The Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland

Lecturer: Aisling O’Gorman Waste Process Management Lecturer: Aisling O’Gorman Waste Process Management 08 Fall 08 Fall Submission Date: 11/10/2012 Word Count: 2387 Submission Date: 11/10/2012 Word Count: 2387 The Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland: Maria McShaneThe Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland: Maria McShane Introduction Based on the evaluation of various reports, papers, documents, regulations and legislation from numerous agencies, departments, directives and bodies it can be seen that although â€Å"on paper† major changes have been made so as to improve the quality of water in Ireland, realistically the amendments do not match up.This being that progress has been slow and minimal when compared to the reform of regulations and legislation and the introduction of the Water Framework Directive. Considering the key importance of water as a natural resource both to society and habitats alike it will be argued that although the intention is there to improve the quality of water in Ireland (and there have been some improvements) as an overall, actual major physical improvements to the water quality has yet to be seen.Report Firstly the Water Framework Directive will be examined to highlight its purpose, current status and goals for the future and how it fits into impacting Irelands water quality. The WFD was set up by the EU â€Å"in response to the increasing threat of pollution and the increasing demand from the public for cleaner rivers, lakes and beaches† (The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/12]). According to the Water Framework Directives’ website, their aims are to â€Å"protect/enhance all waters (surface, ground and coastal waters), achieve â€Å"good status† for all waters by December 2015, manage water bodies based on river basins (or catchments), involve the public and streamline legislationâ € 1 (The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/12]).In order to achieve these goals a timetable for implementation of the directive was created, starting from its transposition into Irish Legislation by the European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003, (Statutory Instrument 722) on 22nd December 2003 (European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003, (Statutory Instrument 722). (The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/12]). From the 22nd December 2003 to the 22nd June 2009 no Programmes of Measures were actually implemented in order to beneficially impact Irelands water quality by the WFD.Instead the WFD established (June 2004) and characterised (December 2004) Irelands River Basin Districts, submitted a National Summary Report on the characterisation of the RBDs to the European Commission (March 2005), developed classification systems for surface water and groundwater (June 2006), established and m aintained appropriate Monitoring Programmes (June 2006), prepared and published a work programme and timetable for the production of River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) (June 2006), identified the significant water management issues in each river basin (June 2007), drafted RBMPs and allowed six months for written comment (June 2008), and finally established environmental objectives and final Programmes of Measures and developed RBMPs for implementation (June 2009), (Water Framework Directive, [2005]). Although this research and reporting is a vital function of improving Irelands water quality, the timeframe in which this has been done means that physical progress has been hindered. The actual recovery progress made to Irelands water quality can be seen in various Environmental Protection Agency reports. According to the EPA’s Water Quality in Ireland Report of 2007-2009, between 1987 and 1990, 77. 3, 12. 0, 9. 7 and 0. % surveyed river channel length were unpolluted, slightly polluted, moderately polluted and seriously polluted respectively. By the 2001-2003 report the percentage of unpolluted rivers had dropped from 77. 3% to 69. 3% which is significant, in addition to this the percentage surveyed of seriously polluted rivers had risen from 0. 4% to 0. 6%, slight and moderate pollution had also risen by 5. 9 and 2. 6 percent respectively. By the 2007-2009 report the percentage of surveyed river that remained unpolluted had dropped again to 68. 9%, slight pollution had also risen to 20. 7%. Fortunately moderate and seriously polluted waters had seen a drop from 12. 3 and 0. 6 to 10. 0 and 0. 4 percent respectively (M. McGarrigle et al. [2009).Considering that the water quality of rivers for the 2001-2003 recording period was healthier than the 2007-2009 recording period, even though the 2001-2003 period coincides with the implementation of the WFD, highlights that for a period of six years that the WFD was in effect Irelands river water quality declined . This corroborates to the argument that yes the WFD has carried out reports, monitoring programs and drafted plans all well and good, but without any actual meaningful actions taken, what good is the WFD at all? This is not to say that the WFD has not done anything positive, for example since its introduction â€Å"the percentage of channel surveyed classified as seriously polluted has decreased to 0. 4 percent compared with the previous period when 0. 5 percent was seriously polluted† (M. McGarrigle et al. [2009]).It cannot be stressed enough that in order to improve the quality of water in Ireland research and reporting is fundamental, however the point being made is that pencil pushing and fiddling around writing reports and documents will not recuperate Irelands water systems. Six years is a very long timeframe for an EU commissioned directive to take no feasible action other than talk about and plan what it’s going to do and then expect to reach its target of ret urning all waters to â€Å"good status† by December 2015. To emphasise the case that without acting and merely focusing on the bureaucratic side of things the WFD has impeded its own progress, citing’s from the South Western River Basin Management Plan (2009-2015) report will be looked at.It states, â€Å"municipal wastewater discharge is one of the two most important sources of pollution in Irish rivers, accounting for 38% of the number of polluted river sites recorded (the other source being agricultural activities)† (South Western River Basin District [2010]). This is not new news, this has been known for quite some time and â€Å"the two top sectors responsible for the pollution of Irish rivers are municipal and agriculture† has even been quoted in the 1991-1993 EPA water quality in Ireland report. To add to this the Nitrates Directive was set up in 1991 for the â€Å"protection of waters against pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Nitrates Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. nviron. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/NitratesDirective/ [Accessed on 08/10/12]). This directive actually implemented legislation that â€Å"required the avoidance of practices by farmers which create a risk of causing pollution to water courses and provide for inspections by local authorities. They also provided for strengthened enforcement provisions and for better farmyard management. They included provisions relating to times of the year, weather and soil conditions when the application of fertilisers is permitted, the minimum setback distances from water sources for the application of fertilisers and minimum storage capacity for manures†. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Nitrates Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/NitratesDirective/ [Accessed on 08/10/12]). Why then is the SWRBD reporting that agriculture is the second biggest cause of pollution to Irish rivers, number one when this has long been known and number two when measures have already been put in place a long time ago to address this problem? To add to this they also quoted â€Å"The main objective in relation to wastewater is to meet the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations (2001-2010) in full† (South Western River Basin District [2010]). Not to be crude, but are they for real?This is common sense, these regulations have been in place since 2001, and yes they would have been modified over the years but how in 2010 when this report came out can meeting these regulations still be just an objective? To highlight further the WFDs failure to have a significant positive impact on the quality of Irish water a recent EPA report on the assessment of aquatic ecosystem responses to POM’s intended to improve water quality in Ireland was released. Acco rding to this report, â€Å"results presented suggest that many existing POMs have proven or are proving ineffective in raising BWQ (biological water quality) and restoring ecological functioning† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]). An example of this can be seen in the â€Å"strategic replacement of 10% of septic tank systems in part of the Blackwater catchment in CO. Armagh† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]).The report showed that overall, prior and subsequent to the replacement of the septic tank systems phosphorous loads remained largely the same. In conjunction with this result, â€Å"in other parts of the Blackwater, the replacement and upgrading of septic tank systems had no significant phosphorous concentration effects, despite the implementation of additional POMs aimed at reducing phosphorous inputs from point and diffuse sources† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]). The report goes on to say that some of the â€Å"potential reasons why the implementation of POMs have had limit ed success include the delayed, incomplete or uneven application of measures† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]).This only solidifies the argument that the WFD spent too much time thinking about what to do, and then what measures they did put in place, for the most part either took too long to do so or did not implement the measure properly in order to meet their 2015 deadline. Which follows now onto a report that was released in July 2010 on behalf of the WFD entitled â€Å"Final River Basin Management Plans Background Documentation, Alternative Objectives: Approach to Extended Deadlines†, its main purpose, to focus on certain cases that require an extension past the 2015 deadline (kind of defeats the purpose of the WFD if they are admitting defeat five years before the deadline). Under section 4. 0 ‘Agriculture’ of this report, one of the cases for exclusion is nitrate losses from agriculture to groundwaters. The reason for this, â€Å"Scientific data indicates s tatus recovery extends beyond 2015. â€Å"Recovery of elevated nitrate levels in groundwater bodies is expected to take place in approximately 20 years even with full implementation of the Good Agricultural Practice regulations (Fenton et al, in press). So yes, while it is known that the natural recovery of a water system takes substantial time, with technology today could the WFD not invest in developing nitrate removal techniques such as, layered double hydroxides which â€Å"are of interest because of the potential to use LDHs to remove agrochemicals from polluted water, reducing the likelihood of eutrophication† (Wikipedia. org, Layered Double Hydroxins. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/2012]). Another case looked at in this report is wastewater discharges from some treatment plants.The reason for the exemption, a technical/practical constraint, it states â€Å"The time required to plan and design upgrades to treatment plants and to achieve approvals and licen sing means it is not technically possible to achieve good status in 2015,† the action applied is to leave â€Å"Local Authorities to upgrade plants through the Water Services Investment Programme† meaning that funding is one of the reasons that there will be a delay in the overhaul of wastewater treatment plants in Ireland. Unsurprisingly, according to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government website â€Å"with the changed economic climate and the finalisation of the first cycle of River Basin Management Plans, the new programme aims to prioritise projects that target environmental compliance issues† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Water Services Investment Programme. online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterServices/WaterServicesInvestmentProgramme/ [Accessed on 08/10/2012]). This here shown lack of initiative by the Government and the WFD by not investing in technology that can help recover Irish waters allows the development of this last argument. In a very recent position paper entitled â€Å"Reform of the Water Sector in Ireland† carried out by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government it was highlighted that â€Å"water services cost over â‚ ¬1. 2 billion to run in 2010, of which operational costs amounted to some â‚ ¬715 million, with capital expenditure of over â‚ ¬500 million†.The paper goes on to tell of the impending establishment of the state company ‘Irish Water’ â€Å"that will take over the water investment and maintenance programmes of the 34 county and city councils with the key aim of supervising and accelerating the pace of delivery of planned investments needed to upgrade the State’s water and sewerage networks† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012]). This state company intends on funding its investments and programmes via water charges paid for by Irish householders. Despite the fact that Ireland is in a recession and its people are struggling as it is financially, the fact remains that Ireland is the only country in the OECD that does not pay for its water use (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012]).It states, â€Å"Our capacity to fund the future capital investment requirements from the exchequer is severally constrained. The Government’s plan for Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16 shows a decline in exchequer capital investment in water and waste water services from â‚ ¬435 million in 2011 to â‚ ¬371 million in 2012 and a further decline to â‚ ¬296 million by 2014† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012]). This is one of the reasons why Irish Water is a good idea as it will actually fund the necessary wastewater treatment plant changes that need to be done in order to tackle some of Irelands water pollution issues while als o effectively reducing the amount of treated potable water wasted everyday by Irish households.So to sum up, yes, introducing the WFD has had a positive impact as it has lead to developments in implementations that will help to recover the quality of Irelands waters, however the main argument being made in this paper is that they failed on several points. Firstly they spent too much time on the bureaucratic side of things, six years to be exact figuring out what the problems were and where, when a lot of them were obvious, had been known about and reported on several years previously and many had already been addressed. Secondly, a lot of POMs that were implemented were done so either to late or not properly, meaning that a lot of them have not lead to any significant positive changes.Finally where the WFD failed was a lack of investment into developing technologies that might help accelerate the return of Irish waters to their natural state, and a huge time lag into implementing wa ter charges so as to invest into Irelands infrastructure regarding wastewater treatment. Overall time here is what has been wasted, as for every day that no action is taken is another day when Irelands water and habitats suffer. Nature does not and can not wait for the pencil pushers. References 1. The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/12] 2. Water Framework Directive, [2005].The Characterisation and Analysis of Ireland’s River Basin Districts, National Summary Report. Ireland 3. Environmental Protection Agency, M. McGarrigle et al. [2009]. Water Quality in Ireland. Ireland 4. South Western River Basin District, [2010] South Western River Basin Management Plan. Ireland 5. Environmental Protection Agency, [1993] Water Quality in Ireland. Ireland 6. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Nitrates Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/NitratesDirective/ [Accessed o n 08/10/12]). 7. Environmental Protection Agency, D. Taylor et al. [2012] Water Quality and the Aquatic Environment STRIVE Report 91. Ireland 8.Lag Time: A Methodology For The Estimation Of Vertical, Horizontal Travel & Flushing Timescales To Nitrate Threshold Concentrations In Irish Aquifers Fenton et al under review 9. Wikipedia. org, Layered Double Hydroxins. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/2012]. 10. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Water Services Investment Programme. [online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterServices/WaterServicesInvestmentProgramme/ [Accessed on 08/10/2012]). 11. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012] Reform of the Water Sector in Ireland. Ireland The Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland Lecturer: Aisling O’Gorman Waste Process Management Lecturer: Aisling O’Gorman Waste Process Management 08 Fall 08 Fall Submission Date: 11/10/2012 Word Count: 2387 Submission Date: 11/10/2012 Word Count: 2387 The Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland: Maria McShaneThe Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework on Water Quality in Ireland: Maria McShane Introduction Based on the evaluation of various reports, papers, documents, regulations and legislation from numerous agencies, departments, directives and bodies it can be seen that although â€Å"on paper† major changes have been made so as to improve the quality of water in Ireland, realistically the amendments do not match up.This being that progress has been slow and minimal when compared to the reform of regulations and legislation and the introduction of the Water Framework Directive. Considering the key importance of water as a natural resource both to society and habitats alike it will be argued that although the intention is there to improve the quality of water in Ireland (and there have been some improvements) as an overall, actual major physical improvements to the water quality has yet to be seen.Report Firstly the Water Framework Directive will be examined to highlight its purpose, current status and goals for the future and how it fits into impacting Irelands water quality. The WFD was set up by the EU â€Å"in response to the increasing threat of pollution and the increasing demand from the public for cleaner rivers, lakes and beaches† (The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/12]). According to the Water Framework Directives’ website, their aims are to â€Å"protect/enhance all waters (surface, ground and coastal waters), achieve â€Å"good status† for all waters by December 2015, manage water bodies based on river basins (or catchments), involve the public and streamline legislationâ € 1 (The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/12]).In order to achieve these goals a timetable for implementation of the directive was created, starting from its transposition into Irish Legislation by the European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003, (Statutory Instrument 722) on 22nd December 2003 (European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003, (Statutory Instrument 722). (The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/12]). From the 22nd December 2003 to the 22nd June 2009 no Programmes of Measures were actually implemented in order to beneficially impact Irelands water quality by the WFD.Instead the WFD established (June 2004) and characterised (December 2004) Irelands River Basin Districts, submitted a National Summary Report on the characterisation of the RBDs to the European Commission (March 2005), developed classification systems for surface water and groundwater (June 2006), established and m aintained appropriate Monitoring Programmes (June 2006), prepared and published a work programme and timetable for the production of River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) (June 2006), identified the significant water management issues in each river basin (June 2007), drafted RBMPs and allowed six months for written comment (June 2008), and finally established environmental objectives and final Programmes of Measures and developed RBMPs for implementation (June 2009), (Water Framework Directive, [2005]). Although this research and reporting is a vital function of improving Irelands water quality, the timeframe in which this has been done means that physical progress has been hindered. The actual recovery progress made to Irelands water quality can be seen in various Environmental Protection Agency reports. According to the EPA’s Water Quality in Ireland Report of 2007-2009, between 1987 and 1990, 77. 3, 12. 0, 9. 7 and 0. % surveyed river channel length were unpolluted, slightly polluted, moderately polluted and seriously polluted respectively. By the 2001-2003 report the percentage of unpolluted rivers had dropped from 77. 3% to 69. 3% which is significant, in addition to this the percentage surveyed of seriously polluted rivers had risen from 0. 4% to 0. 6%, slight and moderate pollution had also risen by 5. 9 and 2. 6 percent respectively. By the 2007-2009 report the percentage of surveyed river that remained unpolluted had dropped again to 68. 9%, slight pollution had also risen to 20. 7%. Fortunately moderate and seriously polluted waters had seen a drop from 12. 3 and 0. 6 to 10. 0 and 0. 4 percent respectively (M. McGarrigle et al. [2009).Considering that the water quality of rivers for the 2001-2003 recording period was healthier than the 2007-2009 recording period, even though the 2001-2003 period coincides with the implementation of the WFD, highlights that for a period of six years that the WFD was in effect Irelands river water quality declined . This corroborates to the argument that yes the WFD has carried out reports, monitoring programs and drafted plans all well and good, but without any actual meaningful actions taken, what good is the WFD at all? This is not to say that the WFD has not done anything positive, for example since its introduction â€Å"the percentage of channel surveyed classified as seriously polluted has decreased to 0. 4 percent compared with the previous period when 0. 5 percent was seriously polluted† (M. McGarrigle et al. [2009]).It cannot be stressed enough that in order to improve the quality of water in Ireland research and reporting is fundamental, however the point being made is that pencil pushing and fiddling around writing reports and documents will not recuperate Irelands water systems. Six years is a very long timeframe for an EU commissioned directive to take no feasible action other than talk about and plan what it’s going to do and then expect to reach its target of ret urning all waters to â€Å"good status† by December 2015. To emphasise the case that without acting and merely focusing on the bureaucratic side of things the WFD has impeded its own progress, citing’s from the South Western River Basin Management Plan (2009-2015) report will be looked at.It states, â€Å"municipal wastewater discharge is one of the two most important sources of pollution in Irish rivers, accounting for 38% of the number of polluted river sites recorded (the other source being agricultural activities)† (South Western River Basin District [2010]). This is not new news, this has been known for quite some time and â€Å"the two top sectors responsible for the pollution of Irish rivers are municipal and agriculture† has even been quoted in the 1991-1993 EPA water quality in Ireland report. To add to this the Nitrates Directive was set up in 1991 for the â€Å"protection of waters against pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Nitrates Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. nviron. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/NitratesDirective/ [Accessed on 08/10/12]). This directive actually implemented legislation that â€Å"required the avoidance of practices by farmers which create a risk of causing pollution to water courses and provide for inspections by local authorities. They also provided for strengthened enforcement provisions and for better farmyard management. They included provisions relating to times of the year, weather and soil conditions when the application of fertilisers is permitted, the minimum setback distances from water sources for the application of fertilisers and minimum storage capacity for manures†. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Nitrates Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/NitratesDirective/ [Accessed on 08/10/12]). Why then is the SWRBD reporting that agriculture is the second biggest cause of pollution to Irish rivers, number one when this has long been known and number two when measures have already been put in place a long time ago to address this problem? To add to this they also quoted â€Å"The main objective in relation to wastewater is to meet the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations (2001-2010) in full† (South Western River Basin District [2010]). Not to be crude, but are they for real?This is common sense, these regulations have been in place since 2001, and yes they would have been modified over the years but how in 2010 when this report came out can meeting these regulations still be just an objective? To highlight further the WFDs failure to have a significant positive impact on the quality of Irish water a recent EPA report on the assessment of aquatic ecosystem responses to POM’s intended to improve water quality in Ireland was released. Acco rding to this report, â€Å"results presented suggest that many existing POMs have proven or are proving ineffective in raising BWQ (biological water quality) and restoring ecological functioning† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]). An example of this can be seen in the â€Å"strategic replacement of 10% of septic tank systems in part of the Blackwater catchment in CO. Armagh† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]).The report showed that overall, prior and subsequent to the replacement of the septic tank systems phosphorous loads remained largely the same. In conjunction with this result, â€Å"in other parts of the Blackwater, the replacement and upgrading of septic tank systems had no significant phosphorous concentration effects, despite the implementation of additional POMs aimed at reducing phosphorous inputs from point and diffuse sources† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]). The report goes on to say that some of the â€Å"potential reasons why the implementation of POMs have had limit ed success include the delayed, incomplete or uneven application of measures† (D. Taylor et al. [2012]).This only solidifies the argument that the WFD spent too much time thinking about what to do, and then what measures they did put in place, for the most part either took too long to do so or did not implement the measure properly in order to meet their 2015 deadline. Which follows now onto a report that was released in July 2010 on behalf of the WFD entitled â€Å"Final River Basin Management Plans Background Documentation, Alternative Objectives: Approach to Extended Deadlines†, its main purpose, to focus on certain cases that require an extension past the 2015 deadline (kind of defeats the purpose of the WFD if they are admitting defeat five years before the deadline). Under section 4. 0 ‘Agriculture’ of this report, one of the cases for exclusion is nitrate losses from agriculture to groundwaters. The reason for this, â€Å"Scientific data indicates s tatus recovery extends beyond 2015. â€Å"Recovery of elevated nitrate levels in groundwater bodies is expected to take place in approximately 20 years even with full implementation of the Good Agricultural Practice regulations (Fenton et al, in press). So yes, while it is known that the natural recovery of a water system takes substantial time, with technology today could the WFD not invest in developing nitrate removal techniques such as, layered double hydroxides which â€Å"are of interest because of the potential to use LDHs to remove agrochemicals from polluted water, reducing the likelihood of eutrophication† (Wikipedia. org, Layered Double Hydroxins. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/2012]). Another case looked at in this report is wastewater discharges from some treatment plants.The reason for the exemption, a technical/practical constraint, it states â€Å"The time required to plan and design upgrades to treatment plants and to achieve approvals and licen sing means it is not technically possible to achieve good status in 2015,† the action applied is to leave â€Å"Local Authorities to upgrade plants through the Water Services Investment Programme† meaning that funding is one of the reasons that there will be a delay in the overhaul of wastewater treatment plants in Ireland. Unsurprisingly, according to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government website â€Å"with the changed economic climate and the finalisation of the first cycle of River Basin Management Plans, the new programme aims to prioritise projects that target environmental compliance issues† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Water Services Investment Programme. online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterServices/WaterServicesInvestmentProgramme/ [Accessed on 08/10/2012]). This here shown lack of initiative by the Government and the WFD by not investing in technology that can help recover Irish waters allows the development of this last argument. In a very recent position paper entitled â€Å"Reform of the Water Sector in Ireland† carried out by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government it was highlighted that â€Å"water services cost over â‚ ¬1. 2 billion to run in 2010, of which operational costs amounted to some â‚ ¬715 million, with capital expenditure of over â‚ ¬500 million†.The paper goes on to tell of the impending establishment of the state company ‘Irish Water’ â€Å"that will take over the water investment and maintenance programmes of the 34 county and city councils with the key aim of supervising and accelerating the pace of delivery of planned investments needed to upgrade the State’s water and sewerage networks† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012]). This state company intends on funding its investments and programmes via water charges paid for by Irish householders. Despite the fact that Ireland is in a recession and its people are struggling as it is financially, the fact remains that Ireland is the only country in the OECD that does not pay for its water use (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012]).It states, â€Å"Our capacity to fund the future capital investment requirements from the exchequer is severally constrained. The Government’s plan for Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16 shows a decline in exchequer capital investment in water and waste water services from â‚ ¬435 million in 2011 to â‚ ¬371 million in 2012 and a further decline to â‚ ¬296 million by 2014† (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012]). This is one of the reasons why Irish Water is a good idea as it will actually fund the necessary wastewater treatment plant changes that need to be done in order to tackle some of Irelands water pollution issues while als o effectively reducing the amount of treated potable water wasted everyday by Irish households.So to sum up, yes, introducing the WFD has had a positive impact as it has lead to developments in implementations that will help to recover the quality of Irelands waters, however the main argument being made in this paper is that they failed on several points. Firstly they spent too much time on the bureaucratic side of things, six years to be exact figuring out what the problems were and where, when a lot of them were obvious, had been known about and reported on several years previously and many had already been addressed. Secondly, a lot of POMs that were implemented were done so either to late or not properly, meaning that a lot of them have not lead to any significant positive changes.Finally where the WFD failed was a lack of investment into developing technologies that might help accelerate the return of Irish waters to their natural state, and a huge time lag into implementing wa ter charges so as to invest into Irelands infrastructure regarding wastewater treatment. Overall time here is what has been wasted, as for every day that no action is taken is another day when Irelands water and habitats suffer. Nature does not and can not wait for the pencil pushers. References 1. The Eu Water Framework Directive. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/12] 2. Water Framework Directive, [2005].The Characterisation and Analysis of Ireland’s River Basin Districts, National Summary Report. Ireland 3. Environmental Protection Agency, M. McGarrigle et al. [2009]. Water Quality in Ireland. Ireland 4. South Western River Basin District, [2010] South Western River Basin Management Plan. Ireland 5. Environmental Protection Agency, [1993] Water Quality in Ireland. Ireland 6. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, The Nitrates Directive. [online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/NitratesDirective/ [Accessed o n 08/10/12]). 7. Environmental Protection Agency, D. Taylor et al. [2012] Water Quality and the Aquatic Environment STRIVE Report 91. Ireland 8.Lag Time: A Methodology For The Estimation Of Vertical, Horizontal Travel & Flushing Timescales To Nitrate Threshold Concentrations In Irish Aquifers Fenton et al under review 9. Wikipedia. org, Layered Double Hydroxins. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 08/10/2012]. 10. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Water Services Investment Programme. [online] Available at: http://www. environ. ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterServices/WaterServicesInvestmentProgramme/ [Accessed on 08/10/2012]). 11. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, [2012] Reform of the Water Sector in Ireland. Ireland

