lung cancer

Arctic drilling: UK 'complacent', say MPs

2013-07-29T03:36:00.001-07:00

The MPs have renewed their calls for an Arctic environmental sanctuary Continue reading the main story Related Stories Arctic methane 'economic time bomb' Stop-gap action urged on climate Refusal over Arctic drilling ban The UK is "complacently standing by" as firms start drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic, a group of MPs has said. The Environmental Audit Committee said this was despite oil companies being unable to prove "they could clean up an oil spill in such harsh conditions". Members renewed their call for a halt to new drilling, saying it was risky for the climate and the environment. The government said it was not its place to tell Arctic states which resources they could extract. Last month, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that two-thirds of existing fossil fuel reserves cannot be burned before 2050 if global temperatures are to be kept within the projected danger threshold of a 2C rise. 'Corporate carve-up' Exploring for new reserves in the Arctic is therefore "needlessly risky", the MPs argued. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote What happens in the Arctic will affect the UK, impacting our weather systems and biodiversity” EAC chairwoman Joan Walley The committee's report follows its call in September for a halt on drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic until safety is improved, citing fears that a spill could caused unprecedented environmental damage. MPs said they wanted to see a standard pan-Arctic spill response, unlimited liability for firms and an Arctic environmental sanctuary. "What happens in the Arctic will affect the UK, impacting our weather systems and biodiversity," committee chairwoman Joan Walley said. "Yet this government is complacently standing by and watching new oil and gas drilling in the region." She added: "The rapidly-disappearing Arctic sea ice should be a wake-up call for this government to tackle climate change, not pave the way for a corporate carve-up of the region's resources." A government spokesman said it disagreed with the call for a moratorium. "We are very aware of the possible environmental impact of an oil spill in the Arctic and support the use of the highest drilling standards," he said. "However, the UK is not an Arctic state and it is not for us to tell other countries which resources they can and cannot extract from their own sovereign territory." He stressed that the government believed "our approach to oil and gas exploration in the Arctic is consistent with our commitment to limit average global temperature increase to two degrees". And he added: "The UK does have strong environmental, economic, scientific and political interests in the Arctic and this summer we will be publishing an Arctic policy framework for the first time." 'Pristine environment' But Greenpeace UK political director Ruth Davis said drilling for oil in the Arctic was "incompatible with the UK's climate change goals and creates unmanageable risks to a unique and vulnerable ecosystem". She said that while minsters claimed "protecting this pristine environment is central to the UK's stance on the Arctic" a failure "to face up to the dangers of drilling in the far north suggests its real interests lie in promoting the irresponsible plans" of oil companies. Earlier this week, scientists said the release of large amounts of methane from thawing permafrost in the Arctic could have huge economic impacts on the world. The researchers estimated the climate effects of the release of this gas could cost $60 trillion (£39 trillion), roughly the size of the global economy in 2012.

Star Wars sequels to be scored by John Williams

2013-07-29T03:35:00.001-07:00

John Williams has scored all six previous Star Wars films created by George Lucas Continue reading the main story Related Stories Star Wars city doomed by sand dune New Star Wars film to be shot in UK New Star Wars film yearly from 2015 Composer John Williams is to return to score Star Wars: Episode VII, it has been announced. The Oscar-winner, who has composed all six films in the sci-fi saga, said he was "happy to be continuing to be part of the whole fun" of the franchise. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed the news at a Star Wars fan event in Germany. In an interview with StarWars.com, Williams hinted he would likely use some of the music from previous films. "I haven't seen the script, so the story is still unknown to me, but I can't image there will not be some references to the existing stories that would make appropriate use of some of the earlier themes," he said. The composer has won five Oscars over his 60-year career for his famous film scores including Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and the first Star Wars film. He has also been nominated for more than 40 other Academy Awards for his work on movies including Superman, the Indiana Jones films, Saving Private Ryan and most recently, Lincoln. In April, Episode VII director JJ Abrams indicated he wanted Williams to score his film, but said it was "early days". In his latest interview, Williams praised the director saying he was "perfectly chosen to continue George Lucas's great odyssey". Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to be released in 2015.

Classification

2012-07-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

Lung cancers are classified according to histological type.^[8] This classification has important implications for clinical management and prognosis of the disease. The vast majority of lung cancers arecarcinomas—malignancies that arise from epithelial cells. Lung carcinomas are categorized by the size and appearance of the malignant cells seen by a histopathologist under a microscope. The two broad classes are non-small cell and small cell lung carcinoma.^[12]

Lung cancer

2012-07-25T22:04:00.001-07:00

Lung cancer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lung cancer
Classification and external resources
3D volume rendering of a thorax CT showing a tumor in the lung (marked by arrow)
ICD-10	C 33-C 34
ICD-9	162
DiseasesDB	7616
MedlinePlus	007194
eMedicine	med/1333 med/1336 emerg/335 radio/807 radio/405 radio/406
MeSH	D002283

Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of thelung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process calledmetastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary lung cancers, are carcinomas that derive from epithelial cells. The main types of lung cancer are small cell lung carcinoma(SCLC), also called oat cell cancer, and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The most common cause of lung cancer is long-term exposure to tobacco smoke.^[1]Nonsmokers account for 15% of lung cancer cases,^[2] and these cases are often attributed to a combination of genetic factors,^[3] radon gas,^[3] asbestos,^[4] and air pollution^[3] including secondhand smoke.^[5]^[6]

