Environmental impact

Environmental impact Environmental impact assessment is a tool used in identifying and evaluating the environmental effects that are likely to arise from a major proposed project (Morris Therivel, 2009). The purpose of EIA is to supply or aid decision makers in making appropriate decision regarding the environmental impact of proposed projects. In order words, its aim is to provide decision makers such as the Local Authority a systematic examination of the environmental implications of a proposed action and sometimes alternatives before a decision is taken (Jay et al, 2007). Also, environmental impact assessment aim, in the United Kingdom, is to assist in the formulation of development actions and it is an instrument for providing sustainable development (Jay et al, 2007). This essay is a critical review of the process of environmental impact assessment in the UK. Environmental Impact Assessment has been implemented in the UK since the 1980s through secondary legislation involving regulations and guidance, the most important being the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 (Statutory Instrument 1199, DoE, 1989), which constitutes the principal means of implementation of Directive 85/337/EC (Piper, 2001). Under these regulations, Environmental Impact Assessment is carried out at local level, within the planning system, where the Local Planning Authority (LPA) is the competent authority playing the central institutional role (Piper, 2001). Currently, Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 has been replaced by Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999 (Amended) (Salvador, Glasson, Piper, 2000). The process of environmental impact assessment in the United Kingdom involves various stages such as screening of projects, scoping, establishing environmental baseline, impact identification, impact prediction, evaluation and mitigation, participation, presentation and review, monitoring and auditing after review (Morris Therivel, 2009). The people involved in the process of environmental impact assessment in the UK are the Local Authorities which are the planning department, the property developers, statutory consultees, central government, non statutory consultees and the public(Morris Therivel, 2009). First stage of environmental impact assessment is the screening of projects; it seeks to focus on projects with potentially significant adverse environmental impact (Glasson et al, 2005). The next step after the screening of project is the scoping process. Scoping is the process of identifying and assigning priority to the issues associated with a project for the purpose of focusing the impact assessment to be conducted. In summary, scoping is a process that determines what significant issues the nature and extent of ecological data to be collected and assessed (reference it). Establishing environmental baseline; this process includes both the present and likelihood future state of the environment assuming that the project is not undertaken, taking into account changes resulting from natural events and from other human activities (reference). Impact identification brings together project characterization and baseline environmental aim of ensuring that all potentially significant envi ronmental impacts are identified and taken into account (reference). Impact prediction, evaluation and mitigation is the heart of environmental impact assessment, its objective is to provide the basis for assessing significance, assess the relative impact of the significance and to put measures to avoid, reduce and if possible remedy significant adverse effect (reference). The next process is the participation, presentation and review of environmental statement; it is aimed at providing information about a proposals likely environmental impacts to the developer, the public and decision makers so that a better decision is made (reference). Since the introduction of environmental impact assessment in the United Kingdom, there have been great achievements towards reducing the environmental effects of projects but there are still arguments regarding the way environmental impact assessment process in the UK is practised. Weston (2000) was of the view that screening process of EIA in the UK is not clearly defined. According to Weston, the UKs 1988 environmental impact assessment procedures established a threshold approach to determine whether a development project should be subject to environmental impact assessment. Firstly, there is a Schedule I to the Regulations which lists all those projects which are above set thresholds and are of regional or wider importance and for which EIA is mandatory in all cases and secondly, there is a Schedule II list which sets out all those projects which only require an EIA to be carried out where there are likely to be significant environmental effects and where the Local Planning Authority have deemed it necessary for the developer to submit an Environmental Statement with their planning application. However, Weston (2000) argued that the term Significant is rarely defined in the context of the UKs legal system and its use has caused problems. The next step after the screening of project is the scoping process. Portman (2009) stated that scoping is frequently viewed as the most important stage in determining the quality of the assessment of EIA, but it has also been identified as EIA most problematic phase and has been under researched. Currently, scoping process in environmental impact assessment is not a legally mandated process in United Kingdom (Morris Therivel, 2009). Some inefficiency of scoping process has been identified by researches conducted on scoping activities in the UK. According to Glasson (1999), environmental impact assessment scoping process is supposed to include various actors such as the developers, the general public and the regulators at various levels of government, but in the UK, scoping process is too developer oriented, thereby limiting the role given to the public. Glasson was of the view that developers are unlikely to predict that the project they are proposing to develop might be an environ mental disaster since they are more concerned about saving cost. Studies carried out on the limitations of public participation on scoping exercise in the UK, showed that poor provision of basic information of a proposed project to the public by the developers was a barrier to effective public participation in decision making (Wood Hartley, 2005), United Kingdom Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation was also blamed for the cause of ineffective public participation in scoping exercise. For instance, in a complex waste project, UK EIA regulation requires a period of 21 days for public comment, which according to Wood and Hartly is perceived to be too short to allow the public participate effectively (Wood Hartley, 2005). Results of investigation carried out by Wood, Glasson and Becker on the assessment of scoping activities in England and Wales, showed that the Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) which are the authorities with power of regulation are often under resourced and lac king in experience of environmental impact assessment activities (Wood, Glasson Becker, 2005). The results of the investigation showed that it is a particular case for non metropolitan district councils which receive very few request for scoping opinions each year. Wood, Glasson and Becker (2005) concluded that the lack of developers consultation with competent authorities and the general public is the principal limitation to effective EIA in the UK. Environmental Impact Statement presentation and review is a vital step in the process of EIA in the UK and if done badly, may result in negating of the good work (Glasson, Therivel Chadwick, 2005). A review of environmental impact statements produced for a variety of development type in Britain from the period of 1988-1993 demonstrated that there are number of shortcomings in the assessment of ecological impacts for EIA. The results showed that most environmental impact statement did not comply with EC directive (85/337), which clearly states a requirement to consider impacts on the flora and fauna associated with proposed development (Thompson, Treweek Thurling, 1997). According to the review of environmental impact statements in the British forest sector from 1988-1998, the results showed that the standard was generally poor and the environmental impact statement presented limited useful additional information to decision makers. A fundamental recurrent issue was the failure to a dequately scope assessments, leading to unfocused baseline data collection, inadequate identification of impact, and inadequate determination of impact significance (Gray Edward-Jones, 2003).

