Health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Health policy - Essay Example all Americans hold a health insurance, failing which they have to pay a fine, and secondly various measures have been taken to cut down health related costs. These methods include providing health care institutions rewards for cutting down costs while penalizing them for bad care. The results have been phenomenal so far as according to data taken from Jan 2012 to Dec 2013, there has been a significant 8% decline in readmission cases (The Economist). Obamacare is likely to free the health budget that currently makes up a very high percentage of the GDP, thus allowing the American government to spend the money in other feasible projects. I completely agree with the views presented it the article, as well as with the view with which Obamacare was introduced as I believe prior to this bill there was a lot of negligence and over charging done by doctors for their own benefit. However, this bill would put an end to such illegal practices and help save millions of dollars of US tax payers which can be routed to other important projects (The

Economic Growth and Workers Essay Example for Free

Economic Growth and Workers Essay What basically the article of Mehring would want to states into the public would be the adverse effect of the economic growth on the labour market [workers]. It was states on his paper entitled â€Å"Vital Signs: A Not-So-Great ‘08† that market analysts predicts, as 2008 comes, the economy to be more dependent on the consumption level of the consumers. In this light, Mehring stressed that this would be impossible considering the current condition of one of the primary sector in the economy- housing. For the past years, housing sectors has been performing so badly after the end of 2005 as the demand of consumers for housing units declined dramatically giving the housing firm a hard hit on their financial capabilities. In this regard, members of the housing sectors were forced to lay-off some of their workers. Furthermore, the financial sector of the economy has not been performing well making the recovery of the housing sector to slow down. At the end of the day, it is the consumers, workers at the same time, which receives the entire burden since there is a big possibility for them to be fired from their jobs and/or to receive lower wages as the economy continuous to perform badly. From November last year up to the present, the number of jobless people continuously keeps on rising. Even though there are a lot of jobs that has been created at the start of this year, around 70,000 jobs, those are still not enough to compensate the job losses that occur in the labor market. Due to the fact that there workers receives lower incomes, logically, they can only consume less thus making the profit of the businesses to decline. It was identified that retail stores experienced significant drop on their sales even during the holiday season. Due to this, their profitability and outlook in the economy started to become dependent on the performance of the consumption level of the consumer group. Since the profit of the producers are negatively affected by the lower consumption of the consumers, as well as due to the fact that there is a large pool of unemployed people available in the labor market, there is a leeway for businesses to offer lower wages to their employees, and the cycle of burden goes on. Although, export market keeps on lowering down the bad performance of the economy through convincing the investors that there is still hope for our economy for avert the negative effects of recession to the entire economy. Because of the alarming effects of the bad economic performance of the country, the government has been identifying ways on how to increase the growth of the labor sector to improve the consumption levels of the consumers and thus improving the profitability of the business firms operating in the market especially those coming from the construction and housing sector. There are already around 350,000 job losses that occurred by the end of December 22 and the current level that we have is higher than with the average level of 2007. Meanwhile, most of the job growth falls under the service sector and they are accounted for around 150,000 of the 192,000 jobs that are added in October last year (Mehring 4). Inside the service sector, it is the professional services, health care, leisure and entertainment that contributes for the improvement of the service sector. In order for the government to fully address the problem regarding unemployment, they must focus their policies and programs for the betterment of the financial sector, private as well as the providing measures on how to increase the growth rate of the labor market. In short, finds ways on moving the economy away from the midst of recession and secure the concerned sectors of the economy for a sustainable economic growth. Critique and Insight Based from the article of Mehring, there is a clear relationship of economic growth and the labor sector which is comprises by the working class. Actually, Mehring presented in his paper how the cycle of recession and unemployment exists in our economy nowadays. Actually, it is a good thing that he mentioned it in his paper since it provides us of the reasons why the government is actually bound of which party they would protect the most, is it the private or the consumer group which could also be classified as workers. The not-so-good- performance of our economy for the past two years has been imposing serious threats to major industries and one of this is the housing industry. Here is the logic, by the time the demand housing units declined by the end of 2005, members of the housing industry starts to experience lower profitability. Due to this scenario, this housing industry starts to become incapable of sustaining the current level wage rate and what they will do is to either lay-off some workers and/or lowers down the wage rate that they pay for their workers in order to secure their profitability which eventually further decaying the income and purchasing power of the consumers [workers] and the cycle continuous. There have been studies saying that in order for the economy to progress impressively, the government must find ways to maintain