Impact of Humans on Toronto Islands

Impact of Humans on Toronto Islands The Impacts of the Geomorphology, Climatology, and Hydrology on Human Activities in the Toronto Islands By: Nerujan Sivanesan Student No: 500510777 A place of entertainment and relaxation is what the Toronto Islands are known for presently. It still catered this tranquil and enticing environment even when it was first founded by the natives around the mid- 1700’s (Toronto Islands, n.d.). However, it was discovered and claimed by other settlers as a result the islands’ first hotel was built and this was by Michael O’Connor in 1833 (Higgens, 1999). He helped make the Toronto Islands become a popular tourist attraction for many and it became known for its amusement park, hotels, summer cottages, and other popular outdoor activities like fishing, and swimming. During the mid-1700’s, the Toronto Islands was found to be 1.6 km south of downtown Toronto, and its area was thought to be around 332 hectares (Sward, 2014). Moreover, it was known to be made up of fifteen islands (Sward, 2014) and the population of the community living in this area at the time was estimated to be over 600 people (Toronto Island Co mmunity Association, n.d.). These islands were not the same now as they were over 3500 years ago, they were originally a recurved sandspit whose, sediments were carried from the Scarborough Bluffs by the water currents from Lake Ontario (Toronto Islands History City of Toronto, n.d.). This later formed into large sandbar and through weathering they formed into the Toronto Islands as we know today. In addition, the climatic conditions and hydrologic activities that these Islands encounter affected the society’s way of living. Furthermore, the Toronto Island’s were thoroughly examined on its geomorphology, hydrology, and climatology and the impacts on the general population by the natural environment. The research for this report of acquiring peer-reviewed resources was difficult due to the specified topic. The research for this topic was conducted for credible resources were done on two scholarly search engines which were â€Å"Google Scholar† and â€Å"RULA- Articles and Database†. However, RULA did not yield the sufficient information required regarding the study of this topic. Moreover, the majority of the research was done by searching for key words on Google scholar and Google. On this search engine, key words such as â€Å"Geomorphology of the Toronto Islands† were used to retrieve specified details of the formations and evolution of the Islands. Other words were searched for instance, â€Å"Hydrology, and Climatology of the Toronto Islands†, and â€Å"the Toronto Island’s history†. These searches provided adequate information regarding the geographical aspects of the Toronto Islands. In addition, the Toronto Island’s website was used to acquire the history of the Toronto Islands and statistical information regarding the population, and the area of the islands. The information that was collected by this technique shows it was a successful approach in learning about the Islands. Through the examined information that was collected, it was found that the Toronto Islands were not always Islands. It was a tombolo (Christopherson, Byrne, Giles, 2012, pg 499), it was found on the North shore of Lake Ontario which linked itself to downtown Toronto. These group of islands were originally formed by sediments that were deposited by winds that moved from northeast to southwest and eroded stone which originated from the Scarborough Bluffs from over 3500 years ago (Toronto Islands History City of Toronto, n.d.). The eroded sediments from the Bluffs were carried by the Lake Ontario currents which moved from the east as well as by the wind currents (Naim et al, 1994). In addition, the water currents moved from the east because they had a longer fetch. The eroded sediments that were transported from the Bluffs to the Toronto Islands were deemed to be 30000m3/year on average (Naim et al, 1994). However, in 1858 severely violent storms eroded the tombolo (Christopherson et al, 2012, pg 499) over time this separated the Toronto Islands from Toronto (Toronto Islands History City of Toronto, n.d.). Many years after this incident, the Islands itself began to grow larger and larger almost doubling its size, because of sediments that was deposited into the Eastern Channel of the Islands (Naim, et al., 1994). As a result of the storms in 1858, a seawall was built to prevent future erosion however, this stopped the sediments being deposited from the Bluffs (Naim, et al., 1994). The evolution of these islands has affected the community living in these areas as it became more commercialized with more leisurely activities. They were either forced to move to different parts of the islands or away from them in order compensate for the construction of the amusement park. The people that did decide to stay were forced to live in the Algonquin Island or Ward’s Island since the homes on the other Islands were destroyed and used for the airport, the school, nursery, and amusement parks (Toronto Islands, n.d.). In addition, the erosion of the tombolo (Christopherson et al, 2012, pg 499) necessitated travel by boat or ferries towards each other. Moreover, with the Toronto Islands sitting on Lake Ontario, it allowed more water-based activities to be present such as swimming, canoeing, boating and etc. It became