Analysis of British Petroleum's management of the 2010 Gulf of Essay

Analysis of British Petroleum's management of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico's oil spill - Essay Example There was also a huge fouling of beaches in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama which meant that the leisure activities of many people had to be put to a halt not to mention the many beach hotels that suffered huge losses due to lack of customers (Eilperin, & Mufson, 2010; Tangley, 2010). The spill resulted into hundreds of law suits that were filed. A special investigative panel consisting of officials from the coast guard office as well as the department of Interior was constituted by President Obama to look into the issues that surround the oil spill. BP began an assessment of the resource damage as soon as they managed to control the spillage. The losses incurred by the company are huge since at least 185,000,000 gallons (which comes to around 4.4 million barrels) of oil was lost. The clean up process might have succeeded to remove the spilt oil but the ramifications on the environment are probably going to last for decades to come (Jervis, & Levin, 2010; Jervis, 2010) Th ere are many questions concerning the resource damage that might not be fully answered any time soon. The extensive media coverage during the duration of the spill raised important questions that unfortunately did not have very comprehensive answers. For instance: the delay in response to the emergency, the companies that are to blame and most importantly and if the environment could survive such a disaster. Who is to blame? Before the OPA 90 was passed, it was not very clear who amongst the federal state, private players and the other local officials was directly responsible in the event of an oil spill of the magnitude of the BP Mexican gulf spill. The current legislation now demands that federal government should step in immediately when such a disaster strikes. The responsibility on the government according to the OPA 90 covers spills on the land as well as coastal spills. Offshore incidents like the recent BP Gulf of Mexico spill lie well in these boundaries. In the same breath e; the OPA 90 also includes the coast guard as a party that should be in charge of evacuations and control of the spillage. The biggest challenge of this is that the coast guard may not have access to the kind of equipment and personnel that it requires to handle such spills. However, legislation gives the coast guard the authority to acquire the equipment from private companies. BP was consistently present during the control of the spill and though it was largely in charge of the process, it was also assisted by personnel and equipment that the coast guard had acquired. There was some tension between the government and BP originally. This tension was addressed by the reports made by the president’s commission. Ideally, the responsible party is both the partner and the adversary since they are in charge of containing the spill and they are also required to take responsibility for all damages. It is a relationship that often confuses the general public but it is something that was established in the OPA 90 (Schwartz, 2010). Oil spill management is usually based on the National Contingency plan. The National Contingency plan identifies the national, regional as well as the local infrastructures. It integrates the different agencies that might be involved in the event of a spill. The National Contingency plan usually comes up with an initial disaster response team both nationally and regionally. It coordinates the efforts by setting up an on-site coordinator as well as a centralised command

Apply constructivist and Neo-Liberal theories Essay - 1

Apply constructivist and Neo-Liberal theories - Essay Example y Jean Piaget, but most of the work in relation to the application of the theory are attributed to Jerome Bruner, who noted that the theoretical framework of the theory was that learning could be perceived as an active and continuous process. As such, learners involved in the process would develop new ideas based on their past and present knowledge. The basic image of the constructivist theory is that learners are able to discover themselves based on this theory and select and transform information. Subsequently, the theory makes it possible for learners to construct hypotheses out of the contexts of the theory and make constructive decisions based on the cognitive structure of the provided information. The cognitive structure in this sense provides individuals with the experiences required to proceed with the precepts of information obtained (Kincheloe 268-273). The theory, from the basis of constructivists, is founded on the precepts of constructivism, which is concerned with the idea of constructing knowledge for personal gain. As such, its application may take on varied forms. For instance, some constructivists may perceive the theory from the perspective that it relates to knowledge that is not independent; hence, the construction of which will relate to the learner’s experience. This view has often been adopted by the constructivists founded on the argument that the acceptance of constructivist theory would imply the acceptance of the realistic and plutonic views. As such, the knower of a particular knowledge cannot be independent of the knowledge they claim to know. Subsequently, the application of this theory may be explained from the perspective that the understanding of the aspects of knowledge founded on the constructivist theory is based on the social and personal construction of meaning out of a sensation, and applying that knowledge in a manner that would determine the order for the fabrication of the knowledge. Therefore, this theory can be

