This paper looks at the Smart Growth initiative, an initiative started to increase the quality, distribution and supply of affordable housing for low-income earners.
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the Smart Growth Initiative and its affect on the population that is searching for affordable housing. The author details the initiative including its goals, target audience, environmental concerns and successes and failures. The paper also includes the discussion of economic, social and environmental costs of current development patterns and how smart growth provides alternatives to current development patterns, in addition to investigating what it means for affordable housing quality and supply. Land use and planning strategies are also discussed in detail. The author also presents and analyzes a case study of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU?s) in Cary, North Carolina as a means for the reader to see an actual example of how smart growth can affect affordable housing.
From the Paper "Current development patterns were driven mainly by public policy. The development patterns are characterized by a separation of uses, dependency on automobiles and the consumption of space in suburban and ex-urban areas. This pattern is supported by strict zoning regulations, transportation systems and a lack of coordination in planning. This is important, because these factors are also obstacles to making changes.
The booming economy of the 1990's has seen housing and rental costs increase at more than twice the rate of inflation. This has meant that many low-income owners are now unable to find affordable housing. Low-income earners are forced into substandard housing, forced to live in areas where affordable housing is available but at the expense of good security or good schooling, or forced to be homeless."
Abstract This paper analyzes the experience of visiting Seaworld. The author states Seaworld is a sanitized version of the jungle and the beach, a pretense of wilderness. Like all theme parks, the author says Seaworld is so popular because it is a hyper-manicured unnatural environment similar to the suburb. Seaworld is highly commercialized and is niche marketing at its best.
From the Paper "However, part of both the appeal and the marketability of going to a place like Seaworld is that it speaks to something inside of us that longs for adventure. Very few of us will ever get to swim with dolphins in the ocean or to see puffins in their native nesting grounds. What a place like Seaworld does is to ofter us the sense that we have gotten to travel to distant places."
Abstract The following paper examines how people with disabilities in America are not being provided with enough special facilities to prevent any kind of discrimination as a result of their handicap. The writer makes reference to examples in education and employment, where discrimination for disabled people still exists.
From the Paper "It is important to mention here that discrimination exists in almost every field and while it is more prevalent in some areas than others, nonetheless the fact remains that most institutions and fields are plagued by cases of discrimination. The most disturbing thing about ADA is not the loophole that exists in its implementation but the public reaction to the cost of providing facilities to disabled people. It is quite unsettling to see that majority of Americans view ADA and such other legislation as a burden on the taxpayers" money. Honestly speaking, whether we admit it or not, the truth is that public's negative reaction to these laws is posing the greatest hurdle in its effective implementation.?
Abstract Recycling is far more than a local waste management strategy; it is also an important strategy for reducing the environmental impacts of industrial production. The paper studies the history of waste management and recycling and shows how it has improved over the years. The paper discusses how the U.S. government handles recycling on a national basis and the way these measures affect the natural environment.
From the Paper "Today in the United States, more than 150 million tons of solid wastes are generated every year. This amounts to more than 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) per person per day. In metropolitan areas, the daily production of solid waste is usually higher. Residents of New York City, for example, discard 26,000 tons of solid waste daily--almost 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms) for each resident (Compton, 2000). Due to this high amount of waste, recycling has become a major part of environmental policy, largely due to the increased costs of solid- and hazardous-waste disposal, the scarcity of natural resources, and the growing concern over polluted land, water, and air."
Abstract The paper shows that 220 million people pay a visit every year to the Mediterranean coastline and this is taking its toll on the environment of the area by contributing waste, marine pollution from domestic sewage, water shortages, and land degradation. The paper explores the different steps being taken to rectify the problem, such as UNEP's Mediterranean Action Plan.
From the Paper "Hotels, resorts, restaurants and other public facilities also may intoxicate the water and the living organisms by discharging untreated sewage to the sea. According to European Environment Agency, ?about 60% of urban waste disposed in the Mediterranean Sea is still untreated.? This toxic waste not only contaminates the water and deteriorates the organisms? habitat but also dropping the water quality that perhaps would be unsafe to swim or surf in, in the future if no such adequate actions are taken."
Abstract This paper explains the reasons why American congress felt the need to pass the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in a bid to stop the extinction of certain species of American flora and fauna. The paper studies the act, whether it has been effective and areas where the law can be improved.