more of a car-free environment and encouraged bike riding because of the size bridges built between the islands. Furthermore, the transformation of these islands shows that how geomorphology has affected and influences the human population to these areas. The study area’s climate condition was thoroughly investigated on how it affected the Toronto Islands. Based on the data (see Table 1) (Class Environmental Assessment, 2010), the Toronto Islands have been coupled with mild summers and cooler winters. It was found that the mean daily temperature was 8.2 and encountered an annual rainfall and snowfall of 705mm and 112.8cm (see Table 1), respectively (Class Environmental Assessment, 2010). It was concluded that the Toronto Islands were confronted with warmer winters and cooler summers compared to the more localized areas. The warm conditions of Lake Ontario allowed the snow melt into rain because of the warmer winters and the colder temperatures rose to warmer ones due to its warmer conditions (Class Environmental Assessment, 2010). These climatic conditions affect the lives of the people that are within this area and it affects their way of life. Many people will be attracted to these islands because there will be specific activities that are available in accordance to the seasonal changes. For example, during the summer, the Toronto Islands are at peak of drawing crowds of tourists. This is because their famous amusement park, Centreville, is open as well as the appeal of biking, going for picnics, swimming at the beach, tourists staying over at hotels and etc. During the winter times most of the water bodies will be frozen therefore, these areas will be open for ice fishing. This research shows that the climate of this area is a factor in attracting people to the Islands in different seasonal conditions. The hydrological conditions of the Toronto Islands have been a source for promoting more water based activities as well as supplying safe drinking water. The water currents that transported the sediments from the Bluffs moved from the east however, the wind blew from the west. The water currents were able surpass the wind since, it had a long fetch. In addition, a water treatment plant has been built on this site and collects the water from Lake Ontario and converts it to safe drinking water. The treatment plant was mainly used as a backup when other treatment plants were out of service for maintenance (Island Water Treatment Plant City of Toronto, n.d.). This water treatment plant is one of the plants which provide clean drinking water for the Islands as well as the rest of Toronto (Island Water Treatment Plant, n.d.). In addition, it is statistically reported that the plant water that is produced is 87, 947 million litres (on Table 2) (Island Water Treatment Plant City of Toronto , n.d.). Despite having a treatment plant, it is known for water based activities such as the ferries that are taken to travel to the Toronto Islands, boating and fishing. Furthermore, the research shows water conditions tend to attract the human population because of the elegance the water and the resources it provides which shows that this physical environment attracted the people going to the Islands. The Toronto Islands is an alluring tourist destination for many due to its climate conditions, geological features, and water bodies. The climatic conditions encountered, geomorphology, and the hydrologic features helped shape the Toronto Islands into a popular tourist attraction for many because of the abundance of leisurely activities it possesses and the environmental features that it embodies. Furthermore, the features of this physical environment has helped propel the Toronto Islands become an active place for human recreation. Table 1: Note. From Class Environmental Assessment, 2010. Table 2: 2013 statistics Total annual plant water produced 87,947million litres Percentage of plant water produced to the overall system 20% Number of days the plant operated 341 days Average daily production 254 million litres Maximum days production 354million litres Date of maximum water production July 18, 2013 Note. From Island Water Treatment Plant, n.d.. References: Christopherson, R., Byrne, M., Giles, P. (2012, April 15). The oceans, coastal Processes, and the landforms. InGeosystems: An Introduction to Physical Geography(Third edition ed., p. 499). Peasrson Education Canada. Class Environmental Assessment. (2010). Retrieved November 10, 2014, from http://www.hydroone.com/Projects/Lakeshore/Documents/draft ESR/FINAL Lakeshore Renewal Environmental Baseline Report .pdf Higgens, D. (1999, April 25). The Place of My Dreams. Retrieved November 7, 2014, from http://torontoisland.org/briefhistory Island Water Treatment Plant. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2014, from http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=037409f8e0c7f310VgnVCM10000071d66f89RCRD Naim, R., Scott, R., Anglin, C., Zuzek, P. (1994, November 24). Analysis of Coastal Processes at Toronto Islands. Retrieved November 3, 2014, from https://icce-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/icce/index.php/icce/article/viewFile/5116/4794 Sward, R. (2014, September 10). Toronto Islands. Retrieved November 1, 2014, from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/toronto-islands/ Toronto Islands. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2014, from http://www.aviewoncities.com/toronto/torontoislands.htm Toronto Island Community Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2014, from http://torontoisland.org/tica Toronto Islands History. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=cc90dada600f0410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRDvgnextchannel=34e9dada600f0410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD http://www.hydroone.com/Projects/Lakeshore/Documents/draft ESR/FINAL Lakeshore Renewal Environmental Baseline Report .pdf References http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=037409f8e0c7f310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

