The Great ha-jin Essay Example

The Great ha-jin Essay Ha Jin has written many unique stories that have influenced a large number of readers. One of his more popular stories, The Bridegroom dealt with the controversial topic of homosexuality and how we, as humans, should deal with this important issue. Jins short stories, The Bridegroom were published in 2000 (Weich).There are twelve short stories in The Bridegroom and three of them were selected for The Best American Short Stories (Thomas).In the title story, he writes about the authors adopted daughter who gets married to a handsome guy but he turns out to be a homosexual (Jin). The Bridegroom is an interesting story because it keeps the reader wondering what will happen at the end of the story. Claire Messud of The New York Times believes that this story was a great pleasure.She also believes that Ha Jin has an excellent storytelling talent.I thought the story was different because of the cultural background.I like the way Jin narrated the story and then suddenly added a twist. The B ridegroom is a very unusual story.The story is based on the authors son-in-law and his adopted daughter.The story starts of with Beina (adopted daughter of the author), who is having a hard time finding a boyfriend (Jin 91).Then, all of a sudden a guy by the name of Huang asks her to marry him (Jin 91).Later in the story, Huang gets arrested for the crime of homosexuality (Jin 95).Huangs father in law decides to put him in a mental hospital with the hope of curing him but it turns out that he can never be cured. Jin describes Huang as very kind and handsome man (92).He also points out that Huang was so handsome that all the girls in the authors factory were jealous of Beina when Huang asked her to marry him (Jin 92). He says that Huang is so handsome that he was surprised when Huang asked his daughter, Bein

The Untold History of American Indian Slavery

The Untold History of American Indian Slavery Long before the transatlantic African slave trade was established in North America a transatlantic slave trade in Indians had been occurring since the very earliest European arrivals. It was used as a weapon of war among the European colonists and as a tactic for survival among Indians who participated in the slave trade as slavers. It contributed to the fierce decline in Indian populations after the coming of the Europeans along with devastating disease epidemics and lasted well into the eighteenth century when it was replaced by African slavery. It has left a legacy still felt among Native populations in the east, and it is also one of the most hidden narratives in American historical literature. Documentation The historical record of the Indian slave trade is based on many disparate and scattered sources including legislative notes, trade transactions, journals of slavers, government correspondence and especially church records, making it difficult to account for the entire history. It is well known by historians that the slave trade began with the Spanish incursions into the Caribbean and Christopher Columbus’s taking of slaves, as documented in his own journals. Every European nation that colonized North America utilized Indian slaves for construction, plantations, and mining on the North American continent but more frequently in their outposts in the Caribbean and in the metropoles of Europe. As the pieces of the puzzle come together in the scholarship, historians note that nowhere is there more documentation than in South Carolina, what was the original English colony of Carolina, established in 1670. It is estimated that between 1650 and 1730 at least 50,000 Indians (and likely more due to transactions hidden to avoid paying government tariffs and taxes) were exported by the English alone to their Caribbean outposts. Between 1670 and 1717 far more Indians were exported than Africans were imported. In southern coastal regions, entire tribes were exterminated through slavery compared to disease or war. In a law passed in 1704, Indian slaves were conscripted to fight in wars for the colony long before the American Revolution. Indian Complicity and Complex Relationships Indians found themselves caught in between colonial strategies for power and economic control. The fur trade in the Northeast, the English plantation system in the south and the Spanish mission system in Florida collided with major disruptions to Indian communities. Indians displaced from the fur trade in the north migrated south where plantation owners armed them to hunt for slaves living in the Spanish mission communities. The French, the English, and Spanish often capitalized on the slave trade in other ways; for example, they garnered diplomatic favor when they negotiated the freedom of slaves in exchange for peace, friendship and military alliance. In another instance of Indian and colonial complicity in the slave trade, the British had established ties with the Chickasaw who were surrounded by enemies on all sides in Georgia. They conducted extensive slave raids in the lower Mississippi Valley where the French had a foothold, which they sold to the English as a way to reduce In dian populations and keep the French from arming them first. Ironically, the English also saw it as a more effective way to civilize them compared to the efforts of the French missionaries. Extent of the Trade The Indian slave trade covered an area from as far