Energy Sources and Alternative Energy Essay

Experiment 1: The Effects of Coal Mining Table 1: pH of Water Samples Water Sample Initial pH Final pH (24-48 hours) Pyrite 5 5 Activated Carbon 5 7 Water 5 5 POST LAB QUESTIONS 1. Develop hypotheses predicting the effect of pyrite and coal on the acidity of water? a. Pyrite hypothesis = If pyrite is added to water, it will make the water more acidic. b. Coal hypothesis = If the activated carbon is added to the water, it will make the water more acidic. 2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept each hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this. a. Pyrite hypothesis accept/reject = The hypothesis was rejected as no change occurred in pH levels after testing the sample with a pH strip b. Coal hypothesis accept/reject = The hypothesis was rejected as the pH level rose  from 5 to 7 after testing the sample with a pH strip, which would indicate a rise in alkalinity. 3. Based on your data, what effect do you predict coal mining has on the environment? Answer = Based upon the data collected, there does seem to be a small effect on the environment, however, based upon knowledge of the subject, coal mining can and does have a significant adverse effect on the environment. 4. What can be done to prevent mine drainage from damaging the ecosystem? Utilize at least one scholarly resource to support your suggestions. Answer = Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the more serious environmental problems in the mining industry. AMD is the major pollutant of surface waters in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States (US EPA, 2006). The formation of AMD is a very complex chemical and microbial process, and usually occurs where deep excavations, such as those associated with coal mining, expose unweathered pyritic materials. Water contaminated by AMD on permitted sites where mining has occurred must be treated to remove dissolved metals and raise pH. Millions of dollars are spent to treat this water and the interaction of these metals with each other and their removal from water are important areas of study (US EPA 2006). Water is the basic transport for contaminants, and consequently most measures at limiting acid formation use migration control and are concerned with the control of water flow (EPA 2006). To help out local ecosystems, water entry into the site of acid formation may be controlled by: 1. Diversion of surface water flowing towards the site of pollution; 2. Prevention of groundwater infiltration into the pollution site; 3. Prevention of hydrological water seepage into the affected areas; and 4. Controlled placement of acid-generating waste. (EPA 2006). Experiment 2: Solar Energy Table 2: Solar Energy Experiment Results Environmental Descriptor/Variable Observations (Each should be compared against direct subnlight) Weather of the Day Mostly Sunny with some clouds Motor speed in direct sunlight Very Fast Motor speed at 45 degree angle Very Fast Motor speed under reflectors Very Fast Motor speed with 25% shaded Very Fast Motor speed with 50% shaded Medium to fast Motor speed with 75% shaded Very Slow Motor speed under red filtration Fast Motor speed under blue filtration Fast Motor speed under green filtration Fast Motor speed under yellow filtration Fast Post-Lab Questions 1. Develop hypotheses predicting the efficiency of solar energy from direct sunlight against the 4 variables tested? Direct vs indirect hypothesis = If exposed to direct sunlight, the motor will move faster than indirectly exposed Direct vs reflected hypothesis = If exposed to reflected sunlight, in addition to direct sunlight, the motor will move faster than only exposed directly Direct vs shaded hypothesis =Upon shading the solar panel, the more than panel is shaded, the slower the  motor will move (EX. At 25% shaded the motor will go slower than completely exposed-medium, at 50% shaded, the motor will go slow, at 75% shaded the motor will go very slow Direct vs filtered hypothesis = Upon filtering the motor with the different shades of cellophane, the motor will go slower 2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept each hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this. Direct vs indirect accept/reject =Rejected. The motor was just as fast when the solar panel was set up at a 45 degree angle Direct vs reflected accept/reject = Accepted. When the foil was reflected at the solar panel, the motor moved faster. Direct vs shaded accept/reject = At 25% shading-Rejected-The motor moved just as fast as when the solar panel was completely exposed to sunlight. At 50%-Accepted-The motor moved slower than when the solar panel was completely exposed to sunlight (speed medium to fast) At 75%-Accepted-The motor moved very slow compared to when the solar panel was completely exposed to sunlight (Very slow) Direct vs filtered accept/reject = Rejected-Upon being covered by the red, yellow, green, and blue cellophane, the motor moved the same as in direct sunlight 3. Does increased exposure to the sun’s light produce more current? Explain how you know this based on your data. Answer = YES. The more exposure the solar panel had to the sun, the faster the motor moved. Through a variety of trials with the solar panel and exposure to the sun, it was determined that the more exposure the solar panel had, the faster the motor moved. 4. How could you increase the electricity generated by a solar cell during the day, when the sun’s angle is constantly changing? Answer = One could increase the electricity generated by a solar cell during the day while the sun’s angle was constantly changing would be either to move the panels (use ones that can be adjusted) to coincide with the movement of the sun, use adjustable mirrors or other reflective devices to  reflect directly on the solar cells, or both of these options. 5. Based on your data, could adding filters to solar panels increase the solar energy produced? Explain how you know this. Answer = Upon the data I collected, none of the filters actually INCREASED the amount of solar energy produced, so I would say no. References. Acid Mine Drainage. (2006). EPA. Retrieved August 2, 2013, from http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/acid_mine.cfm

Customs Union

