The Iraq War No End in Sight Essay - 501 Words

While the nation mourns the 2,000th U.S. combat death in Iraq, instead of looking for ways to plan an exit strategy, Congress is finalizing another payment of $50 billion to continue fighting the war. The dynamics of the fighting between the resistance and the U.S., and the horrific human costs that are being exacted, are unlikely to change in the near term as the Bush administration remains stubbornly committed to occupying Iraq. And both parts of the administrations purported plan, democratization and putting Iraqis in charge of their own security, are failing because of the continued resistance to U.S. occupation. Its clear that the situation is only getting worse. Instead of helping make Iraq safer and more stable, U.S. troops†¦show more content†¦And Iraqis still live today without adequate supplies of water or electricity, without sewage treatment plants or access to jobs. On top of these human costs, the financial costs are soaring as well. Before the war started, administration officials argued that the total cost would be $50 billion. But the latest spending will lift the tab to $250 billion, bringing the average yearly spending to $86 billion. This amounts to every man, woman and child in the U.S. sending the government a check for $840 to pay for the bill so far. Congress and the Pentagon have fallen down on the job of keeping tabs on the money being spent. In late September the Government Accountability Office issued a report concluding, neither [the Department of Defense] nor Congress ... can reliably know how much the war is costing and details on how appropriated funds are being spent. At a time where our nation is running a deficit and money is urgently needed for emergency relief and reconstruction, we cannot afford to waste funds. While Congress pressed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to re-open no-bid reconstruction contracts given during the first days after hurricane Katrina hit, such scrutiny has not been taken for reconstruction in Iraq even after a joint Senate-House report was released in June documenting an extra $1.4 billion in questionable and unsupported expenditures by Halliburtons KBR subsidiary operating inShow MoreRelatedThe War Of Weapons Of Mass Destruction982 Words   |  4 Pagesdollars has been spent on the war in Iraq since it began in 2003, plus over four thousand U.S. troops have died because of this war, and despite a struggling economy the US government is keeping our troops in Iraq with no end in sight. The war in Iraq is a current military operation that began, without a declaration of war, on March 20, 2003 and is still taking place today in 2009(Thompson). Americans have been shielded from this war and have forgotten why we went to war in the first place. 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This policy of sanctioning nations begs one to ponder the legitimacy thereof. A specific case to be examined is the Iraqi conflict. In response to Iraqà ­s hostile takeover of Kuwait in 1990, the U.S along with United Nations implemented a sanction against Iraq. After the Gulf War had ceased, a treaty was drafted whichRead MoreEvaluation of the US Central Command’s Planning Process for Operation Iraqi Freedom1884 Words   |  7 Pagesjoint operations require. Joint operations are no longer limited to major combat operations, but encompass a wide range of actions. Planning for joint operations requires input from many sources to produce a successful campaign plan to meet the desired end state. Operational design provides a concept and a construction framework that underpins a campaign and its execution. (JP GL13). Evaluating the planning process by using the operational design identifies some of CENTCOM’s shortfalls. US military planners’Read MoreGeorge Bush and His War Against Terrorism Essay928 Words   |  4 PagesGeorge Bush and His War Against Terrorism When George W Bush came to the presidential office of America at the beginning of the year 2000, there was already a lot of controversy that surrounded him. He was appointed Governor of Texas in 1995 and as of 7:30pm, December 7, 2000, 152 people have been executed during Bushs office as governor. This makes Texas Governor George W Bush the most-killing Governor, in the history of the United States of America. This list canRead MoreNew York Times Reporter Euan Ferguson1379 Words   |  6 Pagesagainst war and violence in general. Professors and their students gathered together in civil protests against the war in Vietnam. Anarchists and military veterans alike marched to show their disgust for the war in Iraq. Parents bring their children to the protests and sometimes even their own parents, making it multi-generation involvement. New York Times reporter Ishaan Tharoor 1 recalls seeing an elderly woman rolling along the streets of New York City in her wheelchair to protest the war in IraqRead MoreMao Zedong Of The World Essay1657 Words   |  7 Pages they do not. Perhaps they should, but that concerns epistemological questions. And while elements of Mao’s perspective—that the people comprise the â€Å"motive force in the making of world history†Ã¢â‚¬â€wafted around in compelling the U.S. to intervene in Iraq in 2003, it is not a sufficient explanation. The p eople did not form the chief reason for the Iraqi campaign, and certainly did not originate the intervention â€Å"alone†, as Mao’s philosophy would suggest. 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A Reflection On The Shelter At The Uu Fellowship Of San...