Health Education Model for Smoking Cessation

Smoking continues to be one of the largest preventable causes of death in the United States, and it is increasing among young females and adolescents. One in five will die from lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease, or heart disease. It should be the goal of all health care professionals to encourage smoking cessation to assist in reducing the number of smoke-related diseases and/or fatalities (Max, Hai-Yen, & Yangling, 2012). A Model for Health EducationAn excellent model for education with regards to smoking cessation is the Health Belief Model (HBM). The HBM was established in the 1950s, it is the oldest and most popular model used in nursing education and preventative health behaviors. Constructs are theories from behavior and social sciences, and the HBM is made up of six constructs; perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy (Sharma & Romas, 2012). Perceived susceptibility is the belief a person has on the chances they will acquire a disease or illness from indulging in a certain behavior.Perceived severity is the belief a person has on the extent of harm resulting from a certain behavior. Perceived benefit is the person belief in the advantages of the interventions suggested to reduce the changes of acquiring the illness/disease. Perceived barriers is the belief concerning the financial cost associated with following the perceived benefits. Cues to action are the forces that drive the person to make a change. Self-efficacy is the confidence a person has to change their behavior (Costello, Logel, Fong, Zanna, & McDonald, 2102). Health Behavior for ChangeSmoking has long been one of the most dangerous ways for people to relieve stress, try to look cool, or smoke because others do it. More than 440,000 deaths occur annually as a result of smoking. Not only are the actual smokers affected, but studies on smoking reveals an increase in lung cancer patients among non-smokers as a result of second-hand smoke. More than 50 percent of children are exposed to cigarette smoke worldwide, which can cause respiratory problems, ear infections, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) (American Lung Association, 2013).Justification for ModelChoiceThe Health Belief Model (HBM) is a good model to use for smoking cessation. The HBM can be used to focus the message on overcoming the barriers to quit and the overwhelming benefits. Some of the immediate benefits to quit smoking include; blood pressure returns to normal, decreased carbon monoxide levels, improved respiratory function, and circulation improvement. These benefits pertain to the actual smoker and those who inhale second hand smoke (â€Å"American cancer society,† 2006). Smokers are more likely to quit if they believe the following; they could acquire a smoking related disease, know someone who acquired a smoking related disease, believe they can quit, or believe that quitting outweighs the benefit of s moking (Costello, Logel, Fong, Zanna, & McDonald, 2102).ConclusionThere are no benefits to smoking, but those who are addicted to nicotine may beg to differ. Some teens and adults use smoking as a lifestyle coping tool; to relieve stress, relax, calm nerves, look mature, or use it as a conversation centerpiece. Regardless of the reason a person smokes the outcome is still the same, addiction and damage to the body or possible death. Part of a health care professional’s responsibility is to educate people on the dangers of addictions and encourage them to quit in addition to providing the necessary resources. Over the many years, various models have been developed to help nurses target certain health behaviors and help adjust or change them.The outcome may not always be a positive result, but the only thing one can do is use the tools already created to help alter a person’s perception of their behavior/habit. There may be some who do not try to quit, some may attempt t o quit but fail, and some may not see the dangers of a habit that makes them feel good. At the end of the day it is up to the person to accept the help/education and put it to use.