Outline I. Introduction Thesis statement: The Customs Union for Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus is a purposeful union, which serves to meet several aims. II. Body A. In the light of common aspiration to the WTO accession, it is worth of examining why preference of states was given to multilateral over preferential trade. B. The idea of the multilateral cooperation and creation of a common economic space, elimination of borders and regional integration is not new in the post-Soviet space. 1. â€Å"Putinomics† an attempt of Putin to bring back Soviet Union and Russian supremacy; 2. â€Å"Eurasian Union† similar to â€Å"ASEAN†;C. In theory, customs unions are created to eliminate the trade barriers and decrease customs obligations between several states. 1. It requires confidence in partners and share of responsibilities; 2. single economic region; D. There are many different assumptions why Customs Union was created. 1. supremacy of Russia over the territory of th e former Soviet states; 2. a strategic step in the WTO accession; 3. reduction of Chinese influence and prevent massive imports of Chinese goods; 4. beneficial for entrepreneurs and domestic production enterprises; 5. fair competition; 6. ffective legal protection against corrupt schemes and fraud mechanisms; E. Several other post-Soviet neighboring states were also invited to join the club. 1. The Ukraine; 2. Tajikistan; 3. Kyrgyzstan; F. It is noteworthy of saying that pre-existing Customs Union trade relations and economic ties cannot be described as dynamic ones. 1. statistical numbers; G. An interesting observation is that â€Å"with few exceptions, all the countries bordering the Western fringes of the former Soviet Union have intensified their trade relations with the European Union as well as with China, whose importance in Central Asian trade has been growing. . statistical data; H. Official Astana firmly defended its position on the Customs Union accession, and denied any political motivations behind the membership of the alliance with Russia and Belarus. 1. a unified customs territory would make Kazakhstan even more attractive for foreign investors; 2. geopolitical position, as the largest land-locked country; 3. access to global markets; 4. expand trade with Russia and China; 5. diversity of economy through technological and service advances; I. Belarusian position toward the Customs Union brought many obstacles. 1. â€Å"arm-twisting† politics of the Kremlin; 2. Russian pressure;J. At first it seemed that Russia benefited from creation of the Customs Union more than others, as it has the largest market and biggest production industries. 1. diversification of opinions; K. What does the World Trade Organization is? 1. a network of agreements; 2. a single system, which regulates trade relations of members; 3. advantages and requirements; L. The decision to create the Customs Union between three states could signal willingness to engage in dee per cooperation and integration, and thus, the WTO accession provides access to more states willing to cooperate and a platform for finding new â€Å"friends†. . advantages and disadvantages of being a member of WTO; M. Russia was the only Security Council and G8 member not on the WTO, thus its accession was a requirement to be fully admitted as one of the superpowers. 1. further policy of Russia toward Kazakhstan and Belarus; III. Conclusion Creation of the Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan caused a lot of debates about why these countries are forming the union, what are the benefits that they get and why exactly these states?First of all, I would like to define the meaning of â€Å"Customs Union†. According to Business Dictionary â€Å"Customs Union is an agreement  between two or more (usually neighboring)  countries to remove  trade barriers, and reduce or eliminate  customs duty on  mutual trade. A customs union (unlike a  free trad e area) generally imposes a  common external-tariff (CTF) on  imports from non-member countries and (unlike a  common market) generally does not allow  free  movement of  capital and  labor among member countries† (Business Dictionary. com, n. d. ).In part, debates were around preference of regional over multilateral trade, as for many years Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan aspired to join the World Trade Organization (WTO); therefore, creation of the Customs Union was at first seen as an alternative to the WTO accession. However, just after the ratification of the Customs Union charter and all relevant agreements, Russia joins WTO club and leaves the rest to wonder what is going to happen to the Customs Union. The Customs Union for Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus is a purposeful union, which serves to meet several aims.In the light of common aspiration to the WTO accession, it is worth of examining why preference of states was given to multilateral over preferenti al trade. In particular what pre-conditions existed prior to the Customs Union creation that inspired Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to create the Union and what benefits it provided that three states could not obtain by joining the WTO only? The idea of the multilateral cooperation and creation of a common economic space, elimination of borders and regional integration is not new in the post-Soviet space.Adelaja (2012) asserts that a number of political scientists and former Soviet Republics believe in so called â€Å"Putinomics† – an attempt of Putin to bring back Soviet Union and Russian supremacy (p. 1). It is difficult to label the Customs Union creation an attempt to bring back the Soviet Union and expansion of the Russian authority over the territory of the former Soviet states. However, the countries are clearly bound by the common past that unlike others (Ukraine, Turkmenistan) makes Kazakhstan and Belarus seek for cooperation with Russia. According to Eurasia n Union (n. d. , another regional cooperation the idea of â€Å"Eurasian Union† belongs to Nursultan Nazarbaev, the idea is to create a union similar to ASEAN (p. 3). After collapse of the Soviet Union, states tend to isolate themselves from their post-Soviet neighbors and especially from Russia. In part, it happens due to unwillingness to cooperate