Strategies for Campus Sustainability

Strategies for Campus Sustainability DR. VIDYA.H.N DR. PUTTARAJU.K. CRAFTING CAMPUS AWARENESS – STRATEGIES TOWARDS CREATION OF CAMPUS SUSTAINBILITY FULL TEXT OF THE PAPER â€Å" First challenge in the design of a new campus is not to create new buildings, but to create a shared vision towards sustainability†. INTRODUCTION –In a College campus each student has a unique role to play in making the campus a sustainable place . One can incorporate values of environmental responsibility in the campus . Students can be made to involve directly by joininga sustainability action team or form their own club or forum and become a sustainability leader through adoption of innovative sustainability goals. A college can create responsiveness of sustainability goals by engaging the campus community in sustainability awareness programs. Students can be made attentive towards rendering individual efforts in reducing the ecological stress in the campus. All the Staff, faculty and students should exert together to reduce energy consumption, promote waste reduction strategies, alternative transportation options, and other sustainability initiatives in offices, classrooms, labs, libraries, buildings, residences and in personal lives. The following was the initial methodology adopted by our Institution INITIAL CAMPUS ACTION PLAN- Identifying the in-campus behavior for each student. Determining group behaviour. Identifying the students present level of conceptualization of sustainability Listing the steps to make them aware of the concept of sustainability Finalizing the skills towards orienting the campus behavior towards sustainability with an action plan After these steps were initialized as our Institution took steps to strategize the concept. THE STRATEGIES OF ACHIEVING CAMPUS SUSTAINBILITY To engage the campus community in the implementation of sustainability goals and actions, certain strategies were required which could be achieved through . Our Institution provided peer support to sustainability programs of each department. Provision for environmental education programs that promote sustainability was taken up Environmental studies as a topic was introduced through Mysore university. Motivation through creativity to identify new procedures and initiatives to promote sustainability was taken up through orientation programs to fresher students . Here they were offered opportunities to exchange ideas, experiences and plans. Our Institution recognized and rewarded successes. Award of Excellency to departments and Student volunteers was mooted To Reduce energy consumption, all students made to turn off the lights when they leave their class rooms. To reduce Greenhouse gas emissions local students were advised to take cycles to college instead of bikes. A beautiful in house campus garden was thus developed .It also served as demonstration gardens to showcase the beauty and diversity of edible landscaping in a campus setting. Additionally, the gardens provided service opportunities for student volunteers to serve n the garden in their free time. The flowers of the rose garden are used in functions to welcome the dignitaries for decorative purposes The flowers are also used to worship the goddess Saraswathi idol inside the campus garden. The herbal plants such as hibiscus tulasi help the environs with healthy air. The Trees of teak , neem asoka are helping the campus with fresh air water sustainability. PROCESS PHASES OF PROGRAMME A formalized process for advancing sustainability in our college campus was done in phases .Phase One had targeted outreach. -This included identifying and providing support for students, volunteer student leaders, building student capacity and communicating with all stakeholders. The Stake holders such as Parents, Alumni , college development Council members were convinced of the concept of campus sustainability. Phase Two, helped campus sustainability activists create general awareness and broaden outreach programs . NSS student volunteers were involved in campus cleaning activities. Faculty joined hands with peer support. Phase Three, consultation with all departments developed into a coherent Action Plan. On this basis the campus was made greener every year our College could fetch the Best maintained garden award . CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY OUTCOMES ACHIEVED All students strive to turn off the lights when they leave their class rooms. All students voluntary themselves to deposit waste in specific areas only. . In the computer lab students shut down their PCs completely at the end of the day. The Office has set all printers and copiers to default double-sided mode. Using Cycle inside campus -Toward promoting sustainability on campus, on the model of Hyderabad campus was launched the â€Å"cycles on campus† but most of the students come from far off places they are supported by Public transportations facility. Our institution has the intention of ordering high efficiency multi-purpose machines to consolidate printers, faxes, scanners and copiers. All faculty administrative staff carry a reusable water bottle with them. All faculty have set their PC computer screen to go into standby mode after 15 minutes of inactivity Several of the Faculty can Leave the car at home take a walk in the second session of the College. Use natural light to light your office instead of Tube lights CFLs. Using 100% post-consumer recycled paper for use in the office is All faculty carry their own bags for shopping outside the campus. Students are advised to avoid wasting food inside the campus. Reducing the wastage of stationery inside the campus is gradually picking up Watering the plants through channels with waste water recycling. THE OUTREACH METHODOLOGY Our Institution is striving towards enhancing the concept further more through Engaging the faculty and students in research and creative projects in campus Sustainability. Such as conducting environmental art exhibitions, energy saving demonstration projects such as solar street lighting, solar hot water for hostels, solar thermal cooking, institutional biogas plants , electrical mobility, etc , adopting a water Harvesting System etc. All these initiatives will lead to outcome such as reducing the negative environmental impact of the college or university, Saving the college money, educating and empowering students thereby creating a sustainable generation for future. CONCLUSION- Campus sustainability is the need of the hour and is one of key focus areas for sustainability initiatives. These initiatives will make a sustainable difference in campus communities and will assist students to focus on building capacity at individual level and institutions at large . These strategies will help to drive inclusive growth and enable institutions and individuals to work towards achieving their full potential. These initiative will also aim to increase awareness among the student community on the issue of sustainability, to keep the campus clean and green while improving the overall health of the student community. A holistic approach, more commonly including social, economic and traditional environmental considerations in sustainability goals has to become a part of the syllabi in the campus. Colleges and universities across the globe are making the concept of campus sustainability a reality. These initiatives are influencing curriculum decisions, operational budgets, f acility plans, and campus culture. Students, faculty, staff are leading these earnest efforts. Certainly bringing about a campus culture is a difficult work, requiring coordination and cooperation yet a common motivation towards achieving sustainability will follow. ***************** References- Poyyamoli- G- A critical review of campus sustainability in India- a road map for the future A critical review of campus sustainability in India- a road map for the future Bantanur shaila others -Sustainability issues in Indian universities of Higher education Brundtland Commission. ( 1987) World commission on environment and development. Our common future. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press; 1987. Leal Filho, Walter (ed.)( 2012 )Sustainable Development at Universities: New Horizons Series:Umweltbildung, Umweltkommunikation und Nachhaltigkeit / Environmental Education, Communication and Sustainability- Volume 34: 2012 Alshuwaikhat.H.M,Abubakar I (2008)â€Å"An integrated approach to achieving campus sustainability: assessment if the current campus environmental management practice†, Journal of Cleaner Production2008 ********************

