Learning Team Objective Essay Example for Free

Learning Team Objective Essay During weeks four and five, we learned all about methods a company can have a picture of their overall fiscal rankings. A few of the subjects dealt with include using a report of cash flows to observe the coming in and going out of cash, assessing fiscal reports, the way to report the issuance of the various kinds of stock and dividend payments, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act influence. A report of cash flows indicates the receipt and payment of cash for the organization. The direct method is desired by the FASB, even though both ways are acceptable, and shows cash receipts and payments in operations whereas the indirect method changes net income which does not influence cash. To get commenced with a report of cash flows, the organization must change its net income from an accrual basis to a cash basis. Ultimately, an organization may decide their free cash flow to find out the amount of money is remaining after adjustments for capital expenses and dividends have been completed. The 3 methods of assessment are the horizontal, vertical, and ratio analysis. Horizontal assesses the fiscal report data during a period of time. This decides the increase or reduction which has occurred. Vertical analysis reports every item like a percent of base sum. This decides what amount of the total assets are existing assets or what amount of the net sales are selling expenditures. Ratio analysis reports the connection amongst the chosen items of the reports. This decides liquidity of assets, profits of the organization, and the solvency ratio informs if the organization is likely to survive over a long interval of time. Investors are able to use the cash flow report to find out if the organization has adequate cash to increase operations and pay dividends. The organization may use the information in the cash flow report to assess the effectiveness of operations. Cash flow from funding activities shows any modifications in debt, loans, or dividends. Issuing stock or rising long-term borrowing is actually a cash inflow. Paying dividends or decreasing liability is a cash outflow. Moreover, cash flow from operating activities calculates the modifications in cash flows from operations needing a calculation of the modifications in account balances in the balance sheet between accounting intervals. Scenarios may happen which result in unethical accounting routines because of lacking in the financial controls set down and followed by higher administration people. All six of these methods not just require to be set up but they must be adopted and enforced as well by way of assessment and follow-up. In case even one of the controls isnt set up in that case the opportunity may become open for unethical conduct. For instance, in case you dont specify duty by just having one individual accountable in that case it results in a lack of accountability if something is incorrect. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was put into operation in 2002 as a result of great number of unethical and fraudulent scenarios abounding in companies. This Act says that all publicly operated organizations should have noted internal fiscal controls in the organization. Organizations must submit an assessment of the effectiveness and value of their internal controls with their conclusion of year fiscal package. Regular outside audits are carried out to make sure compliance by the companies with this Act. In case violations are found anytime, penalties and fines might be enacted upon higher administration level people to include imprisonment. To conclude, over weeks 4 and 5 we have learned all about the ways of creating cash flow reports, the way to apply the 3 different ratios when deciding how nicely or lousy the organization is performing fiscally, the way to report journal entries of the issuance of stock and common stock and the way to announce and enter payments from dividends, and lastly the way to stay ethical in accounting and be in conformity with SOX.