west and south as New Mexico (then Spanish territory) northward to the Great Lakes. Historians believe that all tribes in this vast swath of land were caught up in the slave trade in one way or another, either as captives or as traders. Slavery was part of the larger strategy to depopulate the land to make way for European settlers. As early as 1636 after the Pequot war in which 300 Pequots were massacred, those who remained were sold into slavery and sent to Bermuda. Major slaving ports included Boston, Salem, Mobile and New Orleans. From those ports Indians were shipped to Barbados by the English, Martinique and Guadalupe by the French and the Antilles by the Dutch. Indian slaves were also sent to the Bahamas as the breaking grounds where they mightve been transported back to New York or Antigua. The historical record indicates a perception that Indians did not make good slaves. When they werent shipped far from their home territories they too easily escaped and were given refuge by other Indians if not in their own communities. They died in high numbers on the transatlantic journeys and succumbed easily to European diseases. By 1676 Barbados had banned Indian slavery citing too bloody and dangerous an inclination to remain here. Slavery’s Legacy of Obscured Identities As the Indian slave trade gave way to the African slave trade by the late 1700’s (by then over 300 years old) Native American women began to intermarry with imported Africans, producing mixed-race offspring whose native identities became obscured through time. In the colonial project to eliminate the landscape of Indians, these mixed-race people simply became known as colored people through bureaucratic erasure in public records. In some cases such as in Virginia, even when people were designated as Indians on birth or death certificates or other public records, their records were changed to reflect â€Å"colored.† Census takers, determining a person’s race by their looks, often recorded mixed-race people as simply black, not Indian. The result is that today there is a population of people of Native American heritage and identity (particularly in the Northeast) who are not recognized by society at large, sharing similar circumstances with the Freedmen of the Cher okee and other Five Civilized Tribes.

ETHICAL DECISIONS IN LEADERSHIP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ETHICAL DECISIONS IN LEADERSHIP - Research Paper Example In her present job Lael Mathews faces this glass ceiling, people higher up the hierarchy are trying to interfere with her job. She must promote one of three managers, and all of her choices have disadvantages and advantages. She must decide from Liz, Roy, or Quang. Although she has a soft spot for Liz and knows that Liz can really use the money provided by the promotion but also knows that being a single mother she can not show full commitment and an above average performance. Promoting Liz will however bring positive PR to the company as she is an African American. Lael’s boss is also favoring Liz for the job. The other choice Roy although old, has been up for a promotion for a long time, and many employees think that he deserves it. Further more a senior manager had made a personal request for his promotion. The final candidate for the job is Quang. She is an intensive hardworking Asian. Always among the top students of her class she has provided the company with record perf ormances in the past. Moreover she is engaged to an upper management person’s son, who is intent on getting her promoted. Narrowing it down, the problem that Lael faces is: As Lael is a woman she is pressurized by everyone with power. The main reason upper management employees keep pushing her for their respective favorites in case of this promotion, is because they all think they can bend her according to their will, as she is a woman. If she goes against their will, they can do great harm to her career in the future. The greatest threat can be from her supervisor who wants Liz to be promoted. His request is though of a less personal nature as compared to the supporter of Quang. He is much more intense in his support as she is a relative to him. Lael as a human being is also effected by her personal emotions. Her association with Liz can severely impact her promotion decision. Moreover in light of the recent accident

Voice traffic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Voice traffic - Essay Example The acceptance by the telecommunications industry to converge mobile concept aims at facilitating for the incorporation of voice over WiFi (Fathi, Chakraborty, & Prasad, 2011). Nonetheless, a number of benefits and issues are evident while sending voice over a typical wireless network as depicted by the paper. There are various benefits associated with sending voice over a wireless network. For instance, the major benefit of sending voice over wireless networks is saving costs. For instance, companies have managed to save billions of dollars by making calls over wireless networks. Furthermore, it is possible to deploy voice communication over a wireless network, creating room for flexible communication. As such, it is true that sending voice over wireless networks plays a vital role in realizing cost savings, particularly because it mobilizes the workforce. Here, they can manage to address the needs of clients in an efficient manner while in the facility