Apply Legal and Ethical Parameters to Nursing Practice Essay Example for Free

Apply Legal and Ethical Parameters to Nursing Practice Essay 1. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (The National Law 2009) has great importance on the governance of the conduct of registered and enrolled nurses. The National Law allows national boards to manage the development of health profession standards. The National Law has requirement for national boards to enterprise wide range consultation on registration standards, codes and guidelines. The National Law organise a national scheme which include registration arrangement, accreditation arrangement, complaints, conducts, health and performance arrangements, privacy and information-sharing arrangement and transitional arrangements. 2. (a). Two legislations that mandate nurses to report to nominated government authorities where elderly people and/or children in their care are at risk of harm from others are Australian Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (2009) Children and Community services amendment act 2008 (b). These acts are state act, which can vary state or territory wide in Australia. (c). These legislations make ENs aware to provide safe environment and keep away elderly people and children from any harm by reporting to nominated government. This legislation helps to reduce some professionals to be involved in some cases. It is legal requirement for ENs to report all reasonable beliefs of any risk of harm for elderly people and/or children. 3. Four domains of the National Competency Standards for Enrolled Nurse are: (a) Professional and Ethical practices: Enrolled Nurses work according to legislation, policies and procedures to demonstrate knowledge of legislation and common law, organizational policies and procedure, fulfill the duty of care, report practices that may breach legislations, polices and procedures. ENs performs in ethical way, respect the rights of individual and groups, and accept accountability and responsibility for own actions within enrolled nursing practices. (b) Critical thinking and analysis: Enrolled nurses establish critical thinking to perform enrolled  nursing practice by assessing own performance through nursing standards, by self professional development, by own care. (c) Management of care: Enrolled nurses participate to form care plans with RN through accurate data collection and report of health and functional status of individuals and groups, through identification of expected healthcare outcomes, through evaluation of progress of individuals and groups to achieve expected outcomes with RN. ENs manage nursing care of individuals and groups by implementing planned nursing care to get identified outcomes, by recognizing any change in health and functional status, report and document it accurately and on time. (d) Enabling: Enrolled nurses promote safety, security and personal integrity of individuals and groups, which include their actions of safety, create and maintain effective communication, applying strategies for promotion of self-esteem of individual and groups, actions to maintain dignity and integrity of individuals and groups. Enrolled nurses provide support and care to individuals and groups and participate with members of healthcare team to achieve effective healthcare outcomes. 4. The NMBA new Code of Ethics August 2008 define the nursing profession’s commitment to respect, promote, protect and support the fundamental rights od receiver and provider of nursing and healthcare. Its impact on practice of enrolled nurses is to: Provide quality nursing care, taking action on reasonable ground Respect the individual’s ethical values with gentleness Understand different culture and languages influence the nursing and healthcare Demonstrate the ability to reasonably and equitably provide services depends on needs, social standings, ethnicity, age, race, level of income, gender Support culture of safety because safety is everyone’s responsibility Document all information accurately, non-judgmentally and relevant to health, acre and treatment of a person and should be confidential Prevent, minimize and overcome the harmful effect of economic, social or ecological factors on health Promote and maintain the trust between nurse care receiver Perform ethically 5. The purpose of NMBA new code of Professional Conduct August 2008 for nurses is to: Specify a base to consumer, regulatory, employing and professional bodies for evaluating professional conduct of nurses Form a set of minimum national standards of conduct, nurses are supposed to support Inform the community of standards of professional conduct, it can sustain nurses in Australia References: 1. Nursing and midwifery board of Australia, 27 October 2009, consultation paper on registration standards and related matters, viewed 16 August 2014, www.ahpra.gov.au 2. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2010, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Law 2009, viewed 16 August 2014, www.ahpra.gov.au 3. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2014, Mandatory notification, viewed 15 August 2014, www.ahpra.gov.au 4. Australian Institute of Family Studies, 8 August 2014, What is mandatory reporting?, viewed 15 August 2014, www.aifs.gov.au 5. Hughson, J, 2013, ‘Nursing: Historical, present and future perspectives’, The Tabbner’s Nursing Care (6th edition), Kesteven S., Libby Houston, Chatswood, NSW, pp. 11-12 6. Australian Nursing Midwifery Council, 2008, Codes of professional conduct and ethics for nurses and midwives in Australia, viewed 17 August 2014, http://dlb.sa.edu.au/tsftfmoodle/pluginfile.php/998/mod_resource/content/0/COMMUNICAT E_AND_WORK_EFFECTIVELY_IN_HEALTH/element_1/ANMCwebsiteversion.pdf 7. Nursing and midwifery board of Australia, 2014, Codes of Professional conduct for nurses in Australia, viewed 17 August 2014, www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au 8. Nursing and midwifery board of Australia, 2014, Codes of Ethics for nurse august 2008, viewed 17 August 2014, www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

Innovation for Tesco

Innovation for Tesco Tesco has rivals like Sainsburys, Asda, Morrison and Iceland, the rivals of Tesco always try to introduce something new and different in the products to attract the customers. But the technology management of Tesco thought that we should have to introduce an innovation which could be in the form of technology as well as which can reduce the staff, time and cost of the organization and which also can provide the good and efficient services to attract the customers, so after a long consideration the Tesco technology management introduced an innovation in the forms of self check outs tills and online ordering, such kinds of devices are the innovation for the Tesco as well as the new technology. Tesco was 1st organization in the retail chain which introduced the self check outs tills and online ordering. Therefore we can say that it was an innovation for Tesco as well as in the retail chain, with the help of this innovation Tesco is the 3rd largest retail company in the world now days. ( Interview from Store Manager) Definition of Innovation:- Innovation is not a single action but a total process of interrelated sub-processes. Is not just the conception of a new idea, not the invention of a new device, nor the development of a new market the process is all these things acting in an integrated fashion.