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Privatizing the Environmental

Pollution should be thought of as a kind of trespass--the disposal of one's garbage or waste on the property of another. The fundamental premise of (both left and right) environmentalism is that it is the legislature's role to determine to what extent such trespass should be allowed, and it is the executive branch's job to enforce limitations on trespass. The implicit (and often explicit) assumption of modern environmentalism is that environmental property (air, water, and even land) is really public property, and the trespass that occurs is a trespass against society as a whole. Accordingly, remedies for those trespasses are matters of political, not private, concern. Yet there is no reason why environmental resources cannot be owned by private parties. For example, the legal mechanics of private groundwater rights are conceptually no more difficult that the existing legal mechanics protecting private oil field rights. In England private organizations such as fishing clubs actually own stretches of rivers and streams. And the right to ownership of air above one's property is frequently legally recognized. Use of chemical ""tracers'' in pollution discharges (an increasingly common practice in various studies) allows even difficult-to-detect emissions to be ""branded'' or ""fingerprinted'' and thus traced back to their sources. An alternative environmental paradigm would hold that, if pollution is essentially a trespass upon private property, the private property owner, not governmental agents, should determine what is or is not acceptable and under what circumstances (or contractual arrangements) such trespass is to be allowed. Disputes should be brought to civil courts, not politicized legislatures, for adjudication. Pollution problems caused by discharges from multiple sources (which would make problematic the straight application of trespass law) have often been controlled by the ""condominium'' model of property ownership. buy wow gold For example, German communities currently maintain private associations for protecting the Ruhr, Wupper, and Emscher Rivers; polluters are required to hold shares in those associations and are assessed costs for maintaining water quality. That regime has worked admirably in terms of both economic efficiency and environmental quality. While common-law environmental policies, like all pollution control strategies, are primarily matters for local and state officials, not the federal government, to adopt when appropriate, Congress must affirmatively act in order to allow this paradigm shift to occur. cheap wow gold Numerous courts have held that regulatory standards preempt common-law actions since they implicitly ""nationalize'' (and thus remove from the realm of private tort action) resources that would otherwise be left to private parties to police. Repealing federal regulatory standards would remove what is, perhaps, the chief obstacle confronting states and localities interested in shifting from a regulatory to a common-law environmental paradigm. When confronting pollution problems that cross regional boundaries, Congress should explicitly restore common-law causes of action for interstate discharges, remove regulatory controls when private actions appear to provide a reasonable alternative, and eliminate standing for citizen enforcement suits not based on a showing of harm. mp3 players By doing so, Congress would demonstrate to states the viability of the common-law approach while vastly improving the economic and ecological consequences of environmental protection. Carl Pope, president of the Sierra Club, believes that this sort of approach ""would yield restrictions on pollution more stringent than those embodied in any current federal and state pollution laws. '' That's certainly true if a pollutant is truly harmful or a significant nuisance, since individuals, not governmental authorities, would have the final say over how much pollution they were willing to tolerate on their property or persons. world of warcraft gold It would also have the benefit of allowing an array of voluntary contractual relationships between polluter and polluted, internalize the cost of pollution, and minimize the transactions costs and inefficiencies caused by politicized rulemaking. "Most federal environmental regulations address discharges that affect localities, not interstate regions or the nation as a whole. The principle of subsidiarity--one of the foundations of this nation's political architecture--suggests that local problems are best dealt with by local officials, regional problems by state officials, and national problems by federal officials. wow gold The U. S. Constitution largely codifies that principle by placing limits on the reach of federal power (see Chapter 16), and the Supreme Court finally seems inclined, after a 60-year hiatus, to limit the reach of federal regulatory power to those areas that substantially affect interstate commerce. wow gold Thus, Congress should carefully examine United States v. Olin, a May 1996 decision from the U. S. wow gold kaufen District Court for the Southern District of Alabama.