The most common symptoms are coughing (including coughing up blood), weight loss and shortness of breath.^[7] Lung cancer may be seen on chest radiograph andcomputed tomography (CT scan). The diagnosis is confirmed with a biopsy.^[8] This is usually performed by bronchoscopy or CT-guided biopsy. Treatment and prognosisdepend on the histological type of cancer, the stage (degree of spread), and the patient's general wellbeing, measured by performance status. Common treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. NSCLC is sometimes treated with surgery, whereas SCLC usually responds better to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.^[9]

Survival depends on stage, overall health, and other factors. Overall, 15% of people in the United States diagnosed with lung cancer survive five years after the diagnosis.^[10]Worldwide, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and women, and is responsible for 1.38 million deaths annually, as of 2008.^[11]

Credibility of Asbestos Study Questioned

2012-07-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

ility of Asbestos Study Questioned July 5, 2012, by Jeffrey S. Glassman inShare | More Sharing ServicesShare A 40-year study that downplays the health effects of asbestos exposure for miners and mill workers has drawn the ire of several mesothelioma advocacy groups. Our Boston mesothelioma attorneys know that a hallmark of solid science is objectivity. This particular study, conducted by Dr. John Corbett McDonald of the McGill University's School of Occupational Health, based in Canada, has been criticized for lacking transparency and for being biased toward the industry. It is a fact that the Chrysolite Institute, which is a lobbying group established to promote the use of asbestos in overseas products, uses the 40-year McGill study to bolster its claims of asbestos safety. But why would a reputable scientist risk that reputation in order to show the asbestos industry in a favorable light? According to an investigation by CBC News, it all boils down to money. Back in the 1960s, the dangers of asbestos were becoming more widely known and understood. The industry, however, didn't want to risk government regulation. That would have meant huge profit losses and lawsuits (which later ended up happening anyway, but they were trying to avoid it at the time). So it took its cues from the tobacco industry, with the overarching view that industry is always best suited to look after its own issues. (Of course, as we now see clearly, that's not true when it comes to preserving public health; industry is out for industry.) Just look at the tobacco industry. There were in fact many scientists on big tobacco's payroll who attested to the fact that cigarettes were simply a healthy stress-reliever - an account we now see as so blatantly false as to be laughable, if the consequences of those lies weren't so devastating. But in this vein, it hired a scientist to begin research on the issue. Who did they hire? According to CBC, it was none other than Dr John Corbett McDonald of McGill. The news station produced documents showing that McDonald and other researchers at the school accepted checks form the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association between 1966 to 1972, for amounts that today would translate into several million dollars. The results of the McGill study seem to indicate it was exposure to another chemical, tremolite, that caused mesothelioma more frequently than did the asbestos. McGill researchers reportedly refused to give the raw data to CBC reporters, but said it would be conducting an internal investigation regarding the integrity of the results. That investigation is ongoing. Now, without seeing the raw results of this study ourselves, it's hard to make a conclusion one way or the other about whether the study was flawed. However, there is a great appearance of impropriety, whether or not the research itself remained untainted. What we do know is this: The World Health Organization has concluded that all types of asbestos cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, and further that there is absolutely no safe level of exposure. While the substance has been widely shunned by U.S. manufacturers since the 1970s, people continue to learn they have been sickened by mesothelioma, as the disease has an extremely long latency period. People who have been exposed to the airborne asbestos toxins don't learn until decades later that they are ill. Continue reading "Credibility of Asbestos Study Questioned " » Permalink | Email This Post Posted In: Boston Mesothelioma

Illegal Massachusetts Asbestos Storage Leads to Criminal Charges

2012-07-25T22:00:00.001-07:00

That said, not all mesothelioma attorneys are the same - do your research and don't commit until you've found a firm with a record of success!) In this case, we were pleased to learn about a case out of Southern California, in which a retired cement contractor/construction superintendent and his wife were awarded nearly $50 million by jurors following a six-week trial. Media reports indicate that the 86-year-old, who also served as a former local city councilman, was given $30 million in compensatory damages and another $18 million in punitive damages. Compensatory damages are monies that the jury believes will compensate the victim for his or her injuries. Punitive damages are enacted for the purpose of punishing the defendant. This verdict is reported to be the largest of its kind in the country this year. The lawsuit, which was filed last year, had alleged negligence against a number of companies, including Union Carbide, Riverside Cement and California Portland Cement Co. According to court documents, the plaintiff had worked as a construction superintendent and cement contractor between 1947 and 1980 at a number of locations in the Southern California, Los Angeles-area. Part of that work meant that he was involved in building hundreds of commercial buildings and residential structures and even a few churches. In doing all of this work, he claimed that he was using asbestos-containing products, manufactured by the above-mentioned companies. Additionally, he was involved in remodeling a number of those structures, and was using those same products in the course of those projects as well. Although he hadn't been doing that type of work since the early 1980s, he only last July learned that he is suffering from mesothelioma, due to the exposure to asbestos. His wife was also named in the suit, alleging loss of consortium, or companionship. The couple's attorney said the not only were the named companies responsible for selling dangerous products, but they spent millions of dollars trying to hide the fact that they were dangerous. One of the companies, Union Carbide, reportedly put numerous "expert" witnesses on the stand, claiming that their brand of asbestos was not cancer-causing. However, there was documentation and internal memos that suggested the company's staff doctors chastised those in the marketing departments for telling customers that their asbestos wasn't dangerous, when in fact it was. Continue reading "$48M Mesothelioma Verdict Won Against Numerous Companies in CA Case" » Permalink | Email This Post Posted In: Mesothelioma Case