Media Interpretation on Health Promotion Research

Media Interpretation on Health Promotion Research Dwayne Potenteau A Critique of Marilynn Marchione (February 12, 2014) The Associated Press. Study ties weather to stroke rates: risk may rise with high humidity, cold, temperature swings Summary The purpose of the new article was to report on findings from a study claiming that extreme variances in seasonal weather patterns correlate to higher stroke rates. The focus on the information presented was from a study done by Judith H Lichtman and others at the Yale school of Public Health in New Haven Connecticut. In the article, the journalist Marilynn Marchione from the Associated Press, reports that through data analysis of two national databases the researchers, using a non experimental design, have found correlation between large changes in daily temperature and the risk of suffering a stroke. Elements that Influence Believability The article effectively states the main objective of the article stating the correlation between extreme variances in weather, humidity, and risk of a stroke. The next sentence incorporates data from the research to reinforce the article’s main claim stating â€Å"As it got warmer, risk fell – 3 percent for every 5 degrees, the study found†(Marchione, 2014, p.1). To further the credibility of the article, the author names and quotes Judy Lichtman, who is one of the study’s lead researchers. Marchione also adds numerous quotes throughout her article. By quoting the responses of physicians, Maricione does not infer, but relays the opinions of medical professional. Another factor that adds to the plausibility is what physiologically happens to the body during extreme warm and cold variances. The author incorporates explanations from different physicians on the effect weather has on the body. She adds the comments from several physicians, such as Dr Larry Gold stein who was part of the study, along with other physicians not associated with the research. Having multiple viewpoints from medical personnel who explain causation of stroke due to weather conditions strengthens her article and gives the reader further confidence in what she is saying. In addition to the explanations are some specific limitations of the study. Marchione notes limitations such as the omission participants due to a stroke caused by bleeding or aneurysm, and threshold values for temperatures.(Marchione, 2014, p.1). In commenting on the key omissions of the study, Marchione helps define the relationships of the study to the participants. Limitations in Generalizability and Hypothesis Loiselle, Profetto-McGrath, Polit, and Beck(2011, p.37) define generalizability as â€Å"the criterion used in a quantitative study to assess the extent to which study findings can be applied to other groups and settings†. The author’s first line in the article emphasizes a generality that is not found in any of the research findings. â€Å"There may be a link between weather and the risk of suffering a stroke, say researchers who analyzed climate trends and hospital records on millions of Americans† (Marchione, 2014, p.1). The opening sentence is an example of what philosophers define as a hasty generalization. The lack of relevant and specific information has the author rushing to a conclusion prior to obtaining and evaluating all the gathered data (Weber, Brizee, 2013). Contrary to the title, the objective of the research was to determine if there was an association between temperature, and Ischemic stroke hospitalization rates and in hospital mortality in a r epresentative sample. In addition, the hypothesis of the study was not clearly stated in the article. Loiselle defines the hypothesis as the predicted answer to expectations about relationships between study variables (Loiselle et al, p. 46). Coughlan, Cronin, and Ryan furthers the idea by stating that objectives, questions, and any hypothesis should be clearly stated in order to connect the purpose and any processes (Coughlan, Cronin, Ryan, 2007, p.660). By incorporating the hypothesis into the article, the author would have informed readers of what the researches methods were and help understand the results of their study. Limitations in Sample Size and Sample Plan Loiselle defines sample as a subset of the population under study (Loiselle et al, p. 47). The sample size is not mentioned in the article. Instead of millions, the sample size used was 157 130(Marchione, 2014, p.1). While a larger sample size better represents a target population, the misrepresentation of the sample size may give the reader a false account of the participants in the study. In addition to giving a false sample size, the article also does not mention that models were adjusted to match patient demographics. Age, sex, and race, along with seasonal changes, and comorbidity conditions were modified to fit with the target population. As a reader, the omission on selective criteria for the study participants can create uncertainty in understanding what population is susceptible. Another factor that was omitted from the article were specifics of the sampling plans. Loiselle defines sample plans as the specifics on how the sample will be selected and how many participants there will be† (Loiselle