Dodano: 09:50, 2008-Dec-30

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The ""Greenest'' Political Agenda Is Economic Growth

There are a number of reasons why economic growth is perhaps the most important of all ""environmental'' policies. First, it takes a healthy, growing economy simply to afford the pollution control technologies and weather the economic dislocations necessitated by environmental protection. A poorer nation, for example, could scarcely have afforded the $150 billion this nation has spent on sewage treatment plants over the past 25 years. Second, growing consumer demand for environmental goods (parks; recreational facilities; land for hunting, fishing, hiking; urban air and water quality) is largely responsible for the improving quantity and quality of both public and private ecological resources. Virtually all analysts of this phenomenon conclude that, for the vast majority of consumers, environmental amenities are ""luxury goods'' that are in greatest demand in the wealthiest societies. Economic growth is thus indirectly responsible for improving environmental quality in that it creates the conditions necessary for increased demand for (and the corresponding increase in supply of) environmental quality. Third, advances in technology, production methods, and manufacturing practices--both a cause and a consequence of economic growth--have historically resulted in less, not more, pollution. Even advances in nonenvironmental technologies and industries have indirectly resulted in more efficient resource consumption and less pollution. Finally, there is a strong correlation between personal wealth and health, and, as noted in a 1993 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, ""Economic factors are critically important in the prevention of illness. '' The study, conducted by researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics, concluded that education and income are the most important factors in determining how long a person will live. Since most federal environmental laws are concerned, not with ecological protection per se, but with protecting human health from ostensibly dangerous pollutants, particularly expensive environmental regulations can do more harm than good by lowering living standards below what they otherwise might be, which, in turn, increases an array of health risks. Several economists have estimated, in fact, that each $7. cheap wow gold 5 million in regulatory costs results in one additional ""statistical'' death, a finding that was adopted several years ago by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in UAW v. mp3 players OSHA. Even if that conclusion is off by an order of magnitude, it still calls into question a great deal of the federal regulatory code. "The political terrain on which the environmental debate is conducted today is defined almost entirely by the central premises of the environmental left. world of warcraft gold The green lobby maintains that ecological resources are by definition public property, or commons, that must be centrally planned and stewarded by bureaucratic agents lest they be recklessly despoiled by industry. Moreover, central planners must not only have nearly complete veto power over private actions that might affect the environment; they must also be empowered to stipulate how much pollution is acceptable and exactly how each business is to go about controlling emissions and even, in some circumstances, how products are manufactured. The inescapable differences among millions of pollution sinks, environmental carrying capacities, and manufacturing processes are inevitably blurred and ""averaged'' in one-size-fits-all regulations that--while not always efficient or environmentally optimal--at least have the virtue of requiring fewer than a million regulators. wow gold It is on that intellectual terrain that environmental reform is debated. More moderate environmental groups and most business lobbyists accept that terrain but suggest the replacement of command and control by more flexible, market-oriented regulations that allow businesses more options for controlling pollution but retain limitations on overall discharges. Some businesses and political conservatives go further, arguing that state and local governments should be provided waivers to adjust permissible pollution levels to accurately reflect local geography, environmental carrying capacities, and unique industrial circumstances. wow gold They also maintain that regulatory stewardship of the ecological commons does not occur in a vacuum and that the economic cost of various protection strategies must be part of the environmental policy equation. And then, of course, there is the never-ending argument about whether pollutant x or phenomenon y truly presents a human health or ecological threat so great that government regulation is necessary. Unfortunately, political muscle, not scientific evidence, more often than not settles those sorts of debates. wow gold kaufen The need for environmental regulatory reform is hard to ignore. The United States has invested almost $1. 5 trillion in environmental protection over the past 25 years and will be spending more on the environment than on national defense by the presidential election of 2000.

