193:2000 Packaging and the environment Terminology. Voluntary 2006 Impact on Climate Change: ISO 14064 ISO 14064-1:2006 facilitates quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reductions. It provides stakeholders with an integrated set of tools to achieve their objectives and it enables participation in emissions trading schemes using a globally recognised standard. Voluntary/ Under construction N/A Product Carbon Footprint: ISO 14067 Strives to standardize the maze of product carbon footprint approaches. Voluntary/ Under construction N/A Water Footprint: ISO 14046 Aims to establish harmonized metrics for water footprints. Other Voluntary 2008 GHG Protocol Product Standard This is a product life cycle accounting and reporting standard developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD). This standard is to a large extent in compliance with ISO 14040/44, except it is explicitly focused on greenhouse gas accounting.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Analysis of the Article Dot.com? Don’t bother! Essay -- Analyzing Arti

Analysis of the Article "Dot.com? Don’t bother!" Posted recently by T.J. Straith on a British website titled I-resign.com- a kind of online financial resource that offers information and services to individuals in the modern workplace –the article "Dot.com? Don’t bother!" provides a somewhat comical yet focused, criticism-based look into the pitfalls associated with investing in today’s tech-related startup companies- the kind that base future earnings, market demand and overall success on guestimation and facts from the current market. Designed to serve as a massive attack against the idea of investing in newly developed or developing tech companies, the article in itself -through the use of objective facts, detailed descriptions of the market, example situations, and even personal experience based on the author’s own investment in a failed tech-company- provides the reader with enough information to understand the truths behind the market, accomplished in an almost completely objective fashion, and then calls for modern investors to place value in realistic goals and not the â€Å"the hyperinflationary world of dotcom valuations.† As an opinion article, Straith’s intent is obviously to educate the reader in such a way that brings the person to his level of understanding- a level at which the hype behind new tech companies should be taken with a pound of salt. In general, the author relies heavily on denotative language to hold the article together, which essentially holds the audience in place. â€Å"The dotcom craze infected whole economies.† Deep reflections on society, religion, philosophy, or anything else representative of connotative language clearly have no real place in the article- it’s designed to inform... ...efit. Hands down, Straith does a fine job of delivering a warning message. Identifying a byproduct in this article is tough- it’s designed to inform readers of many different classes, does it’s job, and leaves no apparent avenue of misunderstanding down which a reader might lose him or herself in a mess of unrelated or confusing facts. His use of informal tone, understandable language, and mild humor is enough from which readers can reap an understanding, business people and common-types alike. His writing style and method of delivery support his goal of informing potential investors of the common blind-sightedness that has been such a dominant factor towards dotcom investing in the past, while his apparent interest in the financial welfare of others is a credibility-adding factor that- the mind of the reader –can set him aside from other authors in his class.