Pollution

Turn the tap on and drink a glass of water. Does it taste funny? Is it clear? The water you are drinking may be toxic without any such indicators. Water is all around us; it is essential for life. Over two thirds of earth’s surface is covered by water, but everyone only wants and need clean water. Each year, water pollution increases and continues to be responsible for harming our environment. According to Duhigg (2009) of the New York Times, more than 100 wells were polluted by agricultural runoff within a few month time period, affecting livestock such as pigs and cows.

Water pollution is a silent and deadly pollution – bacterium can be tasteless, colorless, and scentless. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2009) says that the United States has the safest water supplies in the world, but states that when water sources became contaminated, they can easily cause widespread sickness and disease from waterborne germs including Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Hepatitis A., Giardia intestinalis, and other pathogens. Despite progress reducing water pollution from the largest sources, our country still faces serious pollution challenges.

Violations are still too widespread, and enforcement too uneven. We need to do better controlling pollution. Water pollution can occur through natural process, but many times water pollution is mostly a result of human activities. Water is used every day in our homes and industries; the average of water use in the United States is approximately about 100 gallons per day per person. The water we use and drink is taken from lakes, rivers, and wells and from underground (groundwater); and after we have used and contaminated it, most of it returns to these locations.

Everyone must be aware of pollution in order to avoid it. Despite the efforts to decrease water pollution, the USA continues to faces a serious pollution challenges. Pollution is all around us; no one is safe, therefore the federal and state government and especially the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must reinforce the rules and to prohibit pollution and to protect public health. Through this paper I will be addressing the followings:

1. How do people know if water is safe?
2. Who is responsible for ensuring water is safe?
3. What are the effects of consuming toxic water?
4. How can people protect their families from toxic water?
5. How do people know if water is safe?
6. Is your drinking water safe?

The CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reports that people getting sick from drinking tap water is unusual (Dean, 2009, n. p. ). The EPA states that “the Unite States enjoys one of the best supplies of drinking water in the world” (2003, p. 1). Over the years many people did not worry about their quality of water, the EPA assures that tap water in the USA meets the federal and state standards ( 2003, p. 1). In the other hand, Who is responsible for ensuring water is safe?

Congress Passed a law in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation’s public drinking water supply and protecting sources of drinking water what is called the Safe drinking water Act (SDWA) (EPA, 2003, p. 2). The EPA is responsible for regulate. What are the effects of consuming toxic water? According to Monroe County Department of Environmental Services (DES), “Some major types of water pollution include microbiological, chemical, oxygen depletion, nutrients, and suspended matter (n. d. p. 2).

Microbiological

Disease-causing (pathogenic) microorganisms, like bacteria, viruses and protozoa can cause swimmer to get sick. People who eat contaminated fish and shellfish can become ill. Some serious diseases that are waterborne are polio and cholera (DES, n. d. p. 2).

Chemical

There are many varieties of chemicals from industries, such as metal and solvent, and even chemicals which are formed from the breakdown of natural wastes (i. e. ammonia) poisoning fish and other aquatic life and polluting water. (DES, n. d. p. 2). DES states that “Pesticides used in agriculture and around the home are other types of toxic chemicals” (n. d. p. 2). Other material such as detergent foam and oils float that have water ody, many times offensive odors, these chemical are responsible for making rivers caught on fire. Do to the chemical wastes many times flammable, the Cuyahoga River, Ohio, caught fire (n. d. p. 2), so what are people drinking? Oxygen-depleting Substances: Nutrients: How can people protect their families from toxic water? Conclusion “To keep this used water from spoiling our water resources, pollutants must removed from the water before its discharged back into the environment” (DES, n. d. p. 4). To improve water quality state and federal water program must be enforced to address serious new threats (EPA, 2009, p. 6).

I. Introduction

The name “Skoda” in the Czech language means “A Shame”. It is the first car ever produced in the Eastern Europe. It is a small business that eventually became Skoda Automobile Company. It was formed in 1895 when Vaclac Laurin, a mechanic and Vaclac clement a bookseller, joined together to manufacture their first ever produced bicycle which is slavia in the town of Mlada Boleslav Czechoslovakia. Four years after, the company began to use motorcycle parts in producing motorcycle vehicles. The company used in diversification strategies specifically the related diversification which means adding new but related products or services. Skoda auto first produced bicycles and then motor vehicles until they produce cars which has been made then motor vehicles until they produce cars which has been made them won numerous awards for producing quality automobile products and made them ,as the largest num of employer in the Czech Republic and open opportunities for employers. When bicycles are replaced by automobiles in many countries, cars were out of reach of the Chinese.

As income .increases and tap tariffs on imported cars began to fall of Beijing’s accession to the world trade organization models began to flood the market and domestic producers were formed to cut their prices. The government was encouraging the merge of many of these firms to achieve economies of scale. Industry projections suggested that the strongest potential growth in automobile sales would be in the countries of Asia, South America, Eastern Europe, and Africa rather than the countries or economies of Western Europe, North America and Japan. Mergers of Automobile companies are being considered in China, and in February of 2007, Daimler Chrysler AG knowledge that it might have to find a partner due to the depth the crisis.

The list of potential partners includer Renault SA and Nissan Motor Company. Nissan is interested in a North American Partner, Ford Motor Company could rely on other companies for some manufacturing or others tasks, Toyota suggested in 2006 that it is interested in further conservation with ford in 2006, General motors considered an alliance with Renault and Nissan before deciding to remain as they are. Unfortunately many of the cross- border mergers and joint ventures in the industry in the past had difficult time surviving. For the acquisition, the Automobile Companies must have easily created their own new models. In making plant decisions, Companies consider the following factors: Labor costs, Energy costs, access to work force that has a right skills, access to the necessary infrastructure( roads, railroads, favorable political climate), and closeness to important global markets. Skoda plantation in the Czech Republic was a good selection for Volkswagen for those reasons. Volkswagen is the Europe’s largest car maker, In 2007 Volkswagen however ha s high productions with inflated sticker prices, a deteriorating quality. Read also IFE matrix of Coca-Cola

SKODA AUTO HISTORY

A small business that eventually became Skoda Auto was formed 1895 when Vaclac Laurin, a mechanic and Vaclac Klement, a bookseller, joined together to manufacture the Slavia bicycle in the town of Mlada Boleslav Czechslovakia. In 1901, the company began using its motorcycle parts in the production of motor vehicles with four wheels and a two cylinder engine.

In 1939, when the Nazis marched into Czechslovakia, Hitler grabbed Skoda Auto and made it an armaments factory that was a part of the Herman-Goering. As soon as World War II was over, the company nationalized by the Soviets who had taken over the country and the renamed it AZNP Skoda. Under the Soviets, Skoda gained a monopoly status as the only Czech passenger car manufacturer and this is when the jokes really began as the quality of the automobile began to slide.

