Leadership styles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership styles - Research Paper Example Their ability to perform the aforementioned things relies on the leadership style adopted. Thus, at any time the leader or the manager should employ these styles. An important issue arises and this will be subject in this paper, how are the managers capable of altering their leadership styles (as described in situational leadership theory) to communicate and motivate the employees. There are four leadership styles (the selling or coaching style, the participating or supporting style, the telling or directing style, and the delegating style) and each style will be discussed in detail and applied in the case of General Electric. Specifically, the paper will explore the leadership style of Jeff Immelt, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Electric. General Electric is among many companies that have excelled in their leadership styles. The leadership style employed has been used as a benchmark for most organizations and companies. It is noted that the four leadership styles are c rucial for the success or failure of a company. As seen in General Electric case, a leader or a manager can apply all the four leadership styles to steer the organization. However, there is a tendency to use one leadership style more than the others are. General Electric In 1876, in Menlo Park, New Jersey, Thomas Alva Edison opened a laboratory where he could discover the prospects of the dynamo and other electrical tools or devices that he had realized in the exposition. By the year 1890, Edison launched the Edison General Electric Company by merging his various businesses. At the same time, a competitor appeared, the Thomson-Houston Company. Thomson-Houston Company became the principal electrical company through a series of unions or mergers led by Charles A. Coffin (General Electric Company, 2012). As the businesses grew, it became very difficult for either of the company to generate complete electrical installations depending entirely on their own technologies and patents. The t wo companies merged in the year 1892, and the new organization was called the General Electric Company. A number of Edison’s initial business offerings are still a portion of General Electric (GE) today and they include transportation, power transmission, medical equipment, industrial products, and lighting. The initial GE Appliances electric fans were generated at the Ft. Wayne electric works in the early 1890s. Full line of cooking and heating devices was first produced in 1907(General Electric Company, 2012). The GE Aircraft Engines started its operations in 1917 when the United States government started its search for a company that could produce the first airplane booster. Edison’s experiments with plastic filaments for the light bulbs started in 1893 and this led to the creation of the GE Plastics department in 1930. The General Electric leaders over the years have created a diverse portfolio of prominent businesses;a series of dominant company-wide initiatives t hat reduces cost and drives growth; Controllership and financial strength that permit it capitalize on openings through several cycles; and a collection of common values which permit it to face every environment with confidence(General Electric Company, 2012). Analysis The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model illustrates the relation between the willingness of the followers and leadership style based on relationship and task behaviors of leaders.

Week 2 Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 2 Journal - Essay Example The arguments of the Republicans have merits, but I think the problem is how Boehner is representing the bill—he is largely representing the Republican Party. As stated in the article, he should represent the entire House, not only the Republicans (Fresno para 5). Nevertheless, based on the arguments presented in the article, it seems highly likely that the immigration reform bill will get enough votes in the House floor. On the other hand, in California, as reported in the article California Makes Strides on Immigration Reform, the issue on undocumented immigrants has been partly settled. The Legislature acknowledged the importance of undocumented immigrants to the society, and argued how vital it is to integrate them to the society (SFGate para 1-2). Undocumented immigrants have been a part of the American society for so long and whether we like it or not, they have already contributed to the nation’s growth, or, perhaps to its problems. It is time to grant them certain privileges that would still take into consideration the opinion of the American citizens. After all, the position of undocumented immigrants is still controversial and needs further consideration. The decision to award undocumented immigrants with a ‘driver’s privilege’ instead of a ‘driver’s license’ (SFGate para 4), I believe, is a smart move since it remains questionable whether they should be eligible for public benefits. Nevertheless, in a nutshell, it is apparent that the Legislature has recognized the continuous change in demographics and the importance of coping with these changes. In the meantime, I believe that the planned 700 more miles of fencing along the southwest U.S. border is not the answer to illegal immigration (Connor para 1). I think that instead of suppressing the presence of undocumented immigrants we should implement measures that will inform these illegal immigrants that their status is still

Course Work 1 case summary and report Coursework