Illegal Massachusetts Asbestos Storage Leads to Criminal Charges

2012-07-25T21:59:00.001-07:00

Illegal Massachusetts Asbestos Storage Leads to Criminal Charges

July 15, 2012, by Jeffrey S. Glassman

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A Massachusetts asbestos case has been gaining attention, as a business owner accused of illegally - and dangerously - storing the deadly compound seeks to have her statements stricken from court.

Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers believe the truth should come out. If this woman and her company were jeopardizing public safety to save a few bucks, they should absolutely be held accountable.

According to the Salem News, the 52-year-old ran an asbestos abatement company. This is a company that builders, contractors, homeowners and property mangers might call to come in and properly remove asbestos from old structures. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has specific guidelines under Massachusetts 310 CMR 4.00. This is the code that stipulates the required notification and work practices for asbestos handling, removal, storage and disposal in order to minimize or avoid releasing fibers into the air, and thereby causing a hazard to workers and the public at-large.

In this case, investigators learned that this particular asbestos abatement company (which we won't name here, because as of yet, they haven't been convicted) wasn't properly storing the asbestos it was hired to remove from schools, hotels and libraries. Rather than following state regulations regarding disposal, officials with the DEP say the business was instead storing asbestos in bags in a self-storage unit.

And we're not talking a few bags. We're talking hundreds of trash bags, packed into two self-storage containers.

One official was quoted as saying that the business owners knew that they weren't properly disposing of the asbestos, but chose to illegally stash it anyway because they couldn't afford to do it the right way.

When the 52-year-old business owner arrived at the storage locker, in the midst of a search being carried out by state environmental officials, she reportedly began going on about how customers weren't paying, there had been a lapse in asbestos removal certificates and that a number of contracts had dropped her services.

It's those statements that are at the heart of the issue before a court right now. The business owner and her attorney are imploring a judge to suppress those statements from the trial because she was reportedly upset that investigators were going through her property. Apparently, some of the items in that storage unit belonged to her late mother. They were alongside the asbestos.

Her lawyer has argued the emotional distress of that ordeal prevented her from making a rational decision.

Additionally, her lawyers argue she should have been read her Miranda rights. While she was not immediately under arrest for the asbestos violation, she was reportedly not free to go because she had an active warrant out for her arrest for prior driving offenses.

Prosecutors, however, argued that she in fact was free to leave - just not in her vehicle, as she had a suspended driver's license. Plus, they contended it was more likely she was upset that investigators were looking into her illegal asbestos storage rather than them looking through her mother's belongings. If they were so important, the state argued, why would they be stuffed alongside the deadly compound?

There is no indication from the media reports thus far that anyone suffered a dangerous exposure to the asbestos. Of course, it may be years before anyone truly knows, as the latency period for mesothelioma cancer is typically decades.

The bottom line is that when you don't follow the removal guidelines, there is the potential for someone to become exposed and become ill.

The judge has yet to make his ruling. The trial is slated to take place sometime in the next few months.

Mesothelioma Advocate Succumbs to Illness

2012-07-25T21:58:00.001-07:00

Mesothelioma Advocate Succumbs to Illness

July 19, 2012, by Jeffrey S. Glassman

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An advocate battling for a cure to mesothelioma has died - though his cause has not.

Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers were saddened to hear of the passing of Larry Davis, a Florida runner who raised tens of thousands of dollars for mesothelioma research, and always ended his e-mails with the phrase, "Believe in a Cure - believe in yourself."

Sadly, this disease is not discriminatory. Given that its root cause is airborne exposure to asbestos, which used to be contained in thousands of everyday products in regular use by average Americans, its reach appears to know almost no bounds. It's estimated that about 3,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with mesothelioma every single year.

Although research is ongoing, a diagnosis is currently akin to a death sentence. It becomes not if, but rather when.

If the companies that produced these products - which ranged from shipbuilding material to insulation, automobile parts and textiles - didn't know the damage that was being caused, this would be a terrible tragedy.

The fact of the matter is, though, that most of these manufacturers were aware of the danger in which they were placing their workers and consumers, and yet they allowed greed to fuel their continued production anyway - and that's an outrage.

While the disease has claimed a number of famous individuals (Steve McQueen, Warren Zevon and Merlin Olsen, among them), Larry Davis was not famous in the traditional sense of the word. But he did make quite a name for himself, particularly in his last years as he fought tirelessly for a cure.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Davis was 61-years-old when he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Doctors at the time gave him six months to live.

That was six years ago.

Given the aggressive nature of this disease, it's practically miraculous he survived as long as he did.

