Air Pollution In Trinidad And Tobago Environmental Sciences Essay

Air Pollution In Trinidad And Tobago Environmental Sciences Essay The contamination of the atmosphere by any toxic or radioactive gases and particulate matter as a result of human activity defines air pollution. (EMA State of the Environment Report 2000) Over the years Trinidad and Tobago has focus on industrialization developing several industrial estates but greater focus was made to the energy sectors. They current have three major energy based industrial sites. The Point Lisas industrial estate, Point a Pierre petroleum refinery and Liquefied Natural Gas plant (LNG) located in Point Fortin. Trinidad and Tobago is considered to be one of the most industrialized countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean region. We have been blessed with a vast array of natural resources ranging from oil, natural gas and asphalt to manufactured petrochemicals. Despite the fact that oil production and refining is one of our main industry, petrochemicals and to a lesser extent steel plays great importance in the company economic growth. Trinidad Tobago is worlds leading exporter of both methanol and ammonia, currently they supply the largest source of LNG is exported to the United States. Early views and realization of Air Pollution To the general public air pollution was considered to be chemical emissions and that suspension and secondary pollutants will just dissipate with the aid of the wind and rain. As the country moves into a second wave of industrialization with several proposed plans of building the next economic hotspot in the Caribbean (Invest in TT Downstream Energy), concerns has been made toward the quality of air what we live and breathe. It was only years later when technology began to play an important part in analyzing pollutants and air quality that it was realized that air pollution was just as important as water pollution. The industrial sector in Trinidad Tobago is one of the most dynamitic in the Caribbean and this is reflected in the diverse nature of its pollutants. Table 1 illustrates the numerous industry classes, commodities produced, production process and resulting in air pollutants. Map 1: Existing Proposed Energy Base Industrial Estates in Trinidad Table 1: Industry in Trinidad Tobago and air emission they emit INDUSTRY PRODUCTS SOURCES AIR POLLUTANT Petrochemical Menthol, ammonia, urea, ethanol, liquefied natural gas Fossil fuel processing, industrial processes Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, Carbon Monoxide Manufacturing Metals, cements, consumer products Manufacturing and extraction process, stock piling of raw materials, fossil fuel burning Carbon Dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter PM (soot, dust, asbestos fibers, pesticides and metals). Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) Transportation vehicles Incomplete combustion Carbon Monoxide, particulate matter Petroleum Refineries Refined oil, oil base products and sulfur /acids production Fossil fuel burning, extraction process, transportation process, storage process, Carbon Dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, methane, particulate matter (soot, dust, asbestos fibers, pesticides and metals) Agriculture Animal waste, plant waste Animal waste disposal/processing, rice paddies and wetlands, plant metabolism, land clearing Methane, Carbon monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, particulate matter (dust), VOC Electrical Power generation Electricity Fossil fuel burning, Particulate matters, Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, VOC Mining Quarrying Aggregate Blasting, mining, washing, extraction process Suspended Particulates Matters (SPM); Total suspended particles (TSP); Particulate matters. Wholesale and Retail All consumer products Service station operations, truck filling stations VOC Locations of Main Industrial Sectors With industrialization comes a need for people to benefit with the high level of employment in these areas. The demographic transition cycle in Trinidad and Tobago is fairly predictive with many of the populated areas following the same paths along the industrialized map. (Map 2)In the initial stages of industrial development focus was made on establishing industries in sparsely populated areas. The intention was also to take advantage of the favorable wind direction which would direct most of the air pollutant west ward over (for the most part) approximately 5 miles of uninhabited land space and then to the Gulf, with the intension that the vegetation would be affected in a minor way during the dry season and would be assisted by run off during the rainy season. This idea inadvertently leads to another pollution problem. This proved to be a short term imitative, as these areas soon became an attractive alternative to the long commute thus encouraging the establishment of make- shift villages and shanty towns. This was also fueled by the fact that the southern and eastern main road were in close proximity to these estates. Over time these villages soon became establish resistances acquiring basic utilities and official mailing addresses. The industries were now faced with a new obstacle. They now had to focus their attention to both the environment and the neighboring population. Table 2 identifies the main industrial pollutants found in Trinidad and Tobago and its effects on both the environment and humans. Map 2: Industries and major roadways Table 2: Main Industrial Pollutants and their Adverse Health and Environment Effects POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON HUMANS EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT Carbon Monoxide- CO It is absorbed through the lungs reducing the bloods capacity to transport available oxygen to the tissues. Depending on the exposure level it produces flu like symptoms usually not recognized and may results in death There is minimum effect on the environment. Sulphur Dioxides SO2 Depending on the exposure level it can cause: cause wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, respiratory illness, alterations in the lungs, it aggravates existing cardiovascular disease. When SO2 combines with water, it forms sulfuric acid, which is the main component of acid rain. When acid rain falls it can cause deforestation, acidify waterways to the detriment of aquatic life. It also corrodes building materials. Acid rain changes the physical appearance of vegetation plants metabolism impaired Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)/Oxides of Nitrogen NOx At low levels it has minimum or no effects on human health. However high levels NO2 can cause respiratory problem, increase a persons susceptibility to, and severity of infections and asthma. It can also affect the sensory system. It is harmful to vegetation, can fade and discolor fabrics, reduce visibility. Vegetation exposure to high levels of NOx can be identified by damage to foliage, decreased growth or reduced crop yield. Volatile Organic Carbon -VOC There are no general health effects of VOC because other gases make up VOCs however some gases may be toxic and/or carcinogen. Levels of exposure and time exposed can cause damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system. It is known to cause cancer in animals. Suspended Particulates Matters (SPM); Total suspended particles (TSP); Particulate matters. Health effects on SPM in humans depend on the particle size and concentration