The Foundation of a Strong and Healthy Rural Society in the UK - Case Study Example

Department of Food Environment and Rural Affairs: The Foundation of A Strong and Healthy Rural Society in the United Kingdom ofInstitution Date of Submission Department of Food Environment and Rural Affairs: The Foundation of A Strong and Healthy Rural Society in the United Kingdom Introduction As a government organization, DEFRA is mainly expected to create possible options to do their duties towards the human society. It could be observed that system of operation of the said department functions in three different branches of responsibility. One is concerned in keeping the UK society well fed and well nourished through the food that are produced and made available in the market; another is that of the taking care of the environment, which includes wildlife or the endangered species found within the territories of UK and that of the physical environment of UK itself; lastly, the department also handles different responsibilities with regards ensuring that the development of the modern societies coincide with the aims of the department to keep close track on how the said developments are affecting the environment. In this paper, the different issues that the said organization deals with shall be considerably discussed. How the department operates and how well are they doing their job for the sake of the betterment of the society that they are serving are the primary features of the organization that shall be handled within this study. About DEFRA UK DEFRA is a UK-based government branch that actually handles the balance between human and social development as well as that of ways by which the said advancements affect the environment. It is the organization’s primary aim to make sure that the environment is not drastically changed with all the implemented changes that humans apply towards the surface of the earth. Why the need for such organization? Reasons for the Establishment of the Organization (a) Globalization and Pollution Globalization procedures are certainly among the most recent procedures classified by economists as the present society’s answer to the unstable situations in the global economy. The industrialization of most of the sources of profit in the world has naturally resulted to faster procedures by which the economic system of the entire human society progresses towards rapid advancements. Obviously, the reason of the human governments for pursuing globalization is for pure progress and positive outcomes for the entire human civilization. However, although the missions are purely positive, it could be noted that the results of the said movement towards economic progress have not resulted to complete social progress at all sorts of sectors within the human community. Yes, transportation processes have been eased, however, the consequences were tight. Unfortunately, because of the aim of the human society to progress continuously in terms of economic stability, the industrialization of several countries has resulted to poor environmental situations. As for a fact, pollutions have flooded the streets of the most develop areas of the globe that most of their people are the ones particularly targeted by airborne illnesses such as lung cancer and weak breathing. These illnesses are indeed further aggravated by the situation of the air within the areas of the most advanced industrial countries in the world. Air pollution particularly pertains to the mixing of gaseous particles with the air. Transportation vehicles naturally make use of carbon and gas to be able to produce energy that is suitable for transporting procedures. Everyday, there are at least 56% of the whole population of the world who take advantage of using several public utility vehicles to get to work, to school or to any place that they ought to be, while there are at least 44% of the population relying on private vehicles to get to their appointments. All these particular vehicles make use of fuel and thus contribute to the aggravating situation of air pollution. According to the Foundation for the Clean Air Progress, there are at least 12 facts regarding air pollution that needs to be considered in discussing this particular matter: 1. Air Pollution Fact #1: Since 1970, Americans have cut releases of air pollutants by more than 50 million tons. If you put that many tons into dump trucks lined up bumper to bumper, they would stretch from Baltimore to Dallas the long way -- around the world! 2. Air Pollution Fact #2: It would take 20 of todays new cars to generate the same amount of air pollution as one mid-1960s model car. In another 10 years, thanks to new automotive and fuel technologies, it will take 33 cars to produce the air pollution emissions of one mid-1960s model. 3. Air Pollution Fact #3: Compared with just 10 years ago, Americas largest cities are recording dramatically fewer days on which air pollution exceeds federal standards. 4. Air Pollution Fact #4: One major air pollutant, lead, is nearly gone from our air. Since the mid-1970s, levels of airborne lead are down 96 percent. Despite these facts, theres still room for improvement. Everyone can help make a difference in this effort. 5. Air Pollution Fact #5: Reducing the use of the air conditioner in your car will youll continue to reduce the air pollution you create. 