Course Work 1 case summary and report - Coursework Example The summery presents a court case on assisted murder. The summery has a number of mistakes that lead to reduced clarity. There are errors associated with grammar mistakes such as wrongly spelt words, unclear phrases, wrong punctuations, and wrong use of words. The summery does not consider the use of law or court language. Again, it is a bit unclear on the court ruling given that the summery only indicate five court ruling without any informed conclusion. Grammar Errors A number of words are wrongly spelt or their use brings unintended meaning. Misspelled words include euthanasia, in the first paragraph, defense in the second paragraph, parliament in the third paragraph, un-proportionate in the fourth paragraph, forcibility, Switzerland, and foresee in paragraph six. The word â€Å"weather† is used in paragraphs two and four to imply â€Å"whether.† Unclear Phrases/Sentences and wrong punctuations The summery has some unclear phrases and sentences whose usage makes it d ifficult to understand the summery. A phrase like, â€Å"The applicants were really badly disabled,† is incorrect since it uses two adverbs to show the degree of disability. At most one adverb had to be used. A case like, â€Å"So what the Court had to decide was whether there was†¦,† is not clear in terms of whether the court was supposed to do so or it was exactly what the court did. The sentence should be, â€Å"The Court decided on whether there was†¦,† The summery has other related cases of poor sentence structures, and poor punctuations (Summary of R. V. Nicholson , 2013). Use of Law Language The summery depicts a court case but makes use of only a few words that create an impression of a court ruling. Instead of using words like â€Å"brought† to imply the case opening, the words, â€Å"†¦presented before the court†¦,† could have been used. The summery also avoids the use of court case word such as plaintiffs, defendants, accused, prosecutor, charge, and offense among others. Such worlds bring in a court mood. Again, there is no conclusion on the court ruling. The court only breaks the case into five offenses but there is no aspects like a conclusion on the charges placed on the offenders. Corrections to such mistakes would make the summery clear and more understandable. Case Summery of RV Nicholson The case was presented before the Court of Appeal on July 31, 2013 by Nicholson alongside other plaintiffs. This happened after a decision about assisted suicide case and euthanasia was made by the European Court of Justice. In the case, it was claimed that the applicants were completely disabled and thus they could hardly commit suicide without assistance. The case was ruled under Section 2 of the Suicide Act 2010, which says that it is unlawful to assist a person in committing suicide. Based on the Act, it was held that the accused (the assistants of the suicides) were guilty of murder. Again, the FPP provided orders on when the accused would be prosecuted. Such an advice was provided with respect to the Purdy v United Kingdom case of 2010. AC45. The court ruling was open for the accused to defend themselves by clarifying their defense side. The court wanted clarifications on whether there were any defense attempts by the disabled individuals. The court further held that the accused did not observe Article 8 of Human Rights Act 1950. This

Canadian National Health Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Canadian National Health Plan - Assignment Example In carrying out the above research, it would require the researcher to analyze the two health plans in terms of coverage, care, and choice of doctors, an analysis that requires an understanding of the human behavior (Monette, Sullivan and Dejong 125). According to August Comte, the French philosopher whose ideas form the basis of the approach, true knowledge can be obtained by experiment and observation and is based on experiences of the senses. Positivist thinkers use this research approach as a way of generating knowledge, so it has to be understood within the framework of the assumptions and principles of science. All the knowledge available to humans came from positive information of experience that can be observed. One disadvantage of social research is that it is difficult to obtain repeatable and solid results as human beings are variable and complex species, thus leaving the positivist approach as the one best suited. Positivism roots lie in empiricism that works with facts that can be observed only. Its basic principle is that all knowledge that can be classified as facts is based on the positive information obtained from experience that can be observed (Monette, Sullivan and Dejong

U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Role in Combatting Research Paper

U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Role in Combatting Cybersecurity - Research Paper Example While comparing the present cyber war towards the reactive US approach nation’s major wars i.e. WWII or War on Terror, considerable changes in the same can be apparently observed. One of such changes can be ascertained in secret services along with information operations. In this present day context, these particular aspects became quite modernized as compared to the earlier years due to rapid technological advancements (Geers 9-158). The Criticalness of Cyber Security and DHSs National Role W/Obama Quote. On 12th February 2013, Obama passed an order to enhance the critical infrastructure of cyber security in the US. This order passed by Obama supported in building, developing as well as maintaining public-private relationships with other partners and operators to create risk based cyber security system by sharing different information. According to Obama, the role of cyber security and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is to improve the infrastructure of the framework of cyber security by transferring the required information related to the protection of cyber threats and following proper guidelines as well as rules (Waltzman, Giancarlo and Webb 1-4). This research paper intends to explain the responsibility of securing the nations and determine the infrastructure of cyberspace that can restrict in facing cyber threats or attacks on business and governmental policies. Apart from this, the research paper laid utmost focus on revealing the fact that the Department of Homeland Security must prioritize cybersecurity for ensuring the integrity of different nations, civilian and government networks as per the desired level. The research paper also deals with assessing the roles played by the Department of Homeland Security in the domain of cybersecurity. To address the above discussed aspects, the following objectives need to be attained: Comparison of Internal to External Threats (Government Accountability Office