(Myers Marquis, 1969) All activities which is involved in the procedure of generating ideas, development of technology marketing and producing new products and the process of manufacturing is called innovation (Trott, 2005) General Definition of Innovation:- In the organization the innovation is the process to improve or develop the new products and services in order to gain the competitive advantage in the market place. The innovation approach adopted by the Management:- The organization benefits through innovation How the innovation improved the overall organization performance Estimate the successful of the innovation (Questionnaires from the customers) Conclusion and Recommendation Organization:- The founder of Tesco was Jack Cohen in 1919. They started with the small stall but after 10 year in 1929 they opened a first store in Burnt Oak, now days in Britain Tesco is the king in the retail chain and in the world retail chain Tesco is the 3rd largest company. Tesco have 3700 stores all over the world and more than 440000 employees. Outside the Britain Tesco have stores in 13 countries. Tesco is a well known company in Britain as well as in central Europe. Tesco is dealing with every kind of Garments, wines, frozen food, electronics, groceries, travelling, and banking Tesco is struggling to become the 2nd in 2012. Tesco Mission Statement:- Mission statement is very important for every organization rather small or large, because a mission statement sets the general goals or purpose of the organization. It is very vital for the employees to obtain the organization goals. The Tesco mission statement is to keep loyal customers, in order to achieve the mission Tesco have to know who their loyal customers are, due to this reason Tesco introduced the club card services with the help of this Tesco may reward the customers by distributing the special kinds of vouchers and giving them extra points. What is the Tesco aim? The Tesco aim is to achieve the long term goals. What is an organization objective? The objectives in other words are goals which the organization sets for its future. Objectives have the time period like three or five years. The objective of the Tesco is measureable as well as they also contribute to obtain the aims. How the objective and aims merge with each other. All Tesco aims and objective merge with each other no one will work without each other. All over the world Google is the top search engine. Tesco has wonderfully detailed existence on the Google. Instances of Self check outs services:- In the retail chain Tesco is the first organization which introduced the self check outs tills the benefits of these tills for the customer is that customer can easily scan their items without any intervention of the staff as well as these tills are used both orders like small and large Tesco also gives the facility of automated checkout machines to the customers, customers its self can easily use these tills which reduce the customer time as well as the cost of staff and timing. These tills are very helpful for the Tesco to attract the customers and the profit. Instances of Online ordering:- If anyone write Tesco in the search box of the Google instantly the company possible detail come up like offers, Bog of deals, Voucher, Menu, Coupons, Club card, Home electrical etc. The new and old customers can easily choose the field of her/his choice and get all the relevant information as well as if any one write Tesco in the search box of the Google it shows many links of the company. The website of the company gives you very easy way to order online, location of the nearest store, food guide, feedback system, participating events, memberships, business information etc. The given below websites picture is describing that how Tesco is facilitating to their customers. For example if any customer enter the post code on the website he/she can easily track the nearest store, store phone number, store address as well as get information about the special offers, regular etc. Source: Tesco.com The Estimation/Evaluation:- Time by time Tesco considers the many things to check its improvement/progress. Increasing in number of customers (weekly, monthly and yearly) What are the customers views/suggestion/reviews regarding services and food Customers can give feedback thorough online as well as direct regarding their services etc The weekly average sale in a certain period. Change model:- Beckhard and Levin in 1969 and 1951 respectively developed the most famous change models. However other important contributions have been introduced by Quinn 1980 and Lewin 1980. Lewin:- The introductory methods for managing change are as follows according Lewin 1951. Unfreezing, existing behaviour and attitudes are supported by changing the present state equilibrium. According to new information new responses can be developed. Refreezing, by introduction of new responses in to personality concern can stabilize change. Field force analysis is a methodology for analysing change suggested by lewin which involves Transition to the future state is affected by analysing driving or restraining forces Differentiating between driving and restraining forces is essential. Action should be taking to increase critical driving forces and decrease critical restraining forces (Martin, 2006) Value change analysis can be applied to an organization , every time cost is reduce value substitution should be implemented, through this organization and customers both gain this has been practiced by Tesco self service check outs have not only reduce the staff cost but it also has made shopping experience easier for the consumer. (Horovitz, 2004) Guideline for Change Management:- Armstrong has explained the following factors to make sure that change management is successfully implemented in an organization. Understanding of the organizational structure and levels of change needs to be affective with the help of a strong and visionary leadership. Appropriate attitude and leadership is required to those concerned at all levels when implementing change strategies. Encourage workers who accept the idea of change participation in planning and implementation. Change should be advocated with the help of hard evidence and data. Instead of attitudes or corporate culture change should be implemented by process and behaviours. This should be completed by awarding people who encourage change and challenges. (Armstrong, 2006) Trigger: There are two types of trigger are involved in this change Internal Trigger: The management of Tesco realized that the sale and services are going bad due to negligence of staff and the shortage of staff so they need to change something, after the consideration they recognized an innovation in the form of technology like automated self services tills which can provide better customer services. External Trigger: Every organization is brining change introducing different technologies so Tesco also needs to bring the change in the organization and change could be technology, however Tesco adapted the computer technology to satisfy the customers. Innovation Analysis:- Like many others companies Tesco is also affected in every season as well as environment and lots of staff mistakes. Tesco needs are to introduce an innovation that can expand its way, and Tesco swap the workforce in to the computer technology. The Tesco management considered that our services are going to low level due to lack of staff, however empty spaces could be filled with the help of computer technology as well as efficient performance. The world is changed due to the new development in science since last decades. Computer technology is very good as well as very affordable. Tesco can easily use the technology and new improvement in technology is very important trigger for the Tesco, from last 10 years the information system is more advance and fast. The customers behaviour has been changed due to the computers. So self check out and online ordering is the part of the technology which Tesco is using very efficiently. Benefits of Innovation:- Tesco is one of the biggest retailers in Britain, so Tesco needs an innovation which could be in the form of technology as well as which can reduce the cost of staff and increase its profit as well as compete its rivals like Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys. There are many benefits for Tesco after introducing the technology which we discussed above online ordering and self check outs services, the customers can give order very easily at home through online which is very good for Tesco to increase its customers as well as sale and reduce the cost of staff, customers can order online at any time and day. This technology is very important or bon of Tesco because Tesco sales boosted up to 49% after adapting the online ordering system. Tesco is the first organization whom introduced this facility, the self check outs services are also very vital for Tesco because with the help of these tills Tesco is saving the time and money as well as reducing the staff and also giving better facility to their customers. Adapting this innovation/ technology is one of the huge changes in the organization. Tesco opened a new store in Northampton there is no check out staff, because Tesco used the automated self tills. By using good technology Tesco needs to handle the customer demands. Primary Research:- In order to understand the role of manager in the innovation, we took an interview one of the Tesco store manager. In an interview the store manager of Tesco described the basic role of the manager when any change or innovation adapted the Tesco as well he also described the factors while adapting the new technology, which are as given below. Understanding the innovation:- In an interview the store manager said that the manager always ensure that the new technology is understandable and supportable for the management and the staff as well as its also very helpful to achieve some benefits