Community organizations refer to a group of individuals, usually of a common local community that comes together to support various civil activities that are not-for-profit. Ordinarily, these groups fund their own activities and are usually a result of bigger non-governmental organizations, with some larger than others, and with varying degrees of administration. Of interest in the present paper is the American Prairie Reserve, an independent Non-profit NGO, whose operational goal is to turn three-million acre piece of land in Northern Montana into a wildlife-conservation area.
According to the companys website, the American Prairie Reserve focuses on accumulating and managing private lands, large enough to support a fully-fledged wildlife reserve that is prairie-based. The organization was created following a publication by the Nature Conservancy (TNC), which detailed the idea that a project to restore Montanas wildlife would best be done on the northern plains. This idea was bought by the World Wide Fund For Nature, which actively began conservation efforts that are still in effect to date. The Northern Plains Conservation Network also supported the proposed idea, and together, the two organizations brought on board other community organizations that were already working towards the objective of conservation, and whose mission included forming a prairie reserve.
The impact of this objective to the constituency is very far-reaching, and the first one is public enjoyment of the natural scenery of the wild. The organization focuses on offering to the public a range of services for recreational purposes, which include hunting, bird watching, hiking, camping, biking, and riding, among other activities. The objective is in line with the constituencys desires as it provided economic advantage, as well as social and political advantage to the community at large, at a voluntary cost to the neighboring regions and the local community.
Additionally, the region was already registering a declining population at a rate of 10% per year, which made it easy for the organization to acquire the land needed for the project. Moreover, the government was already in possession of a huge tract of land in the region, which it was willing to offer for any project that was of direct benefit to the community, such as the APR program. Finally, since its formation in 2001, the community-based organization has been able to acquire some 275,000 acres of land from private owners, which is more than 50% of its targeted 500,000 acres.
The organization bought to this idea because the region has a very stable agricultural sector, which shall remain the top economic priority of the locals. However, it considered the possibility that the prairie-based wildlife conservation program would act as a complementary activity in the region, thereby providing the local people with additional employment opportunities. This would largely boost the living standards of the community, as well as place Montana higher in the global map.
In order to liaise with the government, the constituency, and other partners to facilitate the project, the organization put in more effort. Firstly, the organization has reached to individuals and organizations who believe in the organizational objective that is driving APR. The outreach involved informing the targeted groups of the benefits of environmental conservation and the need to create an alternative economic activity for the region of Montana that would supplement its farming activities. The community remained committed to the project as many people owned the land they targeted. As such, it was the duty of the organization to convince the landowners to sell their land to the organization or alternatively donate it out of the free will.
Looking at the success of the organization, it is rational to argue that it has been successful in its objective and initiative because of various reasons. Firstly, the organization has been able to motivate a large number of individuals within the region and in other places to support the initiative. This is true because, since its initiation, the program has received 90% of its more than $60 million funding from individuals who live in Montana across eight different countries of the world and from 45 other different states in the US. Additionally, the organization received 10% of its contributions from various organizations, with 20% of its total donors coming from the region of Montana.
Additionally, the organization has collaborated with other community-based organizations and government agencies, such as the federal government, as well as groups from non-governmental organizations that share its vision and objectives. These groups include the World Wildlife Fund, Montana Department of Fish, and National Geographic, among many others. Through the combined efforts of these groups, the organization has been able to raise publicity and reach out to more donors and gain media coverage. According to Matelich, the current chairperson of the organization, the APR project has done its organizational best to ensure that the vision is not imposed on those who do not want it. The chair reacted when some ranchers refused to sell their land to the CBO because of their familial attachment and other personal reasons.
The attitude towards the natural streams and creeks in real estate management can vary greatly. Building agencies may opt for covering everything up with gravel and pavement or purposeful exposure as a part of the landscape. This paper will focus mainly on the Bay Area effect of streams and creeks on the property because the author is familiar with it and can see examples in everyday life.
Changing the Nature to Fit Human Needs
Humans started to change the landscape around them centuries ago: cutting the trees for building materials, leveling the hills for convenience, and channeling the streams to have clean water access closer to home. Today, most houses worldwide have running tap water, but the presence of a creek nearby may still have an effect, either positive or negative (1). The following factors influence the interest of the Bay Area people in water sources near their homes: California forest fires, respect for nature, and cleanliness.
Hiding the Streams and the Forest Fires
The recent forest fires in California were devastating to both nature and people residing in the area. The Government institutions are putting together a plan to avoid such sacrifices in the future (3). The Bay Area is a relatively green territory but increasing urbanization has affected its ability to resist the forest fires by drying out and redirecting some of the streams to build homes. The effect of changing the natural course of the water may not be visible right away, as most of the continental hydrosphere is hidden under the surface. However, it prevents the underground flows from moisturizing the soil properly; this way, the nature of the state, in general, has less capacity to resist the forest fires.
Living in the highly risky areas of California means that the residents have to pay more for the insurance. In this sense, covering the creeks and drying the streams may lead to higher property prices. Also, the presence of a water source near the house may make the area more fire-resistant, and that could either bring the price up or down, depending on the marketing strategy.
Respect for Nature
It is common for the residents of the Bay Area to promote respect for nature. The government institutions also pay attention to ecological initiatives and include green solutions into their urbanization plans (2). The forests and natural water sources could be tamed and incorporated into urban life without complete destruction or covering up. Well-designed rest areas with convenient yet natural streams could make property cost go up as the region would become more prestigious.
The Cleanliness as a Factor
Creeks can be more or less attractive as a water source or a rest spot, depending on how clean they are. Garbage makes people want to reside as far away from the streams as possible (1). Such a dirty place may have a negative effect on both the property prices and the desire of customers to buy it. If the property management cannot afford to clean and maintain the water source, the best solution would be drying and covering it up.
Conclusion
For many years, humans have been tailoring nature to their needs. However, today government institutions are looking into the opportunities to live in synergy with the forests and water sources. Marketers may even position the presence of a creek near the house as an advantage. On the other side, unkept and dirty water source near the property is not attractive for potential buyers. Hiding and moving the streams may have both a positive and a negative effect on real estate.
References
Bonetti, F., Corsi, S., Orsi, L., & De Noni, I. (2016). Canals vs. streams: to what extent do water quality and proximity affect real estate values? A hedonic approach analysis [PDF document]. Web.
This source is relevant to my issue because it explains the possible connection between property prices and a nearby stream.
Grant, B., Szambelan, S., Engblom, S., Bevington, C., Errazuriz, H., Woo, J.,& Schwartz, H. (2020). Model places [PDF document] Web.
This source is relevant to my issue because it provides an overview of the housing situation in the Bay Area, its perspectives, and respect for nature.
Tam, L., Johnson, L., Exon-Smith, K., & Metwalli, J. (2020). Safety First: Improving Hazard Resilience in the Bay Area. K. Steen (Ed.). [PDF document]. Web.
This source is relevant to my issue because it touches on the subject of the recent forest fires in the Bay Area, and such disasters affect the desire of people to reside in the area.
Environmental analysis is an indispensable aspect of the environmental studies in modern society. Increased pollution of the environment due to human activities necessitates environmental analysis to establish the nature and the extent of pollution in a certain environment. Fundamentally, environmental analysis involves the application of scientific tools and techniques in the analysis of pollutants in various components of the environment such as water, soil, and air (Reeve, 2002). Analysis of the pollutants is imperative because it aids in the determination of environmental risk factors that predispose humans to diverse diseases and disorders. The increased rate of pollution in modern society due to industrial development and increased human population has led to the development of the environmental analysis as an academic discipline.
Since environmental analysis has become an academic discipline, environmentalists apply it in the assessment of the environment for the safety of humanity. Environmentalists perceive pollution as a major environmental issue that threatens the existence of humanity if no one establishes effective interventions. In this view, different governments are formulating legislations and regulations to curb and reverse the increasing trend of pollution. Academic institutions are also producing environmental scientists who have essential knowledge and skills to design mitigation measures of pollution. In this view, this proposal seeks to convince the university to establish a new environmental laboratory to serve masters students, Dubai community, and other important stakeholders.