Edgar Allen Poe Essay -- Essays Papers

Edgar Allen Poe Edgar Allen Poe, an America writer, was known as a poet and critic but was most famous as the master of short stories, particularly tales of the mysterious and the macrabe. The literary merits of Poe’s writings have been debated since his death, but his works have continued to be popular and many American and European writers have declared their artistic debt to him. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Poe was orphaned in his early childhood and was raised by John Allen, a successful business man of Richmond, Virginia. Taken by the Allen family to England at the age of six, Poe was placed in a private school. Upon returning to the United States in 1820, he continued to study in private schools. He attended the University of Virginia for a year, but in 1827 his foster father, angry by the young man’s drinking and gambling, refused to pay his debts and forced him to work as a clerk. Poe, disliking his new duties violently, he quit the job as a clerk, thus estranging Allen, and went to Boston. There his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), was published anonymously. Shortly afterward Poe enlisted in the United States Army and served a two-year term. In 1829 his second volume of verse, Al Aaraaf, was published, and he completed a agreement with Allen, who secured him an appointment to the United States Military Academy. After only a few months at the Military Academy Poe was dismissed for neglect of duty, and his foster father disowned him permanently. Poe...

Digital Fortress Chapter 31

Susan returned to Node 3. Her conversation with Strathmore had made her increasingly anxious about David's safety. Her imagination was running wild. â€Å"So,† Hale spouted from his terminal. â€Å"What did Strathmore want? A romantic evening alone with his head cryptographer?† Susan ignored the comment and settled in at her terminal. She typed her privacy code and the screen came to life. The tracer program came into view; it still had not returned any information on North Dakota. Damn, Susan thought. What's taking so long? â€Å"You seem uptight,† Hale said innocently. â€Å"Having trouble with your diagnostic?† â€Å"Nothing serious,† she replied. But Susan wasn't so sure. The tracer was overdue. She wondered if maybe she'd made a mistake while writing it. She began scanning the long lines of LIMBO programming on her screen, searching for anything that could be holding things up. Hale observed her smugly. â€Å"Hey, I meant to ask you,† he ventured. â€Å"What do you make of that unbreakable algorithm Ensei Tankado said he was writing?† Susan's stomach did a flip. She looked up. â€Å"Unbreakable algorithm?† She caught herself. â€Å"Oh, yeah†¦ I think I read something about that.† â€Å"Pretty incredible claim.† â€Å"Yeah,† Susan replied, wondering why Hale had suddenly brought it up. â€Å"I don't buy it, though. Everyone knows an unbreakable algorithm is a mathematical impossibility.† Hale smiled. â€Å"Oh, yeah†¦ the Bergofsky Principle.† â€Å"And common sense,† she snapped. â€Å"Who knows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hale sighed dramatically. â€Å"There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Shakespeare,† Hale offered. â€Å"Hamlet.† â€Å"Read a lot while you were in jail?† Hale chuckled. â€Å"Seriously, Susan, did you ever think that maybe it is possible, that maybe Tankado really did write an unbreakable algorithm?† This conversation was making Susan uneasy. â€Å"Well, we couldn't do it.† â€Å"Maybe Tankado's better than we are.† â€Å"Maybe.† Susan shrugged, feigning disinterest. â€Å"We corresponded for a while,† Hale offered casually. â€Å"Tankado and me. Did you know that?† Susan looked up, attempting to hide her shock. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yeah. After I uncovered the Skipjack algorithm, he wrote me-said we were brothers in the global fight for digital privacy.