Management and Leadership Essay

Abstract This paper describes the difference between leadership and management, followed by an examination of the role responsibility of leaders in creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture. It explains that a leader is someone who can offer a compelling invitation for others to take action, while managers manage and accomplish work through others. Today’s leader needs a multitude of characteristics but most important is the ability to develop a vision and to articulate it. This paper critically examines and articulates key conceptual and practical differences between leadership and management through an analysis of the differences in the form, function and influence processes which underpin these complementary organizational roles. It attempts to show that while management involves a key responsibility for leadership, effective management also needs to include the skillful application of other power bases which underpin the wider influencing tactics of effective leader ship. Management and Leadership Today’s organizations become more complex, more ambiguous, and more unpredictable. So how should managers and leaders respond to these challenges? Along with the world is changing constantly, everything has been changing, like the Internet and information revolution, globalization of economies, demographics and ageing population, decrease in new born babies†¦etc. Changing is the trend of development of society. All kinds of environment such as investing, marketing, financing and operating environment has been changing for organizations. Leadership and management are two notions that are often used interchangeably. However, these words actually describe two different concepts. Leadership is a facet of management and is just one of the many assets a successful manager must possess. Care must be taken in distinguishing these two concepts. The main aim of a manager is to maximize  the output of the organization through administrative implementation. To achieve this, managers must undertake the following functions: Organizing, planning, leading and controlling. A manager cannot just be a leader; he also needs formal authority to be effective. For any quality initiative to take hold, senior management must be involved and act as a role model. This involvement cannot be delegated. In some circumstances, leadership is not required. For example, self-motivated groups may not require a single leader and may find leaders dominating. The fact that a leader is not always required proves that leadership can be just an asset and is not essential for certain groups or organizations. Managers think incrementally, whilst leaders think radically. â€Å"Managers do things right, while leaders do the right thing† (Ikeda, 2003). This means that managers do things by the book and follow company policy, while leaders follow their own intuition, which may in turn be of more benefit to the company. A leader is more emotional than a manager. Men or women are governed by their emotions rather than their intelligence. Leaders stand out by being different. They question assumption and are suspicious of tradition. They seek out the truth and make decisions based on fact, not prejudice. They have a preference for innovation. Often with small groups, it is not the manager who emerges as the leader. In many cases it is a subordinate member with specific talents who leads the group in a certain direction. Leaders must let vision, strategies, goals, and values be the best guide-post for action and behavior rather than attempting to control others. When a natural leader emerges in a group containing a manager, conflict may arise if they have different views. When a manager sees the group looking towards someone else for leadership he may feel his authority is being questioned. Groups are often more loyal to a leader than a manager. This loyalty is created by the leader taking responsibility in areas such as: Taking the blame when things go wrong, celebrating group achievements, even minor ones,  giving credit where it is due. The leader must take a point of highlighting the successes within a team, using charts or graphs, with little presentations and fun ideas. Leaders are observant and sensitive people. They know their team and develop mutual confidence within it. â€Å"The leader is followed, the manager rules† (The University of Edinburgh, 1997). A leader is someone who people naturally follow through their own choice, whereas a manager must be obeyed. A manager may only have obtained his position of authority through time and loyalty given to the company, not as a result of his leadership qualities. A leader may have no organizational skills, but his vision unites