et all, p. 47). Nowhere in the article is there information that defines the mean average age of the target population mentioned was selected. In fact, the mean age was 71.6 years, and the article alludes to no age specific target. By omitting variables key to the research, the author inadvertently may lead to assumptions made by the reader on the age of population. Additional information was missing on how the sample plan specifically selected participants. The author claims that the research obtained from a national database, is the most detailed research on the issue but does not elaborate on any specifics. The researchers qualitative data was extracted from Nationwide Inpatient Sample database with a stratified sample of 20% . The article also provides no me ntion of data and the relationship to the results in the article. The researcher’s primary outcome was for discharged patients with ischemic stroke (ICN-9-CM 433, 434, 436), and death during the index hospitalization(Lichtman Wang, Leifheit-Limson Goldstein, p. 1). This missing information can misplace the context of the stud for the reader. Limitations in Validity/Reliability Loiselle defines validity as the ability to accurately assess the observations, and reliability refers to the ability to measure with different participants with consistency (Loiselle et all, p. 34). While information on the number of stroke patients, and quotes from the accredited individuals does add some credibility, the author fails to add any data on how or what processes were used. There is no mention of the desired outcome which was to determine if there were associations between temperature and ischemic stroke hospitalization rates and in hospital mortality within a U.S. population (Lichtman et al, p. 1). In addition, the reliability of data collection and was missing from the article. The information was collected from cohort and data sources (Litchman, et al, p. 1). The author provides only 2 sentences of statistical data to inform the reader. The lack of primary information which is favored over secondary or anecdotal data was another missing factor. Secondary data may lead to opinion, and have less credibility. While most information was presented in an interview type process, the overall empirical meaningful data was omitted. Limitations in Non Experimental Study Loiselle defines non experimental study as the way which researchers collect data without making changes or introducing treatments†(Loiselle et al, p. 44). Loiselle further contends that experimental studies are explicitly designed to test causal relationships (Loiselle et al, p. 44). The author did not mention the non experimental approach used by Judith Lichtman and her colleagues. Cohort studies were implemented using a retrospective study to select a specific population. Stamler and Yu confirm this by stating that cohort studies look at individual histories of people with a specific disease to identify commonalities and differences (Stamler Yu, p.150). The study is retrospective because the data was collected between 2010 – 2011. Stamler and Yu state that â€Å"These studies focus on individual s exposed to a particular health problem or potential stressor over time†(Stamler, Yu, 2012, p.150). While the article does comment on the data set extracted from 2010 to 2011, the author omitted the reasons for choosing the test population and did not add any clarity or expansion of the operational definitions. In omitting the basic defining characteristics of the quantitative study, the author did not inform the reader on give insight into the causal relationships between stroke, and varying climate. Since the Most of the information given in the article comes in the form of quotes from researchers. In the article, the author claims that â€Å"It is the largest and most detailed research on this issue†, but does not list the specifics of the target population(Marchione, p.1). The author over generalized the study, when in fact a specific population and target group had been selected. She is quoted as saying â€Å"The new study looked at stroke hospitalization, not just deaths, in a wider population using a federal database†(Marchione, 2014, p.1). The results in fact could not be generalized outside of the 157 130 patients that were age 71.6 or older, half being women, and 66.6% were of Caucasian ethnicity. Freiberger confirms the need for accuracy by stating that clarity not only on how the research was conducted, but who and how participants involved in the study must be present(Freiberger, p.1). Defining characteristics were also omitted in the article. Common cha racteristics of the test population included hypertension, diabetes, prior stroke, and cardiovascular disease. This lack of information in the article lends itself to reduced representativeness of the population and may lead a reader to not know the actual studied population. Discussion/Conclusion While the article does add information, the information presented, does not provide enough detailed elements of the study to clearly identify objectives, and any predictive hypothesis. First of all the objectives and hypothesis are never accurately stated in the article. Secondly the author does not include detailed sample plans or specify the correct