After 1960, Skoda began producing cars for the mass market that had a little style and after looked like a metal box. On April 16, 1991, Skoda became the fourth brand of the Volkswagen Group after VW, Audi and Seat ( the Spanish subsidiary). Volkswagen bought a 70% interest in the company, and Czech government retained 30% interest. In 2000, Volkswagen bought out the remaining 30% interest from the Czech government.

Skoda progressed so well improving the efficiency and attractiveness of its cars that in 2006, Skoda brand vehicles received the following honors: 1st
place “Car of the Year” in Estonia, Finland and Bulgaria; 1st place “Auto Trophy” in the Minivan category for Skoda Roomster; 1st place “Family Car of the Year” for Skoda Roomster in Sweden and Belgium; and “Red Dot” design award for Skoda Octavia Combi.

I. Vision

To have the biggest market share in Europe by looking for extraordinary solutions those satisfy extraordinarily demanding customers.

Mission

Is to provide quality sales, service and transportation needs for our customers. This is and will be accomplished through a dedicated team of employees whose number one goal is customer satisfaction along with a management team whose responsibility is to ensure employee satisfaction, and customer enthusiasm. Three basic values of Skoda brand are:

Intelligence – We continuously seek innovative technical solutions and new ways in which to care for and approach the customers that are most important for us. Our conduct toward the customers is above board, and we respect their desire and needs.

Attractiveness – We develop automobiles that are aesthetically and technically of high standard and always continuous an attractive offer for our customers not only in terms of design or technical parameters but also the wide range offered services

Dedication – We are following the steps of founders our company Messrs. Laurinand Klement. We are enthusiastically working on the further development of our vehicles; we identify ourselves with our products.

II. Internal Assessment

CPM- COMPETITIVE PROFILE MATRIX

Critical
Success
Factors
Weigh
ted
Rating
Weigh
ted
Rating
Weigh
ted
Rating
Weigh
ted
Rating
weighted
Price
0.12
4
.48
2
.24
3
.36
2
.24
Functional position
0.15
3
.45
4
.60
3
.45
4
.60
Advertising
0.09
2
.18
3
.27
2
.18
4
.36
Innovation
0.22
2
.44
3
.66
2
.44
4
.88
Market share
0.22
2
.44
4
.88
2
.44
4
.88
Management
0.10
3
.30
3
.30
3
.30
3
.30
Global Expansion
0.10
3
.30
4
.40
3
.30
4
.40
Total
1.00

2.59

3.35

2.47

3.66

Financial Ratio Analysis 12/ 2006

Growth Rate %
Skoda
Industry
Sales( Qtr versus yr. ago qtr)
1.12
9.40
Net Income(YTD vs. YTD) Liquidity Ratio
1.48
11.80
Current Ratios
Quick Ratio
Efficiency Ratio
11.48
1.13
2.10
0.90
Assets to Sales
Profitability Ratios
0.52
11.0
Returns to Sales
Returns to Assets
Debt Ratio
0.055
0.11
3.2
6.4
Total Liabilities
1.80
277.2

Internal Audit

STRENGTH’S
WEAKNESSES
1. Skoda won a numerous awards for producing a quality automobile 1.Poor brand name due to Skoda relates to Eastern Europe origins that in the past the cars had an image of poor vehicle quality and design 2. Skoda implements low cost country sourcing strategy

2.Skoda total market share is 1.7%
3. Skoda is the largest employer in the Czech Republic
3.Skoda has problems with their assembly plants outside of the Czech Republic. 4. Total assets are gradually increasing

5. Skoda achieves highest grow in 2006 in Eastern Europe, Num.1 car maker in Central Europe and grew its Western Europe Market share to 2.1

( IFE) Matrix

Key Internal Factors
Weight
Rating
Weighted score
Strengths

1.
0.15
3
0.45
2.
0.15
3
0.45
3.
0.08
3
0.24
4.
0.10
3
0.30
5.
0.18
3
0.72
Weaknesses

1.
0.18
1
0.18
2.
0.08
2
0.16
3.
0.08
1
0.08
Total
1.00

2.58

III. External Analysis

Global Industry Analysis

5.2% growth in 2006- $1,176.5 Billion
65.7 million units sold in 2006
66.5% of sales are cars
US accounts for 38.4% of Global market share
Europe accounts for 29.3%
Industry leader is GM with 17.3% Market share.
CAGR from 2002 to 2006 was 4.7%
Projected CAGR of 4.5% in period from 2006- 2011

Opportunities

Threats

1. One of the countries that have a strongest potential growth in automobile sales. 1. Insuffecient infrastructure because the soviets have never put money into such “ public goods” 2. Expansion of satisfied customers

2. lack of managerial skills

3. European manufactured cars are favorable in American markets. 3. increased of competitors in a monopolistically industry
4. First mover advantage to those automobile companies using alternative fuels. 4. higher wage rates in other countries that making it difficult for automobiles manufacturers to remain competitive

5. Highly crowded competitive environment

External Environment Affecting the Organization

Political- Heavy taxes and tariffs in some countries make Skoda increase its automobile’s price. Political sanctions, violence and terrorism make some limitation to expand globally in Asia market.

Economic- Fuel prices fluctuations affect the costs and that reflect on the price of automobiles, so that they may change the customer behavior toward some features of automobiles. Skoda could get benefits from the economic unions such as Central European Free- Trade Area ( CEFTA) which includes; Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech, Slovenia, Romania, and expand heavily there.

Social- Negative customer’s perception toward Skoda brand because of bad images about automobiles industry in Eastern Europe countries. Increase in population in some countries make their governments tore design their traffic and make public transportation more useful will automobiles sales in these countries.

Technological- Should exploit evolution in technology to introduce new features and options to reposition Skoda brand and to get competitive advantage.

Environmental- Because of pollution problem and its effect on Ozone, Skoda should develop and concentrate on manufacturing green environmental cars.

Legal- Green marketing laws and laws on environmental issues such as industrial pollution.

Currency Exchange- Legal registration Green marketing laws and laws on environmental issues such as industrial pollution.

Strategy Formulation

SWOT Matrix

STRENGTH’S
WEAKNESSES
1. Skoda won a numerous awards for producing a quality automobile 1.Poor brand name due to Skoda relates to Eastern Europe origins that in the past the cars had an image of poor vehicle quality and design 2. Skoda implements low cost country sourcing strategy

2.Skoda total market share is 1.7%
3. Skoda is the largest employer in the Czech Republic
3.Skoda has problems with their assembly plants outside of the Czech Republic. 4. Total assets are gradually increasing

5. Skoda achieves highest grow in 2006 in Eastern Europe, Num.1 car maker in Central Europe and grew its Western Europe Market share to 2.1

S-O Strategies
W-O Strategies
1.Using price competitive advantage to concentrate on Russia Market
1.Increase market share by entering now growth market in Middle East, South East Asia and Africa. 2.Open assembly plant in Mexico to feeding North America market 2.Improving automobile quality by introducing innovative, electronic features, and design.