a lower unemployment rate. But what is happening in our case would be a different one considering the response of the consumer group and the market condition of major business sectors. Here, the government must not only focus on the unemployment rate but also considering the welfare of the business firms in making actions to address the problem. There are times wherein the government is too much engross in solving the unemployment rate but sacrificing the welfare of the businesses and at the end of the day the problem still remain and become worse. I think, it would be better for our government to find solutions to increase the rate of job growth that will not affect negatively the businesses in the economy like lowering down the restrictions of FDI into the country in order for the foreign investors to be encourage establishing their businesses here, thus, making creating more jobs. Moreover, the government could lower down the taxes of the taxes of the domestic companies in exchange of not laying-off of workers. Another possible solution that the government could implement would be to lessen the trade barriers of the government to give way for the multinational companies to set up their branches here in the country and thus creating more jobs to the economy. The reason why I have been to much in particular of solving the problem regarding unemployment because when a person has a job he could earn an income and used it to his needs or simply as consumption. By the time consumption improves, then, businesses starts to perform better and so with the entire economy. In this scenario, we could see that economic growth and workers are really related to one another. Moreover, it is good that Mehring identified in his paper the connection of the financial sector in revitalizing not only the growth of the business firms but also its importance on upgrading the financial capabilities of the consumers. Growth of businesses firms [economic growth] as well as upgrading of financial capabilities of consumers [workers] is made possible by the financial sector if they would lower down their interest rate from borrowing in order for the businesses and consumers to borrow money from them and used this money to increase their purchasing power and their budget for operation. Since in this scenario consumer will be having more money [through borrowing], then, their consumption level will improved and so with the profitability of the business firms especially the housing and construction sectors which are currently in bad shape in terms of demand and profitability. In this regard, it would be necessary to say that economic growth and workers are interrelated to one another, and the performance of one could affect the other through various economic factors such as consumption pattern and supply level.

Managing Urban Green Spaces Environmental Sciences Essay

Managing Urban Green Spaces Environmental Sciences Essay In the past recent decades there has been an increase in urbanisation and urban sprawl, which has resulted in a decline of green spaces, especially in urban areas. This has contributed towards a degradation of the natural environment, as developments are overtaking rural areas at an increasingly rapid rate. Furthermore, this has also had an impact on climate change as less green spaces increases the effects of global warming. This also creates other environmental issues as urban areas have a high risk of flooding due to lack of green or open space. This creates social problems as higher pollution levels in urban areas also create health problems. These factors also create economic problems, for example it is expensive to recover from disasters, especially as the impacts of flooding are higher when there is less green space. Therefore careful and sustainable management of urban green spaces is especially important for social, environmental and economic reasons. These processes have le d towards the developed of new techniques and schemes for managing and creating urban green spaces. Urban green spaces are areas of land that consist of permeable surfaces such as grass, trees and soil. Examples include parks, play areas, areas specifically intended for recreational use, private gardens, and urban woodlands (Dunnett et al 2002). The aim of the following essay is to discuss critically the environmental, economic and social aspects of managing urban green spaces. In order to achieve this aim the essay will be split into three main sections. Section one will look at the characteristics of the environmental problem the nature of these problems and who is affected by them, linking this into how environmental problems create economic problems. Section two will look at what is and what could be done to address the environmental problems, such as new forms of green spaces such as green roofs. It will also look at the economic aspects of these courses of action and economic valuation of urban green spaces. It will argue that making a city greener can increase its economic performance, and lead to sustainable economic growth. However, the final part of the essay will challenge this, arguing that creating urban green spaces may not be the best solution for economic sustainability. Finally, the conclusions reached are t hat there needs to be a well managed balance of green and built areas in cities. Market failures in the urban land market Today we realise that we must protect networks of open space (Benedict and McMahon 2002:3). Regarding natural resource use, market forces determine the choices people make. However, resources such as urban green spaces do not have securely enforced property rights which result in a lack of markets. Therefore, environmental resources cannot be directly traded in an open market which leads to externality problems. Thus, due to market failures the full costs are not represented in the private costs (Panayotou 2000). The structure of the market fails to maximise social welfare, and the true cost to society is higher than the private costs to the producer as property rights are neither defined nor enforced, the private costs of using environmental resources is zero (Gwartney et al 2000). Therefore producers have no incentive to protect environmental resources (Cropper and Griffiths 1994). To illustrate this problem of environmental