sample size. Third, the validity and reliability specifics on where and how the data was obtained. Finally the author failed to expand on the non experimental study specifics. If these elements had been address to any breadth or depth within the article, the audience would have been better informed. General Public Paragraph Overall the study failed to give an accurate description of what the study’s research was trying to achieve. The author has over generalized to the point where most of the information in the article can be taken out of context. The amount of people in the study, the age group of people in the study, the ways in which the study was performed, and along with the overall results were omitted from the article. Therefore the reader is left up to their own phenomenology to decipher and interpret what the author was trying to get across. A person reading this article may be lead to conclusions that variances in temperature may lead an average person to develop a stroke. This type of incorrect representation of the study can be misleading as the author does not give false information but omits so much that errors in interpretation are inevitable. References Coughlan, M, Cronin, P, Ryan, F.(2007). Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 1: quantitative research. British Journal of Nursing 16(11):658-663 Devane, D, Begley, C, Clarke, M. (2004). How many do I need? Basic principles of sample size estimation. Journal of Advanced Nursing 47(3), 297 – 302 Freiberger, M. (2010). Medical research plagued by bad reporting. .Plus magazine, Retrieved from http://plus.maths.org/content/os/latestnews/jan-apr10/reporting/index Litchman, J, Wang, Y, Leifheit-Limson, E, Goldstein, L. (2014). Association of average temperature and dew point with stroke hospitalization and mortality. Manuscript submitted for publication. Loiselle, C, Profetto-McGrath, J, Polit, D, Beck, C.(2011) Canadian essentials of nursing research (3rd Canadian ed.).Philadelphia,PA:Lippincott,Williams Wilkins. Marchione, M. (2014, February 12). Study ties weather to stroke rates; risk may rise with high humidity, cold, temperature swings. The associated press, Retrieved from http://ca.news.yahoo.com/study-ties-weather-stroke-rates-risk-may-rise-155625598.html Stamler, L, Yu, L. (2012). Community health nursing; A canadian perspective (3rd ed). Toronto. On: Pearson Weber, R. Brizee, A. (2013).Logical fallacies. The Owl at Purdue University. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/

Strippers and Stripping :: Free Essays Online

An Examination of the Literature on Strippers and Stripping For centuries, psychologists, sociologists, academics, historians, and filmmakers have devoted themselves to the exploration and dissection of sex and power. All dancers talk about their work as being something they enjoy. The financial independence gives them control over their lives and their ability to transfix a room full of men with a simple glance, further confirms their desirability. But how far will it stretch before they fall victims to their own universe? (DC One, 37). This sweeping remark on the life and times of female strippers was extracted from a popular Washington, D.C. magazine called DC One, which focuses on the dining, entertainment, and nightlife featured in D.C. This particular issue was dubbed "The Men's Issue," and contained an exposà © on stripping in "gentlemen's clubs." The quotation above demonstrates the tension that exists in the world of stripping, both within the private world of the strippers themselves, as well as in the public perception of this occupation. Is stripping empowering for women? Or, is it purely objectifying, and does it serve only the interests of the men who are the viewers and the consumers? The comment above would suggest that the money and accolades that these women receive creates a mutually exploitative situation; one that is beneficial for both parties involved, albeit in a different manner. But then the writer second-guesses herself, forging ahead to say: "But how far will it stretch before they fall v ictims to their own universe?" (DC One, 37). What is this "universe" and is it ultimately as damaging as the author might imagine? Although the article does little to respond to this issue, many decades of researchers have attempted to look at this and other questions surrounding the occupation of stripping. The results of the studies have been varied and suggest that there is no one way to view either the strippers themselves or the clients who access this service. In this paper, I will attempt to do an overview of the studies that have been conducted on strippers and stripping as an occupation. I will utilize studies and articles that focus primarily on women as strippers to consider specifically the questions addressed in the opening paragraph. Are women empowered in any way by this occupation? Or, as some feminist theorists have suggested , is it purely objectification, with no positive benefits to the women involved? This paper will evaluate the existing studies and literature in an attempt to locate moments of empowerment, a sense of agency, and, to borrow Carol Rambo Ronai's term, "resistance strategies " present in the daily lives and experiences of strippers.