From the Paper "Many years ago there was a bird, the passenger pigeon that was very plentiful. When the flocks would fly, they covered the sky and nearly blocked out the sun. People killed them, not for food, but for fun. They thought the bird would be here forever. The last passenger pigeon died in a zoo in 1914. Black bears were abundant in New Jersey. In the mid 1970s, they were nearly driven to extinction. Laws were enacted and the bear has made a comeback. When man has taken actions that harm the planet and its balance of nature, the government must take action. Such is the case with the extinction of plants and animals. Why should they go to extinction?"
Abstract This paper argues that environmental issue should be of first priority. The author believes that economics has the power to change people's behavior that few other arguments do.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Life You Save Saves You
Global Warming
Starting Small is Sometimes Better
Is It Really Jobs versus the Environment?
Voting is an Environmental Act
"and so is what you eat for lunch
AIDS is an environmental issue
Can This Planet Be Saved"
From the Paper "Tree-sitting brings up one of the central questions of environmentalism, which is whether we can have both jobs and a clean environment. Timber companies, for example, argue that they be allowed to continue to cut trees because they continue to provide jobs.
The argument that environmental concerns reduce jobs is one of the oldest and most pernicious myths that environmentalists have ever had to face, despite the fact that it has been well documented that environmentally sound projects create jobs."
Abstract The author evaluates the work by Richard O' Davies that traces the decline of small town America. He looks first at the book's shortcomings and then looks at the positive contributions to scholarship on sociology of American small town life made by O' Davies work. Conclusions about the book's worth are made at the end of the paper.
From the Paper "Richard O? Davies book on Main Street Blues: The Decline Of Small Town America is both narrow and sweeping in its scope. It is narrow in the sense that to validate its central thesis, that close-knit small town communities in America have become a thing of the past, it chooses to mainly focus upon life within one particular community. Rather than to attempt to do a sociologic study of a large number of communities, Davies centers his focus upon the particular, rather than upon the general. He does introduce as a way of a counter to his "case study" of Camden, Ohio, several other communities that he believes are exceptional to the central thesis of his work. However, the main focus of his book is always on a single town, that of the author's original hometown of Camden."
Abstract This paper addresses the economic issues related to the timber industry. Opposing ideologies of economists and ecologists are presented. Areas discussed include a deforestation in industrialized and developing countries, analysis and management of timber production, and policy making. The writer concludes that economists and ecologists must work together to solve the problem.
From the Paper "Timber is the major product currently harvested from forests. Timber is used in a variety of products ranging from houses to paper and paperboard products. Long ago it seemed as if the supply of wood from forests was abundant and as if there would always be enough to provide everything that we could possibly need. However, recently we have realized that this is not the case. Timber is a major source of income and has become necessary to sustain out life-style as we know it. There has been a clash of ideology between ecologists and economists. Ecologists point out that forests have many other benefits besides just providing timber and are quick to point out that we need them to reduce the level of green house gases and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Economists are equally as quick to point out that we need timber to sustain our economy and cannot just simply quit cutting the trees. Herein lies the dilemma, how do we continue to use forests to sustain a viable income and still ensure that this can continue into the future? The two sides of this issue have often met on violent terms."
Abstract This paper examines how technological advances have changed the field of genetic engineering, with special emphasis placed on the field of food. The author gives a brief history of the field of genetic engineering and its evolution over the years. The paper discusses the importance of plants in developing food for humans and details how scientists have worked to perfect this process. The many different problems that have arisen from genetic engineering are detailed, and the author also details some suggestions that may help prevent these problems from recurring, including tighter regulations by the FDA. The author feels that if there was more government intervention then the advantages would begin to outweigh the disadvantages in this growing field.
From the Paper "Genetic engineering in plant species, meanwhile, is encouraged and has been in practice for many years. The process of modifying a plant's genetic make-up is encouraged because these kinds of study and process helps in providing new means by which people can obtain food, since plants are the primary source of food that humans consume. In order to make plants efficient in their food production, scientists have found ways by which particular plant specie will acquire a characteristic that will make the newly developed plant superior or better than its "parent" specie. The modifications commonly used in genetic engineering of plants are the increasing variety of rice grains, wherein certain plants or crops are described as immune to pests or any kind of diseases, has greater life and not susceptible to certain afflictions that destroys plant life and development, and are more adaptive to several conditions such as changes in climate, soil type, or fertilizers used."