externalities Pigou (1932) used the example of a company who builds a factory in a residential area and thus destroys some of the amenities of the ne ighbouring sites. The result is that the company sells its products at a lower price than the full costs felt by the society. Consequently, as a result of these market failures there has been a rapid increase of urbanisation and urban sprawl without efficient land-use planning, and conservation of environmental resources. Nationally, urban areas consist of approximately 14% green space (Comber et al 2008). However, the United Nations (2001, cited in Tzoulasa et al 2007) estimated that in Europe the level of urbanisation will increase to almost 80% by 2015, which will result in a further loss of urban green spaces. Environmental amenities are usually ignored or underestimated by urban planners, resulting in a shrinking of urban green spaces that have gradually been taken over by urban development (Kong et al 2007). Therefore urban development projects create negative externalities (Tyrvà ¤inen and Và ¤Ãƒ ¤nà ¤nen 1998). This level of urban growth presents numerous environmental challenges for tackling environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Less green space contributes to global warming, which is especially important in cities where the mean pollution levels are higher. Urbanisation replaces green spaces with impermeable built surfaces which causes negative environmental effects as green spaces provide rainwater interception and infiltration, evaporative cooling, and shading functions (Gill et al 2007). Furthermore, urban areas are more at risk to global warming due to the lack of green spaces, and urban areas are usually hotter than the surrounding countryside. In urban areas, the concentration of buildings and paved surfaces creates higher temperatures, this is known as the heat island effect (Dunnett et al 2002). City centres can be up to 7 °c hotter than the surrounding countryside (Hilliam 2010).Furthermore, build environments restricts wind flow wh ich in turn restricts the dispersal of pollutants, and causes an increase in surface run-off from rainfall. Furthermore, levels of pollution are higher in urban areas as emissions mainly come from the use of private vehicles (Morancho 2003). It is important to tackle these issues as in 2003, during the European summer heat wave, 35,000 lives were lost (Gill et al 2007). Moreover, tackling environmental issues in urban areas is especially important as in 2001 nearly eight of every ten people in the United Kingdom lived in urban areas (Pointer 2005). Therefore due to a higher population and an increase of built surfaces, urban areas are where climate change impacts will be mostly felt in these areas (Gill et al 2007). Therefore as the level of urbanisation increases, this create environmental externalities as urban developers ignore the external environmental costs. This also has economic impacts as a lack of green space can increase the costs of public infrastructure and services such as, flood control and storm water management. Lack of green areas increases a communitys susceptibility to natural disasters, as green spaces tackle climate change through carbon storage, and flood protection (Goode 2006). Furthermore, a lack of green spaces was often seen to be the main motive for people leaving the city, as they moved to the urban fringe for more green space (Van-Herzele and Wiedemann 2003). Therefore this results in economic decline of an area as people move out. This then results in lower property values, which can act as a poverty magnet, attracting less wealthy people. This makes it hard to secure investment or attract and retain business in the area. A lack of green space also has negative impacts on tourism as fewer people will want to visit the area (Crompton 2001). Furthermore, a lack of green space creates health issues which are costly for the economy as an unhealthy society increases the costs of health care to UK tax payers (Mell 2008). Therefore the demand for urban green spaces exceeds supply, which results in consumer shortage. Furthermore a rising concern for environmental and economic impacts of urban green space have resulted in a growing interest in, and a need for more urban green space (Shaw et al 2007). For example, in Greater Manchester the proportion of tree cover is fairly low, with an average of 12% cover, and 16% in urbanised Greater Manchester (Gill et al 2007). The next part of the essay will discuss how to tackle these environmental and economic problems. efforts to preserve natural areas, acquire new greenspace, initiate plantings, and manage existing greenspace resources. Solution to the problem Urban green spaces have many benefits which can be divided into market benefits and non-market benefits. Non-market benefits fall into three categories: use, option and existence value. Option value occurs when the future benefits are uncertain and depletion of the resource is irreversible. Existence value refers to the knowing the resource exists, and use value is from the direct use of the resource. Total value is the sum of all three. Thus, urban green spaces have existence value, and direct use value, such as recreational use. Furthermore, urban green spaces create consumer surplus, which is the difference between what one is willing to pay (WTP) and what one actually pays, as the cost of using urban green spaces is usually free (Goodstein 2010). The issues discussed above raises the need for protection and allocation of urban green spaces. In 2004-2005 local authorities in the UK spent an estimated  £700 million on renovating and maintaining urban green spaces (Comber et al 2008). Furthermore, Londons draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in May 2010 (online), proposes that there is a need to increase the citys green spaces by creating small green spaces, which will help to absorb rain on wet days and cool the city on hot days. Therefore, green spaces are multifunctional, which is one the key aspects why urban green space are important for tackling environmental, social and economic issues. For example, regenerating a park may increase tourism and result in fewer medical expenses. Developing green spaces in urban areas is one way to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Urban