Introduction Participating in the overnight shelter at the UU Fellowship of San Luis Obispo, was an eye opening experience. When people think of homeless people, right away they think of the stereotypical description of a homeless person, such as dirty, on drugs, or mentally ill. I was one of those people who had a stereotypical picture in my mind, but participating in this shelter changed my perceptive on the description of homeless. As my shift began, I realized for the most part the shelter was composed of single women, and two families, including the fathers. Most of the people were already resting in bed, therefore there wasn’t as much interaction between the volunteers and the clients. I was able to interact with one of the families because they were out in the hallway with their little boy. From this family, I learned that the father had a job, but he didn’t earn enough to provide housing for his family. The mom didn’t work because she was taking care of her little boy and she was 7 months pregnant. Since the shelter is only provided for overnight stay, the mom and the little boy sometimes stay at the boyfriend’s mother house during the day. In addition, I noticed that these people have been at the shelter for quite some time. They were interacting among each other as if they knew who they were, and I noticed each individual had their own specific bed. Another thing I noticed was a young lady around 20 years old doing homework, which I assume she must be either

Essay Writing Help -Tourist Destinations Free Essays

Abstract The first section of the paper discusses the physical, cultural and social features that distinguish tourist destinations. The second part distinguishes between two developing and developed tourist destinations. The last section discusses the impact of climate change and the increased interest in sustainability for a tourist destination. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Writing Help -Tourist Destinations or any similar topic only for you Order Now Cultural, Social and Physical Features Distinguishing Tourist Destinations Rodriguez-Santos et al. (2013) maintain that the ability of destinations to attract tourists depends on the available features of interest. Such features include the cultural, social and physical characteristics of a place. They play a central role in influencing tourists’ perceptions regarding the destinations. The level of appeal of the destinations may also depend on the pre-conceived ideas and interests of tourists. For instance, human beings have psychological representation of reality around them (Rodriguez-Santos et al. 2013). In other words, regardless of the true image of a particular destination, people may develop different opinions about the place. The psychological representations differ from one individual to another. Once the cultural, social and physical features have been experienced by many people, it may lose value. People share their cultural experiences through documentaries, journals and books. In other words, people always seek new destinations that have not been flooded by other tourists (Hudman Jackson 2003). Cultural studies focus on how traditional communities live in different places. The traditional communities have diverse customs, art, music, diets, religious beliefs, architectural designs and history. Cultural features may also include historic cities that have facilities such as museums and theatres (Hudman Jackson 2003). The cultural features influence how people live in such different parts of the continent. People are attracted to different cultures because they want to develop first-hand experiences to satisfy their cultural curiosities. For instance, tourists visit Caribbean countries such as Bahamas and Cuba to experience their distinctive diet. The social features that distinguish various places may include festivals, rituals, values, lifestyle and manner of worship. The uniqueness of the social practices attracts people who would like to develop authentic experiences of the features (Hudman Jackson 2003). The physical features that distinguish various places include moun tains, valleys, water bodies, wildlife environmental conditions and beaches (Hudman Jackson 2003). The physical features may be natural or manmade. The aspects of the physical features vary from one place to another. For instance, during winter seasons in European countries, most people travel to places such as Kenya and Tanzania to experience their warm climate and sandy beaches. People visit Dubai to experience their architectural designs. A Comparison of the Physical, Cultural and Social Features of Two Developing and Two Developed Major Tourist Destinations Kenya (Developing) Tanzania (Developing) England (Developed) Greece (Developed) Physical Features Malindi has extensive coral reefs and sandy beaches. The country also contains a part of the second largest freshwater lake in the world; lake Victoria. Mount Kenya is the second highest in Africa. Samburu national reserve attracts much wildlife because of river Ewaso Nyiro. Lamu Island is Kenya’s sceneries that have attractive landscapes. It also provides a native feeling because it has not been modified in any way since independence. The most famous physical feature in Tanzania is Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the highest mountain in Africa. The country also has various sandy beaches along the coastal areas. It has national parks such as Arusha and Katavi that host different species of wildlife. The region also has most rare wildlife species such as the black rhinos. The country has old buildings with ancient architectural designs such as the Stone Town in Zanzibar. England has a variety of preserved architectural designs such as Warwick Castle. The country also