Abstract This paper analyzes the issue of logging in national forests. It outlines the topics raised by the conservationists that logging should be banned, and by the loggers that logging is essential to the forests and to the economy.
From the Paper "One of the most debated issues of recent years is the right of logging companies to harvest timber for profit in the national forests. Conservationists have years of data to support their position pertaining to the harmful effects of deforestation in these parks, many of which contain some of the oldest forest in existence today. Aside from environmental issues, there are other issues as well. If they are public forests, conservationists maintain that the priority should remain on the preservation of them for the enjoyment of all. Logging companies use this same argument that if they are public, then the resources should be available to everyone, including to themselves, for profit. Another issue in this debate is the use of public tax money by privately owned big business for their own profit. Conservationists easily win the support for the general public with their emphasis on the loss of natural habitat and scenic beauty, but recently it seems that the large amount of lobbying dollars presented to the President have won the battle, at least for now. This issue has two opposing sides, but many underlying issues. This paper will examine the main arguments presented by both sides."
Abstract The paper describes the Florida panther and the dangers threatening its survival. The paper discusses the measures taken to combat its extinction such as the Clean Water Act and breeding in captivity. The paper describes what other measures are needed to ensure the panthers survival.
From the Paper "The Florida panther, a subspecies of mountain lion and resident of wetlands such as the Florida Everglades, is one of the most endangered species on Earth today. Two federal laws, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, have worked together to save the habitat of this animal. The Clean Water Act is particularly important in the preservation of the Florida panther, because the Everglades is its primary remaining habitat."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the planning and implementation of the proposed light rail system for Houston, TX. The paper details why the community feels that there is a need for this system and some of the factors that contributed to the decision to build it, including the feeling that this system would bring the 2012 Olympics to Houston. The paper also points out the area's increasingly being recognized as a world leader in medical treatment and research and the large number of famous personalities that visit the area as a result. Houston's unparalleled growth over the past two decades has also increased the need for this system and made it even more evident in recent years. The paper concludes by summarizing the many positive affects that this rail system could have on the city and the surrounding areas.
From the Paper "The Houston Light Rail System is a beginning of a solution to one of the oldest and unresolved problems in the city of Houston, traffic. Due to the distance of Houston's surrounding annexes, the rail system can offer a cost efficient commuting network. Only the ones, who have driven in the Houston rush hour traffic, can realize the extent of this problem. Multiple traffic jams are a part of every ones life that live and work in Houston. Everyday, those who travel on the Houston freeways during rush hours can look forward to congested traffic without exception, twice a day. On the weekends, Houstonians are still faced with road construction that usually blocks at least four of the lanes on a six-lane highway. Traveling 10 miles and seeing no road construction on any major Houston highway is very rare. In Houston, it is not unusual to see motorist driving on shoulders or mediums, to escape the traffic.Motorists who do this usually are faced with two dilemmas. One is they often find out the shoulder gets traffic jams just like the freeways, and they usually have a fine to pay."
Abstract This paper examines the different causes of water pollution. The author finds that water pollution has not only a negative effect on fishermen's life but also on everything that is related to it, such as species of fish and other sea life that are killed or are forced to move. Furthermore, fishing and other activities that take place along the seashores are affected. It is damaging all the jetties and sea life that live off the dockside and ruins fishing for fisherman.
From the Paper "Furthermore, due to the water pollution death fishes are poisoned and killed as a result that could be seen floating in the creeks. The fishermen thus, then complain wherever such a situation occur the fish population is forced into the Atlantic Ocean into deep water and are therefore depleted, which as a result takes six to eight months or may be more for them to restart normal fishing occupation. And so what is meant is that the fishermen and its family starve and cut off from their occupation for a longer period of time (Macdonald. 1998) ."
Abstract This paper describes undisclosed bottled water contamination in America. The paper reports that most of the bottled water is not frequently checked, and that a small percent of it is unsafe for the public. It illustrates how the American public has been advertised into perceiving that bottled water is pure and clean. The author calls for the labeling of bottled water to disclosing the water source, treatments and other key information.
From the Paper "According to a four-year scientific study made recently public by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) stated that the sales of bottled water in the United States have been blown up in recent years, mainly as a result of a public awareness of purity driven by advertisements and packaging labels featuring unspoiled glaciers and crystal-clear mountain springs. However, bottled water sold in the United States does not necessarily cleaner or safer than most tap water (NRDC)."