Evaluate the Possible Ways to Market a New Business Essay Example for Free

Evaluate the Possible Ways to Market a New Business Essay For my business studies coursework, my new business will be a Junior Tennis Academy for talented tennis players aged 3-18. Its name will be named after where it is based, at St Georges College, Weybridge. Therefore its name will be The Weybridge Tennis Academy. It will provide top coaching for young talent, as well as providing state of the art facilities which include four indoor tennis courts, three artificial clay, eight acrylic and three grass courts, as well as a gym where the players can train to help get fitter and stronger to help give them that physical edge over their competitors. We offer these services because tournaments are played on many different surfaces and we need to train our players to the highest possible standard. We also offer a re-stringing service at extremely competitive prices as well as official Weybridge Tennis Academy merchandise supplied by a top sports company, which is available for purchase at a discounted price. These facilities will help the business because Tennis Parents will see that our company has better facilities for their child than another tennis academy down the road. Tennis is a very expensive sport, so therefore our business is not only aimed at the players playing, but also the parents paying. Tennis parents are notoriously pushy people and they are usually quite well off, so therefore the more facilities we can offer, the more likely they will come to us. Usually, when money isnt a factor, people go for the best product, and by offering so many facilities, we have that competitive advantage over our competitors. With our location being in Weybridge, we automatically have good transport links, such as the M25 and Addlestone and Weybridge train stations. This will target all people living in and around London. London is the biggest city in Britain, so therefore we have many more potential customers compared to a tennis academy in for example Northumberland. My business aim is to fill a gap in the market. It will meet a demand for a Tennis academy open to all standards, rather than one where you have to be invited to join. For example the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton, a 32 million pound facility is only open to players who have been invited. The Weybridge Tennis Academy is open to young players of all standards but with the same facilities as the National Tennis Centre. Therefore many more players will pass through the doors of my academy because it is open to a wider range of players. This will then lead to my business making a profit because there is not any other competition in the local area. During this coursework I will need to investigate the potential market and location to enable me to situate my business in the best possible location to help make as much profit as possible. I will also have to research the local competition to identify my main competitors and the buying habits of the local consumers to see what they look for most when investing in a product. The importance of Marketing Marketing is selling the right product, at the right place, at the right time and at the right place. The marketing mix, sometimes known as the four Ps is used to describe the key elements that a consumer wants and needs when buying a new product. I will need to find out what a consumer looks for, and make sure I find the right elements to help make my business successful. My business has to offer the customer a better thing than the local competition otherwise my business will fail. This means that my business will have to offer the customer something that no other tennis academy offers in the local area. This is because obviously if every academy offered the same thing as my business my business would have no competitive edge which will lead to failure. The Weybridge Tennis Academy needs to offer the customer what they want and need. This will then identify the first stage of the marketing mix which is product. The second stage of the, marketing mix is place. Place means how the customers are going to access my academy. There are many factors affecting this decision. It has to be in a place where customers can easily get to, as well as somewhere where there are many potential customers. My business will be situated in St Georges College, Weybridge (hence the name of the business). By being in Weybridge, there are many convenient transport links, such as the M25 or Weybridge or Addlestone train station. Addlestone train station is in fact situated less than a mile away from the centre, which means that there are many good transport links. This will then draw customers in from all around London and the South East. The third section of the Marketing Mix is Price. The Price is how much the product is being sold for. The price is very important to any business because it is normally one of the first things to be looked at when a consumer is considering buying a product. The customer has to think that the business is good value for money, and by comparing the prices of local competition, I will come up with an appropriate pricing method for my business. It is important that I take into account how much the business has cost to build because obviously if the expenditure is higher than the income, I will have made a loss rather than a profit There are many pricing strategies available to me, for instance cost plus pricing, which means setting a price by adding a fixed amount or percentage