Computer Security Information Risk Assessment & Security Management Essay

Computer Security Information Risk Assessment & Security Management - Essay Example Before computers became ubiquitous, confidential information was stored in documents, photographs, audio or video tapes, etc. The confidentiality was ensured by keeping these items in locked safes, bank vaults, dual control safes, etc. This is prevalent to some extent even today. With Computers becoming ubiquitous, documents are now largely electronic. To preserve their integrity and confidentiality, recourse is made to password protection, data encryption, firewalls, intrusion detection software, etc. (Parker. B, Donn. Microsoft Encarta, n. d.) This is the age of the World Wide Web. Nowadays, almost every person having a vehicle loan, a housing loan, a credit or debit card, and automated teller machine card, a social security number, a passport, a driving license, a telephone connection, etc, has to provide detailed personal information to the agency or authority, which provides that particular facility or service. Most if not all such information is in electronic form and stored in some centralized Computer's Database. The crux of the problem is this electronic form of personal data. If a hacker succeeds in his hacking attempt then all such confidential data can be viewed, changed or destroyed by the hacker. There exist a vast number of such co... software such as automatic computer virus generators, internet eavesdropping sniffers, password guessers, vulnerability testers and computer service saturators to further their criminal ends. Adoption of such methods makes identity theft, fraudulent withdrawals from a bank account, fraudulent electronic funds transfer, etc, possible. A vast amount of confidential data is regularly exchanged between governmental agencies and financial institutions like banks and other corporations. This transfer of information usually takes place between computers located in different and far off places. In the 1970's Horst Fiestel of IBM, developed an encryption system known as Lucifer. In 1977, the U.S National Bureau of Standards developed an encryption standard known as the Data Encryption Standard. In 1997, the NIST developed the Advanced Encryption Standard. The use of these methods makes the encrypted message almost impossible to decipher. Unfortunately, this is used by terrorists and international criminals to plan and execute their nefarious activities. (Sutton. G, William, Rubin .D, Aviel, Microsoft Encarta, n. d.) The world is becoming increasingly networked. In this scenario, data encryption algorithms of increasing complexity are ensuring the secure transmission of information across Computer Networks. Password protected logins, firewalls, anti - spy ware like intrusion detection systems, anti - virus, application safeguards like generation of checksums, use of maker checker concept in financial transactions, authentication message source, use of roles and privileges, limit on transaction amount, redundancy of backups, parallel databases and the physical security of hardware. In addition to this, a mock disaster recovery drill should be conducted on a regular

MIH512-Demography and Health (Module 2-CBT) Essay

MIH512-Demography and Health (Module 2-CBT) - Essay Example The reliability of the data presented is excellent because the U.S. census bureau administers the site. Another good site is found at the University of Virginia. The URL for the site is http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/. The name is referred to as the Historical Census Browser. Data for each census from 1790 to 1960 is available. This resource is outstanding because the data is organized neatly in charts and graphs. There also is a function called â€Å"MapIt† that will create a chloropleth map for any data set. The data would be very accurate because the University of Virginia is a well-respected institution of higher education. Poor information would lessen their academic standing. A third site with census data is the Tiger mapping service of the U.S. census bureau. The URL is http://tiger.census.gov/. This information is excellent but the maps are difficult to produce. The service is slow and the maps do not offer much flexibility as far as manipulating data and copying. The information is dependable because it comes from the U.S. census bureau. A great site for gathering census data on the country of Brazil is found at URL http://www.ibge.gov.br/english/. The IBGE is the Brazilian equivalent of the U.S. census bureau. It differs in that this agency seems much more concerned with gathering statistical data on agricultural and geographical data and not just population data. The site has an official feel to it and it is obviously administered by a governmental agency. The major drawback is some of the reports and statistics are not presented in English. The home page has an English option, but other parts of the site are not yet translated. A second site that gives census statistics for foreign trade is the U.S. census bureau at URL http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c3510.html. Though this census information is specific to foreign trade with the U.S. it still is a good,