In the years following his diagnosis, he raised close to $80,000 during his 8K races in Boca Raton, called Miles for Meso. Additionally, he competed in races and even triathlon throughout the country, at each one making it a point to raise awareness about the disease and the fight for a cure.

He competed in one triathlon prior to his fifth abdominal surgery since his diagnosis. His wife was an eight-time finisher of the Boston Marathon, and he traveled here with her in April to watch her compete one last time.

Davis was one who beat most odds. Most patients live about 18 months after they're diagnosed. Those who are Davis' age have only a seven percent chance of living another five years.

What's more, Davis' father had died of mesothelioma as well.

A scholarship has been established in his name through the Runner's Edge Foundation, which will be awarded on a yearly basis to a high school senior devoted to community.

While the cure was not found in his lifetime, we could all be served by following in his tracks.

Livestock production systems

2012-07-21T04:00:00.004-07:00

Animals, including horses, mules, oxen, camels, llamas, alpacas, and dogs, are often used to help in the cultivation of the fields, harvesting crops, and quarrelsome with other animals, and the transfer of agricultural products to the buyers. Animal husbandry not only refers to the breeding and raising livestock for meat or to obtain animal products (like milk, eggs, or wool) on an ongoing basis, but also to raise and care for the types of work and companionship. Can be defined livestock production systems on the basis of source of nutrition, Kalmatmayor on the meadows, mixed, and the poor. [37] and the production of livestock on grassland depends on the plant material such as Cherbland, rangeland, agricultural and pasture to feed ruminants. Can be used for feeding external inputs, where the manure returned directly to the grasslands as a major food source of the material. This system is especially important in the areas of crop production is not feasible because of climate or soil, representing 30-40 million pastoralists. [33] production systems, mixed use grassland, fodder crops and cereal crops as feed for ruminants and cattle unilateral stomach (her stomach and one ; poultry and pigs). Is typically re-compost making in hybrid systems for the production of fertilizer for crops. About 68% of the total agricultural land is pasture permanently it is used in livestock production. [38] systems, non-owners of the land depends on the feed from outside the farm, which represents disengage from the production of crops, livestock, and found prevalent more in Albuldn members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development . In the U.S., 70% of the cultivated grain used to feed animals in one feeding methods (feedlots). [33] is to rely on artificial fertilizers in a manner to produce large crops and the use of manure, which can be a challenge as well as a source of pollution.

نظم إنتاج الماشية

2012-07-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

الحيوانات، بما فيها خيول، بغال، ثيران، الجمال، اللاما، الألبكة، والكلاب، غالبا ما تستخدم للمساعدة في زراعة الحقول، وجني المحاصيل، والمشاكسة مع الحيوانات الأخرى، ونقل المنتجات الزراعية إلى المشترين. تربية الحيوانات لا تشير فقط إلى تكاثر وتربية المواشى من اجل اللحوم أو الحصول على المنتجات الحيوانية (مثل اللبن، البيض، أو الصوف) بصورة مستمرة، ولكن أيضا لتربية ورعاية أنواع من أجل العمل والرفقة. يمكن تعريف أنظمة إنتاج الثروة الحيوانية على اساس مصدر التغذية، كالمعتمده على المروج، المختلطة، والمعدمين.[37] وإنتاج الثروة الحيوانية على الاراضى العشبية يعتمد على المواد النباتية مثل شيربلاند، والمراعي الطبيعية، والمراعي الزراعية لتغذية الحيوانات المجترة. يمكن أن تستخدم مدخلات التغذية الخارجية، حيث عاد السماد مباشرة إلى الأراضي العشبية بوصفها مصدر المواد الغذائية الرئيسية. هذا النظام مهم خاصة في مناطق إنتاج المحاصيل غير ممكن عمليا بسبب المناخ أو التربة، وهو ما يمثل 30-40 مليون من الرعاة.[33] نظم الإنتاج المختلطة التي تستخدم الأراضي العشبية، محاصيل الأعلاف ومحاصيل الحبوب كعلف للالمجترة والماشية احادية المعدة (لها معدة واحدة ؛ الدواجن والخنازير). يتم عادة اعادة صنع السماد في النظم المختلطة لإنتاج الأسمدة للمحاصيل. حوالي 68 ٪ من مجموع الأراضي الزراعية هو مراعي دائمة يتم استخدامها في إنتاج الثروة الحيوانية.[38] نظم غير المالكين للأرض تعتمد على الأعلاف من خارج المزرعة، والذي يمثل فك ارتباطها من إنتاج المحاصيل والمواشي وجدت سائدة بصورة أكبر في البلدن الاعضاء في منظمة التعاون والتنمية. في الولايات المتحدة، 70 ٪ من الحبوب المزروعة تستخدم لتغذية الحيوانات باحدى طرق التغذية (feedlots).[33] يتم الاعتماد على الأسمدة الصناعية على نحو كبير لإنتاج المحاصيل واستخدام السماد الطبيعي والذي يصبح تحديا وكذلك مصدرا للتلوث.