Cari’s Story Essay

An infection in Cari’s nasal passage and pharynx can spread to her sinuses because her sinuses open into the nasal cavity and the throat. The cough reflex makes a coughing response to the larynx, pharynx, and the trachea-bronchial tree. Cari’s respiratory system is clearing her lungs the cilia moving the mucus from the lungs and it starts the cough reflex sending mucus to the pharynx therefore you are able to swallow it or spit it out. The structure found in the terminal bronicoles and alveoli that would normally protect Cari’s lungs from infectious pathogens are called macrophages. The mucous in the lungs would raise the resistance in her air way because the small opening, the buildup would cause. Fluid would have some alveoli drown where they could not function and would buildup friction or rubbing. Cari’s compliance would increase because of the loss of volume reduces total lung compliance and cause it to work harder. The fluid would lower her total lun g capacity by not letting the space by not allowing it to be filled with air. The elevation cause her respiratory rate to alter her ventilation by the volume is total volume of air taken in and out each minute. Cari blood gases would show too much oxygen. The symptoms of panting like a dog and my chest hurts are what make me think she is low in oxygen. The oxygen carrying capacity of hemoglobin is affected by POC 2 and alkaline blood gases are down and the breathing has delivered more oxygen is released from blood and caused more oxygen to be used. The administration of oxygen would help her to breath. The anatomical structures in her respiratory system involved are the lungs and the alveoli. Cari was plagued with a chronic cough due to excessive mucus produced that doesn’t clear. The damaging effects of tobacco smoke because Cari respiratory system to be impaired is nicotine’, nicotine make the bronchioles smaller and decreases.

“Othello” and “A Doll’s House”

In every story, we often see a colorful character in the form of the story’s antagonist. They are usually held in contrast to the story’s main character or the protagonist. This is how the antagonists were portrayed in both the stories â€Å"Othello† and â€Å"A Doll’s House.† The antagonists of the stories were set in comparison to the respective protagonists. On both these stories, the antagonists played a great part in destroying the happy marriages of both protagonists. Through their schemes and manipulation, they were able to destroy what these people held so dearly: their relationships with their loved ones.In William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello,† Iago plays the antagonist role, opposing the position of Othello. Iago is depicted as one of Othello’s men, since the latter holds a high position which the former serves. When Iago felt that another man was favored aside from him, he planned to take Othello down by destroying hi s happy marriage with Desdemona (Shakespeare).In the story, we can see that Iago’s source of motivation in his schemes when Othello favors his lieutenant Cassio rather than his Ancient and ensign, Iago. It was jealousy that made him conceive every evil schemes and plans that he came up with. As the story’s antagonist, we can say that Iago is very clever with his plans, managing to outwit other characters and making them his â€Å"tools† to bring down Othello. He was very successful in manipulating the main character, making him believe that his wife was cheating on him.Analyzing the motives of Iago, we can say that his reasons were very shallow. It was his jealousy that led to the way things happened. But there was no point to be jealous about. He has a good position in Othello’s men. The way he see Cassion being favored more than him was just superficial, since it was him that Othello believed most. If Othello didn’t believe him, then the story wo uldn’t have led to the way it went. But Othello trusts Iago. He believes him so much that it has led to the destruction of his happy marriage, his downfall, his wife’s death, and eventually, his own death.The person who suffered the most in this story was Othello. With Iago’s schemes, Othello lost his trust in his wife. His faith in their relationship crumbled as Iago stirred up his thoughts. As a man of his stature, Othello need not be faithless with his wife. But because of his insecurities, Iago managed to toy with his emotions. As a â€Å"different† man, Othello thought that his wife was not satisfied with him. He was the Moor of Venice, a dark skinned man in the land of whites. Because of these insecurities, his suspicions grew to hatred. That hatred caused him to kill Desdemona only to find out afterwards that it was all Iago’s doings.In Henrik Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House,† the main protagonist was Krogstad, who was on t he brink of losing his job. He was an employee of the main character, Torvald. Torvald is the husband of Nora Helmer, and their relationship as a married couple is an example of a happy marriage for the society. But the happiness didn’t last for long, as soon as Krogstad schemed his way from getting himself fired from the job he didn’t want to lose (Ibsen).Krogstad’s reasons for his actions were all rooted to him keeping his job. It was very unfortunate that he knows a secret of Nora Helmer. He used this secret to try and save himself from getting fired. It was Nora’s head who’s on the line, fearing that her secret might be discovered by others, especially her husband. The only favor Krogstad asked in exchange for his silence was for Nora to convince his husband not to fire him. However, all of Nora’s efforts were futile, not being able to save Krogstad his job. Because of this, Krogstad chose to unveil Nora’s well kept secret, at the expense of Nora and Torvald’s happy marriage. After all, Krogstad has nothing to lose anymore.Looking at Krogstad’s reason for his actions, we can say that he is on the edge, that’s why he was forced to blackmail Nora just to save him. It was his job on the line, and he really didn’t want to use it. The fact that he knows something that Nora has kept so much for herself was not his discretion. It was the only option he has, and he chose to use that option well, in exchange for everything that he might lose. Krogstad may be seen as a bad man, but his actions show that it was fate that forced him to do what he has done. This doesn’t concern anything about keeping Nora’s secret just to save her shame or marriage. It was his own battle, and he must fight with everything he has. The only weapon he has in store at that time was Nora’s secret.We can say that the antagonists of the story had their way with the protagonists. They were able to blindly manipulate anyone in order to have their biddings fulfilled. In the end, it was all misery for the protagonist, each with crumbling relationships as both the stories closed. No matter what their reason may be, these antagonists were able to make the most out of every situation turning it into something advantageous for their own benefits.Works Cited:Ibsen, Henrik. â€Å"A Doll's House†.   1879.   Spark Notes. October 7 2007. .Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Othello†.   1603.   Spark Notes. October 7 2007. .