Thin Blue Line Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thin Blue Line - Research Paper Example Adams had been in jail for seven years following his conviction for shooting Robert Woods, a police officer in Dallas, to death. Although the sentence had been commuted by the time of the interviews, Adams was still in prison and still maintained that he was not guilty of the murder. After Morris started researching Adam’s case, he was soon convinced that he was innocent and that it was clear who was responsible for the murder (Lankford 1). He, thus, turned his documentary efforts to building Adam’s innocence case. The Thin Blue Line was the result of these investigations, and it soon became a standard for investigative documentaries. It became a triumph of execution, more interesting than exploration of crime and consequence, and it has been influential on fiction and documentary films since. The Thin Blue Line by Errol Morris does not seek to tell the story of an investigation into a murder but is a murder investigation, which set investigative documentary standards. Morris captures the attention of the audience by making the documentary as a considered defense through interviews with both Randall Adams and the key witness in his case, David Harris (Bellizzi 1). He manipulates the Harris interviews to show that he is the only person who could have killed the Dallas police officer. Morris, throughout his entire documentary, reveals clues by letting the witnesses, judges, police, and criminals talk on and on. By doing this, Morris places the audience in the world of Harris, Adams, and the justice system of a little town in Texas. It seems as if Morris edited various scenes, as well as interviews, to show the story, as he wanted; which was that Harris was the guilty one and that Adams was not. He allows the story’s arc to move forward by using the interviews, whereas also, at the same time, examining some residents of the Texan town. This documentary differed from other documentaries at the time because it showed various viewpoints. Yet, eve n with these multiple viewpoints, Morris uses particular footage, and evidence, leading the audience on to a specific conclusion (Bellizzi 1). The Thin Blue Line has a basic construction that was deceptively conventional, specifically looking back to how profound its influence has been on subsequent documentaries (Bellizzi 1). Morris weaves three basic strands together, which widely increased the standards of documentary making. Firstly, those participating in the documentary to the cameras give the narrative’s core. These people in the documentary include the judge from the first trial, Adam’s lawyer, various eyewitnesses in the shooting, police members who investigated the case, the key prosecution witness David Harris, and Randall Adams. Secondly, the documentary pioneered the use of real and documentary evidence, including line-up photos and mug shots, court reporter illustrations, reports from newspapers, and diagrams and photos from the crime scene (Bellizzi 1). The documentary also had an influence on staged re-enactments in subsequent investigative documentaries. The filmmaker utilizes re-enactments in order to highlight the vital parts of his interviews, as well as important facts, to show the audience what he considered as being important to the inference chain (Rivera 1). In a particular scene, he reenacts Turko getting out of a police car, whereas throwing away his milkshake. The reason he reenacted the scene was that it showed the discrepancies that existed

Rights Under the Employment Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rights Under the Employment Law - Case Study Example In addition to a decrease in sales work on the road, Andy was told he must take a course in electronics in order to make after-sales repairs. His hours were increased: he would no longer have a half day on Fridays and would be on call one weekend in six. Andy wants to know if he must agree to the changes made by his employer. He has been with the company for two and a half years. Several issues have been presented here, but it would be necessary to know what Andy's terms of employment were when he took this job. Because of the length of his employment, he does have specific options. Will these changes affect his salary Is he on commission only What financial losses will he incur with these changes Will the company pay for his electronics course Is he willing to increase his knowledge in the area of electronics The answers to these questions will begin to determine whether the changes would be mandatory or might be adjusted in Andy's favor. As soon as an employee accepts a job offer, he is considered under contract, even if he has no written contract (Advice Leaflet 2005; "Contracts of employment," DTI, 2005). Terms of employment, however, can be changed by mutual agreement. The terms under a contract of employment that might be affected by changes in Andy's case are pay, hours of work, fringe benefits, and job duties and responsibilities ("Changes to employment contracts," 2004). Andy and his employer might be able to agree on a compromise. If there is a written statement in the form of an employee handbook that describes his duties and responsibilities as they existed when he was hired, it might help Andy's case (Rights at work, 2005). When an employer makes any changes to Andy's duties and responsibilities, the employer must give him a written statement, not just verbal, within a month, stating planned changes to his original duties (Advice Leaflet 2004). In the case where Secure It gives Andy no