Dodano: 09:48, 2008-Dec-30

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PREVENT BULLYING

Bullying can bring fear and hopelessness into the life of an innocent child. Sadly, many caregivers and bystanders don't act when they see a child getting bullied on the playground or in their neighborhood. Such inaction can mean misery for children who are subjected to bullying on a regular basis. Years after the bullying has come to an end, people who were bullied as teenagers have poorer self-esteem and higher levels of depression than other adults. Imagine working in an office where bullying is tolerated. A co-worker who is stronger than you may distract you from your job, spread vicious rumors about you, take your possessions, threaten you, or openly mock you with the intention of causing you pain. When you explain the abuse to your boss, the response is clear: ""You need to stop complaining and work this out together. "" You are punished for being a ""tattletale. "" Most adults wouldn't put up with this sort of treatment at work, yet victimized children are commonly expected to confront their abusers on their own and with no way to defend themselves. In learning how to communicate with each other, it's natural for children to argue among friends, experience anger or frustration, and ""play fight. "" But, bullying is different. A bully harasses and degrades a victim for the sole purpose of causing pain. Constant name calling, threats, physical abuse, and gossip can leave a child seriously hurt and depressed. In a national survey, one in sixteen students said they were bullied during a single school term. That means, statistically speaking, there is at least one scared, bullied child in every single classroom. These victimized children don't have the power to stop the bullying. They need your help. In just fifteen minutes you can help stop bullying in your community by learning how to recognize bullying, educating others, and intervening to stop children from being harmed by bullies. Learn how to recognize bullying: Educate yourself on how to recognize the signs of bullying and what you can do to prevent kids from being bullied. Learn to tell the difference between bullying and harmless childhood play. Help educate others: Spread the word by talking to the people in your community who have the power to put an end to bullying. Here are a few groups you may want to visit or call: Your family: If you have kids, teach them that bullying is wrong. mp3 players Print out the following brochures that let them know what they should do if they are being bullied or if they see someone else being bullied. Let them know that they can always come to you for help. Your friends and neighbors: Take a few minutes to share this bullying information with people in your neighborhood. world of warcraft gold There are several ways that people who work with children outside of school or any adult can help put an end to bullying. Your local schools: Stop Bullying Now has a wealth of free anti-bullying material aimed at helping teachers, school administrators, and students recognize and prevent school bullying. Print some of the school bullying articles and give them to your local school district or email officials the link. wow You may also want to suggest that school children take the Anti-bullying Pledge from Bullying. org and that schools institute an anonymous bully reporting program such as Bully Stoppers. Stop bullying when you see it: By now, you know what to do. wow gold The next time you see an innocent child being victimized by a bully, don't let the abuse continue. Your actions to stop bullying will help victimized children have hope again and will pave the way for others to stop letting senseless bullying harm young lives.

Dodano: 09:47, 2008-Dec-30

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CONVINCE A BATTERED WOMAN TO SEEK HELP