Problem Statement
The increasing rate of pollution across the world and in the United Arab Emirates requires environmental analysis for environmentalists to ascertain the extent of pollution and the dangers that pollutants pose to humanity. Given that the United Arab Emirates is a developed country, it has numerous industries that generate and empty their effluence into the rivers and seawater. Industries usually release heavy metals into water bodies, and thus contaminate water for domestic and industrial uses. Moreover, the use of pesticides on the farms is a common form of agricultural pollution in the United Arab Emirates that leads to contamination of water bodies.. Willis et al. (2010) state that heavy metals and pesticides are significant forms of water pollutants, which require effective mitigation measures to prevent them from causing chronic diseases.
This shows that the environmental scientists in Dubai require appropriate infrastructure to perform environmental analysis of the pollutants that affect the population. According to Patnaik (2010), for environmentalists to perform environmental analysis, they require a laboratory equipped with modernized equipment. Given that environmentalists obtain theoretical knowledge and skills from various learning institutions, they should receive empirical experience by working in environmental laboratories. A university that offers courses in environmental studies should have a well-equipped laboratory, so that the young scientists can apply their theoretical knowledge and skills in empirical studies. In this view, establishment of environmental laboratory in the university is timely because the laboratory will assist the university in equipping students with empirical knowledge, help the local community in assessment of their environment, and support environmental bodies in research.
Functions of the Proposed Laboratory
Activities
Collect samples for analysis from solid wastes, sludge, and sediments, which are present in both domestic and industrial wastes in Dubai.
Analyze solid wastes such as domestic garbage and industrial waste to establish the presence of pollutants that endanger the lives of people in Dubai community.
Analyze industrial and domestic sludge to establish the presence of dangerous pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemicals.
Assess the safety of domestic and irrigation water that the Dubai community uses.
Analyze industrial and domestic sediments to ascertain if they contain any form of pollutant that is dangerous to human health and the environment.
Develop protocols that are effective in environmental analysis.
Teach students on how to conduct various tests of environmental analysis.
Conduct diverse research activities in conjunction with other environmental bodies.
Seek funds for research activities and the expansion of the laboratory to develop capacity for environmental analysis in Dubai.
Scope
The laboratory will specifically deal with environmental analysis of pollutants such as solid waste, sludge, and sediments from domestic and industrial sources.
The laboratory will only allow students who are doing their masters programs to perform experiments.
The laboratory will allow other environmental bodies to perform their research activities because they are stakeholders.
Since the Dubai community is the surrounding community, the laboratory will give it the first priority by analyzing its environment.
The university will use the laboratory for learning and research purposes.
The university will permit environmentalists to use the laboratory in performing research activities for the benefit of the community and the university.
The laboratory will not allow individuals to perform projects, which are unrelated to the environmental science.
The laboratory will report and publish the findings through the university.
Objectives
Since the university has no environmental laboratory, establishment of one will improve and enhance the capacity of the university to equip students with empirical knowledge and skills.
Given that the local community lives in an environment that is prone to pollution, the laboratory will serve the local community by ensuring that the people are in the environment that is free from any dangerous pollutant.
Students who are undergoing their masters programs need to perform their research, and thus the laboratory enables them to use modern equipment when they are performing their research activities.
Create a research hub where environmentalists from the university and various environmental bodies can interact and generate novel ideas.
Organizational Structure
The organizational structure comprises of the laboratory manager, quality assurance coordinator, research coordinator, environmental analyst, and learning coordinator. Laboratory manager is the head of the laboratory and has the responsibilities and duties of directing all activities that take place in the laboratory. Quality assurance coordinator, research coordinator, environmental analysts, and learning coordinator are answerable to the laboratory manager with regard to all activities that they perform in their respective departments.
Quality assurance coordinator ensures that the nature of activities and practices that research coordinator, environmental analyst, and learning coordinator perform adhere to standard operating procedures. According to Ratliff (2005), quality assurance coordinator sets standards, monitors the quality procedures and activities, and develops new protocols. Hence, quality assurance coordinator is an indispensable position in the environmental laboratory. Research coordinator operates the laboratory by liaising with other researchers and environmentalists on matters of research.
Given that the main objective of establishing the laboratory is to conduct environmental analysis, environmental analyst plays a pivotal role of ensuring that the process of sample collection and analysis is appropriate to provide accurate results. The learning coordinator deals with the masters students who are learning environmental disciplines and performing their projects in the laboratory. Below the rank of research coordinator, environmental analyst, and learning coordinator are laboratory technicians, who undertake routine procedures and activities of the laboratory.
The chart below indicates the organizational structure of the laboratory and expounds on the relationships of various personnel who work in the laboratory.
Chart 1: Organizational Structure
General Layout of the Laboratory
The laboratory layout shows the proposed design of the laboratory. The layout has offices for laboratory manager, quality assurance coordinator, research coordinator, environmental analyst, and learning coordinator. The layout also shows the laboratory environment comprising of benches and teaching board. Beside the laboratory are the preparation rooms for each of the three technicians who represent research coordinator, environmental analyst, and learning coordinator. Therefore, the layout illustrates the design of the laboratory that the university requires to serve the students, the environmentalists, and the Dubai community.
Recommended Location
The recommended location of the proposed environmental laboratory is within the university. The laboratory should be in close proximity to the school or department of the environmental science, so that lecturers and students can easily access it whenever they want to utilize. Accessibility of the laboratory to the lecturers and students will enhance it to achieve its functions and optimize utilization of important resources for the benefit of the university, environmental science, and the Dubai community.
Recommended Experiments
Mercury analysis in water, reference numbers 245.1, 245.7, and 1631E, in the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Water Act.
Analysis of sludge for presence of Salmonella typhi, reference number 1682 in the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Water Act.
Analysis of water for the presence of Escherichia coli, reference number 1603 in the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Water Act.
Detection of fecal coliforms in sewage sludge, reference numbers 1680 and 1681 in the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Water Act.
Analysis of pesticides in the municipal and industrial wastes, reference numbers 608, 608.1, 608.2, 614, 614.1, 615, 619, 622, 622.1, and 632 (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2014).
Determine the level of organic compounds in drinking water using methods in series 500 of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Water Act.
Analyze organic chemicals in industrial and municipal wastewater using methods that are in series 600 of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Water Act.
Analyze the presence of microbes and pathogens in drinking water using methods in series 1000 of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Water Act.
A method of analyzing sludge and recovering viruses, reference number D4994-89, American Society for Testing and Materials.
Analysis of sediments, reference number D6145-97, D3974-09, and D7363-13 (American Society for Testing Materials, 2014).
Determine pesticides in water, sludge, and sediments using method D5175-9 of American Society for Testing and Materials.
Recommended Equipment and Chemicals
The pictures and names of the recommended equipment are attached below.
Fume hood: a containment device that protects people from hazardous fumes, which volatile chemicals release.
Analytical balance: used for weighing samples and chemicals in the laboratory.
Centrifuge: it is equipment used in separation aqueous substances according to their sizes in terms of sedimentation rates.
pH meter: used in measuring the degree of acidity and alkalinity.
Sediment sampler: it is used in collecting and sampling sediments from wastewater.
Burette: it used in measuring chemicals and water during the process of titration.
Ion exchange chromatography: a column chromatography of separating charged molecules.
Titration analyzer: used in titration analysis of samples and solutions.
Wastewater controller: separates wastewater into different constituents for analysis.
Mass spectrometer: it is used in the determination of masses of various compounds, which are present in the analytes.
Pesticide analyzer: used in the analysis of pesticides in wastewater and sludge.
Microscope: used in the examination of microscopic particles in the laboratory.
Beakers: for storing and measuring solutions.
Conical flasks: for storing and measuring solutions.
Test tubes and racks: used in holding samples and performing various tests in the laboratory.
Fridge: for storing volatile samples that are not stable are room temperature and pressure, and preserving them.
Oven: used for drying substances in the laboratory.
Gas cylinder: provides a source of heating gas.
Mercury analyzer: used in the analysis of mercury in various samples.
Micropipettes: measuring micro amounts of solutions.
Eppendorf tubes: it is used in performing tests.
Digestion vessels: tubes used in digestion of metals in samples.
Autoclave: it used in sterilization of substances and vessels.
Fire extinguisher: it is used in putting off fires in the laboratory.
Atomic absorption spectrophotometry: it is used in the analysis of trace elements in the samples.