S-T Strategies
W-T Strategies
1.Increase marketing efforts make new repositioning
1.Offers 5 years/ 200,000 kilometers warranty on all vehicles 2.Focus on producing middle and small engine cars

SPACE Matrix

Financial Strength
Rating
Environmental Stability
Rating
Return on Assets
2
Rate of Inflation
-3
Leverage
1

Net Income
2
Price Elasticity
-6
ROE
2
Competitive pressure
-6

Barriers to entry new market
-6
Average
1.75
Average
-5

Y- axis
3.25
Competitive Advantage
Rating
Industry Strength
Rating
Market Share
-1
Growth Potential
2
Product Quality
-2
Financial Stability
2
Customer Loyalty
-1
Ease of Entry new markets
3
Control over other parties
-1
Resources Utilization
2
Technological Know- how
-1
Profit Potential
3
Average
1.20
Average
2.40

x- axis
1.20

Directional Vector Point is : (1.20- 3.25)

The Boston Consulting (BCG) Matrix

Market Share Position

Industry Sales Growth
Rate

The IFE Total Weighted Score

Strong 3.0- 3.99 Medium 2.0-2.99 Low 1.0- 1.99

The EFE Total
Weighted
Score

The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM)

Strategy I
Open New Assembling plant for Skoda cars in Mexico and make it as a base to enter American Market. Strategy II
Reposition of Brand name strategy increasing marketing efforts. Key Internal Factors/ Weight
AS TAS
AS TAS
Strengths
Skoda won numerous awards for producing a quality automobile
2 0.20

2 0.20
Skoda implements low- cost country

The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM)

Strategy 1
Open new assembling plant Skoda cars in Mexico and make it as a base to enter American market Strategy 2
Reposition of brand name strategy by increasing marketing efforts.

Key Internal Factors

Strenghts

Skoda won numerous awards producing a quality automobile.

Skoda implements low-cost country.

Sourcing Strategy

Skoda is the largest employer in the Czech Republic

Total assets are gradually increasing

FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

The Threat of Entrants:
Eastern Europe countries that were in former Soviet Union attract many competitors who find in these countries new market, new customers, and cheap labors to reduce costs so the threat of entrants is very high.

Bargaining Power of Buyers:
The power of buyers is high because consumers – especially after globalization have many choices from which to select when they purchase a
car

Bargaining power of suppliers:
Many automobile companies move toward Just-In-Time inventory system andthat pushes many suppliers to make their plants near these automobile companies,and some of these automobile companies made their own parts, so the power of supplier is very weak. Also read IFE matrix of Coca-Cola

Threat of Substitutes
The threat of substitute will be public transportation in big, crowded, and heavy populated countries, this substitute may be faster and cheaper than driving a car there, because people need to find a parking for their cars and usually it will be with fees.

Competitive Rivalry:
The automobile market is one of the most competitive markets in the world, in addition, there are many companies try to reduce their costs by moving to low-cost countries such as Eastern Europe and Asia countries, and try to find new market, so the competitive rivalry is high in the long run.

PESTEL Framework:

Heavy taxes and tariffs in some countries make Skoda increase its automobiles’ price. Political sanctions, violence and terrorism make some limitation to expand globally in Asia market.

Economic
Fuel Prices fluctuations affect the costs and that reflect on the price of automobiles, so that may change the customer behavior toward some features of automobiles. Skoda could get benefits from economic unions such as Central European Free-Trade Area (CEFTA) which includes: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia. Czech, Slovenia, Romania, and expand heavily there.

Social
Negative customers’ perception toward Skoda brand because of bad image is
about automobiles industry in Eastern Europe countries. Increase in population in some countries make their governments tore design their traffic and make public transportation more useful will affect automobiles sales in these countries.

Technological
Should exploit evolution in technology to introduce new features and options to reposition Skoda brand and to get competitive advantage.

Environmental
Because of pollution problem and its effect on Ozone, Skoda should develop and concentrate on manufacturing green environmental cars.

Legal
Green marketing laws and laws on environmental issues such as industrial pollution. Currency exchange

Strategy Implementation
Financial
Cost
2 factories in China @ 30,000,000 each
1 factory in India @ 50,0000,000
Skoda is wholly owned by Volkswagen AG
No stock … so EPS/EBIT is not important
The Financing decision is to borrow money or fund from extensive cash reserves Czech national bank is listing a 1.5% Prime rate making this a “no-brainer” —Borrow the cash! Management
Skoda Automobile followed the German model of utilizing the members of the Board of Directors as the top management of the company. This is very different from the composition of the top management of large corporations in this country.

Boards in the United States are typically composed of more outside directors (those employed by a company other than the company on which they are serving as board members) than inside directors. Most U.S. institutional
investors and watchdog groups would prefer a majority of outside directors because it is believed that they can be more objective in making decisions than inside directors.

IT
Skoda Auto employs a best of Breed Enterprise Resource Planning infrastructure, SAP/R3, allowing for digital optimization across the company. The difficulty comes in integrating other acquisitions and partner firms in the vale chain.

STRATEGY EVALUATION
Financial
Skoda Auto is wholly owned by Volkswagen. It shows that Skoda Auto don’t have enough funds in operating their business. Management
Skoda Auto Company is patronizing German model as a set of their standards. IT
Skoda Auto is highly productive when it comes to industrial technology and they give more focus to it.

Conclusion/ Recommendation
The Skoda case study provides us with an object lesson in how an organisation can transform itself. Until 1990, Skoda was able to prosper because it had a protected domestic market and a product which did not face competition. Once the Czech Republic opened its borders to free competition, there was no way the company could survive, without radical changes to its products and organisation: it would have been forced out of business. However, Skoda was fortunate to have good production facilities, a highly skilled labour force and the technical know-how which, coupled with a rapid injection of management expertise and finance from Volkswagen, has enabled it to move ahead. Skoda continues to supply the major share of new cars at home in the Czech Republic, despite competition from imported marques. It also meets an important consumer requirement in other European markets for high quality cars at affordable prices. The Skoda Felicia has strengthened the Skoda image with existing customers and improved it amongst consumers as a whole and as a result has brought new customers to the Skoda brand. In particular
there has been a marked expansion in the number of young people and females buying the car, as well as those in middle management positions. The old jokes about Skodas are rapidly fading into “folklore” as more and more Felicias are seen on the roads. People who at one time might have laughed at a Skoda joke are today purchasing their first Skoda.