A battered woman lives under constant stress to say, or do, whatever will keep her safe. Since domestic violence is the single largest cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44, it is a serious public health issue. Abused women come from all economic, social and ethnic backgrounds. The abuse can be physical, emotional, or sexual. Four million women are assaulted yearly, by partners. Recognizing the signs of domestic abuse is key. Knowing the dynamics of battered woman抯 syndrome may help you understand why a battered woman delays seeking help. She may fear being killed, being left homeless, or becoming destitute. Her abuser may threaten harm to her children, other family, or pets. A battered woman is often isolated from family, friends and support and sustains a constant barrage of insults which convince her she is unworthy of a better life. Abusers often control a battered woman抯 money and transportation. Even if a battered wife is affluent and able to leave, she may fear her husband will use his money and connections to track her down. Domestic abuse is rarely a single episode and escalates over time, but a battered woman alone must decide to seek help. A battered woman is more at risk of being murdered when leaving an abuser. Yet, refuge does exist for the battered woman and her children, at domestic violence shelters. Simply telling a battered woman she doesn't deserve abuse can plant the seeds for a new life. Hearing you confirm she has the right to live violence-free and express her thoughts, feelings, and emotions, might be the first time a battered woman has heard the truth. Your kindness and encouragement to seek help can be the catalyst a battered woman needs to seek out her options, and eventually escape domestic violence. Learn the different types of abuse that a battered woman might experience in a relationship. Recognize that a friend, co-worker, classmate, and acquaintance of any age can be a battered woman. Understand that your words can make a difference. Some battered women have never had anyone express empathy for their situation. mp3 players You can support a battered woman by saying: ""I'm sorry that happened to you. No one deserves to be hit; no one has a right to treat another person that way. The abuse is not your fault. world of warcraft gold "" Encourage any woman you think might be a domestic violence victim to seek help, while always keeping her safety the first priority. "By failing to check for symptoms of testicular cancer, young men put their fertility, their health, and their very lives at risk. Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer in males ages 15-34. wow Yet men in this age group often ignore signs of testicular cancer . because they are too embarrassed to seek medical attention, because they think testicular cancer only happens to ""old"" men, or because they simply do not know the symptoms of testicular cancer. Common symptoms of testicular cancer include: A swelling and/or lump in one or both of the testes, with or without pain. wow gold A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum. A dull feeling of pain in the region of the lower abdominal area, groin, or lower back. Infections, inflammations, physical injuries, cysts, hernias, and kidney stones are among other conditions that have these types of symptoms. wow gold kaufen Thus, men with signs of testicular cancer may shrug off their symptoms as one of these problems. That is what cyclist Lance Armstrong did . and the inaction almost killed him. wow power leveling Armstrong had a feeling something was wrong three years before his diagnosis, but he did not seek medical attention until the situation became so bad that he couldn't sit on his bike. By that point, the cancer had spread to various parts of his body, including his brain.

Dodano: 09:45, 2008-Dec-30

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STOP LITTERING CIGARETTE BUTTS

4. 5 trillion cigarette butts are littered in our parks, sidewalks and public places yearly, according to Keep America Beautiful. Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the United States. Many people casually flick a cigarette butt out of a car window or toss aside a cigarette while walking, not thinking of the harm this might cause. One carelessly tossed cigarette can cause significant damage; imagine the compounded effect of 4. 5 trillion cigarette butts. Cigarette litter is not just an aesthetic eyesore; it causes significant fire and environmental damage. Cigarette butts that aren't properly extinguished can . and do . start fires. The following cigarette litter tragedies could easily have been avoided: In January 2001, a motorist driving along Interstate 8 in San Diego County flicked a cigarette butt onto the center median, sparking a fire that eventually burned more than 10,000 acres, destroyed 16 homes and charred 64 vehicles. In September 2002, a wildfire that scorched 247 acres on the Camp Pendleton, California base was started by a cigarette butt tossed by a passing motorist. In March 2004, cigarette butts tossed in a jammed trash chute in Richmond, Virginia, destroyed 26 buildings and caused $20 million in damage. Most cigarette filters are not biodegradable as many people presume. 95 percent of filters are made of plastic cellulose acetate and take many years to decompose. To make matters worse, there are 165 chemicals in cigarettes that birds and other small animals ingest thinking that the butts are food. Ingestion can lead to starvation or malnutrition if the butts block the intestinal tract and prevent digestion, or accumulate in the digestive tract, making the animal feel full and lessening its desire to feed. All the costly fire and environmental damage could be avoided if people heeded the same attentiveness to cigarette disposal as they do to throwing away other trash. You can make a difference in reducing the effects of cigarette litter whether you're a smoker or not. If you do not smoke, help educate others about the dangers of improperly disposed cigarette butts. Publicize web sites such as CigaretteLitter. org, Cigarette Butt Litter, and Keep America Beautiful. mp3 player If you are a smoker, always carefully extinguish your cigarette. world of warcraft gold never toss a still smoldering cigarette butt. Also consider using a pocket ashtray. These ashtrays are very thin, foil lined and trap the smell inside. wow You can also use film or mint containers as improvised storage until you can properly dispose of the cigarette butts later. Through education concerning the perils of cigarette litter, nonsmokers and smokers can join forces to save wildlife and prevent serious fires. "Congress will soon consider H. wow gold R. 2149, the Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2001. Trade promotion authority (TPA) enhances the President's ability to negotiate trade agreements by restricting agreements negotiated by the Administration to a straight up or down vote in Congress. wow gold TPA is important because it reassures America's trading partners that deals struck with America's trade negotiators will not be undone through congressional amendment. Without such assurances, many countries are unwilling to negotiate with the United States. One of the greatest challenges facing passage of TPA is concern among some Members of Congress that free trade creates a ""race to the bottom"" in environmental protection. wow gold Nothing could be further from the truth. Poor nations cannot afford to value environmental protection more highly than such basic goods as food or health care. If poor nations are to increase environmental protection, they must first increase their wealth. Free trade is a necessary component in catalyzing economic growth.