A preliminary assessment of the Survey of the Gaelic :: Scottish Gaelic dialectology

Scottish Gaelic dialectology: A preliminary assessment of the Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland Between 1994 and 1997, the transcribed questionnaires of the Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland were published as a five-volume series (O Dochartaigh 1994- 97), presenting narrow phonetic transcriptions of over 200 speakers responding to a fortypage questionnaire. This publication marks the culmination of a project of nearly fifty years’ duration; the main body of the interviews took place between 1950 and 1970 across much of the Scottish mainland as well as the Western Isles. In many cases, some of the very last Gaelic speakers in a particular region were interviewed, and we thus have transcribed material—and some audio recordings—of dialects that are now practically extinct. Naturally, the historic quality of these transcribed and audio records renders them all the more valuable for close study. This paper will assess the current state of Scottish Gaelic dialect study, with a particular focus on the Survey’s current and future contributions. Designed in 1950 by Kenneth Jackson to elicit data informing phonetic and phonological questions of both regional and historical interest, the original Survey focused on pronunciation variation, providing limited information on morphology (although see especially O Maolalaigh1999), and virtually none on syntactic variation or lexical choice. With the publication of the Survey’s â€Å"raw data† in the form of unanalyzed narrow transcriptions, it is appropriate now to ascertain what we can learn from the published material. However, in the approximately 50 years since the fieldwork for the Survey was begun, methods, goals, and principles of dialect study have changed dramatically (cf. Kretzschmar 1996); furthermore, advances in media technologies have enabled linguists to analyze and to present data in compelling new ways (cf. Kretzschmar & Konopka 1996). In recent years there has been an important move towards a discipline-wide agreement on â€Å"best practices† for dialect study, language data management, and the presentation of data and analysis (cf. â€Å"Methods XI† Conference on Methods in Dialectology, August 2002, Joensuu, Finland; the E-MELD website and affiliated work; the Linguistic Data Archiving Project at CNRS, etc). The presentation will conclude with a discussion of desiderata for Scottish Gaelic dialect study, and for the presentation and analysis of Gaelic dialect data.

Acquisition Strategies in DoD Procurements :: essays research papers

General Considerations Each PM must develop and document an acquisition strategy to guide program execution from initiation through reprocurement of systems, subsystems, components, spares, and services beyond the initial production contract award and during post-production support. The acquisition strategy evolves through an iterative process and becomes increasingly more definitive in describing the relationship of the essential elements of a program. A primary goal of the strategy is to minimize the time and cost it takes, consistent with common sense and sound business practices, to satisfy identified, validated needs, and to maximize affordability throughout a programs useful life cycle. In developing the acquisition strategy, the PM considers all policy guidance contained in the acquisition strategy portion on DoD 5000.2R. In documenting the acquisition strategy, the PM provides a complete picture of the strategy for the decision makers who will be asked to coordinate on or approve the strategy document. The PM ensures the document satisfies the requirements of DoD 5000.2R for the acquisition strategy to identify, address, describe, summarize, or otherwise document specific, major aspects or isues of the program or strategy. The PM develops the acquisition strategy in preparation initiation, prior to the program initiation decision, and updates it prior to all major program decision points or whenever the approved acquisition strategy changes or as the system approach and program elements become better defined. The PM engages the Working –Level Integrated Product Team (WIPT) and Operational Test Agency (OTA) in the development of the acquisition strategy, and obtains concurrence of the Program Executive Officer and Component Acquisition Executive , as appropriate. The Milestone Decision Authority approves the acquisition strategy prior to the release of the formal solicitation. Approval usually precedes each decision point, except at program initiation, when the acquisition strategy usually is approved as part of the milestone decision review. REQUIREMENTS The acquisition strategy provides a summary description of the requirement the acquisition is intended to satisfy. The summary highlights aspects of the requirement (1) driven by family-of-systems or mission area requirements for interoperability, and (2) that reflect dependency on planned capability being achieved by other programs. The summary also states whether the requirement is structured to achieve full capability in time-phased increments or in a single step. For time-phased requirements, define the block about to be undertaken, as well as subsequent blocks. The acquisition strategy identifies approved source documents constituting the authoritative definition of the requirement such as the Operational Requirements Document (ORD), Capstone Requirements Document (CRD), and Acquisition Program Baseline (APB).