people behind him. Management usually consists of people who are experienced in their field, and who have worked their way up the company. A manager knows how each layer of the system works and may also possess a good technical knowledge. A leader can be a new arrival to a company who has bold, fresh, new ideas but might not have experience or wisdom. Leading, often confused with managing, is the process of creating a vision and motivating people to achieve certain goals. On the other hand, managing is the process of organizing, planning, controlling, and leading; hence, leadership is a characteristic of managing but managing is not necessarily a function of leading. Often employees prefer employers to express roles of leading over those of managing. â€Å"If given the choice, most people would rather follow a leader than managed by a manager. To manage is to control and manipulate. To lead is to guide, influence and persuade. In today’s business world, both management and leadership skills are vital, but it’s important to use them in the proper manner – things are managed and people are led† (Iscoe, n.d.). For employers to be successful it is imperative that they distinguish the  difference between managing and leading and are able to express all functions of management (leading included), for if they do not profit maximization is hindered and failure inevitable. For leaders to influence others to become interested in their vision often they need to put some attention toward creating a healthy organizational culture. This is important because when an employee feels comfortable in their work environment it is more likely that they develop loyalty and interest for their employer. Unfortunately, due to costs and lack of regulating standards for creating a healthy organization culture many employers express unwillingness and look towards other creative means to improve employees health. â€Å"So many companies find it easier to try to ‘fix’ the employee than the organization. Focus on employees’ unhealthy behaviors – poor diets, smoking, lack of exercise. Promote self-management of health. That’s today’s typical ‘control strategy,’ but it does nothing to address the deeper organizational ills† (Johnson, 2001). Another creative way to maintain a healthy organization culture is to offer, at the employee’s expense, authorized absence (leave). This has been a common occurrence from those that I know who are in the Navy. Employers will allow an employee to take, at their own expense, additional time as needed off when stress levels are high. I believe that employers do this in attempts to avoid morale drop that could arise out of employees having health problems (some relating to stress). As far as leaders and managers having to be responsible for creating a positive work environment, it is by their own choice and in their best interest. They must make the cost-benefit analysis to decide if expenses are worth an increase in constitution of employees. Unless employers are literally doing something immoral to employees, a positive atmosphere can often be overlooked. In conclusion, leadership is an important function of management and is essential if one wishes to be triumphant. For my captain his leadership was enthralling to anyone that he met, making him and his crew more interested in furthering his career in the military. Creating pride in employees’ job and using your position as a leader or a manager to excel organizational  goals and influence employees to work towards positive goals either for themselves or the organization is my vision of healthy organizational culture. References University of Edinburgh (1997). The Difference Between Management And Leadership. Retrieved April 30, 2005 from: http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/MENG/ME96/Documents/Intro/leader.html Ikeda J. (2003) Addressing the Leadership Crises: Clarifying Leaders’ Responsibilities. Retrieved April 30, 2005 from: http://www.linkageinc.com/company/news_events/link_learn_enewsletter/archive/2003/11_03_leadership_ikeda.aspx Iscoe, S. (2004) Link to Success: Management Versus Leadership. Retrieved April 30, 2005 from: http://linktosuccess.com/success-articles/management.html Johnson, D. (2001). Creating a healthy workplace for today’s stressed-out employees. Retrieved April 30, 2005 from: http://www.ishn.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/coverstory/BNPCoverStoryItem/0,2164,62212,00.html

World Hunger And Poverty

The population of Brazil is growing rapidly. If its present rate of growth of 2. 8 percent continues, it will soon become the most populous country in the Western Hemisphere. Although Brazil is rich in natural resources and has significant economic growth, most of the benefits have gone to the rich. Forty percent of the population is under fifteen years of age, and unemployment is high. Population growth in the cities has made it difficult for the government to provide education, health care, water, sanitation, food, and housing for the poor. What steps if any, should be taken to provide for the poor and needy people in this country? The current economic crisis shaking the global economy has prompted many nations to review their economic policies to cope with the challenges of minimizing the impact of recession brought about by instability of securing markets, associated demand and questionable production supply and raw