الصناعات المعملية

2012-07-21T03:58:00.004-07:00

الصناعات المعملية

الصناعة المعملية هي صناعة موجهة للتصدير بالأساس من حيث نصيبها في الصادرات 83,5% وهو ما يعتبر تميزا في الدول النامية التي تتكون صادراتها من المواد الفلاحية (القهوة، القطن، الذرة) أو ما يعرف بالاقتصادات القطنية أو تعتمد على تصدير الطاقة المحروقاتية) أو ما يعرف بالاقتصادات النفطية. وبما تونس تفتقرلهذه الموارد رغم كونها مطمورة روما في العهد الروماني في المجال الفلاحي.
سنة 2004 وجدت 5468 مؤسسة صناعية تشغل أكثر من 10 أشخاص منها 2360 مؤسسة للتصدير مباشرة. يشتغل بالصناعة التونسية 550000 مواطن ومواطنة من جملة2,85 مليون من السكان النشيطين.
يعتبرا لمرحوم ا لدكتور الهادي نويرة، الأب الروحي للصناعة التونسية المعملية حيث أحدث قانون 1972 الخاص بالتصدير وصناعة النسيج.
كانت الاختيارات والأولايات الصناعية في إدارة الهادي نويرة أرضية صلبة وواقعية مستجيبة لحاجيات تونس طوال 3 عقود.
تم مواصلة الجهود لتطوير الصناعة بفتح مناطق التبادل الحر ببنزرت وجرجيس واستقطاب الصناعة
بالمناولة من آواخر الثمانينات بداية التسعينات, في العشرية الأخيرة تم توجيه المجهودات البحث العلمي في خدمة الصناعة وإجراء بحوث مشتركة بين الصناعيين والجامعات من خلال الأقطاب التكنوليجية وإشراف الوكالة الوطنية للنهوض بالصناعة. وذلك للصمود أمام تيار العولمة ومن خلال المنافسة من بلدان جنوب شرق آسيا الذي هدد اقتصادات عالمية كالاقتصاد الاروبي والأمريكي.
توجت هذه المجهودات بتحسين التنافسية التونسية (الثانية أفريقياً، والثانية عربيا)
و الحصول على المرتبة 3 في مجموعة 40 (تضم المكسيك، البرازيل, كوريا، بولونيا، الأردن) والمرتبة 36 عالميا متفوقة على إيطاليا واليونان وتطوير نسبة النمو الصناعي, وخلق مواطن شغل جديدة.
== قيمة التبادل التجاري بين تونس والجزائر تصل إلى 1.1 مليار دولار أمريكي ==.[1]
أعلنت تونس أن الحجم الإجمالي للتبادل التجاري مع الجزائر بلغ خلال الأشهر الأحد عشر الأولى من العام الحالي ما قيمته 457ر1 مليار دينار تونسي (نحو 1.1 مليار دولار أمريكي). فقد صدرت تونس للجزائر سلعا بقيمة 6ر619 مليون دينار واستوردت منها سلعا بما قيمته 4ر837 مليون دينار. وكان الحجم الإجمالي للمبادلات التجارية بين البلدين قد بلغ العام الماضي ما قيمته 277ر1 مليار دينار حيث صدرت تونس للجزائر ما قيمته 8ر602 مليون دينار واستوردت منها ما قيمته 2ر674 مليون دينار. وتصدر تونس إلى الجزائر التي تعد الشريك التجاري الثاني لها بعد ليبيا عربيا وإفريقيا المواد المصنعة والغذائية في حين تستورد منها المحروقات والحديد والصلب

الزراعه

2012-07-21T03:58:00.002-07:00

نظرة شاملة

الزراعة khadidja foorrr khadلعبت دورا رئيسيا في تنمية الحضارة البشرية. وحتى الثورة الصناعية، فإن الغالبية العظمى من السكان تعمل بكد في الزراعة وتطوير تقنياتها الزراعية أدى إلى زيادة الإنتاج الزراعي باطراد، والانتشار الواسع لهذه التقنيات خلال فترة زمنية غالبا ما يسمى الثورة الزراعية. فقد حدث تحول ملحوظ في التطبيقات الزراعية خلال القرن الماضي ردا على التكنولوجيات الجديدة. وخاصة، جعلت طريقة هابر بوش لتكوين نترات الامونيوم التطبيقات التقليدية لإعادة تدوير المواد الغذائية مع تناوب المحاصيل وسماد الحيوانات أقل ضرورة.

نسبة السكان الذين يعملون في الزراعة قد انخفضت على مر الزمن.
النيتروجين الصناعي، في موازاة مع الفوسفات الصخري المستخرج بالألغام، والمبيدات والآلية، زادت بصورة كبيرة إنتاج المحاصيل في أوائل القرن 20. كما أن زيادة المتوفر من الحبوب أدى أيضا إلى رخص تربية الماشية. وعلاوة على ذلك، شهد الإنتاج العالمي زيادة في وقت لاحق من القرن العشرين عندما حدث تنوع كبير لإنتاج أصناف المحاصيل الأساسية تنوعا مثل الأرز والقمح، ونبات الذرة الذي يعتبر جزءا من الثورة الخضراء. الثورة الخضراء تقوم بتصدير التقنيات (بما فيها المبيدات والنيتروجين الصناعي) من العالم المتقدم إلى العالم النامي. تنبأ توماس مالثس على نحو معروف بأن الأرض لن تكون قادرة على دعم عدد السكان المتزايد، ولكن تقنيات مثل الثورة الخضراء سمحت للعالم بإنتاج فائض من الغذاء.[4]