option but to accept the changes, he can object and end his employment which is called "constructive dismissal". He would then have the right to make an employment tribunal complaint which would give him the same rights as if his employer had dismissed him (Contracts of Employment 2005, DTI, sec. 8). This would not have to be done if Andy was willing to accept some changes and make an effort to reach a compromise with his employer. Breach of Contract Since Andy does not expect any compromise from his employer, he would like to know what his next step should be. He says he thinks his employer wants him to leave the firm. Andy said he was told by his employer that he had better be good at electronics because his sales figures showed what a rubbish salesman he was. Andy would prefer to leave the company and wants to set up a rival security firm with his friend Lou. He wants to know if he can do that since there is no actual written contract. Advice Andy should understand that he can start planning a rival company, but until his issues with the company are resolved, he cannot do anything about it. As noted before, he is under contract even if it is not in writing. The question here would be does he want to leave, or would it be possible for him to accept changes through mutual

Eating disorder in adolescent Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Eating disorder in adolescent - Research Paper Example Eating disorders tend to develop during adolescence and are much more common to girls and women, where the causes of these disorders are related to psychological and medical issues such as low self esteem, depression, anxiety, trouble coping with emotions and substance abuse. Additionally, eating disorders start by eating less or more than the usual, where the behaviour goes out of control and gets taken over by the person’s life. Smolack and Thompson (32) argue that although the symptoms of eating disorders are known to originate primarily in adolescence, most studies have revealed that these disorders emerge due to lack of solid knowledge on how to eat well and live healthy. Obesity in adolescents has now become a very serious matter, leading to health risks such as hypertension, respiratory problems, mellitus and orthopaedic disorders (Cooper and Stein 76). Matsumoto and Herrin (32), discuses the three types of eating disorders Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge eating disorders , where Anorexia is a condition where an adolescent refuses to eat adequate calories out of an intensive and irrational fear of becoming fat and this condition has greatly risen in the past years among these adolescents. Few cases of Anorexia lead to recovery since some experience alternative bouts of weight gain and weight loss and through this conditions tend to emerge as a result of treatment such as depression and low self esteem among the adolescents. Anorexia has been known to increase risks of deaths among these adolescents and they come as a result of starvation, suicide, and severe low levels of potassium, (Matsumoto and Herrin 33). Anorexia is better when discovered and treated in early stages, since it prevents against mortality among the adolescents. Effective treatments for disorders in eating have been availed to, because Anorexic

Management in early years Essay Example for Free

Management in early years Essay For the purpose of this work I will focus my attention on management and leadership skills, that any good early years practitioner should possess in order to organise/hold the event of parents evening. Working in partnership with parents Constructive working relationships between teachers and parents can enhance adults knowledge and understanding of children and children’s learning opportunities, and so contribute to children’s learning and wellbeing at home and in the setting. Children who see their parents working closely together with their teachers â€Å"gain a sense of continuity and of being cared for† and experience a â€Å"trusting and secure environment in which they can learn and grow† (Whalley the Pen Green Centre Team, 2001). Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological model of human development offers a theoretical rationale for teachers and parents working in close collaboration. Inclusion†¦.. Purpose and outcome Early childhood practitioners are often reluctant to see themselves as leaders and managers. However, all those who work with young children and their families, whatever their level of experience and competence, have to undertake both of these roles on a daily basis. Parents evening is the perfect example of these two roles â€Å"played† by the same person. This is one of the best opportunities I have as practitioner in building relations with the parents. Why? Because if the parents are in agreement with my methods of practice/teaching, I’ve brought learning home. Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years (Siraj-Blatchford, Sylva, Muttock, Gilden, Bell, 2002), found that children’s cognitive attainment benefited when parents were involved in children’s learning activities at home. Again the reformed EYFS(2012) has set out to raise the bar of just how influential parents’ role is in their child’s learning and development. Effective leaders will respond to this by reviewing their setting’s work with families to ensure strong engagement. The above ideas has been the foundation of organizing my first parents evening at my new setting. Although the event took place in September( next one due in June), the time coincide with the new EYFS coming into place and myself starting my new job at University of Warwick Nursery about the same time. Although I am a confident person, the likes of starting a new job, new EYFS coming into place, key children/families( of whom 4 out of 5had English as a second language, with very little or no knowledge of what EYFS is or how the nurseries are operating in UK), made me a bit anxious. I had to find a strategy which allowed me to be efficient, sounded knowledgeable and be professional. Having the liberty from the setting manger to conduct my parents evening, into whatever manner suits me and the families involved, the key for me at that particular time was called ORGANIZED. Before holding meeting with parents, any practitioner would consider what purpose it will serve and what will be the most effective method of achieving your goals. Good communication must have a clear purpose. †¢give information †¢consult †¢generate ideas †¢gather information †¢educate/help Parent and key worker meetings Early years settings tend to organise parent and key worker meetings on a regular basis and in a more structured way. Again, the timing of these meetings will depend on the parents daily routines and commitments, and the staff team will have to be flexible when arranging them. I have tried to be responsive to the needs of all individuals when arranging the timing for meetings. Because of the issue of confidentiality and because for most of the families English is a second language, I decided to have meetings with each family, rather than a group meeting. A little office was made available for the times booked and had a presentation running in the background ( appeals to all learning styles) for extra visual information; the main purpose was it introduce the EYFS, areas of learning, activities(see if any disagreement towards celebrations, messy play,etc) and how can be extended at home. See appendix Again, careful thought needs was given to †¢objectives (why) †¢audience (who) †¢content (what) †¢timing (when) environment (where). From my experience, these meetings offer an opportunity for the practitioner and parents to gather information, share their observations and to consider the implications of these in terms of planning for the childs learning. They are conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and practitioners should act as genuine listeners, responding to what they hear from the parent and not allowing discussions to be driven by a pre-set agenda based on what has been observed in the nursery. I am trying to use a business technique called the praise praise sandwich. Start with something positive about the child, ask parents of any weak points/areas for improvement , we discuss around this and get an agreement of how together we can help the child move forward and generally improve. Finally I summarise our agreement, and finish with a reminder of their positive. Although we are gathering lots of written and recorded evidence for the child`s learning, is right to say that in Early Years , 50% of the information is mentally recorded by the key worker; and this extra information I found to be really appreciated by parents/families as a prove of knowing/understanding that particular child. During individual meetings with parents, time is set aside for looking at the implications of observations from home and nursery. Planning together for childrens learning will result in a more holistic approach, an enhanced curriculum and continuity for the children. There are opportunities to look at the childs learning journeys and to talk about appropriate provision and support for the childs developmental stage. Where a pattern of behaviour or personal learning interest has been identified, the key worker and parent are discussing experiences that could be offered at home and in the nursery in the hope that they would engage the child and further extend learning. We also share with the parents information about the Foundation Stage curriculum and about young children as learners. explain how the setting plans and assesses a childs learning within the six areas of learning discuss the importance of the learning process emphasise the importance of child-initiated learning talk about schemas discus appropriate expectations and contexts for learning. It is common sense that practitioners should have confidence in their presentation skills and their knowledge of child development and early learning. When English is a second language Parents evening is also an excellent time for the child’s key person to discuss the child’s level and understanding of English, the use of their home language at nursery and the use of English at home. During this time the key person may have some questions on how the child is progressing at home. These can be important as if the child is using little or no English at the setting it is harder to know their level of development. I believe that good relationships with parents helps to aid our knowledge of the child and so provide them with the best possible care and education. To support inclusion and make each child feel valued, I initiated a little project. In the classroom we have got a board on which we have a data base of common words used in all the languages our children are speaking at