Pasig River free essay sample

In the years before large-scale development of Metropolitan Manila, the Pasig River was compared to the Grand Canal of Venice as it â€Å"serpented† inland, framed on both banks by patches of lush greenery and its water clear and unimpeded by waste or debris. However, migration combined with high population growth resulted in an unparalleled explosion in the size of Metropolitan Manila. The failure of the metropolis’ pollution-control mechanisms to keep pace with this population expansion has seen Pasig River become a large dumping ground for garbage, sewerage and industrial pollution. The Pasig River is now one of the polluted river in the Philippines. In the 1990’s its water was characterized as dark, murky and foul; and its banks proliferated by industries discharging untreated wastewater and informal settlers living in stilts and makeshift houses using the river as their toilet and garbage dump. The Pasig River winds generally north-westward for some 25 kilometres (15. We will write a custom essay sample on Pasig River or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 5  mi) from the Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the Philippines, to Manila Bay, in the southern part of the island of Luzon. From the lake, the river runs between Taguig City, and Taytay, Rizal, before entering Pasig City. This portion of the Pasig River, to the confluence with the Marikina River tributary, is known as the Napindan River or Napindan Channel. From there, the river forms the common border between Makati City to the south and Pasig City, followed by Mandaluyong City to the north. The river then sharply turns northeast, where it has become the border between Mandaluyong and Manila before turning again westward, joining its other major tributary, the San Juan River, and then following a sinuous path through the center of Manila before emptying into the bay. The whole river and most portions of its tributaries lie entirely within Metro Manila, the metropolitan region of the capital. Isla de Convalescencia (14 °35? 26? N 120 °59? 20? E), the only island dividing the Pasig River, can be found in Manila and it is where the Hospicio de San Jose is located. One major river that drains Laguna de Bay is the Taguig River, which enters into Taguig before becoming the Pateros River; it is the border between the municipalities of Pateros and Makati City. Pateros River then enters the confluence where the Napindan Channel and Marikina River meet. The Marikina River is the larger of the two major tributaries of the Pasig River, and it flows southward from the mountains of Rizal and cuts through the Marikina Valley. The San Juan River drains the plateau on which Quezon City stands; its major tributary is Diliman Creek. Within the city of Manila, various esteros (canals) criss-cross through the city and connect with the Tullahan River in the north and the Paranaque River to the west The growth of Manila along the banks of the Pasig River has made it a focal point for development and historical events. The foremost landmark on the banks of the river is the walled district of Intramuros, located near the mouth of the river on its southern bank. It was built by the Spanish colonial government in the 16th century. Further upstream is the Hospicio de San Jose, an orphanage located on Pasigs sole island, the Isla de Convalescencia. On the northern bank stands Malacanang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines. Also on Pasig Rivers northern bank and within the Manila district of Sta. Mesa is the main campus of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. In Makati City, along the southern bank of Pasig, is the Sta. Ana Racetrack and the Rockwell Commercial Center, a high-end office and commercial area containing the Power Plant Mall. At the confluence of the Pasig and Marikina rivers is the Napindan Hydraulic Control Structure, which regulates the flow of water from the Napindan Channel. The Pasig River is technically a tidal estuary, as the flow direction depends upon the water-level difference between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. During the dry season, the water level in Laguna de Bay is low and the flow direction of the Pasig River depends on the tides. During the wet season, when the water level of Laguna de Bay is high, flow is normally from Laguna de Bay towards Manila Bay. The Pasig River is vulnerable to flooding in times of very heavy rainfall, with the Marikina River tributary the main source of the floodwater. The Manggahan Floodway was constructed to divert excess floodwater from the Marikina River into the Laguna de Bay, which serves as a temporary reservoir. By design, the Manggahan Floodway is capable of handling 2,400 cubic meters per second of water flow, although the actual flow is about 2,000 cubic meters per second. To complement the floodway, the Napindan Hydraulic Control System (NHCS) was built in 1983 at the confluence of the Marikina River and the Napindan Channel to regulate the flow of water between the Pasig River and the lake. History Before the mass urbanization of Manila, the Pasig River served as an important means of transport; it was the citys lifeline and center of economic activity. Some of the most prominent kingdoms in early Philippine history, including the kingdoms of Namayan, Maynila, and Tondo grew up along the banks of the river, drawing their life and source of wealth from it. When the Spanish established Manila as the capital of their colonial properties in the Far East, they built the walled city of Intramuros on the southern bank of Pasig River near its mouth. After World War II, massive population growth, infrastructure construction, and the dispersal of economic activities to Manilas suburbs left the river neglected. The banks of the river attracted informal settlers and the remaining factories dumped their wastes into the river, making it effectively a huge sewer system. Industrialization had already polluted the river. 