from the head office. Role of Manager:- Staff training:- The basic role of the manager that they train the staff according to the new technology as well they make sure that all staff has full information regarding the technology. The managers also confirm that the innovation is suitable for the organization and staff. They solve the staff problem regarding the new technology. Managers train the staff very efficiently in order to provide the good service and quality of the product. In every organization staff training is very essential because they tell the customers about the innovation which is very good for the organization to increase the sale. (Interview) Role of Deputy Store Manager:- After getting an interview from the Tesco store manager. We also took an interview from the deputy store manager of Tesco, during an interview he told us about his role when any change or introduce an innovation. He makes sure that all the staffs have idea about the technology as well as the advantages for this purpose he call the staff meeting and tell them about the innovation and then they train them. The deputy store manager also keep watching the performance of staff regarding the technology and he also ensure that every single staff must have the knowledge about the new technology, staff after getting the training then they could be able to help and teach the customer about the self check outs and online ordering by themselves. He also said that after getting the technology the Tesco need to maintain and provide good quality of services to their customers. (Interview) Managers External Roles:- The external role of Tesco management is they give ads to the social websites regarding the innovation to attract and tell the customers about the new technology. This is very beneficial for Tesco to increase the customers and the sale. Technology management cycle:- The Tesco technology management introduced an innovation in the form of self check outs tills. When Tesco technology management introduce this technology/innovation, management of Tesco managed this technology through a technology cycle, which is given below. Experience Experiment Reflection Concept Customer Analysis on the Innovation:- When Tesco introduce or adopt new technology. Tesco takes feedback from the customer to evaluate the success of technology/innovation. (Q No#1) Are you happy with the Tesco Service? When we are conducting an interview from the customer round about 88% of the peoples said that they are satisfied and happy with the Tesco services. In an interview customers told us that they have chosen the Tesco for good food, products and good services. Tesco products may not be cheaper than the Sainsburys and Asda. But customers are also very happy and satisfied because Tesco provides good services as well s the quality of the products. (Q No#2) Are you happy by using self check outs services and online ordering? In an interview round about 83% customers said that they are very happy and satisfied by using online ordering as well as self check outs services, Tesco implemented this technology before couple of years. According to the consumers this technology is very helpful to complete the process of buying very fast, reliable and efficient. According to the customers they do not like to stand in the queue as well as spend more time in the store, so such kinds of innovation/technology attract the customers and save the time. (Q No#3) Are you known about the term of technology management? Almost 60% customer said in an interview that they have good information/knowledge regarding the term of technology management. (Q No#4) Are you known about the change management and how the change affects the customers/people? Many customers whom were interviewed found that they have very good idea as well as knowledge about the change management; round about 75% customers said that yes change management affects the customers as well as the staff. The example is this people can buy or give order online with the help of technology. It saves their time. (Q No#5) Is Tesco should have to adopt new technology? Almost 92% customer said during the interview that Tesco should have to adopt new technology with the passage of time and also give more flexibility as well as advantages to the customers, because new technology always unique and special for customers. (Q No#6) What would you say that organization change management has been effective on the innovation? The 80% people said that yes organization change management has been effective on the innovation and Tesco should have to carry on innovating, it is very helpful for Tesco to remain and gain the sustainable competitive advantage. Recommendation:- Martin in 2006 suggested that it is the responsibility of the experienced co-worker to train and guide new staff this reflects the fact that organizational structure needs to change with the introduction of new technology, in return the workforce with look towards the management for training guidance. (Martin, 2006) Technology today improves the quality of life. It improves choice in foods, transportation, jobs, housing, healthcare, water quality and entertainment, further more. It is looked upon as a source of progression in most societies. (Henry Mayle, 2002) This new concept not only improves staff image but also helps in customer service. This would be communicated to the general public through the Ads, media, radio, television etc. Tesco Implemented the customers Suggestion/Recommended:- The company has initialized an online feedback facility where a customer can comment about their experience in the store regarding the automated tills. For example if a customer shopped in Leyton, comments asked would be about the location of the store, customer experience, stock readily available, in short general view of the customer this not only gives the customer a chance to voice their opinion, it also is forward to the concern store, on these recommendations the store manager takes steps to compensate their drawbacks and improve service at their store. My Recommendation:- We will recommend that Tesco should have to adopt more self check out tills in future and provide more reliable services to the customers as well as to resolve the problem of the customers regarding the automated self tills. Conclusion:- Tesco is the biggest retail company in the United Kingdom. It is the third largest company in the world. It provides the quality of products and services. Tesco has many kinds of products according to their customer needs and desire. Tesco always give tough time to their competitors. So Tesco technology management introduced self check out tills and online ordering system. This technology is very helpful and reliable for the customers, Before introducing new technology the technology management ensure that the technology should be understandable and supported by the staff and the top management. However in the organization the staff must have training before using the new technology, on the other hand this innovation/technology is very beneficial and favourable for Tesco. Tesco can gain and remain the sustainable competitive advantage.

The Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  F. Scott Fitzgerald’s use of flashback in The Great Gatsby proves to be an effective tool in order to reveal information from the characters’ past. These flashbacks are effective because they allow the reader to know and understand the character better before a situation in the novel arises. Three examples of flashbacks that Fitzgerald uses are when Jordan explains to Nick how and when she first met Gatsby on page 79, when Nick explains to the reader how Gatsby got his name and what his childhood was like on page 104, and when Nick explains again to the reader what happened when Gatsby returned from the war on page 160. The placement and effectiveness of these flashbacks allow Fitzgerald to give more background to each character and to allow the reader to better understand the situation that each character is experiencing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first example of flashback that Fitzgerald provides takes place on page 79. In this flashback, Jordan explains to Nick how she first met Gatsby. She explains to Nick that when the girls were eighteen, he was with Daisy Fay in her â€Å"little white roadster.† This flashback is effective because it gives us an idea of how Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship was purely based on beauty and not friendship. The placement of the above quote was essential because it allows us to experience early in the novel how Gatsby had a relationship with Daisy. This first example of flashback by Fitzgerald proves to be...