Therefore we recommend to open new assembling plant in Mexico and make it as a base to enter American market and reposition of brand name strategy by increasing marketing efforts.

Republic of the Philippines
Capiz State University
Main Campus, Roxas City
College of Business Administration

SKODA AUTO- 2007

Case Analysis Presented to:
Mr. Ian B. Arcega MBA, MPA
Professor

In Partial Fulfillment in the course
BA 57- Strategic Management
S.Y. 2013- 2014

Presented By:
Camille Frances F. Acevedo
Jean Marie Dela Cruz
Jazz Talabucon
Janen Sustento
Sheryl Juvi Villarena
Aiza Altamia
Lovely Mae Dolor

Oxford is a small city located in the south East of England with a population of 135 000 people. It is the home to the oldest English university, Oxford University. This is made up by 40 colleges that house 30 000 students. In addition, five park and rides run to the city centre. These are situated at pear tree, Water Eaton, Thornhill, Redbridge and Seacourt. Oxford’s main source of income is in the tourist industry. Oxford is an all year round tourist attraction with over 2 million tourists visiting each year. There are a number of tourist attractions many belonging to the university and colleges.

Bodleian library and the Radcliffe camera. In addition, oxford contains many museums and gallerias for instance Britain’s oldest museum the Ashmolean and the museum of modern art. Lastly, tourists can enjoy punting on the river Thames that is called the river Isis in Oxford.

The definition of a tourist is “A traveller who visits places, for more than one day, for pleasure, work or visiting friends or family”. However, this can cause many disadvantages to the local residents. A disadvantage means something that makes a situation worse, This could be stuff such as crowding and crime. Nevertheless, tourism may bring benefits to the local community. The definition for benefit is “something that has a good effect”, This could be stuff such as jobs and money.

The purpose of the investigation is: “Does tourism bring more benefits or disadvantages to Oxford?” To answer the question I will look at three main areas. The social benefits are: Tourism provides many job opportunities such as jobs in hotels and city tours. The disadvantage is, these types of jobs are low paid and provide few career opportunities. Tourism has given Oxford world-renowned fame and as a result, Oxford has been used as a location in many films including: three of the Harry Potters and The Oxford Murders.

However, this has meant streets and buildings have to close down during filming. The second area that I will look at is the economic industry. The benefit is tourists spend a lot of money. Nevertheless, locals believe there are too many tourist shops for instance Covered Market is targeted at tourists. I know this because there have been complainants to the local council. The effect of this is increased tension between tourists and residents. The third area that I will look at is the environment. The environmental advantage is the city council gets a lot of parking revenue to subsidise the transport industry, but the buses and tourist coaches create a lot of pollution. I will investigate other social, economic and environmental issues to answer the research question: “Does tourism bring more benefits or disadvantages to oxford?”

This is the list of things I did on the field trip and the order I did them in to answer the research questions was:

1. Residents answered questionnaires

2. Tourists answered questionnaires

3. Did a bi-polar pedestrian count

4. Did a pedestrian density survey

5. Collected oxford city tourism leaflets

P.B.

Graphs

Graph 1:

How long have you lived in Oxford?

This graph shows me that 80% of the residents that completed the questionnaire have lived in Oxford for more than five years. This implies that I will have more trust in the data because the residents have experience with tourists; therefore, I can rely on this data. In addition, it shows that 16% have lived in Oxford for 2-5 years and 4% have lived less than a year. This data is not as reliable as the residents who have lived for over five years but it may be useful to have a fresher opinion.

Graph 2:

How often do you come into Oxford city centre?

Graph 2 shows me how often people go into the city centre. This question was asked so we can have more trust in the data because the investigation is predominately set in the city centre. It states that 33% of the residents interviewed go into town at least once a week. This implies they will have even greater experience with tourists of which 12% go everyday. Therefore, we can trust the data even more. However, it also shows 32% only go into town every two weeks. Further more 35% go less often than two weeks. This means the residents interviewed would have had few encounters with tourists. This suggests 67% have little experience with tourist. Therefore, I must be careful when writing my evaluation and conclusion.

Graph 3:

At which time of the year do you think there are more tourists?

* Winter

* Spring

*Summer

*Autumn

* Always busy

This graph shows at what time tourism is at is peak according to the residents surveyed. Firstly only 12 residents thought tourism was at is peak in the spring autumn and winter months. 51% reckon tourism is at is peak during summer. However, 37% feel tourism is high all year round. This could be because Oxford does not rely on seasons like a seaside town for tourism; Oxford is an all year tourist attraction.

Graph 4:

Have you ever experienced problems with tourists?

This question was asked to see if tourists cause any trouble to local residents. The graph shows only 7% of residents have experienced problems with tourists. However, six of the seven people who had problems with tourists were whilst they were at work. Further more 81% of the residents that were interviewed have never encountered problems with tourists. This suggests tourists are well behaved and respect the local community. In addition, tourism does not create any social disadvantages for residents.

Graph 5:

Do you come into direct contact with tourists? IE at work

This question was asked to see how many people come into contact with tourists so they may have better and more accurate answers to the questions. However, only eight people come into direct contact with tourists. However, as graph 1 shows 80% of the residents interviewed have lived in Oxford for five years or more, this balances out the lack of regular contact or direct with tourists.

Graph 6:

What do you think are the benefits of tourism in Oxford?

This is one of the most important questions because it directly answers part of the research question. The graph shows that 66% of the residents asked believe that the biggest benefit is the money brought in by tourists. This suggests tourists are improving the economy of Oxford because they are spending their money in Oxford. However work is only 19%. This could mean very few jobs are being created by tourism. This could be because the only jobs that involve tourists are a city tour jobs or shop work. In addition only 15% reckon reputation of Oxford is increasing therefore the city may stop appealing to tourists.

Graph 7:

What do you think are the disadvantages of tourism in Oxford?

This shows me that residents believe tourists cause a variety of problems. The biggest problem residents belie is road congestion. This is a state of overcrowding in a street or on the road, making movement slow or difficult. The second biggest is litter with 29%. This suggests residents think tourists are making Oxford dirty by throwing waste packaging. Thirdly noise pollution with 22%. This usually happens when their is a group of tourists talking. Lastly 14% of residents believe pollution is big problem. This could be due extra buses needed and tourist coaches. However only 2% thought crime was occurred so this implies tourists do not behave badly or cause problem to the community.

Graph 8:

Do you think there is enough for tourists to do in Oxford?

This graph shows whether residents believe tourists have enough to do in Oxford. It shows that 77 people believe there is plenty for tourists to do in Oxford. However 23 people do not believe there is enough for tourists to do. This could be because they don’t go to the city centre regularly or it is there general opinion.

Graph 9:

Do you think the number of tourists is…?