Dodano: 09:42, 2008-Dec-30

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TEACH BABY CAR SEAT SAFETY

Baby car seats are supposed to offer parents the peace of mind that they are keeping their infant as safe as possible while riding in an automobile. Studies show, however, that 8 out of 10 children riding in car seats are incorrectly buckled-in. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children, and thousands of kids every day are put at additional risk simply because they are not properly protected. Worse still: Most parents have no clue that they are doing anything wrong. Surveys show that 97 percent of parents believe they are using their child safety seats correctly. Many never know the truth until it is too late. The two main issues in car seat safety are: The child must be buckled into the seat correctly. The seat must be buckled tightly into the vehicle. It sounds so easy, yet the reality is that mistakes are the norm. The good news is that there are a wide variety of free resources available to help parents achieve maximum car seat safety. You can help make our roadways much safer for children by alerting parents to be absolutely certain that their car safety seats are being used properly. Certified car seat inspectors are available in most communities to offer free help. Car seat safety checks take only a few minutes. Make others aware of this service by printing out car seat safety posters for community bulletin boards at apartments, parks, libraries, recreation centers, and at the office. Pass along the web address for Partners for Child Passenger Safety (http://stokes. chop. edu/programs/carseat/) to ten friends who have children under the age of 10. The site presents instructional videos for installing car seats and offers information on choosing the correct seat for each age. Contact your local police station to see if it has a courtesy officer who could do on-the-spot safety seat inspections one day at your local school or church. Consider purchasing an infant car seat as a gift for new parents. Since car seat needs change as children age, consider buying a new children's car seat or a booster car seat for older children, too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website offers car seat safety ratings for many popular brands. buy wow gold "Few events are more tragic than the death of an innocent victim in a crash caused by a drunk driver. Fortunately, ""The Drunk Driving Poem,"" also known as ""Death of an Innocent,"" has sobered many. cheap wow gold but not yet enough. During the two minutes it takes for you to read the poem, another person will be injured in a drunk driving accident. wow gold That person could be the driver, who made the terrible decision to drive while intoxicated. Or that person could be a mother of three who just ran out for a gallon of milk and is now fighting for her life in a hospital bed. While it is sad to think that automobile accidents are the number one killer of children ages 2 to 14, it is even worse to know that 21% of these kids die in alcohol-related crashes. wow gold Their parents may have strapped them in and drove carefully, yet not even the most vigilant parent could protect them from a drunk driver. Holidays are some of the most dangerous times of the year on the road. More than two-thirds of traffic fatalities on New Year's Day and half of those on Christmas involve a drunk driver. wow gold Holidays should be a time to spend with loved ones, not bury them. The good news is that you can help innocent people from being hurt by drunk drivers by getting others to think twice about whether to drink and drive. Many people have been touched by the following ""Drunk Driving Poem.

Dodano: 09:39, 2008-Dec-30

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