Investment Management Training :: essays research papers

Is There a Return on the Investment of Management Training?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Customer satisfaction is no doubt dependent on a great number of variables. While it may be difficult to measure the actual benefits of training in terms of customer satisfaction, it appears essential to provide some type of training for employees to improve job performance. According to Smith (2001), staffs who have received formal training have been found to be up to 230 percent more productive than untrained colleagues working in the same role. Therefore, it becomes clear that the development of an organization’s human resources is a high priority for today’s business leaders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preparation of staff should be well-planned and supportive of the company’s goals. Successful companies build a consistent system with clear constraints, allowing employees some freedom accompanied with responsibility (Collins, 2001). Managers simply cannot rely on their employees coming in with all the necessary skills to be successful in their positions. Some may require more computer skills, while others need receptionist or time management skills. Individual needs should drive the training program and this is not always an easy task to accomplish. A one-size-fits-all approach to management training will most likely not be highly successful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Larry Seldon, a Columbia University professor, stresses that â€Å"different customers have different customs, different values, different psyches and different needs.† (CNNMONEY, 2004) Each employee’s needs may be as individual as their customers’ needs. When dealing with human emotions and performance, the results are not always predictable or certain. A recent University of Michigan study revealed that customer satisfaction has declined about three percent over the last five years (CNNMoney, 2004). Good managers recognize that customer service and satisfaction are key elements to be successful in the business world. Training is one of the primary ways to increase employee skills and productivity. Employees need to be well-trained in current job skills, and learn new skills on a continuing basis in order to remain competitive (Fernald & Solomon, 1998). Employers need to provide ample opportunities for employees to develop their abilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A new method of providing this training is through the use of the Internet. Rural communities with small businesses do not have the resources available to provide ongoing, systematic training programs for their employees. William Shuffstall, County senior extension agent, maintains that small businesses need to stay viable because their communities depend on them to keep the local economy alive (Burlingame, 2002). The effective use of technology can assist these small businesses with effective and current training strategies.

In the Post-modern World, Truth is Only an Opinion :: essays research papers fc

To explain the impacts of postmodernism, we have to understand the very composite nature of postmodernism, which is a relatively new all encompassing philosophy and one that reputedly lacks a historiography. The nature of the title question is very philosophical to which an equally philosophical answer could be given – why? However I am not so bold as to give that as the answer. I will therefore endeavour to simplify and qualify, what I consider are, related factors and, where applicable, their origins. Similarly, as the title requests, I will also tackle their relationship with the ‘what is history?’ debate (having first explained exactly what it is) to offer a conclusion as to the profundity of their impact. The debate that continues through modern day historians on exactly ‘what is history?’ was instigated by the writings of Collingwood, Elton and Carr, during the 20th century. It appears a very multifaceted issue and seldom does a historian writing about the ongoing debate fully agree with any of his cohorts in any of the intellectual disciplines. In the words of Oscar Wilde, ‘To write history we have to rewrite history’. Obviously, this always involves revision, which encompasses ‘our understanding of the past and our sense of the persistence of the past into the present.’ (1) Once again, it is a complex issue to address as each individual may offer a different perspective, on their view of past histories due to personal circumstance and ideology, which subsequently ‘emphasises the connections between different fields of human endeavour.’(2) There is commonly a distinction between history and sociology in as much as history commonly refers to study of past events and human affairs, while sociology may be defined as ‘the study of human society, with an emphasis on generalisations about its structure and development.’(3) Rather than to get engaged in the parochial debate between how history and sociology differ, it is much easier to accept that they compliment each other. In fact there are a number of intellectual disciplines (including social anthropology, geography, politics and economics, to name but a few), which are all complimentary to the writing of history. Clearly the more recent the event, the more likely we will have more evidence as contemporary sources whether they be oral accounts, manuscripts, diaries and so forth have had less time to withstand the destructive processes, experienced by many other similar sources, throughout the passage of time. However, this is not to dismiss findings from archaeological digs, as with the help from modern technology it is believed we can interpret quite accurately dates, scenes and lifestyles of societies from long past epochs.

Are Humans Responsible for Global Warming?

Are Humans Responsible for Global Warming? A REVIEW OF THE FACTS APRIL 2007 AUTHORS James Wang, Ph. D. Bill Chameides, Ph. D. Are Humans Responsible for Global Warming? The case for attributing the recent global warming to human activities rests on the following undisputed scientific facts: †¢ Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere. †¢ Since pre-industrial times, atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased from about 280 parts per million (ppm) to over 380 ppm.Current concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are unprecedented in at least the last 650,000 years, based on records from gas bubbles trapped in polar ice. †¢ Independent measurements demonstrate that the increased CO2 in the atmosphere comes from burning fossil fuels and forests. The isotopic composition of carbon from these sources contains a unique â€Å"fingerprint. † †¢ Since pre-industrial times, global average temperatures have increased by about 0. 7? C , with about half of the warming occurring over the past few decades. The only quantitative and internally consistent explanation for the recent global warming includes the intensified greenhouse effect caused by the increase in CO2 and other greenhouse gases. The U. S. National Academy of Sciences—the independent organization of the country’s most renowned scientists established by Congress to advise the nation on scientific and technical issues—has concluded: â€Å"The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. Some argue that the recent global warming is due to natural fluctuations and not to human activities. This argument and its fallacies are discussed below. Argument 1: CO2 is not coming from human activities CO2 has natural sources: volcanoes for example. All animals exhale it. How can human activities be affecting the concentration of CO2 on a global scale? The Facts Natural processes e mit large quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere, but they also remove it—at nearly identical rates.This balance maintained the concentration of CO2 at a stable level for thousands of years prior to the Industrial Revolution. In the case of global warming, the question is: What is causing the increase in CO2 concentrations? The answer turns out to be incontrovertible. The isotopic composition of carbon in atmospheric CO2 provides a unique â€Å"fingerprint† that