To Kill a Mockingbird Novel

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel about growing in the 1930s in the Southern United States. Scout Finch lives with her brother Jem and their father Atticus (a lawyer) in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a small town, and every family has its social standing depending on where they live, who their parents are, and how long they have lived in Maycomb. Atticus raises his children by himself, with the help of neighbors and a black housekeeper named Calpurnia. Scout is a tomboy who prefers to solve her differences with her fists. She tries to make sense of a world that demands that she act like a lady, a brother who criticizes her for acting like a girl, and a father who accepts her just as she is. Scout hates school, gains most of her education on her own and from her father. Scout and Jem understand their neighborhood and town. The only neighbor they do not understand is Arthur Radley, nicknamed Boo, who never comes outside. When Dill, another neighbor's nephew, starts spending summers in Maycomb, the three children begin an obsessive quest to lure Boo outside. Scout and Jem discover that their father is going to represent a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping and beating a white woman. Suddenly, Scout and Jem have to deal with racial slurs and insults because of Atticus' role in the trial. During this time, Scout has a very difficult time restraining from fighting, which gets her in trouble with her aunt and uncle. Even Jem loses his temper a time or two. After destroying a neighbor's plants, Jem is sentenced to read to her every day after school for one month. As the trial gets closer, their aunt comes to live with them. Read also  How Powerful Do You Find Atticus Finch’s Closing Speech? During the last summer, Tom is tried and convicted even though Atticus proves that he could not have done the crime. In the process of trying the case, Atticus accidentally offends Bob Ewell, a nasty drunk whose daughter accused Tom. In spite of Tom's conviction, Ewell vows revenge on Atticus and the judge. All three children are stunned by the jury's decision, and Atticus tries to explain why the jury's decided that way. After the trial, Scout attends one of her aunt's Missionary Society meetings. Atticus interrupts the meeting to report that Tom Robinson had been killed in an escape attempt. Scout learns valuable lessons that day. Things slowly return to normal, and Scout and Jem realize that Boo is no longer the center of their curiosity. The story appears to be winding down, when Bob Ewell starts making well on his threats of revenge. Scout is in the Halloween pageant at school, Jem agrees to take Scout to the school. After embarrassing herself on-stage, Scout leaves her costume on for the walk home with Jem. On the way home, the children hear noises, but disregard them as a friend who scared them on their way to school that evening. They are attacked, and Scout really cannot see out of her costume. She hears Jem being pushed away, and she feels arms squeezing her. Jem breaks his arm during this attack. Scout gets just enough of a glimpse out of her costume to see a stranger carrying Jem back to their house. The sheriff arrives at the Finch and announces that Bob Ewell has been found dead under the tree where the children were attacked, believing that he had fallen on his own knife. Scout realized that the stranger was Boo Radley, and that Boo is responsible for killing Ewell, and saving her and Jem's lives. Atticus' tries to get the sheriff to press charges against Boo, but he refuses. Scout agrees with his decision and explains it to her father. Boo sees Jem one more time and then asks Scout to take him home. With Boo safely home, Scout returns to Jem's room where Atticus is waiting. He reads her to sleep and then waits for Jem to wake up. I believe the main reasons that this book was banned were because of the language that was used, along with the racist implications toward the government. I also believe that it showed an unjust court system.