Common Welfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Common Welfare - Essay Example One of the first elements that define common welfare is with regards to the fact that the very same values that are used to fulfilling interpersonal relationships are also used towards fulfilling the needs of broader society; namely cooperation, appreciation, democracy, confidence building, and solidarity. With respect to the way in which this would work within and implementation level, it must be understood that this particular aspect of the theory is inarguable and must be accepted due to the fact that it is been proven to work throughout society and to be true as a whole. A secondary core element of this economic and social theory is that a fundamental shift must be made away from seeking profit and dominance within a given market alone. Instead, individuals should seek to maximize the common good. With respect to this particular approach, it must be denoted that this is an idyllic vision of the way in which a business interactions should take place; and one that is unlikely to su cceed in the real world. A third core element of the common welfare approach is the understanding that a regulatory framework is needed in order to encourage the shift away from a competition and profit based approach. This could foreseeable be engaged; however, the costs of implementing such a system, with respect to the lost efficiency that this would necessarily entail, could be massive. A fourth key factor of the theory is that the more effective/better the common welfare is, the more legal advantages will be passed along to the company in question; i.e. lower taxes, reduced customs/duties, loan rates etc. Although this may be true, the ultimate time that would take for the common welfare approach to signify a total and complete change to the entire economy could be far longer than might be expected; thereby leading to a breakdown in the system. A fifth cornerstone that is noted is that the financial balance sheet, the gold standard that has been used to measure success within p revious models, must become a secondary balance sheet alongside the common welfare balance sheet. The difficulty in this is that elements of common welfare are extremely difficult to measure; as compared to their more numeric and quantitative economic counterparts. This calls into question the efficiency or effectiveness of that such an approach could engender. Items 6 points to the fact that once a company is free of the drive to continue to promote profitability, it can then focus upon growing to the optimal size; keeping in mind that this optimal size does not necessarily denote complete domination of the market. The shortcoming that is inherent within this particular approach is the fact that such an approach decreases the incentive that a firm has to continue to provide a high quality of goods/services and merely seeks to survive. Item 7 discusses the way that cooperation and solidarity can become evidenced within firms that espouse the common welfare approach. This may indeed be true; however, once again, the incentive to cooperate and work together to

Scholarship award Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Award - Scholarship Essay Example My previous career choice was that of a personal trainer. This was an offshoot of my highly active lifestyle. I was taking such good care of my body and keeping so fit that it was no surprise for the people who knew me when I began training other people as well. That is why my mothers cancer battle came as such a big blow to me. Yet I used her battle to inspire me to do better as a physical trainer, hoping that I could prevent the onset of such debilitating illnesses upon my own clients when I could not prevent it from happening to my own mother. But as time progressed, I came to understand that a personal trainer could only help his clients to a certain extent. I need to study further and concentrate on more advanced subjects relating to the human body and as far as I was concerned, only Biology could help me do that. Studying Biology has been an enjoyable experience for me as I am able to connect my knowledge about exercise with the information that I became exposed to in my biology related courses. I am actually looking forward to finishing this degree very soon so that I move on to my Physical Therapy studies where I plan on combining my experience as a personal trainer with my knowledge of the human body which I learned in biology in the hopes of being able to help more people lead healthy and productive lives. I would not have been in a financial position to actively pursue these socially conscious ambitions of mine without the help of this scholarship grant as the education that I am pursuing comes at a very steep price that is not affordable to many college

The New Planet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The New Planet - Essay Example As the research highlights  the humanoids seem to be in the advanced stages of their development and are characterized the means of their sustenance. Their modes of production, seems to be guided by the materialism and they seem to consciously promote material activities that would help to overcome the emerging new requirements of the increasing population.  This paper discusses that the most important feature that characterizes humanoids is their specific identity within a well defined societal framework. Although primary social identity of a male humanoid is gender specific and is followed by a distinct name by which he is addressed in the world, he is often bestowed with multiple social identities, some of which may acquire more forceful and intimidating perspective under certain given circumstances. The social identity seems to provide them with a distinct attribute and facilitates establishment of social status that physically represents him. Social identity of humanoids are not only vital representation of his self but it is also medium that significantly contributes to a knowledge base that others can instantly access to have a general idea of their orientation towards conflicts and other relevant issues.  The humanoids have also a well defined division of labor that is dependent on the predefined constraints of the material conditions that determine the productions.  Marx’s report has been most emphatic on the visible ‘culture’.

Dark Invasion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dark Invasion - Essay Example Morgan. The Bomb Squad head of department, Tom Tunney, who is a New York Police Inspector is assigned the crucial mission of seizing them. Tom Tunney assembles a team of operatives to hunt down these conspirators among a very large population of Germans but the more he unveils the enemies plan the more he comes to understand that their plan is way much dangerous and complex than he thought. The New York’s Police Department captain, Tom Tunney, is the one who suspect that the series of explosions that occurs in the country, which particularly targets the ships and destroyed munitions plants, is part of much bigger plan by the enemy to destroy America and he sets on a very determined journey to find the perpetrators. Tunney’s work is remarkable, considering the fact that he had a jurisdictional limitation as he had to work for both the federal government and the NYPD. In this true story tale it is observable that the then head of state, Wilson, Was informed of the plot of the intelligent network of German spies but it seemed not to strongly concern his decision. The Germans were satisfactorily convinced that they were right to wage war to the USA because the claimed neutrality of the Americans was hypocritical and equally dangerous to the father land. Tunney discovers the enemy’s devilish plan to blow out the ST. Patrick Cathedral. The German saboteurs planned to blow out the Cathedral to try and stop the Americans from joining the war on the side of the allies. Although it was not clear to the national security department if it was the activist and the anarchist who were plotting on this, the plan was still shuttered down by the NYPD. Tunney together with his loyal operative, learn of the imminent attack on the church and successfully manages to neutralize the plan which jeopardizes the malicious intensions of the enemy(Howard 32). The German operatives to the

International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Law - Essay Example Benin also ratified to this convention, however, there are many states that still are not part of this Contract. CISG gives exporters the ‘choice of law’ avoidance of issues. There are many rules and clauses that are in CISG that exporters can rely on. Conflict of law means that the litigation case leads to conflict in laws between different jurisdiction bodies and the outcome is to use the courts of one area to enforce the law. The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNICITRAL) developed this law and it was initiated in 1980. It became a multilateral treaty and it continuously accepted by many states. Countries that do ratify to this Convention are known as ‘contracting states’ and it is usually part of the law of the state or within the laws unless otherwise specified and it lies between the transaction of goods among different states under the contract or contracting states. Therefore it also facilitates trade. (Schlechtriem, 1998) A few countries that have ratified to the Convention are Argentina, Albania, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Turkey and USA etc. However, a few countries do not follow the Convention to the book and have certain restrictions towards it. The Nordic region countries do not allow the application of part II of the clause to be applied all over, unless the contract of the transaction made is pointed out. In place of this, Nordic council applies the local law which leads to some differences from the Convention. CISG according to part II would allow the seller to withdraw the offer but before the buyer has accepted it. However, the Nordic council believes that a period of time should be given to the buyer to make a decision when an offer is made. This is a reservation of clause 94 of part II of the Contract. (Will, 1996) The major states that are absent from this Contract are India, Taiwan, Brazil, Hong Kong, South Africa as well as United Kingdom. They have not ratified to the contract. Japan made a depository and entered the Convention by 2009. However UK is still absent from the Convention because its government doesn’t view entering into this Contract as a priority for the state and the businesses have also not given support for this ratification as well. There is also a large amount of opposition from a number of organizations in UK, as well as scarce resources for the public, and a fear that London would lose out on its edge in the world with regards to litigation and arbitration. (Huber & Mullis, 2007) Why exactly does UK not want to be under this contract? The reason is that the Ministers do not feel that it is the priority of the legislation. The Government has many other issues to deal with and this Convention would just need to stand in line and wait its attention. The parliament meeting covers issues relating to the legislation of employment, energy, civil partnerships and company la w, which are considered to be more important issues as compared to the issue of exporters. The country itself doesn’t seem interested in ratifying the Convention. There have been instances when the Ministers have circulated letters asking for ratification and why UK has not adhered to it. The lack of Convention isn’t having an impact on the economy of UK and so the people haven’t considered this issue important enough to respond to. Business is working smoothly and isn’

Evaluating Internet Sources Government Shutdown 2013 Research Paper

Evaluating Internet Sources Government Shutdown 2013 - Research Paper Example Policymic.com is an online publication whose purpose is to inform, sell, persuade and educate. The site is current as it is designed to avail news and analysis of society’s politics, entertainment, arts, and identities. The audience for this site is the general public and the information provided in the politics section is appropriate for college-level research by political science students giving its relevance. While the site provides sources for its presented information, it is evident that majority of their publications/articles are outsourced from the general public; and the selling aspect in arts and entertainment/personalities, the sight may not be necessarily authoritative. The addressing of the government shutdown 2013 in relation to the 1995 shutdown, downgrades the site’s estimation and analytical aspects thus jeopardizing its accuracy. The final evaluation of the site is that policymic.com is not a good source to use at college-level research. The Guardian is an online editorial website whose purpose is to inform, analyze and educate. As an editorial and politically independent website, the site is current and up to date on with information on business, technology, politics, environment, and lifestyles. The audience for this site is the general public and the information provided in their various topics is relevant and appropriate at college-level research. The authoritative aspect of the website can be traced back to the source of its articles and the manner in which they are detailed. This translates to accuracy and reliability making it a good source to use for college research. Cnn.com is an online editorial whose purpose is to inform, educate, entertain and persuade. The site is current and up to date on political issues, news, and social trends. The audience of the site is the general internet community providing its relevance and reliability for college-level research.  

