The Automobile and the Economy Essay -- Essays Papers

The Automobile and the Economy The effects the automobile has had on the economy of the world are tremendous. The major effects have came in many ways and include sales of the automobile, jobs provided to sell and manufacture the automobile, gas/oil sales to run the automobile, and the start of auto racing sport. The revolution of the automobile was the start of the most popular and successful industry in the world. The Effect of Gas/Oil There is a great effect on the economy due to the sale of gas. The major effect of how much gas is sold is how efficient the particular automobile uses gas and what automobile the people choose to buy. Since the start of production of the automobile fuel efficiency has steadily increased for the most part thanks to better engineers, tires, and laws that force better efficiency. First, The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 established C.A.F.E. (corporate average fuel economy) which was meant to steadily increase fuel efficiency in passenger cars every year (http//www.cnie.org/nle/air-10.html#summ) . The only problem was oil prices softened and the demand for small cars that were the most efficient diminished. As a result, the N.H.T.S.A (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) was forced to relax the standard of the model years 1986-1989. The standard for automobiles of today is 27.5 miles per gallon. In the 1990’s the United States had an increased urgency raise their standards as they were more dependent on importing oil instead of producing it. Currently, the Clinton Administration is going to great depths to try to increase fuel efficiency. Bill Cliton made a partnership with the domestic industry to develop a new... ...mobile Manufacturing Industries Act†. October 27 1996. Internet Explorer. Online. March 1 1998. http://www.japanauto.com/about/hjai_01.html â€Å"Auto Production to Expected 3 Million Next Year†. Short Takes. Internet Explorer. Online. September 17 1997. http//www.korta.co.kr/ki/issues/1997/11-12/short.html â€Å"Automobile Fuel Economy†. CRS Issue Brief for Congress. Internet Explorer. Online. October 8 1997. http//www.cnie.org/nle/air-10.html#summ â€Å"Do Automobile Fuel Economy Standards Work?†. Do Automobile Fuel Economy Standards Work?. December 10 1996. Internet Explorer. Online. March 10 1998. http//www.azfms.com/DocReviews/Dec96/art3.htm â€Å"How TV Wizardy Made Stock Car Racing the Hottest, Family-friendliest Sport Around†. Nascar Nation. December 11 1997. Internet Explorer. Online. March 11 1998. http://www.mci.newscorp.com/tv/magazine