3] In the 1930s, observers noticed the increasing pollution of the river, as fish migration from Laguna de Bay diminished. People ceased using the rivers water for laundering in the 1960s, and ferry transport declined. By the 1970s, the river started to emanate offensive smells, and in the 1980s, fishing in the river was prohibited. By the 1990s, the Pasig River was considered biologically dead Rehabilitation and Relocation Efforts Rehabilitation efforts began in 1991 with the help of the Danish aid agency DANIDA. The Asian Development Bank gave the government of the Philippines a loan of $200 million to implement a 15-year long slum upgrade program for Metro Manila which includes the rehabilitation of the Pasig River. This loan is under the conditions that the relocation and livelihoods of the illegal squatters have equal importance as the environmental aspect of the rehabilitation. The overall objective of the rehabilitation is to improve environmental management particularly with waste-water management and urban renewal. There are even talks about using Laguna de Bay for drinking water to supply the growing population of Metro Manila, on the condition that the river and surrounding waterways are cleaned and kept clean. Plans are being implemented for a dike to be built at the entrance to the Pasig River at Laguna de Bay to keep flood waters out of the river during rainy season to prevent major areas of the city from flooding, but this is coming under great controversy as the people living around Laguna de Bay would have to deal with flooding. Do to the fact that the majority of the people living on the edges of the river are illegal squatters, it is very difficult to monitor the amount of garbage of waste or to treat either of them. It is estimated that 65% of the waste flowing down the Pasig River is due to these illegal settlement villages. Philippine law states that the government has the legal right to relocate the people in these illegal settlements to 3m away from the shore of the river. This is under controversy as the government wants people to be 10m away from the rivers edge to ensure that the river stays clean, to add a buffer zone against potential flooding, to create parks and walkways, and to allow access for ships and emergency services. This was officially changed during the Joseph Estrada administration when the Metro Manila Development Authority changed the law from 3m to 10m. This is under controversy as the MMDA does not have the authority to change a national law. During the administration of Fidel V. Ramos, approximately 5000 families were relocated to the suburbs. There are approximately 700,000-750,000 people are are being affected by the relocation of illegal settlements along the Pasig River. This includes people that are being relocated away from the shores of Laguna de Bay, the Pasig River, and all of its tributaries. Around 10,000 illegal settlers will be relocated to Calauan, Philippines, which is on the southern shore of Laguna de Bay. They will be relocated into an environmentally friendly housing project. Many others are being relocated to Bulacan, Rodriguez, and Montalban. The main problem that the government is facing with the relocation of people is that a large number of the relocated people move back to Manila into a different shanty town due to the fact that they work in Manila and it is hard to find work in many other places on Luzon. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay stated â€Å"Aside from livelihood, there should be transportation assistance†. He is referring to having some sort of assisted transportation for these urban poor so that they can live in the suburbs but still work every day in Manila. The illegal squatters who received financial assistance received P24,240. Those who have opted to be relocated or who have simply been forced to relocate by the government have been relocated to: 1. Kasiglahan Village I: Rodriguez, Rizal 2. Kasiglahan Village II: c5, Taguig City 3. Kasiglahan Village III: Trece Martires, Cavite 4. Kasiglahan Village IV amp; V: General Trias, Cavite 5. Villa San Isidro: Rodriguez, Rizal 6. Jaime Cardinal Sin Village: Sta. Ana, Manila Pasig River Ferry Service The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission was placed in charge of this attempt at implementing a ferry service down the Pasig River. Before the Pasig became as polluted as it is, ferries were common place on the river. The last two attempts to bring in a ferry service were cut short due to too much garbage on the river, shanty towns, and foul odors. With the river being dredged, shanty towns being relocated away from the river, and other environmentally sustainable initiatives, these are now less of a problem for the ferry service. Ferry service was brought back into the Pasig River in 2007 under the management of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission. It was to be operated by SCC Nautical Transport Services Inc. Six boats with capacity for 150 people, air conditioning, televisions, security, and washrooms were put into service. This new service was the longest lasting ferry service down the Pasig in recent years and also had the longest route, with 14 stations lining the major hubs on the river. With fares ranging from P25 to P60 per trip and travel times cut in half for many, the ferry allowed many