† Susan could barely contain her disbelief. Hale knows Tankado personally! She did her best to look uninterested. Hale went on. â€Å"He congratulated me for proving that Skipjack had a back door-called it a coup for privacy rights of civilians all over the world. You gotta admit, Susan, the backdoor in Skipjack was an underhanded play. Reading the world's E-mail? If you ask me, Strathmore deserved to get caught.† â€Å"Greg,† Susan snapped, fighting her anger, â€Å"that back door was so the NSA could decode E-mail that threatened this nation's security.† â€Å"Oh, really?† Hale sighed innocently. â€Å"And snooping the average citizen was just a lucky by-product?† â€Å"We don't snoop average citizens, and you know it. The FBI can tap telephones, but that doesn't mean they listen to every call that's ever made.† â€Å"If they had the manpower, they would.† Susan ignored the remark. â€Å"Governments should have the right to gather information that threatens the common good.† â€Å"Jesus Christ†-Hale sighed-â€Å"you sound like you've been brainwashed by Strathmore. You know damn well the FBI can't listen in whenever they want-they've got to get a warrant. A spiked encryption standard would mean the NSA could listen in to anyone, anytime, anywhere.† â€Å"You're right-as we should be able to!† Susan's voice was suddenly harsh. â€Å"If you hadn't uncovered the back door in Skipjack, we'd have access to every code we need to break, instead of just what TRANSLTR can handle.† â€Å"If I hadn't found the back door,† Hale argued, â€Å"someone else would have. I saved your asses by uncovering it when I did. Can you imagine the fallout if Skipjack had been in circulation when the news broke?† â€Å"Either way,† Susan shot back, â€Å"now we've got a paranoid EFF who think we put back doors in all our algorithms.† Hale asked smugly, â€Å"Well, don't we?† Susan eyed him coldly. â€Å"Hey,† he said, backing off, â€Å"the point is moot now anyway. You built TRANSLTR. You've got your instant information source. You can read what you want, when you want-no questions asked. You win.† â€Å"Don't you mean we win? Last I heard, you worked for the NSA.† â€Å"Not for long,† Hale chirped. â€Å"Don't make promises.† â€Å"I'm serious. Someday I'm getting out of here.† â€Å"I'll be crushed.† In that moment, Susan found herself wanting to curse Hale for everything that wasn't going right. She wanted to curse him for Digital Fortress, for her troubles with David, for the fact that she wasn't in the Smokys-but none of it was his fault. Hale's only fault was that he was obnoxious. Susan needed to be the bigger person. It was her responsibility as head cryptographer to keep the peace, to educate. Hale was young and naive. Susan looked over at him. It was frustrating, she thought, that Hale had the talent to be an asset in Crypto, but he still hadn't grasped the importance of what the NSA did. â€Å"Greg,† Susan said, her voice quiet and controlled, â€Å"I'm under a lot of pressure today. I just get upset when you talk about the NSA like we're some kind of high-tech peeping Tom. This organization was founded for one purpose-to protect the security of this nation. That may involve shaking a few trees and looking for the bad apples from time to time. I think most citizens would gladly sacrifice some privacy to know that the bad guys can't maneuver unchecked.† Hale said nothing. â€Å"Sooner or later,† Susan argued, â€Å"the people of this nation need to put their trust somewhere. There's a lot of good out there-but there's also a lot of bad mixed in. Someone has to have access to all of it and separate the right from wrong. That's our job. That's our duty. Whether we like it or not, there is a frail gate separating democracy from anarchy. The NSA guards that gate.† Hale nodded thoughtfully. â€Å"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?† Susan looked puzzled. â€Å"It's Latin,† Hale said. â€Å"From Satires of Juvenal. It means ‘Who will guard the guards?' â€Å" â€Å"I don't get it,† Susan said. † ‘Who will guard the guards?' â€Å" â€Å"Yeah. If we're the guards of society, then who will watch us and make sure that we're not dangerous?† Susan nodded, unsure how to respond. Hale smiled. â€Å"It's how Tankado signed all his letters to me. It was his favorite saying.†