الناتج الزراعي في عام 2005.
كثير من الحكومات قدمت الدعم للزراعة لضمان إمدادات كافية من الأغذية. ترتبط هذه الإعانات الزراعية عادة بإنتاج بعض السلع الأساسية مثل القمح والذرة، والأرز، وفول الصويا، والحليب. هذه الإعانات، وخاصة عندما قامت بها الدول المتقدمة، قد أدت إلى الحماية، وعدم الكفاءة، والاضرار البيئي.[5]، في القرن الماضي اتسمت الزراعة بزيادة الخصوبة، واستخدام الأسمدة الصناعية والمبيدات، والتربية الانتقائية، والآلية، وتلوث المياه، والدعم الزراعي. جادل أنصار الزراعة العضوية مثل سير البرت هوارد في أوائل القرن الماضي بأن الاستخدام المفرط للمبيدات الحشرية والأسمدة الصناعية أضر بخصوبة التربة على المدى الطويل. وحيث بقى هذا الشعور خامدا لعدة عقود، فقد زاد الوعي البيئي في القرن الحالي وكان هناك تحرك نحو الزراعة المستديمة من قبل بعض المزارعين والمستهلكين، وصانعي السياسات. في السنوات الأخيرة كان هناك رد فعل عنيف ضد الآثار البيئية الخارجية لتيار الزراعة، ولا سيما بشأن تلوث المياه، [6] مما تسبب في الحركة العضوية. وكان الاتحاد الأوروبي واحد من أهم القوى التي وقفت وراء هذه الحركة، والذي اعتمد اولا الأغذية العضوية في عام 1991 وبدأ إصلاح السياسة الزراعية المشتركة (CAP) في عام 2005 للتخلص التدريجي من السلع المرتبطة على الاعتماد الزراعى، [7] والتي تعرف أيضا باسم فصل الاقتصاد. جدد نمو الزراعة العضوية البحث عن تقنيات بديلة مثل المكافحة المتكاملة للآفات والتربية الانتقائية. تيار التطورات التكنولوجية الحديثة يشمل الأغذية المعدلة وراثيا.
اعتبارا من أواخر عام 2007، رفعت عدة عوامل سعر الحبوب التي تستخدم لتغذية الدواجن والأبقار الحلوب وغيرها من الماشية، مما تسبب في ارتفاع أسعار القمح (إلى 58 ٪)، وفول الصويا (إلى 32 ٪)، والذرة (إلى 11 ٪) على مدى السنة.[8][9] حدثت مؤخرا مظاهرات للاغذية في العديد من البلدان في جميع أنحاء العالم.[10][11][12] وينتشر حاليا وباء من صدأ الساق في القمح تسببه سلالة صدأ الساق الأسود Ug99 في أنحاء إفريقيا وآسيا، وهو ما أثار قلقًا كبيرًا.[13][14][15] تم تبويرها ما يقرب من 40% من الأراضي الزراعية في العالم بشكل خطير.[16] وفي إفريقيا- إذا استمرت الاتجاهات الحالية لتآكل التربة- ستكون القارة قادرة على سد احتياجات 25% فقط من السكان بحلول عام 2025، وفقا للأمم المتحدة/ معهد الموارد الطبيعية في أفريقيا بغانا.[17]

Criteria

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Criteria

An eco hotel must usually meet the following criteria[1]:

Dependence on the natural environment
Ecological sustainability
Proven contribution to conservation
Provision of environmental training programs
Incorporation of cultural considerations
Provision of an economic return to the local community

Aloft Hotels

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Aloft Hotels is a brand of hotels based in North America. Its parent company is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, although it is referred to as "a vision of W Hotels". The concept was developed in 2005, with the first hotel opening at the Trudeau International Airportin Montreal in 2008.^[1] Aloft Hotels have since opened across North America and around the world. The majority of its hotels are located at or near major airports.

The brand is most notable for its style, which is different from the majority of hotel brands. The hotels offer a modern design, with unique technical aspects, and an atmosphere that encourages socialization.^[1] Another characteristic of the hotel is the names it applies to otherwise basic hotel amenities. For example, in each hotel, the swimming pool is referred to as "splash".^[2] The staff of Aloft Hotels use the same lingo, and may greet guests by saying "Aloha!".

Flatotel Hotels

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

West 52nd Street

Flatotel Hotels are a chain of apartment-style luxury hotels. The flagship Flatotel is located on West 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, and opened in 1985. ^[1] The Flatotel brand has expanded to other urban and vacation hot-spots, such as Paris, ^[2] Montreal, ^[3] and Costa del Sol. ^[4] The girls on the first cycle of the reality TV series America's Next Top Model were housed at the Manhattan Flatotel, as were the girls on the spinoff Modelville.

Flatotel is currently involved with the Pajama Program, a not-for-profit which donates sleepwear and books to foster children awaiting permanent homes.^[5] People who book with the Pajama Program package during the holiday season will have part of their hotel bill donated to the Pajama Program as well as other child welfare and anti-domestic violence programs in New York City.