ASPECT OF COMPLIANCE TO TREATMENT IN RELATION TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF TYPE Essay

ASPECT OF COMPLIANCE TO TREATMENT IN RELATION TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES - Essay Example The present era witnesses a great deal of stress in every aspect of life. This results in increased incidence of hypertension, or cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Stress also induces dyslipidaemia and diabetes. Research and various clinical findings formulate that appropriate treatment is essential to decrease the incidence of morbidity and mortality happening due to all these ailments. It is essential to understand that all these conditions require lifelong treatment. Compliance with medicine is most essential to procure health benefits and to curtail the forthcoming consequences in terms of economic burden, wastage of time and money and other associated diseases with these ailments (Putzer, 2004). The present era witness a remarkable mount in occurrence and pervasiveness of type 2 diabetes in both pediatric and adult groups due to outbreak of overweight resulting in obesity, sedentary life style, resistance towards insulin and other metabolic conditions. It is therefore imperative to screen patients who show high-risk for diabetes and pre-diabetes. This step not only ensures on time diagnosis and exact classification but also ensures rapid onset of treatment and hence decreased risk for complications (Putzer, 2004). In order to avoid these complications it is essential that lifestyle modifications encompassing, modifications in diet, loss of weight and an appropriate schedule of physical exercise to sustain glycemic control. When these interventions fail then oral anti-diabetic agents are added as a part of regimen. It is established that type 2 diabetes cases require insulin therapy. When insulin or its analog is administered, there is a decrease in hypoglycemia. In severe cases when oral agents are also not able to procure enough control over the glycemic index, insulin therapy is given (Putzer, 2004). The situation

The Cruciable by Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

The Cruciable by Arthur Miller Essay The crucible is a play set in the town of Salem in 1692, in was written by Arthur Miller who saw similarities between the Salem witch hunts and the McCarthyism which gripped America in the 1950s. Both showed how hysteria, paranoia and malice could be the driving force for evil persecution and also the true power of false accusation. Arthur Miller throughout the play tries to create many themes and messages. I believe that this was done to make people think about what was happening in America at the time. The first theme is the idea of self interest and reputation. These two themes feature heavily throughout the play. Salem is a Christian society where not going to church is looked down upon and where all the villagers believe the Good News and that you should love thy neighbour. Yet underneath their niceties they seek to attack each other. Giles Corey did state several times that he has been to court over allegations of missing cows and other such accusations. Giles himself talks to Danforth about a case Danforth father tried Ysee, I had a white mare that time, and this fellow come to borrow the mare. The case that Corey talks about happened thirty-five years ago which shows that there had been a hatred brewing in the town for some time. Giles also continues to go on about how Thomas Putnam constantly goes after his neighbours land. Proctor and Putnam have a small debate over whether Proctor timber belongs to him. Putnam: What lumber is that youre draggin, if I may ask you? Proctor: My lumber. From out by my forest, by the riverside. Putnam: Why, we are surely gone wild this year. What anarchy is this? That tract is in my bounds, its in my bounds, Mr Proctor. This quote clearly shows that Putnam is in constant confrontation with his neighbours overland. Giles believes Putnam tells his daughter to cry witchery on George Jacobs (an elderly Jewish man) so that he could buy the land that by law George Jacobs had to forfeit. These undercurrents through the Salem community raise question with the audience. Such as will Putnam get away with? Who may be accused next? They build up tension leading to the court room scene (act three) it in these events that creates drama and tension by making the audience ask question about the climax and ending. At the end of act two there is an argument, this argument is the catalyst for the events of act three. It starts when Elizabeth Proctor (Johns wife) is taken away due to allegations made by Abigail Williams. John then says to his maid Mary Warren that he will not let his wife die for him. She replies, I cannot, and theyll turn on me. John Proctor replies exclaiming All our pretences are ripped away we are only what we always were, but naked now. This is a powerful statement and leads back to what I was mentioned earlier. John is simply saying that hidden underneath their Christian guise they were all out to get each other, everyone was trying to get land and destroy families. Earlier in the act John asserts that We are what we always were in Salem. The people are still the same, their evil thoughts and misdoings have always gone on but they were concealed to protect something of value; their reputation. John may also be talking about himself and his affair with Abigail, he knows what he did was wrong, but concealed it for the sake of his reputation. The people of Salem did not change overnight; they are now just seen through a different light. The third act takes place in the vestry room of the Salem meeting house, which is now being used as the anteroom of the General court. A new character is introduced, Judge Danforth; a proud man who is to the point. At the opening of act three Giles Corey challenges Putnams motives for accusing his neighbours of witchcraft. The audience will remember that Giles Corey spoke to Hale (a witch doctor form Beverly) about his wifes preoccupation with reading. He said I tried and tried and could not say my prayers. And then she closes her book and walks out the house, and suddenly mark this I could pray again! Martha Corey (Giles wife) is now being charged due to allegations made by the group of girls of which Putnams daughter is one of. Giles believes that Putnam is telling his daughter to cry witchery on the people of Salem so that Putnam can buy their land once it is forfeited. These attacks at each other within the Salem community show a different side to the Puritan community. Puritans believe in the purity of worship and doctrine. This doctrine includes all of the Ten Commandments. Two of the commandments from the audiences point of view have clearly been broken. 8) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. 10) You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbour. Clearly Putnam by telling his daughter to cry witchery for his personal gain is breaking his own beliefs. When confronting Putnam, Giles said he had heard it from an honest man. The day his daughter cried out on Jacobs, he said shed (Putnams daughter) given him a fair gift of land. Giles predicament comes when Judge Danforth asks Giles for the name of his man. Giles is then struck that the Judge should ask for the name, but Danforth persists. Giles doesnt want to give the name because the last time he gave it was his wifes and she may hang. The writer here tries to get the audience to attach themselves to Giles as he is a man of eighty just trying to get his wife back. Giles even though he states that he has been thirty-three times in court in his life seems lost and confused under the authority of Danforth. The audience will feel sorry for him and give their sympathy. It is a clever technique to draw the audience in and engaging them. The viewer will want to know what happens to Giles and most especially Putnam who by now will have gained the audiences mistrust. The other two men who accompany Giles to the court are John Proctor the main antagonist of the story and Francis Nurse. Both of these men have also had their wives detained due to allegations from the court and the girls. Francis Nurses wife was accused of being a witch due to the prompting by the Putnams. She is a highly respected Salem woman. Her helpful nature and willingness to make any sacrifice in the cause of truth makes her almost saintly in the eyes of the community. The audience will be surprised to see that she has been accused of witchcraft and will want to know her fate as well as the other womens. Francis in order to save his wife tells Judge Danforth the girls, sir, the girls are frauds. Danforth studies Francis and the audience will be hanging on the next word he says as it is his decision as to whether the girls will, in the end, get away with it. Danforth replies to Francis Do you know who I am, Mr Nurse? This question is important as it shows how important pride is to Danforth. If it becomes known that he was deceived by a group of young girls his judgement may in the future be questioned. Arthur Miller then raises the tension is the scene may bringing in the character of Mary Warren, who is described as near collapsing to the ground, head bent and eyes to the floor. The viewer will be asking themselves what has she got to say and how will it affect the proceedings. Hale says to Danforth I think you must hear the girl, sir, she- but he gets cut off by Danforth and Danforth begins to question Mary. In the beginning she wont speak, not helped by the frustration of John Proctor. The tension builds, but Mary keeps her mouth shut and so John answer for her that she never saw any spirits. The sentence ends with an exclamation mark. This is there for the actor to realise that he has to really emphasise this sentence as it is a pivotal point in the play. It is where people start to fight back, but nobody knows who will win. Danforth tries to calculate his choices and eventually agrees to hear the girl out. She tells Danforth that it was all pretence, but Parris the parish priest wont stand for it and so turns to Danforth and in a sweat spits Excellency, you surely cannot think to spread so vile a lie in open court. The audience will question why Parris know so for the hanging of the witches yet before he was adamant that there were no witches in Salem. Danforth then leaves Mary alone and begins to question Proctor, Have you ever seen the Devil? this interrogation is important as the audience knows that Proctor is a lecher but they also know Danforth doesnt know this and so they will be eager to find out if this information comes to light. During the interview Danforth and Proctor start to argue with each other about the innocence of those condemned to hang. Danforth and Proctor are both strong minded individuals and this battle is a battle of wills Proctor wont back down for the sake of getting back at Abigail (the girls he had an affair with). Danforth then tells Proctor that his wife sent a claim to him that morning that she was pregnant. Proctor says that Elizabeth his wife will never lie, so she must be pregnant. Danforth then gives him a choice as his wife will be safe for a year due to her condition. Proctor carries on regardless trying to save the wives of his friends. Hale then begins to plead with Danforth to hear this from a proper lawyer and that the claim was a weighty one and should be discussed properly. He states that he has signed away the lives of several people and that he wants to get to the heart of the matter. Hale disobedience raises question as to how the scene will go on and where Hale loyalties now lie. He is an honest man and does not want the blood of several people on his hands. Danforth then brings in Abigail and the other girls. He questions Abigail as to the truth of the allegations, but she denies. The attention then turns back to Mary who is asked if she were pretending before could she please do it again. Mary tries and tries but is unable to faint. This is because in the courtroom the girls acted together and through hysteria fainted. But now Mary is on her own and is all flustered. Danforth says it is because there are no afflicting spirits loose. But Mary still denies it. Danforth then asks Abigail to search her heart and be honest but she lies without thinking. The audience will now be hooked due to the tension building between Mary, Danforth and Abigail. They want to know if he honestly believes her lies or not. Abigail pretends to be freezing cold as soon as she is questioned to draw the attention away from the accusations put against her. She then calls to God to make it stop, Oh, Heavenly Father, take away this shadow! The exclamation at this point shows how much emphasise she is putting in to the performance, after all she is acting for her life. When she calls heaven Proctor decides that he has had enough and calls her a whore Danforth demands to know why he calls her this and Proctor admits that he has known her, sir. I have known her. Danforth shocked by this confession address Abigail with the evidence You deny every scrap and tittle of this? The language that Danforth uses shows his utter horror. He asks Abigail if she denies it all every last bit. It is like him giving her, her last chance to confess or else. More than anything it is a threat. Danforth then calls for Goodwife Proctor, and reaffirms his belief with John that Elizabeth had never told a lie. Danforth tells both Abigail and John to turn away from Elizabeth and to not signal to her or say anything. He then tells Goody Proctor to enter. He begins to question her on the release of Abigail as there servant. He asks her For what cause did you dismiss her? and In what way dissatisfied you? He is trying to lure Elizabeth in to a trap. Until eventually he asks her straight out Is your husband a lecher! the language used here is very specific and important as if she says yes she is condemning her husband but if she says no then she is letting Abigail get away with it. The audience will be anticipating her answer as they know that John has already confessed, but realise that she doesnt know that. This is made even worse by the irony that earlier John said his wife would never lie and so to save her husband she must do the thing that she never does. The tension is high as this is the climax of the story will she or wont she? Elizabeth lies and states that Proctor is not a lecher. The audience will be in shock and will want to know what is going to happen to the characters now. Hale states to Danforth that is a natural lie and starts to attack Abigail with accusations, but she starts to pretend again. Saying she sees a bird that is Marys spirit sent to hurt them. The tension builds as Danforth continues to buy into their performance. Mary who is know so scared of the gallows due to Abigail and the other girl acting as if Mary were attacking them; starts to break down and declares that she loves God and that Proctor is the Devils man! The children who are all now hysterical after their sudden performance welcome Mary back in to their group, while the adults turn their attention to Proctor. Danforth now feeling the full extent of his power again asks John What are you? John is beyond speech in his anger You are combined with anti-Christ, are you not? I have seen your power; you will not deny it! What say you, Mister? The audience will anticipate Proctors frustration. John soon replies, breathlessly I say I say God is dead! At this point the audience will know that Proctor has sealed his faint and that he has also committed blasphemy. The clever use of the exclamation mark shows to the extent at which Proctor is angry with the court. He has lost everything and is now utterly selfless. Hale ends the scene with I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court! Hale quitting the court show to the extent at which he is embittered by the court. Danforth shouts after Mr Hale! Mr Hale! his wisdom now seems useless and this victory to Danforth now seems like a defeat. The audience will now be expectantly waiting for the consequences of the actions in scene three.