The laboratory requires the following chemicals
Nitric acid
Hydrochloric acid
Phosphoric acid
Sulfuric acid
Mercury
Pesticides
Sulfates, sulfites, and sulfides
Chlorides and chlorites
Alcohols
Ammonium salts
Nitrite, nitrates, and nitrites
Phosphates
Acetone
Iodine
General Quality Control and Assurance Procedures
Quality control and assurance procedures are integral in environmental analysis because they enhance the accuracy of the findings obtained. In the environmental analysis, errors usually emanate from the collection of samples in the field. In this view, sample collection is an area in the environmental analysis that should adhere to scientific procedures for the samples to provide valid and reliable results. According to Conklin (2004), sampling is a delicate process in environmental analysis because it has considerable impact on the outcome of any form of analysis. In this view, the laboratory should perform quality control and assurance procedures in sample collection. Sample preparation is also another aspect of quality control and assurance. During the preparation of samples for further analysis, contamination is likely to occur. Therefore, strict adherence to the standard protocols of sample preparation is essential to guarantee the validity and accuracy of the findings.
In this case, more than two people should prepare samples by following standard procedures and the results of the samples compared. Given that analysis is central in determining the degree of various forms of pollutants in the samples, it requires stringent procedure of quality control and quality assurance. The laboratory should utilize replicates and controls in ascertaining the validity and accuracy of various results. Moreover, split sample analysis is the appropriate method of quality control and assurance. The split sample analysis allows independent analysts to perform similar tests for purposes of comparison and enhancing accuracy of results. The split sample analysis is critical in analysis because it helps in detection of systemic errors that are present in the laboratory.
Laboratory Health and Safety Procedures
Wear all protective clothing (gloves, eye protection, and laboratory coat) at all times when in the laboratory as a safety precaution.
Label all chemicals in the laboratory to prevent them from causing unnecessary harm.
All experiments that involve volatile and dangerous chemicals should be performed in the fume hood.
Separate and isolate laboratory waste properly for disposal.
Exercise personal hygiene such as washing of hands after removing gloves and when leaving the laboratory to prevent self-poisoning.
Do not leave equipments running on their own or active experiments unattended as they are dangerous.
Do not spill water on the floor of the laboratory as it increases the risk of accidents.
Report any damage of equipment to the supervisor for immediate repair.
Locate the position and understand the procedure of safety equipments such as safety shower and eyewash (Dunnivant, 2004).
Know the location of fire extinguisher, fire alarms, and emergency door.
Qualification and Training of Employees
Laboratory manager: Should have a doctorate level of qualification in environmental science or related field. He/she should have a minimum of ten years experience in environmental analysis.
Quality assurance coordinator: Should have a doctorate level of qualification in environmental science or related field. He/she should have a minimum experience of 7 years in performing quality control and assurance procedures in environmental laboratories.
Research coordinator: Should have masters level of academic and qualification in the field of environmental science. He/she must have an experience of 5 years in environmental research.
Research analyst: Should have masters level of academic in the field of chemistry, industrial chemistry, and environmental science as a qualification. He/she must understand numerous tests of environmental analysis with the experience of 5 years.
Learning coordinator: Must have masters level of academic in environmental science and must be teaching at the university level. He/she must have the experience of 5 years in teaching.
Laboratory technicians: They must have a degree in environmental science or related degree. In addition, they must be having experience of more than 3 years working in a laboratory environment. Those with a higher diploma level of academic qualification are encouraged to apply if they have an experience of over 5 years.
Conclusion
Environmental analysis is important in modern society because it enables analysis of health risk factors that are present in the environment. Since pollution has increased in Dubai, there is a need to establish an environmental laboratory in the university. The laboratory will benefit the community, university, and other stakeholders. Given the importance of the laboratory, the proposal recommends its functions, organizational structure, layout design, standard experiments, and location of the laboratory. Moreover, the proposal recommends equipment and chemicals necessary, quality control and assurance procedures, health and safety precautions, and qualification of the employees. Therefore, the proposal holds that it is viable and beneficial for the university to establish a new environmental laboratory within its surroundings.
My group has interest in electricity. Thus, I chose the topic since electricity is a form of energy that needs to be conserved. Electricity is also dangerous due to its hazardous nature, and in the United Arab Emirates alone mishandling of electricity has given rise to a lot of fires in the recent past both in commercial and residential premises. Hence, by being able to research on the methods of electricity awareness I will be able to educate people, organizations and institutions on how to conserve this form of energy, thus reducing their bills leading to economic growth as well as reducing electricity hazards and accidents (Bird, 2010). Furthermore, awareness of the proper ways of using electricity is in line with the global goal of conserving energy.
Researching for information. What are the issues?
Video research
The video has a short message and takes roughly a minute to present the message in an intriguing and exciting way (Wn.com, 2014). Thus, it was interesting to see how the video narrates what goes on behind and electricity switch, yes a switch that we normally use to switch sockets and lights on and off. The video starts by explaining that behind the switchboard there is a process that involves nature and skilled people and that the electricity we use comes from nature and travels a lot of miles just to get into our house.
The video goes ahead to explain how it is numerous men and women work behind the scenes by building machines such as turbines for hydroelectric power, solar panels for solar energy and wind turbines for wind energy and how these types of energy provided by nature are harnessed. Thus, electricity travels hundreds of miles to get into our house and it is our decision not to let it go by, leaving sockets and switches on since, although electricity turns our dreams into reality, its misuse is capable of destroying nature and causing electrical hazards that are not sustainable.
The local issue related to this campaign is the sustainability of electrical energy and management of hazards caused by electricity. United Arab Emirates is a desert and failure to conserve our electrical energy will render the countrys resources unsustainable both natural and man-made since all the building that are magnificent need electricity. Furthermore, failure to be aware of the hazards caused by electricity and avoid them can lead to numerous accidents, especially fire that can also be made worse by the frequent sand storms in UAE.
Image/message research
(UAEinteract, 2014)
The image I found is the one above that belongs to DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority). It is an image that encourages the residents of the United Arab Emirates to start using energy efficient bulbs. These types of bulbs are usually known as Light Emitting Diode (LEDs) and they do not use the conventional filaments to produce light and thus they consume less energy.
Furthermore, the image and the campaign by DEWA does not only address the issue of switching bulbs, but also conserving electricity by being able to unplug appliances not in use from their sockets since by doing this the residents will be able to save energy as well as avert possible fire hazards and accidents.
Another issue relates to the use of air conditioners since you are aware that UAE is located in a desert and thus the temperatures are harsh, residents are advised to adjust their conditioners to the normal 24 degrees as they will consume less power but at the same time ensuring the temperature levels in the room are habitable. More so, all these efforts are part of Energy strategy for 2030 that aims at reducing the rate of energy consumption by more than 30 percent so as to make the United Arab Emirates energy consumption sustainable.
Article research
The article discusses how the government of the UAE used the period of Ramadhan to advocate for better power consumption, especially by using the slogan This Ramadan, let your good deeds outweigh your consumption (Khallej Times, 2014). The article focuses on the campaign to reduce and avoid the wastefulness of energy in the country.
Thus, from the article the local issues highlighted are the day to day misuse of power and negligence which leads to unsustainability or accidents. Thus the solutions offered are simple and clear as they involve not leaving electric appliances on when not in use, using low voltage bulbs that are efficient, using the stairs at home instead of installing elevators.
Identifying your specific Challenge
Identifying your group challenge
Identify your group Challenge
Topic: Electricity Awareness
The Challenge: Reduce the amount of electricity wastage and use electricity with care so as to avoid unnecessary electric hazards that can lead to accidents.
Discussion
I chose this challenge because electricity is a very vital resource that is harnessed from the environment and can be used to turn our dreams to reality or in some instances, if misused can be the source of our sorrow since it can lead to destruction of property and even death. Thus, by being able to research on the methods of ensuring conservation and proper use I am able to create awareness and the in the process ensure sustainability in line with the global goal of a green world.
It is important to my community since the proper use of electricity ensures that there is environmental conservation, sustainability and a hazard free lifestyle. These factors are important in ensuring an affordable life since with a sustainable source of energy the electricity bills will be cheaper and with less electric hazards the insurance premiums will be lower due to a lower risk and the UAE will also be able to achieve the prime ministers vision for 2030.
References
Bird, J. (2010). Electrical and Electronic Principles and Technology. London, UK: McGraw Hill.
The Clean Power Plan (CPP) is a meaningful document aimed at protecting the citizens of the United States from the ineffective use of resources, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fueled power plants, and a host of other harmful energy solutions. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified certain flaws in the computations and procedures used to calculate the positive value of the plan. On the basis of a new Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA), the agency has proposed revoking the CPP, threatening to undo the work of the previous administration. This would allow factories to further pollute the atmosphere and produce adverse effects on human health worldwide, incurring enormous healthcare costs.