people to skip all of the congested streets of Manila. With less garbage, foul odors, shanty towns, and more environmental initiatives being implemented, river tour were also being conducted by SCC Nautical Transport Services Inc. It was not all smooth sailing for the latest attempt to implement a ferry service down the Pasig. The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission oversaw all operations and built the ferry terminals, while SCC Nautical Transport Services Inc operated the ferry service and four of the terminals in Quiapo, Kalawaan, Bambang, and Nagpayong. The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission received none of the profits from these stations and since these stations were the first four stations, the ferries were generally full by the time they arrived at the other ferry terminals. The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission also only received only P5 of every ticket sold, leading them to loss P94. 7 million (Expenses: P101. 4 million; Revenue: P7. 33 million). Another problem that occurred was that SCC Nautical Transport Services Inc was supposed to implement 18 50-seat vessels and not 6 150-seat vessels. It was due to this that some of the stations along the route could not be used because the boats were too large to navigate. With river tours being operated, many scheduled trips had to be cancelled to accommodate the tours, causing many frustrated passengers to stop taking the ferry and causing passenger numbers to dwindle. Before this, the passenger numbers were high enough that all ferries were full and SCC Nautical Transport Services Inc was considering purchasing more ferries. The ferry service ceased operations in 2011. Efforts to revive the river began in December 1989 with the help of Danish authorities. The Pasig River Rehabilitation Program (PRRP) was established, with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as the main agency with the coordination of the Danish International Development Assistance. In 1999, President Joseph Estrada signed Executive Order No. 4 establishing the PRRC to replace the old PRRP with additional expanded powers such as managing of wastes and resettling of squatters. This government agency was going to be squarely responsible for synergizing the efforts of the government and the private sector as far as improving the current state of the Pasig was concerned. Executive Order No. 54 dated January 6, 1999 as amended by Executive Order No. 65 dated January 19, 1999 created the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) to ensure that the waterway is rehabilitated to its pristine conditions conducive to transport, recreation and tourism. The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission started its operation on January 1999 but actual disbursement of funds started only on May of the same year. The Commission, which is attached to the Office of the President is composed of the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management as the Chairman, the Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority as the Co-Chairman, and twelve members Secretaries and Heads or their representatives, from the Office of the Executive Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, Department of Tourism, Department of Transportation and Communication, Department of Finance, Department of National Defense, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Trade and Industry and five private sectors namely, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, GMA Network, Inc. , Clean and Green Foundation, Inc. , Unilever Philippines and Ms. Mikaela Maria Antonia C. Jaworski. As of December 31, 2001, PRRC had the personnel complement of 35. Among the powers and functions of the Commission are: 1. Draw up an updated master plan on the rehabilitation of the Pasig River, taking into account its potential for transportation, recreation and tourism; 2. Ensure that the easements provided in the Civil Code and other related laws are observed including all the esteros and waterways that drain into the Pasig River; 3. Integrate and coordinate all programs related to the rehabilitation of the Pasig River, such as, but not limited to the Pasig River Development Program (P. D. 274), Proclamation No. 704, series of 1995 and the Pasig River Environment and Rehabilitation Sector Development Program, a continuation of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Program; 4. Abate the dumping of untreated industrial wastewater and sewerage into the river including all acts and omission in violation of the Pollution Control Law and other related laws; 5. Relocate settlers, squatters and other unauthorized or unlawful occupants along its banks; 6. Undertake civil works for the purpose, such as dredging, clearing of structures, cleaning of the River and all esteros and waterways that drain into it. As of the present, the river has been becoming more and more popular as a means of transport from one side of the metro to the other. The ferry system is once again running smoothly and is even being made into a tourism draw. There have been also lots of clearing operations meant to remove the unwanted illegal settlers who live on the Pasig River’s banks. The river still remains to be dead in terms of its ability to sustain most types of animal and plant life, but it seems like things are going on the upside. The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission is already showing their hard work through photos available on their official website. The commission is not only concerned with the river itself – they have also invested in making the banks of the river more pleasant.

