Popular Posts

SLIDESHELF

Friday, February 24, 2017

A Perspective on Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

A Perspective on Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Three days after Exxon Valdez ran aground
Location
Coordinates
Date
March 24, 1989; 27 years ago
Cause
Cause
Grounding of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker
Operator
Spill characteristics
Volume
260,000–750,000 bbl (41,000–119,000 m3)
Area
11,000 sq mi (28,000 km2)
Shoreline impacted
1,300 mi (2,100 km)

Background: An oil tanker from Exxon which named Exxon Valdez underwent oil spill crisis on Friday, March 24, 1989.
Location: After the oil tanker hit reef, it leaked massive crude oil in Prince William Sound. Prince William Sound was abundance of sea life. As a result, the crude oil spill not only polluted the environment around Alaska, it also had a negative impact on sea life in Sound. Besides that, people had a fear to travel to Alaska.
Situation Analysis: The strength for Exxon to handle the crisis was that Exxon was such a big company that it could afford the loss and compassion for the oil spill. Don Cornet clearly realized and analyzed the situation and looked ahead to a long-term future. The weakness was Exxon did not have a public relation manager in the company before the oil spill happened. It would make Exxon hard to early find the prodromes and shortly prevent the crisis. The opportunity for the company to cope with the crisis was Exxon had already set up animal rescue centers on Veldez. It was easy for Exxon to save the sea life. The threat for the company to handle the crisis was that the corporate culture was not good. On one hand, the CEO—Lawrence G. Rawl did not like publicity and the media. It hindered the communication between Exxon and the public. On the other hand, the employees thought the company cut the crews and made employees worked too long. This would made the public reconsidered about Exxon and damaged the image of Exxon. According to official reports, the ship was carrying approximately 54 million US gallons (200,000 m3) of oil, of which about 10.8 million US gallons (260,000 bbl; 41,000 m3) were spilled into the Prince William Sound. Multiple factors have been identified as contributing to the incident:
Beginning three days after the vessel grounded, a storm pushed large quantities of fresh oil on to the rocky shores of many of the beaches in the Knight Island chain.[12] In this photograph, pooled black oil is shown stranded in the rocks