materials. As it stands, the world’s leading nations are in trouble of entering an even greater crisis brought about by. It must be understood that the resources that are provided are finite in relation to the needs and wants of human beings. This mismatch is a problem that must be dealt with immediately and effectively because if this is allowed to continue there will not be enough for everyone and the basic needs for survival cannot even be provided adequately. As the Brazilian model has shown, the country does not even have the basic provisions that are necessary for survival. The population is suffering and the government is unable to make any lasting progress because of the problems that it is facing. Key to finding a lasting solution is in understanding the root cause of the problem. A quick look at the world population reveals that while global economies are reeling from one economic uncertainty to the next, the need for goods and services of their respective populace are increasing as rapidly as their population increases and matures. Putting this in the context of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs an upward pressure is placed upon the demand for the basic necessities such as food and natural resources and the aspiration for self-actualization becomes more and more undeniable. This brings to mind the fact that as long as there is poverty, peace is hardly attainable; and if governments do not secure the basic needs, peace and stability may never become a reality (Issit 2). From this, it is clear that there is an urgent need for the governments all over the world to curb if not control the growth of their respective populations. The first reason is because of the enormous strain that this is putting on the world’s resources could trigger over inflation (Issit 2). This can be best explained by a simple supply and demand model. When there is a shortage of supply and the demand for the good remains constant. This simply means that there is less of the good that is available and the same number of people wants the good. This can be likened to a bidding war where there is only one item and people offer the seller as much as they can to be able to attain it thus raising the price and eliminating all those who do not have enough resources to compete. Conversely, when there is an oversupply and the demand remains constant, the equilibrium price falls. Analogous to this would be the growth of the population and the increase of demand with the supply remaining the same or even decreasing. As such, if the governments are unwilling or unable to deal with the problem there could be widespread hunger and not amount of welfare or government intervention would then be able to alleviate the situation for it would already be too late (Issit 2). This concern comes on the heels of the recent UNESCO report showing that while the world is recovering from crisis it still has not addressed the fact that more and more individuals are suffering from hunger and unemployment. The recent studies on population growth reveal that in the next couple of years the increase of human beings per country will exert so much pressure on the demand for natural resources and on the environment that it will cost more to feed each person than it ever has. With there being to emphasis on plans for rehabilitation or a move to more sustainable methods, it remains to be seen whether or not the world will be able to recover from the damage that is projected to be caused. The second reason is because of the fact that the population of the world is growing at a very rapid pace, most especially in the developing countries. As can be seen in the graph below, the exponential increase in population without the corresponding increase in food supply will lead to an imbalance. These are the problems affecting Brazil and in order to solve these, there is a need to implement programs that provide sustainable development. Brazil is currently one of the leaders in methane capture technology and biodiesel. Using this as a springboard, access to cheaper alternative fuels could allow the country to make significant progress in manufacturing. Having cheaper and cleaner energy can provide a two-fold revenue stream that can eventually be used to finance much needed infrastructure projects in the area. The carbon credits from the sale can be used to build schools and training centers while the cheaper energy can be used to boost certain industries within the Brazilian economy as well as bring in foreign companies and investors. Increasing the country’s exports and reducing the imports remains to be the key for Brazil. The highly competitive global market is in constant search for the lowest priced goods and at this point in time Brazil is able to offer that. It is imperative, therefore, that Brazil take advantage of this global sourcing trend and further build on the lead that it has there. Other economic avenues that Brazil could also explore would be in outsourcing. While most of the Asian countries have become highly competitive in this field (e. g. India and the Philippines), there is still a lot of potential in this market. The geographical location of Brazil makes it an ideal investment choice for American firms. One other factor that makes this a viable option for this country is its financial network with the United States makes it easier for capital to enter the country.