being served by the wireless network. Regardless of the benefits affiliated with sending voice over a wireless network, a number of issues prevail, hindering companies from utilizing the full potential sending voice over wireless networks (Geier & Geier, 2010). For instance, sending voice over wireless networks is sensitive to technology. In this case, calls should be set up as well as authenticated, while voice packets are required to reach their destination without interruption and in a timely manner. As such, companies experience challenges when designing a network stream in a continuous manner, making it prone to interruptions by data transmissions that are less sensitive. As such, in a typical wireless network voice calls suffer from weird sounds, delays, echo, and noise (Geier & Geier, 2010). Sending voice over wireless networks is also highly dependent on bandwidth. As such,

Relation of learning styles and business training Statistics Project

Relation of learning styles and business training - Statistics Project Example This chapter presents the results of analysis of the data that have been collected through sample survey. The data have been edited and coded using Micro Soft Excel and analyzed with popular statistical package- SPSS. The analysis has been undertaken in conformity with the research objectives and hypotheses set. The chapter also discusses and justifies the proof/rebuttal of any hypotheses. The major findings of the study are also demonstrated after analysis of each relevant question. Figures are exhibited wherever appropriate to make it more readable and comprehensible for readers. The above table exhibits the number of workers employed across departments. It is clear that operations department has largest number of workers and project department has only 9 workers out of the sample 74. It is also evident that department project and operations employ no female workers and the entire female employees working with the organisation belong to support department. The Table No. 2 shows the work experience of employees. Among the sample respondents, 27 percent have got experience in between 3 and 5 years. It is also clear that of the total; only 19 percent employees have experience of more than 9 years. Employees having less than 1 year experience accounts for only 20 percent, which is backed by 16 percent with 5 to 9 years experience. Table No. 3 Employee Opinion on Training Effectiveness Response Frequency Percent Strongly Agree 13 17.6 Agree 39 52.7 Neither Agree nor Disagree 8 10.8 Disagree 8 10.8 Strongly Disagree 6 8.1 Total 74 100.0 This table depicts the employee opinion on the effectiveness of training programme undertaken by the firm. Majority of the employee support the training programme that they believe training programme is effective. Among the supporters around 18 percent strongly agree, while 53 percent agree with the present system of training. However, those who do not support the present system accounts for around 19 percent, which does not sound to be a negligible one. Table No. 4 Employee Response to Mentor Method Response Frequency Percent Strongly Agree 5 6.8 Agree 5 6.8 Neither Agree nor Disagree 22 29.7 Disagree 31 41.9 Strongly Disagree 11 14.9 Total 74 100.0 Table No. 4 is intended to present the employee response to mentor method of training. It is clear that majority of the employees do not support the innovative method. Employees who support account for a meager percent when compared to that of non-supporters. Non-supporters come to around 57 percent, while those who reluctant to opine on this is around 30 percent. Table No. 5 Employee Response to Benefits of External Training Response Frequency Percent Agree 14 18.9 Neither Agree nor Disagree 31 41.9 Disagree 18 24.3 Strongly Disagree 11 14.9 Total 74 100.0 Table No. 5 shows the response of employee to External training arranged by the firm. It is evident

Evaluation of UK Legislation and Policy on Fracking

Evaluation of UK Legislation and Policy on Fracking AN EVALUATION OF CURRENT UK PLANNING LEGISLATION AND POLICY MEASURES TO CONTROL THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF FRACKING ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction The pace of the development of Britains Shale-gas industry is accelerating due to the current governments policy to progress the extraction of shale-gas, or fracking as commonly known, to provide energy security, growth and jobs (DBEI. 2017). Commercial extraction of shale-gas is not yet in production, but exploration of the recoverable amount available is occurring. Shale-gas could potentially be a resource that transforms the UK energy market and contribute to the national security of supply. However, whilst the economic potential is apparent, the environmental and social implications are unknown. There have been reports of earthquakes (in Lancashire) (DECC 2013), leakage of fracking chemicals and gas (methane) into the water table, where fracking has occurred, most typically in the United States of America (Finkel and Hays 2016). There has also been campaigning by community groups opposed to fracking because of the environmental concerns. Hydraulic fracturing involves injecting a viscous fracturing fluid carrying a proppant, usually select sand, which is left in fractures to hold them open and promote substance migration to wellbores but advances in directional drilling with a