Deception Point Page 104

Where's Michael? She didn't see him. Her panic lasted only an instant as a new fear descended. Overhead, the Triton's shredded winch cable let out an ominous whipping noise as the braids unraveled. Then, there was a loud snap, and Rachel felt the cable give way. Momentarily weightless, Rachel hovered above her seat inside the cockpit as the sub hurtled downward. The deck disappeared overhead, and the catwalks under the Goya raced by. The soldier trapped in the claws went white with fear, staring at Rachel as the sub accelerated downward. The fall seemed endless. When the sub crashed into the sea beneath the Goya, it plunged hard under the surf, ramming Rachel down hard into her seat. Her spine compressed as the illuminated ocean raced up over the dome. She felt a suffocating drag as the sub slowed to a stop underwater and then raced back toward the surface, bobbing up like a cork. The sharks hit instantly. From her front-row seat, Rachel sat frozen in place as the spectacle unfolded only a few feet away. Delta-Two felt the shark's oblong head crash into him with unimaginable force. A razor sharp clamp tightened on his upper arm, slicing to the bone and locking on. A flash of white-hot pain exploded as the shark torqued its powerful body and shook its head violently, tearing Delta-Two's arm off his body. Others sharks moved in. Knives stabbing at his legs. Torso. Neck. Delta-Two had no breath to scream in agony as the sharks ripped huge chunks of his body away. The last thing he saw was a crescent-shaped mouth, tilting sideways, a gorge of teeth clamping down across his face. The world went black. Inside the Triton, the thudding of heavy cartilaginous heads ramming into the dome finally subsided. Rachel opened her eyes. The man was gone. The water washing against the window was crimson. Badly battered, Rachel huddled in her chair, knees pulled to her chest. She could feel the sub moving. It was drifting on the current, scraping along the length of the Goya's lower dive deck. She could feel it moving in another direction as well. Down. Outside, the distinctive gurgling of water into the ballast tanks grew louder. The ocean inched higher on the glass in front of her. I'm sinking! A jolt of terror shot through Rachel, and she was suddenly scrambling to her feet. Reaching overhead, she grabbed the hatch mechanism. If she could climb up on top of the sub, she still had time to jump onto the Goya's dive deck. It was only a few feet away. I've got to get out! The hatch mechanism was clearly marked which way to turn it to open. She heaved. The hatch did not budge. She tried again. Nothing. The portal was jammed shut. Bent. As the fear rose in her blood like the sea around her, Rachel heaved one last time. The hatch did not move. The Triton sank a few inches deeper, bumping the Goya one last time before drifting out from underneath the mangled hull†¦ and into the open sea. 126 â€Å"Don't do this,† Gabrielle begged the senator as he finished at the copy machine. â€Å"You're risking your daughter's life!† Sexton blocked out her voice, moving back to his desk now with ten identical stacks of photocopies. Each stack contained copies of the pages Rachel had faxed him, including her handwritten note claiming the meteorite was a fake and accusing NASA and the White House of trying to kill her. The most shocking media kits ever assembled, Sexton thought, as he began carefully inserting each stack into its own large, white linen envelope. Each envelope bore his name, office address, and senatorial seal. There would be no doubt where this incredible information had originated. The political scandal of the century, Sexton thought, and I will be the one to reveal it! Gabrielle was still pleading for Rachel's safety, but Sexton heard only silence. As he assembled the envelopes, he was in his own private world. Every