Workplace Drug Screening Opinion Paper

Drug testing is a very sensitive issue to almost everyone. Its implications can be interpreted wrongly by some people. There are many ethical issues that should be considered before employees or workers undergo drug testing. â€Å"Recognizing that the situation differs in each country and each workplace, ethical issues are one of the most important concerns to be resolved before any testing is undertaken. Rights of workers to privacy and confidentiality, autonomy, fairness, and the integrity of their bodies must be respected, in harmony with national and international laws and jurisprudence, norms and values† (International Labour Office, 1993, p. 103). In California, the State Law regarding drug testing states that â€Å"employers of 25 or more must reasonably accommodate employee wishes to participate in a rehabilitation program, provided no undue hardship is created; the employee may not have to pay for preemployment or continuing employment exam; and the California Department of Health interprets the state's laboratory licensing law to prohibit any drug test not performed in a certified laboratory or by a licensed physician† (U. S. Department of Labor). Employers have different reasons to conduct drug testing including â€Å"preemployment detection of illicit drug use, determination of fitness to work, maintenance of workplace security, and confirmation of suspended illicit drug or alcohol use† (Sloboda & Bukoski, 2003, p. 201). Drug testing is as simple as it sounds. It uses different methods to determine if illegal drugs or alcohols are being abused by those tested. â€Å"The most common types of drug testing use Breathalyzers and laboratory studies of urine, blood, and hair specimens† (Hanson, Venturellli, & Fleckenstein, 2005, p. 12). Aside from these, some methods also make use of saliva and sweat. The most common drugs that are detected by drug tests include amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, and metamphetamines (Rodnay, Common Drugs That Are Detected Through Drug Testing). Many companies manufacture drug testing kits that are available for laboratories to use and check for the prese nce of drugs in people's body fluids. Because there are a lot of drug test kits in the market, it is important to determine the reliability of these kits. A lot of companies use drug screen tests, which are not reliable, yielding approximately 10 percent of false positive results (Lectric Law Library). These false positive results lead to problems mostly for the worker. The employee would face embarrassment, discrimination, and a permanent mark on his or her employment and personal records. This is the reason why it is very important to conduct confirmation tests on those who have tested positive in the initial screening. This is also the reason why employers should not readily judge those workers who have tested positive for drug screening. Discrimination, as to who should be tested or not, should not happen in the workplace. Also, it should not be assumed that a certain company or workplace does not have employees who use and abuse drugs because drug users can not be stereotyped. It is not limited to any gender, race, sex, or status. Individuals who are in the top position of a company is not different to a common worker in terms of drug use. Both persons abuse drugs and this will appear on their screening tests and their positions can not be detected by drug screening kits. Employers should conduct random drug tests that are truly random. In this way, the number or percentage of those using illicit drugs can be seen without judgment to others. This also ensures that all workers will have second thoughts on using drugs. Because of the increase in the number of people abusing illicit drugs over the years, drug screening in the workplace is important to employers. It provides them assurance that their employees are healthy and that they are able to perform their job well. Drug testing also assures employers and companies of security in the workplace. They are concerned of their businesses because when employees do not do their jobs and have poor performances, the whole company would suffer. Ultimately, both parties would lose: workers will be fired with permanent mark on his or her employment history and companies will lose money, especially when the number of employees who use drugs is large. To avoid these problems, people should take more preventive actions and cautions. Privacy is an important factor. Drug screening programs in the workplace is considered lawful only when the nature of the test and the procedures used respect the worker's rights (Howard-Martin, 2002). Employers should always respect the privacy of their workers. On the other hand, employees should respect their employees and their jobs. Using drugs, especially at the workplace, or coming to work under its influence is a sign that workers do not value their job and do not respect their employers and the people around them. When all ethical and legal issues are considered and taken care of, drug screening in the workplace will not become a problem for both parties involved. Indeed, dealing with drugs at work is not easy and very complicated. Not all situations are the same and not all laws can always be applied. Things are different with each company. As well, not all employees are the same. This is why it is never a good idea to discriminate. Although employers can find themselves with limited options when an employee is found to be using illicit drugs (About. om), some companies still take actions by providing assistance to their workers or letting their employees go. The importance of drug screening in the workplace can not be denied. It is always better to know that employees are capable of handling their work and performing well without causing trouble to the whole company or his or her coworkers. Drug screening, random or mandatory, at work may be one of the many ways to ensure that a company is d oing well and a safe and secured workplace environment can be given to the workers.