to the cost of making the product. This means that however much I spend on my Tennis Academy; I will add a percentage of money to this amount and charge the customers that amount. By doing this, I will always make a profit because I will be getting my money back on the expenditure, plus an added amount. The second pricing strategy I could use is to set a price based on competitors pricing. This means that I would look at the price of my competitors product and I would make that cheaper or better value to help make customers buy into my product. The fourth and final section of the Marketing Mix is the promotion. Promotion means how your product is shown to the customer, obviously if the customer does not know the business is there they cannot buy it. One example of this is advertising. There are many ways of promoting a business; it could be through a newspaper, television, internet and radio. These are examples of advertising through the media. Another way of promoting your business is through merchandising. This is a crucial way that I plan to promote my business through players buying official Weybridge Tennis Academy Merchandise, wearing it to tournaments and promoting the company through people seeing the companies name or logo on a back of a players shirt. Most players at my academy will be competing against players from other academies. This is a way of promoting because other players will see the companys logo and the tennis parents may well look into the possibility of sending their child to my academy. However ways such as sales promotion, which could include special offers, price discounts or free gifts, would not be appropriate because my business is looking for long term customer rather than short term customers. To get the best results I will conduct numerous experiments and research which will help me to find what the customers want and need. I will conduct questionnaires, surveys and interviews with other people finding out what they look for in investing in a tennis academy. I will also research statistics such as the number of competing juniors in the south east and also the amount of tennis academies in that area. This will then help me gain a competitive advantage over my competitors. Market Research Market Research is used by a business to try and find out what people want and also what competitors and doing and planning. Market Research helps find out who the customers are, whether they will like the product, how the business can be promoted, how much the customers willing to pay, what type of customer will be interested, how the profile of the customers can be built, whether the business is in the right location and how the products will be distributed. There are two main ways of conducting research. Field/Primary research is used to find out new information, and Desk/Secondary research is useful for looking at an entire market, and analysing trends for future reference. I will use both to research how my business can best achieve its goals and how it can beat competitors to getting customers. Field/Primary research is the process of manually entering the population and asking first hand questions. The advantage of using this method is that it is specific to my business, meaning that it is up to date and relevant. This means that I can ask any questions on any subject, and receive answers that are highly relevant and suitable for my research. There are many techniques which can be used, such as surveys, questionnaires and interviews. I believe that by conducting the research in the area where my business will be situated, I will achieve the most relevant and suitable results. However, to ensure that the data is accurate you need to use large field samples which can be expensive and very time consuming. Desk research is useful for looking at an entire market, whilst analysing past trends for future reference. For example I would have to look at the trends of tennis academies across Britain. Desk research has already been researched and accessed by other companies, so it therefore already exists and therefore it takes no time to conduct or find the data you want. The data can be accessed through the internet, newspapers, government records and market research. Desk research is good because it is easy to obtain and it is cheap. The disadvantage is that it is not specific or relevant to your business. It can also be biased or out of date which severely affects the reliability. I will try and collect Qualitative data so I can then see exactly what people want, as well as their thoughts and feelings. This will then help me know what customers want which will help me gain an edge over the competitors. I will do this by interviewing a select amount of people and finding out what they look for in a tennis academy. The questions asked will be based on how much people will pay, how the location will affect their decision and once again what they look for when investing in a tennis academy. After I have found out the information, I will access it and make it relevant to my business. By knowing what customers look for in a company, I will know what to include when I am trying to promote my business. For instance if a lot of people want indoor courts to make sure that it can never be cancelled or so that there child can play all year round, I will make sure that the fact that my academy has indoor courts is highly publicised. Also, by knowing what customers want, I will have an advantage over my competitors. Evaluation Number of Competing Juniors: Berkshire-149 Essex-343 Hampshire-274 Kent-338 Middlesex-450 Surrey-536 Total number of competing juniors in the south east-2090 Information obtained from www.lta.org.uk Juniors includes all players born in 1990 Tennis academies in the south east: Clive Asprey Tennis Academy-Aldershot Sutton Junior Tennis Centre The National Tennis Centre-Roehampton Win Tennis-Bisham Abbey Esporta-Croydon Westway-London These are all TENNIS ACADEMIES this does not include any LAWN TENNIS