Main body
The repeal of the CPP is mainly associated with a directive from the new administration headed by Donald Trump, who is famous for his association with and support for oil extraction. In addition, Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement and ordered the elimination of the Office of Environmental Justice (Zhang et al. 220). These actions and more mark the new administrations tendency to distance itself and America from sustainable energy and resort to using the natural resources the country still possesses in abundance (Zhang et al. 220). The effects of these measures and the CPP repeal, in particular, are related more to economics than politics. By annulling the efforts aimed at reducing the pace of transitioning to renewable sources of energy, the government is increasing the long-term economic risk to the country.
The first economic risk resulting from the repeal of the CPP is a projected increase in health costs. Originally, the CPP proposed savings of 4.6 billion in healthcare costs, which, if the CPP is revoked, become foregone benefits (EPA, Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines 92). These costs illustrate the money that people would potentially save on having to bear the consequences of respiratory diseases or cancer resulting from a degraded environment. However, these costs do not include the economic benefit that healthy people potentially generate by staying alive, earning money, and spending their earnings, thus investing in the U.S. economy.
For example, as a result of reduced greenhouse gas emissions and an improved environmental situation, a U.S. citizen might save $5,000 on asthma treatment. On a large scale, not only does this mean that those five thousand return to the economy of the United States as an investment in other sectors such as recreation, but it also means that there is a high probability that this U.S. citizen will be capable of earning another $5,000, paying income tax, and investing capital back into the countrys economy once more. While this benefit is not as evident and may be unpredictable, nonetheless, it is vital in understanding the long-term foregone benefits from repealing the CPP. Therefore, investment in the health of U.S. citizens produces a major economic benefit that is beyond the calculations presented in the new RIA.
In addition, repealing the CPP will lead to consequences that directly relate to the quality of life. A poor environmental situation in the cities along with the absence of new regulations affecting emissions as proposed by the CPP will most certainly affect the psychological well-being of citizens (Sandifer et al. 2). Fatigue, depression, mood swings, and other conditions related to poor air and water quality will take a heavy toll on work performance and, consequently, the economic impact on an individual. Therefore, the decision to vote down a viable solution to ecological problems is an indirect threat to the countrys economy. Despite the possible discrepancies in the calculations in the previous RIA, the adverse effects of non-adoption of the policy can invoke consequences far worse than can be justified by short-term economic gains. Again, the instruments used in the last RIA fail to assess the invisible and indirect economic losses.
The EPAs decision to rescind the adoption of the CPP will also result in the continuation of a trend involving the use of fossil fuels. The mere fact that fossil fuels are a limited resource will make their economic viability decline over time. The limited nature of a resource will lead inevitably to an increase in its price as time passes, provided the demand stays relatively unchanged. For example, if ten people want to buy ten gallons of gasoline each, and a seller has 1,000 gallons in stock (and the buyers know it), he or she can easily sell it with a low margin while keeping competition and other factors in mind.
However, when both seller and buyers know that the stock has reached its limit, and a seller has only ten gallons in stock while the demand remains the same, the reasonable action for the seller would be to increase the price and sell the gasoline to the highest bidder. Such a situation would provoke an increase in the cost of use of any goods and services that rely on gasoline-powered vehicles. For instance, the cost of a Snickers chocolate bar will rise because the cost of overland shipping that is incorporated into the final price of the candy bar will have increased due to higher fuel prices. Thus, the end customer will find himself or herself paying more for all goods shipped by means of oil- or gasoline-powered vehicles. This simple example vividly illustrates the cost of long-term political and economic dependence on fossil fuels encouraged by the repeal of the CPP.
Another argument against the repeal of the CPP involves the lost benefit from a decelerated transition to sustainable energy (Frazier). The imposition of new, stricter regulations on fossil fuel use has the effect of intensifying the search for new environmentally-friendly solutions. Opposition to the CPP undoes that work, hindering the development of sustainable energy (Frazier). Adoption of the CPP would lead to growth in the renewable energy industry, setting the U.S. economy on a sustainable economic path. One way to make this possible would be through forced indirect investment in the research and development of new sources of energy. Having to comply with stricter CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions would mean car companies, factories, and power plants would have to seek solutions to allow them to curb the increased maintenance costs resulting from the installation of new filtering equipment.
The simple yet unlawful, immoral, and financially detrimental solution is to pass costs on to customers or cut costs in terms of workers. Volkswagen recently demonstrated this approach. In a desperate attempt to decrease the costs of compliance with CO2 emission regulations, the company falsified its CO2 emission tests, selling their cars as green vehicles. As a result of the companys fraud becoming known, Volkswagen lost and is still losing billions in legal suits and sales (Kollewe).
In light of such a precedent, companies are more likely to honor the new regulations imposed by the CPP if the document is adopted. As a result of compliance, investments in research and the development of new sustainable solutions can be expected to mark an increase in the number and equity of companies that design and sell such solutions. For example, the long-term benefits of sustainable energy use will become more solid. The cost of solar panels will drop dramatically as supply follows demand, increasing competition. In addition, more technological solutions will become available, which will also benefit the end customer.
The countrys energy profile will also change due to the informed use of resources. Sweden, for example, uses energy from waste incineration to heat citizens houses. Having maximized the volume of this recycling process, Sweden sells excess heat energy to neighboring Norway, generating a surplus from foreign sales.
Conclusion
All these options and development opportunities, including the economic gains they generate, are now considered foregone profits. The decision to repeal the CPP may be economically viable in the short term, allowing the U.S. government to economize on the legal and technical side of CPP implementation, but in the long run, the repeal incurs only losses. While progressive European countries can demonstrate the profits found in sustainable solutions, the U.S. economy continues to cling to the cheap, short-term benefits of fossil fuels. According to the latest RIA, the CPPs calculations may be wrong in certain instances (EPA, Regulatory Impact Analysis 4). The procedural flaws have also become evident, and in addition, the time factor over the course of three years has influenced the relevance of the data. Nevertheless, the true nature and aim of the document remain unchanged, offering long-term stability and prosperity over a short-term economic decline. Thus, revocation appears to be a grave mistake.
Works Cited
Energy Protection Agency (EPA). Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units. 2013, Web.
Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Review of the Clean Power Plan: Proposal. 2017, Web.
Frazier, Reid. How Revoking the Clean Power Plan Will Impact Pennsylvania. 2017, Web.
Kollewe, Julia. VW Profits down 20% after Diesel Emissions Scandal. The Guardian,2016. Web.
Sandifer, Paul A., et al. Exploring Connections among Nature, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, and Human Health and Well-Being: Opportunities to Enhance Health and Biodiversity Conservation. Ecosystem Services, vol. 12, 2015, pp. 115.
Zhang, Hai-Bin, et al. U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement: Reasons, Impacts, and Chinas Response. Advances in Climate Change Research, vol. 8, no. 4, 2017, pp. 220225.
The land administration system is responsible for distributing and managing land. It has an extensive history and vast cultural and geographic differences, both in the world and within a country. Technological advancements have considerably impacted the system, making such aspects as cadastral maps, sustainable development, and social equity relevant. However, whether they can be successfully applied in any country remains to be seen.
Cambodia is a country with many issues, some of which make proper land administration difficult. A big divide exists between the rich and the poor, ensuring that the latter do not have the means to protect their land rights. Some people are not entitled to land possession due to geographical reasons and poor distribution in the past. The countrys land policy is to develop a title registry system and improve agricultural development of the already allocated land. Moreover, it is also important to consider Cambodias context and the elements of infrastructure. The solutions suggested so far might have failed to address the inherent issues within the country.
The Cambodian government plans to improve the title registry system with spatial data infrastructure (SDI), which is a viable mechanism that ensures sustainable development. With its help, Cambodia wants to make land data available to as many people as possible. However, the problem is that poor smallholders and those who lack any rights to land might not have Internet access to view that information, rendering the initiative meaningless for vulnerable demographic groups. While being helpful in theory, the use of blockchain technology also faces the same dilemma. Meanwhile, the population that already feels secure in their land ownership might use those technologies to strengthen the claim and form potential redistribution obstacles. Thus, unless the government prepares a foundation that enables SDIs universal use, the initiative might be abused despite the best intentions.