green spaces have many environmental functions that provide areas within the built environment where adaptation to climate change c an take place (Gill et al 2007). Therefore making cities greener with parks, more trees and green roofs will provide cooling and ventilation, as well as water storage and infiltration (Bulkeley and Betsill 2003). Urban green spaces can also help to reduce pollution, and act as sinks for carbon dioxide which is a major contributor to global warming (Dunnett et al 2002). In cities, gardens and parks absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which come from private vehicles in urban transport (Morancho 2003). Vegetation, particularly trees reduce air pollution by absorbing pollutants in the air, and by intercepting particulate matter. Hence 20 trees can offset the pollution from a car driven 60 miles per day. Therefore trees can form a buffer round sources of pollution to control the effects. Plants reduce the urban heat island effect by shading heat absorbing surfaces and through evapotranspirational (ET) cooling, and evidence has shown vegetation lowers wall surface temperatures by 17 °C (McPherson 1994). This has led to the phrase park cool island to contrast urban heat island (Gill et al 2007). This will ensure economic sustainability as less money will be needed to recover from natural disasters, and climate change impacts (Hilliam 2010, Goode 2006). In such a congested environment, existence of greenery along the streets and small parks within residential zones are considered to improve air quality. This creates social benefits from direct use such as recreational use and health benefits as a higher proportion of green space and less air pollution is associated with a better population health (Popham and Mitchel 2007). Health improvements lead to economic benefits, as a healthy community costs less to the economy. There is a growing recognition that green space can increase activity and will ensure a healthy population, which is essential for economic growth, as health benefits from urban green spaces would lower costs of health care to UK tax payers (Mell 2008). This results in economic sustainability as healthier communities work longer hours, take less sick days and cost less money in health benefits (Goode 2006). Bird (2004 cited in Tzoulasa et al 2007) found that if people live closer to green space then they are more likel y to undertake physical activity, which would save the UKs National Health Service up to  £1.8million a year. Moreover, inactivity in children often results in inactive adults, which costs the economy approximately  £8.2billion (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Therefore, protecting and creating green spaces ensures there is economic sustainability through a healthier society (Amati and Taylor 2010). Thus a key feature of green spaces is that they provide multiple benefits to communities and the economy (Dunnett et al 2002). Urban green spaces can act as catalysts for wider economic benefits, such as increase in property prices, attracting and retaining businesses and an important role in attracting tourists to urban areas. This is a key part of the solution for economic growth as urban green spaces makes cities more desirable and this can result in local economic stimulation (Dunnett et al 2002). Green amenities attract the highly skilled, who pursue a higher standard of living and quality of life, Florida (2002) describes how green spaces can attract creative class workers and the businesses that hire them. Moreover, employers locate in areas where the skilled want to live and this further attracts skilled workers, and high-end restaurants and retail stores. Therefore urban green spaces can raise a citys economic growth. Cities with more skilled workers experience an increase in population, house price and wages. Additionally, people who are highly educated will also be more likely to support investmen ts for environmental protection and are usually willing to pay higher prices for environmental quality. Furthermore, a greener city will also have an insurance against recessions as the city remains attractive and people still want to live there. This will pull other industries into the area over time. Therefore it is important to protect existing urban green spaces. Londons Green Belt is an example of an attempt to reduce development in order to improve the environment by restricting housing supply (Kahn 2006). The Mayor of London has set targets to plant 10,000 more street trees by 2012, and enhance up to 1,000 hectares of green space (Environmental Agency 2010). Additionally, new methods, such as green roofs have been developed to increase green space in urban areas. A green roof is the roof of a building that is covered by vegetation, most common are turf roofs. They have several purposes which are similar to urban green space in general such as cooling the heat island effect and absorbing rainwater. They also provide insulation and create habitats for wildlife. The benefits can therefore be divided into private and public benefits. Private economic benefits include saving energy cost and an increase in roof life. Public benefits include storm-water management (Dunnett and Kingsbury 2004). Currently there is only one green roof in Manchester. These trends raise the need for green space protection and allocation, which in turn requires estimates of the value of green spaces (Kong et al 2007). Due to their lack of values, expressed in monetary terms, green spaces are often not considered in cost-benefit analyses of urban planning policies. Therefore, there is a risk they will fall below the social optimum. Furthermore, it is the failure of the market system, as discussed above, which creates the need for economic measures to value environmental services and guide policymaking (Freeman 1993). Environmental quality is an economic good that people are willing to pay (WTP) for. Urban green spaces have non-market benefits and therefore do not have a market price. Thus there is a need for economic measures to values these amenities. Several methods have been developed to value non-market amenities such as the travel cost method, the contingent valuation method (CVM) and the hedonic pricing models. The hedonic pricing method uses house prices to quantify