Personal Paper on Euthanasia Essay

A life is ending. Losing a life is tragic enough within its own right. Euthanasia appears to be the best option for a patient. Though the family and patient have suffered immensely, they must continue to suffer mentally and physically through the passive euthanasia process. This particular patient’s death was tragic and slow. The body had broken down, and only a shadow of who the person once was laid in bed as the last breath was taken. If another form of euthanasia, called active euthanasia had been legal, a large amount of pain and suffering could have been spared. If passive euthanasia is legal, then active euthanasia should be legal too. Passive Euthanasia, is when a physician determines that death is unavoidably close, that rather than prolong suffering, to stop whatever treatment is keeping the patient alive. An example would be, if a person is being kept alive by a machine that breathes for them, a decision is made to turn off the machine, indirectly ending the person’s life. Also, there are many cases that are not as simple as that. Often times, passive euthanasia can be performed on a conscious person. If a person is alive, but barely capable of living, a tube that feeds the patient is removed. This leads to the patient starving to death, which led to the patient dying in great pain. My father was diagnosed with terminal colo-rectal cancer, and instead of trying surgeries that would lengthen his life by a few months, he chose not to. My father was passively euthanized. He died a much different man that I have known my whole life. He, once a large burly man had lost around a hundred pounds, and was bedridden. All of his muscles were slowly disintegrating because of atrophy since he was unable to get out of bed. He was in major pain despite the medication he was given, and in the last month of his life the cancer had gone into the blood and to his brain, making him hallucinate,

Nuclear power stations and national parks Essay

Who are the interest groups: *Local unemployed *Locals *National power grid *Workers *CND (campaign for nuclear disarmourment) *Green peace *Friends of the earth *Ministry of defence *The government *National parks *BNFL (British nuclear fuels) *Environment agency *CORE (Cambrians opposed to radioactive environment) *ICRP (international commission on radiological protection) *The world Conflicts with the national parks and nuclear power: *Pylons and power lines *Nuclear waste storage *Environmental pollution *High potential health hazard *National park tourism *Livelihood *Nuclear transportation through national parks *Increased leukaemia in area surrounding nuclear power stations See more of the above below; Pylons and power lines: There is considerable controversy not just over the sitting to the national park but also because of the associated high voltage transmission lines needed To connect the stations to the National Grid. Indeed to many observers the construction of these power lines has caused a greater visual impact on the landscape than the construction of the stations themselves. High potential health hazard: There is a high potential health hazard for nuclear power stations if there is a fire or explosion. In Chernobyl there was a meltdown, which they thought would go down into the earths mantle and start a volcanic eruption, but thankfully it didn’t. Environmental pollution: Between 1952 and 1995, Sellafield dumped 182 kilograms of plutonium down a pipeline into the Irish Sea. This amounts to 717 terabecquerels (TBq) of radioactivity–about half the fallout of plutonium in the entire North Atlantic from 520 atmospheric bomb tests in the 1960s. Nuclear waste storage: Tonnes of intermediate (liquid and solid) nuclear waste was being produced in sellafield before there was any known way of storing it safely. So it remained in the station until a ditch was dug for temporary storage. Nuclear waste can be stored safely by turning it into glass ingots by adding borosilicate to the waste, which allows waste to be stored for 50,000 years and not radioactive, and also able to be ground to fine powder sill be harmless. National park tourism: The tourism in the national park would go if there were an accident or proved high radiation levels in the national park, like in Snowdonia N.P or The Lake District N.P. There does not have to be an accident or proof of radiation to stop tourists though, If the plant is despised so much there will be no tourism in the park, then no Maintenance or conservation to keep it a national park unless funded by government. Livelihood: The locals livelihood would be affected by a nuclear power station, E.g. where once was a local green or park is know a towering power station and would be to imposing. Nuclear transportation through national parks: There is great opposition on the transportation of nuclear fuel or waste travelling through anywhere, but especially in national parks. If there were an accident or spill the area/park would be devastated for years if not centuries. There is proof that there is increased numbers of people with leukaemia around nuclear power stations: Here is a story of three girls that died from the radiation and acute leukaemia in sellafield. â€Å"A couple who say radiation killed three of their daughters have pledged to re-open the investigation into the deaths following a damming report into safety