A more traditional solution to land ownership is establishing new regulations. The idea is that the government plans to use land underutilization as the basis for its allocation to another, less privileged owner. It would allow Cambodia to reinvigorate the economy and combat inequality. The initiative assumes that the land will be used for agricultural needs under new ownership, as most of the countrys population. However, if it is not the case, a person might be left with nothing again. Therefore, the new regulations should stipulate the conditions for receiving land and cultivating it. It might also be beneficial to supervise land allocation and use for first-time owners to offer them the necessary assistance. Overall, new laws are necessary to ensure that wealthy people will not have excessive land that sees no use.
Cambodian land administration appears to be plagued by many issues, including unclear property rights and irregular management. They, in turn, affect land distribution and allocation, which is often unscientific and corrupt. The government plans to amend those problems with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), which will make the system more transparent. While the inclination to use them coincides with the general trends and ICT help coordinate and integrate various land administration elements, it may not be the ultimate solution. The human factor remains important, and the government should ensure that people with a vested interest in land are less involved in decision-making.
Despite the weak spots in the suggested solutions, the assessment approach chosen by the country is robust. It considers all elements of the land management paradigm, including the countrys context. The choice of formative evaluation is also reasonable, as the systems reformation will take much time, and it may require immediate reactions to new developments. It appears that ensuring easier access to SDI is also a priority, and eLand administration will also be under scrutiny. Overall, a strong evaluation system may compensate for the drawbacks of the suggested solutions and ensure Cambodias progress towards sustainability.
Microplastic contamination of soil and water is a global environmental issue that has not yet been thoroughly addressed. There are no standardized methods of data collection and evaluation, as well as comprehensive sample databases. In recent studies, infrared scanning has been used to identify plastic particles in soil without extraction and was proved to be an effective way of solving the sample collection problem. In the research by Ng et al., a convolutional neural network (CNN) was suggested as a method of measuring and classifying the levels of contamination. This proposal aims to continue the research of microplastics contamination using infrared scanning and the CNN model by creating an extensive database of samples and expanding the spectral library.
Identified Problem and Previous Research
Microplastic contamination is one of the most serious current environmental concerns. Microplastics are plastic pieces less than 5 millimeters in size used to manufacture consumer products, such as synthetic fabrics, toothpaste, and skincare items. Being washed down the drain, they are not removed by wastewater treatment and get into the soil and water. There are concerns that microplastics produce a negative effect on the environment as they absorb toxic chemicals that build up over time and can affect human health.
The current research on microplastics pollution focuses on the development of the methods of microplastic identification and extraction, the study of the main sources of pollution, and its effect on the environment and human health. The presence of microplastics in water sources has been studied in more detail, while its impact on soil remains largely unexplored. No standardized methods have yet been developed for identification and measurement. Is it still not established how much microplastics can exist within the soil and what can be regarded as the maximum concentration limit. The inconsistency of sampling methods results in various sampling units, such as abundance per surface area, abundance to depth, volume in cubic meters, and weight ratios. Different extraction techniques are used that affect the measurements of the collected plastic contaminants. Along with the development of detection, identification, and quantification methods, the current research objectives include the analysis of ecological risks, impact on health, pollution characteristics, and remediation strategies.
The most recent strategy for microplastics identification in the soil is infrared screening. The research conducted by Ng et al. used visible-near-infrared (vis-NIR) spectroscopy and a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to detect microplastics and measure their concentration. Vis-NIR scanning was proved to be feasible in predicting microplastics in the soil, while the CNN model allowed the researchers to classify various degrees of contamination based on concentration. The methods turned out to be efficient for the identification and quantification of microplastics and have the potential for further development and implementation. The proposed research is based on the results of the previous studies and aims to expand the spectra library to include more plastic types and collect a larger database of samples. It is intended to contribute to environmental protection initiatives and can become an important step towards the development of a strategy of addressing the problem of microplastics contamination.
Hypothesis
The expansion of the spectral library for infrared scanning and the collection of an extensive sample database will help to effectively classify types of plastic and the quantity of soil contamination using the CNN model.
Aims
Expansion of the spectral library for infrared scanning, particularly accounting for the various colors and plastic polymers.
Collection of an extensive sample database to ensure more accurate results of further research.
Determining the effectiveness of the CNN model for contamination measurement.
Research Plan
The proposal suggests using infrared spectroscopy for soil microplastic contamination screening in different spectra to put together a database for further research and analysis. The primary suggested model of screening is vis-NIR spectroscopy. Each plastic polymers exhibit unique infrared spectral signatures, and the Vis-NIR spectra can be used to predict various physical and chemical properties of soil samples and quantify microplastics in soil. A Vis-NIR spectrometer measures the amount of light that is reflected from a surface within the wavelength range of 350 to 2500nm, giving a reflected percentage for each wavelength. Each sample should be scanned several times at different spots to ensure that its heterogeneity is captured. The scanning results are correlated with the chemical structure of the sample and used to predict the composition of new sample sets.
The vis-NIR scanning provides several benefits compared to other methods of sample analysis. It circumvents the need for microplastic extraction and allows researchers to measure bulk soil samples, which helps to avoid extensive sample preparation. By reducing the number of required manipulations, makes overall analytical time shorter and diminishes biases caused by human handling. Overall, it helps to solve one of the main problems in microplastics detection related to sample preparation difficulties.
To evaluate the level of microplastic contamination, a screening model instead of a regression model is proposed because of the physical characteristics of plastics and the minimal surface contact area with the Vis-NIR probe. For this research, a CNN model was chosen that provides an alternative to classical neural image analysis based on deep learning methods. It is a tool that extracts features directly from the image and, then, takes actions to obtain the final result and make a classification. The CNN model was determined to be effective in predicting various soil properties using spectral data, with the model trained from scratch performing better than the transfer learning model. However, due to a relatively small sample size used in the previous research, the hypothesis of the superiority of the first type of model is yet to be proved. The collection of a more extensive sample database and the expansion of the spectral library within the proposed research can help either verify or reject this assumption. It will also help improve the CNN models accuracy and establish it as a reliable method for evaluating the level of contamination.
The development of an extensive spectral library is a challenging task, and careful preparation and planning are required. The library should be expanded to include plastic particles representing a diversity of polymer types, colors, and morphologies. They should be collected across a range of metrics, geographies, and time and include samples containing a range of additives and pigments. It will help to enhance data quality, accuracy, and consistency and avoid color-related noise by taking into account different colors and dyes. A comprehensive library should be built progressively and include samples obtained by different research groups in different regions. It is necessary to collect samples from various types of soils and areas to achieve better representation.
The proposed research is expected to provide both qualitative and quantitative contributions to the studies of microplastics contamination. The quantitative contribution includes the expansion of the sample database, and the quality of further research will be facilitated by the development of a comprehensive spectral library and using the CNN model for evaluation. The research is intended to become an important step towards achieving standardization in the identification and measurement of soil contamination by microplastics. Monitoring the pollution level within the soil is vital for assessing soil condition and health and understanding the risks related to exposure to microplastics for both the environment and human health.
Conclusion
The proposed research is based on the already tried-out methods of measuring and evaluating the level of soil contamination by microplastics. It intends to use infrared scanning for identification and the CNN model for the classification of microplastics in the soil and focus on the expansion of the spectral library and sample database. The database should be built to include samples collected across a range of metrics, areas, and time, and include plastic particles representing a diversity of polymer types and colors. The study also aims to prove that the CNN model is a reliable classification tool that can be used in further research. Both qualitative and quantitative contributions are expected that will facilitate environmental management.
The rationale for designing the framework for Waste Diversion Program in Ontario, Canada is to improve waste management efforts through diversion activities. This is vital for the program because the framework will allow the evaluator to determine what the Waste Diversion Program has achieved in Ontario within a specified period. Moreover, data obtained will help in understanding and describing the program processes. It would help key stakeholders to develop the best methods to improve solid waste management in Ontario, as well as improve the entire program.
The major aim of this framework is to ensure that Ontario enhances quality, effectiveness and efficiency in the Waste Diversion Program. Therefore, decision-makers (local government and other private waste management bodies) in the Waste Diversion Program in Ontario will not make any uninformed decisions about program evaluation processes. The framework will provide all the necessary steps.
The program focuses on Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). These are mainly trash or garbage, which come from residential areas, factories, institutions, and commercial entities among others. Such waste materials could be paint, newspapers, glass materials, plastic bottles, and e-waste materials.
