Ethnomethodology Essay

1. How do the authors make the case that gender is a socially created concept as opposed to an independently existing reality? â€Å"Doing gender means creating differences between girls and boys and women and men, difference that are not natural, essential, or biological,† writes Candace West and Don Zimmerman in the article. The statement implies their theory that gender equates to a difference between two sexes that is not based genitals or anything that comes naturally with being male or female. This is further emphasized by the repetition of the same concept all throughout the article. West and Zimmerman reinforce their belief of gender being a socially-created concept by citing currently existing theories and views on sex and gender plus findings from other studies that point to the fact that gender is not something that we are born with – it is something that we have to keep on â€Å"doing†. West and Zimmerman let it shine how gender is something that we need to work at by saying that, as opposed to the Western, social sciences, and role theory perspectives of gender, we can neither consider gender as something that’s ingrained in our sexual category nor view it something that we only assume depending on the situation at hand. It is a â€Å"product of social doing† and is created through our interaction with other people. 2. What did you learn about your gender behaviors? What experiences have you had that have directed you towards accomplishing gender? Through the article, I have come to know that my gender behaviors are greatly influenced by how culture â€Å"idealizes† how a man or a woman should react in given circumstances. My gender is not only judged through masculinity or femininity but also through the way I adapt to each situation handed out to me. Another thing that I learned was that in as much as my gender behaviors are influenced by cultural dictates, so is culture influenced by my gender behaviors. By conforming to what is expected of my gender, I contribute to justifying the domestic, economic, political, and interpersonal allocation of power and resources already in place. Experiences that direct me towards accomplishment of gender occur almost everyday – from simply wearing what is expected of me to saying things that is expected of someone of my own gender. 3. How could you apply these learnings in a counseling environment with clients at various developmental stages? What contributions could these ideas make to counseling? What I’ve learned from West and Zimmerman’s article can be applied in a counseling environment, especially when dealing with people like Agnes or the growing up teenagers who often get confused with their ’sexual’ and/or ‘gender’ orientation. Since a person’s biological traits do not necessarily dictate his/her gender, the ideas proposed by West and Zimmerman can be the perfect explanation as to why the confusions arise. It can also point out why society reacts the way they do with gays and lesbians – they have a pre-constructed notion of how males and females should react and are usually taken aback by anything that suggests that there are more than two sexes. The authors’ theory is the first step towards knowing how the confusion and the seemingly negative reaction can be eliminated. 4. Describe the self-regulating processes you engage in the research class? What behaviors do you observe in others that serve to maintain gender identities? In research class, we are wont to being mindful of the topics that we handle. We strive to be gender-sensitive and try, as much as possible, to conduct a research in a manner that will not be offensive for either males or females. Maintaining gender identities is something that everybody strives to do. This may be apparent in the way questioning is done in different genders. Because females are expected to be coy about topics like sexual relationships, these are not normally asked straightforward of them. Also, since society has constructed man as a natural leader, the male members of the class are more often than not appointed leader or looked upon as knowledgeable. 5. In what ways do West and Zimmerman contribute to â€Å"theory making†? Describe their theory in your own words? How is it useful? West and Zimmerman themselves outlined in their paper, â€Å"Our purpose in this article is to propose an ethnomethodologically informed, and therefore distinctively sociological, understanding of gender as a routine, methodical, and recurring accomplishment.† In saying so, they themselves admit that, with their article, they are trying to add to the already existing body of knowledge on gender. With â€Å"Doing Gender†, West and Zimmerman contribute to theory making by inferring their own findings on what gender really is. For West and Zimmerman, gender is something that one has to continuously work on. It is not a given aspect of a person nor is it something that, once learned, is already ingrained in you. In fact, the two believes that gender is a continuing process and one has to keep on working at conforming to ‘roles’ associated with his/her gender. They also believe that â€Å"doing gender† is an inevitable part of life and that to actually change how â€Å"doing gender† solidifies gender roles, overhaul of societal beliefs is needed. West and Zimmerman’s theory is, in my opinion, useful in that it can help us achieve a unified definition of gender. This, in turn, may result to a better understanding of how the concept of gender is created by the societal undercurrents. 6. Discuss what makes West and Zimmerman’s article research? Describe their methodology. Give an example of an application of this methodology in counseling or counselor education. Merriam-Webster.com defines research as a â€Å"studious inquiry or examination†¦ aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws†. â€Å"Doing Gender† approached its conclusion with the use of a method (studious inquiry). The authors had a particular aim at conducting the study (aimed at interpreting facts), and that was to come up with a more informed understanding of gender (revision of accepted theories or law). Studious inquiry, aimed at interpreting facts, revision of accepted theories or law – all these have been successfully met West and Zimmerman’s article; hence, it can actually be considered a research. West and Zimmerman approached their comprehension of gender by compiling existing point of views and studies on gender. Those that actually contradict their theory were properly explained as to why they cannot be taken for truth and those that are in support of their theory were properly explained.   This is what George Psatahs called â€Å"The organization of practical actions and practical reasoning†, a variety of ethnomethodology (â€Å"Ethnomethodology†, 2007). Said method is aimed at looking at ways people construct the meanings and interpretations of the world and everything in it. Since counseling entails knowing why a person thinks the way s/he does, ethnomethodology can be very useful in conducting it. With a deeper understanding of how people view the world, more informed answers can be delivered in a counseling session.   

Affects of Low Socio-economic Status in Children Essay

Socio-economic status remains a theme of great interest to those who study children’s development. This interest derives from a belief that high socio-economic status families pay for their children an array of services, goods, parental actions, and social connections that potentially redound to the benefit of children and a concern that many low socio-economic status children lack access to those same resources and experiences, thus putting them at risk for developmental problems (Briscoe, 1994). The interest in socio-economic status as a worldwide construct persists despite evidence that there is wide inconsistency in what children experience within every socio-economic status level, despite evidence that the link between socio-economic status and child well-being varies as a function of geography, and culture, and despite evidence that the relation between socio-economic status and child well-being can be disrupted by catastrophes and internal strife (Bornstein, Hahn, Suwalsky & Haynes, 2003, p. 45). The major factor that affects child development is the socio-economic status. It is an indicator of a person’s social and economic standing, measured through a combination of income, level of education, residency, occupation, and social status in the community (Briscoe, 1994). Families with a high socio-economic status often have more success because they typically have more access to more resources to improve their child’s development (Bornstein, Hahn, Suwalsky & Haynes, 2003, p. 54). They are able to afford high-quality child care and books that would encourage children to learn. Children from low socio-economic status families lack the financial, educational and social support they need to be considered equivalent to children from high socio-economic status families. These differences can cause a child to become unconfident, non-motivated, and even isolation from society. It is a problem that could stay with the child through adolescences and on into adulthood (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002). It is only as an adult that the person has the independence and the ability to change his socio-economic status. He makes the choice of where to live, what job to pursue, how he fits in society; becoming his own person but a child can not (Bornstein, Hahn, Suwalsky & Haynes, 2003, p. 223). Family’s Influence on a Child’s Educational Success The family is a key element in every person’s life. They have the greatest impact on a child’s socialization and their development. Socialization is a learned behavior that remains with a human being his entire life. Family influences nearly every aspect of children’s life, most significantly, their education. Increasing evidence indicates that schools are not solely responsible for promoting our children’s academics and success; rather, families must be engaged in helping youths develop the understanding and skills they need to function in tomorrow’s workplace (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002). Therefore, the question is not whether parents influence education, but rather how and to what degree they do. A variety of explanations exist, including the size of the family, the parenting techniques, and the family’s economic status. Three major constructs are believed to be parents’ basic involvement decisions. First, a parents’ role construction defines parents’ viewpoint about what they are supposed to do in their children’s education and appears to set up the basic range of actions that parents construe as important, necessary, and permissible for their own actions with and on behalf of children. Second, parents’ sense of efficacy for helping their children succeed in school focuses on the degree to which parents believe that through their contribution, they can exert positive influence on their children’s educational outcomes. Third, general invitations, demands, and opportunities for involvement refer to parents’ opinion that the child and school want them to be involved (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002). However, even well-designed school programs welcoming involvement will meet with only limited success if they do not address issues of parental role construction and parental sense of efficacy for helping children succeed in their schools. Academic Attainment and Low Socio-economic Status For over 70 years findings on the relationship between socio-economic status and intellectual/ academic competence has accumulated. The association between socio-economic status and cognitive performance begins in infancy. Numerous studies have documented that poverty and low parental education are associated with lower levels of school achievement and IQ later in childhood (Bornstein, Hahn, Suwalsky & Haynes, 2003, p. 103+). There has been some debate regarding which aspects of socio-economic status most strongly connect to cognitive development. Each socio-economic status measure used in the Health Examination Survey (family income, maternal education, paternal education) highlighted intellectual attainment, with education being the best predictor. Maternal education was a stronger predictor than paternal education. Maternal and paternal education is good predictor. Socio-economic status accounts for about 5% of the variance in academic achievement. Among the traditional measures of socio-economic status, family income accounts for the greatest amount of variance. In a recent study, it has been found that each socio-economic status indicator (income, education, occupation) was associated with better parenting, which in turn affected school achievement via skill-building activities and school behavior. Evidence suggests a particularly strong relation between socio-economic status and verbal skills. Major differences were found in the language proficiency of children from high socio-economic status and low socio-economic status families. The relation between socio-economic status and cognitive attainment may be quite complex, with different components of socio-economic status contributing to the development of particular cognitive skills in different ways and with some components of socio-economic status serving to moderate the effects of other components. Several analyses have indicated that the relations for family income and parental education depend on the number of siblings present in the household (Bornstein, Hahn, Suwalsky & Haynes, 2003, p. 34). The affect of Socio-economic status and intellectual/academic attainment diminishes with age. However, the effects of family income on achievement among 7-year-olds are similar to the effects on intelligence for 3-year-olds. Socio-economic status also appears to affect school attendance and number of years of schooling completed. The impact on years completed appears to be less than the impact on school achievement. Even so, socio-economic status remains one of the most consistent predictors of early high school dropout, with evidence suggesting that it is connected both to low parental expectations and to early initiation of sexual activity (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002). Students from lower-income families suffer further disadvantages as well. Economic hardship and stress have been known to affect the relationship between the parent and child. If the socio-economic status of the student is low, the amount of parental support, control, and consistency is usually low as well. Adolescents from intact families have been found to be more optimistic and confident about the future than those from homes in which there has been a separation, divorce, or parental death. References Bornstein, M. H. & Bradley, R. H. (Eds. ). (2003). Socioeconomic Status, Parenting, and Child Development. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Bradley, R. H. , & Corwyn, R. F. (2002). Socioeconomic Status and Child Development. 371+. Briscoe, J. (1994, December). The Cost of Child Abuse and Neglect. Corrections Today, 56, 26+. Education Is Critical to Closing the Socioeconomic Gap. (2003, February). World and I, 18, 18. Ellis, L. (Ed. ). (1994). Social Stratification and Socioeconomic Inequality (Vol. 2). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