with possibly depending neighbors and also due to the aspiration to get rid of rudiments of the Soviet centralized economy that intentionally established mutual dependence of the Union states. Thus, existing regional organizations are not effective in terms of policy implementation.CIS and EurAsEC could become a platform for negotiations and decision making over regional integration. However, states are reluctant to give up their sovereignty and create supranational body authorized to decide on behalf of its member states. Instead, states were defining their foreign policies depending on national interest and regional integration was not one of them. Thus, Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan could become first real and effectively operating regional cooperation body, where states would indeed execute provisions of signed agreements and declarations.In theory, customs unions are created to eliminate the trade barriers and decrease customs obligations between several states. It requires confidence in partners and share of responsibilities. Initially, the Customs Union was created and signed by Kazakhstan and Russia. Belarus was negotiating its interests with Russia and postponed ratification of the agreement until July 2011. To illustrate the advantages of the union, official media was speculating with huge market that the Customs Union opens for three states. The union has a population of 167 million, a total GDP of USD 2 trillion and goods turnover of USD 900 billion. The aim of the Customs Union is to create a single economic region and eliminate the state borders and to facilitate the free dom of movement† (Krotov, 2010, p. 1). According to Prajakti and Varadzhakov (2012), further to demonstrate that the Customs Union brings advantages not only to Russia, official media reported Kazakhstan agriculture and steel sectors will benefit from newly introduced import duties for non-Customs Union member states (p. ). In addition, Kazakh and Belarus obtained access to Russian labor market. In general, the Customs Union agreements should have improved quality of goods, increase competition and help diversify economies of three states. There are many different assumptions why Customs Union was created. Some see hidden agenda and conspiracy behind creation of the union. Opponents of the Customs Union claim that it only benefits Russia and establishes its supremacy over the territory of the former Soviet states.Zlatkin (2012) comments that opponents also interpret Belarus unwillingness to join the union as a rebellion against Russia, and say that in the end Belarus was force d to join the union. Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus (2012) Russian supporters say that the creation of the Customs Union was a strategic step in the WTO accession, as it was obvious that Russia will become a member first and then it will promote its partners in the WTO accession (p. 1). In the end, they add that Russia needs reliable partners and friends in the WTO and promotion of Kazakhstan and Belarus interests still benefits Russia.Russia, Belarus, Kazakh (2012) claim that the Customs Union was created to reduce Chinese influence and prevent massive imports of Chinese goods (p. 1). Other reasons are less sophisticated and mostly indicate economic benefits that three states obtain from participation in the union. â€Å"Eurasian Development Bank study released, that the effects of economic integration of 2011 – 2030 will reach 14% of gross domestic product of Belarus, 3. 5% in Kazakhstan, and Russia (2%)† (Russia, Belarus, Kazakh, 2012, p. ). The Customs Union was also said to be beneficial for entrepreneurs and domestic production enterprises, as they got greater market access, fair competition and effective legal protection against corrupt schemes and fraud mechanisms. Decreased trade barriers should have contributed to the free movement of goods and services between three countries, and improved quality of products. Russia, Belarus, Kazakh (2012) states that in total, Customs Union opened access to about 170 million consumers (p. ). Several other post-Soviet neighboring states were also invited to join the club. In particular they were Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan. None of three Central Asian countries have fully considered and started the Customs Union accession negotiations. Ukraine was assessing and comparing its benefits from the Customs Union versus WTO accession, as well as waiting for the decision on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with the European Union.Adilaja (2012) asserts that in a while, official Kiev pr eferred to abandon its plans on the Customs Union accession negotiations, saying that this will destroy its ongoing negotiations with the European Union. According to Russia’s Inevitable (2012) asserts that for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, membership in the Custom Union would have brought access to the labor market and increase cooperation in the field of the energy resources supply with Russia and Kazakhstan (p. 2).Although, Kyrgyzstan is currently a member of the WTO, its historical ties and economic dependency on Russian energy resources contributed to its willingness to join another union with Russia. It is noteworthy of saying that pre-existing Customs Union trade relations and economic ties cannot be described as dynamic ones. â€Å"European Union Institute for Security Studies describes trade relations between Customs Union member states prior to the Customs Union creation. In particular, share of intra-CU trade to the total amount of trade of CU-member states within th ree years prior to CU creation.Thus, 48. 1% of Belarusian the total amount of trade in 2008 accounts for Russia and Kazakhstan. While only 7. 3% of Russian trade turnover in 2008 accounts for Belarus and Kazakhstan. And 18. 8% of the total volume of Kazakhstan trade turnover accounted for Russia and Belarus in the same period. 