Speciality hotels

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Speciality hotelsHistoric Inns and boutique hotels

Hotel Astoria and a statue of TsarNicholas I of Russia in front, in Saint Petersburg, Russia

Boutique hotels are typically hotels with a unique environment or intimate setting. Some hotels have gained their renown through tradition, by hosting significant events or persons, such as Schloss Cecilienhof in Potsdam, Germany, which derives its fame from the Potsdam Conference of the World War II allies Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Joseph Stalin in 1945. The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower inMumbai is one of India's most famous and historic hotels because of its association with the Indian independence movement. Some establishments have given name to a particular meal or beverage, as is the case with the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, United States where the Waldorf Salad was first created or the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria, home of the Sachertorte. Others have achieved fame by association with dishes or cocktails created on their premises, such as the Hotel de Paris where the crêpe Suzette was invented or theRaffles Hotel in Singapore, where the Singapore Sling cocktail was devised.

Hôtel Ritz in Paris, France

Chicago's Magnificent Mile has hosted many skyscraper hotels such as the Allerton Hotel

A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, such as the Ritz Hotel in London, through its association with Irving Berlin's song, 'Puttin' on the Ritz'. The Algonquin Hotel in New York City is famed as the meeting place of the literary group, the Algonquin Round Table, and Hotel Chelsea, also in New York City, has been the subject of a number of songs and the scene of the stabbing of Nancy Spungen (allegedly by her boyfriend Sid Vicious).

Hotel

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Hotel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Hotels)

This article is about lodging. For other uses, see Hotel (disambiguation).

"Hotel room" redirects here. For the 1993 HBO television series, see Hotel Room.

Not to be confused with Hostel.

Insurability

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Insurability

Main article: Insurability

Risk which can be insured by private companies typically share seven common characteristics:^[2]

Large number of similar exposure units: Since insurance operates through pooling resources, the majority of insurance policies are provided for individual members of large classes, allowing insurers to benefit from the law of large numbers in which predicted losses are similar to the actual losses. Exceptions include Lloyd's of London, which is famous for insuring the life or health of actors, sports figures and other famous individuals. However, all exposures will have particular differences, which may lead to different premium rates.
Definite loss: The loss takes place at a known time, in a known place, and from a known cause. The classic example is death of an insured person on a life insurance policy. Fire, automobile accidents, and worker injuries may all easily meet this criterion. Other types of losses may only be definite in theory. Occupational disease, for instance, may involve prolonged exposure to injurious conditions where no specific time, place or cause is identifiable. Ideally, the time, place and cause of a loss should be clear enough that a reasonable person, with sufficient information, could objectively verify all three elements.
Accidental loss: The event that constitutes the trigger of a claim should be fortuitous, or at least outside the control of the beneficiary of the insurance. The loss should be pure, in the sense that it results from an event for which there is only the opportunity for cost. Events that contain speculative elements, such as ordinary business risks or even purchasing a lottery ticket, are generally not considered insurable.
Large loss: The size of the loss must be meaningful from the perspective of the insured. Insurance premiums need to cover both the expected cost of losses, plus the cost of issuing and administering the policy, adjusting losses, and supplying the capital needed to reasonably assure that the insurer will be able to pay claims. For small losses these latter costs may be several times the size of the expected cost of losses. There is hardly any point in paying such costs unless the protection offered has real value to a buyer.
Affordable premium: If the likelihood of an insured event is so high, or the cost of the event so large, that the resulting premium is large relative to the amount of protection offered, it is not likely that the insurance will be purchased, even if on offer. Further, as the accounting profession formally recognizes in financial accounting standards, the premium cannot be so large that there is not a reasonable chance of a significant loss to the insurer. If there is no such chance of loss, the transaction may have the form of insurance, but not the substance. (See the US Financial Accounting Standards Board standard number 113)
Calculable loss: There are two elements that must be at least estimable, if not formally calculable: the probability of loss, and the attendant cost. Probability of loss is generally an empirical exercise, while cost has more to do with the ability of a reasonable person in possession of a copy of the insurance policy and a proof of loss associated with a claim presented under that policy to make a reasonably definite and objective evaluation of the amount of the loss recoverable as a result of the claim.
Limited risk of catastrophically large losses: Insurable losses are ideally independent and non-catastrophic, meaning that the losses do not happen all at once and individual losses are not severe enough to bankrupt the insurer; insurers may prefer to limit their exposure to a loss from a single event to some small portion of their capital base. Capital constrains insurers' ability to sell earthquake insurance as well as wind insurance in hurricane zones. In the US, flood risk is insured by the federal government. In commercial fire insurance it is possible to find single properties whose total exposed value is well in excess of any individual insurer's capital constraint. Such properties are generally shared among several insurers, or are insured by a single insurer who syndicates the risk into the reinsurance market.

Principles

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Principles

Financial market
participants
Finance series

Collective investment schemes Credit unions · Insurance companies Investment banks · Pension funds Prime brokers · Trusts
Financial market · Participants Corporate finance · Personal finance Public finance · Banks and banking Financial regulation
v t e

Insurance involves pooling funds from many insured entities (known as exposures) to pay for the losses that some may incur. The insured entities are therefore protected from risk for a fee, with the fee being dependent upon the frequency and severity of the event occurring. In order to be insurable, the risk insured against must meet certain characteristics in order to be an insurable risk. Insurance is a commercial enterprise and a major part of the financial services industry, but individual entities can also self-insure through saving money for possible future losses.^[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurance

التأمين الصحي

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التأمين الصحي

يتوفر هذا النوع من التأمين على صورتين :-

التأمين الصحي الفردي : يمنح للافراد وعائلاتهم وبعقود منفصلة
التأمين الصحي الجماعي : يمنح لموظفي المؤسسات والهيئات والشركات والنقابات وبصفة عقد جماعي واحد.