Strategies: After the crisis happened, different departments in the Exxon had done lots of measures to handle the crisis. They were:
1.       The immediate strategy was to clean the crude oil up as quickly as possible and recover normalcy to Alaska.
2.       Iarossi fired the captain of Exxon Veldez—Hazelwood.
3.      Cornet set up a media center in Valdez for reporters and photographers.
4.      Don Cornet reported the situation to the head of public affairs and swiftly arrived at the Alaska.
5.       Iarossi held a press conference.
6.      CEO Rawl refused to go to the site and thought “technologically obsolete.”
7.      Cornet asked Mason to handle the bad effect on the tourism industry and sea animals.
8.       Manson referred a public relations agency in Anchorage to help cope with bad impact on the seafood industry in Alaska.
9.      The media tours and guidelines were planed to the Exxon animal rescue centers.
10.   News conferences were held to convince public that Alaska’s tourism industry was not affected by the spill.
11.  Exxon funded an advertising campaign to encourage Alaska’s tourism.
Effects of the disaster:
Wildlife was severely affected by the oil spill.
Both the long-term and short-term effects of the oil spill have been studied.  Immediate effects included the deaths of 100,000 to as many as 250,000 seabirds. In 2003, fifteen years after the spill, a team from the University of North Carolina found that the remaining oil was lasting far longer than anticipated, which in turn had resulted in more long-term loss of many species than had been expected. In 2006, a study done by the National Marine Fisheries Service in Juneau found that about 6 miles (9.7 km) of shoreline around Prince William Sound was still affected by the spill, with 101.6 tonnes of oil remaining in the area.  As of 2010 there were an estimated 23,000 US gallons (87 m3) of Valdez crude oil still in Alaska's sand and soil, breaking down at a rate estimated at less than 4% per year. On March 24, 2014, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the spill, NOAA scientists reported that some species seem to have recovered, with the sea otter the latest creature to return to pre-spill numbers. Scientists who have monitored the spill area for the last 25 years report that concern remains for one of two pods of local orca whales, with fears that one pod may eventually die out.
After the crisis struck, the different strategies in the company received different responds from the public. They were:
1.      When Irsossi blamed Captain Hazelwood and Third Mate Cousins, some Exxon employees thought that the corporate also had its own problems. The over fatigue to work for the company was responsible for the accident.
2.      When CEO Rawl did not care about the crisis, the media, the fishermen, the environmentalists, and the public were angry.
3.      Customers canceled their Exxon credit cards.
4.      When Alaska Governor Cooper attended to the news conferences and mentioned the beautiful Alaska, people believed him and release the fear to travel to Alaska
Findings: When the oil spill happened, Don Cornet showed regret to publics. Iarossi fired Captain Hazelwood for his fault. Third Mate Cousins was blamed by publics. It well explained Apologia Theory, especially redefinition. Exxon never committed the company’s guilty. It seemed that the fault came from Hazelwood. If Hazelwood kept his post, the oil spill would not have happened. Exxon communicated to its public that it did not “intend” to commit the misdeed. However, the textbook also referred that employees complained about working too long and leading to human fatigue. I think there are really some problems on their corporate culture. A company who has a strong corporate culture would consider every employee to be their members. If Exxon thinks like this, it will commit their fault without casting the most responsibility to Captain Hazelwood. Besides that, Exxon should apologize for the public, not only showing their regret. The image restoration theory is also applied in this case. For example, when Exxon considered the negative impact on Alaska’s tourism, they held news conferences and advertising campaign to restore its image. I think it is a correct method to handle this part of the crisis. Cornet set up a media center for reporters and photographers in Valdez. Exxon invited Alaska Governor Cooper to be their external public speaker to attend the news conferences, the public trusted his speech. These two strategies shows that Exxon tends to form alliances with media and external groups to make them feel like they are the part of the company. Besides that, I appreciate that Exxon opened the animal rescue center for the media and community. Exxon realized that they should not only do what is right. It also must tell its public that it is taking appropriate action. From this case, I think that oil companies should think about the oil spill crisis. Moreover, they also have to consider something that seems impossibly happen. A crisis a company determines to be impossible only because it has never happened before can happen tomorrow. Therefore, a company has to make a crisis communication plan. When facing a similar crisis, I will recommend that CEO in the company to be the speaker. He is the most credibility with publics and the media. He should realize the importance of public relations. Once the crisis strikes, the speaker has to report the fact of crisis and take measures to hand the crisis during the “golden hours”.

·         http://schoolworkhelper.net/exxon-valdez-oil-spill-overview-summary/.
·        
Thomas, Pierre; Weiser, Benjamin (13 April 1996). "Reputed 'Manifesto' Recovered". The Washington Post. p. A01. Retrieved 28 January 2011.


·         Betrayal and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill by Riki Ott (2008). Published by Chelsea Green Publishing. 352p.

·         The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell (2009). Published by Epicenter Press. 288p.






Oil and Chemical Spills/Significant Incidents/Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Oil and Chemical Spills/Significant Incidents/Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

INDUSTRIAL DISASTERS


Thursday, February 23, 2017

கரும்புள்ளி மறைய இந்த எளிய குறிப்புகளை ட்ரை பண்ணியிருக்கீங்களா?