Shakespeares linguistic choices Essay Example for Free

Shakespeares linguistic choices Essay How effective are Shakespeares linguistic choices in conveying the power struggle between Katherine and Petruchio?  This essay will study the text The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. It is a play written in London in 1592 and published in 1623. The play is set during the Jacobean era (1420-1600). The purpose of the play is to entertain an audience. The secondary purpose may be to inform a modern audience about power and roles of men and women in the Jacobean era. During this period of time, a persons power was shown by the language they used, so the more quick-witted and articulate a person was in conversation the more social power they held. Shakespeare uses various linguistic features in conveying the power struggle between Katherine and Petruchio. Throughout the play Petruchio belittles Katherine and damages the face she presents of herself in an effort to tame the shrew. Kath. A joint-stool. Pet. Thou hast hit it. Come, sit on me. The face that Katherine presents is not that of a typical woman. She is very vituperative and unwilling to conform to societys expectations of marriage. And by using this sexual innuendo to counter her insult, Petruchio performs a face threatening act. He reminds her of his intent to marry her and the fact that to him, she is just another woman. The utterance Come, sit on me, is an imperative. By using this Petruchio is suggesting that he feels he has enough power over her to be able to order her around. This damages her positive face of self-image, but she counters this insult in an effort to preserve her face. Kath. No such jade as you, if me you mean. The noun jade refers to a worn out horse. This connotes he is infertile and thus insulting his manhood. This insult is also a face-threatening act as it damages Petruchios positive face. He thinks he is man enough to be the one to tame the shrew but by saying this Katherine is telling him he is not. Both characters use face threatening acts to attempt to gain power of the exchange. Petruchio also uses connotation to damage Katherines face. Pet. Alas, good Kate, I will not burden thee! For, knowing thee to be but young and light. The adjective light connotes sexual promiscuity again reminding her that he sees her as a woman he can easily woo contrasting with the strong women she sees herself as. The adjective young connotes that she is naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and therefore not able to match his wit, allowing Petruchio power over the exchange. Petruchio uses a pun to make fun of Katherine. Pet. For dainties are all Kates. The pun is on the word cates. These are a form of delicate food. This connotes the idea that Kate is delicate and lady-like. This riles Katherine as, as well as using the name that she does not like he is seeing her as the opposite she sees herself and by seeing through her faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade he knows how to gain power over her. The repetition of her name also serves to make fun of her. Pet. You lie in faith, for you are calld plain Kate, And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst; By repeating her name in these noun phrases he is showing he doesnt care that she does not like the name, and shows that her sharp tongue has no affect on him, allowing him to maintain the power between them, and eventually to tame the shrew. The repetition of her name also gives the utterance a steady rhythm which serves to make Petruchio seem more intelligent as he seems to have control of his speech and words. Katherine uses metaphor to insult Petruchios intelligence. Kath. Asses are made to bear and so are you. The ass is typically seen as a stupid animal so this noun is suggesting that he is stupid. The verb phrase to bear which means to carry something, connotes the idea that Petruchio is little more than muscle. This gives Katherine the power of the exchange as it is in fact Petruchios intelligence that makes them equal and by insulting this she is suggesting that he is inferior. She also reminds him of the fact that she is equal to him in intelligence and power. Kath. Too light for such a swain as you to catch. Katherine turns the adjective light around to connote that she is more quick-witted than Petruchio, whereas he had used it to say she was sexually promiscuous. This shows that they are of equal power and are able to feed off of each other to maintain the power balance. In contrast Petruchio tries to use compliments to break Katherine down. Pet. Say that she frown, Ill say she looks as clear as morning roses newly washd with dew. Say she be mute and will not speak a word, then Ill commend her volubility. The lexical fields of nature give the play a lexical cohesion. The noun nightingale and the phrase roses newly washd with dew are things that are generally seen as beautiful and by comparing Katherine to them, Petruchio is suggesting that she is also beautiful. This makes it seem as though he sees in her, things that nobody else can see and as he can see through her he can stay on her conversational level and maintain the power balance. The use of the infinitive verb in these sentences is a form of ellipsis. Say she be mute. This is another form of covert prestige as Petruchio uses non-standard forms whereas Katherina is expected to use standard forms and correct tenses. This again shows, according to Jacobean society men were more dominant than women and suggests Petruchio is confident that he will have power in the exchange.