Slow Drivers Essay Example

Slow Drivers Essay Example Slow Drivers Essay Slow Drivers Essay Have you ever been trapped behind a slow driver when you’re already late for something really important? Nine times out of ten the driver was an elderly person, who has no business being on the road. How many times have you asked yourself, â€Å"What is this person doing? † And how many times have you passed this person, and come to find out it’s a grandma or grandpa? If there is a person who can barely see over the steering wheel, has 3-inch thick glasses, and has poor motor skills, they should not be operating a vehicle. These are the older generation, so to speak, of people that should not be driving. I’m not sure when a human being should have their driving privileges suspended, but I’m guessing around age 75 to 90 years old, depending on the case. Not all elderly drivers are a danger to our community, but there are more so than not. There are these aged drivers who are driving so slow and erratic, it’s causing frequent car accidents, not to mention impatient attitudes. It’s one thing to be driving 45 miles an hour on the freeway, but another to drive in two lanes at the same time. Pick a lane and stay there! It is a known fact that mature adults start to lose their motor skills and have slower reaction times than younger drivers. These fogeys are not all to blame. It’s the people who are testing them in their driver’s license exams. The driving instructors probably feel sorry for them and are perhaps maybe â€Å"respecting their elders†. Doesn’t anybody tell these old folks that they are driving like molasses and irritating people? I’m sure their children do, and others drivers do, using the one finger salute, but I’m sure they pay no attention to those â€Å"darn kids! †