வெந்தய கீரை :
கரும்புள்ளி மறைய இந்த எளிய குறிப்புகளை ட்ரை பண்ணியிருக்கீங்களா?
கரும்புள்ளியை மறையச் செய்ய இந்த எளிய குறிப்புகளை முயற்சித்துப் பாருங்கள். இவை உடனேயே பலன் தரக் கூடியவை. பக்க விளைவுகளை தராதவை.
கரும்புள்ளி சருமத்தின் அழகை பாழ்படுத்தும். கிருமிகள் , இறந்த செல்கள் மற்றும் அழுக்குகள் தங்கி கரும்புள்ளிகளாக வெளிப்படும். இந்த கரும்புள்ளிகளை எளிதால அகற்றி விடலாம். சருமத்தை சுத்தப்படுத்துவதே எளிய வழி.
சோப்பை போட்டு தேய்ப்பதால் வறட்சி அதிகமாகுமே தவிர, ஆழமான சென்று இந்த கரும்புள்ளியை அகற்றாது. சருமத்தை சுத்தப்படுத்தி கரும்புள்ளியை அக்ற்ற எளிதான வழிகள் இங்கே கொடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. அவை எளிதில் பயன் தரும்.
15 நிமிட உருளை மசாஜ் :
உருளைக்கிழங்கை நறுக்கி அதனை முகத்தில் 15 நிமிடம் தேய்த்த பின்னர் காயவைத்து, குளிர்ந்த நீரில் கழுவிடவேண்டும். இதனால் கரும்புள்ளிகள் படிப்படியாக நீங்கிவிடும்.

வெந்தய கீரை :
வெந்தயக் கீரையை நன்கு அரைத்து பேஸ்ட்செய்து கொள்ளவேண்டும். பின் அதனை முகத்தில் தடவி, சிறிதுநேரம் காயவைத்து, பிறகு கழுவவேண்டும். இதனை தொடர்ந்து செய்து வந்தால், விரைவில் முகத்தில் இருக்கும் கரும்புள்ளிகள் நீங்கி விடும்.

கொத்துமல்லி மற்றும் மஞ்சள்
கொத்தமல்லியுடன் சிறிது மஞ்சள் தூள் சேர்த்து அரைத்து பேஸ்ட்செய்து முகத்தில் தடவி காயவைத்து கழுவ வந்தால் கரும்புள்ளிகள் மறையும். இதை வாரம் இரு முறை செய்யலாம்.

தயிருடன் எலுமிச்சை :
இரண்டு டேபிள் ஸ்பூன் தயிரை, ஒரு டேபிள் ஸ்பூன் எலுமிச்சை சாற்றுடன் கலந்து, தடவி வந்தால், கரும்புள்ளிகள் சீக்கிரம்போய் விடும்.

சர்க்கரை மற்றும் எலுமிச்சை :
எலுமிச்சை சாற்றுடன், சர்க்கரையை சேர்த்து கலந்து, முகத்தில் தடவி சிறிது நேரம் மசாஜ் செய்ய வேண்டும் இதனால் முகத்தில் இருக்கும் கரும்புள்ளிகள் நீங்குவதோடு, சருமத்தில் இருக்கும் இறந்த செல்கள் வெளியேறி, சருமம் பளிச்சென்று காணப்படும்.


CHEMICAL DISASTERS


Saturday, December 24, 2016

64 ஆண்டுகளாக சேர்ந்திருந்த தம்பதிகள்... கரத்தை பிடித்தபடியே இறந்தனர்..!


64 ஆண்டுகளாக சேர்ந்திருந்த தம்பதிகள்... கரத்தை பிடித்தபடியே இறந்தனர்..!
அமெரிக்காவைச் சேர்ந்த ட்ரென்ட் வின்ஸ்டீட் (88) மற்றும் டோலோர்ஸ் வின்ஸ்டீட் (83) 64 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு மணமுடித்தனர். சில நாட்களுக்கு முன்பு உடல்நலக் குறைவு காரணமாக ட்ரெண்ட் மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார்.
பிறகு டோலர்ஸ்சும் உடல்நிலை பாதிப்படைந்ததால் ட்ரென்ட் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட மருத்துவமனையிலேயே அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டார். இருவருக்கும், ஒரே அறையில் சிகிச்சை கொடுத்து வந்துள்ளது மருத்துவமனை நிர்வாகம். 
இதையடுத்து, டிசம்பர் 9-ஆம் தேதி இரவு 9 மணி அளவில் டோலோர்ஸின் உயிர் பிரிந்தது. இதை தொடர்ந்து, அடுத்து சில மணி நேரங்களிலேயே ட்ரெண்ட்டும் இறந்துள்ளார்.
ட்ரென்ட் இறக்கும் போது அவரது வாழ்வில் 64 ஆண்டுகள் கூடவே பயணித்த மனைவி டோலோர்ஸின் கரத்தை பிடித்தபடியே இறந்துள்ளார். இந்த தம்பதிகளுக்கு ஒரு மகன், ஒரு மகள் மற்றும் 8 பேரக்குழந்தைகளும் உள்ளன.