environmental amenities by how much consumers are WTP. The hedonic pricing model is a revealed preference method and is based actual behaviour in the market. Properties have many characteristics which reflect the selling prices such as housing structure, neighbourhood and environmental amenities. The monetary value of each characteristic is calculated by observing the differences in the market price of commodities sharing the same attributes. Once all the characteristics are collected the next step is to measure the portion of the property price that is attributable to each characteristic (Boyle and Kiel 2001) . By using the hedonic pricing method the value of green spaces can be estimated from the prices of related actual market house transactions (Kong et al 2007). This method has been used to show the value of changes in the environment by looking at how the value of the average home changes when the environment changes, for example a new park is created. Therefore the amenity of urban green spaces can be valued in monetary terms according to how much people are willing to pay for such benefits in their housing. The concept of hedonic pricing is that property values can be affected by the presence of urban green spaces. Green spaces can have a positive impact on house prices. There is usually a shortage of land in urban areas, and therefore an increase in green spaces will increase the positive amenity values. proximity to urban green spaces has a positive impact on property values, while proximity to negative impacts such as highways reduces property values, as it is desirable to live close to a park, and people are willing to pay higher prices. Especially in city centres where demand for land is high, open spaces are often subject to develop ment pressures. The demand for a property increases with the creation of new green spaces nearby (Tajima 2003). This then increases the price of those properties as numerous studies have shown that property values are typically 8-20 percent more expensive if they are located near a park (Crompton 2000). The real estate market often reveals that people are willing to pay higher prices for properties located close to parks and open spaces, than for homes that do not (Crompton 2000). The creation of a new park nearby increases the demand for a property, which in turn raises the price of those properties. Therefore, in dense urban areas the value of nearby parks and green space can be one of the key selling points and a stronger feature than lot itself (Tajima 2003). Morancho (2003) did a study in Castellà ³n (Spain) and found there was an inverse relationship between the selling price of the dwelling and its distance from a green urban area. According to the estimates obtained, every 100  m further away from a green area means a drop of approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1800 in the housing price. Therefore, Green spaces in city centres are also an important aspect of the citys character, such as Royal Parks in London. Urban amenities are becoming increasingly important as cities compete for skilled workers. Help to build a good reputation of an area, which will further increase house prices and encourage people to move there. This enables the community to grow economically, without damaging the environment, and simultaneously create a desirable place to live for present and future generations (Benedict and McMahon 2002). Urban green areas also benefit more people as the city draws more people into the area, such as residents, commuters, and tourists (Tajima 2003). Hedonic valuation can also be applied to retail situations as people are willing to pay about ten percent more for products in greener shopping areas (Miller and Wise 2004). Therefore to reduce the impact of urbanisation, allocation of new and protection of existing urban green spaces is required to ensure economic growth (Kong et al 2007). DeSanto and others ( 1976 ) used the least-cost approach to compare trees and mechanical air pollution control devices to maintain air quality standards for particulates and sulfur dioxide in St. Louis, MO. They determined that open space plantings were over three times as cost-effective for controlling sulphur dioxide as scrubbers located in power plants. Benefits from trees are environmental externalities because these benefits are not reflected in consumer prices we do not pay money to trees for cooling homes. McPherson 1992. Urban green spaces in isolation will not increase economic growth However, not all green spaces are equally beneficial. To ensure that urban green spaces enhance economic growth, they must be well maintained, safe and secure. Over the past recent decades there has been a decline in the quality of urban green spaces in England. This can be linked to the declining budgets for local authorities over the past 20 to 25 years (Dunnett et al 2002). This has a negative economic effect as green spaces that are dangerous or unmanaged are likely to decrease the value of nearby homes, which would lead to economic decline (Crompton 2001). Furthermore if green spaces are perceived to be overgrown or unmanaged this may have a negative effect on peoples well-being by increasing anxiety caused by fear of crime (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Research shows that open spaces which a most highly values are those which enhance the qualities of urban life and offer a variety of opportunities (Burgess et al 1988). If there is a lack of facilities or the area in poor condition the n people are less likely to use it. Evidence suggests that lower-income suburban areas may have a larger proportion of poor-quality green space. Thus even if green spaces are in large quantities, if they are of poor quality then economic and health benefits are not felt by the population (Popham and Mitchel 2007). Additionally, if green spaces are poorly managed so that they become inaccessible, then less people will use them, especially the elderly or people with disabilities. Therefore, quality as well as quantity of green space is a key factor. Moreover, McConnell and Walls (2005) argue for the importance of distinguishing between different types of open space. The value of green spaces depends on its usage for example, whether it is a well managed park or an open field. Barker (2003) also reported that the value of open space depends strongly on its location and use. Green space in the urban core was valued higher than greenbelt land. Anderson and West (2006) show that the value of open space depends on the type of open space, how far away it from the house and the neighbourhood characteristics. They find that benefits from open space range from a low of 0.0035% of sale price for every 1% decrease in the distance to the nearest neighbourhood park, to a high of 0.034% for every 1% decrease in the distance to the nearest lake. Furthermore, the net result of restricting housing supply is that prices are driven up. This results in poverty magnets in areas with low property prices, resulting in a segregation of the poor and urban social problems. For example, Glasgow has lost population over time, and relative poverty has grown. Therefore Londons pursuit to a greener city could further increase house prices and it could be argued that a city can become too green when economic growth is damaged. An upward pressure on house prices could have a negative impact on some residents and first time buyers as it would squeeze out the poorer renters and new immigrants (Kahn 2006). The constraints on housing supply are already high and this will be exacerbated if more green space is created or current green space is not used for development. The result of this limited supply would not lead to economic sustainability as it would limit economic growth. Therefore it will not necessarily lead to a sustained economic growth n ationally, but only benefits certain regions (Kahn 2006). It is often the wealthier people who benefit most, as studies have shown that vegetation and tree cover is lower in residential areas with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation. Therefore only certain areas benefit as less wealthy areas might not be able to afford to maintain new green spaces (Pauleit et al 2005). Moreover, an increased economic wealth will also increase the values of losses; making the cost to restore damages after a disaster much greater (Shaw et al 2007). Therefore, there are difficulties in coming to a firm conclusion. Therefore, conserving green spaces may restrict the supply of valued goods, such as housing, shops, offices or private open space. This results in distributional effects as those landowners who can build get an increase in their asset value, whereas those unable to develop will experience a reduction in asset values. Part of the market failure associated with urbanisation is the increase in land prices imposed on existing inhabitants by additional workers. Furthermore, policies of containment, such as greenbelts, may increase energy use as commuters move out beyond the greenbelt which results in longer commuter journeys. Therefore it could be argued that policy in the UK restricts urban growth which leads to higher costs and welfare losses. Hence land regulation can have adverse economic effects as it diverts resources from other growth activities. Therefore the solution maybe not regulating land markets but regulating or taxing energy markets (Cheshire). However, the value open space is contextual as it rises with increased income. Open space is a normal good, and therefore has a higher value in richer areas. The value is also higher in high density areas, which suggests that public green areas are a substitute for private open space (Anderson and West 2006). Therefore the willingness to pay for environmental quality is highly elastic with respect to income. literature has also examined the degree to which brown cities have to pay higher wages (i.e. combat pay) to lure high quality workers relative to high quality of life cities. Kahn 2006 having a clear narrative voice, making judgements and interpreting others work and also the data. economic and policy concepts. Conclusion To conclude, this essay has highlighted the environmental problem of urbanisation, explaining how this is a result of market failures. It has also shown how this can lead to economic problems. This essay then goes on to argue that a solution would be preserving, maintaining and developing new green spaces in urban areas. It goes on to explain the environmental, social and economic benefits of urban green spaces. It also highlights the hedonic pricing method, which shows how urban green spaces can be valued. It also argues that green spaces create economic benefits by increasing property values. However, the latter part of the essay challenges this, arguing that not all green spaces is equally beneficial. It also argues that preserving green spaces could also have a negative impact as the cost of land increases further, resulting in large increase in house prices. Therefore, it is important to maintain urban green spaces for the many environmental, economic and social benefits. However, this cannot be in isolation as for green spaces to be beneficial they must be well maintained and managed. Furthermore if too much green space is protected then this could have negative impacts overall. Therefore urban land policies need to be well managed in order to achieve the maximum benefits. Furthermore, methods other than land protections could also be used, such as taxes.

Global Warming Essay -- Environmental Global Climate Change

Global Warming First discovered at the turn of the century by the Swedish scientist Arrhenius, global warming was initially thought to only cause increased greenhouse gases from coal combustion emissions. It wasn’t until fifty years later that the real causes and effects of global warming would be discovered. A British scientist by the name of Calendar correlated the 10% increase of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide between 1850 and 1940 with the observed warming of northern Europe and North America, which began in the 1880's. As for the cause of global warming, scientists generally believe that both the combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities are the primary reason for the increased concentration of carbon dioxide. Human activities such as the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas contribute heavily to global warming. Other major causes include deforestation, methane gas emissions, and the release of nitrous oxide chemicals into the atmosphere. The