Incinerators, landfills, and other traditional methods of managing waste materials are no longer effective as Ontario City generates huge amounts of wastes. Consequently, it is hard pressed to look for alternative ways of managing waste materials, particularly solid wastes and other hazardous wastes. This calls for effective disposal of wastes through planning and controlling them in economical and environmentally friendly manner.
Therefore, Ontario opted for a Waste Diversion Program. Waste diversion aims to reduce the volume of wastes for landfill.
By the early 1980s, Ontario had already started to grapple with a crisis of managing solid wastes due to limited capacities of landfill. This resulted into initiatives to promote recycling through business and community efforts. Such strategies focused on changing the laws and regulations on soft drinks.
Ontario focuses on industrial, commercial, and institutional domains to facilitate waste diversion. These are the major waste generators in Ontario. These domains or divisions have significant responsibilities in managing and diverting wastes in Ontario. They rely on the 3Rs (Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling) strategies to reduce the amount of solid waste materials that go into landfills.
In addition, there have been several initiatives to encourage waste diversion through regulatory frameworks, technical and financial aid, public education, and manufacturing of recyclable materials. Therefore, Ontario focused on industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors to enhance waste management plans, keep data, and audit their waste management activities. These are fundamental data, which help the government to understand waste dynamics in Ontario, develop policies, and allocate resources based on them.
In 2010, Ontario disposed only 9,247,415 tones of wastes in landfills and diverted a small percentage, which declined by six percent relative to the year 2008 (Statistics Canada, 2013).
A logic mode of the Waste Diversion Program
The Logic Model: Waste Diversion Program in Ontario Canada.
The logic model indicates several aspects of the cause-effect relationship involved in waste management and diversion efforts. These are resources and activities, which are responsible for bringing about the presumed waste diversion efforts and the success of the Waste Diversion Program and management in Ontario.
The logic model would allow the local government and other stakeholders to improve on the program and focus on it. The logic model would show assumptions about the Waste Diversion Program effectiveness and offer a frame of reference for evaluators as they strive to account for all variables (McDavid, Huse and Hawthorn, 2013). At the same time, details in the logic model shall act as a basis for assessing other aspects of the Waste Diversion Program, which might be difficult to measure directly. For instance, it may be simple to evaluate the overall impacts of reduction in pollution from known sources if the interventions are effective and rely on prior understanding of effective programs.
This logic model would recognize technical aspects of waste management and diversion efforts due to their multiple relations and several stakeholders. Therefore, several diverse activities will be a part of the logic model. The evaluator will clarify several sources of information into residential and non-residential. This would provide a well-rounded account of the program. The evaluator would conduct a further discussion with different stakeholders to establish the accuracy of the Waste Diversion Program in Ontario. While it will be imperative to observe current activities on waste diversion, the evaluator would review historical data to establish changes in the Waste Diversion Program within a reasonable period. The program evaluation shall focus on other factors, such as job creation, political efforts, local and private investments, community participation and other variables with significant impacts on the program outcomes.
The research design
The program design would facilitate effective uses of available resources while addressing issues of critical interests to program stakeholders.
The evaluator would use a scientific research method to assess the Waste Diversion Program in Ontario. The method would ensure that only reliable data are collected to address stakeholders concerns i.e., the selected method would account for primary users of the report, its use and questions. On this note, a longitudinal study method would be adopted by using several historical data to set up a comparison between selected periods. This form of observational study shall be simple to implement and compare changes over the selected periods. It would involve a retrospective study in which the evaluator would go back in waste management records to look for trends since the inception of the Waste Diversity Program. The method would not manipulate any variables.
The method will offer an effective approach of comparing variables over specified time. However, the nature of the study might not allow for any randomization. Thus, there is no freedom to choose subjects for the study. At the same time, it would be difficult to determine any other confounding variables, which could affect waste management program in Ontario within the periods chosen. Therefore, a lack of randomization may confound study results. To account for such weaknesses in the design, the evaluator would consider several aspects.
First, the evaluator will define the study purpose clearly. This would eliminate any possible haste in decision-making on how the program evaluation should run. The main purpose of this program evaluation would be to provide insights that may be used to change waste diversion practices in Ontario. Moreover, it would show achievements and challenges over specified periods. Therefore, the evaluator shall use results to describe waste diversion processes, enhance waste diversion activities and improve the overall program strategies. The evaluation results will facilitate quality improvement, program effectiveness and efficiency.
Second, the evaluator will define evaluation questions to mark the limit for the study by clarifying specific aspects of the Waste Diversion Program that shall be addressed. Developing specific evaluation questions will allow various stakeholders to identify critical areas of the program, which they consider important and require responses. The process would involve negotiation and prioritization of questions among various stakeholders to ensure that the design process accounts for critical elements. This process may expose diverse views of stakeholders.
Third, the design process will account for users of the evaluation report. Design processes could have direct effects on users of the evaluation report. Stakeholders involvement would ensure that the evaluator understands the intended use of the evaluation report, prioritize questions and avoid any possible bias or irrelevant contents.
Fourth, the evaluation design will account for uses of the results. This refers to specifics ways in which data collected and the generated report would help in improving the program. The evaluator shall avoid vague terms to enhance usability of results. This might improve chances of addressing specific needs of the program. The evaluator would plan uses of the report based on the intended and prioritized needs of stakeholder while taking into account developments in waste diversion efforts in Ontario. All uses of the report could reflect diverse nature of stakeholders in waste management.
The measures to operationalize the main constructs in the evaluation of the program
The evaluator will use existing data from Statistics Canadas database on waste management industry surveys for the specified periods (see the attached sample of data source for evaluation). These are data, which focus on both government and private sectors in waste management across different cities in Canada. This implies that study variables are already defined.
Some the indicators would include:
Wastes disposed
Waste per capita
Tones of wastes diverted
Changes in percentages in the rates of diversion
Capital expenditures and revenues
Types of wastes disposed
Waste management methods
The number of businesses and employees
These are variables, which highlight changes in waste management activities and could be important in explaining such activities over a long period to determine the effectiveness of the Waste Diversion Program in Ontario.
It would be important to evaluate the validity and reliability of the existing data. Collected data need to be reliable and valid to present expected outcomes. Determining reliability of such data involves conducting an assessment to establish reliability of the study data. The aim is to ensure that data collected are consistent with what they are designed to measure. Moreover, the evaluator must follow correct methodical procedures in testing and evaluating to make outcomes useful for the program improvement.
The evaluator shall establish the validity of the data by reviewing it with a panel of experts on waste management and diversion activities and performing some few tests. The process will determine the validity of the collected data. In other words, data gathered for evaluation must reflect aspects of waste management and diversion. They must also represent the study content, be suitable for various participants and comprehensive enough to answer all program issues.
Relaibility and validity of the collected data may provide several advantages to evaluators. For instance, data gathered should reflect ease of use through their highly structured patterns. This offers simplicity for evaluators during data quantification. The evalautor would retrieve relevant data and perform analysis with computer-based programs, which shall provide simple analysis processes and quick results with minimal errors. The strategy would rely on a taxonomic approach to enhance a comparison between periods. Overall, the evaluator will seek to prove that all collected data are consistent in the entire study periods. Consistency must account for different aspects of waste management and diversion. This would ensure that data analysis provides reliable and valid results.
The evaluator would use the program logic model to develop evaluation indicators or variables. The logic model would define the scope of indicators based on the identified program activities to expected long-term outcomes. It is imperative to align both qualitative and quantitative variables with the logic model, question concepts, available data and intended uses for the evaluation report. This will allow the evaluator to notice any changes in the performance of the Waste Diversion Program.
The main source of data would be public data on waste management from Statistics Canada. The evaluator believes that Statistics Canada has the most relevant public data on waste management activities across different areas in Canada. While the source may be adequate for the program evaluation, the evaluator may also consider other available sources to provide information for different indicators. Different sources of information shall offer an opportunity to include diverse views about the Waste Diversion Program. This would enhance the program credibility. Other sources of information for the study might include comments from the program team. Such comments could provide equally relevant ideas, which might not be within the existing database. Therefore, a combination of different perspectives will provide an inclusive outcome for the program. The evaluator will clearly state the criteria for determining data relevance so that stakeholders can provide their inputs.
Any statistical methods for interpreting the data gathered
Data analysis will involve descriptive analysis. The researcher shall identify all data suitable for tabulation and those for charts, graphs, frequency tables, percentage distribution and inferences.