Bipolar disorder3

Bipolar disorder3 Essay Determining Bipolar Disorder in children is harder then adults because of the mistakes doctors make in their diagnosis. All kids have mood swingsis it Bipolar Disorder? Psychologists of today are having problems diagnosing children with Bipolar Disorder because the symptoms are so different from the adult form of the disorder. In children Bipolar Disorder is called Child Onset Bipolar Disorder, known as COBPD (My Child 1). In children the cycling from highs to lows are very fast. Children will cycle between mania and depression many times a day. The episodes of mania or depression are short and rarely go on for more then a day at a time (Childhood 1). Children have longer periods of normal behavior between episodes then adults (Bipolar I Disorder 1). This rapid cycling is called ultra-ultra rapid cycling (My Child 1). Ultra-ultra rapid cycling is mostly associated with the low states in the morning, and then followed by the afternoon and evening with a high increase in energy (Frequently Asked Questions 1). Children usually have continuous mood changes that are mixes of mania and depression (Sutphen 1). In adult Bipolar Disorder, it is called Bipolar Affective Disorder, known as manic depressive illness (My Child 1). For adults the change from manic to depressed can take months. They often have periods of normal behavior in between their episodes of mania and depression (Bipolar 1). Bipolar Disorder is a biochemical imbalance that causes major mood changes from the highs of mania, to the very lows of depression (My Child 1). Doctors say What goes up must come down with the highs and lows of this disorder, but the cycles are very unpredictable and vary in Determining Bipolar Disorder in children is harder then adults because of the mistakes doctors make in their diagnosis. length. The times of depression and mania stages are not equal in time (Basic Terminology 1). In children only about .5% have bipolar disorder. The disorder is most common in males in children (Childhood 1). In adults one percent or about four million people of the population is affected by the disorder (Who Gets Bipolar 1). Bipolar Disorder affects women equally (Expert 1). The normal range of age that the disorder appears in is between the ages 15 and 25 (Alternative 1). The cause of Bipolar disorder is still a mystery. Doctors know that there is a strong genetic condition that may have something to do with it (Childhood 1). One of the most important things to have when diagnosing a child with bipolar disorder is to have an accurate family history (Facts 1). With one parent with the disorder they say the chances of each child having it is 15-30%, when both parents have the disorder the risk incr3eases to 50-75% of each child having it. In siblings and fraternal twins there is a 15- 25% percent, and in identical twins there is about a 70% chance of having the disorder. (About Early-Onset 4). In adolescents a loss or some other traumatic event might trigger an episode of either depression or mania. Later episodes of mania or depression may occur independently because of any other obvious trigger, such as stress, or the episode may worsen with any additional added stresses. Puberty is also a time of risk for children (About Early-Onset 3). There are also factors of the persons environment, stressful life events can trigger an episode from anything from a death in the family to losing a job or Determining Bipolar Disorder in children is harder then adults because of the mistakes doctors make in their diagnosis. having a baby, or moving to a different city (Bailey 1). Nearly anything can trigger a persons change in mood, there might not be any obvious triggers at all (Bipolar 1). READ: Showing the connection between Essay On average people with Bipolar Disorder, especially children, usually go through three to four doctors, and go through about eight years trying to find what works before they can obtain a correct diagnosis (Expert 1). When diagnosing a child with bipolar disorder doctors have to be very careful that they do not make the wrong diagnosis (Childhood 1). It is very tricky to make a bipolar diagnosis in children because of all the other disorders that can go along with it. .

The Code of Silence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Code of Silence - Essay Example In the legal setting, the code of silence is believed to be prevalent in the armed forces where data regarding operations and technological developments are kept secret for the sake of national security. It could also be found in the corporate setting especially in banks which can keep the anonymity of clients. The code of silence is usually either kept because of force or danger to oneself, or being branded as a traitor or an outcast within the unit or organization which particularly holds true in a police setting as studies would show. It was famously practiced in Massachusetts police departments in cities such as Charlestown, South Boston and Somerville. All over the world, there are many stories about police abuse of authority or police/military brutality and death of a criminal and most of these stories are linked with the code of silence.The code also exists among many organizations even those which are criminal in nature. A more famous example of the code of silence is Omerta which made the Mafia such an indiscrete and almost impenetrable organization. If we are to determine whether the appropriateness of the code, we will need to include a discussion on what constitutes the goodness or the wickedness of an act. However, venturing into this would be exhaustive and too wide a discussion.

Who is The Illuminati and are they running the world Research Paper

Who is The Illuminati and are they running the world - Research Paper Example It is alleged that the Illuminati is the principal motivational force behind the push for one-world religious ethic, global governance, as well as a centralized system of controlling the world’s economy. Organizations such as the IMF, the United Nations Organizations, the ICC, and the World Bank and viewed as appendages of the Illuminati. The Illuminati conspiracy explicates that Illuminati is the impetus behind all the efforts aimed at brainwashing the gullible masses through manipulation of beliefs and thought control using the educational curriculum, the press, and the political leadership of the countries. The Illuminati aims at controlling the world by creating a New World Order. This is a diabolical plan established by the financial elite with intentions of destroying the national sovereignty of the worlds’ governments through world conflict and blackmail. Their ultimate goal of doing this is to enslave mankind into a one world dictatorship government (Burkett 46). The New World Order agents have managed to take control of the financial system of the world. It pains to realize that the politicians that are elected by the common man are the ones who have let that to happen. They have done that by making it legal for private financial institutions to control the stock market, the money supply, and ultimately our destiny. Additionally, they have given the private financial institutions the power to control print money and the printing press, and this has enabled them enslave the people of the world by making them live in debts (Penre). The creation of debts slavery has made governments bankrupt or insolvent. Therefore, in order to keep their economies going, governments’ rely on credit from the New World Order. This enslaves governments since they are dependent of the New World Order. On the other hand, the New World Order makes use of this opportunity to control the destinies of these nations that depend on it.

HRM and leadership 2.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

HRM and leadership 2.2 - Essay Example Small businesses are an integral part of the economic growth and creation of job opportunities and that it is important that governments tap on it in order to promote growth (United States Office of International Information Programs 2004). The contribution of small businesses to economies is important in terms of the output and the input as well as the creation of jobs as one of the major aims of governments. In the United States, small businesses currently represent 98 per cent of all business enterprises and generate about 64 per cent of all new employment opportunities, and are the first line of employment providing training to many workers (SBA Office of Advocacy n.d.). Almost all nations in the world have the small businesses as the primary creator of jobs for all nations and therefore play an important role in enhancing the economy of a country. In the United Kingdom, there are about 4.4 million small and medium enterprises with almost all of them being made up of small and me dium enterprises, and further about half of the work force in the United Kingdom is employed in the small and medium enterprises generating a turnover of 48.7 per cent. Small businesses often referred to as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in the global economy creating jobs across international borders. In high-income countries, the formal small businesses with less than two hundred and fifty employees contribute about 50 per cent of the GDP globally and creates employment opportunities to about 70 per cent of the working population while in countries that are not members of the OECD the figures are higher. In countries that are classified as developing, the private sector comprises of micro, small and medium enterprises that employs millions of people. Recent research by International Finance Corporation (IFC) that covered 132 economies estimated that around 500 million people comprising about 97 per cent of the businesses in the world can be deemed as smal l business. Importance of Small Businesses to Economies Small businesses and entrepreneurs create job opportunities in any economy with statistics pointing that at least three out of every four persons that are employed work in a small business enterprise. Therefore, governments have found it important to develop these business enterprises in that they ensure that the growth of an economy is broad based, gender inclusive and sustainable in nature. In the United States, The Bureau of Labour Statistics shows that firms that have fewer than 500 employees employ about 55 percentage of employees in the private sector alone. The small businesses also fuel the growth of businesses with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating that from the year 1992 to 2007, small businesses with fewer than 500 employees created 64 per cent of the new employment opportunities. The small businesses also play an important role in driving the economies of nations, for example in the United States, the small businesses constitute more than half of the nonfarm private Gross Domestic Product and about 97.3 per cent of all U.S. exporters (McCracken and Danner 2011). According to

My history as a reader and writer in Russian and in English Essay

My history as a reader and writer in Russian and in English - Essay Example Writing is an art that requires one to have passion and willingness to counter the challenges that relate to the rules of good writing. My experience in reading and Writing in college is quite different from that of high school. In high school, most of the writing involved simple compositions and summaries. In college reading and writing requires deep analysis of the contents and the interpretation of those contents. Learning a new language is quite challenging but I am determined to perfect my new skills within the shortest time possible. My strengths in this new language are the commitment I have in my studies through regular practice to enhance my speaking and writing skills. I am also good at recalling facts and materials learned which enhances my performance in English and Russian languages. My weakness is the poor mastery of new phrases, especially in the new language. To counter this weakness, I am working hard by reading many articles and noting everything that I read in my notebook. The main goals for this course are to improve my analytical skills, which will enable me to be an excellent creative writer in the future. I also want to improve my usage of verbs especially the correct use of verb tenses, which will enable me to write the high-quality grammar. I also want to organize my work very well and compete with some of the world’s renowned writers in creative and imaginative writing. Reading and writing in the two different languages will help me communicate with more people and make many friends who have similar interests.