gasses are released primarily by rice cultivation, cattle and livestock populations, gas pipelines, and landfills. Deforestation is a big problem as far as global warming because trees remove Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere, but release large quantities when burned. Methane gas emissions contribute because they are trapped in the earth’s atmosphere and reflect light, which is usually released in a clean, healthy atmosphere. The energy burned to run cars and trucks, heat homes and businesses, and power factories is responsible for about eighty percent of society's carbon dioxide emissions, about twenty-five percent of U.S. methane emissions, and about twenty percent of global nitrous oxide emissions. The evidence of global warming has been a care and concern ... ...problem will only garner with time. New and more efficient programs need to be developed as well as alternate methods of energy production because the methods now are not efficient enough to be able to cut pollution and waste by a significant amount. Possibly over time, such changes can be made and goals achieved so that we can live in a cleaner, healthier world. Works Cited Cowie, J. (1998). Climate and Human Change: Disaster or Opportunity? New York: Parthenon Publishing Fleagle, R.G. (1994) Global Environment Change Westport: Praeger Publishing World Wide Fund for Nature homepage. Articles written by WWF staff and AP (updated October 13, 1999: site visited October 13, 1999, (Http://www.Panda.org)] United States Environmental Protection Agency homepage. Written by EPA staff [updated April 21, 1998: visited October 12, 1999, (Http://www.epa.gov)]

Model analysis of Perfume Extract Terrier and Baby Grenouille Essay

Paragraphs Synopsis: this extract reveals both the character of Terrier and reveals his response to Grenouille as a baby. Through omniscient narration, we share his feelings and physical responses to the child in his arms. His early rapture quickly turns to revulsion and this analysis will examine the ways that Suskind constructed his characters and our response. 1. The first description of the babe, small†¦red†¦twitched sweetly Our first response to the baby is almost protective, he is described as sweet and small and we can visualize a tiny innocent baby held in the arms of a protector, a man of God, a kind man with strong values. He is â€Å"a normal citizen†¦.who had taken a †¦warm and fragrant wife† This insistence upon smell links us to our emotional response throughout the extract. The act of smelling and the use of our senses conveys his response to the baby and the romantic idyllic life he was fantasizing about. 2. Terrier indulges in a fantasy, changing his role from that of a monk to a normal man, a father and protector Terrier’s character is constructed by what he is thinking and how he responds to the baby. Through the use of third person omniscient point of view, we see his rapturous response to this lost child, this sweet babe, who is so dependent on his protection. For a moment he is swept up into a fantasy of a real life, which in turn reveals to us his inner torment, torn between a demanding God and church rules and the normality and warmth of family life â€Å"Terrier felt his heart glow with sentimental cosiness†. 3. The use of language positions us in the present, as the action takes place. Through the use of baby talk we respond to his actions † poohpoohpoohpeedooh†¦.The thought of it made him feel good.† Terrier’s clumsy yet sincere attempts to cuddle the child are revealed through language † poohpoohpoohpeedooh†¦.The thought of it made him feel good.† We feel for him and his lost chances. At the same time, this glowing description of his feelings is in stark contrast to the end of the extract. It sets us up to expect a loving, positive outcome. The shock of his final response makes us resist the appeal of the so called sweet babe at the end. 4. â€Å"Then the child awoke.† The babe is now called a child. It has lost its innocent appeal, its dependence and cuteness is replaced by a growing sense of unease. It is described in animalistic terms, â€Å"Its nose awoke first†¦It sucked air in and snorted it back out† | Our warm response to Terrier and the child changes slowly yet drastically from this point on. The babe is renamed the child and through language it is transformed into an inquisitive demanding animal like creature†Its nose awoke first†¦It sucked air in and snorted it back out†. The child is no longer a beautiful desirable babe, it is now ugly † the child’s dull eyes squinted into the void, the nose seemed to fix on a particular target,† This makes Terrier feel like he is the intended target and begins to foreshadow his growing discomfort and disillusionment. 5. The description of the child is gross: â€Å"The eyes†¦oyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a †¦.slimy film† Instead of being sweet and red the child is now described as having â€Å"The eyes†¦oyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a †¦.slimy film†. The reader is revolted by the physical description. We can perceive a picture of an ugly, blinded mole like child, who squints, sniffs and targets Terrier. The reader can share in his appalled response as the child awakens and behaves in a rodent like manner. Thereby destroying his fantasy and making his protection unnecessary and indeed threatening his spiritual and psychological well being. 6. The use of language is fairly modern yet set in an 18th C setting. Suskind uses modern expressions and language to create the character of Grenouille. An example of this is † poohpoohpoohpeedooh†, and the almost scientific description of : â€Å"The eyes†¦oyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a †¦.slimy film† which create an immediacy and a sensory perception of the child. 7. â€Å"The nose seemed to fix on a particular target†¦he himself†¦was that target.† Terrier’s growing sense of unease foreshadows his rejection of the child as he thinks, â€Å"The nose seemed to fix on a particular target†¦he himself†¦was that target.† This ominous description of Terrier’s growing panic makes us feel extremely uncomfortable. He appears to be an ignorant man, we are modern readers, yet Suskind has managed through the use of sensory images to make us feel uncomfortable and to empathise with Terrier. 