home. We asked the parents for any words that they feel the child and key person may need while at nursery. This gives the key person some simple understanding and being more aware if the child is asking for something or trying to explain something. This also helps the key person to build a relationship with the child. It has proven to be a success and now it has been extended to all the classrooms. In the United Kingdom, the Pen Green Centre for Under Fives and their Families is well known for its work in involving families in children’s learning, as well as for parents being supported themselves. Pen Green tries to follow a process: whereby all the important adults in a child’s life give each other feedback on what seems to be centrally important to the child, and how and what they are learning in the home and in the nursery (Whalley and the Pen Green Centre Team, 2001). In this way, children are offered a challenging and stimulating environment in both settings that draws on each party’s understanding and scrutiny. Conclusion I believe that I have used my management skills to the best of my abilities and knowledge and it would only be honest to say that, ideas shared with my community of learners (our students group from college) have been put into practice; parents feedback is encouraging . All of them admitted to recognize their own child`s personality, routines, likes/dislikes from everything I have said about each individua. Maybe next time I should try to manage my time a

The Rise Of Green Vehicles Marketing Essay

The Rise Of Green Vehicles Marketing Essay Introduction A green vehicle is a motor vehicle that has less dangerous and less deadly effects to the environment than any regular gasoline or diesel powered vehicles. The major inspiration of the development of alternative fuels and green engineering are to reduce the harmful environmental impacts and to create the mentality of reducing dependency to oil. Based on what customers majority demand in automobile industry: low fuel consumption, low cost, low noise pollution, state-of-the-art technology, and environmentally friendly, manufactures are significantly are transforming their technology to the green vehicle technology. Green vehicles are powered by alternative fuels and include hybrids, electric cars, ethanol, hydrogen cars, natural gas, plug-in hybrids, biodiesel, and air powered vehicles. Latest trend of the green vehicles popularity was significantly caused by the rise of oil prices. People are trying to find other ways to save their money from purchasing gas for their gas/diesel powere d cars. Tax saving also contributes to the rise of green vehicles popularity in various countries such as United States and European Union. According to IRS website, The Energy Policy Act of 2005 replaced the clean-fuel burning deduction with a tax credit. A tax credit is subtracted directly from the total amount of federal tax owed, thus reducing or even eliminating the taxpayers tax obligation. The tax credit for hybrid vehicles applies to vehicles purchased or placed in service on or after January 1, 2006 (www.irs.gov). This paper will answer several questions that people might be curios about. First, I will discuss the causes of the booming market of green vehicles in the last decade. Secondly, I will discuss the controversies of GMs electric vehicle EV1 and its relation to the conspiracy theories with Oil Company. Background As mentioned before, green vehicles include hybrids, electric cars, ethanol, hydrogen cars, natural gas, plug-in hybrids, biodiesel, and air powered vehicles. Hybrids combine two or more different propulsion systems, typically a gasoline engine and one or more electric drive motors. Most hybrids on the road today compliment their gas engines by charging a battery when breaking. Engines running on diesel or other alternative fuels can also be used in hybrids. A hybrid drive is fully scalable, which means the drive can be used to power everything from small commuter cars to large buses and even locomotives. Hybrids get more MPG or miles per gallon than most non-hybrids, and usually have very low tailpipe emissions (greencar.com). Electric cars produce zero localized emissions since theyre propelled by electric motors that run on batteries charged at home, or special electric vehicle charging stations. Electric cars are extremely efficient and run for pennies per mile, much cheaper than any other alternative fuel. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. As a fuel, ethanol can be used in more than 30 flex fuel vehicle models that have been designed to run on alcohol, gasoline, or any combination of the two fuels from the same tank. Most ethanol today is produced from corn or sugar cane, although this will change as cheaper cellulosic ethanol made from fast growing woody grasses and other biomass becomes a reality. Hydrogen cars perhaps the cleanest of all alternative fuels, burning with nearly zero emissions in an internal combustion engine and with emissions of only water vapor and heat in an electro-mechanical fuel cell. Natural gas, the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, is being used by an increasing number of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles like refuse trucks and delivery vans. Natural gas is stored and used in its liquefied or compressed states. It is most commonly abbreviated as LNG for Liquefied Natural Gas, a nd CNG