tells scientists that the lion’s share of the additional CO2 accumulating in the atmosphere is from the burning of fossil fuels. Argument 2: No one really knows why the climate variesThe global climate has fluctuated considerably over the Earth’s history, either for unknown reasons or because of â€Å"internal variability† in the climate system. We do not know enough about the climate system to attribute the present global warming to any specific cause. The Facts It is true that the Earthâ⠂¬â„¢s climate has exhibited wide swings over geologic time due to natural processes. However, scientists have reasonable qualitative explanations for most of the significant variations in 2 limate over geologic time;1 they can be largely attributed to specific processes, not to unknown internal oscillations. Many of the major climatic changes can be traced to changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun (Hays et al. Science, 194, 1976, pg. 1121). Others can be linked to specific events (such as the impact of a comet or meteorite or the assembly or breakup of supercontinents) that led to large changes in the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases.For more recent times (the past millennium), scientists have been able to quantitatively attribute the major temperature fluctuations to changes in solar activity, volcanic eruptions, and human-produced greenhouse gases and particulate pollution. These natural processes can not explain the current warming. Argument 3: The Medie val Warm Period disproves global warming The current warming trend is analogous to the Medieval Warming Period (MWP). Since the MWP was obviously a natural event, the current warming is also likely caused by natural processes. The FactsThe Medieval Warm Period (MWP) refers to a relatively warm period lasting from about the 10th to the 14th century. 2 However, the initial evidence for the MWP was largely based on data3 gathered from Europe, and more recent analyses indicate that the MWP was not a global phenomenon. A number of reconstructions of millennium-scale global temperatures have indicated that the maximum globally averaged temperature during the MWP was not as extreme as present-day temperatures and that the warming was regional rather than global. Perhaps the most well-known of these is that of Michael Mann and colleagues (Nature, 392, 1998, pg. 779).Their reconstruction produced the so-called â€Å"hockey stick† graphic that contributed to this conclusion in the 2001 assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: â€Å"The†¦'Medieval Warm Period' appear(s) to have limited utility in describing trends in hemispheric or global mean temperature changes in past centuries. † The accuracy of the â€Å"hockey stick† graphic was widely discussed in the press when the Mann et al. methodology was criticized by McIntyre and McKitrick (Geophys. Res. Lettr, 32, 2005, pg. L03710). Less attention was given to subsequent studies, such as that of Moberg and colleagues (Nature, 433, 2005, pg. 13) and Osborn and Briffa (Science, 311, 2006, pg. 841) that were based on different, independent methodologies but reached conclusions similar to Mann. Observations of melting high altitude glaciers are perhaps even more telling. Andean glaciers that have been intact for more than 5,000 years are now rapidly melting (Thompson et al. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. , 103, 2006, pg. 10536). If the MWP was truly global, these glaciers would not have sur vived. More generally, it is a logical fallacy to argue that because the climate has changed in the past due to natural causes, the current warming trend must also be due to natural causes.The debate over the magnitude and causes of earlier climate change such as the MWP is of scientific interest, but it does not invalidate the considerable direct scientific evidence that human-produced greenhouse gases have been causing the Earth to warm recently. Argument 4: Recent predictions of a new ice age disprove global warming In the 1970s climate scientists were saying an ice age was imminent. Now they say the Earth is warming. They don’t know what they are talking about. The FactsThe Earth’s climate for the past 2 million years has been characterized by ice ages lasting close to 100,000 years, punctuated by relatively short (10,000- to 30,000-year) warm periods or â€Å"interglacials. † The swing from glacial to interglacial is caused by changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun amplified by natural feedbacks involving greenhouse gases (Hays et al. Science, 194, 1976, pg. 1121). The Earth entered the present interglacial about 10,000 years ago. All things being equal (i. e. , in the absence of a large human-produced source of CO2) it is highly likely that the Earth will swing back into a glacial period or ice age.But this will not occur for thousands of years. 3 As early as the 19th century, scientists recognized that greenhouse gases warm the planet, and that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide could lead to global warming on time scales of decades to centuries—much shorter than the fluctuations related to ice ages and interglacials. Around the same time, global temperatures began to increase and scientists became increasingly concerned that humans were interfering with the climate. In the 1950s the upward trend in global temperatures unexpectedly halted and temperatures declined somewhat.This led some scientists to become c oncerned about global cooling and, in turn, to headlines in the popular press about an imminent ice age. What the skeptics fail to admit is that within the scientific literature—as opposed to the popular press—global warming remained a serious concern. Many scientists of the time argued that whatever the cause of the cooling, natural or otherwise, it would be eventually overshadowed by the warming effect of carbon dioxide. In 1979, the National Academy of Sciences warned that a doubling of carbon dioxide would increase global temperatures by 1. 5 to 4. oC (Carbon Dioxide and Climate: A Scientific Assessment, NAS Press, 1979) and shortly thereafter a resumption of the upward trend in temperatures was detected. Over the past quarter century, scientific research on global climate change has intensified, and programs on an international scale have been organized. More and more data are included in computer models that are capable of recreating past trends and more precisel y predicting future scenarios. We now know that the mid-20th century pause in global warming was caused by pollution from burning coal, which produced tiny particles or aerosols that blocked the energy from the sun.As aerosol emissions were controlled but greenhouse gas pollution continued to increase, the cooling effect of the aerosols was overwhelmed by the greenhouse gases, and global warming resumed. Argument 5: Scientists cannot â€Å"prove† current warming is not natural Climate scientists can not prove that the current warming is not due to natural processes and therefore can not claim with certainty that the warming is due to human interference. The Facts It is of course true that, in a complex system like climate, it is virtually impossible to prove a negative; i. e. that natural processes are not causing the current warming. What we can do is eliminate every possible natural explanation that can be posited. Thermodynamics tells us that the warming of the Earthâ€⠄¢s lower atmosphere must arise from one or more processes that supply excess heat to the lower atmosphere. Besides the greenhouse effect, the viable processes are (1) increased output from the sun; (2) increased absorption of heat from the sun due to a change in the Earth’s planetary reflectivity or â€Å"albedo†; and (3) an internal variation in the climate system that transfers heat from one part of the Earth to the atmosphere.Direct observations confirm that none of these explains the observed warming over the latter half of the 20th century. For example there has been no appreciable change in solar output over the past two decades (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Change in solar output from 1980 to 2005. Figure 1 shows the relative change in solar output determined from two of satellite measurements over a two-decade period. The data show variability in solar output corresponding to the 11-year sunspot cycle, but no secular trend. Source: After Lean and Froelich, 2006. 