The Spanish Waste Water Environmental Sciences Essay

The Spanish Waste Water Environmental Sciences Essay Aznalcollar, a town in the region of Andalusia, is located in the south west of Spain. The region of Andalusia is the second largest region of Spain, and it is the countrys highest populated region. Andalusia is known to be an economically poor region with the majority of growth in its industry and service sectors. The region can be divided into two major sub regions; in the north, the Sierra Morena Mountains can be found and below this in the south is the valley of the Guadalquivir. This valley is home to the regions most fertile land, which is found along the banks of the river Guadalquivir and its tributaries. One of these tributaries is the river Guadiamar which flows through the town of Aznalcollar. The flow of the Guadiamar River is very seasonal; however it still sustains agricultural activity throughout the area. 45 percent of the Andalusia region is responsible for agriculture. Agriculture is mainly located around the fertile banks of the regions Rivers such as the river Guadiamar. The main agriculture in this area is made up dry land farming of cereals such as barley and oats. Other cereals grown in the area use irrigation. These cereals include maize, cotton, olives and rice. Only 17 percent of Spains cultivated land is irrigated, proving that this region is of great importance to Spains primary sector. Taking the type of crop into account, this land could also allow for the harvest of two successive crops in the same year proving its benefits to the area. Other primary sectors in the region include: fishing and mining which are all located around the Guadiamar River. The Guadiamar River is a valuable source to the population of Aznalcollar, providing a source of food, materials and employment. Fish is the main source of protein in the Spanish diet and it is commonly found in traditional Spanish dishes. Fishing not only provides a source of food to the area but also employment due to its demands. Mining still holds a great level of importance to the Andalusia region. The region is responsible for producing half of Spains mining product by value. The product comes from different provinces of the region including Seville, where various metals are extracted from the mine at Aznalcollar. The Los Frailes mine at Aznalcollar produces around 125000 tons of zinc and 2.9 million ounces of led per year. This mine offers a great source of employment and income to the area from raw materials which are exported. Tourism is also a major beneficial source to the tertiary sector of the region. The coast of Andalusia offers a very obvious source of tourism however The Donana National Park located along the bank of the Guadiamar River, is thought to be a Mecca for bird watchers. The national Park covers 543km ²(337.41  mi ²) of which 135  km ² (83.89  mi ²) is a protected area. It is made up of marsh, shallow streams and sand dunes. In 1963 the park was established as a nature reserve when the World Wildlife Fund joined with the Spanish government and purchased a section of marshes to protect it. Donana National Park is one of Europe most important wetland reserves and a major site for migrating birds. The park itself is internationally recognized for its great ecological wealth and has become a key center in the world of tourism. It has become very popular due to its enormous variety of bird species, permanent residents, winter visitors from north and central Europe or summer visit ors from Africa, such as its numerous types of geese and colorful colonies of flamingo. The park is also home to one of the worlds largest colonies of Spanish imperial eagles. As a whole, the park offers three distinct types of ecosystems: the marismas, the Mediterranean scrublands and the coastal mobile dunes with their beaches. The park attracts a vast amount of tourists annually, which in turn benefit the economy of the area. The park is also used by pilgrims taking part in the Romeria de El Rocio. This event alone can attract up to one million pilgrims each year. It is visible from the information above that the area surrounding the Guadiamar River is extremely dependent on its sourrouding natural sources. The town of Aznalcollar is reliant on the following; agriculture, fishing, mining and tourism. However in April 1998 when the dam of the mining residual tank of a pyrite mine in the locality ruptured, releasing sludge and contaminated waste water. The wastewater entered the Agrio River and the Guadiamar River. Both these rivers had low water levels due to a spring drought. In turn the rivers flooded nearby cultivated fields and threatened to flood the Donana National Park further downstream. This had an enormous affects on the population of Aznalcollar. Initially families living near the river were physically threatened. They had to flee their homes immediately, not only due to rising flood levels, but the fact that the water had been polluted with toxic heavy metals. These families lost vast amounts of their belongings in the flood and the polluted water threatened their health. Fortunately there were no initial fatalities, just a small number of people injured. However it was not recorded but these families were at the greatest risk of contacting terminal disease from the toxic water. PUT IN WHAT AOIFE SAID http://fuentesdeciencia.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/hungria-aznalcollar.jpg?w=480h=268 Initial affects to the area surrounding the Guadiamar River. The cultivated lands along the banks of the River Guadiamar were also destroyed. As the toxic waste water entered the river the level rose and flooded the cultivated land along the river banks. Not only were the crops damaged by the polluted water but by the residual mud. Any of the crops that had little water damage still could not be harvest due to fears of toxic contamination, so all harvest had to be destroyed. This occurrence lead to a great economic loss, believed to estimate at $10million. Not only is this a very large sum of money for a poor region, but it was spread mainly among 2,000 small farmers who had a great dependence on agriculture. This in turn also increased the price of rice, cotton and olives (main crops grown) in the area as they had to be bought and transported from other areas. However not only were harvest effected in 1998, due to the pollution of soils, crops could not be grown for a least another five years, until analysis had deemed the land safe for culti vation. This caused great loss for the farming community in the area as they had to abandon farming for this period and find another source of employment. Pasture farmers were also affected in a similar way. When the area flooded rapidly farmers had to abandon their farms, without any time to bring their animals to higher ground. These animals either drowned from high flood levels or were poisoned from drinking the contaminated water. When farmers could return to the area, their herds had been killed and no vegetation would grow for years after due to level of pollution in the soil. These farmers also had to seek different forms of employment, which deemed very difficult in this poor region. images.jpg Fishing in the area was a great source of income for the community as there was a great demand. However once the contaminated wastewater entered the river all fish stocks were killed by the toxins. Fears also remained within the community years after the incident of how clean the river really was and was it safe to consume fish from the river. Mining was another great source of income for Aznalcollar, as a poor region it depended greatly on its natural resources. However when the incident occurred at the Los Frailes Mine, the mine was closed down instantly due to further risk of contamination to the area. This impacted the area greatly as the mine employed 500 people and an estimated 1800 people indirectly. The employment of the area had a great dependency on the mine. Once the mine closed there were more that 2000 people in the area left unemployed. Also the material extracted from the mine when sold brought a source of income to the area, which was lost due to the closure of the mine. As visible from above the Donana National Park is Aznalcollar main source of tourism and bring in a great source income to the area. The park was not directly affected by the incident however it was under threat from the toxic flood water entering the site. The sand and dirt dikes which were constructed to control the flow of the contaminated water prevented the park from begin affected. However the surrounding areas were covered in a thick toxic sludge. This area was then covered with dead fish, frogs, crabs etc which had been killed by the contaminated water in the river and were then washed up in this area of sludge. Although the park was not directly affected, the birds in the park were attracted to these poisoned animals on the sludge. When the bird consumed these poisons creatures they were poisoned themselves. The number of birds in the park decreased dramatically. Also these birds spread disease from these dead creatures to other creatures inside the park, creating a continuo ue negative affect within the park. The national parks main water source was cut off as it was sourced from the contaminated river Guadiamar. This also created difficulty in the running to the park as a new water supply had to be sourced immediately. The park was closed for a short occasion; so that staff could help assist in the cleanup operation outside the park and so that a new water supply could be sourced. When the park did reopen there was a report in a drop of numbers of tourist visiting the park. The local association for tourism ACETA reported that in 1998 about 40 percent of reservations for tourist visits were cancelled, within the national park which calculated to a loss of approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬480,000. This was possibly due to health fears in the areas. One of the most prominent human impacts from the disaster was its affect on human health. Short term health problems resulted in a small number of minor casualties recorded. However the long term health effects were most feared. The toxins found in the water consisted of heavy metals such as lead, zinc, arsenic, cyanide and other heavy metals from the mines reservoir. The fear was that these toxic metals could be consumed by humans through drinking water. Even after the area was cleaned, trace elements of these metals could still remain in water pipes etc. Also the soil which may also contain trace elements of these toxins could transfer the toxins from the soil into crops and contaminate the food chain. The fear behind long term human health effects is the high risks of cancer and neurological disease which can be caused by these toxins. The final human impact caused by the catastrophe at Aznalcollar was the large scale cost involved. It is estimated that over all cost for the Boliden company came to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 89 million, these were figures given out by the Boliden. This figure included the cost of cleaning up the northern sector of the Guadiamar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬27 million, the acquisition of the harvest of 1998 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 11 million, the operations of decommissioning of the tailings lagoon à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 41 million and the loss due to the stop of the mining activity in 1998. The regional government of Andalusia provided à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 145 million for the disaster remediation. This budget was mainly used for cleaning up operations, the acquisition of the polluted land à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 48 million and restoration à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 90 million. The Ministry for Environment provided a budget of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 136.7 million. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 13 million was used in the removal of the tailings; à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 15 million was used for the treatment of toxic water accumulation in the marshlands. The Ministry for Environment has also approved to provide à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 93.7 million for a hydric regeneration plan for Donana National Park and the Guadiamar riverbed. The overall cost of the whole devastation amounted to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 377.7 million, which impacted humans as this was mainly funded by tax payers money. http://awsassets.wwf.es/downloads/mining_in_donana_english.pdf http://www.fhs.se/Documents/Externwebben/forskning/centrumbildningar/Crismart/Forskning/Fallbanken/BOLIDEN_.PDF http://countrystudies.us/spain/57.htm Aznalcollars spilling from IES Gustavo Adolfo Bà ©cquer Lessons Learned Although the disaster resulted in great negative affects for the region, positivity can be taken from the tragedy by learning from mistakes and putting systems in place to prevent a toxic spill of such size from occurring again. There were four main lessons learned: Need to know the possible environmental threats from mining lagoons in further detail and the post implementation to prevent these actions. Nessesity to strengthen the mine legistration due to the inappropriate environmental management of Aznalcollar mine before and after the incident. The good practices in cleaning up activities techniques of the sludge have reduced the pollution levels of the affected area. Oppurtunity to create new restoration projects and to implement the Ramsar Convention recommendations. Need to know the possible environmental threats from mining lagoons in further detail and the post implementation to prevent these actions. The good practices in cleaning up activities techniques of the sludge have reduced the pollution levels of the affected area. The cleanup activities of the emergency were rapid and efficient since the area was flooded by contaminated wastewater. On the 25th of April 1998 in Aznalcollar, Spain, the Los Frailes tailings dam, ruptured. It contained tailings from the mining of arsenic, silver, cadmium, copper, zinc and lead. The Los Frailes mine had a mining rate of approximately 4 million tones per year. The ruptured dam released about 5-7 million cubic meters of toxic tailings sludge and contaminated wastewater into Agrio River, which is a tributary to Guadiamar River. Cause of the Los Frailes tailings dam failure: The actual cause of the Los Frailes tailings dam failure is still to this day exactly 100% clear as the final report has yet to be published and released. The authorities blamed the Swedish-Canadian operator of the mine, Boliden Ltd, and Boliden Ltd claimed instantaneously after this terrible incident occurred that they were not at fault. Immediately after the accident happened it was suspected that a foundation failure occurred in the separation dam thats located between two parts of the impoundments, e.g.: the soil underneath the base of the Los Frailes dam lost its mechanical strength. The separation dam is positioned among the basins, which are filled with tailings from pyroclastic rock and pyritic rock and the foundation failure of this lead to the breaking of the main dam. The Swedish-Canadian operator of the mine, Boliden Ltd, has assured the authorities and the people of Aznalcollar that there was no possible way of foreseeing the foundation failure. There have been many different reports and opinions given as to why the dam failure occurred. The company Boliden Ltd stated at the start, that the cause of the dam rupturing was a landslide, which resulted in the movement of a part of the wall. However, the authorities stated that the damn was not of adequate construction and also that any signs of a probable break were ignored by the company in charge. Three independent investigations were carried out into the cause of the dam failure. One investigation was commissioned by Boliden Ltd and carried out by EPTISA, another was commissioned by the regional authorities and carried out by CEDEX and the 3rd investigation was commissioned by the judge who was in charge of leading the legal proceedings of the accident and was carried out by the University of Bar celona. From the findings of the three investigations it was agreed that the cause of the dam failure was from the formation of sliding surfaces in the marl beneath the foundation. The foundation failure occurred because of the chemical attack of the impounded acidic pyritic sludge on the marl. Marl contains calcium carbonate and clay. The attack of acid on the marl decomposed the calcium carbonate present, which resulted in the deterioration of the mechanical stability of the soil. Fig 1: The breaking of the dam: A large part of soil, which was located underneath the dam, moved towards Rà ­o Agrio (approx. 