6. Air Pollution Fact #6: It would take 20 of today’s new cars to generate the same amount of pollution as one mid-1960s model car. In another 10 years, thanks to new automotive and fuel technologies, it will take 33 cars to produce the emissions of one mid-1960s model. As the American Automobile Association (AAA) has reported, in many of our major cities, cars and light trucks are no longer the primary or even secondary cause of summertime ozone ‘smog.’ 7. Air Pollution Fact #7: Added weight makes your cars engine run less efficiently, increasing air pollution. 8. Air Pollution Fact #8: On average, the number of exceedance days of air pollution monitored in the Los Angeles-Long Beach metro area declined by 7.3 days per year between 1980 and 1999. 9. Air Pollution Fact #9: US EPA ozone exceedance data indicates that, on average, the number of exceedance days monitored in the US declined by 5.5 days per year between 1980 and 1999. 10. Air Pollution Fact #10: Between 1980 and 1999, a 43 percent reduction in the three-year average number of air pollution exceedance days was observed. 11. Air Pollution Fact #11: A reduction of 93.7 exceedance days (over a quarter of a year), from an average of 218.0 days in 1980-1982 to an average of 124.3 days in 1997-1999 12. Air Pollution Fact #12: In the 1950s, smog levels in Southern California were worse than they are today in Mexico City, where current US standards for smog are violated every day of the year. (Source: Air Pollution Facts. http://www.cleanairprogress.org/clean-air-pollution/air-pollution-facts.asp. (November 27, 2008) Taking the said facts into consideration, it could be concluded that the situation is indeed serious. To have a closer look on how air pollution directly affects the human society, particularly the industrialized countries of the world, a discussion on the situation of London regarding the said issue shall be examined within the paragraphs that follow. LONDON According to reports, London is known to be the primary city that holds much of the most industrialized sectors of England. Consequently, the said industrialization pays much in terms of development issues. Among these results, the dreadful situation occurs. London is also now known as the most polluted city within the said country. The continuous demands on owning private vehicles for transport continue to increase especially on the grounds of keeping up with the time pressures of the corporate world. More and more civilians of the said country are encouraged to purchase their own transport. As immigration increases, the population increases as well. Hence, the need for transportation usually triples every year. As a result, air pollution brings about the possibility of the airborne disease existence. It could be noted that as the major reports on air pollution increases, the report on patients dealing with lung cancer, asthma, and other breathing difficulties. The hospitals and clinics of London are flooded with different patients having different cases of airborne diseases that they need to deal with. This particular situation in London air also contributes to ozone depletion. In return, the said situation affects the skin health of the people. The more the society gets involved with the modern innovations of transportation in London, the more aggravated the situation becomes. This air situation does not only affect the environment itself but it also affects the whole society of humankind particularly their health and their daily activities. Solutions The application of the diffusion tube addition on the vehicular features makes the emission of gas reduced., hence reducing the release of carbon in the air. In addition to this, the creation of programs in dealing with the major problems of the traffic and air pollution in London started in February 2003. The World Clean Air and Environmental Protection movement primarily aims to assist the city in facing the challenges that they have to deal with in connection with the aggravation of the air pollution situation in London. The implication of the congestion charging among drivers who drive along the 8-mile central area in London involves the continuous traffic control within the most populated areas of the city. The results were clear and the Environmental Research Group in Kingston University claims the following results: Traffic reductions and changes in fleet composition in London have exceeded expectations, says Sean Beevers, a modeler in the Environmental Research Group at King’s College London. For the past 10 years, Beevers and his colleagues have been taking air measurements and modeling air quality around the city with the London Air Quality Network, a series of monitoring stations. Car and heavy-truck traffic in the area decreased by 30 and 11%, respectively, whereas bus and taxi traffic increased by 20 and 13%, respectively. Average car speeds were improved by 20%. (Source: Easing Traffic and Air Pollution in London. http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/feature_pol.html?id=c373e9ff775b76088f6a17245d830100). Indeed, the persuasive application of the said procedure of reducing traffic within the major busy areas of London has been progressively gaining fine reputation within the civilians of the said city. This is the particular reason why the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone pursued to continue the application