The evaluator will use data analysis and synthesis to find and summarize the findings from the evaluated program. Data analysis shall ensure that all relevant patterns are identified and then synthesized to provide the overall picture of waste diversion activities in Ontario. The process of data analysis may involve working on separate key indicators and then bringing them together to provide patterns for inferences.
The evaluator will organize, compare, classify and highlight data so that the outcomes can provide facts. The overall outcomes must reflect the evaluation objective, questions, data types and other relevant information from different perspectives, which shall be a part of the study.
The evaluator would interpret the results in order to determine what findings means to stakeholders and waste diversion activities in Ontario. The evaluator will need adequate facts from historical data on waste management to draw an evaluative conclusion on the program. At the same time, the evaluator will assess evidence and interpret it to identify practical importance of the outcomes and learned elements from the program. Interpretation of evaluation outcomes shall require assessment and consideration of all facts and information drawn from all stakeholders.
Recommendations
The evaluator shall make recommendations based on the evaluation results. Therefore, stakeholders will understand what the program has achieved with specified resources.
Recommendations will consider organizational contexts so that the expected future outcomes match resource constraints and other potential issues during program improvement.
The costs of completing the evaluation
Type of expenditure
Amount
Notes
Lead consultant
$ 90,000
$ 300 per hour The project will run for 5 hours per day for 60 days
Assistant personnel
$ 45,000
Assistant will receive not more than half of the lead consultants pay
Materials and supplies
$ 5000
These would include office supplies, postage and meals for the team during meetings
Computers and related software
$ 8000
Two good computers with software that can support massive data and data processing
Travel
$ 3000
All expenses involving travels, such as pre-evaluation meeting, mid-evaluation, follow ups and conference presentation
Project total amount
$ 151,000
Project budget for May and June 2014
Summary
A program evaluation is an important method of determining if a program works or not. It acts as an effective tool for understanding performances of public initiatives, enhancing the existing Waste Diversion Program and other related waste management efforts. Moreover, program evaluation allows stakeholders to account for their investments through evaluation outcomes.
With the growing waste production and generation in Ontario, the program evaluation will show and draw attention on the common purpose of the local authority initiatives on waste management and demonstrate whether magnitudes of both public and private investments in waste management match the demand for such services.
The program evaluation framework relies on the best practices and standards in order to improve waste management practices. It offers a strong practical approach to the program evaluation methods. Hence, the outcomes would be reliable and valid.
This program framework shall guide the evaluation processes of the Waste Diversion Program in Ontario. Evaluators may also apply it in other settings because of its general principles and standard guidelines. Moreover, this evaluation framework will provide specific approaches to the Waste Diversion Program in Ontario because it shows relevant variables and further operationalize specific approaches to indicators.
Therefore, the recommended program evaluation framework is one that Ontario local authority and other stakeholders in waste management can rely on to enhance and account for their solid municipal waste management and waste diversion efforts.
References
McDavid, J. C., Huse, I., and Hawthorn, L. R. L. (2013). Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement: An Introduction to Practice (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc. Web.
Statistics Canada. (2013). Waste Management Industry Survey: Business and Government Sectors, 2010. Ottawa: Minister of Industry. Web.
Thesis: Despite the existing environmental and human losses connected with fracking and offshore drilling, the government cannot neglect its political, financial, and employment benefits, thus promoting new plans and thoroughly analyzing profits and failures.
Bailey, R. (2014). Offshore drilling remains a risk worth taking. In T. Thompson (Ed.), Oil spills: Current controversies. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. Web.
In his article, Bailey focuses on the benefits and shortages of offshore drilling from the point of view of economics and society. On the one hand, it is hard to ignore the necessity of drilling as it is associated with the conveniences that are critical for modern people. Besides, $323 billion productions ($50 per barrel with 10 billion barrels offshore) is an evident advantage. On the other hand, the author underlines that this industry is dangerous for people due to the lack of a safe prevention system. Offshore drilling continues taking human lives and creating environmental hazards. This article makes a solid contribution to discussing the influence of oil drilling and the development of commodities for people. Although the price of human life is high, scientists cannot ignore the importance of the industry. Therefore, the analysis of risks should help increase safety issues and find the required trade-offs.
Calma describes the event known as the Deepwater Horizon that happened on the evening of April 20th, 2010. That night took 11 human lives, and 200 million oil gallons spewed out into the water. The marine ecosystem and economies were harmed, which questioned the necessity of offshore drilling in the region. The supporters of drilling admit that deepwater promotes free cash flow, and the more people dig, the more they find, including greater pressure and resistance. However, the problem was not connected to the nature of drilling activities but the level of employees preparedness to work with such volumes of oil. Therefore, this article fits the current research about the main characteristics of drilling and the choice of the position in regard to this sphere. Drilling may be dangerous, but these fears should not touch upon the production of oil but the quality of human knowledge and its application in practice.
At this moment, the citizens of the United States are involved in multiple discussions about the necessity to decrease drilling or make it stay as it is. Using this idea as a background for their article, Fears and Clement investigate the situation, using the results of a national public opinion poll. People shared their attitudes in a variety of ways, depending on the areas of drilling reduction (federal lands 51%, offshore 53%, and both 32%). However, there are also the individuals who supported drilling, considering the possibility for America to decrease its dependence on imports and create new working places. This article is necessary for the current study as it provides the opinions of local citizens, as well as the government, about the pros and cons of drilling. Regarding the existing outcomes, drilling remains a serious issue for discussion, and the analysis of quantitative data may serve as credible evidence.
Freeman, B. (2014). Fracking is not harmful to the environment. In L. M. Zott (Ed.), The environment: Opposing viewpoints. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. Web.
Freeman states that the American government is interested in the creation of special conditions to achieve offshore drilling energy independence in the future. The usage of hydraulic fracturing to improve the productivity and quality of drilling is frequently discussed today. The author finds out that the fracturing treatment is not associated with drinking water contamination due to the existing construction requirements and the offered equipment. Instead of accusing the drillers of pollution and the promotion of negative environmental effects, it is high time for opponents to improve their knowledge about the nature of drilling and its actual worth for society. Despite a number of controversies associated with fracking, this article is based on the idea of drilling harmlessness. If people are aware of the techniques and guidelines and standards, they make offshore drilling safe and beneficial. Therefore, Freemans work must be used in research to understand the value of drilling.
When people discuss offshore drilling, they should identify all the aspects of the industry. During the last several years, Trumps drilling plan is analyzed in terms of its impact on society, animals, the environment, and the economy. Zachos combines the challenges and advantages of offshore drilling and describes the essence of the drilling plan supported by the government. While coastal tourism and fishing experience losses, drilling brings high revenues. Focusing on the history of opposition and the intention to promote an independent industry, it becomes clear why the United States does not have a clear attitude toward drilling and fracking. In addition to the two-sided nature of drilling debates, the worth of this article is the relation between the energy industry and other spheres like tourism or recreation. Further research on drilling activities in the United States will benefit from the findings made by Zachos and Trumps drilling plan promotion.
Literature review entails texts authored by a writer or research to evaluate the critical aspects of a given subject. In this literature review, we consider the ecology of American black bear. Scientifically, black bear is called Ursus americanus. The species belongs to the Family Ursidae. Family Ursidae is separated into a number of other sub-family groups. The giant panda and the spectacled bear fit in a unique sub-family. They are the least meticulously connected to the black bear. The brown, Asiatic and Polar bears are meticulously connected to the black bear. The black bear is not necessarily black. The colors range from cinnamon chocolate and grey-azure. Occasionally, the black bears are white in color. In essence, the white bears are known as Kermode bears.
Main Body
Geographical distribution
American black bears are prevalent in North America. They are not found in any other continent. Historically, the black bear was spread across all the forested parts of eastern North America. This includes the Appalachian Mountains. During the 20th century, unregulated hunting and loss of habitat led to the complete wiping out throughout most of the eastern North America (Laliaberte & Ripple 2004). Although the black bear continues to be absent in parts of the historically-occupied environment, the populations have been observed to be on the rise. In the last few decades, the species have been reoccupying a number of states. Black bears are adaptive in nature. The distribution of the black bears in the entire continent centuries ago demonstrates this fact. They occupied 49 of the 50 states (Tredick & Vaughan 2009).
Hawaii was the only exemption. The species also occupied all the ten Canadian provinces. Modernly, they no longer live in Prince Edward Island. Additionally, they are completely wiped out or almost so in about fifteen states they originally occupied in the United States (Sayler 2006).