يقدم التأمين الصحي إلى المؤمن له منافع وخدمات العناية الطبية وما يتعلق بها من نفقات وذلك بموجب نطاق التغطيات المتفق عليها والتي تكون بالاشكال التالية :-

التغطية داخل المستشفى وتشمل اجور الاقامة والاطباء والجراحة والحالات الطارئة
تغطيات العلاج خارج المستشفى وتشمل زيارة الطبيب والادوية والفحوصات
التغطية الشاملة وتشمل نفقات المعالجة داخل وخارج المستشفى

تأميــن الحياة

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تأميــن الحياة

يعد الرومان أول من عرفوا التأمين على الحياة، وأول وثيقة تم إصدارها كانت عام 1653م ومع تقدم التكنولوجيا تطور التأمين على الحياة وخاصة في ظل ظهور الإحصائيات الحديثة مثل الحسابات الاكتوارية.

يوفر هذا النوع من التأمين بأشكاله المتعددة ضمان مالي إلى الأفراد عند وقوع خطر الوفاة في سن مبكرة أو الوصول إلى سن الشيخوخة وتعرض الدخل إلى النقص كما يوفر ضمان مالي للفرد في حالة البقاء على قيد الحياة لسن معينة وللورثة في حالة وفاة معيلهم وتتيح الوثائق ذات النوع الادخاري حصول الأفراد على قروض لمواجهة التزاماتهم المختلفة بضمان الوثائق ومن أهم أنواعه التأمين المؤقت، المختلط، الحوادث الشخصية، تغطية العجز.

التأميـن الهندسي

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التأميـن الهندسي

يوفر هذا النوع من التأمين اغطية واسعة من الحماية للاعمال المدنية ونصب المواقع والمكائن. ومن أنواع الوثائق التي توفرها شركات التأمين في الأردن :- • وثيقة تأمين كافة اخطار المقاولين مصممة بشكل يناسب تلبية كافة الاحتياجات والمتطلبات لتوفير حماية للمقاولين : من اليوم الأول لبدء العمل وتوريد المواد إلى الموقع لحين انتهاء مدة الوثيقة أو اكتمال المشروع وتسليمه، أيهما يحدث أولاً.

وثيقة تأمين كافة اخطار النصب
تأمين عطب المكائن
تأمين انفجار البويلرات
تأمين أجهزة الكمبيوتر

تأمينات الحوادث العامة

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تأمينات الحوادث العامة

و أهم أنواع هذا التأمين التي تزاولها شركات التأمين في السوق العربي:-

تأمين السرقة
تأمين المسؤولية العامة
تأمين النقد أثناء النقل من البنك إلى العملاء
تأمين ضمان خيانة الامانة
وثيقة التأمين البنكية الشاملة وتوفر غطاء شامل للعمليات البنكية
تأمين المسؤولية المهنية
تأمين كسر الزجاج
غطاء تعويض العمال
تأمين المواشي

تأمين السيارات

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تأمين السيارات

التامين الالزامي (المسؤولية المدنية تجاه الغير)

ويشمل تأمين المسؤولية الناشئة عن استعمال المركبة استعمالا يتطلب المساءلة القانونية للسائق/المؤمن له وذلك بما يتسببه من اضرار للغير من اصابات جسدية اواضرار مادية

التأمين الشامل (الفقد والتلف والمسؤولية المدنية تجاه الغير)

الحصول على هذا النوع من الشركات مباشرة ويتضمن العقد وثيقتين تخضع وثيقة التأمين الالزامي فيه إلى شروط واحكام نظام التأمين الالزامي وفقاً للنظام والاسعار المقررة بموجبه ووثيقة التأمين التكميلي فيه تخضع إلى شروط وثيقة التأمين الصادرة عن الشركة وبالاسعار التي تقررها. ويمكن الإضافة على الغطاء الأساسي ملحق لتغطية خطر الحوادث الشخصية للسائق والركاب بحدود مسؤولية يتفق عليها وبقسط اضافي يناسبها.

wikipedia.org

تأمين الحريق

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تأمين الحريق

يوفر هذا النوع من التأمين حماية لتعويض الخسائر. والاضرار التي تلحق بالممتلكات المنقولة (المحتويات) وغير المنقولة (المصانع ،المكاتب التجارية، دور السكن) والناجمة من خطر الحريق، ويمكن توسيع التغطية لتشمل انـواع أخرى من الاخطار، مثل:

السرقة
الانفجار
سقوط الطائرات
العواصف، الزوابع والفيضانات
الزلازل الأرضية
الشغب والاضرابات والاذى العمدي
الاضرار الناجمة عن صدم المركبات
الانهيار
الاضرابات والاضطرابات
الصدم
الخسائر التبعية (خسارة الارباح)

wikipedia.org