How to Write a Business Report for English Learners

How to Write a Business Report for English Learners If you would like to learn how to write a business report in English follow these tips and use the example report as a template on which to base your own business report. First of all, business reports provide important information for management that is timely and factual. English learners writing business reports need to make sure that the language is precise and concise. The writing style used for business reports should present information without strong opinions, but rather as direct and accurately as possible. Linking language should be used to connect ideas and sections of the business report. This example business report presents the four essentials that every business report should include: Terms of Reference Terms of reference refer to the terms on which the business report is written. Procedure The procedure describes the method that was used to collect data for the report. Findings The findings describe the data or other important information the report produced. Conclusions Conclusions are drawn on the findings which provide reasons for recommendations.   Recommendations The recommendations are specific suggestions made based on the conclusions of the report.   Read the short example business report and follow the tips below. Teachers can print these examples for use in class in lessons using sound teaching writing strategies. Reports: Example Report Terms of Reference Margaret Anderson, Director of Personnel has requested this report on employee benefits satisfaction. The report was to be submitted to her by 28 June. Procedure A representative selection of 15% of all employees were interviewed in the period between April 1st and April 15th concerning: Overall satisfaction with our current benefits packageProblems encountered when dealing with the personnel departmentSuggestions for the improvement of communication policiesProblems encountered when dealing with our HMO Findings Employees were generally satisfied with the current benefits package.Some problems were encountered when requesting vacation due to what is perceived as long approval waiting periods.Older employees repeatedly had problems with HMO prescription drugs procedures.Employees between the ages of 22 and 30 report few problems with HMO.Most employees complain about the lack of dental insurance in our benefits package.The most common suggestion for improvement was for the ability to process benefits requests online. Conclusions Older employees, those over 50, are having serious problems with our HMOs ability to provide prescription drugs.Our benefits request system needs to be revised as most complaints concerning in-house processing.Improvements need to take place in personnel department response time.Information technology improvements should be considered as employees become more technologically savvy. Recommendations Meet with HMO representatives to discuss the serious nature of complaints concerning prescription drug benefits for older employees.Give priority to vacation request response time as employees need faster approval in order to be able to plan their vacations.Take no special actions for the benefits package of younger employees.Discuss the possibility of adding an online benefits requests system to our company Intranet. Important Points to Remember A report is divided into four areas:Terms of Reference- This section gives background information on the reason for the report. It usually includes the person requesting the report.Procedure- The procedure provides the exact steps taken and methods used for the report.Findings- The findings point out discoveries made during the course of the report investigation.Conclusions- The conclusions provide logical conclusions based on the findings.Recommendations- The recommendations state actions that the writer of the report feels need to be taken based on the findings and conclusions.Reports should be concise and factual. Opinions are given in the conclusions section. However, these opinions should be based on facts presented in the findings.Use simple tenses (usually the present simple) to express facts.Use the imperative form (Discuss the possibility ..., Give priority ..., etc.) in the recommendations section as these apply to the company as a whole. Continue learning about other types of business documents using these resources: MemosEmailIntroduction to Writing Business Plans Business memos are written to an entire office. When writing business memos make sure to clearly mark for whom the memo is intended, the reason for writing the memo and who is writing the memo. Memos tend to inform colleagues of office and procedural changes that apply to a large group of people. They often provide instructions using the imperative voice. Here is an example memo with follow-up important points to use when  writing business  memos in English. Example Memo From: Management To: Northwest Area Sales Staff RE:  New Monthly Reporting System We’d like to quickly go over some of the changes in the new monthly sales reporting system that we discussed at Monday’s special meeting. First of all, wed once again like to stress that this new system will save you a lot of time when reporting future sales. We understand that you have concerns about the amount of time that will be initially required for inputting your client data. Despite this initial effort, we are confident that you will all soon enjoy the benefits of this new system. Here is a look at the procedure you will need to follow to complete your areas client list: Log on to the company  website  at picklesandmore.comEnter your user ID and password. These will be issued next week.Once you have logged on, click on New Client.Enter the appropriate client information.Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have entered all of your clients.Once this information has been entered, select Place Order.Choose the client from the  drop down  list Clients.Choose the products from the  drop down  list Products.Choose the shipping specifications from the  drop down  list Shipping.Click on the Process Order button. As you can see, once you have entered the appropriate client information, processing orders will require NO paperwork on your part. Thank you all for your help in putting this new system into place. Best regards, Management Important Points to Remember Use the following structure to begin a memo:MEMOFrom: (person or group sending the memo)To: (person or group to whom the memo is addressed)RE:  (the subject of the memo, this should be in  bold)The term memorandum can be used instead of memo.A memo is generally is not as formal as a written letter. However, it is certainly not as informal  as a personal letter.The tone of a memo is generally friendly as it is a communication between colleagues.Keep the memo concise and to the point.If necessary, introduce the reason for the memo with a short paragraph.Use bullet points to explain the most important steps in a process.Use a short thank you to finish the memo. This need not be as formal as in a written letter. ReportsMemosEmailIntroduction to Writing Business Plans To learn how to write a business email, remember the following: Business emails are generally less formal than  business letters. Business emails written to colleagues are generally direct and ask for specific actions to be taken. Its important to keep your business emails short, as the easier it is to reply to an email the more likely it is that a business contact will reply quickly.   Example 1: Formal The first example shows how to write a formal business email. Note the less formal Hello in the salutation combined with a more formal style in the actual email. Hello, I read on your  website  that you offer Music CD copying for large quantities of CDs. Id like to inquire about the procedures involved in these services. Are the files transferred online, or are the titles sent by CD to you by standard mail? How long does it usually take to produce approximately 500 copies? Are there any discounts on such a large quantity? Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I look forward to your response. Jack FinleySales Manager, Young Talent Inc.(709) 567 - 3498 Example 2: Informal The second example shows how to write an informal email. Notice the more conversational tone throughout the email. Its as if the writer were speaking on the phone.   At 16.22 01/07 0000, you wrote: I hear youre working on the Smith account. If you need any information dont hesitate to get in contact with me. Hi Tom, Listen, weve been working on the Smith account and I was wondering if you could give me a hand? I need some inside information on recent developments over there. Do you think you could pass on any information you might have? Thanks Peter Peter  ThompsenAccount Manager, Tri-State Accounting(698) 345 - 7843 Example 3: Very Informal In the third example, you can see a very informal email which is very similar to texting. Use this type of email only with colleagues with whom you have a close working relationship. At 11.22 01/12 0000, you wrote: Id like a suggestion for a consulting firm. How about Smith and Sons? KB Important Points to Remember Email is much less formal than a written letter. Emails are usually short and concise.If you are writing to someone you dont know, a simple Hello is adequate. Using a  salutation  such as Dear  Mr  Smith, is too formal.When writing to someone you know well, feel free to write as if you are speaking to the person.Use abbreviated verb forms (Hes, Were, Hed, etc.)Include a telephone number to the signature of the email. This will give the recipient the chance to telephone if necessary.It is not necessary to include your email address as the recipient can just reply to the email.When replying eliminate all the information that is not necessary. Only leave the sections of text that are related to your reply. This will save your reader time when reading your email. ReportsMemosEmailIntroduction to Writing Business Plans