can cause long term exposure increases the rates of respiratory illness and symptoms. Particulates can accelerate deterioration of surface and material. It has the potential to cause modification of the climate and contributes to acid deposition. Control Strategies Physical, Managerial and Legislative to Air Pollution The visionaries of the early industries focus little on health safety and the environment and this was reflected in the level of controls initiated by the industries. Controls were mainly one dimensional and fail to focus on the holistic views of health safety and environment. Public opinion and outburst resulting from the increasing number of medical complaints and the decrease quality of agriculture produce with allegations pointing towards the emission from these industries, prompted management to use technology to assist in the establishment of more stringent controls. This technology was also instrumental in pinpointing the actual adverse effects as a result of these emissions. Physical Controls The physical control represents the processes responsible for acquisition of raw material, storage, manufacturing and distribution processes. Use of Suppression Techniques The numerous pollutants that emit daily, through smokestacks petrochemical and petroleum industries together with major health effects, force industries to reduce the pollutant at the source. One of the proven ways of reducing these pollutants is installing scrubbers and in other cases bagging houses in the emission system. The use of end -of- pipe technology is being adapted by some industries, it is used to remove already formed contaminants in the air however it is proven to be very expensive and many industries internationally would rather pay the fines for higher emission levels than use this technique. In other words it is regarded as the less of two evils. These techniques force industries to adopt generic prevention strategies and solutions, only resorting to the more expensive techniques when face with dire consequences. Environmental Friendly Process With increasing pressure from environmental activists calling for industries to be more sensitive towards the environment, many industries have restructured their processes whereby recycling waste material as a new raw material to produce a second product. This process has been adapted by Methanol Holding Trinidad Limited (MHTL) were they have constructed an AUM plant. This plant is the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago being the most environmental friendly of the MHTL family. This plant comprises a diversified petrochemical complex to manufacture Urea Ammonia Nitrate (UAN) and Melamine using feedstock from integrated urea and ammonia plants. (MHTL) The local cement factory adopted several controls strategies to deal with the air pollution problem within its manufacturing process. A change from blasting to stripping of the main raw material (limestone) aided in the reduction of dust emissions that was affecting the neighboring community at their quarrying central Trinidad. The transportation of the limestone was also change from dry to wet thus also reducing the potential dust particles entering the atmosphere during transportation from quarrying to the process plant. At the out skirts of the processing plant itself major landscaping was done to create hills around the factory adorned by buffer trees with sole intension is to reduce the level of dust exposure to the neighboring community. Managerial Controls Self Regulation These controls consist of policies, systems and standards that govern and manage the organization. The establishments of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) help management keep focus in order to sustain established targets. Company policies and procedures acts as guidelines to maintain order and structure within the organization. The introduction of ISO standards advertises the companys procedures to the industrial world thus ensuring that whatever measures initially introduced are sustained by the certification audits conducted annually by an international process auditors. Legislative Controls Currently in TT there is no legislation that refers directly to controlling of air pollutant emitted by industries. This is merely due to the fact that early monitoring system generally focus on water and land pollution the understanding of air pollution did not produce tangible evident because of technological short falls. The existing legislation addresses non specific air pollutants like the Petroleum Act (rev. 1980) section 29 (1) (j) prevention of air pollution and the Public health ordinance (1950), section 70 (1) (m) prohibits blacks smoke from chimneys. Even though the EMA was establish and is the countrys sole environmental body responsible for managing, regulating and coordinating environmental matters. The EMA has only managed to draft the Air Pollution Rules 2001 however to date 2010 these rules have not been made law. Trinidad and Tobago being a member of the Commonwealth and the United Nations has benefited from the research and technological advancement from these more developed countries (MDC). Initiatives such as the Montreal Protocol (1989 the control of CFCs) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997 the reduction of Greenhouse Gases) assisted the legislative process of TT by association. The only way legislative was establish was by piggy backing on the achievement of the more developed countries it seems that this was the only way the law maker could have had any impact on defaulters of air pollution in Trinidad. Only when legislation is pass the country can benefit from some effective control measures where polluters are prosecuted and emission limits are set for all industries. Conclusion Trinidad and Tobago historically is a nation of followers there have been very few instances where we were not promoted or assisted in some way or the other in achieving established goals and the topic of pollution is no exception. Have we ever wonder why the one establish air pollution laws stems from a diplomatic relations within the commonwealth and the United Nations or why we had to wait until the advent of OSHA to enforce existing safety laws in our country. The answer is simple we are still waiting to follow no wonder legislation spear headed by locals are treated with scan courtesy. Had these laws been establish in some first world convention they would have been rooted in the seams of our judicial system years ago? Many of the existing pollution laws governing the more develop countries were mainly as a result of international pressure, sadly Trinidad and Tobago is not view as a major polluting nation because of its geographical location and size. Evidence of pollution aware ness is mainly seen in the new establish manufacturing countries whose parent companies originate overseas. It is only amongst of fellow less develops countries and Caribbean members that Trinidad and Tobago is recognize as a polluting nation sadly these countries have little impact on global view. Despite our shortcomings, internally there has been an intensified effort to effectively monitor record, control and enforce pollution reducing systems and strategies. Internationally the over site of Trinidad and Tobago (a country that can easily fit into the Orinoco River with a population that barely exceeds large town in the United States) has not deterred local efforts to manage the levels of air emissions.