greater horizontal reach means that multiple wells can be drilled from a single pad. (Zillman et al. 2015). However, this could include horizontal drilling beneath Nature Reserves, Country Parks, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) etc. Some of the concerns by these new technologies are: (a) Air emissions. (b) Water quality and quantity (aquifer and surface water contamination by fracturing fluid chemicals). (c) Potential seismic activity, particularly in major fault areas. (d) Public participation in regulatory decisions concerning fracturing activities. (e) Transparency, including public disclosure of chemicals and toxicity information. (f) Disturbance creating dust, noise, and congestion in communities that host fracturing operations. (Zillman et al. 2014.) All of which have potential to impact upon humans and wildlife conservation. Consequently, the Law and Policy surrounding fracking and the environment to conserve wildlife will be evaluated. Aims and Objectives This study aims to evaluate current UK planning legislation and policy with regard to the potential impacts of fracking on wildlife conservation. An analysis of the controls available for the protection of wildlife and the compensation procedures that are currently in place will be discussed within this report. The analyses of concerns and opinions of the businesses involved, government policy, wildlife organisations, public and media opinions which may have an impact on future planning policies and procedures, habitat degradation, human health, and wildlife conservation will be undertaken. Case studies, government articles, fracking company media statement and media reports used to illustrate current approach. An analysis and evaluation comparison of two shale gas companies within the two counties of Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, both of which have had planning permission granted for fracking exploration sites. In the county of Lancashire, planning permission was refused not only for an exploration site but for extraction of shales gas. The company turned to the government to appeal this decision which was overturned. Preston New Road Action Group (a group of local residents) has subsequently appealed and the hearing is set for 15 March 2017. Therefore, are the strategies that are currently in place sufficient to meet all needs from both companies, the conservationists, the public and the government? To investigate and evaluate the policies and procedures required by the Shale gas companies to obtain planning permission to include Environmental Impact Assessments, are these effective, detailed sufficiently and acceptable? What are the procedures post damage or accident? Is this acceptable? Critical analyse of each perspective. Methods Materials This evaluation analysis is a desktop review and will therefore not require the participation of human, animal, and environmental subjects. Information will be sourced from scientific and law books, scientific journals, media reports and websites (such as governmental, legal and the companys websites). European Law will not be taken into consideration due to the imminent exit from the European Union. Therefore, only the Laws and policies currently in place for England and Wales are to be included. Some of the topics covered in this study will be: Environmental Law; Law Commission Report 2012; National Planning Policy Framework; Environmental Impact Assessments of the sites in the two Counties; Company information of the two companies involved Caudrilla Resources and IGas plc. The criteria used when searching for information was based upon: Environmental Law; Fracking in the UK; Legislation and policy with regard to planning in the UK; Fracking in Lancashire; Fracking in Nottinghamsh ire; Hydraulic Fracturing; Shale Gas; UK Shale Gas Fracking House of Commons 2017; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. to be completed. Not quite sure how to finish this off Chapter 2: Shale-gas Fracking 2.1 Overview of fracking. Extraction of a natural gas known as shale gas is found in shale rock formations that can be extracted by Hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The gas is mined by drilling a well down vertically until it hits the shale, then horizontally. This involves inserting high volumes of water mixed with chemicals into the rock to cause it to fracture and release the gas. See Figure 1. Currently the UK government supports fracking although concerns remain about the adequacy of current UK regulation of groundwater and surface water contamination and the assessment of the environmental impact. Figure 1. Hydraulic Fracturing and environmental concerns (Carbon Brief 2013). 