at British Nuclear Fuels. Joe and Stella McMaster of Fulwood, Preson, believe radiation from the nuclear industry is to blame for the deaths of their children, Judith, Jill and Lynn. The couple claim BNFL bosses have never explained the tragedies that have devastated their family and they say the revelations about safety at the nuclear giant’s Sellafield plant come as no surprise. Joe, 77, worked as a research chemist at British Nuclear Fuel’s Springfield plant near Preston for 30 years. He said an incident at the Springfields plant in the 1950’s which caused him to inhale Uranium UF6 gas sparked off a catalogue of health problems. Joe claimed his urine samples after the accident showed his uranium content to be 18 times above the normal level. Just months later he lost all of his teeth after they became so loose he could twist them around. But nothing prepared the family for the tragedies that were to follow. After already celebrating the birth of two daughters they were delighted when Stella became pregnant with twins. After a problem-free pregnancy the babies were born six weeks premature but one of the twins, Judith, died at just three days old.It was a hard loss to bear, but the couple consoled themselves with the knowledge that they had three remaining lovely daughters. But in 1973 their second eldest daughter Jill was taken ill. She started a nosebleed that would not stop and she was admitted to hospital for tests. The family were horrified when she was diagnosed as having acute leukaemia. She was moved to a hospital in Manchester where she died two weeks later. It was then that Stella began to question whether their deaths could be linked to Joe’s work with the nuclear industry. In 1988 the family suffered an other devastating blow when their eldest daughter Lynn, a mother of one, was diagnosed with a rare blood disease and died. When I worked at BNFL I was sworn for life to the Official Secrets Act, but now I could not care less. Now I just want to find out the truth,† said Joe. (Lancashire Evening Post 19/2/00) Stella and Joe strongly believe that the reactor fire at Windscale (now named Sellafield) in October 1957 played a vital part. At that time they were on a family holiday a few miles from the plant and the children were playing on the beach, drinking the milk and eating locally grown fresh vegetables. When they returned home they found out that the area had been badly contaminated – milk was being thrown down the drains and vegetables were unfit for human consumption. By then the damage was done. â€Å"We have been assured by medical experts that the timescale between exposure and deaths from leukaemia were correct, but oh no, BNFL still say it is unfortunate but really sheer coincidence†, says Stella. She maintains that when Joe retired at 60, his radiation body count showed 300 Becquerels, although it should only have been around 5. A private blood test confirmed chromosome defects due to radiation exposure. Neither his high body count, dismissed by BNFL as being due to a faulty machine, nor his chromosome damage were ever explained by the company. The couple have been trying to get to the truth for 10 years and will continue to do so. They are sure there are other families worldwide, either employed by or living around nuclear installations who are trying to get justice and they wish them luck. They believe the industry is one big cover-up and condemn the cavalier attitude of the 50’s and 60’s when employees, who were initially selected for being 100% fit, were deliberately exposed to unknown, but now considered unacceptable, risks to their health. They are appalled by the industry’s denials over Joe’s and their children’s health problems. He was never offered compensation for his accident much less any sympathy. â€Å"Never in our wildest dreams did we consider the far reaching consequences and the terrible tragedies. You don’t expect to outlive even one of your children, much less three. If BNFL had to sit at a bedsite and watch each child die, they might be a bit more compassionate† said Stella, â€Å"BNFL just do not want to know – they just brush it all under the carpet and hope we will give up our campaign for truth and justice, but we are sorry to disappoint them.† MP Nigel Evans, who has supported them, urged the couple to carry on fighting until they find out the truth. A BNFL spokesman said: We have had a meeting with Mr. McMaster to try and reassure him that his daughters’ deaths were not related to working at Springfield’s.† Sellafield nuclear power station: Sellafield, formally Windscale and home of the 1957 reactor fire, lies on the Irish Sea coast and alongside England’s famous Lake District. In an area of just one mile by one mile and a half, the site hosts the lethal legacies of nuclear weapons material production, decades of commercial reprocessing residues – and the reputation to go with them. With faltering nuclear prospects at home BNFL are turning to other countries for expansion with claims of expertise. Their failure to first put their own Sellafield house in order is a mark of their lack of credibility, as are the unsolved and long-term problems they leave behind in England. Calder Hall, opened by the Queen in 1956, and it generates enough electricity to supply a city the size of Leeds. Sellafield also has a host of other plants, including two reprocessing plants – one to reprocess the