of the said practice among drivers in the city. He then expects better results from the said program in the coming years. (b) The Need to Implement Environment Restoration Procedures DEFRA supports the different programs that are aiming to support the process of restoring the human environment in its original state that would e able to support the needs of the generations of humans who are to follow through. IN preparation of the years to come, DEFRA protects the world from being completely devastated from all the effects of human developments. As noted above, the projects aiming to reduce air pollution in UK’s highly developed territories such as that of London are highly supported by the department. Likely, it could be considered that such movements are aimed to set a considerable balance between the development of human society with relation to the developments and sustenance the environment needs to be protected along with the said movements. DEFRA then enforces the need to imply recycling activities which they know are sure to affect the entire society’s campaign for environmental protection. Most often than not, these movements are focused on the fact that there is a grave need to restore everything in the environment so as to ensure the human society of a more sustaining environment towards the future. Certainly, it is through this particular fact that DEFRA defines its existence in the UK society. DEFRA and Civil Engineering Operations As per noted in the discussions herein DEFRA remains as a much influential organization within the UK industry. Likely, the construction of buildings as well as several transport infrastructures within the territories of UK shall be considerably observed closely through the permission of DEFRA with regards the said operations. Hence, for the engineers to be able to come with the necessary approaches needed to get the said permission of operation, they must be able to see the different implications of their project to the environment that they are to affect in the said constructions. Observing environmental concerns for the betterment of the society along with the aims of bettering the lifestyle of the human society is then observed by this department as a primary concern that professionals such as Civil Engineers should consider in proposing for the projects that they are supposed to apply in the society for the sake of improvement. Final Assessments of the Organization From the discussions presented above, it could be noted that the role of DEFRA in the process of assisting in the balanced development of the society is indeed vital. Considering that UK holds a number of the most developed cities in the world, the need to continuously progress industrially is inevitable. However, along with that inevitable change is the fact that people [especially those who are involved in the implementation of change such as that of the civil engineers] should know how to deal with the necessary measures of balance that should be considered in implementing industrial changes within the human society. With DEFRA in constant alert and essential watch on the said procedures that social developers take, it could be ensured that the developments in the territories of UK are sure to take a balanced step assuring that the environment is still well protected while the essential factors of social development and human satisfaction is given careful attention. Conclusion Government departments such as DEFRA are all aimed to be focused on different issues that the society they are serving are most concerned with. Through the examination of operations noted in this discussion, it could be agreed upon that the role of DEFRA in the UK society is indeed vital. True, human advancement seen through social improvements such as the rise of huge buildings, the creation of transport infrastructures, the instant application of industrial advancements within the territories of human living, are all inevitable. However, it is through the existence of government institutions such as that of DEFRA that the said improvements in the society are most watched and well assessed so as to assure that they would not hurt the environment badly; something that is not only of best resort for the present time being, but also for the sake of future environmental protection. Through cooperating with organizations such as DEFRA, people around the world could help in assisting in the process of world restoration so as to assure the future human generations of a better life and a better source of health through an environment that is well-cared for. References: Air Pollution Facts. http://www.cleanairprogress.org/clean-air-pollution/air-pollution-facts.asp. (November 27, 2008). Easing Traffic and Air Pollution in London. http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/feature_pol.html?id=c373e9ff775b76088f6a17245d830100). (November 27, 2008). DEFRA (Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. http://www.defra.gov.uk/. (November 27, 2008) Joseph E. Stiglitz. (2003). Globalization and Its Discontents. W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition. Howard R Lewis. (1970). With every breath you take;: The poisons of air pollution, how they are injuring our health, and what we must do about them. Crown Publishing. Elbert Friday. (1999). Global monitoring of air pollution. Crown Publishing. Read More