Sunday, November 20, 2016

GLOBAL WARMING


GLOBAL WARMING
What is global warming? 
Global warming is when the earth heats up (the temperature rises).  It happens when greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane) trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature.  This hurts many people, animals, and plants.  Many cannot take the change, so they die.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is when the temperature rises because the sun’s heat and light is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere.  This is like when heat is trapped in a car. On a very hot day, the car gets hotter when it is out in the parking lot.  This is because the heat and light from the sun can get into the car, by going through the windows, but it can’t get back out.  This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth.  The heat and light can get through the atmosphere, but it can’t get out.  As a result, the temperature rises.
The squiggle lines coming from the sun are visible light and the lines and arrows inside the car are infrared light. 
The sun’s heat can get into the car through the windows but is then trapped.  This makes what ever the place might be, a greenhouse, a car, a building, or the earth’s atmosphere, hotter.  This diagram shows the heat coming into a car as visible light (light you can see) and infrared light (heat).  Once the light is inside the car, it is trapped and the heat builds up, just like it does in the earth’s atmosphere.
Sometimes the temperature can change in a way that helps us.  The greenhouse effect makes the earth appropriate for people to live on.  Without it, the earth would be freezing, or on the other hand it would be burning hot.  It would be freezing at night because the sun would be down.  We would not get the sun’s heat and light to make the night somewhat warm.  During the day, especially during the summer, it would be burning because the sun would be up with no atmosphere to filter it, so people, plants, and animals would be exposed to all the light and heat.
Although the greenhouse effect makes the earth able to have people living on it, if there gets to be too many gases, the earth can get unusually warmer, and many plants, animals, and people will die.  They would die because there would be less food (plants like corn, wheat, and other vegetables and fruits).  This would happen because the plants would not be able to take the heat.  This would cause us to have less food to eat, but it would also limit the food that animals have.  With less food, like grass, for the animals that we need to survive (like cows) we would even have less food.  Gradually, people, plants, and animals would all die of hunger. 
What are greenhouse gasses?
Greenhouse gasses are gasses are in the earth’s atmosphere that collect heat and light from the sun.  With too many greenhouse gasses in the air, the earth’s atmosphere will trap too much heat and the earth will get too hot.  As a result people, animals, and plants would die because the heat would be too strong.
What is global warming doing to the environment?
Global warming is affecting many parts of the world.  Global warming makes the sea rise, and when the sea rises, the water covers many low land islands.  This is a big problem for many of the plants, animals, and people on islands.  The water covers the plants and causes some of them to die.  When they die, the animals lose a source of food, along with their habitat.  Although animals have a better ability to adapt to what happens than plants do, they may die also.  When the plants and animals die, people lose two sources of food, plant food and animal food.  They may also lose their homes.  As a result, they would also have to leave the area or die.  This would be called a break in the food chain, or a chain reaction, one thing happening that leads to another and so on. 
The oceans are affected by global warming in other ways, as well.  Many things that are happening to the ocean are linked to global warming.  One thing that is happening is warm water, caused from global warming, is harming and killing algae in the ocean.