CLUBS. Lawn tennis clubs are open to any people and are therefore not relevant to my business. These academies are my main competitors because it is invitational only. There are roughly 2000 competing juniors in the South East and there are six tennis academies (not including my academy) in this area. Therefore on average there are around 300 children to every academy. Obviously this would not be the case in reality but it gives a good idea of the Academy/Player Ratio. INFORMATION OBTAINED BY WWW.YELL.COM 1st Interview 1) What are the 3 main things that you look for in a tennis academy? The three main things I look for are the ability for the academy to get my child to its full potential, therefore I know that I am paying for excellence and I know my moneys being put to good use. The ability to play all year round is very important because I therefore know that sessions can never be cancelled due to weather and my child can therefore train all year round. Lastly the coaches have to be highly qualified and I would like to know a bit about them so I know that they can emphasize with players when they are going through tough times. 2) How would the location affect your decision of where to send your child? There would have to be good roads such as motorways because obviously I dont want to be travelling all the time. Also if my child is of an age that he could travel on his own, I would like there to be easy to access buses and trains for him/her to use. 3) How important is the cost of the tennis academy? I wouldnt mind paying a lot of money as long as the results were shown. Also if I had a younger child, I would want to pay less at first until I see that he/she was improving and that he was committed. As he/she improves I would be more inclined to pay more. 2nd Interview 1) What are the three main things you look for in a tennis academy? I would firstly look at the academys credentials, for instance its results of members, and the proof of its results. It would also have to be good value for money, so therefore I would need to be seeing an improvement in my childs progress. Also the location is important because I dont wish to be travelling all the time. 2) Why is the location an important factor in choosing where to send your child? I have got a busy life and I dont wish to be travelling all across the countryside after Ive had a long day at work. It has to be easy to attend so therefore good transport links are vital. 3) How important is the cost of the tennis academy? Obviously there is the factor of whether it can be afforded but the price is not important. I would have to see that my money is being put to good use so therefore the investment has to match the progress. 3rd Interview 1) What are the three main things you look for in a tennis academy? I look at the facilities of the academy, for instance whether it has indoor courts. I would also like to know the standard of the players that attend the academy and the background of the coaches. The attitude and the atmosphere of the academy are crucial because I have to know where I am sending my child. 2) Is the location an important factor in choosing where to send your child? Obviously I dont want to be travelling too much and it has to be reasonably local otherwise well spend more time travelling than actually playing. Also I dont want to be paying a fortune for the transport fees, for instance petrol or train/bus fares on top of the price of attending the academy. 3) Is the cost important? The cost is obviously very important otherwise our whole life would be being run by tennis. I would prefer to pay less at the start and once I have seen an improvement or a commitment start to increase the price. Evaluation of Questionnaires: I have found out that what most people want is value for money. This means that however much they put in, they want out. This therefore means that the more they pay, the bigger the improvement in their childs ability they would expect to see. Therefore I think I will give special offers to new customers, such as they get the first term half price so that they know that it is what their child wants to do and also if they do not see an improvement they have the opportunity to pull out. This was suggested to the people that I interviewed and it seemed a popular idea. Secondly, they found the factor of indoor courts crucial as that meant they could play all year round. As my academy would have this facility, this is a good thing, however many other academies have indoor courts and this therefore does not separate us from our competitors. Many people thought that the location was an important factor. Many parents have busy lives and they do not wish to be travelling all over the place. My academy is situated in a place with good public transport links, there are two train stations within two miles of the academy, and it is situated two miles from the M25. This was once again explained to the interviewees and they seemed to be in favour of the placement of my academy. Many people didnt mind about the cost of the academy, as long as they saw the results. This was touched upon earlier and I will use a penetration pricing method, which means that I will make the price quite low at the start to try and draw customers in and then increase it as they see an improvement. This was a major aspect that the people that I interviewed would look for in tennis academy and this will help me gain that competitive advantage. Overall the research I conducted was extremely useful as it told me what customers wanted and needed, as well as giving me statistics that would help me gain a bit more knowledge in this type of business. I found out the amount of competing juniors in the south east, as well as the number of academies. It also told me how customers felt, for instance about the price and location of the academy. The information I have found out will help me in making the decisions about the academy, such as the pricing, structure and promotion of the business. Conclusion/Judgement