Pattern of distribution
Notwithstanding that the number of black bears has been increasing in the last few decades, some states are not inhabited by a single black bear. This is largely due to diminishing habitat arising from human activity. It has been observed that the extinction of the black bear in these states is not necessarily due to poaching. The bears migrate involuntarily to other states according to the American Bear Association (1993). The table below indicates the states which the black bears initially occupied in large numbers.
How individuals are distributed
The determination of the number of black bears in a specific region is a challenging task according to American Bear Association (1993). The association associates the difficult to the nature of black bears. Bears are difficult to find considering their shyness and elusiveness. Furthermore, bears may wander extensive distances during summer while looking for food. Inherently, the ephemeral behavior transfers the bears transversely across geographical borders. The phenomenon makes it difficult for agencies to attain a precise approximation of the bear numbers. According to Gary Brown (1993), it is supposed that the number of black bears at the arrival of European settlers was more than half a million bears wandering the continent. Contemporarily, the number has increased irrespective of the fact that the bears have lost a substantial tract of their historic habitat. Estimates indicate that there were about 725,000 black bears across the continent by the year 1993. Given the high rate of reproduction of the species, there may be more than a million black bears wandering the continent.
Major habitats
Black bears live in forests, wetlands and tundra across the eastern and northerly areas of North America. In other regions such as the Pacific Northwest, the bears inhabit the edges of towns and urban outskirts. In areas where the bears live near people, they are known to break into stores and cars when searching food. These areas have lesser natural foods for the bears resulting in the queer behavior. This indicates that black bears are adjustable to a variety of habitations but are more inclined towards forests (Klappenbach 2014). In areas such as Florida, black bears occupation range has been decreased to six main areas. They can be found in any part of Florida. However, they prefer a combination of low woods, undergrowth oak edges, cove heads and hammock areas. The area where the black bears inhabit due to adequate supply of food, water and hiding place is referred to as home range.
Habitat components
Typically, black bears are intimidated by humans. They hence prefer living in natural settings such as forests and swamps where human activity is limited. In their natural settings, the black bears inhabit areas with adequate supply of berries. They are good tree climbers with powerful claws. The feature enables the black bears to survive in areas where logs are available for insects to thrive. Additionally, there must be sufficient supply of leaves to supplement the diet. Black bears are known to rip beehives apart and consume the larvae and the honey. The areas that black bears voluntarily inhabit due to adequate supply of all the essentials can be easily identified. These home ranges comprises of a central bear population. The movement of the bears when clandestinely observed is free. Additionally, there is indication of reproduction underscored by the presence of dens (Frary et al. 2011).
Bearing in mind that black bears are forest dwellers, they may be found in large numbers in deciduous, coniferous or mixed forests. They are found in these forests from between sea-level and ten thousand feet above sea level. The home ranges are characterized by dense undergrowth. The forest is identifiable by plentiful availability of fruit and nut-yielding trees.
Foods eaten
Typically, black bears mostly feed on berries as the favorite food. They augment the diet with nuts, grass and meat. They also include insects for protein supply in shortage of meat. The black bears have also been observed to nibble herbs when they are not too hungry to look for larger food supplies. They climb trees with ease in search of berries and favorite leaves. They are good swimmers and occasionally eat fish.
Timing and pattern of production
Black bears are not actual hibernators. They experience what is referred to as winter lethargy. This is a period when the bears have the least activity. The period arises due to a variety of factors. These include reproductive status, accessibility of food and temperature variations. The breeding period lasts between June and July. They have a distinct breeding version referred to as delayed implantation. The ovum is fertilized during summer.
However, it is not implanted in the uterine walls immediately. It stays in the fallopian tube until November. The health condition of the mother determines whether or not the fertilized egg will be implanted. Poor health leads to reabsorption of the egg or miscarriage occurs. A healthy female black bear often deliver a larger brood. The interrupted food availability due to winter ensures that the bear does not produce more cubs than she can feed. The gestation period for black bears is 8 to 12 weeks. The cubs are tiny at birth compared to the size of a mature bare. They weigh between 220 to 450 grams. This is as small as a squirrel.
Pregnant black bears hibernate for the whole winter. The cubs require being born in a den. Consequently, the females choose highly protected areas whenever possible. These include thick bushes, tree hollows or fallen woods according to Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation Commission (2014). The cubs are born with a smooth hairy coat. A healthy female may deliver up to four cubs. They stay in the lair until spring. They are under the protection of the mother for one and a half years. In the second summer after birth, the youngsters stroll. The mother is ready to breed again. The young males are required to move away from the mothers neighborhood. The young females may establish a territory within or intersecting the mothers.
Home range
Depending on place, period, food accessibility, the number of bears in an area, the gender and age of the bear, the home range varies. Typically, the home range of a male is wider compared to a female bear. Every males home range often intersects that of several other females. When the area has poor supply of the bears essentials, the home range has to be increased for the bear to get enough of the supplies. These include water and food.
Conservation
Research indicates that the number of black bears has been increasing. They are gradually reoccupying several states that they had become extinct (Pelton et al 1998). The authors indicate that the peculiar increase pattern of the species contradicts the generalized pattern of decline among the worlds seven other bear species. The recolonizing of remarkable range by the black species demonstrates enhanced resource management. It also reflects growing tolerance among people in these areas. However, the reclamation of any large omnivore institutes the probability of human/wildlife contact and conflict (MacKenzie 2006).
Conserving bears is not always challenging. Black bears are not particularly territorial. However, research indicates that some females can be overly territorial. In such a case, intrusion is violently resisted. The resistance may even result in serious injuries. The smaller size of the female home range allows them to keenly observe the activities and the inhabitants. On the other hand, it is almost unimaginable for a male black bear to effectively protect a large home range measuring hundreds square miles. They instead forgo the aspect of territory but ensure supremacy hierarchy to maintain social order. They declare their presence through scent marking.
This includes biting trees and urinating. It has been observed that black bears assemble in places with sufficient food supplies without fighting. This makes it easier to create conservancies for the protection of the animal. Such areas include the Pacific Northwest where there is abundant salmon supply. Other places include garbage dump sites. Fights among black bears may flare up occasionally. However, need for food supersedes that inherent fear of one another (Royle & MacKenzie 2005).
Population management
The number of black bears in North America is overwhelming. The number continues to increase annually. The habitat is reducing rapidly due to human activity. There is high potential for conflict to arise between human, black bears and the wildlife in generally. Consequently, there is dire need for the population of the black bears to be managed. Although contentious, the use of contraceptives and sterilizing methods can be effective as substitutes for the contemporary methods of culling. Immuno-contraception may be an option for population management of black bear population (Paetkau 2003). The method utilizes bodys immune reaction to avert pregnancy. According to Bear Smart Society, it has previously been used on a variety of wildlife species including horses, deer and Ilamas. Similarly, it has been used to control black bear population in South Dakota (Liu 2014).
The advantage of this population management method is that it is non-invasive. The method is alleged to be effective especially when managing black bear population in suburbs and urban peripheries considering that female bears are aggressive when they are protecting cubs. The use of the immune-contraception method of managing bear population therefore reduces human/bear conflict.
Conclusion
Although they are called black bears, colors may range from black to cinnamon chocolate, grey-azure and even white. They mainly depend on berries, nuts, pastures, meat, and creepy-crawly larvae. They are respectable tree climbers and swimmers. They are very intellectual and nosy. These are some of the aspects that need to be understood in managing black bear environments. It is also imperative to note that they can run up to 55 kilometers per hour. Notably, they can go without food for seven months during hibernation. They normally deliver 2 to 3 cubs every two years. They can live over 25 years in the wild. They are characteristically shy and certainly panicky making them dangerous.
References
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MacKenzie, D 2006 Modeling the probability of use: the effect of, and dealing with detecting a species imperfectly, Journal of Wildlife Management, vol. 70. no. 2, 367-374. Web.
Paetkau, D 2003 An empirical exploration of data quality in DNA-based population inventories, Molecular Ecology, vol. 12. no. 6, 1375-1387. Web.
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Sayler, K 2006, Contemporary land cover change in the central Appalachians Eco-region. Web.
Tredick, C & Vaughan, M 2009 DNA-based population demographics of black bears in coastal North Carolina and Virginia, Journal of Wildlife Management, vol. 73. no. 7, 1031-1039. Web.