This graph shows that many people have a negative attitude to tourism because 62% believe their are too many tourists. In contrast only 4% think the amount of tourists is to few. Further more 34% reckon the number of tourists is just about right. But with the likely hood of an increases in tourists their view will be quickly changed too. This implies the residents would like tourist sizes to decrease.

Graph 10:

Do you think tourism contributes to city centre pollution?

This graph shows whether residents believe tourism causes city centre pollution. This graph shows that 89% of the residents interviewed believe tourism does contribute to city centre pollution. This pollution could be fumes from tourist coaches and buses or litter and noise pollution.

My study is located in Northampton, it is a large town with total population of 197,000 (according to the 2001 census), third largest in England at 21st largest settlement in England. It is located in the East midlands region of England, roughly 67 miles North West of London and lies on the river Nene which forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk and also is the ninth longest river in England and the twelfth longest in the United Kingdom.

Northampton has Junctions 15,15a and a6 of M1 London to North Yorkshire. The A45 and A43 which have primary destinations to Coventry, Rugby, Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby. Northampton has railway services to London and Birmingham provided by London Midland and Virgin Trains. Sywell aerodrome is the nearest airfield which only has a grass runway but for international links, East midlands and Luton airport are quickly accessible via M1/M6 and also by train. Bus services are operated by Stagecoach, First Northampton and MK metro form Greyfriars Bus station in the town.

History

Northampton is the fastest growing town in England and has applied for city status. Traditionally was a shoe making and leather making town which decreased in 1960 but although some remain. Northampton in the past has been a secondary industry area but now is mainly a tertiary industry containing lots of services such as shopping malls cinemas and restraunts scattered around the town. Northampton has its own university named Northampton University.

The town centre also contains many leisure and entertainment spots such as the Derngate theatre which has a capacity of 1200-1400 people at once. The Grosvenor centre and peacock place offer a large indoor shopping facilities however the market square offers an exceptional outdoor shopping facility. Local pubs also provide a great night out while on the other hand the sporting clubs offer a great chance to get involved.

Theory

There are two types of land use models, Hoyt model and the Burgess model.

The Central Business District of a town or a city is usually located in the centre of the city or town. The CBD can be divided into two distinct concentric areas called the core and the Frame. The frame of the CBD has land uses such as office areas, some derelict land, limited light manufacturing, small shop/low grade, specialist services e.g. medical, etc. The core of the CBD is different to the frame because it contains low residential population, some vertical zoning with use of first/second floor, high density of pedestrians, concentration of banks/ business, etc. The PLVI is in the centre of the CBD and means Peak Land Value Intersection, meaning the place with the highest land value. In this investigation we are aiming to delimit the Central Business District of Northampton.

Hypotheses

1. Over 70%of land use in the Grosvenor centre will be for high order comparison goods.

2. The highest pedestrian flows will be recorded on Abington Street.

3. The lowest Environmental quality scores will be recorded in the Greyfriars Area.

4. Environmental Quality will be highest in the Grosvenor centre.

5. The age of the buildings will decrease as you travel further form the CBD.

6. Highest traffic will be in the frame as there are car parks and major ring roads in the frame.

Methodology (Data Collection techniques)

We will collect data in Northampton on Friday the June 19, 2009. We will leave Weavers school at 9 am sharp and return back to school at 3 pm approximately. We will spend roughly 45 minutes in each of our study areas. We have split the centre of Northampton into 6 study areas and they are Greyfriars, Upper Abingdon Street, St Giles Street, Market Square, The Grosvenor Centre and Gold Street/Bridge Street. In each area we will organise ourselves into of 3-5 people so that we can collect data on land use, height of the buildings which will help us delimit the CBD of Northampton. These types of data are primary data but we may also look for sources of secondary data such as leaflets and maps.

The selection of Northampton as our study area

We chose Northampton as our study area for a number for reasons such as;

* Northampton is convenient as it is only 8 miles from Wellingborough.

* Northampton is familiar to us and we can revisit it if necessary to collect further information.

* We believe Northampton is a typical of a large English town.

* Northampton town is a manageable size to survey in a school day.

* We have a particular interest in Northampton as it is our county town.

* Northampton would be an easy place to study as we have all been there before a number of times.

Hypothesises explained

1. Over 70% of the land use in the Grosvenor centre will be for high order comparison as only companies with high profits can afford the high land costs.

2. The highest pedestrian flows will be recorded on Abingdon Street as there are more services and shops for people to shop.

3. The lowest environmental quality scores will be recorded in the Greyfriars area as there is a bus station which pollutes it with air pollution.

4. Environmental Quality will be highest in the Grosvenor centre as it the major shopping area in Northampton.

5. The age of the buildings will decrease as you travel further from the CBD because it costs too much to rebuild as the land prices are high and so are the health and safety risks.

6. Highest traffic will be in the frame as there are car parks and major ring roads in the frame.

Conducting a Land Use survey

The purpose of conducting a land use survey is to discover the pattern of land use in the study area and attempt to map the edge of the frame and core of the CBD as this is the aim of the whole project. The procedure to conduct a land use is as follows: during the 45mins which are allowed in each of the 6 areas we code each building according to its land use with letters. The land use code varies e.g. PB for public buildings, LO for low order shops, etc. The type of data collected is qualitative as it describes type of use of each building. The advantage of this sort of data is that actually describes the type of building and is quick and easy however it doesn’t tell an exact number of buildings in each category. The sampling technique is systematic as this ensures that the whole area is covered without gaps.

Conducting a Traffic survey

The Purpose of conducting of a traffic survey is to discover where the highest traffic counts are as theory suggests that they will be in the frame as there are lots of parking spaces. The procedure is as follows: Stand at a safe place by the side of the road and record the number of vehicles of different categories that pass you in each five minute period. The type of data is quantitative. The advantage of this sort of data is that it gives an exact number however it doesn’t tell what type of vehicle it is, this would matter as if it is a local bus or a lorry are for business purposes while a car is for personal purposes. The sampling technique is systematic point sampling as we don’t miss as vehicles which pass us.

Conducting a Pedestrian count

The purpose of conducting a pedestrian count is to discover where the highest pedestrian counts are as theory suggests they will be in the core of the CBD as there are lots of shops and services. The procedure is as follows: stand in a place where you can clearly see in both directions on the street and count the number of people that pass you in a five minute period using a tally chart. The type of data is collected is quantitative. The advantage of this sort of data is that is tells the exact number of people walking by however it doesn’t tell what purpose are the people coming in the town for as this would show what is the use made by people of a particular area. The sampling technique is systematic point sampling so we don’t miss any people which pass us.