2.2 Legislation and policy relevant to fracking, and wildlife conservation. Environmental regulation is intended to protect the environment. The impact and effectiveness of the legislation can be considered from several perspectives which seem to be fragmented and haphazard at best. Some of the law statutes for environmental protection include: Clean Air Act 1956 Clean Neighbourhood and Environmental Act 2005 Control of Pollution Act 1974 as amended in 1989 Environment Act 1995 Environmental Protection Act 1990 Freedom of Information Act 2000 Law of Property Act 1925 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 Nature Conservancy Council Act 1973 Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 Town Country Planning Act 1990 Water Resources Act 1991 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Case Law will also be included where relevant. The principles under common law governing property rights to the subsurface and to minerals are necessary to understand the law governing activities using geological developments. The general rule (with some exceptions) is that the rights deriving from the possession or ownership of an estate in land extends upwards and downwards. The Latin phrase that expresses this rule is cujus est solum ejus est usque ad coelum et ad inferos; to whom the soil belongs, to that person it belongs all the way to the sky and the depths (Zillman et al. 2014). Therefore, permission from the land owner must be sort to enable permission for fracking to take place on privately owned land. In the case of Bocardo v Star Energy UK Onshore Ltd in 2010 the land owner sued the oil company for trespass for three wells made under its land for directional drilling. In the case Star Energy Weald Basin Limited (and another) v Bocardo SA (Supreme Court Judgment, 28 July 2010). There is no depth limit after which geolo gical formations are owned by the state and that any invasion of it must have a physical effect on the surface. It could be said therefore that considering the risks associated with fracking and public opinion generally against fracking, land owners would not allow fracking upon their land but government incentives and fracking companies payments to allow access can be a high incentive to land owners. This could influence the conservation of wildlife if directional drilling undermines a special conservation site alongside a landowner that has agreed permission. Who owns shale gas? Shale gas counts as petroleum within the meaning of the Petroleum Act 1998 and the rights are vested in Her Majesty. By section 2(1) of that Act. The Crown has the exclusive right of searching for and getting petroleum in its natural condition within Great Britain. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) issues licenses to companies for exploration and for mining. The Oil and Gas Authority (a department within the government) is responsible for awarding onshore oil and gas licenses, which include exploratory fracking operations. On 17 December 2015, the Oil Gas Authority (OGA) announced that licences for a total of 159 blocks were formally offered to successful applicants under the 14th Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round (OGA 2017). Proposals for shale gas exploration or extraction in England Wales are subject to the requirements of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 administered by the Minerals Planning Authority (MPA) for the area in which the development is located. Individual town and city planners face a difficult task, they are required to consider the future economic and social needs of the community and provide the best possible environment in which to live and work (Evans, Stephenson, and Shaw 2009). Public and conservation charities opinion and opposition to the proximity of the well sites. The legal framework for land use planning and relevant legislation will be discussed individually for Lancashire and Nottinghamshire later. In May 2015, the government issued a statement regarding sustainable development making decisions now to realise our vision of stimulating economic growth and tackling the deficit, maximising wellbeing and protecting the environment, without affecting the ability of future generations to do the same (DEFRA 2015). Each department within the government is responsible for their own policies and activities to create sustainable development with DEFRA overseeing decisions. As you will see from the statement: development, economic growth and tackling the deficit, comes as a priority before wellbeing and protecting the environment. In June 2012, the government commissioned The Royal Society to compile a Review of Hydraulic Fracturing and their initial findings concludedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The health, safety and environmental risks associated with hydraulic fracturing (often termed fracking) as a means to extract shale gas can be managed effectively in the UK as long as operational best practices are implemented and enforced through regulation (RS and RAE 2012). However, they also made ten recommendations summarised as: to detect groundwater contamination, to ensure well integrity, to mitigate induced seismicity, to detect potential leakages of gas, water usage and wastewater should be managed in an integrated way, an Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) should be mandatory for all shale gas operations, best practice for risk management should be implemented. (RS and RAE 2012). These recommendations should be included within the planning and licensing applications. On the 6 April 2016, section 50 of the Infrastructure Act 2015 came into effect introducing amendments to the Petroleum Act 1998 regarding when and how consent can be issued for hydraulic fracturing in relation to the exploration and production of shale gas. The changes to the Infrastructure Act 2015 gives the shale gas companies in England Wales the means to access deep level land at least 300 metres underground for deep geothermal energy, one of which is shale gas. It also imposes a formal consent from