political career has a defining moment. This is mine. William Pickering's phone message had warned that if Sexton went public, Rachel's life would be in danger. Unfortunately for Rachel, Sexton also knew if he went public with proof of NASA's fraud, that single act of boldness would land him in the White House with more decisiveness and political drama than ever before witnessed in American politics. Life is filled with difficult decisions, he thought. And winners are those who make them. Gabrielle Ashe had seen this look in Sexton's eyes before. Blind ambition. She feared it. And with good reason, she now realized. Sexton was obviously prepared to risk his daughter in order to be the first to announce the NASA fraud. â€Å"Don't you see you've already won?† Gabrielle demanded. â€Å"There's no way Zach Herney and NASA will survive this scandal. No matter who makes it public! No matter when it comes out! Wait until you know Rachel is safe. Wait until you talk to Pickering!† Sexton was clearly no longer listening to her. Opening his desk drawer, he pulled out a foil sheet on which were affixed dozens of nickel-sized, self-adhesive wax seals with his initials on them. Gabrielle knew he usually used these for formal invitations, but he apparently thought a crimson wax seal would give each envelope an extra touch of drama. Peeling the circular seals off the foil, Sexton pressed one onto the pleat of each envelope, sealing it like a monogrammed epistle. Gabrielle's heart pulsed now with a new anger. She thought of the digitized images of illegal checks in his computer. If she said anything, she knew he would just delete the evidence. â€Å"Don't do this,† she said, â€Å"or I'll go public about our affair.† Sexton laughed out loud as he affixed the wax seals. â€Å"Really? And you think they'll believe you-a power-hungry aide denied a post in my administration and looking for revenge at any cost? I denied our involvement once, and the world believed me. I'll simply deny it again.† â€Å"The White House has photos,† Gabrielle declared. Sexton did not even look up. â€Å"They don't have photos. And even if they did, they're meaningless.† He affixed the final wax seal. â€Å"I have immunity. These envelopes out-trump anything anyone could possibly throw at me.† Gabrielle knew he was right. She felt utterly helpless as Sexton admired his handiwork. On his desk sat ten elegant, white linen envelopes, each embossed with his name and address and secured with a crimson wax seal bearing his scripted initials. They looked like royal letters. Certainly kings had been crowned on account of less potent information. Sexton picked up the envelopes and prepared to leave. Gabrielle stepped over and blocked his way. â€Å"You're making a mistake. This can wait.† Sexton's eyes bored into her. â€Å"I made you, Gabrielle, and now I've unmade you.† â€Å"That fax from Rachel will give you the presidency. You owe her.† â€Å"I've given her plenty.† â€Å"What if something happens to her!† â€Å"Then she'll cement my sympathy vote.† Gabrielle could not believe the thought had even crossed his mind, much less his lips. Disgusted, she reached for the phone. â€Å"I'm calling the White-â€Å" Sexton spun and slapped her hard across the face. Gabrielle staggered back, feeling her lip split open. She caught herself, grabbing on to the desk, staring up in astonishment at the man she had once worshiped. Sexton gave her a long, hard look. â€Å"If you so much as think of crossing me on this, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life.† He stood unflinching, clutching the stack of sealed envelopes under his arm. A harsh danger burned in his eyes. When Gabrielle exited the office building into the cold night air, her lip was still bleeding. She hailed a taxi and climbed in. Then, for the first time since she had come to Washington, Gabrielle Ashe broke down and cried.