dumb essays

dumb essays Gazprom is pioneer in Russia in introducing the system of production/ecological monitoring of its units Gazprom's ecological policy in a progress of its realization The Company operates in the framework of ecological policy adopted in 1995. Environmental protection is continuously funded: 168 mln rubles of capital investments were allocated for this purpose in 1998. Running expenses covered from internal funds of Gazprom's enterprises were 3 times higher compared to 1997 and amounted 1.2 bln rubles. Reduction of industrial impact to environment and rational use of natural reserves are the basis of the Company's environmental approach. None of Gazprom's units has exceeded in 1998 the limits of pollutant emissions, though in total they were 110000 t higher compared to 1997 as the result of increasing gas production and underground storage. The water consumption decreased by 42.6 mln cu m down to 259.1 mln cu m. Consequently, water return decreased as well, down to 73.7 mln cu m. 94.0% of sewage disposal passed by water treating facilities. Closed cycle of water Gazprom is pioneer in Russia in introducing the system of production/ecological monitoring of its units Gazprom's ecological policy in a progress of its realization The Company operates in the framework of ecological policy adopted in 1995. Environmental protection is continuously funded: 168 mln rubles of capital investments were allocated for this purpose in 1998. Running expenses covered from internal funds of Gazprom's enterprises were 3 times higher compared to 1997 and amounted 1.2 bln rubles. Reduction of industrial impact to environment and rational use of natural reserves are the basis of the Company's environmental approach. None of Gazprom's units has exceeded in 1998 the limits of pollutant emissions, though in total they were 110000 t higher compared to 1997 as the result of increasing gas produ ...

The Importance of Infrastructure

The Importance of Infrastructure Infrastructure is a term architects, engineers, and urban planners use to describe essential facilities, services, and organizational structures for communal use, most commonly by residents of cities and towns. Politicians often think of infrastructure in terms of how a nation can help corporations move and deliver their goods- water, electricity, sewage, and merchandise are all about movement and delivery via infrastructure. Infra- means below, and sometimes these elements are literally below the ground, like water and natural gas supply systems. In modern environments, infrastructure is thought to be any facility we expect but dont think about because it works for us in the  background, unnoticed- below our radar. The global information infrastructure for communications and internet involves satellites in space- not underground at all, but we rarely think about how that last Tweet got to us so quickly. Infrastructure is not American or exclusive to the United States. For example, engineers in nations across the globe have developed high-tech solutions for flood control- one system that protects an entire community. All countries have infrastructure in some form, which can include these systems: Roads, tunnels, and bridges, including the Interstate Highway SystemMass-transit systems (e.g., trains and rails)Airport runways and control towersTelephone lines and cellphone towersDams and reservoirsHurricane barriersLevees and pumping stationsWaterways, canals, and portsElectrical power lines and connections (i.e., the national power grid)Fire stations and equipmentHospitals, clinics, and emergency response systemsSchoolsLaw enforcement and prisonsSanitation and waste removal facilities for solid waste, wastewater, and hazardous wastePost offices and mail deliveryPublic parks and other types of green infrastructure Infrastructure Definition infrastructure:  The framework of interdependent networks and systems comprising identifiable industries, institutions (including people and procedures), and distribution capabilities that provide a reliable flow of products and services essential to the defense and economic security of the United States, the smooth functioning of governments at all levels, and society as a whole. - Report of the President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection, 1997 Why Infrastructure Is Important We all use these systems, which are often called public works, and we expect them to function for us, but we dont like to pay for them. Many times the cost is hidden in plain view- added taxes to your utility and telephone bill, for example, may help pay for infrastructure. Even teenagers with motorbikes help pay for infrastructure with every gallon of gasoline used. A highway-user tax is added to each gallon of motor fuel (e.g., gasoline, diesel, gasohol) sold. This money goes into what is called the Highway Trust Fund in order to pay for repairs and replacement of roads, bridges, and tunnels. Likewise, each airline ticket you buy has a federal excise tax that should be used to maintain the infrastructure needed to support air travel.  Both state and federal governments are allowed to add taxes to certain products and services in order to help pay for the infrastructure that supports them. The infrastructure may begin to crumble if the tax doesnt keep increasing enough. These exci se taxes are consumption taxes that are in addition to your income taxes, which also can be used to pay for infrastructure. Infrastructure is important because we all pay for it and we all use it. Paying for infrastructure can be as complicated as the infrastructure itself. Nevertheless, most people depend on transportation systems and public utilities, which also are essential for the economic vitality of our businesses. As Senator Elizabeth Warren (Dem, MA) famously stated, You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear: you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didnt have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did. - Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 2011 When Infrastructure Fails When natural disasters strike, stable infrastructure is necessary for swift delivery of emergency supplies and medical care. When fires rage in drought-ravaged areas of the U.S. we expect firefighters to be on the scene until the neighborhoods are safe. All countries are not so fortunate. In Haiti, for example, the lack of well-developed infrastructure contributed to the deaths and injuries suffered during and after the earthquake of January 2010. Every citizen should expect to live in comfort and safety. On the most basic level, every community requires access to clean water and sanitary waste disposal. Poorly maintained infrastructure can lead to a devastating loss of life and property. Examples of failed infrastructure in the U.S. include: When the Oroville Dams spillway eroded, thousands of Californians evacuated, 2017Unsafe drinking water from lead supply pipes affected the health of children in Flint, Michigan, 2014Sewer spills during hard rains in Houston, Texas created a public health hazard, 2009The collapse of Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota killed motorists, 2007Failure of the levees and pump stations after Hurricane Katrina flooded communities in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005 Governments Role in Infrastructure Investing in infrastructure is nothing new for governments. Thousands of years ago, Egyptians built irrigation and transportation systems with dams and canals. Ancient Greeks and Romans built roads and aqueducts that still stand today. The 14th-century Parisian sewers have become tourist destinations. Governments around the world have realized that investing in and maintaining a healthy infrastructure is an important government function. Australias Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development claims that It is an investment that has a multiplier effect throughout the economy, generating lasting economic, social and environmental benefits. In an age of terrorist threats and attacks, the U.S. has stepped up efforts to secure critical infrastructure, extending the list of examples to  systems related to Information and communications, gas and oil production/storage/transportation, and even banking and finance. The list is the subject of an ongoing debate. Critical infrastructures now include national monuments (e.g. Washington Monument), where an attack might cause a large loss of life or adversely affect the nation’s morale. They also include the chemical industry....A fluid definition of what constitutes a critical infrastructure could complicate policymaking and actions. - Congressional Research Service, 2003 In the U.S. the Infrastructure Security Division and the  National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center are part of the Department of Homeland Security. Watchdog groups like the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) keep track of progress and needs by issuing an infrastructure report card every year. Books About Infrastructure Infrastructure: The Book of Everything for the Industrial Landscape by Brian HayesThe Works: Anatomy of a City by Kate AscherMove: How to Rebuild and Reinvent Americas Infrastructure by Rosabeth Moss KanterThe Road Taken: The History and Future of Americas Infrastructure by Henry Petroski Sources President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection, October 1997, pp. B-1 to B-2, PDF at https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL31556.pdf Summary, Critical Infrastructures: What Makes an Infrastructure Critical? Report for Congress, Order Code RL31556, Congressional Research Service (CRS), Updated January 29, 2003, PDF at https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL31556.pdf Infrastructure, Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Australian Government, https://infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/ [accessed August 23, 2015] Elizabeth Warren: There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own by Lucy Madison, CBS News, September 22, 2011, cbsnews.com/news/elizabeth-warren-there-is-nobody-in-this-country-who-got-rich-on-his-own/ [accessed March 15, 2017] Highway Trust Fund and Taxes, U.S.Department of Transportation, https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/fastact/factsheets/htffs.cfm [accessed December 25, 2017]   Ascher, Kate. The Works: Anatomy of a City. Paperback, Reprint edition, Penguin Books, November 27, 2007. Hayes, Brian. Infrastructure: The Book of Everything for the Industrial Landscape. Paperback, Reprint edition, W. W. Norton Company, September 17, 2006. Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. Move: How to Rebuild and Reinvent Americas Infrastructure. 1 edition, W. W. Norton Company, May 10, 2016. Petroski, Henry. The Road Taken: The History and Future of Americas Infrastructure. Hardcover, Bloomsbury USA, February 16, 2016.