2009 indicators did not change significantly, but in 2010, the year of establishment of the Customs Union, the share of intra-customs union trade of Russia dropped† (Zagorski, 2012, p. 5).An interesting observation is that â€Å"with few exceptions, all the countries bordering the Western fringes of the former Soviet Union have intensified their trade relations with the European Union as well as with China, whose importance in Central Asian trade has been growing. There is a trend that between 41 and 45% of Russian exports to former Soviet states are currently comprised of energy resources, while 39 percent of its imports consist of machines and equipme nt† (Adelaja, 2012, p. ). These facts makes many experts doubt trade relations of the Customs Union states; while others suggest that the Customs Union could become a fundamental change in relations between former Soviet states and that become a push to growth in trade. The figures mentioned above, as well as the fact that post-Soviet states were reluctant to form another union, made the decision to establish the Customs Union look spontaneous and unjustified.However, throughout the whole process of negotiations and ratification of the Customs Union policies and implementation of the necessary procedures, official governments were justifying their decision to create a union and finding new benefits of the participation in the regional cooperation between three states. Although not all of them played in a concert, all three were citing economic benefits that countries obtain from the participation in the regional union. Official Astana firmly defended its position on the Custom s Union accession, and denied any political motivations behind the membership of the alliance with Russia and Belarus.Kazakhstan officials were speculating that â€Å"a unified customs territory would make Kazakhstan even more attractive for foreign investors who have considered Kazakhstan as one of the most attractive markets in our part of the world† (Accession to the WTO, n. d. , p. 1). Kazakhstan also speculated over its geopolitical position, as the largest land-locked country and the state with the most number of transit routes that will ensure large income from transit tariffs.For Kazakhstan the membership in the Customs Union will increase access to global markets, expand trade with Russia and China, and diversity of economy through technological and service advances. Belarusian position toward the Customs Union brought many obstacles. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has openly complained about the â€Å"arm-twisting† politics of the Kremlin, saying t hat his country had been under pressure to cede control of some of its juiciest companies like Belarusian potassium company (Belkali) and Belarus’ state-run Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) unless the country joined the union. â€Å"Given the importance of ‘champion enterprises’ such as MAZ and Belkali for Belarus or Gazprom for Russia, it is still unclear how the states can agree on regulating these enterprises with supranational institutions, especially when they are governed not by economic, but by political logic,† said George Plaschinsky, an associate analyst at the Center for European Transformation in Minsk. â€Å"Previously the Russian authorities had an experience of imposing different decisions on gas and oil companies in order to achieve some political aims and assert them as the ‘energy superpower. † (Russia’s Customs Union, 2012, p. 2). At first it seemed that Russia benefited from creation of the Customs Union more than others , as it has the largest market and biggest production industries. Experts suggested that some competition from Kazakh and Belarusian producers will be beneficial, but not risky for Russian producers and entrepreneurs. In addition, it will create positive conditions for transition from Soviet centralized to market economy. Russia would also benefit from the labor market of its neighbors, as Russia’s own demographic situation is worse than in Kazakhstan and its population is aging.It is also working on North and South stream gas pipelines to bypass such transit countries, such as Ukraine. Thus, a union with some of its neighbors would ensure protection of Russia’s interests and concessional conditions for pipelines placement. In addition to traditional argument on competition for the regional dominance in the Central Asia, a union would solve some tensions between Russia and neighboring states regarding debt payment for gas supply, political influence and alliances creat ion.However, some experts were more skeptical. â€Å"Some businesses are likely to move to the neighboring states, like Kazakhstan, where the investment climate is more favorable,† said Alexei Devyatov, the chief economist at Ural Sib Capital (Adelaja, 2012, p. 2). Russia might also lose from the opening of it market to the labor from Kazakhstan and Belarus, as Russia also has a huge population of unskilled and unqualified population hat will be left out from participation in the marked taken over by foreign nationals.Considering positions of the Customs Union member states expressed above, it is crucial to consider what regulations or conditions influenced Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan in their decision to access WTO. What does the World Trade Organization is? The WTO is a network of agreements. It unites states around the world into a single system and regulates their trade relations. The WTO member states may chose the degree if integration, but should aspire to opening o f deeper and wider access to domestic markets. The WTO member states are allowed to create the regional agreements and unions within the organization.General goal of the organization is free trade and liberalization of the economies. As it was mentioned above, the Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan was also created to facilitate liberalization and decrease trade barriers without fully abolishing tariffs. The WTO does not require elimination of borders, unlike the customs union that stipulates common border and single economic space. Thus, the Customs Union requires deeper integration of its member states than primary WTO accession documents.The decision to create the Customs Union between three states could signal willingness to engage in deeper cooperation and integration, and thus, the WTO accession provides access to more states willing to cooperate and a platform for finding new â€Å"friends†. Creation of the Customs union with outside WTO partners can also be a sign that the