International business class (Discussion Board) Assignment - 5

International business class (Discussion Board) - Assignment Example es-spatial proximity of upstream and downstream industries enhances the sharing of information and this enables a continuous sharing of ideas and innovation, which can create competitive bias in a certain type of industry. Factor conditions- against the traditional thought, he argued that key factor of production are created and not inherited. The key factors are skilled labour, capita and infrastructure. These are the ones that can create a competitive advantage. He referred to those factors as the â€Å"diamond of national advantage†, by implication he asserted that it is the inter-linkage of these factors that would actually precede the attainment of the competitive advantage. Further, he pointed out that government policy and the chance of event had a role to play in the inter-linkage and hence a national competitive advantage factor. Texas cotton farmers have in recent years been facing stiff competition from other overseas farmers, particularly China and India. The provision of subsidy-government policy, a factor that affects the inter-linkage of other factors may have tilted productions in favour of the Asian giants. However, demand conditions in the American market for cotton products, new business strategies being employed and the existence of a system of powerful infrastructural development in the region might tilt the scale in their favor. The four advanced factors that Porter writes about are Demand Conditions, Related and Supporting Industries, Factor Conditions, and Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry. Texas cotton farmers were able to use Porters Diamond model to redefine their business strategy in order to remain competitive. One of the ways they did this was to upgrade on their machines and technologies. This propelled them into the new millennium and provided support for them to remain competitive in the national and global market. This helped them build up the industry into a new more effective and efficient operation. So national brands

ABORTION AND EUTHANASIA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

ABORTION AND EUTHANASIA - Essay Example t abortion should be prohibited on moral grounds as it is like killing a person while others believe that abortion should not be prohibited as it has nothing to do with morality and it is necessary for society, sometimes, to avoid unwanted situation (Warren, 832). Those who advocate for prohibiting abortion believe that abortion is killing a fetus before birth which is an act of murder on both human and moral grounds. They are of the opinion that the abortion can only be allowed in exceptional cases like when the life of mother is at stake or the pregnancy is a result of rape or forced sex or any similar situation. Those who believe that abortion should not be prohibited in case argue that besides danger to mother’s life and pregnancy as a result of rape or forced sex there are many more reasons which influence the decision of abortion. Sometimes women conceive due to failure of contraceptive measures and they are either not ready or not capable of bringing up a child and birth of a child can be a burden on them. On other occasions the woman who has conceived can be poor, disabled, under-age or unmarried and is not able to bring up a child. In those circumstances, if she is prohibited for abortion it becomes a burden for her whole life . They also reason it as it should be the discretion of the woman to decide about her life and the baby. The fetus cannot be considered as a person as it does not have any characteristics of personhood such as sentience, emotion, reasoning, communication capability, self awareness and morality. Similarly, they cannot be considered as a human being as they don’t have any characteristics of a human (Warren, 833). Moreover, the galloping population of the world can also be controlled to some extent by legalizing abortion because in the countries where abortion is not legalized people have to bear the burden of unwanted children which become a burden on humanity in many cases. Therefore, abortion must be legalized all across the