Conducting an Environmental quality survey

The purpose of conducting an environmental quality survey is to assess the quality of the environment as in the theory the scores should be higher towards the centre of the CBD as there normally are regular cleaning schedules. The procedure is as follows: give each particular criteria a point on a 5 point rating scale which extends from +2 to -2, the criteria varies from visual impression to pollution etc. The type of data collected is quantitative. The advantage of this sort of data is that it tells exactly how polluted the area is however it doesn’t tell what part of the CBD is polluted the most as there are no words and this matters because there is no point getting numbers but don’t know where they come from.

Data analysis and interpretation

Land use- Area 1

The largest category of land use in area 1 is derelict with 21% of the total. This may be because of the current recession which affects the company’s profits, closing them down. Other types of land use that are well represented include public buildings. This may be because there is good transport near it, the Greyfriars bus station in the area so the public can access the buildings. Therefore it is likely to be in the frame as it has good transport services.

Land use- Area 2

The largest category of land use in area 2 is other services with 20% of the total. This may be because it has high pedestrian count, so more people can access it. Other types of land use that are well represented in area 2 include public buildings, offices and food shops. This may be because it has high pedestrian count, as it has lots of varieties of shops and services. Therefore it could be in the core as there are lots of services.

Land use- Area 3

The largest category of land use in area 3 is offices with 15% of the total. This may be because it is a easily accessible area so people working in the office can access it. Other types of land use that are well represented in area 3 include financial services. This may be the fact it is mainly offices. Therefore it could be in the core as it has lots of financial services.

Land use- Area 4

The largest category of the land use in the area 4 is public buildings. This may be because it is has lots of roads and a market square that people access normally, so a good place of public buildings that can be accessed be the local public. Other types of land use that are well represented in the area 4 include other services and high order comparison. This may be because, as it is next to the Grosvenor centre which his very high pedestrian counts, it is a location. Therefore this could be in the core as there are lots of services in the area.

Land use- Area 5

The largest category of the land use in the area 5 is High Order shops with 40% of the total. This may be because as this area has high pedestrian flow so more people are likely to enter the shop and by goods. Other types of land use that are well represented in area 5 include Low order shops. This may be because as there is high pedestrian flow. Therefore this could be the PLVI as it is a prime shopping area with the most high order comparison shops.

Land use- Area 6

The largest category of land use in area 1 is Other Services with 27% of the total. This may be because it is in a high pedestrian area and near major roads. Other types of land use that are well represented in area 6 include low order. This may be because this area is near Market square and Grosvenor centre. Therefore this could be in the core as it has quite a few services.

Comparing Traffic flow in different areas

The average value of number of vehicles that pass a fixed point in a minute is 41. The range of data was 92. The highest value recorded was 118 vehicles per 2 minutes at the top of Abington Street (area 2) near the A5123, this is 92 more than the lowest value and 77 more than the average. The lowest value was 26 at Drapery (area 4), this is 1 higher that bridge street (area 6) and 16 less than sheep street (area 1). As Grosvenor centre is a shopping centre, traffic flow is not applicable and the average and range were calculated excluding Grosvenor centre. Generally, as the distance from the Grosvenor centre increases so does the traffic flow. We expected to find the highest traffic flow in area 1 as there is a major bus station Greyfriars but instead we found that area 2 has the highest traffic flow.

Comparing the Environmental quality of different areas

The average environmental quality score was -2 while the range was 25. The highest score was 11 for the Grosvenor centre (area 5), which is 25 points higher than the lowest -14 at bridge street (area 6) and 13 higher than the average. Drapery (area 4) had a score of zero. Castilian Street (area 3) was the second lowest with -9, this 11 less than Abington Street and 7 more than Sheep Street (area 1). Generally, the further away from the Grosvenor centre lower the scores are. Grosvenor also had the best building condition and appearance but no plants or trees, while Bridge Street had the lowest building condition and appearance score also very polluted. We were expecting to find the Grosvenor centre the cleanest as it is the centre of the town and indeed we found Grosvenor centre to be the cleanest.

Comparing the Age of buildings of different areas

Most buildings were Post War (1946-1969). There were also a few Victorian (1830-1900) and Pre Victorian buildings (before 1830) dotted round the town. There were also some Pre World War 2 (1901-1945).However, the Grosvenor centre, the Multi-story car park, Job centre and few others are modern buildings (1970 -2009). As, so far the Grosvenor centre has been suggested by our data that it is the PLVI, normally the centre of the CBD is quite old and as you go further away the building age decreases. This is an anomaly that we have discovered because the centre of the CBD has the youngest buildings. We were expecting to find the PLVI/Core to be the oldest.

Comparing the Pedestrian count of different areas

The highest recorded count was 209 on Abington street (area 2) while the lowest on Hazelwood road (area 3) at just 3. Generally Area 2 has the highest count and so does the Grosvenor centre. We expected to find the highest count on Abington Street and indeed we did find that. The range of the data was 206 this suggests that the counts vary a lot from place to place.

Looking back at our hypothesis

Our first hypothesis was that “Over 70% of the land use in the Grosvenor centre will be for high order shops”. However, only 39% of the shops were high order which doesn’t support the hypothesis but as Grosvenor has the highest percentage of high order comparison shops, it is the Peak Land Value Intersection at the centre of the central business district.

Our second hypothesis was that “The highest pedestrian flows will be recorded on Abington Street”. Our data supports the hypothesis as the highest, 209 people, were recorded. This suggests that Abington Street is in the core of the CBD, also as it is a pedestrianised street it should definitely be in core.

Our third hypothesis was that “The lowest environmental quality scores will be recorded in the Greyfriars area”. Our data challenges the hypothesis as the lowest score was recorded on Bridge Street. This suggests that Bridge Street is not in the core as it is not clean, generally the core of the CBD normally clean.

Our fourth hypothesis was that “Environmental Quality will be highest in the Grosvenor centre”. Our data supports the hypothesis as Grosvenor centre scored 11 points, 25 more than the lowest. This suggests that Grosvenor centre is in the Core as it is the cleanest.

Our fifth hypothesis was that “The age of the buildings will decrease as you travel further from the CBD”. Our data challenges this hypothesis, as the apparent PLVI is the Grosvenor centre, Grosvenor centre is a modern building (1970- 2009) while the building around it are mainly Post war (1946-1969). This suggests that Grosvenor centre is in the not in the CBD.

Our sixth hypothesis was that “Highest traffic will be in the frame”. Our data shows that A5123 near Abington street has the highest traffic flow. This suggests that A5123 is in the frame as it has high traffic flow because frame has major ring roads and transport services.

Reaching conclusions about the location of the core and the frame of the CBD

Abington Street is definitely in the core because it has the highest pedestrian count also there are lots of high order shops. Grosvenor centre is also definitely in the core, in fact it is the Peak Land Value Intersection because it has the highest percentage of high order shops, and also it is the cleanest of all. A5123 road is definitely in the frame because it has the highest traffic flow. While, Greyfriars is also in the frame because it a major bus station, frame normally has lots transport services. Bridge street is also in the frame because has the poorest environmental quality. The boundary between the core and the frame is between Market Square and the Grosvenor centre, because market square is low order while Grosvenor centre is high order.