Is the Future of Democratic Journalism Better than the Past Essay

Is the Future of Democratic Journalism Better than the Past - Essay Example Media have been used in journalism as the modes of communication in sending the founded information to the public. It has been known that journalism focuses on the truth that lies in the current issues and happenings in the society and surroundings. Various subjects have been incorporated to journalism from businesses to governmental activities and reactions of the society at large (Pavlik 2001, p. 83). It also contains entertainment and show business as artists, actors and directors are the topics of the rendered reports. Journalism may be performed by making documentaries, doing some interviews and capturing photos of the footage. In the current state of the world, people heavily rely on the news media as the professional body to analyze and manage the information flow regarding public events and happenings (Pavlik 2001, p. 83). The way media and journalism are used undergoes changes as technology progresses swiftly. People are migrating to the newer form of journalism which is don e through the power of the Internet. The digital age has greatly changed journalism as wired networks allow people to exchange information anytime and anywhere as geographical boundaries are not obstacles anymore. Gadgets are widely-used nowadays like tablet PCs, laptops, desktops, smart phones and other products that are connected to the Internet through cables or wireless capabilities (p. 213). Print media have been in the dilemma of becoming less popular and may lead to extinction as the audience prefers digital news over the print media like newspapers (Paterson 2008, p. 115). Some journalists may look at the change and shift of journalism and media as a negative phenomenon as the traditional ways may be gone in a matter of years. In contrary, other journalists think that the Internet as the emerging media for journalism has a bright potential that is waiting to be used to the full extent and for the development of journalism as a practice. News organizations are slowly embracin g the advent of the new media as digital technology is incorporated now into the delivery of news and public affairs though the traditional media may not be able to cope up. Various techniques are then employed to ensure the quality and improve the way news is generated based on the gathered information. Some even make use of maestro concept which is a brainstorming method of getting the job done. A group of journalists and media men compose the brainstorming session in constructing the news stories and projected images for the news scoop. It had been formulated by Professor Leland Ryan, a journalism educator who had assisted various reporters, artists and media men into how they can create good news stories. In performing the brainstorming session, a leader is assigned as the maestro among the members of the team who will preside with the format of the story planning. The group then will think about the questions that the audience may ask once they have perceived the news and jot t hem down. Afterwards the concept would be formulated based on the listed questions by answering them. Next, the team will visualize the scenario and how they can put the news story on a page. Lastly, the group will think of the obstacles that may prevent them from posting a good news story. They may need to consider the appropriate images and fonts for the stories and some logos or additional graphics that may enhance the delivery of the news. The group may even think of possible lay-outs for