state relies on partners who do not necessarily share the idea of free trade on global level. Interestingly, with the creation of the Customs Union, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus enhanced WTO accession process.In this case, the creation of the trade liberalization institution could be an illustration of states’ readiness to access the WTO and negotiate conditions. The main reason of the WTO accession for many states is said to be a wide access to foreign markets and integration into a global club of â€Å"advanced† nations. Some of the advantages are improved competition that ensures supply of qualified products, attraction of more foreign investors to the country, securing their interests and protection by legislation common in the WTO space, as well as lowering the costs of running business. According to General benefits from WTO (n. d. , however, there are also some disadvantages of being a WTO member, such as limited abilities to protect in fant industries, inability to compete with advanced economies, prohibition of governmental subsidies and elimination of fixed currency rates (p. 1). Economies of state applicants for the WTO accession should be ready for a drastic change and shock therapies. Even with the transitional period, the changes brought by the WTO accession and commitments made by states are significant. Russia was the only Security Council and G8 member not on the WTO, thus its accession was a requirement to be fully admitted as one of the superpowers.Putin and other Russian governmental officials assured other Customs Union member states that with the accession of Russia to the WTO, it is still going to preserve the Customs Union and keep close relations with Belarus and Kazakhstan. Furthermore, Russia has promised promotion of two countries in their accession to the WTO. Experts believe that Russia will not abandon its partners, as it is still interested in integration of the post-Soviet states, and will not give up on the struggle for domination in the region.Therefore, even after the WTO accession it is not efficient for Russia to exclude Kazakhstan and Belarus from its foreign policy. In case Kazakhstan is left outside of the WTO, it will become a reliable partner of Russia outside of the organization. While Belarus can be more reluctant in implementation of the agreement reached before the WTO accession. Thus, Russia will probably use more force to get Belarus remain in the union. Since Russia dominates in the union, in case all member states access the WTO, Russia will be established as a single power in the region that decides on economic and political processes.Other states will be bound by obligations under the agreements, and since their accession comes after Russia, it is most likely that they will negotiate similar if not the same tariffs as Russia did. Considering unequal political positions of the Customs Union member states, and economic ties prior to the creation of the Union that did not directly contributed to the establishment of the union, it can be assumed that the Customs Union was created as a demonstration of the commitment to the trade liberalization and aspiration to be a part of the globalized world.It is also important to mention that it is a Russian-led union and neither economies of its partner states or their political leadership are sufficiently competitive to challenge Russian industries, market and politics. Russia played very important role in the promotion of the idea of the union, and the Customs Union could become the first effectively working regional integration mechanism on the post-Soviet space. However, since Russia aspired to join the WTO, Customs Union member states have to catch up and also join the club, although they might be less interested in it than Russia.Bibliography Adelaja, T. (2012). Putinomics Abroad. Russia Profile, Section: Politics. Retrieved November 16, 2012 http://russiaprofile. org/politics/57118/ print_edition/ Krotov, I. (2010). Customs Union between the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Community. World Customs Journal, 5 (2). Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://www. worldcustomsjournal. org/media/wcj/-2011/2/Krotov. pdf Prajakti, K. , & Varadzhakov, S. (2012).The Customs Union between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus: First Steps Towards the Rivaval of the Silk Road, Academia, 894. Retrieved November 18, 2012, from http://cambridge-centralasia. academia. edu/PrajaktiKalra/Papers/472081/The_Customs_Union_between_Russia_Kazakhstan_and_Belarus_First_Steps_towards_the_Revival_of_the_Silk_Road Zagorski, A. (2012). Russia's neighbourhood policy. European Union Institute for Security Studies. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://www. iss. europa. eu/publications/detail/article/russias-neighbourhood-policy/Zlatkin, I. (2012). A Sovereign Surge, Not a Soviet Resurgence: The Mutualism of E urasian Reintegration. SRAS, The Journal of Russia and Asian Studies. Retrieved November 17, 2012, from http://www. sras. org/a_sovereign_surge_not_a_soviet_resurgence_the_mutualism_of_eurasian_reintegration IXGV, Financial News, â€Å"Russia, Belarus, Kazakh customs union will benefit enterprises in Asia†. (2012). p. 1. Retrieved November 17, 2012, from http://www. ixgw. com/2012/05/russia-belarus-kazakh-customs-union-will-benefit-enterprises-in-asia/Astana Economic Forum, News, â€Å"Nursultan Nazarbayev  «Eurasian Union: from idea to the history of the future »Ã¢â‚¬ , (n. d. ), pp. 1 – 10. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://aef. kz/upload/news/statya%20Nazarbayeva. pdf Belarus Digest, Economy, â€Å"WTO v. Customs Union: Russia Decides†. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 17, 2012, from http://belarusdigest. com/story/wto-v-customs-union-russia-decides-7434 Business Dictionary. com. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://www. businessdiction ary. com/definition/customs-union. htmlEmbassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Discover Kazakhstan, Economy, â€Å"Accession to the WTO†, (n. d. ). Retrieved November 18, 2012, from http://www. kazakhembus. com/page/wto-accession The Fish Site, News and Analysis, â€Å"Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus Keep Customs Union†, (2012). p. 1. Retrieved November 18, 2012, from http://www. thefishsite. com/fishnews/17679/russia-kazakhstan-belarus-keep-customs-union U. S. A. Poultry and Eggs Export Council, News, Analysis, â€Å"Russia's Inevitable Customs Union in Central Asia†. (2012). pp. 1 – 3. Retrieved November 17, 2012, from http://www. usapeec. kz/en/news/10204/