Increasing Speaker Effectiveness During a Presentation Essay

Increasing Speaker Effectiveness During a Presentation - Essay Example The speaker is supposed to be in a straight position with the feet being slightly apart. The approach enables the audience as well as the speaker to appear believable and confident. The crossing of legs and arms behind the speaker’s back only serves to develop a mental barrier between the audience and the speaker (Zelko, 2010).  His assertion that the posture of the presenter is vital during the presentation is indeed true.  I, however, partially disagree with him on his assertion that the tone of the presentation is an essential factor during speech presentation. The tone of the speaker usually should be constant as he has explained. I believe that the speakers can vary their tones when delivering their speech as a way of attracting the attention of the audience. Dewayne French argues that the speaker should not loud or of low tone. I disagree with him basing on the fact that the speaker can raise his tone in order to stress a statement as well as lower it to attract the attention of the audience. Moreover, DEWAYNE FRENCH’s assertion that pronunciation is vital to each presentation is not a definite point. Speakers may be from different backgrounds. In addition, I believe that the speaker should be able to communicate in the language that can be understood by the audience and not necessarily a particular language (Zelko, 2010).   

Europe & Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Europe & Russia - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that   Europe’s natural gas consumption continues to rise while the domestic natural gas production decline. If trends persist as projected, Europe’s dependence on Russia and large supplier of gas is likely to grow. Europe, as a whole, is a significant importer of natural gas, with Russia being one of Europe’s most powerful natural gas suppliers. Russia has been active in safeguarding its European gas market share through the state-controlled company, Gazprom, which has pursued to stymie European-backed alternatives to pipelines it controls by suggesting competing pipeline projects and availing European companies stakes within those projects. Moreover, the entity has endeavoured to dissuade possible suppliers (especially those within Central Asia) from participating in European-supported plans. Moreover, the dominant companies have raised their environmental concerns in an effort to impede other alternatives to its supplies, such as untraditional natural gas. This has made some European countries feel vulnerable to possible Russian energy supply manipulation that may frustrate diversification. Energy security takes diverse forms and can be guaranteed by diverse mechanisms that can take the form of both regulatory and market-based.  

Ralph and Jack in The Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Ralph and Jack in The Lord of the Flies Essay Question 1 There are a number of differences and a few similarities between Jack and Ralph. First of all the main similarity is the fact that both boys are roughly the same age. Then furthermore, there is the fact that both pf them are boys. In addition their share the quality of leadership, or in other words both of them have the abilities to be a leader. Then on the other hand there are the numerous differences they in clued; different style of leadership, different believes, maturity, and the symbol that they represent. Jack and Ralph have a very different style of leading. Ralph has a democratic leadership and Jack is more of a dictator figure. Then furthermore, there is the difference of believes, Jack believes that the main objective on the island is to hunt and Ralph believes that it is to be saved. Then there is the maturity, Ralph is more mature that Jack. And the last difference in the symbols that these characters represent, Jack represents the bad side of human nature and Ralph represents the good side or democracy. Question 2 Piggy represents intelligence and thinking. This idea is proven through out the whole book, until his death. Fist of all there is the fact that because of Piggy the boys were able to create the fire. The secondary, idea is the fact that Piggy acts very mature through out the book. He is even more mature than Ralph. Piggy comes up with ideas that not a single other boy had though of. For example there is the fact that Piggy though of the sundial. Furthermore there is the idea that Piggy constantly reminds Ralph of their objective to the island, and which is to be saved.