waste from the old so-called Magnox nuclear power stations and one, Thorp, to reprocess spent fuel from the newer privatised plants at home and abroad. Why is nuclear power so unpopular here? Originally because of its close connection with nuclear weapons. The original stations were built not to produce electricity but to make plutonium for nuclear weapons. But the public weren’t told that straight away – in fact not until the 1980s. The industry’s early habit of lying made people sceptical and suspicious. Add to that the sometimes-irrational fear of radioactivity and the appalling results of the Chernobyl accident and the dislike expand into a wish the industry would just go away. The UK Environment Agency regulates discharges of radioactive waste from the notorious Sellafield nuclear site into the sea and air. Sellafield discharges some 8 million litres of nuclear waste into the sea every day. These discharges have made the Irish Sea the most radioactively contaminated in the world, and the contamination has spread along the shores of Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and as far north as the Arctic. There is no safe dose of radiation – any level may cause cancers and genetic damage. The Environment Agency is currently holding a public consultation on Sellafield’s discharges of one particularly controversial radioactive substance, known as technetium-99 (Tc-99). Tc-99 has a â€Å"half-life† of 213,000 years, which means it remains dangerous to countless future generations. It also builds up to high levels in marine life including lobsters, mussels, limpets, winkles and seaweed. In 1997 levels of Tc-99 in lobsters near Sellafield reached up to 42 times the European intervention level for food after a nuclear accident. High levels were also found in seaweed in Ireland and Nordic countries and, following international protest, the UK Government promised to act to stop these discharges. Although BNFL reduced its discharges of Tc-99 somewhat between 1995 and 1998, the discharges have since increased again. Discharges of many other radioactive substances have increased too, and there are plans to increase them further. Greenpeace believes that the Environment Agency and the Government are backtracking under pressure from BNFL, the publicly-owned company that operates the Sellafield site. The Government and the Environment Agency could and should act to stop the discharges now. Greenpeace claims that the ground that sellafield is as radioactive as the ground in Chernobyl. A reactor in sellafield Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in Snowdonia national park: The Trawsfynydd nuclear plant is situated on the shores of the Trawsfynydd Lake in North Wales. It was the first nuclear power plant in Britain to be built on a site inland. Its surroundings offer spectacular scenery and interesting wildlife. The plant is one of several Magnox reactors that belong to an earlier design generation which employs steel pressure vessels. The name â€Å"Magnox † reflects that the nuclear fuel is contained within a cladding made out of a magnesium alloy. Magnox stations pioneered the commercial use of nuclear power in the 1960’s and still supply much of Britain’s need for base-load electricity. Their image as the â€Å"workhorses† of the nuclear industry is derived from a reputation for high availability and safe performance. Trawsfynydd is currently being decommissioned. The reasons for shutting this plant down reflected some concerns that the steel pressure vessel was gradually becoming embrittled. Since the site is located within the beautiful Snowdonia National Park, it was considered important that the decommissioning should be made in such a manner that would leave the smallest possible impact on the environment. So they use the safe store construction. Safe store construction Diminishing the visual impact of the plant was one of the demands that the local public viewed as the most important. This is accomplished by reducing the height of the reactor buildings from 55 meter to 32 meters. That requires lowering the height of the tall structures inside the buildings, such as parts of the boilers and the refuelling machines. Safe-store structures of reduced height can then be constructed. 1993- 2004 Trawsfynydd Power Station lies within the boundaries of a National Park of considerable beauty and is located on the northern bank of Llyn Trawsfynydd. Following the decommissioning of the plant, the existing building structure is to be reduced in height and encased in a new ‘Safestore’ envelope. The objective is to reduce and in some cases eliminate the buildings impact within the National Park. The Safestore structure is to provide an aesthetically acceptable, cost effective means of long term, secure storage for specific radioactive materials and structures. As well as minimising the visual impact of the site the structure is based on the following criteria: The design life shall be 135 years. During the majority of this period it is proposed that the site will be unmanned. The structures shall be intruder resistant with a 9m wall also gives an improved visual balance between the lower and upper levels of the external elevations. The landscape within the site boundary will reflect the character of the natural surrounding landscape so the there are no visible boundaries and the landscape flows naturally through the site.