Reaction Paper on Crazy by

Ha Song Pham PSYCH 252 02/17/2012 Reaction Paper 1 on Crazy When talking about prison, one usually thinks of two kinds of people, the guards and the prisoners. But nowadays, when 16% of inmates have serious and persistent mental illness, it is not surprising to find psychiatrists working in prisons. The Miami-Dade County Pretrial Detention Center mentioned in Crazy was not an exception. On the ninth for of Miami jail, we found mentally ill prisoners, guards, Dr. Poitier who was the chief psychiatrist of the jail, and the nurses.The medical staff and the prison officers hold opposite viewpoints about how the inmates should be treated. The great conflicts and complications between the justice system and the mental health system had made the job of the psychiatrists in prisons across the United States an extremely difficult task. Dr. Poitier and nurses on the ninth floor of Miami jail worked daily in a very unhygienic condition: â€Å"The air in C wings stinks. It is a putrefied scent, a blending of urine expectorant, persperition, excrement, blood, flatulence, and dried and discarded jailhouse food.When the jail’s antiquated air conditioning breaks down during the summer, which it often does, some officers claim C wing’s pink wall actually sweats. It’s decades of filth and grime bubbling up, rising through coat of paint†. I wonder how one could be expected to live, let alone work in a condition as such. Under such horrible conditions, I wonder how effective the doctors were doing their job. And even if they were trying to do the best they could, I don’t think the inmates’ conditions could get any better when they did not even get to live in basic living condition which has a standard level of hygiene.If the states were paying for the psychiatrists to treat the inmates, the first thing they should have thought about was the working conditions of the doctors and the living conditions of the inmates because those played a ke y role in the efficiency of one’s job and the recovery of one’s disorder. In addition to the poor working conditions, the medical staff were not treated well by both the officers and the inmates. The nurses got screamed at, threatened, and humiliated. In Crazy, Earley told the incident of one nurse having a prisoner toss a cup of feces and urine at her.Nevertheless, the nurse did not quit the job for she understood that she could not take anything personally at her work. Most of the nurses were women. Inmates frequently masturbated in front of them. They did not get any protection from such hazard because the state attorney thought that it was not a crime that was worth pursuing. Doctors and nurses saw inmates as patients, while officers saw them as prisoners. The officers (or correctional staff as referred to in Crazy) treated the inmates very badly when the doctors were not around.Due to the opinions that were at two extremes with each other, the efforts to help the inmates by the medical staff turned out to be useless by the poor treatment that the inmates received from the officers. On a larger scale, the psychiatrists received very little to no help from the state government. What’s more, they had to comply with the ridiculous, non-sense regulations that were originally constructed to protect the rights of the mentally ill. In Crazy, Dr. Poitier had no access to resources. The inmates were booked into jail without carrying their medical records.He had to prescribe medication based largely on what the inmates told him. Plus, he had to follow the Miami-Dade County Public Health Trust’s instruction to prescribe Risperdal first whenever possible rather than Zyprexa, which was much more expensive. He had no freedom to do his job even though he received sufficient psychiatric training, while those people at the health trust were only thinking about the â€Å"so-called† economic benefits. Civil right laws such as Baker Act prev ented the doctors from forcing inmates to take medication unless they posed an imminent danger or a threat. Dr.Poitier was very disappointed by the Act. He stated that: â€Å"A person who is a chronic schizophrenic doesn’t have the full control over his thoughts. He can’t make rational decision. If you release him untreated back into the community, you aren’t protecting his civil rights. You’re condemning him to stay sick and a horrible life of suffering on the streets. † The Baker Act was particularly complex when viewing it at different angles. For psychiatrists like Dr. Poitier, it hindered them from treating the inmates. They believed that the inmates were not mentally healthy enough to make ecisions about whether or not they wanted to to treated. On the contrary, public defenders and civil rights attorney felt that they had to protect the constitutional rights of the mentally ill. But what if what the mentally ill chose to do went against the wish of their loved ones, and negatively affected community. â€Å"Acting crazy is not a choice†. The mentally ill didn’t choose to be crazy. I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly these attorneys were trying to protect here. Were they trying to say protect a choice that no one wished to make?But after all, I did not experience a mental illness, which would invalidate any opinions I would have about how a mentally ill person would feel or react. In the end, there was a price to everything. One could not expect to do a thing without having to face a trade-off. The decisions should be made in a way that benefited most people as it possibly could. Even though I was fully aware that the psychiatrists in the prisons were doing their best to help the inmates, I believed it was better if they understood the job that they were doing involved more parties than them and the inmates.In Crazy, Dr. Poitier pointed out that: â€Å"My first concern is restoring this man†™s mental health. But that is not the first concern of the lawyers, or of the