Human Capital and Development in Nigeria

Human Capital and Development in Nigeria Development all around the world is related to the economy. The economy is in part a social system of production, exchange, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of a country. People produce, distribute and consume goods and services and as such they need to be skillful, well experienced and be in good condition physically and mentally (Human Capital) in order for the economy to develop and prosper. Human Capital development especially through Health care and Education are primary factors needed for each and every individual in a society to function well and be able to reach his/her full potentials, increasing overall productivity and thus development. Nigeria, a country with a teeming population of about 140 million constitutes a huge economy in which each and every individual matters in the development process. Every individual contributes one way or the other to the GDP and thus to development. A high level of Education in Nigeria will lead to high levels of income and savings thereby increasing investment and thus productivity. On the other hand, a low level of Education in Nigeria will lead to low levels of income, savings and investments which will eventually translate to reduced productivity. Also, a country with a high level of disease will have a low level of development unlike a country with a low level of disease which will have a far better level of development. This is because an unhealthy person will not be able to work to full capacity which will reduce overall productivity and thus GDP. Nigeria also is a democratic country, where the government is formed by the people and for the people. Without Education to some certain extent, the people that will form the government will make wrong choices and thus the whole government will always be inefficient and ineffective. Nigerias economy is already suffering from misallocation of resources, corruption, embezzlement and unethical leadership over the years. Essential issues that affect the lives of people and the economy are being dealt with by inefficient governments; Issues concerning the tradeoff between efficiency and equity in the production of social services, health care, education, clean drinking water and infrastructure. Also, government offices are filled with the wrong people (structural problems) leading to further inefficiencies which affects the peoples ability to enhance themselves both physically and mentally for a better Nigeria. Section 2 after the Introduction of the paper will cover the Literature Review. Section 3 will be Human Capital and Development Indicators. Section 4 of the paper will cover Nigerias Human Capital and Development. Section 5 will cover Empirical Investigation on the impact of Human Capital on Economic Development in Nigeria. Section 6 will cover recommendations and Conclusions. 2. Literature Review The literature of human capital and development in Nigeria is mainly centred on the emphasis of factors that constitute human capital and affect development e.g. education, health, social services and enabling environment. A definition of human capital in the work of Ogujuiba and Adeniyi (2005) state that; anything contributing to the improvement of human productivity, stimulate resourcefulness and enhance human dignity and overall quality of human life while refining attitudes, is an essential part of the human capital of any nation. These will include four important aspects namely the education system, health services, social services and good governance. Any improvement of these four important aspects will eventually lead to development. Akingbade (2008) asserts that; for any nation to have economic development within and outside its borders, it has to cater for its citizens via human capital development. Under achievement of human capital development in a country leads to underde velopment of such country via failure to meet national objectives and lack of optimization of available potentials and resources. Poor human capital leads to hunger, poverty, disease, brain-drain, optical flight, huge debts, political instability etc thereby hampering the development process. There is a positive relationship between human capital and development. As more and more efforts are made to increase the value of human capital of a society, the more the development level of that society. The more a nation has knowledgeable, skilled and resourceful individuals, the more the national growth and development of that nation. The human capital status of a nation will directly influence and positively correlate with economic and social indicators such as gross domestic product, income per capita, balance of trade, life expectancy, literacy rate, level of industrialization and the quality of infrastructural provisions. It can also have great impact on political stability, national peace and harmony as well as the prevailing ethos. (Ogujuiba and Adeniyi, 2005). One of the factors that constitute human capital and affect development is education. Increase in the level of quality education of Nigerian citizens will increase productivity and hence development. Lucas (1988) includes human capital as an additional input in the production of goods, while retaining the other features of the neoclassical growth model. In the model, the labour force can accumulate human capital, which is then used together with physical capital to generate the output of the economy. In one version of the model, human capital is acquired through time spent in an (non-productive) educational process, introducing a trade-off for workers between employing time to produce output and using it to gain further human capital that will increase their marginal productivity when working in subsequent periods. In another version of the model, human capital is gained by the workers through on-the-job training, and so the time employed working increases their productivity later on . A recent research on the impact of human capital on economic development carried out by Ogujuiba and Adeniyi shows a more robust result using data from the Central Bank of Nigeria annual report 1970 2003. Their findings were that education level indicated via primary to tertiary education enrolment in Nigeria has a positive impact on Nigerias economic development. Even though the relationship between economic development and tertiary education enrolment is positive, it is also found to be weak. This is probably associated to the decay in most of the tertiary institutions, persistent strikes and disruption of academic activities, inadequate funding and weak infrastructure in the educational sector of Nigeria. Becker (1992) provides the most direct link between education and economic growth: lower fertility provides an opportunity to increase human capital, which in turn helps sustain lower fertility. The more educated the parents are, the more likely they go for smaller families because not only do they have a higher opportunity cost of time, but also they can teach their children more effectively. High levels of human capital cause low fertility and high investment in human capital. Other factors that constitute human capital and affect development are health services, social services and good governance. Health services include all the necessary need of a citizen when he/she is ill. Health services can be reflected by several indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality. Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1995, Ch.12), among many others, have also included life expectancy and infant mortality in the growth regressions as a proxy of tangible human capital, complementing the intangible human capital measures derived from school inputs or cognitive tests considered; their finding is that life expectancy has a strong, positive relation with growth. This means that Health services which help an individual to operate at his/her full capacity increases overall productivity and hence growth and development. When there is good governance, there will be social services and also, human capital will be increased thereby leading to development. But Nigeria, a country that relies only on oil revenues lacks good governance. Barton (2003) points out that due to lack of good governance in Nigeria, expenditure outstripped revenue, large internal budget deficits mounted and grandiose external debts appeared. He also added that a general lack of accountability and transparency, two critical factors for maintaining good governance was lacking in Nigeria. These problems also eroded overall credibility and drastically undermined investor confidence. Nigerias international image is rather poor. In a credit-risk rating published in the Economist in1994, Nigeria was ranked third to last, after Iraq and Russia (The Economist, 1994). In view of our topic, the literature has been focused mainly on the relationship that runs from human capital to development. In my own view, the relationship can also run from development to human capital. For example, Nigeria with its abundant natural resources can enjoy economic development via international trade gains. Nigeria in collaboration with multinational corporations can exploit its natural resources and sell to the world market. These gains from the global market can be channelled to various sectors of the economy thus enhancing growth and development. But all this will be possible if and only if there is good governance in Nigeria which will allocate resources efficiently, implement the right policies and lead the various sectors of the economy in the right direction. With these gains to trade, which lead to development, human capital can be revisited to enhance greater development. On the other hand also, high levels of human capital can increase revenues via increasi ng output and attracting foreign direct investments. For example the case of India; where their governments have spent a lot on their people to attain Information Technology know-how which attracts companies in the United States to outsource some of their IT work from India. Nigeria is a country with a high population thus with a high human capital potential. With the necessary governance and commitment, Nigeria can be rich in human capital thereby leading to its development. 3. Human Capital and Development Indicator Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) provides a composite measure of three dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by adult literacy and enrolment at the primary, secondary and tertiary level) and having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity, PPP, income). All these factors affect the output level of a country. According to the 2007/2008 human development Report, Iceland is ranked 1st while Sierra Leone is ranked 177th in the 2005 human development Index. The HDI for Nigeria is 0.470, which gives the country a rank of 158th out of 177 countries. This clearly shows that Iceland is more developed than Nigeria because of the difference in human capital. Table 1 below shows Nigerias Human development index for 2005. Table 1: Nigerias human development index 2005 HDI value Life expectancy at birth (years) Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and older) Combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrolment ratio (%) GDP per capita (PPP US$) 1. Iceland (0.968) 1. Japan (82.3) 1. Georgia (100.0) 1. Australia (113.0) 1. Luxembourg (60,228) 156. Senegal (0.499) 163. Botswana (48.1) 102. Algeria (69.9) 136. Nepal (58.1) 158. Rwanda (1,206) 157. Eritrea (0.483) 164. CÃ ´te dIvoire (47.4) 103. Tanzania (United Republic of) (69.4) 137. Equatorial Guinea (58.1) 159. Benin (1,141) 158. Nigeria (0.470) 165. Nigeria (46.5) 104. Nigeria (69.1) 138. Nigeria (56.2) 160. Nigeria (1,128) 159. Tanzania (United Republic of) (0.467) 166. Malawi (46.3) 105. Guatemala (69.1) 139. Bangladesh (56.0) 161. Eritrea (1,109) 160. Guinea (0.456) 167. Guinea-Bissau (45.8) 106. Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (68.7) 140. Yemen (55.2) 162. Ethiopia (1,055) 177. Sierra Leone (0.336) 177. Zambia (40.5) 139. Burkina Faso (23.6) 172. Niger (22.7) 174. Malawi (667) Source: UNDP Human Development Index Trends The human development index trends tell an important story of how human development changes over time. Since the mid-1970s almost all regions have been progressively increasing their HDI score (Figure 2). East Asia and South Asia have accelerated progress since 1990. Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), following a catastrophic decline in the first half of the 1990s, has also recovered to the level before the reversal. The major exception is sub-Saharan Africa. Since 1990 it has stagnated, partly because of economic reversal but principally because of the catastrophic effect of HIV/AIDS on life expectancy. Figure 2: Trends Nigerias human development growth is slow compared to other regions in the world and this also translates to slow development. This is possibly due to factors that hinder the three dimensions that the HDI captures (life expectancy, adult literacy and enrolment at the primary, secondary and tertiary level and purchasing power parity, PPP, income). Factors may include: high level of diseases, poor health services, misallocation of resources, bad governance, poor infrastructure, and poor educational systems. 