the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. It also originally stated that there would be a ban on fracking in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) but SSSIs have been excluded and now allow for underground fracking. It should be noted that some regulators whom approve licenses for fracking, such as the Environment Agency, view prosecution as a last resort and prefer to adopt a compliance strategy. The Environment Agency is a government run organisation who work to create better places for people and wildlife, and support sustainable development. (Environment Agency 2017). Environmental permitting regulations cover: protecting water resources, including groundwater (aquifers), assessing and approving the use of chemicals which form part of the hydraulic fracturing fluid appropriate treatment and disposal of mining waste produced during the borehole drilling and hydraulic fracturing process suitable treatment and management of any naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) disposal of waste gases through flaring In the planning process the Environment Agency can be a statutory consultee and provides local planning authorities (county or unitary local authority) with advice on the potential risks to the environment from individual gas exploration and extraction sites (DBEIS 2017). The government publish documentation to convince the public of the strict processes companies have to adhere to before obtaining approval, operators pass rigorous health and safety, environmental and planning permission processes before any shale operation can begin in the UK (DBEIS 2017). See figure 2. Figure 2. Infographic: What happens before a company can explore for shale gas? (DBEIS 2017) 2.2 Impact on Wildlife Conservation, the concerns and public opinion. The first resource for environmental implication impact to consider is water. The quality, quantity used, accessibility of the resource and waste water disposal. Vast quantities of water mixed with proppant and chemical additives, for example: gelling and foaming agents, friction reducers, crosslinkers, breakers, pH adjusters, biocides, corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, and surfactants are injected under pressure to release the shale gas and enable the gas to return to the surface. One third of them lack mammalian toxicity data (Stringfellow et al., 2014). The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) 2013, states that it is likely to involve the use of large quantities of clean water, typically 10,000 to 30,000 m3 water per well (10,000 to 30,000 tonnes). The water may be obtained from the local water supply company sources or by abstraction from surface or groundwater (if permitted by the relevant environment agency under licence). Loss of well integrity has led to contamination of surrounding strata by fracking fluid and/or methane (Jenner and Lamadid, 2013). Most water used is locked away underground and never returned to the natural hydrological cycle. Impacts on water quality have a potential to impact on contamination of groundwater aquifer layers with either the fracking fluid used to dislodge gas, or the methane gas itself (which is of course poisonous). As you will see from the following map of Great Britain this shows drilling sites and aquafers. See figure 3. Also, to be considered is the potential surface discharges of contaminated produced water (water drawn from the formation to initiate production, which flows to the surface for life of the well) and flowback water (predominantly fracturing fluids, which comes to surface after fracking is completed and before production begins) from shale gas production that could contaminate natural surface waters. Not only is this a risk to public health but als o the biodiversity or loss of biodiversity in the relevant environment. A permit, under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010 (EPR), from the Environment Agency is required where fluids containing pollutants are injected into ground, where they may enter groundwater. To date there is no evidence that such a contamination has occurred in any site currently in Great Britain, but is it only a matter of time before an accident does occur which will affect the biodiversity of that area. Figure 3.(a) Map of UK showing location of onshore wells drilled for exploration or production and productive aquifers. (b) Map of UK showing location of potential shale gas and oil reservoirs and productive aquifers. Aquifer base map reproduced with the permission of the British Geological Survey.  ©NERC. All rights Reserved. (Davies et al. 2014). High pressure injection of water into shale formations has been linked to seismic events in Lancashire which will be discussed later. Public participation and consultation has become fundamental for energy regulators due to the intensity and immediacy of public engagement. The intense media scrutiny and broader public knowledge, as well as increased public organizations (local action groups) and the development of social media have contributed to improved citizen communication and often made local issues national and international (Zillman at al. 2015). This has resulted in public demonstrations against fracking in each local community to which fracking licensing have been granted. It would seem that much of public opinion is against fracking. The Infrastructure Bill (Jan 2015) originally said there would be a ban on fracking in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest and introduced mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments. But just eight months later, a major U-turn on this commitment has placed some of the countrys most sensitive and precious wildlife sites at risk by excluding SSSIs from the ban and allowing licences for underground activity in highly protected wildlife sites. 