Overall I believe that my tennis academy will work. There are six full time academies in the South East, not including my one, and there are over two thousand regularly competing juniors in the same area. This means that the ratio of Academies/Players is 6:300. Obviously in reality some academies have more players than others because of reputation, facilities, transport and cost. My academy has state of the art facilities, as explained earlier. It is also situated in a place where there are good channels of distribution and good transport links. This means that customers will be attracted because it is easy to get to. The cost will be determined by a Penetration Pricing Method. This means that my prices will be low for new customers, so that parents then know that their child is improving, or enjoying the experience. Most parents interviewed wanted their money to be payed back through improvement of their childs development. Therefore if I charge low prices at the start, for instance half price for your first term, and the child makes a big improvement, the parent is more likely to want to pay more from then on. If the child does not improve, the parent will then be giving the option of continuing with the programme. This will then help company/customer relations. This will then help my academies reputation, which will then attract more customers. As my academies reputation builds, more profit will come in and we can start charging higher prices. To help promote my academy, I will seek sponsorship from sports companies such as NIKE, Adidas, Wilson, Babolat, Prince, Head, Dunlop, TTK and Lacoste. I will also sell official Academy merchandise such as training kit, match play kit, and tracksuits which will be worn to tournaments by players and other players will see them. This is a way of free advertising as the children/parents would be paying for the kit and wearing it around showing it off to other players and parents. I will also look to gain funding from the Lawn Tennis Association who gives funding to academies that have regularly competing juniors. These are called Satellite Clubs and they are given funding which helps pay for the costs of balls, rackets and other training equipment. As my academy builds in reputation, I will look to gain more funding which will help me make more profit. Overall there is a lot of potential in this product. I believe that people will be attracted to my product because of the facilities, meaning the product itself; the price, meaning that I will make it cheaper at the start to draw customers in; the promotion, for instance the official merchandise that will be seen in tournaments; and finally the place; meaning the channels of distribution. This will attract customers because of where it situated, meaning that it is easy to get to. However my tennis academy does have a lot of competition, which means that I will have to use the knowledge that I found out through the market research to help gain the competitive advantage over my rivals.

Industrial Air Pollution In Trinidad And Tobago Environmental Sciences Essay

Industrial Air Pollution In Trinidad And Tobago Environmental Sciences Essay The contamination of the atmosphere by any toxic or radioactive gases and particulate matter as a result of human activity defines air pollution. (EMA State of the Environment Report 2000) Over the years Trinidad and Tobago has focus on industrialization developing several industrial estates but greater focus was made to the energy sectors. They current have three major energy based industrial sites. The Point Lisas industrial estate, Point a Pierre petroleum refinery and Liquefied Natural Gas plant (LNG) located in Point Fortin. Trinidad and Tobago is considered to be one of the most industrialized countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean region. We have been blessed with a vast array of natural resources ranging from oil, natural gas and asphalt to manufactured petrochemicals. Despite the fact that oil production and refining is one of our main industry, petrochemicals and to a lesser extent steel plays great importance in the company economic growth. Trinidad Tobago is worlds leading exporter of both methanol and ammonia, currently they supply the largest source of LNG is exported to the United States. Early views and realization of Air Pollution To the general public air pollution was considered to be chemical emissions and that suspension and secondary pollutants will just dissipate with the aid of the wind and rain. As the country moves into a second wave of industrialization with several proposed plans of building the next economic hotspot in the Caribbean (Invest in TT Downstream Energy), concerns has been made toward the quality of air what we live and breathe. It was only years later when technology began to play an important part in analyzing pollutants and air quality that it was realized that air pollution was just as important as water pollution. The industrial sector in Trinidad Tobago is one of the most dynamitic in the Caribbean and this is reflected in the diverse nature of its pollutants. Table 1 illustrates the numerous industry classes, commodities produced, production process and resulting in air pollutants. Map 1: Existing Proposed Energy Base Industrial Estates in Trinidad Table 1: Industry in Trinidad Tobago and air emission they emit INDUSTRY PRODUCTS SOURCES AIR POLLUTANT Petrochemical Menthol, ammonia, urea, ethanol, liquefied natural gas Fossil fuel processing, industrial processes Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, Carbon Monoxide Manufacturing Metals, cements, consumer products Manufacturing and extraction process, stock piling of raw materials, fossil fuel burning Carbon Dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter PM (soot, dust, asbestos fibers, pesticides and metals). Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) Transportation vehicles Incomplete combustion Carbon Monoxide, particulate matter Petroleum Refineries Refined oil, oil base products and sulfur /acids production Fossil fuel burning, extraction process, transportation process, storage process, Carbon Dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, methane, particulate matter (soot, dust, asbestos fibers, pesticides and metals) Agriculture Animal waste, plant waste Animal waste disposal/processing, rice paddies and wetlands, plant metabolism, land clearing Methane, Carbon monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, particulate matter (dust), VOC Electrical Power generation Electricity Fossil fuel burning, Particulate matters, Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, VOC Mining Quarrying Aggregate Blasting, mining, washing, extraction process Suspended Particulates Matters (SPM); Total suspended particles (TSP); Particulate matters. Wholesale and Retail All consumer products Service station operations, truck filling stations VOC Locations of Main Industrial Sectors With industrialization comes a need for people to benefit with the high level of employment in these areas. The demographic transition cycle in Trinidad and Tobago is fairly predictive with many of the populated areas following the same paths along the industrialized map. (Map 2)In the initial stages of industrial development focus was made on establishing industries in sparsely populated areas. The intention was also to take advantage of the favorable wind direction which would direct most of the air pollutant west ward over (for the most part) approximately 5 miles of uninhabited land space and then to the Gulf, with the intension that the vegetation would be affected in a minor way during the dry season and would be assisted by run off during the rainy season. This idea inadvertently leads to another pollution problem. This proved to be a short term imitative, as these areas soon became an attractive alternative to the long commute thus encouraging the establishment of make- shift villages and shanty towns. This was also fueled by the fact that the southern and eastern main road were in close proximity to these estates. Over time these villages soon became establish resistances acquiring basic utilities and official mailing addresses. The industries were now faced with a new obstacle. They now had to focus their attention to both the environment and the neighboring population. Table 2 identifies the main industrial pollutants found in Trinidad and Tobago and its effects on both the environment and humans. Map 2: Industries and major roadways Table 2: Main Industrial Pollutants and their Adverse Health and Environment Effects POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON HUMANS EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT Carbon Monoxide- CO It is absorbed through the lungs reducing the bloods capacity to transport available oxygen to the tissues. Depending on the exposure level it produces flu like symptoms usually not recognized and may results in death There is minimum effect on the environment. Sulphur Dioxides SO2 Depending on the exposure level it can cause: cause wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, respiratory illness, alterations in the lungs, it aggravates existing cardiovascular disease. When SO2 combines with water, it forms sulfuric acid, which is the main component of acid rain. When acid rain falls it can cause deforestation, acidify waterways to the detriment of aquatic life. It also corrodes building materials. Acid rain changes the physical appearance of vegetation plants metabolism impaired Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)/Oxides of Nitrogen NOx At low levels it has minimum or no effects on human health. However high levels NO2 can cause respiratory problem, increase a persons susceptibility to, and severity of infections and asthma. It can also affect the sensory system. It is harmful to vegetation, can fade and discolor fabrics, reduce visibility. Vegetation exposure to high levels of NOx can be identified by damage to foliage, decreased growth or reduced crop yield. Volatile Organic Carbon -VOC There are no general health effects of VOC because other gases make up VOCs however some gases may be toxic and/or carcinogen. Levels of exposure and time exposed can cause damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system. It is known to cause cancer in animals. Suspended Particulates Matters (SPM); Total suspended particles (TSP); Particulate matters. Health effects on SPM in humans depend on the particle size and concentration can cause long term exposure increases the rates of respiratory illness and symptoms. Particulates can accelerate deterioration of surface and material. It has the potential to cause modification of the climate and contributes to acid deposition. Control Strategies Physical, Managerial and Legislative to Air Pollution The visionaries of the early industries focus little on health safety and the environment and this was reflected in the level of controls initiated by the industries. Controls were mainly one dimensional and fail to focus on the holistic views of health safety and environment. Public opinion and outburst resulting from the increasing number of medical complaints and the decrease quality of agriculture produce with allegations pointing towards the emission from these industries, prompted management to use technology to assist in the establishment of more stringent controls. This technology was also instrumental in pinpointing the actual adverse effects as a result of these emissions. Physical Controls The physical control represents the processes responsible for acquisition of raw material, storage, manufacturing and distribution processes. Use of Suppression Techniques The numerous pollutants that emit daily, through smokestacks petrochemical and petroleum industries together with major health effects, force industries to reduce the pollutant at the source. One of the proven ways of reducing these pollutants is installing scrubbers and in other cases