1 metre). The front part of the moving soil was approx. 20 metres wide and positioned where the junction of the two impoundments. This caused the dam to crack and break suddenly causing the wall to collapse move forward along the separation dam, between the two impoundments. Approximately 5 million cubic metres of toxic tailings sludge and contaminated wastewater seeped through the opening. The bed of Rà ­o Agrio increased by roughly 3 metres and changed its course. Fig 2: Detailed diagram showing before the displacement had occurred and after the displacement had occurred. The Los Frailes dam is approximately 25 meters in height and lies on 4 meters of alluvium, which is situated under 70 meters of blue marl. By the overstressing of the blue marl, it resulted in the dam, alluvium and the marl to slide. This sliding caused the pyrite tailings to liquefy, which then resulted in increasing the loading on the dam while the foundation resistance was decreased. These various processes were the result of the 60 meters of horizontal displacement of the Los Frailes dam. Various other factors were ruled out as being contributing factors to the failure of the dam, e.g.: blasting, earthquakes etc. Fig 3: Actual photograph of the Los Frailes tailings dam failure showing a total of approximately 60 meters of displacement. In the beginning of November 1998, Boliden sent a report to the judge who was in charge of the case. In the report it stated that a new displacement (3 millimetres) of the dam had taken place since the spill. The Government confronted the public, as there was an increased risk of a new spill. Mid-November 1998, the Environmental Protection Department warned that there was still a higher amount of tailings than what was lost when the dam ruptured in April, and if it rains and the dam fills with the rainwater then it would apply even more pressure to the walls of the dam. In February 1999, Boliden Ltd finally admitted for the first time that the tailings dam was not properly designed. They directed the blame entirely on the contractor (Dragados y Construcciones) and the two engineering firms used by them. Interventions: Emergency measures put in place in order to minimize the social, economic and environmental impact of the Aznalcollar spill. An emergency operation had to be put in place in order to minimize the damaged caused by the spill. The Spanish Authorities, the Regional Government of Andalusia and also Boliden Ltd (Apirsa) were involved in the clean up. On the 1st of May 1998, the different administrations created a Mixed Commission of Coordination. The 1st task that was carried out was the immediate removal of the tailings, which were found at the old part of the mine. Removing the tailings was spread out over two operations, in 1998 and 1999. Approximately 99% of the tailings were recovered as a result. According to the Regional Government of Andalusia, the collection of nearly all the tailings means that around 7000 million litres of soil and tailings have been recovered. In 1999, Boliden Ltd was granted the licensing of stabilization works for the dam as it was found that there was a significant movement after the initial spill (17 centimeters) and was a cause for major concern. Another campaign was then undertaken by the Mixed Commission of Coordination, which involved treating the soil. The soil was treated using a chemical procedure, which would result in immobilizing the various heavy metals that remained in the soil. The construction of the Entremuros dike caused the retention of 2 billion litres of acid water. In order to allow the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority to purify the dammed waters, a water treatment plant was constructed beside the Entremuros dike. After the purification process, it would then discharge the purified water to the estuary of Guadalquivir. Another drastic measure was put in place in order to control the environmental quality in the surface waters, the air, the subterranean waters, the estuary, and also a sanitary control program of the people living in the surrounding area who were affected by the Aznalcollar spill. The entire process was established in a series of published laws, decrees and also orders between May 5th 1998 and 1999. Also in May 1998, the Council of Ministers of the Regional Government of Andalusia had approved the various actions that were necessary for carrying out a project of regeneration and adaption for public use. This was called the Guadiamar Green Corridor. The Guadiamar Green Corridor project was developed in 1999. The reason it was developed was to restore the Guadiamar basin and its surrounding ecosystems. The plan of action of the project was described in the Guadiamar Green Corridor Strategy, which was supported by the International Seminary on Ecological Corridors in March 1999. The Guadiamar Green Corridor project is also reveled in the results of an investigation program, which is known as PICOVER. PICOVER was developed between the years of 1998 and 2002. The Regional Government of Andalusia published the conclusions found as a result of this program. The estimated total amount of the PICOVER was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 5.8 million. It was divided down into 2 different stages. The 1st stage was developed between 1998 and 2001. The effects of the Aznalcollar spill were studied (on organisms and ecosystems) and the necessary guidelines for the restoration were set out. The 2nd stage was developed between the years of 2002 and 2003. The ob jective of the 2nd stage was to control the factors that were most effected by the spill, which were soil and water. Attention was also given to the species that were considered to be the most important bio indicators e.g. plants, fish, etc. The Green Corridors objectives and the plan of action: To decontaminate the water, soil and also organisms of the riverbed. Also the decontamination of the flooded plains and the marsh that was damaged by the acid water and tailings. Water: The Green Corridor has a technical office, which had set up stations. These stations were put in place to control the surface water (17 stations). From all 17 stations, only one of them has had an increased value (El Guijo). A study that was carried out by the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority back in 2003 concluded that the El Guijo station, which was situated in the Guadiamar River, had continued to present an increased level of zinc, cadmium and copper metals. The El Guijo station, out of the 17 stations, is one of the closest to the Los Frailes mine. It is 2.5 km beneath water. All of the remaining 16 stations are within the legal limits and fit for human consumption. The Guadalquivir estuary was tested after the spill and it showed an increase in the level of contamination. This problem solved itself after a few short months as the contamination level returned to what it was before the spill occurred. Soil: Since the Aznalcollar spill, the process of decontaminating the soil had been successfully carried out for the most part. The monitoring of the soil to ensure the contamination level remains low has continually been followed up, especially focusing on the main affected area (the Aznalcollar mine and the bridge of Doblas). The reason this area was the main affected area was because of its closeness to the disastrous lagoon. This resulted in high levels of zinc, arsenic and lead contamination. Since 2002, the majority of soil areas that were affected were cleaned. The cleaning process eliminated central points of contamination but in some particular stains of the land, minuet residual contamination still remains. Fauna: One of the main populations affected were fish and amphibians. Since the Aznalcollar spill, the riverbed has been recolonized with fish and amphibians and they have survived without any problems. In 2004, it was detected that 6 different species of fish had laid eggs. It was the 1st year since the spill that different species of fish laying eggs was detected. Flora: The contamination of metals in plants has decreased with time. 2.5 million plants have been planted in order to restore the affected area. The majority were planted between the Entremuros marsh and the Los Frailes mine. The Entremuros area was restored by replanting in small plots. This method allowed the ecosystem to improve naturally. To restore the functioning of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems which were damaged or ruined by the Aznalcollar spill. The large amount of area that was affected, from the mine to the entrance to the Entremuros swamp, has now been restored. The aim is to create a fluvial ecological corridor. The gravel extractions, or the agricultural occupation has caused the Guadiamar riverbed to suffer extreme transformations. When the riverbed was being restored it was thought that it was more critical to recover the processes for fluvial dynamics, which had been modified, rather than recreate the original morphology of the river. In 2004, it had been noted that the natural dynamic of the river, particularly the flood plains, had been recuperated. Also, non-indigenous vegetation had been removed as instructed. Since the spill, there used to be many gravel exploitations found on the bed of the river of the Guadiamar, between the upper and middle branches. These were reformed serving two purposes. One use is environmental recuperation and the other is for the use of the public. Entremuros marshes: The main reasoning behind the activities was to ensure the riverbed was recuperated by the removal of the impacts that hindered the natural functioning. The results have shown to be considerably good. The fauna and flora have quickly colonized the area. To promote a model for the management of the various uses of the region so that ecological heterogeneity could be promoted in order to reinstate the different species and natural processes among the mountain range and the coast. Positive results were found on the movement of land animals through the Corridor, in the middle course of the Guadiamar River. There are many communities that began to become established in the Corridor, such as the eagle, rabbit, and the lynx. As a result it has aided the purpose of the ecological corridor of the Guadiamar River. The Corridor has needed to be attached through the northern part as this restored the river basin of the Guadiamar River and the mining region in its upper course. The restoration continues to be followed up, even today, as it ensures its function as a fluvial ecological corridor and the future tendencies of the river. To improve and promote the quality of life of the many people living in the area through the strategies of development fitting with the conservation of the functions of their natural systems. Public use: The Green Corridor is now recognized as a tourist destination. It has tails that can be used for walking, biking and horse riding. A variety of infrastructures have been constructed including recreational areas, a botanical garden, visitor centers, etc. There has been sign posts put up of the area, and also the roads. There have also been guides produced on the infrastructures and programs in the Green Corridor (for public use). Other uses: In the Green Corridor there are many kind of acts prohibited which include hunting, fishing, and raising livestock. Also, on the grounds of the old mine an environmental services site has been constructed. Relations with the surrounding population: Many environmental educational activities were developed in order to educate the population, but mostly for schoolchildren. A lot of the people living in the surrounding area were not aware of the many activities in the Green Corridor and its ideas. To make it clear to the population, it was necessary to cover the wildlife values, historical, landscape etc of the Green Corridor. To contribute to the conversion of the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia as an arrangement of areas, which are connected by ecological corridors and which fluvial ones stand out the most. The Green Corridor had to be declared as a Protected landscape in order to comply with this objective. The Green Corridor does not reach up to the north of Aznalcollar therefore it is not connected as an ecological corridor with the coast and mountain range. To operate as a model of integrated planning of a Mediterranean basin with could be extrapolated to other regions. The WWF has recognized that the Guadiamar Green Corridor operates as a model of basin restoration. The office for the Mediterranean selected one of its projects to be a model of management and restoration of Mediterranean wetlands. The WWF gave the lessons learned of the Guadiamar to Romania to help them after the mine accident of Baia Mare.