judge who will be making this decision. This should be a medical matter, not a legal issue†. I didn’t think that was just a medical issue. Doctors alone would not be able to help the mentally ill without the support of other forces. Where would they find the resources such as medication, facilities, accommodation to assist the patients without the regulation or policy that allowed them to do so? It was never one man’s business.It took the cooperation of a whole system in order to effectively help the mentally ill who also happened to commit crime. Despite innumerable difficulties and controversies involved in their jobs, the doctors and nurses were getting paid much less than the medical staff in mainstream hospitals. For example, the nurses on the ninth floor earned an average of $2,000 per year less then their counterparts in Miami hospitals. Part of the reason was because they were recent immigrants who had received their formal qualifications in a country other than the US.Working in the section for the mentally ill in a prison was certainly not their first choice nor their second nor their third. It could be the only option that they had. However, they did not complain about their jobs. They did not go on strike. They did not sue the states for providing such little support. Instead, they were doing as much as they possible could to help the inmates. Dr. Poitier addressed inmates as â€Å"Mr. † to show them respect. He asked very common questions that a doctor usually asked a patient: â€Å"How are you feeling today? He was treating the inmates as patients who needed help, and did not care whether they were also criminals or not. For him, they were just very ill people who needed medical help. He once said: â€Å"Most mentally ill inmates do stupid things, not bad things†. Dr. Poitier believed that the inmates on the ninth floor needed help t hat they would not get there. I wonder if he ever felt hopeless when he knew these people needed help, and he could give help, but those two things certainly would not happen in the prison. The inmates were unable to understand that Dr.Poitier was trying to help them because of their dysfunction. Dr. Poitier was fully aware that he would not be able to do much to help the inmates because of messiness of the system and the daily conflicts between doctors and prison officers. They were stuck in a place where no one was better off. The question that baffled me the most was why they decided to stay at their jobs. There must have been something great and meaningful that made them almost irrationally continue their work. In Crazy, Dr. Poitier answered this question for me: â€Å"The inmates who end up here have been given up on.But some can and do get better. And that’s the driving force that keeps me coming to work each day – knowing I can make a difference. Knowing I do m ake a difference. Besides, if I didn’t do this, who would? † No matter how much trouble and confusion the job has brought, Dr. Poitier and the psychiatrists in general have managed to put their work ethics on top of everything else. Thanks to them, the mentally ill inmates get the support that keeps them through the days. Otherwise, the prison could actually become the hell hole on earth. It takes a lot of efforts in order to do good in any jobs.But for the psychiatrists in prisons across the United States, they have to go to extra lengths in order to help the mentally ill inmates. However, their efforts alone are never enough, every other force involved in the system has to do their best as well. In addition, it is importance that they all try to come to understand each other’s job and the reason behind it so that they can make the whole system work for the inmates instead of the current climate when the mentally ill are stuck in the revolving doors of the jails and the hospitals.

The Wonder of Motion Pictures Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Wonder of Motion Pictures - Movie Review Example The opening credits start off in the Locker-room of the Tyrell Corporation during the day with the words, "It's magnified and deeply revealed. Flecks of green and yellow in a field of milky blue. Icy filaments surround the undulating centre," ("Blade Runner" p.1). Interpreting the author's choice of words, the 'field of milky blue' appears to be the sky itself. This description falls within the definition of Mimesis being that it uses descriptive tone to introduce a visual understanding of a scene. While it also fits within the parameters of Diegesis based on telling the reader at the beginning where they are, it uses more of Mimesis. The next paragraph deals more so with verbal choices that give a better sense of the physical environment for which the story is taking place. While there is a continued mention of colour, there is also an addition of 'hard' words to describe the items within the scene. Such as, "The eye is brown in a tiny screen. On the metallic surface below, the words VOIGHT-KAMPFF are finely etched. There's a touch-light panel across the top and on the side of the screen, dial that registers fluctuations of the iris," ("Blade Runner" p.1). ... With that being said, the previous paragraph detailing the milky blue and the flecks of green and yellow, in keeping with the theme of the iris, may actually be tied in together with the description of a human eye. The 'field of a milky blue' would be if one was to look into the eye of a person whose iris was blue. It is common for people to have small particles of a different colour that lies within their eye, so the 'flecks of green and yellow' would be the slight colour imperfections within the eye itself. As the script goes further, the author uses narration to give the story a clean movement from beginning to end. The reader is able to keep in line with how the story is intended to proceed. The frequency of descriptive words plays into the author's narration intent. For a piece of work to be best comprehended and ultimately enjoyed, the narrative has to be at which a clearer picture is given of what it is that is trying to be said in the first place. The following two paragraphs are important to mention, especially in deciphering the intent of their usage, and the meaning of how the author may intend to have the story play out.  