contains various amusement and theme parks such as pleasure beach black pool, Alton towers and Thorpe park among others. It has aquariums such as the blue planet aquarium and national sea life centre. Archeological sites and cities such as Thera, Acropolis of Rhodes, Acropolis of Lindos, Athens and Argos. The country also contains some geographical sceneries such as Samaria Gorge and mount Athos. Cultural features The 42 ethnic groups in Kenya make it a comprehensive resource for cultural studies. Each tribe has cultural practices that are unique. For instance, the Maasai community provides attraction because of the way they have preserved their culture in the midst of civilization brought by technology and industrialization. The unique combination of historic and cultural factors has influenced the people to develop common ideas regarding pride and cohesion. The development of common ideas has helped the country to remain peaceful for a long time while other countries such as Uganda engage in civil wars. The theme of nationalism has been achieved because of the fact that the different ethnic groups in the country have a common language and similar cultural practices. England attracts tourists because it has various ancient evidences of cultural histories. Such evidences are contained in historic houses, museums and gardens among others. Part of their heritage is manifested in the way they preserve nature. The people of Greece have rich ancient histories regarding war and their way of life. The most outstanding aspect of this feature exists in the way they have managed to preserve some intimate aspects of their history through artifacts and museums. Social Features The diversity in the ethnic groups also provides a range of social features that attract tourists. The country has 42 different languages, various religions. There are distinct practices or manner of worship within religions. For instance, within Christianity, there are the â€Å"Legio Maria† from Luo community and â€Å"Akorino† from the Kikuyu community†. The most outstanding social feature of Tanzania is the Swahili language. Most scholars maintain that the people from the region speak the original form of the language. They also have a distinctive type of music. The region is dominated by the Christian and Islamic religions. The country has one of the largest street festivals in the world; the Notting hill festival. It also has one of the largest Latin-America festivals in the world; Carnaval del Pueblo. The Athens Festival is one of the largest in the world. It has a history that extends to more than 50 years. The festival has distinctive music, theatre and dance style. Cohen classified tourists into four categories depending on their characteristics. The categories include the organized mass tourist, the individual mass tourist, the explorer and drifter (Woodside Martin 2008). The organized mass tourists are the least audacious. They harbor simple needs and spend a lot of time in fixed locations. The individual mass tourists may use facilities provided by the tour companies. Explorers arrange their trips and accommodation. They may live within the communities as an integration strategy (Woodside Martin 2008). Drifters tend to identify with the host communities by engaging in income generating activities. Greece is known for her archeological sites and attractive landscape. Most of the people who visit archeological sites are explorers. They have independent transport system and move from one site to another (Sharma 2005). Greece has several archeological sites. The individual mass tourists focus on experiencing the landscape of most regions withi n Greece. They rely upon tour guides to help them navigate places (Sharma 2005). The key characteristics in Kenya that attract tourism are the diversity in wildlife species, cultural diversity and constantly warm climate. Based on Cohen’s classification of tourists, the organized mass tourists visit most parts of the coastal regions with the sole purpose of enjoying the warm climate and life at the beach of Malindi (Sharma 2005). The people who visit the national and game reserves fall under the individual mass tourists. They seek to experience the diverse wildlife species in different national and game parks. They rely on tour guides for facilities and operate from particular places such as hotels (Sharma 2005). The group that is attracted by the diverse cultural practices in Kenya is explorers. They live and bond with the community members (Sharma 2005). Most of them are scholars who seek to make documentaries of such communities. Impact of Climate Change and the Increased Interest in Sustainability for a Tourist Destination Gossling et al. (2012) maintain that climate change affects the demands of tourists. The nature of the demands is influenced by the response of tourists regarding the mitigation plans. A change in climate conditions ruins the initial plans of tourists. The mitigation plans impacts on transportation systems, destinations and economic development of societies (Gossling et al. 2012). Most tourists have back-up plans that they use to substitute time, destinations and the nature of holidays in cases that involve drastic climate changes. The climate condition of a particular destination is one of the factors that motivate a tourist’s choice of the place. In other words, climate changes compel tourists to resort to change their initial plans for more favorable regions. The change of plans affects the sustainability of tourism of a particular region (Gossling et al. 2012). References Gossling, S., Scott, D., Hall, M. C., Dubois, G 2012. Consumer Behaviour and Demand Response af Tourists to Climate Change, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 36-58. Hudman, L. E., Jackson, R. H. (2003). Geography of travel tourism. Clifton Park, NY, Thomson/Delmar Learning. Rodriguez-santos, M.C., Gonzalez-fernandez, A.,M. Cervantes-blanco, M 2013. â€Å"Weak cognitive image of cultural tourism destinations†, Quality and Quantity, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 881-895. Sharma, K. K. (2005). Tourism and development. New Delhi, Sarup Sons. Woodside, A. G., Martin, D. (2008). Tourism management: analysis, behaviour and strategy. Wallingford, UK, CABI Pub. How to cite Essay Writing Help -Tourist Destinations, Essay examples