Golf Tourism :: Environmental Sports Golfing Essays

Golf Tourism Golf tourism is spreading rapidly all over the world in places like Asia and Mexico. Although most people who play the sport of golf play because of its interaction with nature, what most golfers do not realize or consider is the damaging environmental impact on the sport. The booming golf trade throughout the world creates a haven for golfers and a nightmare for environmentalists. According to members of the Malaysia-Based Asia-Pacific People’s Environment Network, golf development is becoming one of the most unsustainable and damaging activities to people and the environment (TED Case Studies, 1997). Asia has gone from just 45 golf courses in 1970 to over 500 today (TED Case Studies, 1997). The rapid increase in development also brings a rapid increase in ecological problems. In Southwest Asia ecological apathy includes greens carved out of paddy fields and virgin forests. Development of golf courses also entails clearing vegetation, cutting forests and creating artificial landscapes. These activities lead to land erosion and block the soils ability to retain water (Klein, 1996). Golf courses also need large quantities of pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides, which cause health problems among golfers, workers, and nearby residents. Unfortunately, these numerous problems are overlooked by developers who are often supported by the Asian governments due to the economic rewards from the sport. The low green fees in Asia have increased tourism to these courses as well as increasing the temptation for further golf course development. The most notorious debate among golf course development in recent years has been the plan to create a $311 million project consisting of 592 luxury homes, hotels, restaurants, and a 7,276-yard golf course in Tepoztlan Mexico. Opponents of the golf course claim that golf-course projects use dangerous chemicals and too much water as well as induce higher property taxes and disrupt culturally intact communities. The site of development in Tepoztlan will be located on 462 acres of communal land within a national park and a biological corridor that harbors Aztec ruins and 28 endemic species of animals (Planet ENN, 1996). The high amount of water necessary for the project is estimated by developers to be approximately 800,000 gallons a day for peak irrigation (which is nearly five times that pumped daily by Tepoztlan). This brings about much debate because of the town’s ongoing problems with water shortage. Those who support the Tepoztlan golf plan (mainly developers) believe that it will create 13,000 construction jobs over seven years, and 2900 permanent jobs (Selcraig, 1996).

Amusement Parks Essay

At Six Flags on Friday July 19, 2013 a woman was riding the Texas Giant rollercoaster when she fell out of her restraints. Carmen Brown, a witness, says that the woman had asked the staff to check her restraints shortly before the ride was starting. The gentleman that she had asked asked the woman if she heard the restraints click, the woman responded saying it didn’t sound like everyone else’s. The gentleman then, nonchalantly, told her that as long as it clicked it was okay. Nothing else was ever done to ensure the woman’s restraints were secure. Some witnesses have reported that as the rollercoaster was making a turn the woman was thrown out. The name of the victim and any further information has not been released. It is suspected that the woman was with her son. When the train had returned from the ride, it was reported that two people were shouting, one was screaming â€Å"My mom† â€Å"My mom†. The rollercoaster staff parked the train far enough away from the platform so no one was allowed get off of the train. www.dallasnews.com Due to the traumatic experience and people fearing the safety of the rides at Six Flags, the company will probably lose a good portion of money because people will not want or continue going to their park. This accident has caused an unexpected economic change in not only Six Flags but in all other amusement parks as well. Society will now have this negative view on amusement parks which means, for a little while at least, they will not want to go to the parks. This will cause the parks income to decline which can be very bad for the company, especially for Six Flags, who declared bankruptcy in 2009. When society loses trust in something they will usually pull back their economic support, leaving companies with fewer customers. It is important that companies and organizations remember that they have to keep the customer happy and safe. If not they will no longer have any customers. The majority of the people that witnessed the tragic event of the woman falling to her death due to a mechanical issue will probably no longer return to the park and they will likely have a large influence on their friends and family to not trust the park as well.