Dell Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dell Inc - Essay Example The force of the buyer revolves around the relative strength which the buyer can exert on the business through the course of business transactions. The Force of the Buyer can also be applied to the business in terms of considering the business as a buyer from its suppliers, In each case, however, the relative strength of the company, both when feeling the force buyers exert on it, and as it buys from suppliers, is relatively weak. Neither the company nor the consumers can exert a high level of buying power on the company According to Porter, the power of the buyer is strong when those who buy from the company, or the company as a buyer, exist in a limited marketplace. In other words, when the company exists as a buyer from suppliers, and the company is the only buyer, or one of a limited number of buyers of specific goods and services. (Porter, 1980) An example of this type of relationship could be the Department of Defense as a buyer from defense contractors literally is the only buyer of goods and services for the purpose of our countries defense. (QuickMBA.com, 2004) In this case, the buyer has monopolistic power over the sellers, and can dictate what it wants and how much it is willing to pay. However, no such limited monopoly exists in the computer marketplace. ... Developed as a strategic response to the internet, Dell launched a business model which focused on 'build to order' computers. Rather than guessing what its customers wanted, and building inventory which was then stored in warehouses until ordered, Dell developed an integrated supply chain management system, and then went to the consumer and allowed the end user to drive manufacturing. The company focused on connecting with the consumer's immediate desires, and then building just what was ordered. For Dell, this decision cut costs, and increased the velocity at which the company could operate. According to Bossidy and Charan (2002) Dell became the market leader with this business model. The company turned its inventory 80 times per year, rather than 20 times which is the typical inventory turnover rate of its competitors. Through this strategy, dell became known as the market leader in terms of getting the consumer exactly what he or she wanted, on time, accurately, and at low cost. This positioned Dell to experience the success which it is now struggling to hang onto. However, this does not make Dell a strong buyer as a buyer of goods and services when compared to its competition. Dell, HP, IBM, and Sun Microsystems are all purchasers of similar products. While the companies may have their own idiosyncrasies in terms of what specific parts and pieces they purchase, they are all purchasing the same types of products, and therefore all have similar levels of power in the marketplace as a buyer. Dell may have a larger power in the marketplace than its competitors because of their higher level of volume it consumes. However, the company is not an exclusive

Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice - Essay Example It may also lead them avoid seeking care for fear of being exposed against their will. This could lead to serious consequences, for instance further injury or even death in certain instances. Secondly, breach of confidentiality could make a patient feel disrespected by the physicians or healthcare providers. The provisions of confidentiality provide for a means for the preservation of the patient’s privacy and autonomy rights. Therefore, breaching of confidentiality is similar to breaching the privacy and autonomy rights of an individual, which is unethical in healthcare. Thirdly, when healthcare providers or physicians enter into a relationship with patients, there must be fidelity that calls for respect for confidentiality that is developed implicitly and as required by the code of ethics that guides medical and healthcare practice for all health care professionals. This means that the healthcare professional has the obligation to keep the patient’s confidentiality to earn his or her trust and be able to provide the needed care for the patient. When healthcare professionals breach confidentiality, they break the trust and fidelity put upon them by the patients and act irresponsibly. This will therefore be unethical. Several ethical principles emphasize on the importance of confidentiality in healthcare provision. These principles include beneficence, Non-malfeasance, autonomy, justice and truthfulness. The principle of beneficence entails the compassion that health professionals should show towards patients. This means that health professionals must desire to do good and an aspect of this is to keep the patient confidentiality, as it is an important factor in patient advocacy. Non-malfeasance is also an important principle in the sense that it stipulates that health professionals should ensure the avoidance of harm as a core of medical oath and nursing ethics. Breaching patient confidentiality equals to malfeasance. The

The Requisite Factors to Successful Team Buildup Research Paper

The Requisite Factors to Successful Team Buildup - Research Paper Example The goal of teams should be to share knowledge and other pertinent information in a free manner, to learn from each other, to assist each other in the completion of mutual jobs, to assist each other in the breaking of bottlenecks that are unexpected when they occur, to flexibly shift workloads and to share the resources at their disposal. All these expectations can be summed up by simply saying that collaboration yields the best results in teams. Team members should be in a position to say that they â€Å"swim and sink† together, desire for the success of each other and consider their goals as being common (Bayazit & Mannix, 2003). The starting point in order to achieve the set objectives is the support from the executive. The most senior educator ´s policy is the one that is reflected in the everyday performance by the teams. Research has shown that teams usually perform to the best of their abilities following their executives ´ investment in support of social relationsh ips, the creation of gift culture, demonstration of collaborative behaviour within themselves and in the interaction with employees (Shadur, 1999). Interaction perhaps is the most crucial as employees will view it as a gift in itself and will treasure it hence acting as a motivator. The investment in signature relationships among employees and subordinates can be in a variety of ways equally effective and unique to the setup they are being invested in. For example, having a single staffroom where teachers have cubicles can assist in the creation of a community sense compared to having individual offices for teachers.