bagging houses in the emission system. The use of end -of- pipe technology is being adapted by some industries, it is used to remove already formed contaminants in the air however it is proven to be very expensive and many industries internationally would rather pay the fines for higher emission levels than use this technique. In other words it is regarded as the less of two evils. These techniques force industries to adopt generic prevention strategies and solutions, only resorting to the more expensive techniques when face with dire consequences. Environmental Friendly Process With increasing pressure from environmental activists calling for industries to be more sensitive towards the environment, many industries have restructured their processes whereby recycling waste material as a new raw material to produce a second product. This process has been adapted by Methanol Holding Trinidad Limited (MHTL) were they have constructed an AUM plant. This plant is the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago being the most environmental friendly of the MHTL family. This plant comprises a diversified petrochemical complex to manufacture Urea Ammonia Nitrate (UAN) and Melamine using feedstock from integrated urea and ammonia plants. (MHTL) The local cement factory adopted several controls strategies to deal with the air pollution problem within its manufacturing process. A change from blasting to stripping of the main raw material (limestone) aided in the reduction of dust emissions that was affecting the neighboring community at their quarrying central Trinidad. The transportation of the limestone was also change from dry to wet thus also reducing the potential dust particles entering the atmosphere during transportation from quarrying to the process plant. At the out skirts of the processing plant itself major landscaping was done to create hills around the factory adorned by buffer trees with sole intension is to reduce the level of dust exposure to the neighboring community. Managerial Controls Self Regulation These controls consist of policies, systems and standards that govern and manage the organization. The establishments of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) help management keep focus in order to sustain established targets. Company policies and procedures acts as guidelines to maintain order and structure within the organization. The introduction of ISO standards advertises the companys procedures to the industrial world thus ensuring that whatever measures initially introduced are sustained by the certification audits conducted annually by an international process auditors. Legislative Controls Currently in TT there is no legislation that refers directly to controlling of air pollutant emitted by industries. This is merely due to the fact that early monitoring system generally focus on water and land pollution the understanding of air pollution did not produce tangible evident because of technological short falls. The existing legislation addresses non specific air pollutants like the Petroleum Act (rev. 1980) section 29 (1) (j) prevention of air pollution and the Public health ordinance (1950), section 70 (1) (m) prohibits blacks smoke from chimneys. Even though the EMA was establish and is the countrys sole environmental body responsible for managing, regulating and coordinating environmental matters. The EMA has only managed to draft the Air Pollution Rules 2001 however to date 2010 these rules have not been made law. Trinidad and Tobago being a member of the Commonwealth and the United Nations has benefited from the research and technological advancement from these more developed countries (MDC). Initiatives such as the Montreal Protocol (1989 the control of CFCs) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997 the reduction of Greenhouse Gases) assisted the legislative process of TT by association. The only way legislative was establish was by piggy backing on the achievement of the more developed countries it seems that this was the only way the law maker could have had any impact on defaulters of air pollution in Trinidad. Only when legislation is pass the country can benefit from some effective control measures where polluters are prosecuted and emission limits are set for all industries. Conclusion Trinidad and Tobago historically is a nation of followers there have been very few instances where we were not promoted or assisted in some way or the other in achieving established goals and the topic of pollution is no exception. Have we ever wonder why the one establish air pollution laws stems from a diplomatic relations within the commonwealth and the United Nations or why we had to wait until the advent of OSHA to enforce existing safety laws in our country. The answer is simple we are still waiting to follow no wonder legislation spear headed by locals are treated with scan courtesy. Had these laws been establish in some first world convention they would have been rooted in the seams of our judicial system years ago? Many of the existing pollution laws governing the more develop countries were mainly as a result of international pressure, sadly Trinidad and Tobago is not view as a major polluting nation because of its geographical location and size. Evidence of pollution aware ness is mainly seen in the new establish manufacturing countries whose parent companies originate overseas. It is only amongst of fellow less develops countries and Caribbean members that Trinidad and Tobago is recognize as a polluting nation sadly these countries have little impact on global view. Despite our shortcomings, internally there has been an intensified effort to effectively monitor record, control and enforce pollution reducing systems and strategies. Internationally the over site of Trinidad and Tobago (a country that can easily fit into the Orinoco River with a population that barely exceeds large town in the United States) has not deterred local efforts to manage the levels of air emissions.