The other boundary appears to be where Fish street meets St Giles street because there are much lower pedestrian counts and number of high order shops on St Giles street than on Fish street and Abington Street. Furthermore, The Junction near Abington street, A5123 is another boundary between the core and the frame because A5123 has the highest traffic flow while Abington street pedestriansed. There also another boundary, which is between the multistory car park (behind Grosvenor center) and the Grosvenor centre, as frame usually contains car parks while the Grosvenor is high order so it must be in the core.

Evaluation of the investigation

The investigation has been a success as we have rightfully discovered the extent of the core and the frame in the CBD also boundaries of the core and the frame. The collection of all the data and reaching the conclusion worked well as a part of the investigation because useful and understandable conclusions were reached also the data was effectively collected. The time period was quite short but long enough to get basic data, however for more accurate and precise data more places within the town should have been surveyed and for that longer time period would be needed.

So at least 2 day trip should be organised the next time. Also we found the CBD being an anomaly as the youngest buildings were in the core, to improve this an another study place should be selected such as Milton Keynes. The results could also be compared with a similar case study in an LEDC as this would provide a greater comparison.

The data might not be reliable as this data was collected during one of the worst recession, this increases the number of the derelict buildings and the total number of shops, offices, etc in the area. For example, a particular area in Northampton before the recession area could be full of high order shops but now because of recession it may be all derelict, so this affects the reliability. This is supported as we did find derelict shops even in the Grosvenor centre. The validity is also affected, the data is still valid because there wasn’t an areas that was fully or mostly derelict, the impact of the recession was spread out not targeted in a particular area. We can trust our findings as these are all factual figures collected by ourselves.

Halstead is a small market town in South East England, North Essex, and within 15 miles west of Colchester. Halstead is next to the River Colne, and is situated in the Colne Valley. Halstead has a population of 10 000 and is also the only settlement of its size in the Essex region without a bypass. Halstead was also a weaving town (where sheep’s wool is made into clothe).

Halstead is central to several big towns, such as Colchester, Braintree and Haverhill. Everyday traffic from all these towns has to pass through Halstead high street in order to commute, this usually results in Halstead becoming greatly congested on a regular basis, increasing air and noise pollution, and therefore Halstead central could hugely benefit from a bypass.

A bypass is a route, which is built to avoid or ‘bypass’ congestion in a built up town or village, this lets traffic flow without interferences from local traffic, this improves congestion and road safety.

There are many reasons for and against the construction of a bypass.

Advantages:

* Less congestion in town.

* Less pollution in town central.

* Lorries would no longer have to drive through the town.

* Both noise and air pollution would decrease in town.

* Local builders would hugely benefit, from work needed.

* It will be quicker for people to travelling to work.

Disadvantages:

* Expensive, local tax payers of Halstead would compensate.

* An increase in noise pollution.

* An increase in Air pollution.

* Bypass would destroy surrounding environment.

* Less customers and income from commuters in the town centre.

In the past there have been several proposals for a bypass to be built in Halstead. In 1987, the Essex County Council classified main roads into the town a ‘busy’ and found that nearly 50 % of the traffic was passing through Halstead. A bypass was first proposed in 1990, and public discussions were held, and a preferred route emerged, although it was the most costly of all options, costing �11 million. Four Years later two small changes were made to the route, following further discussions. Later, in 1997, it was decided that a bypass may be built after 2000, when sufficient funds may become available, but has continued to be put on hold.

After analysing my results I conclude that I do not believe that a bypass should be built in Halstead. I think that he environmental impact, and impact on local residents is too big. Taxes would increase enormously and the consequence on businesses in the town will also be huge. The environment would be destroyed, ruining many habitats and bridle paths so horse riders and hikers wouldn’t benefit at all.

Although I don’t believe Halstead needs a bypass, if one were to be built, I reckon that route A is the best choice, as this route goes further around the town than route B, therefore the town of Halstead would be much quieter, and less disturbed by the air and noise pollution.

Alberto A. Ortiz Bio 112 May 13, 2010 Pollution is all around us, everywhere we go, every day we experience some sort of pollution. Babies in the womb are more vulnerable than their mothers to DNA harm from air pollution, in spite of the additional protection that the placenta is thought to supply in removing toxins. In a study of babies and their mothers in New York City, scientists found that babies had accumulated a relatively high amount of mutations, and they connected the mutations to vehicle emissions.

The babies also had more toxins from secondhand smoke than their mothers, who didn’t even smoke. This information is listed in Environmental Health Perspectives. For many years, scientists have believed that a fetus may be more susceptible to toxins than an adult. Yet, new research among a handful of large studies has analyzed the genetic effects of pollution. It is not known what the health effects of this DNA damage, if any, are for newborns. Exposure to these types of pollutants and tobacco smoke has been linked to increased risk for cancer in adults. This finding raises concern about fetal susceptibility and underscores the importance of reducing air pollution,” says Frederica Perera, who led the study at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health in New York City. The study included 265 pairs of nonsmoking African-American and Latina mothers and newborns in New York City. The researchers collected cord blood samples from the babies at the time of delivery and blood samples from the mothers a day after giving birth.

Mothers and newborns had the same level of DNA damage from air pollutants, but the researchers estimate that the fetus is exposed to a ten-fold lower dose of pollutants than the mother because the placenta serves as a filter. Thus, fetuses appear to be particularly susceptible to environmental toxins and may not be able to clear them from their bodies or repair damaged DNA. The finding that newborns had higher levels of cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, in their blood than did their mothers reinforces he concern that babies are more affected by secondhand smoke. The scientists were able to measure the level of DNA damage from air pollutants in mothers and newborns by analyzing stretches of mutated DNA, called biomarkers, that have been associated with exposure to diesel emissions and other air pollutants. In a previous study of Caucasian women and their newborns in Krakow, Poland, Perera and her colleagues found similar prenatal susceptibility to air pollution.

Because New York City has much lower levels of pollution than Krakow, they wanted to see if the same damage occurred. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has put forward legislation, which will provide the first comprehensive overhaul of the New York City Noise Code in over 30 years. Noise is the number one complaint to the City’s 311 citizen service hotline, currently averaging nearly 1,000 calls a day. The proposal provides a flexible environment to keep New York’s businesses thriving while addressing the number one quality of life complaint in New York.

Mayor Bloomberg said that his new proposal, which was announced in June 2004, was the first overhaul of the Noise Code in over 30 years and would maintain the City’s vibrancy by balancing the need for construction, development and an exciting nightlife with New Yorker’s well deserved right to peace and quiet. “Building on the success of our enforcement initiative, Operation Silent Night, we are proposing a comprehensive revision to the noise code that will make New York quieter and more livable without stifling growth,” the Mayor added.