Algae is a producer that you can see floating on the top of the water.  (A producer is something that makes food for other animals through photosynthesis, like grass.)  This floating green algae is food to many consumers in the ocean.  (A consumer is something that eats the producers.)  One kind of a consumer is small fish.  There are many others like crabs, some whales, and many other animals.  Fewer algae is a problem because there is less food for us and many animals in the sea.
Global warming is doing many things to people as well as animals and plants.  It is killing algae, but it is also destroying many huge forests.  The pollution that causes global warming is linked to acid rain.  Acid rain gradually destroys almost everything it touches.  Global warming is also causing many more fires that wipe out whole forests.  This happens because global warming can make the earth very hot.  In forests, some plants and trees leaves can be so dry that they catch on fire.
What causes global warming? 
Many things cause global warming.  One thing that causes global warming is electrical pollution.  Electricity causes pollution in many ways, some worse than others.  In most cases, fossil fuels are burned to create electricity.  Fossil fuels are made of dead plants and animals.  Some examples of fossil fuels are oil and petroleum.  Many pollutants (chemicals that pollute the air, water, and land) are sent into the air when fossil fuels are burned.  Some of these chemicals are called greenhouse gasses.
We use these sources of energy much more than the sources that give off less pollution.  Petroleum, one of the sources of energy, is used a lot.  It is used for transportation, making electricity, and making many other things.  Although this source of energy gives off a lot of pollution, it is used for 38% of the United States’ energy.
Some other examples of using energy and polluting the air are:
Turning on a light
Watching T.V.
Listening to a stereo
Washing or drying clothes
Using a hair dryer
Riding in a car
Heating a meal in the microwave
Using an air conditioner
Playing a video game
Using a dish washer
When you do these things, you are causing more greenhouse gasses to be sent into the air.  Greenhouse gasses are sent into the air because creating the electricity you use to do these things causes pollution.  If you think of how many times a day you do these things, it’s a lot.  You even have to add in how many other people do these things!  That turns out to be a lot of pollutants going into the air a day because of people like us using electricity. The least amount of electricity you use, the better.
When we throw our garbage away, the garbage goes to landfills.  Landfills are those big hills that you go by on an expressway that stink.  They are full of garbage.  The garbage is then sometimes burned.  This sends an enormous amount of greenhouse gasses into the air and makes global warming worse.
Another thing that makes global warming worse is when people cut down trees.  Trees and other plants collect carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a greenhouse gas.
Carbon dioxide is the air that our body lets out when we breathe. With fewer trees, it is harder for people to breathe because there is more CO2 in the air, and we don’t breathe CO2, we breathe oxygen.  Plants collect the CO2 that we breathe out, and they give back oxygen that we breathe in.  With less trees and other plants, such as algae, there is less air for us, and more greenhouse gases are sent into the air. This means that it is very important to protect our trees to stop the greenhouse effect, and also so we can breathe and live.
This gas, CO2, collects light and heat (radiant energy), produced by the sun, and this makes the earth warmer.  The heat and light from the sun is produced in the center of the sun.  (The sun has layers just like the earth.)
The dirty yellow color on outside is the surface.  The light and dark yellow colored area is the convection zone.  The orange colored area is the radiative zone, and the red colored area is the core.  The squiggle lines represent radiant energy.     