Environmental Law and social Impact the Project - Free Sample

Question: Discuss about the Environmental Law and social Impact. Answer: The expansion of the Townsville port was first brought up by a Master planning process in the year 2007. The stable increase in trade which was predicted for the future was one of the main driving forces behind the master plan recognizing the need to expand the port[1]. The project design has been subjected to social, economical and environmental scrutiny since the time it has been initiated. The design which had been provided in the environmental impact statement has also been subjected to review. The design required work which was probably going to be extended towards the Great Barrier Reef marine park boundaries[2]. There were many submissions against the project pointing out the validity of its needs along with many environmental impacts. The environmental and social impacts of the project included effects on local ecosystem and marine habitat resilience along with the adverse effects of the Great Barrier Reef[3]. The effects of the project on tourism friendly Townsville and magn etic islands were also pointed out in the submissions. The adequacy in relation to the proposed environmental offsets was also challenged by the submissions. The report in relation to the project expansion justifies that the growing trade requires the expansion project for the betterment of economy. The report promises sustainable development by addressing the environment impacts of the projects. The tenants and the port are promising to take up the duty of limiting dust, light and noise which may have a harmful impact on the local communities. The expansion project would also bring in over 175 constriction and 180 operational jobs. The project is set to overcome the capacity restraint of the harbor which would lead to the development of trade and economy[4]. Various risk arise out of the project such as hazard risk, cumulative risk, health and safety risk and critical infrastructure protection. Currently the coordinator-general is preparing the evaluation report in relation to envi ronmental impact statement[5]. In order to conserve the environment and heritage, assessments are undertaken with respect to Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999(EPBCAct)[6]. A person cannot go forward with an action which would have or would likely to have a serious impact in relation to the environment and other matters which are protected unless an approval is obtained from the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Energy (the Minister). Action in the Act is defined as any development, project, activity or undertaking. The proposed action has to be referred to the minister before any steps are taken towards it. Both state and commonwealth EIS has to be prepared by the proponents addressing their requirements separately. The expansion project has to comply with both state and commonwealth guidelines on environment while preparing the EIS. With respect to state compliance the initial step is to prepare a TOR which would be available for advisory agency and public advisors . The comments made by the public and agencies are considered by the Coordinator-General and copies of the comment are given to the proponent. The availability of the prepared EIS must be made public by the proponent. The coordinator general considers the EIS and other submissions and if satisfied issues a preliminary approval only with imposed conditions. When there are no further conditions the development is approved with reasons for the statement[7]. The ESI should be made in accordance to its guidelines such as use of scientific and technical data, plan for mitigating identified risk, ensuring optimum level of investigation and defining technical terms in plain English. Various sections of EPBC Act such as section 12-18 have to be considered along with Section 20, 23 and 24. Bilateral agreements between state and commonwealth operate to better handle to issues relating to the environment by addressing both state and national needs. The current bilateral agreement allows the min ister of commonwealth to rely on EIA which is specified by the state of Queensland with respect to the EPBC Act. The hydrodynamic impact assessment is done to assess the condition of the marine environment due to the impact of the proposed project. According to the Hydrodynamic impact statement of the proposed expansion the effects are not severe in magnitudes and are limited to changed velocity magnitude with respect to reclamation areas and proposed breakwaters. According to the assessment velocity magnitude only decreases only by 0.25 m/s which is permissible with respect to the advantages of the proposed expansion project. The impact statement also does not indicate any significant change in relation to tidal current velocities due to the expansion project. A three dimensional numeric modeling was used to base evaluation of advection dispersion and hydrodynamic process. A three dimensional flexible mesh model TUFLOW was used which had the capability to handle both advection dispersion and hydrodynamic. For the purpose of representing stratification processes resulting out of the Great Barri