4 Satellite data reveal that the Earth’s reflectivity increased (causing cooling instead of warming) in the ’60’s, ‘70s, and early ‘80s and has decreased modestly since. 4 The overall warming from the recent decrease in reflectivity is also small compared to the greenhouse warming. In the case of internal variations, the ocean is the only viable reservoir of internal heat that could have caused the atmosphere to warm on decadal time-scales. However, observations show that the heat content of the ocean has increased instead of decreased over the past few decades (See Figure 2).This indicates that the atmosphere has been a source of heat to the ocean rather than vice versa. Moreover, the amount of heat increase in the ocean is consistent with what is needed to balance the Earth’s energy budget given the excess heating from the enhanced greenhouse effect and the amount of excess heat observed to be stored in the atmosphere (Hansen et al. Science, 3 08, 2005, pg. 1431). In other words, the amount of heat stored in the ocean over recent years matches the amount of heat that models predict should be trapped on Earth due to the increase in greenhouse gases. Figure 2.Change in heat content of ocean 1955 to 2005 Source: After Levitus et al. 2005. FIGURE 2 SHOWS THE RELATIVE CHANGE IN THE HEAT COTENT OF THE OCEAN FROM 1955 TO 2005 BASED ON A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF OCEAN TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS. THE DATA SHOW SHORT TERM VARIABILITY BUT A CLEAR UPWARD TREND ON DECADAL TIME-SCALES. Conclusion †¢ The Medieval Warm Period does not represent an analogy to the warming of the late 20th century, for which scientists have independent evidence of human causation, and the evidence strongly suggests that the MWP was a regional, rather than a global phenomenon. Our understanding of the climate system is sufficient to provide qualitative models for most global or hemispheric climatic variations over geologic history and quantitative models for variations over the past millennium. †¢ The Earth’s climate may return to ice age conditions in thousands of years, but this does not preclude devastating effects from global warming over the next few centuries. 5 †¢ All known natural explanations for the current global warming trend have been eliminated by direct observations.The human-intensified greenhouse effect provides the only quantitative explanation for the current warming trend. About the authors Dr. Wang received his doctorate from Harvard University and works as a climate scientist at Environmental Defense. He has published several peer-reviewed papers on the global methane budget and was the author of â€Å"The Latest Myths and Facts on Global Warming,† which was read into the congressional record by Senator John McCain in 2005. The report is available at http://www. undoit. org/pdfs/mythsvfacts. pdf. Dr. Chameides, chief scientist at Environmental Defense, is a member of the U.S. National A cademy of Sciences and has been named a National Associate of the National Academies. He is also an American Geophysical Union Fellow, and has received the American Geophysical Union's Macelwane Award. Dr. Chameides has served as editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research and is the author or coauthor of more than 120 scientific publications and five books. He received his doctorate from Yale University. The explanations are qualitative instead of quantitative because we do not have quantitative data from these events in the distant past to construct their exact histories. It has been suggested based on temperature reconstructions and model simulations that the MWP may have been caused by increased solar activity or a dearth of volcanic activity. 3 th Because worldwide temperature measurements do not exist before the 19 century, temperature records before th the 19 century are based on reconstructions of the temperature from the variations in temperature-sensitive proxies (e. g. , tree rings, isotopes in ice cores). 4 These variations are possibly due to changes in the concentrations of atmospheric aerosols produced from the burning of fossil fuels and biomass. 1 6 Are Humans Responsible for Global Warming? Are Humans Responsible for Global Warming? A REVIEW OF THE FACTS APRIL 2007 AUTHORS James Wang, Ph. D. Bill Chameides, Ph. D. Are Humans Responsible for Global Warming? The case for attributing the recent global warming to human activities rests on the following undisputed scientific facts: †¢ Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere. †¢ Since pre-industrial times, atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased from about 280 parts per million (ppm) to over 380 ppm.Current concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are unprecedented in at least the last 650,000 years, based on records from gas bubbles trapped in polar ice. †¢ Independent measurements demonstrate that the increased CO2 in the atmosphere comes from burning fossil fuels and forests. The isotopic composition of carbon from these sources contains a unique â€Å"fingerprint. † †¢ Since pre-industrial times, global average temperatures have increased by about 0. 7? C , with about half of the warming occurring over the past few decades. The only quantitative and internally consistent explanation for the recent global warming includes the intensified greenhouse effect caused by the increase in CO2 and other greenhouse gases. The U. S. National Academy of Sciences—the independent organization of the country’s most renowned scientists established by Congress to advise the nation on scientific and technical issues—has concluded: â€Å"The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. Some argue that the recent global warming is due to natural fluctuations and not to human activities. This argument and its fallacies are discussed below. Argument 1: CO2 is not coming from human activities CO2 has natural sources: volcanoes for example. All animals exhale it. How can human activities be affecting the concentration of CO2 on a global scale? The Facts Natural processes e mit large quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere, but they also remove it—at nearly identical rates.This balance maintained the concentration of CO2 at a stable level for thousands of years prior to the Industrial Revolution. In the case of global warming, the question is: What is causing the increase in CO2 concentrations? The answer turns out to be incontrovertible. The isotopic composition of carbon in atmospheric CO2 provides a unique â€Å"fingerprint† that tells scientists that the lion’s share of the additional CO2 accumulating in the atmosphere is from the burning of fossil fuels. Argument 2: No one really knows why the climate variesThe global climate has fluctuated considerably over the Earth’s history, either for unknown reasons or because of â€Å"internal variability† in the climate system. We do not know enough about the climate system to attribute the present global warming to any specific cause. The Facts It is true that the Earthâ⠂¬â„¢s climate has exhibited wide swings over geologic time due to natural processes. However, scientists have reasonable qualitative explanations for most of the significant variations in 2 limate over geologic time;1 they can be largely attributed to specific processes, not to unknown internal oscillations. Many of the major climatic changes can be traced to changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun (Hays et al. Science, 194, 1976, pg. 1121). Others can be linked to specific events (such as the impact of a comet or meteorite or the assembly or breakup of supercontinents) that led to large changes in the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases.For more recent times (the past millennium), scientists have been able to quantitatively attribute the major temperature fluctuations to changes in solar activity, volcanic eruptions, and human-produced greenhouse gases and particulate pollution. These natural processes can not explain the current warming. Argument 3: The Medie val Warm Period disproves global warming The current warming trend is analogous to the Medieval Warming Period (MWP). Since the MWP was obviously a natural event, the current warming is also likely caused by natural processes. The FactsThe Medieval Warm Period (MWP) refers to a relatively warm period lasting from about the 10th to the 14th century. 