2.4 Controls currently in place. In the UK, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) followed the recommendations of the joint report of the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering and developed a stop light protocol whereby thresholds for different acceptable levels of seismicity are defined, and if a level is breached during the hydraulic fracturing process the entire operation is to be terminated (DBEIS 2017). This procedure was implemented after seismic activity in Preston in the Lancashire shale gas area. See Figure 4. Figure 4.Infographic: Seismic activity traffic light monitoring system (DBEIS 2017) Chapter 3: Comparison of Fracking planning procedures for two Counties 3.1 Current fracking in the UK In January 2017, the House of Commons produced a Briefing Paper titled, Shale gas and fracking, which states that there has been recent approval of two planning decisions in Lancashire and North Yorkshire suggesting that commercial fracking is getting closer. 3.2 Nottinghamshire County Council Further public consultation is required before Nottinghamshire County Councils Planning and Licensing Committee can consider a planning application for an exploratory shale gas well-site on land off the A634 between Barnby Moor and Blyth. Dart Energy is seeking planning permission to undertake exploratory drilling for shale gas at the site, known as Tinker Lane. The application is for exploratory drilling, to check the suitability of the rock for shale gas extraction. Nottinghamshire County Councillors will consider the countys second planning application to undertake exploratory drilling for shale gas at the Planning and Licensing Committee meeting on Tuesday 21 March. The application was submitted by Dart Energy in May last year to drill one exploratory vertical well 3,300 metres deep and three sets of groundwater monitoring boreholes on land off the A634 between Barnby Moor and Blyth The application is not seeking permission to carry out any hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking. The application site, which is currently open farm land, is around one mile north of Barnby Moor and 1.5 miles south east of Blyth. Permission is sought for a temporary period of up to three years, with the drilling taking place for approximately four months. The County Council has received over 800 representations from the local community and a petition. (NCC) 3.3 Lancashire County Council On 1 April and 27 May 2011 two earthquakes with magnitudes 2.3 and 1.5 were felt in the Blackpool area. These earthquakes were suspected to be linked to hydraulic fracture treatments at the Preese Hall well operated by Cuadrilla Resources Ltd. Thus, operations were suspended at Preese Hall and Cuadrilla Resources Ltd were requested to undertake a full technical study into the relationship between the earthquakes and their operations. Cuadrilla submitted to DECC a synthesis report with a number of technical appendices on 2 November 2011, and published this material on their website. These reports examine seismological and geomechanical aspects of the seismicity in relation to the hydraulic fracture treatments, along with detailed background material on the regional geology and rock physics. They also estimated future seismic hazard and proposed recommendations for future operations to mitigate seismic risk. Further information supplied by Cuadrilla in the course of this assessment is available as Annexes below. The independent experts have now made recommendations to DECC for mitigating the risk of induced seismicity resulting from continued hydraulic fracturing at Preese Hall, Lancashire and elsewhere in Great Britain. (OGA 2017) 3.4 Organisation responses; Igas and Caudrilla 3.5 General public and conservationists responses (Wildlife Trust etc.) Chapter 4 : Discussion 4.1 Comparison of the two counties policies and procedures. 4.2 Proposed further exploration sites and possible impacts, compensation etc. Interpretation of the literature generally and in relation to the two counties. Analogy with mining and the collapse of the industry in the UK. Political party in government and their views. Limitations of the study Chapter 5 : Conclusion and Suggestions for further research A summary. Critically evaluate the dissertation. Is there enough protection for wildlife conservation? Recommendations for further research. REFERENCES Carbon Brief. 2013. Carbon Briefing: what does extracting shale gas mean for the local environment?Science. Available at: https://www.carbonbrief.org/carbon-briefing-what-does-extracting-shale-gas-mean-for-the-local-environment. Davies, R.J., Almond, S., Ward, R.S., Jackson, R.B., Adams, C., Worrall, F., Herringshaw, L.G., Gluyas, J.G., and Whitehead, M.A. 2014. Oil and gas wells and their integrity: Implications for shale and unconventional resource exploitation. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 1-16. Delebarre, J., Ares, E., and Smith, L. 4 January 2017. House of Commons Library Briefing. Number 6073. Shale gas and fracking. Evans, D., Stephenson, M, and Shaw, R. 2009. The present and future use of land below ground. Land Use Policy 26S. S302-S316. Finkel M.L., and Hays J. 2016. Environmental and health impacts of fracking: why epidemiological studies are necessary. J Epidemiol Community Health. Vol 70. No 3. Great Britain. Department for Business, Energy Industrial Strategy (DBEIS). 2017. Guidance on fracking: developing shale gas in the UK [Online]. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/about-shale-gas-and-hydraulic-fracturing-fracking/developing-shale-oil-and-gas-in-the-uk. [Accessed: 27 February 2017]. Great Britain. Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). 2013. Oil and gas: onshore exploration and production [Online]. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/oil-and-gas-onshore-exploration-and-production. [Accessed: 28 February 2017]. Great Britain. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). 2015. 2010 to 2015 government policy: sustainable development. [Online]. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-sustainable-development/2010-to-2015-government-policy-sustainable-development#issue. [Accessed: 7 March 2017]. Great Britain. Environment Agency (EA). 2017. [Online]. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency. [Accessed: 15 March 2017]. Great Britain. Oil Gas Authority (OGA). 2017. Exploration and Production Onshore. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ogauthority.co.uk/exploration-production/onshore/. [Accessed: 15 March 2017]. Great Britain. The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering (RS RAE). 2012. Shale gas extraction in the UK: a review of hydraulic fracturing [Online]. Available at: https://royalsociety.org/~/media/policy/projects/shale-gas-extraction/2012-06-28-shale-gas.pdf. [Accessed: 7 March 2017]. Jenner, S. and Lamadrid, A.J. 2013. Shale gas vs. coal: policy implications for environmental impact comparisons of shale gas, conventional gas and coal on air, water and land in the United States, Energy Policy, 53, 442-53. Jones P., Hillier D., and Comfort D. 2015. Contested perspectives on fracking in the UK. Geography. 100. Part 1. Small. J. QC. 2013. Fracking Liability. The Estates Gazette; Sutton. 92-94. Stringfellow, W.T., Domen, J.K., Camarillo, M.K., Sandrillo, W.L., and Borglin, S. 2014. Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of compounds used in hydraulic fracturing. Journal of Hazardous Materials. Volume 275, 37-54. a Ecological Engineering Research Program, School of Engineering Computer Science, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211, USA b Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Zillman, D.N., Lucas, A., and Beirne, S. (2015) 2014: An eventful year for energy law and policy, Journal of Energy Natural Resources Law, 33:1, 82-105 Zillman, D.N., McHarg, A., and Bradbrook, A. 2014. The Law of Energy Underground: Understanding New Developments in Subsurface Production, Transmission, and Storage. [eBook type]. Oxford Scholarship Online. Available from: NTU Library One Search. 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Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As you look back on the last four years I'm sure you'll all remember them differently. Some of you will think of them as the best four years of your life and others, the worst. Some of you will think of them as the most fun you've ever had. Some of you will remember the friendships you've created, or all the things you've learned and will carry with you wherever you go. Most of all I think we should remember and be thankful for the fact they've been a relatively safe four years. We've had our share of bumps and bruises, but nothing really major. I am saying this mainly because in the past few months, especially, other schools have not been so fortunate. When they look back on their high school years, their memories shall forever be tainted by unspeakable acts of violence and rage. As you know, I'm referring to the 12 students and one teacher killed by two crazed gunmen. In the aftermath of these tragedies people have searched for someone or something to blame. They've gone from video games to the availability of guns, to the lack of attention by parents, teachers, and counselors, and even to the Internet, but finger pointing will not solve the problem. I can't say that I have all the answers but I know there are some things we can do. The problem, I believe, starts and ends with us. Those two students, from Columbine High School were outcasts and constantly teased. The sad truth about that tragedy is that it could have happened here. Honestly, we've all made fun of someone at some time, but toward the end of the year it seems as though we're all being nicer to each other, mainly because we're not going to be here much longer and we realize it simply isn't worth it. I think it would have been much better to have had this attitude at the beginning of high school instead of at the end. As we go through our lives we should not forget what we've learned. We are the future and we're responsible for the next generation. It is our job to teach them to be nicer to each other and more tolerant of their differences. We have to teach them not to solve their problems through guns or violence. That truly is the only way to prevent these senseless tragedies from occurring.