er Reef lagoon a baroclinic model configuration was used. In order to assess the changes in wave climate a spectral wave model was used. The models have been tested and used by BMT WBM on various significant studies nlike Murray River Mouth, Gladstone Western Basin Dredging and Disposal Project (coastal studies) and Pipavav Port. In order to assess the water quality and impact on marine ecosystem segment of the AEIS the dredge plume modeling results were used. The section provides a full discussion in relation to the effect of dredging plumes on the quality of water. The winding stage and the Deeping stage of sea channels and platypus is predicted to have the most significant impact from dredging process. Margin of the Magnetic Island along with conditions in relation to sensitive receptors are influenced by the entertainment of sediments by propeller wash procedure and overflow of TSHD[8]. The plumes which would be caused due to the dredging process is likely to have an impact at the local level but is not predicted to impact a large area. There is also negligible increase with respect to suspended sediment concentration at the site of the sensitive receptors. The proponents have developed a Dredge Management plan in order to mange the environmental risk arising out to the dredge process. The proponents have divided the plan in different stages according to the stages of dredge. The proponents aim to capitalize dredging activities done by plants, placing dredged material into reclamation, dredge tailwater management at the site of reclamation, general operations before decommissioning and during dredging process[9]. Maritime structures like marine pile diving, breakwaters and other structures of the reclamation based on land and a different construction environmental plan is formed to address the same. operational degrading is also not covered by the plan as it is controlled by POTLs. The plan intends to protect environmental values resulting out of long term ill effects of dredging effects on water quality. The plan also intends to minimize the impact of the project on existing marine fauna and flora including their habitats due to material placement and capital dredging activities. The plan sets out guidelines to mage waste resulting out of the process. The plan also addresses the risk of accidents such as oil spills and vessel collision which could damage the surrounding environment. The proponents have also taken steps to reduce noise from the project which could result in nuisance. The proponents have introduced technical advisory committee and environmental supervisors to take care of the issue. Yes, the measures taken by the proponents would successfully be able to mitigate the adverse effects as the effects according to the assessment are not much. The social impacts relevant to the project both beneficial and adverse have been discussed briefly in this Section. The response of the community who are affected due to the community engagement process including marine and port users along with indigenous communities has to be considered. Sufficient data needs to be included in order to help the affected state and local authorities to make informed decisions in relation to the effect of the project on business and cultural and social area of the project[10]. The primary and secondary impacts of other projects also need to be addressed at both regional and local level. Population shift and disruption of present lifestyle has to be considered. The social well being and health of the local communities have to be considered. Population influx causing drugs, violence social and cultural disruption has to be addressed[11]. The projects must also include the need of young people, women, children, aged and disabled. The project also needs t o address cultural property issues of indigenous people. The project must also consider the impact on recreational activities and marine transportation. The revenue which the project is likely to bring into the affected area has to be considered comparing it to the adverse effects. The housing and accommodation issues have to be addressed by the proponents and they must ensure that most of the operational and constructional workforce is hired from the local community in order to ensure economic development. Education and training provisions has to be included for women children and people with disability in order to minimize social adverse impact and enhance the social environment[12]. References Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council and Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand 2000, The Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality, viewed 15 December 2010 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Operational Policy Material Change in intensity or scale for an environmental relevant activity ERA 2011, viewed 24 January 2012, Policy for Vegetation Management Offsets, version 3, Department of Environment and Resource Management, Brisbane, viewed 7 November 2011, Queensland Biodiversity Offset Policy (version 1), Department of Environment and Resource Management, Brisbane, viewed 7 November 2011, Queensland Reconstruction Authority 2011, Temporary State Planning Policy: Planning for stronger, more resilient floodplains, Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Brisbane, viewed 23 January 2012 State Planning Policy 3/11: Coastal Protection, Department of Environment and Resource Management, Brisbane, viewed 2 February 2012, State Planning Policy 5/10: Air, Noise and Hazardous Materials, Department of Environment and Resource Management, Brisbane, viewed 23 January 2012, Townsville City Council 2010, Black Ross (Townsville) Water Quality Improvement Plan, Townsville City Council, Townsville, viewed 2 February 2012,