Example of a Small Business Performing a SWOT Analysis Essay

Learn more about performing a SWOT analysis before reading the case study. Background The three members of the leadership team at a small marketing consulting firm were interested in expanding their offerings to their clients. Currently the firm has 20 employees (including the three members of the leadership team) many of whom are consultants with the balance being administrative and marketing staff. The last time the company had done a SWOT analysis was when they were first starting up in business and were working on their business plan. The SWOT session enabled them to develop their business plan by having them think through their business goals and objectives for viability and feasibility. At the time, the three of them, plus a few members of their Advisory Council participated in the SWOT analysis. The goal of this SWOT session would be to: * Determine ways to better position the company in marketplace. * Determine new products and services to offer clients to better compete in a crowded marketplace. Preparing for the SWOT session The leadership team wanted to set aside 3 hours for the SWOT session. Given that the business was small, the leadership team felt that everyone should participate. The following decisions were made: * All 20 employees would participate in the SWOT session * A Friday morning in mid-summer would be set aside for the session (and†¦as a â€Å"thank you† for participating – employees would be given the balance of the day off to spend with family and friends) * The focus of the SWOT session would be toward determining products and services to offer to clients and that information would be provided to participants beforehand so they can begin to think about it * A professional facilitator would be brought in to lead the session since this SWOT exercise was essential to the company’s continued growth and success Additionally, the leadership team was going to provide all participants with a copy of the SWOT analysis done at the very beginning – before the business venture began. While it had a different purpose, it would be valuable for the SWOT session participants to view it and, from the leadership perspective, it would be interesting to compare then to now. The SWOT session Brainstorming was used during the SWOT session to gather data for the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The facilitator led the group – starting with strengths and working through to threats. An hour was allocated for this task. Each participant spent time writing on sticky notes their thoughts, ideas, opinions, beliefs and known truths regarding the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. When done, all of the information was posted on the walls under the appropriate heading (e.g. Strengths, etc.) Prioritizing the information The next hour and a half was spent reviewing the data with an eye toward: * Looking for themes/commonalities – combining similar sticky notes under themes (e.g., Customer Service) * Prioritizing based on: * Significant information/data provided by large numbers of participants (e.g, ineffective use of social media was mentioned 15 times!) * What could be â€Å"quick hits† for the company to start to effectively compete against the competition * Products and service ideas that can be created within a year’s time frame The table below is a small sampling of the data gathered during the brainstorming session. This particular data is selected as when they prioritized their efforts these were the areas of focus. STRENGTHS| WEAKNESSES| OPPORTUNITIES| THREATS| * Long-term employees committed to the company * Customers love the work done by the company * Customer retention is high * Well-known brand in the local area * Company has made a profit every year in business * Client base was growing| * No blog on the website * Ineffective use of social media * No global customers * The business hasn’t expanded in the last few years and seems stagnant. * No presence at trade shows or industry events/ conferences * No â€Å"new blood† bringing in fresh ideas * Client base not growing as quickly as in past| * Ask current customers to refer business * Use social media and blogging to build brand name and gain new customers * Expand business nationally * Target smaller start-ups who needed strong marketing to get their business off the ground * Provide sales support services for clients * Offer dashboards for tracking marketing| * Competition was increasing * A number of local competitors were already blogging and utilizing social media * Current customers wanted social media consulting and it was difficult to do so when the company doesn’t do social media themselves * Lots of individuals and other new small businesses â€Å"popping† up who do marketing consulting| Based on the information gathered during the brainstorming sessions and what the participants believed could be accomplished in a one to two year timeframe to have a significant impact on the business, the following was decided to meet the objectives: Objective: Better position the company for success in the marketplace | Objective: New products and services| * Develop a blog * Assign responsibilities for social media accounts: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook * Ask current customers to refer business * Expand business nationally| * Develop and offer dashboards for customers to manage marketing initiatives * Provide services to start-ups who need a strong marketing initiative * Provide social media services and support| Next steps The company’s next steps were to take the projects they decided to accomplish toward achieving their goals and: * Assign responsibility for that project * Develop a project plan including a timeframe and budget needs * Prioritize the projects further * Begin work! A survey done of all participants after the SWOT session showed that they were excited about the process and the path they had developed to help meet company goals. By getting all employees involved, the leadership team showed that they valued all employees and wanted their contributions to help make the company a success. Once a month the leadership team would meet with each project lead to check on project status. It was decided that on an annual basis employees would participate in SWOT sessions to work on strategy for the upcoming year. As the company grew, employees would have the opportunity to participate on a rotating basis.