8. Irony as tiny is juxtaposed with fear The description of the child’s nose, waking, seeking, targeting is both similar to the unfolding of a carnivorous flower and a predator. Ironically, the juxtaposition of the use of ‘Tiny† with fear adds to our growing sense of horror and revulsion. † Tiny wings of flesh†¦tiny holes in the child’s face†¦create an eerie suction†¦the child saw him with its nostrils† this use of description as the child wakes up, coupled with Terrier’s imaginative response positions the reader to understand his response and to share his opinion of the seemingly innocent child/monster in his arms. 9. Metaphor carnivore and death As the child’s face is compared metaphorically with a carnivorous plant similar to a Venus fly trap, we see how Suskind has objectified Grenouille. He is an it, not a person, an anonymous being, semi human, semi animal. A predator who is seeking to cling to Terrier like an incubus, to devour him. His panic stricken response is a natural response to danger. Through punctuation we can see his fear â€Å"smelling at him shamelessly, that was it!† the use of exclamation marks emphasizes his fear and anger. His changing tone foreshadows his rejection. Through the use of language Terrier creates an image of the child as the ‘Other’ an alien, threatening to his dogmatic view of normality and romance view of the role that children should play in the world. 10. metaphor death Terrier becomes convinced that the child is going to kill him, â€Å"Using its nose to devour something whole†¦It was establishing his scent!† At this stage, I felt that Terrier was exaggerating, yet the repetition of his imaginative response grew on me and I felt a sense of revulsion towards this child also. Grenouille appears to be hunting the man who out of the goodness of his heart saved him. From this moment, our response to him becomes negative, wary, revolted by his physical description regardless of the illogic of it all. 12 Like a rape Terrier’s response becomes similar to that of a rape, an intensive personal invasion which cannot be avoided, â€Å"His most tender emotions, his filthiest thoughts lay exposed†. He can no longer accept that this is an innocent child. He feels invaded, tainted by corruption and victimized, all by this child. 13. Structure Terrier no longer felt safe, ‘ Gone was the homey thought that this be his own flesh and blood†¦idyll of father and son and fragrant mother†. He regarded the babe/child/it as a creature a non human being A threat to his spiritual and physical wellbeing â€Å"A strange, cold creature lay there on his knees, a hostile animal†¦ he would have hurled it like a spider from him.† Terriers final rejection of Grenouille was significant on many levels. This may have been the only chance of a normal upbringing or real affection lost. It creates a Gothic like fear of the unknown, the rejection of people who do not fit in or conform. There is a gap between the values of the church dogma and the rights of the individual as this child is not a person, it becomes a monster in the eyes of the monk. The reader is encouraged to support Terrier’s decision to reject the child, yet with the advantage of a modern upbringing, it seems inhuman to totally abandon an innocent child regardless of how strange they look or behave. At this stage the beginning is juxtaposed with the ending. The idyllic father/son image is destroyed and a spider/rodent like child has emerged from the cocoon of our literary expectations. Conclusion Suskind’s text introduces both characters, themes and conflicts. We see the emergence and transformation of Grenouille’s character, like a butterfly he is transformed from a baby to a spider. Our response changes from empathy to horror. His eventual fate is set by this earlier abandonment on so many levels.

How to Use Job Keywords to Score a Job Interview

How to Use Job Keywords to Score a Job Interview You’ve heard all about job keywords and how important they are in the job search process, particularly for getting your resume read and landing an interview. But are you feeling at a loss about what exactly job keywords are and how to wield them? Here are four steps to keyword domination.1. Use the language of your industryYou want to include the jargon of your industry in your resume. How do you find out what that is? Easy. A bit of internet research can help you turn your resume and LinkedIn profile into a shining beacon for recruiters.Make sure not to use too many terms, or very obscure terms, or you might alienate potential recruiters from other fields. Run your keywords by a person from another field to make sure they make sense to anyone who’ll read your resume, but still include enough specifics for you to be taken seriously within your industry.2. Think about your most valuable skillsWhat skills do you use on a daily basis in your current job? Start keeping a ru nning list. When in doubt, pull out your old job description for a few vital ones. Look to current job descriptions for positions similar to yours within your field. If there are skills common to all current postings for the kind of job you want, then those are pretty good examples of keywords to include in your resume.3. Read the job description closelyTake out your highlighter and dissect the job description. Treat it like a grade school reading assignment, and ask yourself what this company is looking for? Highlight everything you think this employer requires, and then create a case for how you tick all the boxes.Similarly, if a job description lists preferred or required skills, then those are the ones to focus on in your keyword use. Just be sure you don’t claim to have a skill or experience that you do not. Keep it honest.4. Extract from word cloudsGet familiar with wordle.net or wordclouds.com to see how you can feed documents through these services and extract a word picture with the most commonly used words identified. This can save you a step with longer documents when looking for keywords.When in doubt, remember to always back up every keyword you use with actual examples in your work history of how you wielded that particular skill or put out that particular fire. Use keywords intelligently and you’ll not only get past the computer screenings, you’ll get past the human reading the resumes and handing out the interviews.