2 However, the initial evidence for the MWP was largely based on data3 gathered from Europe, and more recent analyses indicate that the MWP was not a global phenomenon. A number of reconstructions of millennium-scale global temperatures have indicated that the maximum globally averaged temperature during the MWP was not as extreme as present-day temperatures and that the warming was regional rather than global. Perhaps the most well-known of these is that of Michael Mann and colleagues (Nature, 392, 1998, pg. 779).Their reconstruction produced the so-called â€Å"hockey stick† graphic that contributed to this conclusion in the 2001 assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: â€Å"The†¦'Medieval Warm Period' appear(s) to have limited utility in describing trends in hemispheric or global mean temperature changes in past centuries. † The accuracy of the â€Å"hockey stick† graphic was widely discussed in the press when the Mann et al. methodology was criticized by McIntyre and McKitrick (Geophys. Res. Lettr, 32, 2005, pg. L03710). Less attention was given to subsequent studies, such as that of Moberg and colleagues (Nature, 433, 2005, pg. 13) and Osborn and Briffa (Science, 311, 2006, pg. 841) that were based on different, independent methodologies but reached conclusions similar to Mann. Observations of melting high altitude glaciers are perhaps even more telling. Andean glaciers that have been intact for more than 5,000 years are now rapidly melting (Thompson et al. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. , 103, 2006, pg. 10536). If the MWP was truly global, these glaciers would not have sur vived. More generally, it is a logical fallacy to argue that because the climate has changed in the past due to natural causes, the current warming trend must also be due to natural causes.The debate over the magnitude and causes of earlier climate change such as the MWP is of scientific interest, but it does not invalidate the considerable direct scientific evidence that human-produced greenhouse gases have been causing the Earth to warm recently. Argument 4: Recent predictions of a new ice age disprove global warming In the 1970s climate scientists were saying an ice age was imminent. Now they say the Earth is warming. They don’t know what they are talking about. The FactsThe Earth’s climate for the past 2 million years has been characterized by ice ages lasting close to 100,000 years, punctuated by relatively short (10,000- to 30,000-year) warm periods or â€Å"interglacials. † The swing from glacial to interglacial is caused by changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun amplified by natural feedbacks involving greenhouse gases (Hays et al. Science, 194, 1976, pg. 1121). The Earth entered the present interglacial about 10,000 years ago. All things being equal (i. e. , in the absence of a large human-produced source of CO2) it is highly likely that the Earth will swing back into a glacial period or ice age.But this will not occur for thousands of years. 3 As early as the 19th century, scientists recognized that greenhouse gases warm the planet, and that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide could lead to global warming on time scales of decades to centuries—much shorter than the fluctuations related to ice ages and interglacials. Around the same time, global temperatures began to increase and scientists became increasingly concerned that humans were interfering with the climate. In the 1950s the upward trend in global temperatures unexpectedly halted and temperatures declined somewhat.This led some scientists to become c oncerned about global cooling and, in turn, to headlines in the popular press about an imminent ice age. What the skeptics fail to admit is that within the scientific literature—as opposed to the popular press—global warming remained a serious concern. Many scientists of the time argued that whatever the cause of the cooling, natural or otherwise, it would be eventually overshadowed by the warming effect of carbon dioxide. In 1979, the National Academy of Sciences warned that a doubling of carbon dioxide would increase global temperatures by 1. 5 to 4. oC (Carbon Dioxide and Climate: A Scientific Assessment, NAS Press, 1979) and shortly thereafter a resumption of the upward trend in temperatures was detected. Over the past quarter century, scientific research on global climate change has intensified, and programs on an international scale have been organized. More and more data are included in computer models that are capable of recreating past trends and more precisel y predicting future scenarios. We now know that the mid-20th century pause in global warming was caused by pollution from burning coal, which produced tiny particles or aerosols that blocked the energy from the sun.As aerosol emissions were controlled but greenhouse gas pollution continued to increase, the cooling effect of the aerosols was overwhelmed by the greenhouse gases, and global warming resumed. Argument 5: Scientists cannot â€Å"prove† current warming is not natural Climate scientists can not prove that the current warming is not due to natural processes and therefore can not claim with certainty that the warming is due to human interference. The Facts It is of course true that, in a complex system like climate, it is virtually impossible to prove a negative; i. e. that natural processes are not causing the current warming. What we can do is eliminate every possible natural explanation that can be posited. Thermodynamics tells us that the warming of the Earthâ€⠄¢s lower atmosphere must arise from one or more processes that supply excess heat to the lower atmosphere. Besides the greenhouse effect, the viable processes are (1) increased output from the sun; (2) increased absorption of heat from the sun due to a change in the Earth’s planetary reflectivity or â€Å"albedo†; and (3) an internal variation in the climate system that transfers heat from one part of the Earth to the atmosphere.Direct observations confirm that none of these explains the observed warming over the latter half of the 20th century. For example there has been no appreciable change in solar output over the past two decades (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Change in solar output from 1980 to 2005. Figure 1 shows the relative change in solar output determined from two of satellite measurements over a two-decade period. The data show variability in solar output corresponding to the 11-year sunspot cycle, but no secular trend. Source: After Lean and Froelich, 2006. 4 Satellite data reveal that the Earth’s reflectivity increased (causing cooling instead of warming) in the ’60’s, ‘70s, and early ‘80s and has decreased modestly since. 4 The overall warming from the recent decrease in reflectivity is also small compared to the greenhouse warming. In the case of internal variations, the ocean is the only viable reservoir of internal heat that could have caused the atmosphere to warm on decadal time-scales. However, observations show that the heat content of the ocean has increased instead of decreased over the past few decades (See Figure 2).This indicates that the atmosphere has been a source of heat to the ocean rather than vice versa. Moreover, the amount of heat increase in the ocean is consistent with what is needed to balance the Earth’s energy budget given the excess heating from the enhanced greenhouse effect and the amount of excess heat observed to be stored in the atmosphere (Hansen et al. Science, 3 08, 2005, pg. 1431). In other words, the amount of heat stored in the ocean over recent years matches the amount of heat that models predict should be trapped on Earth due to the increase in greenhouse gases. Figure 2.Change in heat content of ocean 1955 to 2005 Source: After Levitus et al. 2005. FIGURE 2 SHOWS THE RELATIVE CHANGE IN THE HEAT COTENT OF THE OCEAN FROM 1955 TO 2005 BASED ON A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF OCEAN TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS. THE DATA SHOW SHORT TERM VARIABILITY BUT A CLEAR UPWARD TREND ON DECADAL TIME-SCALES. Conclusion †¢ The Medieval Warm Period does not represent an analogy to the warming of the late 20th century, for which scientists have independent evidence of human causation, and the evidence strongly suggests that the MWP was a regional, rather than a global phenomenon. Our understanding of the climate system is sufficient to provide qualitative models for most global or hemispheric climatic variations over geologic history and quantitative models for variations over the past millennium. †¢ The Earth’s climate may return to ice age conditions in thousands of years, but this does not preclude devastating effects from global warming over the next few centuries. 