Yunkyung Eom. Professor Chad Hammett. English 1301 . April

Yunkyung Eom Professor Chad Hammett English 1301 April 23, 2017 Hypertension, Cause and Prescription In my biology class I learned many Americans have hypertension. So, as one of the people living in America, I decided to research on what hypertension is and why many American have hypertension and what the prescription would be. The number of people living with hypertension (high blood pressure) is predicted to be 1.56 billion worldwide by the year 2025. In the US, around 75 million people have hypertension, with more people dying of hypertension-related cardiovascular disease than from the next three deadliest diseases combined. In 2011-2012 in the US, about a third of all people over the age of 20 years had†¦show more content†¦Many people find out about hypertension only when they suffer a heart attack or get a medical check-up done. Hypertension is a life-threatening condition characterized by high blood pressure in the arteries leading to the lungs and heart. Unlike regular hypertension or high blood pressure, hypertension occurs when the arteries in the lungs become blocked or narrow, making it harder for the heart to pump blood through them. This raises blood pressure in the lungs and causes the heart to weaken, which may eventually lead to heart failure. Hypertension is also dangerous because it can lead to strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, or kidney disease. So the goal of hypertension treatment is to lower high blood pressure and protect important organs, like the brain, heart, and kidneys from damage. The causes resulting in hypertension vary from person to person and can be extremely difficult to identify. In other words the exact causes of high blood pressure are not known, but several factors and conditions may play a role in its development, including: Smoking, Being overweight or obese, Lack of physical activity, Too much salt in the diet, Too much alcohol consumption (more than 1 to 2 drinks per day), Stress, Older age, Genetics,

Tattoos Essay - 989 Words

Tattoos are common place in society today. No longer are they only on bikers or bad guys; now they are on doctors, lawyers and even pastors. Tattoos no longer determine a person’s character or who they are. They are a way of expressing oneself and showing experiences in a person’s life or expressions of meaningful things. Even older people are getting ink put on them. For as much as they are accepted in society, they are also still looked down upon. Having tattoos can affect being hired for a job and that can be looked upon as discrimination. Having tattoos does change a person’s possibility of getting hired for a job, although it should not. On paper, a resume displays impeccable qualifications. However, skin tells a whole other story.†¦show more content†¦Twenty-three percent said it would depend on the number and location of the tattoos and/or the role being fulfilled (Workopolis, 2014, para. 4). Workopolis asked people â€Å"Would a candidate having tattoos affect your decision to hire that person?† and the data added up to seventy-seven percent of employers will not hire an employee with tattoos (Workopolis, 2014, para 4). This is just wrong. Whether a future employee has tattoos or not does not mean they are not an expert in their field or highly qualified for a position. As long as the tattoos are not on the head, face or throat and they are not inappropriate, having tattoos should not deter anyone from getting hired for a job. Vigeland writes, â€Å"a study conducted by careerbuilder.com found that thirty-seven percent of HR managers cite tattoos as the third physical attribute most likely to limit career potential† (Vigeland, 2012, para. 3). The key to obtaining a job when a person has tattoos is to get an impression of the workplace and to obtain information about the perspective employer on their personal policies. 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