4. Nigerias Human Capital and Development Nigeria, a country with a teeming population of over 140 million people with an oil dependent economy has had a declining average economic growth over the years. This is in part due to poor human capital. Several sectors of the Nigerian economy have suffered immensely due to poor human capital. Poor human capital has its devastating effect on the development of any economy. Low income, hunger, poverty, disease, brain-drain, optical flight, huge debts and political instability are all the ramifications of poor human capital. Nigerias high population does not indicate high human capital value because only a few people are opportune to have quality education, health services and other human development services. The value of the human capital asset of a nation is a function of quantity, quality as well as the operating environment (Akingbade, 2008). High population only indicates high potential for human capital development. When substantial inputs and efforts are made to elevate these potentials that is when high population translate to high human capital value. Among the inputs are; a good educational system, good health systems and a conducive operating environment. Nigeria lacks both inputs and efforts needed to elevate its high human capital potentials. For instance, Nigeria is far more endowed in mineral resources and human population than Japan, Sweden or Singapore; yet it comes nowhere near these countries in technological advancement and in economic and social development. What makes the differenc e is human capital, its development, effective engagement and utilization. (Akingbade, 2008). In terms of the educational systems of Nigeria, there are a lot of government owned primary and secondary schools. Also, there are a lot of Universities in Nigeria but the problem is the amount of resources invested in these areas is insufficient. Due to the few resources allocated to the educational sector, quality education becomes difficult to attain. As Nigerias population increase in a geometrical ratio, the resources allocated to education is increasing slowly or sometimes decreasing. This misallocation of resources results to a lot of pressure on existing infrastructure leading to depreciation. Huge quantities of people pass out from primary, secondary schools and the Universities with little or no knowledge and no jobs to do. The masses in Nigeria are the ones mostly deprived of quality education and health services. Due to the deprivation of quality education, there are low incomes and wages. These low incomes and wages drive away already existing persons with high human cap ital to foreign countries in search of a better pasture (brain drain). This brain drain leads to insufficient professionals in Nigeria causing overall productivity to fall. The country is left with a lot of people with little or no useful knowledge in terms of increasing overall productivity. It is in the midst of all this that people are meant to elect a leader they dont know about. The masses deprived of quality education dont know their rights, the constitution, and other related matters that affect their social well being now and in the near future. Inefficient and ineffective leaders are put in place to continue misallocating resources thereby worsening the situation. More masses become poor and thus reduce the overall productivity of Nigeria. Another part of the problem is poor or inadequate health facilities, infrastructure and professionals. The existing health facilities and infrastructure cannot cater for the teeming population and hence a lot of people are deprived quality health care. Due to inadequate health facilities, a lot of people die from diseases that are curable thereby reducing Nigerias high human capital development potential. Also, due to low incomes and wages explained earlier, Nigerian doctors, nurses and health officers migrate to developed countries for a better life. These inadequacies in health facilities, infrastructure and professionals undermine the health sector and hence lead to reduced overall productivity of the nation. The Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) measures severe deprivation in health by the proportion of people who are not expected to survive age 40. Education is measured by the adult illiteracy rate. And a decent standard of living is measured by the unweighted average of people without access to an improved water source and the proportion of children under age 5 who are underweight for their age. The Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) value for Nigeria is 37.3 which rank Nigeria 80th among 108 developing countries. Table 2 shows the values for these variables for Nigeria and compares them to other countries. Table 2: Selected indicators of human poverty for Nigeria Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) 2004 Probability of not surviving past age 40 (%) 2004 Adult illiteracy rate (%ages 15 and older) 2004 People without access to an improved water source (%)2004 Children underweight for age (% ages 0-5) 2004 1. Barbados (3.0) 1. Iceland (1.4) 1. Estonia (0.2) 1. Thailand (1) 1. Czech Republic (1) 78. Rwanda (36.5) 158. Uganda (38.5) 127. Algeria (30.1) 114. Mali (50) 108. Philippines (28) 79. Malawi (36.7) 159. CÃ ´te dIvoire (38.6) 128. Tanzania (United Republic of) (30.6) 115. Guinea (50) 109. Indonesia (28) 80. Nigeria (37.3) 160. Nigeria (39.0) 129. Nigeria (30.9) 116. Nigeria (52) 110. Nigeria (29) 81. Burundi (37.6) 161. Guinea-Bissau (40.5) 130. Guatemala (30.9) 117. Fiji (53) 111. Sri Lanka (29) 82. Yemen (38.0) 162. Congo (Democratic Republic of the) (41.1) 131. Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (31.3) 118. Congo (Democratic Republic of the) (54) 112. Maldives (30) 108. Chad (56.9) 173. Zimbabwe (57.4) 164. Burkina Faso (76.4) 125. Ethiopia (78) 134. Bangladesh (48) Source: UNDP Nigeria, a country with abundant natural resources and high population can invest immensely in human capital development in its citizens to enjoy increased productivity. With the immense Oil revenues, Nigeria can channel sufficient resources to providing opportunities for all citizens to develop to their fullest potentials through education, training and motivation as well as creating the enabling environment for everyone to participate fully in national development. These will include expenditures in educational and training institutions, health facilities, adult functional literacy, vocational and skills acquisition programmes, information and communication technologies (ICT) as well as in research and development. With all these investments, foreign direct investment will increase (e.g. Information Technology task outsourcing of American companies from India) and revenues from within and outside the country will also increase. 5. Recommendations and Conclusion Despite all the poor education system, health services, social services and governance system in Nigeria, there are possible recommendations that will help reduce the enormous impact on the economy. Each and every system stated above has its impact on human capital and thus the development of a nation and as such have different recommendations. Starting with the poor education system in Nigeria, one must consider the resources allocated to this sector before making any recommendation. First of all, the teachers available in schools and Universities considering the number of students are really inadequate. Nowadays, everyone wants to be rich, no one wants to help in social development. Our values have changed and we have become more self centered. So our values need to be changed back via value re-orientation suiting our social values. Students need to understand what is at stake in the educational system and be encouraged to be teachers. Quality teachers need to be produced. No education system can rise above the quality of its teachers and no nation can rise above the level of its education system (Akingbade, 2008). When there is an increase in the number of quality teachers, the ratio of teachers to students will be efficient for quality education. The Nigerian populace is increasing at a geometrical ratio while the numbe r of quality schools and University is somewhat stagnant. For this reason, there need to be more schools for the teeming populace so as to have a considerably small ratio of teachers to students in a well built infrastructure conducive for learning. Also, the educational system needs to undergo reforms to be well equipped with the challenges of the highly advanced global economy. The integration of the use of computers in all spheres of the education system needs to be emphasized because the world is continuously advancing in computer technology. Teachers/Lecturers salaries and improved working conditions in educational institutions should be given high priority by the Government. Regular closure of tertiary institutions due to strikes, cult activities, and excesses of student unions, etc. should be addressed by the relevant authorities. The effort of Government on increasing primary school enrolment through the free compulsory Universal Basic Education should be sustained. This cou ld also be complemented by involving private and religious organizations. Â ­Another problem that needs urgent attention is the issue of poor health services. If the whole country is sick, the whole country stops functioning. And as such here are possible recommendations for the Nigerian health sector; First and foremost is strategizing various ways to retain our medical doctors and nurses to reduce brain drain. Due to poor salary given to these workers, they tend to migrate to other countries. The salaries of doctors and nurses need to be reconsidered in terms of the actual state of the economy. Other alternatives to well paid salaries can be more benefits to the workers to serve as an incentive to stay in Nigeria. For example policy can be created to say if you are a doctor in Nigeria, you are entitled to a house and two cars; one for you and one for your wife. Another recommendation for the Nigerian health sector is the provision of adequate facilities and infrastructure to the ever growing populace. The government needs to increase its expenditure in the health sector as the population increases. More hospitals need to be constructed and more medical equipments need to be installed in these new hospitals. Good hospital roads need to be constructed in order to have easy access. The provision of more ambulances is really a crucial issue in case of emergencies. Also, Information and Communication Technology need to be integrated to the Nigerian health sector so as to increase efficiency. Our doctors and nurses need to be updated always via the internet and as such they need to be familiar with computers and the internet for better performance. All these good hospitals with many doctors and nurses need not to be deprived for the masses; it should be accessed by all because everyone matters in the development process. Lastly, the most important issue after getting all the doctors, nurses, equipment and infrastructure is the maintenance aspect. All these hospitals need sufficient maintenance to survive for a long time and as such a qu alitative maintenance company trusted by the government should be given the sole task. If one maintenance company lacks the capacity to maintain a lot of hospitals, other qualitative maintenance companies can also be in place. With two or more maintenance companies, there will be competition between them and price of maintenance will fall. Good governance in Nigeria can be indicated via various factors and one of the factors is social service. When there is good governance, there will be qualitative and quantitative social services for the people thereby enhancing human capital. But on the other hand, when there is bad governance, there will be white elephant projects leading to few social services. Good governance in Nigeria should be encouraged via fighting corruption and setting up effective and efficient check and balance system. Every individual that is given responsibility in office should be held accountable for his/her actions. Also, government expenditure relative to its revenue should be monitored to enhance good governance. Another recommendation for good governance is making all government decisions transparent to the people. Keeping people in the loop of government decisions reduce the probability of strikes and civil unrest. Strategizing good governance for Nigeria will greatly improve Nigerias image to t he international community thereby encouraging potential investors to invest in the Nigerian economy. As investors invest and the government provides more social services for the people, human capital is immensely increased leading to economic development. In a nutshell, all recommendations should be posed at all possible factors that constitute human capital and affect development; educational systems, health services, social services and governance. It is these factors that turn high human capital potential into human capital value and it is these factors that help a nation develop both socially and economically. CONCLUSION We have seen despite the fact that Nigeria has been immensely blessed with natural resources and high human capital development potentials, it still fails to become one of the leading economic and technological giants in the world. Nigeria in the Human Poverty Index ranks 80th among 108 developing countries; meaning a lot of the masses in Nigeria are poor, deprived of health care and quality education and thus translate into low or no development. Also, Nigeria in the Human Development Index ranks 158th out of 177 countries showing that there is low life expectancy, adult literacy, purchasing power parity and enrollment at primary, secondary and tertiary level. Several results of various research points out the fact that all the factors mentioned above affect the value of human capital of a country and its development. And as such, all these factors need to be given the outmost importance in policy making. With the globalised economy becoming more competitive and advanced in terms of technology, Nigeria, a country with all that it needs to be on top should make the best use of what it has in order to have the best there is in this global economy.