Euthanasia, And Physician Assisted Suicide - 863 Words

People have the freedom to make choices in life. However, the question posed is, do we have the freedom to choose death? Some say absolutely; we should have the freedom to decide how we spend our last days. If they’re filled with pain, debilitating, and cause hardship on loved ones, we should have the option to cease existence. Others take the view, we didn’t choose our birth, and therefore our death isn’t ours to choose. This causes debate on moral, ethical and legal grounds. This has led to defining the process under two separate terms for legal purposes. They are: euthanasia, and physician assisted suicide. Internationally, assisted suicide is a doctor prescribing drugs that end life. The patient is responsible for taking them. Euthanasia is the medication administered by doctors. Today, four countries have laws that allow euthanasia. (Ellis and Bronwyn) A few have laws for physician assisted suicide, and several countries have no laws against suici de. (Humphry) The United States of America have recently added a 5th state to offer assisted suicide. (California End of Life Option Act) We’ll dispense with the legal jargon for this essay, and define euthanasia as seeking outside assistance in taking one’s life. Euthanasia actively seeks an outside source to hasten the end of life when choosing to opt out of treatment, or where none is available. Hospice Palliative Care differs in the way that this organization provides comfort, care, and pain management whenShow MoreRelatedEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide865 Words   |  4 Pagessubject for people; add in the idea of assisted suicides and there’s an uproar in society. Euthanasia or physician assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in our society today. Physician assisted suicide by definition is â€Å"suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient’s intent (Merriam-Webster). There are two modes of looking at assisted suicides; either it’s seen as an absurd immoralRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide918 Words   |  4 Pagesallows terminally ill patients to end their lives with the assistance of a physician. According to the legislature, patients who seek assisted-death must only have six months to live and are required to submit a written request as well as two oral requests at least 15 days apart. (Reilly). While Gov. Jerry Brown still has yet to approve this new law, the act has shed light on the topic of euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide. With the pending status of the law, the question remains on whether or notRead MoreEuthanasia Or Physician Assisted Suicide961 Words   |  4 PagesEuthanasia or physician assisted suicide, is the painless killing of a patient, suffering from a painful or incurable disease, like cancer, or alzheimer s, the practice is illegal in most countries, including the United States, although in the United States, it is a state decision, the only state in the United States that it is legal in is Oregon. Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act in 1994, making euthanasia legal for chronically ill patients, the only caveat is that the doctor is allowedRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide And Euthanasia Essay1039 Words   |  5 PagesPhysician Assisted Suicide Is physician assisted suicide ethical? Physician assisted suicide is an up and coming ethical question that examines a person’s right to their own death. Many people support physician assisted suicide, citing that it can save a lot of pain and suffering. Others claim that the concept of physician assisted suicide is a slippery slope. A slippery slope in the sense that if society accepts euthanasia as a rightful death for the terminally ill, they will potentially acceptRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1629 Words   |  7 Pagesproblems, assisted suicide creates options to reduce the amount of suffering the patient must enduring. Dying with dignity could be beneficial for not only the person who is dying, but also the person’s family and loved ones. This option, however, is often viewed as unethical and immoral throughout society. Physician-assisted suicide offers an option for those with health issues but poses various ethical and social issues. Assisted death is practiced in two different ways: euthanasia and physician-assistedRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide And Euthanasia Essay1806 Words   |  8 PagesPuett WRIT 1401 12/06/16 Physician Assisted Suicide Beginning in the 1970s, terminally ill patients were given the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment to end their own life, a process commonly referred to as euthanasia. They would be taken off life support, and death would be allowed to take its natural course. This idea was controversial at first, but now a bigger issue has taken its place. Many patients claim that they reserve the right to physician assisted suicide—killing oneself with meansRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide997 Words   |  4 PagesEuthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: The Right to Die with Dignity (The Legalization, At Risk Groups, and Rebuttal) The possible legalization of voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide brings concerns in regards to how well it will be accepted. There are contradictions that exists between government and church when it comes to the morals and values placed on human life. Although, society has concerns in regards to at risk community groups and the type of treatment availableRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1504 Words   |  7 Pageslegalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, we would provide â€Å"vulnerable† patients with better overall protection and health care, give patients (who are excruciatingly suffering and have no chance of recovery) the option to end their lives before they ever needed to go through such an ordeal and giving them peace of mind, and spare the families of the patients the emotional pain of watching their loved one slowly and painfully passing away. For these reasons, I believe that euthanasia and Physician-AssistedRead More Euthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1249 Words   |  5 Pagesview euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide not as murder or suicide, but rather a release from the pain that holds down and a quicker, less painful way to get to the end that will happen anyways. Euthanasia is becoming much more of a hot topic in the news, both here at home in the US, as well as on the global stage with the new Prime Minister of Canada pushing for a law that would allow nationwide physician assisted death. As of now only a few states have legalized physician-assisted suicideRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide Or Euthanasia1597 Words   |  7 PagesPhysician assisted suicide or euthanasia should be a right granted to all citizens who are suffering from a degenerative, painful, or fatal condition that would cause them to be unable to enjoy their lives as healthy people do. The right to die with dignity is a fundamental issue that is debated in the spiritual side of everyone. Some of us may have known someone close to them who has seen or gone through an ordeal as watching someone take their last breath. No one should suffer in pain or have their