Essay on Abraham Lincoln - 1995 Words

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was born on Sunday, February 12, 1809. His parents were Tom and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. When he was seven, he and his family moved to southern Indiana. His mother had died recently of a disease and his father eventually remarried. While growing up, his nature was that of someone who wanted to learn and read rather than help with the farm. Even at an early age he showed signs of being an intelligent person with insight into the world around him. Later on, he moved to New Salem, Illinois, where he lived until he was about 28 years old. He worked several odd jobs during his time here and even earned the famous nickname â€Å"Honest Abe† during his stay. Eventually he made a run for the Illinois legislature and lost†¦show more content†¦Because we think it wrong, we propose a course of policy that shall deal with it as a wrong. We deal with it as with any other wrong, insofar as we can prevent it growing any larger, and so deal with it that in the run of time there may be some promise of an end to it.†(spartucus.net). Now while Lincoln was against slavery, he was not against abolitionist rights. Later on, it was he and not William Seward, who became the Republican presidential candidate, along with his running mate, Hannibal Hammlin. He defeated three other candidates to get to the presidency: Stephen Douglas, John Bell and John Breckinridge. This is when trouble in the United States started to form, because there were a few states that were less united then others. Fearing Republican control in the government, many southern states decide to secede from the Union. Until that time, no other president had to face this kind of domestic trouble. Being in firm control and taking the entire country through a bloody civil war is surely one of the many reasons he is remembered as one of our greatest presidents ever. So after learning of the southern states that seceded, the Fall of Fort Sumter followed, like the proverbial first shot in a war. Lincolns response to this was quick and to the point. Lincoln warned the South in his Inaugural Address: quot;In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. TheShow MoreRelatedWheres Abraham Lincoln in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?542 Words   |  2 Pagesnovels Pride and Prejudge and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. G rahame-Smith has collaborated on two film adaptations, Dark Shadows, and his own novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Seth Grahame-Smith and his wife, Erin, live in California with their two children Jacob and Joshua. Currently Grahame-Smith’s novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is being adapted for film, and Smith is said to be writing a sequel/ spin off of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, staring Henry Struges. BothRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1521 Words   |  7 PagesAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy. Born in Hodgenville, Kentucky, Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana. Largely self-educated, he becameRead MoreThe Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln861 Words   |  4 PagesAppomattox Courthouse, one of America s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, was shot and killed by a man named John Wilkes Booth. Specifically, John Wilkes Booth was an American play actor and a big sympathiser for the Confederacy. Booth was well known for his hatred towards the President and his crazy ideas and motives, which lead to the killing of Lincoln. Many conspiracies and theories today believed the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was handled by John Wilkes alone, but other conspiracies believedRead MoreEssay Abraham Lincoln1426 Words   |  6 Pages As the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln was known to be the greatest American President. He guided his country through one of the most catastrophic experiences in its history, the Civil War. He was a very unique president, being the first president to have a beard, being the tallest president standing at 6’4 and also being the first to be assassinated. Abe Lincoln accomplished many things in the 4 year term he had served before being assassinated. With his intelligence and hard work, he madeRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln928 Words   |  4 PagesP. Thomas, Abraham Lincoln: A Biography (Southern Illinois University Press, 2008). †¢ David Herbert Donald, We Are Lincoln Men: Abraham Lincoln and His Friends (Simon Schuster, 2004). †¢ Roy Morris Jr., The Long Pursuit: Abraham Lincoln’s Thirty-Year Struggle with Stephen Douglas for the Heart and Soul of America (Bison Books, 2010). 5. Similar Articles: †¢ Mary Frances Berry, â€Å"Lincoln and Civil Rights for Blacks,† Volume 2, Issue 1, 1980, pp. 46-57 (Journal of The Abraham Lincoln Association)Read MoreThe Life Of Abraham Lincoln754 Words   |  4 PagesValenzuela 1 Issac Valenzuela Mrs. Barr 7th Grade Literature May 24, 2016 The Life of Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was born and raised in a log cabin. He was born on February 12, 1809. His mother was a great Christian. She often told them stories from the Bible. One day, Lincoln’s mother died of poisoned milk when he was only nine. Abraham Lincoln was one of the tallest presidents in our history. He was six feet, four inches tall. When he was elected president, he started theRead MoreThe War Of Abraham Lincoln906 Words   |  4 Pageselection of Abraham Lincoln. South Caroline issued the â€Å" Declaration of the Causes of Secession† because they believed Lincoln was anti-slaver (Bartels). However during the most consequential period in American history, on November 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected as the sixteenth president of the United States and the first Republican President. As the commander in chief the union army, Lincoln needed to bring an end to the war and reunite the nation. On November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln gave one ofRead More Abraham L incoln Essay706 Words   |  3 Pages Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the U.S (1861-1865) who brought the Union to victory in the Civil War. Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Kentucky. His father was Thomas Lincoln and his mother was Nancy Hanks, both were pioneer farmers. When Abraham Lincoln was two they moved to nearby Knob Creek, Indiana. The following year his mother died. In 1819 Abraham Lincoln’s father married Sarah Bush Johnston, a kind widow who gained Abraham Lincoln’s friendship. Abraham Lincoln grew upRead MoreThe Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln1064 Words   |  5 PagesColin Shafer Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination President Abraham Lincoln was the first United States president ever to be assassinated while in office. He was president during the Civil War and had many people that did not like him. John Wilkes Booth did not like Abraham Lincoln and was responsible for the President’s death. Abraham Lincoln was born in Harden County, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. His parents were Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. In 1818, his mother died while he was just nine yearsRead More Abraham Lincoln Essay576 Words   |  3 Pages Abraham Lincoln, from the backwoods of Hodgenville Kentucky, rose to become one of the greatest presidents of the United States. During his attempt to keep the Union in the Civil War, he gained more power and authority than any president before him. A excellent politician, Lincoln was always looked upon for leadership for he put reason and thoughtful decisions behind his word.Abraham Lincoln, born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hawks on February 12, 1809, was conceived in a log cabin built by his father