Blood Justice :: essays research papers

How would you like to be accused of a crime and then be disenfranchised because of your race? Well this is what happened to Mark Charles Parker because he allegedly raped June Walters a pregnant white woman on February 23 1959. In Howard Smead’s historical nonfiction book Blood Justice he describes one of the most important investigations of a racist, motivated crime in the history of the United States. Blood Justice is about the killing of Mark Charles Parker and the investigation after his death. Mark Charles Parker was accused of the rape of June Walters which Occurred on March 1, 1959. R. Jess Brown a well-known African American lawyer represented Parker. On April 13th an all white grand jury indited Parker for rape and two counts of kidnapping. On April 17th Parker pleaded not guilty to each charge. Next Parker’s trial date was set for April 27th. Then Brown asked Judge Sebe Dale’s to drop the case because a black man was not on the grand jury. Brown did this because of a recent ruling made by the 5th U.S. circuit court of Appeals. The ruling stated that it was unconstitutional for a jury of an all white people to convict a black man. The ruling went on to say that one African American had to be on a jury when an African American was on trial. This defense tactic by Brown was a legally intelligent thing to do but this actually became the motive for the mob to kill Parker. On Friday April 24th J.P. Walker, Preacher Lee, Crip Reyer and L.C. Davis got into Reyer’s Oldsmobile and they took off on a mission to kill Mark Charles Parker. (3 other cars of men followed) They went to the courthouse/jail in Poplarville and they could not get in. So they went to Jewel Alford’s House (The jail keeper) to get the keys to the Jail. Alford went with the four men to the courthouse. When he got there he went in and down the hall to Sheriff Moody’s office and got the keys to the jail. He opened the door to the jail and Lee, Reyer, Davis, Walker followed Alford into the jail. Alford then opened Parkers cell and Lee and Davis pulled Parker out of the jail and courthouse to the Reyer's Oldsmobile. Alford then left and the men got into the car. The Oldsmobile sped away and the other cars followed.

Impact of Technology on Warfare :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Impact of Technology on Warfare Technology changes every day, sometimes the events in our life shape what new technology we use. You would have to be living in a hole not know that we are in conflict with Iraq, and this event has changed digital warfare. The U.S. army has come up with a digital warfare system called Army Battle Command System. This system can scan digital street maps, monitor enemy positions, zoom in on individual buildings through satellite imagery and download instructions from commanders. The Army Battle Command System has been but in to a hand full of Humvees in Iraq. This technology was originally designed for battlefield combat which was tanks and helicopters, but now they have found that it is much more useful for hunting rebel leaders and trailing street fighters. This new technology helps the commanding officers know what is going on by that they can be back at there command base and watch raids unfold on large screens and watch real time footage. This allows them to know what exactly what is taking place. The technology has allowed commanders to plan complicated raids and organize battle gear and hundreds of soldiers within two hours. At that speed , they say, it played an important part in capturing Saddam Hussein and other fugitives. One important element to the system is that each military vehicle is tracked by satellite and it appears as a moving blue icon on a computer screen inside these Humvees that have been equipped with the Army Battle Command System, this is important to the Humvee driver because now he is able to know where all tanks and other army vehicles are located and this is said to have helped reduce the amount of friendly fire incidents. Back before they had this technology the drivers would have to radio back to the command base and inform them on there location, â€Å"No longer do you have guys on a map putting little stickers where things are at, now it is digitally done. It allows commanders to move more rapidly, more decisively, more violently.† [1] A helpful feature that the Army Battle Command System has is a touch screen monitor which allows the officer to place icons on the map and have it appear on screens throughout the system which makes them able to show enemy position, possible ambush locations, fugitive hide outs and locations of newly found roadside bombs.

Essay --

Personal Statement My commitment and motivation to pursue master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy is based on the extensive experiences that I have gained in human services in the past 2 years. Since long I have always held the belief that the application of psychological principles has the power to positively impact society. And I especially believe in its power to help children cope with the stresses and events of everyday life. My own life is a testament to this belief. I have been interested in how behavior and thought processes affect lives. When I was fifteen, the demise of my father due to Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) triggered a myriad of questions about this disorder in my mind. And this led me to take a class in psychology in high school, where I was oriented with psychological disorders. I successfully completed my high school with an aggregate of 81%. Keeping with the incipient interest, I had opted for a Bachelors Degree in Applied Psychology at Delhi University. Over a span of three years, this course which was based on rigorous pedagogue exposed me to various aspects of psychology, which included general psychology, statistics, research methods, and clinical psychology to name a few. I have always been a consistent performer right from my school days. This is evident from my under graduation which ultimately lauded me first class degree with 66% (GPA-3.61), standing among the top three out of forty talented students in my course group . The charm of extending the frontiers of knowledge in rapidly growing field of psychology had induced in me an interest to pursue higher studies. To satiate this curiosity and to embark upon a rewarding career in this field, I considered going for post graduate study in Applied Psy... ...ocial functioning of vulnerable populations such as minorities and deprived children and families. Along with counseling and offering supportive services, I would also like to implement various enabling workshops, which will help equip disadvantaged individuals with better skills and develop positive self-esteem and self-responsibilities. I believe graduate work in marriage and family therapy from La Salle University will better train me for the challenges I will be facing in my country. As a student and future professional, I am determined by an ethical obligation to endeavor for excellence in my educational deeds. I look forward to the challenge of developing my past and future learning experiences in an application-based environment. Throughout my college and work experiences, I have developed the discipline necessary to achieve the requirements of this program.