This layer is called the core.  Just like a core of an apple, it is in the middle.  Here there is a very high temperature, about 27,000,000°F.  This heat escapes out of this layer to the next layer, the radiative zone. This layer is cooler, about 4,500,000°F.   Gradually, the heat and light will pass through the convection zone at a temperature of around 2,000,000°F.  When it gets to the surface, the temperature is about 10,000°F.  Finally, the heat and light is sent into space.  This is called radiant energy (heat and light).  The radiant energy reaches the earth’s atmosphere.  As a result of this process we get light and heat.  When you pollute, you send chemicals into the air that destroy our atmosphere, so more heat and light cannot escape from the earth’s atmosphere.
What are people doing to stop global warming? 
People are doing many things to try to stop global warming.  One thing people are doing is carpooling.  Carpooling is driving with someone to a place that you are both going to.  This minimizes the amount of greenhouse gases put into the air by a car.
Another thing that people are doing is being more careful about leaving things turned on like the television, computer, and the lights.   A lot of people are taking time away from the television, and instead, they are spending more time outdoors.  This helps our planet out a lot.  Now, more people are even riding busses, walking to school, and riding their bikes to lower the amount of greenhouse gases in the air.  Planting trees and recycling also helps.  If you recycle, less trash goes to the dump, and less trash gets burned.  As a result, there are fewer greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere.
Watch what you buy.  Many things, such as hairspray and deodorant, now are made to have less of an impact on the atmosphere.  Less greenhouse gasses will rise into the air, and global warming will slow down.
What is the government doing to stop global warming?
The government is doing many things to help stop global warming. The government made a law called The Clean Air Act so there is less air pollution.  Global warming is making people get very bad illnesses that could make them disabled, very sick, and sometimes even die.  The Clean Air Act is making many companies change their products to decrease these problems.  Part of the law says that you may not put a certain amount of pollutants in the air.  Hairspray and some other products, like foam cups, had this problem.  Making and using these products let out too much volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), ozone-destroying chemicals (chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), and related chemicals (such as CO2) into the air.  Now, almost all of these products have a label on them telling people what this product can do to the environment and many people.  By 2015 all products listed on the Clean Air Act will have this label on them:
WARNING:contains or manufactured with (the chemical would go here. For example chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), a substance whichharms public health and the environment by destroying ozone in the upperatmosphere.
Almost all of the other chemicals that could be harmful will have this label on them hopefully by this time (2015) as well.
The Clean Air Act has also made car companies change some of the things inside of the cars.  Cars pollute a lot.  While cars make more than half of the world’s smog (visible pollution in the air), many things that cars need to move and heat up make even more pollution.  Some things that are inside of cars, buses, trucks, and motorcycles, like gasoline, pollute the air when the fuel is burned.  It comes out as a chemical and when mixed in the air, forms smog.  Smog is a kind of pollution that you see in the form of a cloud.  If you have ever been to California you can see a lot of smog in some places.  Sometimes the smog gets so bad that you cannot see at all!  Smog forms when car exhaust, pollution from homes, and pollution from factories mixes in the air and has a chemical reaction.  The sun’s heat and light add to the reaction.
Cars, buses, and trucks are also responsible for over 50% of dangerous chemicals let into the air.  Some of these chemicals can cause cancer, birth defects, trouble breathing, brain and nerve damage, lung injures, and burning eyes.  Some of the pollutants are so harmful that they can even cause death.
What are some of the other dangerous chemicals?
Some other chemicals that cause air pollution and are bad for the environment and people are:
Ozone- Ozone is produced when other pollution chemicals combine.  It is the basic element of smog.  It causes many different kinds of health issues dealing with the lungs.  It can damage plants and limit sight.  It can also cause a lot of property damage.
VOC’s (volatile organic compounds, smog formers)- VOC’s are let into the air when fuel is burned. This chemical can cause cancer.  It can also harm plants.
NOx (nitrogen dioxide)- This chemical forms smog.  It is also formed by burning sources of energy, like gas, coal, and oil, and by cars.  This chemical causes problems in the respiratory system (including the lungs).  It causes acid rain, and it can damage trees.  This chemical can eat away buildings and statues.
CO (carbon monoxide)- The source of this chemical is burning sources of energy.  It causes blood vessel problems and respiratory failures.
PM-10 (particulate matter)- The source of this chemical is plowing and burning down fields.  It can cause death and lung damage.  It can make it hard for people to breathe.  The smoke, soot, ash, and dust formed by this chemical can make many cities dirty.
Sulfur Dioxide- This chemical is produced by making paper and metals.  This chemical can cause permanent lung damage.  It can cause acid rain which kills trees and damages building and statues.
Lead- This chemical is in paint, leaded gasoline, smelters, and in lead storage batteries.  It can cause many brain and nerve damages and digestive problems.
Test yourself on global warming by figuring out a word search at the website below.  When you enter this website, you will have to click on Global Warming Word Search to enter the page.  Click on the website below to test yourself on global warming.  http://globalwarming.enviroweb.org/games/
Kid can help stop global warming, too!!
Although adults do many things to help stop global warming, kids can do just as much.  Kids can’t do hard things like making a law, but we can do easier things like not watching as much TV.  You can listen to your parents when they say, turn off your lights or go play outside.  Listening to them and actually trying to help can help you, your environment, and the world.