5 †¢ All known natural explanations for the current global warming trend have been eliminated by direct observations.The human-intensified greenhouse effect provides the only quantitative explanation for the current warming trend. About the authors Dr. Wang received his doctorate from Harvard University and works as a climate scientist at Environmental Defense. He has published several peer-reviewed papers on the global methane budget and was the author of â€Å"The Latest Myths and Facts on Global Warming,† which was read into the congressional record by Senator John McCain in 2005. The report is available at http://www. undoit. org/pdfs/mythsvfacts. pdf. Dr. Chameides, chief scientist at Environmental Defense, is a member of the U.S. National A cademy of Sciences and has been named a National Associate of the National Academies. He is also an American Geophysical Union Fellow, and has received the American Geophysical Union's Macelwane Award. Dr. Chameides has served as editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research and is the author or coauthor of more than 120 scientific publications and five books. He received his doctorate from Yale University. The explanations are qualitative instead of quantitative because we do not have quantitative data from these events in the distant past to construct their exact histories. It has been suggested based on temperature reconstructions and model simulations that the MWP may have been caused by increased solar activity or a dearth of volcanic activity. 3 th Because worldwide temperature measurements do not exist before the 19 century, temperature records before th the 19 century are based on reconstructions of the temperature from the variations in temperature-sensitive proxies (e. g. , tree rings, isotopes in ice cores). 4 These variations are possibly due to changes in the concentrations of atmospheric aerosols produced from the burning of fossil fuels and biomass. 1 6

Great Lakes

The North American great lakes including Lake Erie, Michigan, Huron, Superior, and Ontario. Lake Huron is the 3rd largest lake out of all five of them. It measures at 850 cubic meters of water; it extends to about 3,827 miles, measures at 206 miles across, and about 183 miles north to south. The average water depth in this huge lake is 195 ft. These lakes are the largest fresh water supply and home to many of the world’s wildlife. For several years the Great Lakes have served as a dumping ground for many harmful pollutants. Damage from drain pipes and industrial waste produce harmful conditions for the fish, wildlife, and humans dwelling in the surrounding area of the region. Countless people wouldn’t believe so because this is a second home place to many, many families and they travel to this area for their summer vacations. As people travel to the Great Lakes, perhaps they can all see the true of how mistreated these stunning lakes are. The first major source of pollution comes from point source pollution. Point source pollution is simply a direct source of pollution such as a pipe or other vessels. Earlier age industrial companies, such as pulp and paper were located right on the outskirts of the Great Lakes. They were dumping tons of waste including mercury into the water. Some of this polluting was done involuntarily with the malfunctioning of these pipes or vessels. However, some of this pollution was intentional from them thinking that anything would dissolve in the waters and â€Å"neutralize†. Pathogens are another source of pollution to the Great Lakes. Pathogens refer to bacterial organisms found in the intestinal tracts of mammals. Nutrient sources include municipal wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, and agricultural runoffs. There are three major areas which are Saginaw Bay, Severn Sound, and the southeastern shore of Lake Huron Basin. Pathogens have had such an impact on Lake Huron that it had beach closings in these regions due to the findings of E. coli contaminations. Another form of pollution to the Great Lakes is fecal matters. It is believed that fecal matters infested the lakes by sewage. Sewage is known to having some of the most harmful bacteria’s. Putting these bacteria’s into the waters it’s not only polluting them but it’s also making the water quality decline and the bacteria growth will continue to increase (Shear 2006). Air-bound pesticides and fertilizer runoffs are both involuntary forms of pollutants to the Great Lakes. These types of pollutants are deposited into the lakes by the inadvertency of the environment. Testing the tissues of fish and mussels can determine the level of contaminate residing in the waters. Lindane, Dieldrin, Tozaphene, and Chlor-diphhenyl-tichloroethane (DDT) are some of the main harmful substances found in the water (Agency for toxic Substances and Disease registry 1997). Since 1990, Toxaphene has been prohibited yet traces of it still remain. Figure 1 These are all of the pollutants found in the Great Lakes that were reported to Congress. Figure 2 These are the four concentrations of pollutants compared to biomass. Figure 3 This shows the levels of Toxaphene concentration increases, the biomass decreases and vice versa. For humans, interactions with these types of pollutants are extremely likely. You can reach all of the pollutants by simply going to the shorelines. Eating contaminated fish, or wildlife, in pathogen-contaminated waters, can cause infections and stomach disorders. Polluted beaches result in loss of utility for those who have planned to visit or swim in the water; that in turn impacts local economies in the form of lost tourist dollars and the jobs they support (The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) 2012). Tourists enjoy coming there to do activities such as canoeing, kayaking, and boating. Tourism ensures jobs for the many people that live close to the lakes. Many families rely on fishing to feed their families’. This is why caution must be used when eating the fish in Lake Huron. Lake Huron, along with the other Great Lakes, are very important to us. They are our main source of fresh water in the United States. The government is regulating chemicals and other harmful substances that could affect the Great Lakes. Getting laws passed like the Clean Water Act, recognizes the importance of preserving the Americans waters. Thankfully we have groups like NRDC whose main goal is to make sure that Lake Huron, and the other Great Lakes, stays safe for fishing, swimming, and boating. APA Citation Page Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). (2012). The impact of beach pollution. Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/health-economic.asp Shear, H. (2006). The Great Lakes, an Ecosystem Rehabilitated, but Still Under Threat. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment113: 199 -225 United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). The effects of Great Lakes contaminants on human health. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/health/report.htm U.S. Environmental Protections Agency. Clean Water Act, July 2006. http://www.epa.gov/r5water/cwa.htm Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. ToxFAQs for Toxaphene. Sept. 1997. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts94.html