Fracking: Water and Hydraulic Fracturing

Running head: FRACKING AND THE ENVIRONMENT The Effects of Hydraulic Fracturing and the Potential for Solutions Mark Hatcher ITT Technical Institute Full of beauty and bounty, for all who seek it, the dream of that new discovery or the find of a lifetime, awaits us whose desire is to have the plan that will fulfill a destiny, if we only work together and are determined to rise above the challenges to meet the aspiration.Those who believe and are willing to reach beyond normal capacity are most of the time able to accomplish the needs of the many, which in turn help further the cause for our existence and the anticipation of things to come. In doing so, many resources have been revealed fitting and useful over the course of time to assist us in our daily needs and social settings, allowing us the ability to sustain ourselves throughout history. However, as those resources grow smaller and our economy demands grow greater, we recognize the need to expand the search for other means of re conciliation to survive.In today’s economic struggle and political upheavals, we are ever so more seeking out new ways to take care of our own and retrieve new ways of self-dependence upon resources known to exist; only the means to extract are at hand. As most of us know, one of our most precious and well utilized resources to date is oil, black gold, which found far beneath the earth’s layers, in turn sent the Beverly Hillbillies to stardom. The need for oil and the byproducts that come from it are in great need and the costs are rising daily.Our requirement to ascertain this product has caused some concern and revealed the necessity to seek out new ways of locating this liquid assurance, for meeting our future demands. Although, there may be many ways of retrieving this from beneath the many depths of the earth, there has only been one way, truly effective for reaching areas untouched by normal means, which has become the center cause of debate in recent years. I wi ll, through the use of various reports and studies bring forth analysis and discovery that highlights the use of hydraulic fracturing and the effects hat seem to shadow over this seemingly burdened tactic of extraction. Before immersing ourselves in the myriad of reports, studies, and personal accounts concerning the results of this approach, we should understand what hydraulic fracturing is and the process it takes. Understanding the process, through which this approach is considered, we will be able to seize what the issues are and the potential for ushering in an agreement to a solution. We must first recognize what shale is and what it offers. Is this the answer to our economic future and interdependence on oil?Shale is a very compacted rock with fine sediment that is found to be with a large amount of minerals and other resources. â€Å"Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich resources of petroleum and natural gas. Sedimentary rocks are rocks formed by the a ccumulation of sediments at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Common sedimentary rocks include sandstone, limestone, and shale† (ShaleTech Shale Training and Education Center, 1995). We know that there are many resources we can extract from this area and the plays will require a unique technique to draw the required material out.Plays are noted to be spread out, throughout the United States and furthermore, the other side of the great pond is known to have several locations found to be worthy of the dig. â€Å"Shale gas maps show â€Å"plays† are found throughout the Mountain West, the South and throughout the Northeast's Appalachian Basin. The Barnett shale play in Texas, for example, is 5,000 square miles and provides 6 percent of U. S. natural gas. The Marcellus shale play that stretches across Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia covers ten times the square miles of the Barnett, but has only recently started to be developed† (EnergyFro mShale, 2012).There is much to do, in order to gain access to much of the plays that have yet to be discovered. As we progress in the direction of needed acceptance, we must consider the reasoning behind the need for access and what implications it may bring. â€Å"The U. S. Energy and Information Administration (EIA) reports that over 750 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable shale gas and 24 billion barrels of technically recoverable shale oil resources in discovered shale plays exist† (EnergyFromShale, 2012). This knowledge should propel us to continue to esearch necessary ways of extracting such a rich resource. However, within the last 50 years, there has been a means of retrieving this valuable resource for our future existence and economic progress. This activity has been possible through the actions of many drilling companies by the use of hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is a unique way to obtain the oil reserves by drilling in a horizontal pattern and gaining access to those many billion barrels of oil and natural gas waiting to be released.First, we must completely understand what hydraulic fracturing is and what it represents to the public. â€Å"Hydraulic fracturing is the process of drilling for natural gas and oil underneath the ground. Water mixed with other  components is pumped into the ground to create cracks (also referred to as fissures or fractures) to release the gas into wells that have been built for collection† (WhatIsFracking, 2013). As the fog of understanding is slowly starting to lift, we again have to understand that there is a process, in which this occurs and will be noted in later pages, as to the affects of this procedure.Note that this has not gone on for such a period, as to not be studied and time given to organizing the pros and cons of this operation. In order to gain access to the far reaches of the plays that holds the resource, the utilization of various fluids and sand is used in th e process. It is vital to comprehend the need for monitoring the steps, as they occur and the overall engagement of the wells development. Steps are established, for this must have a great deal of regulatory involvement, while the entire flood of activity occurs. Water, sand and additives are mixed at the surface and pumped at high pressures down the wellbore. The fracturing fluid flows through the perforated sections of the wellbore and into the surrounding formation, fracturing it while carrying sand or proppants into the cracks to hold them open. Experts continually monitor pressures and fluid properties during the process, and adjust operations as necessary. This process is typically completed in multiple sections of the wellbore, commonly referred to as stages.Typically stages are isolated using a plug to allow energy or pressure to be applied to a smaller portion of the formation to help maximize the fractures created in the target formation. The plugs are removed from the wel lbore and the well’s pressure is reduced during the flowback process, leaving the sand in place to prop open the cracks and allow natural gas and oil to flow. Naturally occurring produced water, collected during the flowback process and throughout the life of the well, is properly disposed of or treated and re-used in the next hydraulic fracturing operation† (Chesapeake Energy, 2013).As the process dictates, it is very in-depth and must have an enormous amount of oversight, in order to accommodate the issues that may arise during any given point. Now that we have a clearer picture of the process, we should learn of the historical track that played out, in the early days. The first recorded effort to gain access to the plays that hold the natural gas and oil deposits was in the year 1947 by Pan American Petroleum Corp. This was noted as being a test platform, in which there was to be hydraulic fracturing compared directly with acidizing.This well, located in Grant County , Kansas, home of the Hugoton field Kelpper Well No. 1, was used as a tool for simulation productivity of oil and natural gas wells (Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2012). As time progressed, it became more and more popular, as a greater amount of drilling companies began to see the possibilities and growth potential in this process. Now we find ourselves faced with several years of activity and lessons learned to cope with, from various issues that have found their way to the open public.After many years of hydraulic fracturing and the horizontal drilling effort, there have been noted disruptions by what has been occurring through the need to extract methane from the shale rock. Therefore, further analysis is necessary to investigate the potential cause of all the reports being tethered through local, state, and the federal governments. The impact of this drilling weighs heavily on the residents that are local to the drilling process.The concerns stem from the possibility of contam ination that may be chiefly caused by the various fluids that are transferred through the well system, in order for the fracturing process to transpire. There is great concern that life threatening incidents may be a great risk to the area being fracked. With this issue and many others on the horizon, the Environmental Protection Agency has been very inclusive in all the debate. Through many regulatory policies and formal laws, there have been continued discussions, in regards to hydraulic fracturing.Before we discuss the major policies that have been implemented, it is necessary to bring about the detailed issues that have raised such awareness. An astronomical amount of reports had perforated the airways and given some reason for there to be fear in most of the residents’ eyes, when it could affect their very living conditions and livelihoods. â€Å"Areas of concern include perceived lack of transparency, potential chemical contamination, water availability, waste water di sposal, and impacts on ecosystems, human health and surrounding areas† (University of Michigan, 2012).The potential for there to be a complete downfall of an industry that had found an answer to locating and retrieving the well needed resource was now at the forefront of controversy and having to prove its place in this progressive economy. The report would continue to show the prospects of being an enormous loss to the residents of Michigan. â€Å"Hydraulic fracturing has the potential to touch issues that virtually all Michigan residents care about: drinking water, air quality, Great Lakes health, water supply, local land use, energy security, economic growth, tourism and natural resource protection,† Hoffman said. In the end, our goal is to provide valuable insights and information to help address these important and legitimate concerns here in the Great Lakes State† (University of Michigan, 2012). The reports would not stop here, they would continue around the nation. â€Å"A U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) report found traces of methane, ethane and phenol in a monitoring well in rural Pavillion, Wyo. , where residents say fracking has contaminated their drinking water† (Colman, 2012). As noted, this was going to be a continual issue, needing mitigation and regulation by an appropriate authority.Along with this report came other stories, following the same circumstances and leading to the same conclusions. At this point there needed to be an in-depth study to completely comprehend the issues that have drawn so much limelight and bring about a report that would lead to the needed answers and come to some final conclusions. This is where the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Interior (DOI) came together in an multi-agency agreement to work toward efforts to engage this potential problem. In March 2011, the White House released a â€Å"Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future† (Blueprint) –a comprehensive plan to reduce America's oil dependence, save consumers money, and make our country the leader in clean energy industries. The Blueprint supports the responsible development of the Nation's oil and natural gas, with the specific goals of promoting safe practices and reducing energy imports. The Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of the Interior (DOL), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) each will have a critical role to play in this mission† (Majumdar, A. Hayes, D. J. , Perciasepe, B. , 2012). Marching orders were therefore given to the multi-agency force and each would take measures, as to not go into redundancy and use each other’s fields of expertise and resolve conflicts, as they arose. As the EPA will continue to work in a multi-agency capacity to continue learning answers from their in-depth study, it is important to know that they did do an earlier study in 2004 on underground sourc es of drinking water, as it referred to hydraulic fracturing.While the main portion of the fracturing is conducted in a particular place, many of the other sections of vertical and horizontal well sections may be set up over several thousands of feet away. â€Å"Fluids, commonly made up of water and chemical additives, are pumped into a geologic formation at high pressure during hydraulic fracturing. When the pressure exceeds the rock strength, the fluids open or enlarge fractures that can extend several hundred feet away from the well.After the fractures are created, a propping agent is pumped into the fractures to keep them from closing when the pumping pressure is released. After fracturing is completed, the internal pressure of the geologic formation cause the injected fracturing fluids to rise to the surface where it may be stored in tanks or pits prior to disposal or recycling. Recovered fracturing fluids are referred to as flowback. Disposal options for flowback include disc harge into surface water or underground injection.Surface water discharges of the flowback  are regulated by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, which requires flowback  to  be  treated prior to discharge into surface water or underground injection prior to discharge. Treatment is typically performed by wastewater treatment facilities. Underground injection of flowback is regulated by either EPA Underground Injection Control (UIC) program or a state with primary UIC enforcement authority. Injection of natural gas production wastes would be considered a Class II injection well† (Environmental Protection Agency, 2012).As seen, there are restrictions in place to prevent any issues with contaminants from ground water penetration. Even with these restrictions in place, there are clear indicators that there is a more graphic understanding what is coming out, as a result of fluids being pressurized through the system. â€Å"Along with the int roduced chemicals, hydrofrac water is in close contact with the rock during the course of the stimulation treatment, and when recovered may contain a variety of formation materials, including brines, heavy metals, radionuclides, and organics that can make wastewater treatment difficult and expensive.The formation brines often contain relatively high concentrations of sodium, chloride, bromide, and other inorganic constituents, such as arsenic, barium, other heavy metals, and radionuclides that significantly exceed drinking water standards† (danps, 2011). There needs to be a very serious conversation of how this is cleaned up and an answer, as to whether it is enough. There is clearly a lot of work put into the actual cleaning of the ground water, prior to the actual point, in which we, as citizens are able to partake of the needed substance for consumption. No matter how clean it is when you actually consume it, the process of getting to it is unbelievably dirty. Even the USGS acknowledges as much: â€Å"While the technology of drilling directional boreholes and the use of sophisticated hydraulic fracturing processes to extract gas resources from tight rock have improved over the past few decades, the knowledge of how this extraction might affect water resources has not kept pace† (danps, 2011). This is only one aspect of where this all goes.So many other areas of research are in need, to better understand the process, in which the fracturing is utilized. Further research was conducted and it was through the use of several interviews and questioning of a myriad of employees from various locations, concerning the extraction of Coal Bed Methane† (CBM). EPA researched more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, interviewed approximately 50 employees from industry and state or local government agencies, and communicated with approximately 40 citizens and groups who are concerned that CBM production ffected their drinking water wells† (United States Environmental Agency, 2004). After the many reviews and interviews conducted, the EPA came to some conclusions and presented them in chapter 7 of this current report. â€Å"Hydraulic fracturing may have increased or have the potential to increase the communication between coal seams and adjacent formations in some instances. For example, in the Raton Basin, some fracturing treatments resulted in higher than expected withdrawal rates for production water.Those increases, according to literature published by the Colorado Geologic Survey, may be due to well stimulations creating a connection between targeted coal seams and an adjacent sandstone aquifer (Hemborg, 1998). In the Powder River Basin, concerns over the creation of such a hydraulic connection are cited as one reason why hydraulic fracturing of coalbed methane reservoirs is not widely practiced in the region. Some studies that allow direct observation of fractures (i. . , mined-through studies) also provided evidence that fractures move through interbedded layers, sometimes taking a stair-step path way through complex fracture systems, and sometimes enter or propagate through geologic strata above the coal† (United States Environmental Agency, 2004). The EPA finished out their report with concluding comments that were found to be not as alerting than what might have been expected. Based on the information collected and reviewed, EPA has concluded that the injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids into coalbed methane wells poses little or no threat to USDWs and does not justify additional study at this time. Although potentially hazardous chemicals may be introduced into USDWs when fracturing fluids are injected into coal seams that lie within USDWs, the risk posed to USDWs by introduction of these chemicals is reduced significantly by groundwater production and injected fluid recovery, combined with the mitigating effects of dilution and dispersion, adsorption, and potentially biodegradati on.Additionally, EPA has reached an agreement with the major service companies to voluntarily eliminate diesel fuel from hydraulic fracturing fluids that are injected directly into USDWs for coalbed methane production† (United States Environmental Agency, 2004). Several other reports came into sight, throughout the country concerning the use of hydraulic fracking and the potential for impacting, not only the land, but the economy for a given area, as well. Reports stemming from a community that namely has an array of vineyards for the production of wine, have thrown a red flag of concern over the entire region.This rise of apprehension over their displeasure of drilling companies simply ushering themselves in and going to work on their well, without concern for the nearby residents and their land. The mounting anxiety over this issue has occurred from the noticeable problematic reports of events that literally sprang up in the area. â€Å"This past June, a methane geyser was found in Pennsylvania’s Tioga County. Yes, a geyser — shooting methane-infused water 30 feet up in the air.Once the geyser was discovered, the county immediately turned to Shell, which was drilling in three nearby locations. Shell and the Department of Environmental Protection began investigating, and it was correctly suspected that an abandoned well from the 1930s contributed to the problem† (Figueroa, 2012). This, being an erroneous event was later found to be an old existing well from the 1030s, where the fluid from a nearby well, being hydraulically fractured, leaked over near the old well and burst up through