Taxpayer Cost for Political Conventions

American taxpayers help pay for the political conventions held every four years by both the Republican and Democratic national committees. The conventions cost tens of millions of dollars and are put on even though there have been no brokered conventions and every presidential nominee in modern history has been chosen well beforehand. Taxpayers directly contributed $18,248,300 million to the Republican and Democratic national committees, or a total of $36.5 million, to hold their presidential nominating conventions for the 2012 election. They gave similar amounts to the parties in 2008. In addition, Congress set aside $50 million for security at each of the party conventions in 2012, for a total of $100 million. The total cost to taxpayers of the two national party conventions in 2012 exceeded $136 million. Corporations and unions also help cover the cost of the conventions. The cost of holding the political conventions, though, has come under intense scrutiny because of the nations growing national debt and annual deficits. Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma has referred to the political conventions as mere summertime parties and called on Congress to end taxpayer subsidies for them. The $15.6 trillion debt cannot be eliminated overnight, Coburn said in June 2012. But eliminating taxpayer subsidies for political conventions will show strong leadership to getting our budget crisis in control. Where the Money Comes From The taxpayer subsidies for political conventions come through the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. The account is funded by taxpayers who choose to contribute $3 to it by checking a box on the federal income tax returns. About 33 million taxpayers contribute to the fund every year, according to the Federal Election Commission. The amount each party receives from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund to cover convention costs is a fixed amount index to inflation, according to the FEC. The federal subsidies cover a smaller portion of the political convention costs. In 1980, the public subsidies paid for nearly 95 percent of the convention costs, according to the Congressional Sunset Caucus, whose goal is to uncover and eliminate government waste. By 2008, however, the Presidential Election Campaign Fund covered only 23 percent of the political convention costs. Taxpayer Contributions to Political Conventions Here is a list of how much each major party was given in taxpayer subsidies to hold their political conventions since 1976, according to FEC records: 2012 – $18,248,3002008 – $16,820,7602004 – $14,924,0002000 – $13,512,0001996 – $12,364,0001992 – $11,048,0001988 – $9,220,0001984 – $8,080,0001980 – $4,416,0001976 – $2,182,000 How the Money is Spent The money is used to pay for entertainment, catering, transportation, hotel costs, â€Å"production of candidate biographical films,† and a variety of other expenses. There are few rules on how money from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund is spent. Federal law places relatively few restrictions on how PECF convention funds are spent, as long as purchases are lawful and are used to defray expenses incurred with respect to a presidential nominating convention, the Congressional Research Service wrote in 2011. By accepting the money the parties do agree, however, to spending limits and the filing of public disclosure reports to the FEC. Spending Examples Here is some example of how money is spent by the Republican and Democratic parties on political conventions in 2008, according to Coburns office: Republican National Convention Committee: $2,313,750 – Payroll$885,279 – Lodging$679,110 – Catering$437,485 – Airfare$53,805 – Film production$13,864 – Banners$6,209 – Promotional items - gift bags$4,951 – Photography services$3,953 – Floral arrangement for convention$3,369 – Communications consultant Democratic National Convention Committee: $3,732,494 – Salaries$955,951 – Travel$942,629 – Catering$374,598 – Political consulting fees$288,561 – Production music$140,560 – Production: Podium$49,122 – Photography$14,494 – Gifts/trinkets$3,320 – Makeup artist consultant$2,500 – Entertainment Criticism of Political Convention Costs Several members of Congress including Coburn and U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican from Oklahoma, have introduced bills that would end taxpayer subsidies of political conventions. The major parties are more than capable of funding their own national conventions through private contributions, which already generate over three times the amount the federal grants provide for this purpose alone, the Sunset Caucus wrote in 2012. Others have pointed out what they call the hypocrisy in congressional criticism of the General Services Administration for spending $822,751 on a team building meeting in Las Vegas in 2012 and lack of scrutiny over political convention spending. In addition, many critics of taxpayer subsidies for political conventions say the events are unnecessary. Both parties chose their nominees in the primaries and caucuses—even the Republicans, whose party implemented a little-noticed change in the primary system that lengthened the amount of time it took the eventual nominee to secure the 1,144 delegates necessary for the nomination in 2012.