The new Noise Code will remove outdated code sections and replace them with ones that use the latest acoustic technology and will provide for flexible and reasonable enforcement. The new code provides updated and sensible means of limiting noise from construction sites located near residential neighborhoods. By establishing uniform best management practices for all work sites, using greater discretion in granting permits for night and weekend work and mandating ‘noise management plans’ that include portable sound barriers, noise jackets for jackhammers at all construction sites the code will decrease noise pollution.

Neighbors apply special lotions after showering because their skin burns. Tests show that their tap water contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system. “How can we get digital cable and Internet in our homes, but not clean water? ” said Mrs. Hall-Massey, a senior accountant at one of the state’s largest banks. She and her husband, Charles, do not live in some remote corner of Appalachia.

Charleston, the state capital, is less than 17 miles from her home. “How is this still happening today? ” she asked. When Mrs. Hall-Massey and 264 neighbors sued nine nearby coal companies, accusing them of putting dangerous waste into local water supplies, their lawyer did not have to look far for evidence. As required by state law, some of the companies had disclosed in reports to regulators that they were pumping into the ground illegal concentrations of chemicals — the same pollutants that flowed from residents’ taps.

But state regulators never fined or punished those companies for breaking those pollution laws. The vast majority of those polluters have escaped punishment. State officials have repeatedly ignored obvious illegal dumping, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which can prosecute polluters when states fail to act, has often declined to intervene. Because it is difficult to determine what causes diseases like cancer, it is impossible to know how many illnesses are the results of water pollution, or contaminants’ role in the health problems of specific individuals.

But concerns over these toxins are great enough that Congress and the E. P. A. regulate more than 100 pollutants through the Clean Water Act and strictly limit 91 chemicals or contaminants in tap water through the Safe Drinking Water Act. Research shows that an estimated one in 10 Americans have been exposed to drinking water that contains dangerous chemicals or fails to meet a federal health benchmark in other ways. Those exposures include carcinogens in the tap water of major American cities and unsafe chemicals in drinking-water wells.

Wells, which are not typically regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, are more likely to contain contaminants than municipal water systems. Because most of today’s water pollution has no scent or taste, many people who consume dangerous chemicals do not realize it, even after they become sick, researchers say. The broadest definition of thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature.

Thermal pollution is usually associated with increases of water temperatures in a stream, lake, or ocean due to the discharge of heated water from industrial processes, such as the generation of electricity. Increases in ambient water temperature also occur in streams where shading vegetation along the banks is removed or where sediments have made the water more turbid. Both of these effects allow more energy from the sun to be absorbed by the water and thereby increase its temperature.

There are also situations in which the effects of colder-than-normal water temperatures may be observed. For example, the discharge of cold bottom water from deep-water reservoirs behind large dams has changed the downstream biological communities in systems such as the Colorado River. http://www. controllingpollution. com/pollution/thermal-pollution/ http://www. nydailynews. com/topics/Noise+Pollution http://www. dec. ny. gov/chemical/281. html http://www. nytimes. com/2009/12/17/us/17water. html

Heading for 2050 We’ve all had at least once in life thought that we wonder how the future will look like? How will we be over 40 years? How will our planet look like? Or just how it will be tomorrow? These are questions which, in my opinion, we grind every day. Futurologists prepare us for what seems to be 2050, saying it would be totally different in all fields, from entertainment to technology, what we find at the moment on our planet.

First, classic TV channels through completely disappear, their place being taken by Internet, which we will have access all around the house (mirrors, tables, pictures, all with touch screen). The future seems a little too SF for the prezent that we live, but if we think about where they got all the science right now and where it is going, we can use in the future, things which are not imaginable today. The future of humanity will be a very human liking, because in future we will not have to do all the hard work, for which today we work more than 40 hours per week, but this will be done by robots.

We will have robots that will clean, make food, will plant flowers, but also those intelligent robots will take over the role of great engineers, so that construction can be achieved more easily, accurately and much smaller errors and less. They will take a large part of our daily tasks, and we will have much more free time for fun, relaxation, travel and many other interesting things. Of course all this will be different from what exists today. We can travel in space, to go on a vacation on a exotic planet , or simply a cruise we will go into space to see the beauty of the galaxies, as we go by boat in the Caribbean today.

Perhaps in those days we can even travel in time to go see a play that it is authored by Shakespeare himself when his own songs debut on a theater in the UK, or maybe we want to take part in the most important events in human history. Future technology will give us the chance to reduce the number of accidents and congestion on major arteries that form in the city. We will travel with vehicles powered using renewable energy that will help us to rise from the ground and use highways and roads on different levels (in height), to leave the ground as a destination for edestrians only, without having to ruin the beauty of nature, and many ecosystems with the construction of highways that connect major cities . Also classic trains that we know will be replaced with other transportation vehicles, which can reach a speed huge for our days, reaching their destination faster and traveling long distances. Spacecraft will serve today’s aircraft, and connects the major cities what are located on different planets.

Teleportation will certainly play a role as important in travel to various destinations as other means of transport, teleport different objects, or even people, of course, being the fastest means of transport, will be the most expensive. Pollution problem will be a thing of the past, or at least of atmospheric air pollution because radiation from radioactive waste will only disappear in a few thousand years, as is the case of Chernobyl. Greenland ice caps will melt not at a fast pace, maybe even boots from the pole mass will return to normal and we will not worry about increasing sea levels.

The problem of global warming was solved, hurricane risk decreases, the climate will return to normal, and fear of other natural disasters will be the past. Contact with extraterrestrial civilizations will bring a touch of humanity, because we realize that we are not alone in the universe and that will need to take into account the opinions of others. But the biggest advantage is that we can assimilate the technology they have available and we learn things we could not discover themselves, can even combine our technologies with the hope that we will discover the answers to questions we grind for centuries.

Medicine, one of the most important science that directly concerns each of us, will be among the most advanced of the existing fields. We will get the best equipment in a view to improving our recovery, medical technology will be very advanced , as organ transplants between people will not gonna happen, so will be replaced diseased organs with mechanical organs which take the place of human. All these things will lead to a decrease of mortality. Due to the increasing number of people on Earth we will have some of us to leave this planet and begin to colonize different planets similar to Earth.

The discovery of planets like our Earth will open the horizons to worlds unknown to us, will help us spread the race and to make ourselves known in the universe. We prepare for the future seems to be exactly what we need, but until we get there we still have 40 years of hard work, during which time we hope that all things work perfectly. Our evolution is to develop technologies that we present can zoom in or out of answers that we do not have but one living and dreams of 2050.