it, creating the 30 foot geyser.There too, have been issues regarding the location of the wells near vineyards and the potential for disruption in the soil content and an economical impact, for the soil is worked to contain the right content for growing the vines for the fine wine. As well, if the land soil is tainted, there is a possibility of an econo mic suffering from the loss of profit if tastes change and are possibly contaminated. â€Å"Vineyard owners in California are  growing increasingly wary  of fracking as gas companies begin preliminary operations. Venoco has started exploring Monterey Shale for both oil and gas drilling.Last year, the company filed an application for drilling permits in Monterey County, according to Simon Salinas, a member of the county’s Board of Supervisors, and it already holds hundreds of thousands of acres in the formation has drilled more than 20 wells and has invested $100 million in oil exploration. With vineyards and farmlands covering 200,000 acres of Monterey that help make up an $8 billion agricultural business, Salinas told the  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, â€Å"Anything that can taint our water and food supply could be devastating to our economy† (Figueroa, 2012).Reports even go deeper than this, where there are believed to be detrimental damage and even death to anima ls that are near any wells in the area. It may be a reality as more and more livestock are raised near fracking sites. Hundreds of animals have already been  affected  after coming into contact with fracking fluid. â€Å"Last year, 28 beef cattle in Pennsylvania were exposed to the fluid. Only three of the 11 calves these cattle gave birth to survived. In Louisiana a few years ago, 16 cows dropped  dead  after drinking fracking fluid† (Figueroa, 2012).These are all alarming reports and individuals that are in the area have every reason to be upset and concerned over the events taking place. The question is, does this warrant further investigation or simply better legislation to control the problem or the potential, there of? As all of this sounds incredibly scary and one may ask the whereabouts of such legislation, it is understood that all the problems that have come about, are those that have mostly to do with water and how it affects surrounding land and the owners .This, being the case is under the written regulations of the Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA) Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program. The UIC program has developed certain guidelines for all involved with the use of a fluid injection process to extract the shale oil and natural gas that is so plentiful, throughout our region. The guideline begins the use of diesel fuel for the injection process, in the following statement: â€Å"EPA has developed draft Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class II permitting guidance for oil and gas hydraulic fracturing activities using diesel fuels.This document describes information useful in permitting the underground injection of oil- and gas-related hydraulic fracturing using diesel fuels where EPA is the permitting authority. EPA's goal is to improve compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements and strengthen environmental protections consistent with existing law† (United States Environmental Agency, 2012). There i s further guidance, in regards to the injection of possible contaminants that may affect ground water supplies, as dictated by the process from hydraulic fracturing.Through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which is authorized by the Clean Water Act, the following claim states, â€Å"industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters† (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2009). Until further guidance comes out of the primary study, presently occurring, there seems to be a number of statutes in place to maintain a great deal of oversight and must be used to maintain what has continued to draw an enormous amount of controversy and surely will continue throughout the course of the process.The new study is to take a look at the vastness of what water goes through, during the hydraulic fracturing process. This being the call from congress, for the EPA to utilize its resources to re ad deep into the full cycle, in which the water passes, as it is used in the extraction of oil and natural gas from the shale plays. â€Å"At the request of Congress, EPA is conducting a study to better understand any potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water and ground water.The scope of the research includes the full lifespan of water in hydraulic fracturing, in regards to five primary points; the plan to study the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources, an approach to the science, quality assurance ; integrity, a peer review, and the transparency of the practice† (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). The complete final report will not be made available until 2014, where it will be made public for review and comment.Before this final report makes its way to the public, the EPA has issued an official progress report and has detailed the path that the study will go, as far as, how it will attain complete unders tanding of the process that water takes through the lifespan of hydraulic fracturing. The EPA is using computer model to match the conditions, in which the water travels through hydraulic fracturing. It will be identified through hypothetical and realistic scenarios, by which water acquisition, well injection, and wastewater treatment and waste disposal stages of the water cycle are identified and given fair study and representation.All of this is being addressed as it relates to the Upper Colorado River Basin in the west and the Susquehanna River Basin in the east (US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development Washington, DC, 2012). While it has been thoroughly discussed, as to the potential causes of awareness and a reason for alert, it is paramount that we discuss the hopeful answer to the issues that have been raised. There may be a possible olution, regarding the practice of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling; it may simply be an overall accept ance, until regulations can be the agreeable key to a solid outcome of this environmental squeeze on reality. Before we get to a proposed solution to the mind raking issues that have plagued this storyline, there is a cost to all of this and a place to put the responsibility on the shoulders of the bearers to this environmental struggle for clarity.With fracking, being a well spread operation and bringing with it a toll of polluted areas, such as water, air, and torn up land across the nation, we are faced with the need to not only find resolution to this growing land grievance, but we need to recognize that there must be a means of restoration to the areas effected and the costs associated, dealt with during the process. Let it be known there is a high price tag in pursuing a cleanup and hopeful reversal of the damage done by the fracturing. Methane contamination of well water poses a risk of explosion and is often addressed by removing it from water at the point of use. In Dimock, Pennsylvania, Cabot Oil ; Gas reported having spent $109,000 on methane removal systems for 14 local households in the wake of drilling-related ethane contamination of local groundwater supplies. In addition, the company spent $10,000 on new or extended vent stacks to prevent the build-up of methane gas in 17 residents’ homes.Such measures do not remove methane from groundwater supplies, but merely eliminate the immediate threat to residents’ homes† (Tony Dutzik and Elizabeth Ridlington, Frontier Group John Rumpler, Environment America Research ; Policy Center, 2012). However, water is not the only issue that is under the gun, there is also the effect that each fracking site has on the air surrounding it. The air we breathe highly contributes to the health of all those associated with residency in the area of drilling. A 2004 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) document, referring to the work of a Federal roundtable on environmental cleanup technologies, estim ated the cost of air sparging at $150,000 to $350,000 per acre. Adjusting for inflation, and assuming that the extent of the seep was correctly estimated by Encana at 1. 3 acres, one could estimate the cost of the sparging operation in 2012 dollars at $248,000 to $579,000. In addition, as of May 2012, Encana and its contractors had collected more than 1,300 water samples since the seep began. Again, the cost of this sampling and testing is unknown, but could e conservatively estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Cabot Oil ; Gas, for example, incurred $700,000 in water testing expenses in the wake of concerns about groundwater contamination from a fracking well in Dimock, Pennsylvania† (Tony Dutzik and Elizabeth Ridlington, Frontier Group John Rumpler, Environment America Research ; Policy Center, 2012). In order for the companies out there that are working toward reducing the amount of pollution coming from fracking, they are looking at a high rate of dollars to keep it at a minimum. The clearance of forest land in Pennsylvania for fracking is projected to lead to increased delivery of nutrient pollution to the Chesapeake Bay, which already suffers from a vast nutrient-generated dead zone. The cost of reducing the same amount of pollution as could be generated by fracking would be approximately $1. 5 million to $4 million per year† (PennEnvironment Research ; Policy Center, 2012). It is important, not only to understand what it takes to cleanup at an actual location, but the cost incurred through repairing the lanes to the site, because of the variety equipment and how it damages the roadways. The truck traffic needed to deliver water to a single fracking well causes as much damage to local roads as nearly 3. 5 million car trips. The state of Texas has approved $40 million in funding for road repairs in the Barnett Shale region, while Pennsylvania estimated in 2010 that $265 million would be needed to repair damaged roads in the Marc ellus Shale region† (PennEnvironment Research ; Policy Center, 2012). Infrastructure is important to have an ability to get to the site and out of the site safely, however there is a cost, when it comes to the other friends of our environment. Fracking has several negative impacts on farms, including the loss of livestock due to exposure to spills of fracking wastewater, increased difficulty in obtaining water supplies for farming, and potential conflicts with organic agriculture. In Pennsylvania, the five counties with the heaviest Marcellus Shale drilling activity saw an 18. 5 percent reduction in milk production between 2007 and 2010† (PennEnvironment Research ; Policy Center, 2012). This, being only one part of the issue, we also must consider the other end of the animal kingdom, our wildlife in the wilderness. Gas operations in Wyoming have fragmented key habitat for mule deer and pronghorn, which are important draws for the state’s $340 million hunting and w ildlife watching industries. The mule deer population in one area undergoing extensive gas extraction dropped by 56 percent between 2001 and 2010† (PennEnvironment Research ; Policy Center, 2012). In this great land of ours, we are living in a generation that now must deal with a new healthcare system and be able to still afford the normal living expenses that come our way.With healthcare cost rising and now the fight for the issues that have been rising over the industrialization of our resource gathering techniques, we are at the foothills and must climb up and rise above the extraneous costs that come from this means of extraction. â€Å"Drinking water contamination:   In Dimock, Pennsylvania, permanently replacing residents’ contaminated drinking water with a new source was estimated at more than $11 million and health costs from air pollution:   in Arkansas’ Fayetteville Shale region, air pollution from fracking operations impose health costs estimated at $9. million in one year. In Texas’ Barnett Shale region, those costs reach $270,000 per day during the summer smog season† (Environment America, 2012). This now seems, as though it is not going anywhere anytime soon, so where is a possible solution to this environmental peril we find ourselves in? Is there an answer? Or are we destined to sit and wait for an answer that may never come. Now, we find ourselves staring at a withering wilderness without any better days likely to come over this industrialized beat down.Now that there is a more comprehensive understanding of what fracking is all about and the impact it has on the environment directly and indirectly, through the social health issues, we must be able to curtail what is being identified as hazardous and stop it in its tracks. In order for this to occur, shouldn’t there be a means of determining the location of where the fracking fluid is mostly traveling, so we can diffuse the situation and potentially protect the surrounding regions from contamination and the spread of this devastating spiral of events.Having a way to track where the fluid travels is one of the possible solutions to keeping the public safe from the probability of causing more harm among our citizens. â€Å"Currently, there is little courts can do to determine the truth of claims that fracking contaminates waterways. One popular suggestion, proposed by many stakeholders and creative scientists, is to include some type of tracer device, such as a color or a chemical, to follow fracking fluids through the environment.This solution wouldn’t track the leaching of natural gas through old mines or fissures, but it would help companies, overseers, and policy-makers understand how chemicals flow deep underground, especially when multiple companies are drilling in one area. Such tracers would hold companies accountable to the environment, to landowners, and to stakeholders† (Lamers, 2012). The question is, w ould this continue to add to the already polluted scene, or would it meet a solution to have a better understanding, as to the route this fluid seems to take to contaminate our groundwater systems?We also may have an opportunity to set stricter laws, as to the actual location of these wells, in relation to it being positioned within residential areas. â€Å"Policies and recommendations vary widely about how close shale gas sites should be to lakes, rivers, ponds, houses, wetlands and protected areas. As many counties and states begin to lease or sell land, drill sites are beginning to cross into state or county parks and pass into or through rivers and streams† (Lamers, 2012).Having the ability to force drilling companies to be at a particular range from any residential or other protected area would be a promising solution to creating safer barriers for the general population and individual wildlife areas to be safe from the untidiness of a fracking site. While we look for th e government to come up with more legalistic approaches to this devastating thorn under the environments skin, maybe the answer is more profound and can be drawn from unique sources, rather than a traditional loom. â€Å"Most of the water used to free the gas and oil is trapped underground.But a new option is to swap water for propane gas, which is then recaptured as it escapes from the earth. Canadian company GasFrac Energy Services is already employing propane instead of water. A single fracking job can use between two million and six million gallons of water while most of that water remains underground, the fluid that does return to the surface has to be disposed of as contaminated wastewater† (Stone, 2011). Another approach is found to be one of the greenest found, to date. Not only is the amount of water being reduced, but the solution involves utilizing a biodegradable source to accomplish a safe means of eusing this product. â€Å"Houston-based oil field supplier Flot ek Industries has found another solution that replaces traditional chemicals with extract from orange peels, turning the conventional mixture of water and toxins into a biodegradable blend† (Stone, 2011). This idea opens up a whole new scheme in the desire to continue our search for self sustainment and future drilling opportunities. However, it is not the only solution to hit the community, as there has been something stirred up in the Halliburton camp with the utilization of solar panels and electricity making its way to the oil fields. Halliburton calls its two-year-old solar-powered invention the SandCastle. It has rolled out dozens of SandCastles in the U. S. By replacing diesel engines to move sand from the trailers, Halliburton estimates the devices have saved 950,000 gallons of diesel and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 20 million pounds in the first nine months of 2012. Halliburton and the other three largest oil-field service providers spent $2. 04 billion on res earch and development in 2011, up 32 percent from two years earlier. Some of that went to finding ways to make fracking more eco-friendly.Other green-leaning players include Chesapeake Energy (CHK) and General Electric (GE), as well as oil-patch interlopers such as Verenium (VRNM), a biotech concern, and Ecologix Environmental Systems, which makes wastewater-treatment systems† (Wethe, 2012). What does all of this mean? It simply means that drilling companies are seeing the need to make changes to the way they conduct business, so as it does not interfere with our environment anymore. It means that we can no longer stand by, as residents of this great land of ours and simply be good with how they conduct their business.It means that, we the people of this beautiful landscape we call planet earth, have a voice and will be heard. It means, as long as we celebrate our land together as citizens, we have the aptitude to develop the means necessary, to guide the direction, in which w e will continue to move forward. As mentioned at the beginning of this paper, we will continue to dream of that new discovery, launching us into a new direction. We are a people of continuous change and workmanship; we will find a way forward. We’re a people that will come together and meet the need of our mother earth. References Chesapeake Energy. 2013). Hydraulic fracturing facts. Retrieved from http://www. hydraulicfracturing. com/Process/Pages/information. aspx danps, (2011, April 30). The high cost of fracking – and the movement against it. 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Evaluation of impacts to underground sources of drinking water by hydraulic fracturing of coalbed methane reservoirs . Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/ogwdw/uic/pdfs/cbmstudy_attach_uic_ch02_methodology. pdf United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2012, May 9). Hydraulic fracturing background information. Retrieved from http://water. epa. gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulic fracturing/wells_hydrowhat. fm United States Environmental Agency, (2012, September 6). Hydraulic fracturing under the safe drinking water act. Retrieved from http://water. epa. gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/hydraulic- fracturing. cfm United States Environmental Protection Agency, (2012, February 14). Study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources: Progress report. Retrieved from http://epa. gov/hfstudy/ US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development Washington, DC, (2012, December ). Study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources progress report.Retrieved from http://epa. gov/hfstudy/pdfs/hf-report20121214. pdf University of Michigan. (2012, November 29). Fracking: Researchers study potential impact on health, environment, economy. Retrieved from http://www. labspaces. net/125572/Fracking__Researchers_study_potential_impa ct_on_health__environment__economy Wethe, D. (2012, November 29). For fracking, it's getting easier being green. Retrieved from http://www. businessweek. com/articles/20 12-11-29/for-fracking-its-getting- easier-being-green WhatIsFracking, (2013, ). What is hydraulic fracturing?. Retrieved from http://www. what- is-fracking. com/what-is-hydraulic-fracturing/