for Compressed Natural Gas. While a variety of light-duty natural gas cars were once available, the only factory-produced natural gas car made today in the U.S. is Hondas Civic GX. Plug-in hybrids boast great potential for improving fuel economy. Plug in hybrid technology allows gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles to be recharged from the grid and run many miles on battery power alone. A gas engine provides additional driving range as needed after the battery power is gone. Plug in hybrids may never need to run on anything but electricity for shorter commutes. The combination of gas and electric driving technologies can already achieve up to 150 mpg. Biodiesel is a renewable alternative fuel made from various sources ranging from waste vegetable oil to soybeans. It can often be used seamlessly in diesel engines of all kinds. Biodiesel is a cleaner fuel than standard petroleum diesel. Since it can be produced locally, biodiesel has the potential to decrease our dependence on for eign countries for oil, and enhance local economies where biodiesel production is taking place. Air powered cars are relatively new to the green car scene. Compressed air is currently being explored as a viable alternative fuel to efficiently power car engines with little or no environmental impact (greencar.com). Going back to the history of green vehicles, they have been around for around almost 120 years. Jake Richardson in his article 9 Electric Cars 100 Years Old or More explains that the first green vehicle ever made was 1891 Morison. Made by William Morrison in 1891, some say the Morrison was the first electric vehicle in America. It  had a four horsepower engine, and could  carry 6-12 passengers. Top speed was about 20 mph. The batteries needed to be recharged every 50 miles. It has been said the car was actually completed in 1887 and was driven in a Des Moines parade in 1888. If that is true, the Morrison was first built 122 years ago, and it was built in America, where today they are  almost no electric cars on the roads. Next is electrobat, produced from 1894-1899.   Electrobats were made for several years in Philadelphia. The first ones were very heavy and used steel  tires to support a large lead battery. They employed twin 1.5 hp motors and  had a top speed of 20 mph. They could go 25 miles on one charge. Next is the 1900 Riker. Riker is a bulky enclosed cabin four passenger sedan that was made about the turn of the century; the Riker featured electric side lamps, wooden-spoked wheels, and a voice tube so passengers could communicate with the driver. Cabin windows could be raised and lowered. 48 battery cells were onboard, with an electric engine near each rear wheel.  The drivers seat was about 6-7 feet in the air.   Next is 1901 Riker torpedo. Andrew Riker, the founder of Riker Electric Vehicles, made the Torpedo in 1901 to be the fastest car on the road. Next is the 1902 Studebaker, 1906 Krieger, 1909 Babcock, and 1909 Bailey (http://gas2.org). It hasnt been seriously developed until the 1973 when the oil crisis strikes. Paul Lucas in his article The History of Green Motoring explains that in the 1980s, attempts to develop the green car concept reached new heights. In Switzerland for example, there was an annual race for solar-powered veh icles called the Tour de Sol. This ran from 1985-1995. In 1991, BMW created a pair of battery powered E1 concepts that failed to get past the concept stage. In the same year, the Citroen Citela was born with a range of 130 miles and top speeds of 70mph. GM also introduced its first purpose-built electric vehicle, the EV1, from 1996-1999. Since the turn of the millennium the concept of green cars has expanded at a phenomenal rate. This is because of the contribution of the expansion of hybrid cars, which effectively plug the gap between electric cars and conventional vehicles. Popular models include the Toyota Camry, which was once acclaimed as the top-selling passenger vehicle in America, and the Toyota Prius which in 2007 was the number-one selling hybrid vehicle worldwide. The concept has even been introduced into larger vehicles such as the Lexus RX400h, an off-roader. The Volkswagen BlueMotion Polo, which became available in 2007, cut CO2 emissions even further. Hydrogen fuelled cars arrived in 2006 through the BMW 7 Series, while the Ford Airstream was introduced in 2007 with a lithium battery that was topped up by a hydrogen fuel cell (www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk). Major Reasons So, what exactly encouraged the rise of green vehicle popularity? One of the major contributors to the popularity of green vehicle is the increase of oil prices all over the world. The advancement of technology is causing the green vehicles to consume less gas. Ricky Lim in his article 3 Advantages Of Hybrid Cars Over Conventional Cars explains that Combining the cleaner energy of an electric motor with the long range capacity of a gasoline engine allows a hybrid car to save as much as 30 miles a gallon (http://ezinearticles.com. One of the technologies of hybrid cars is that they will only use the gasoline engine during constant speed such as highways speed. During the stop and go traffic, the electric engine will be functioned thats resulting in saving fuel. People always wonder on why hybrids cars are extremely quiet during idle. It is because the gasoline engine is turned off. The electric engine doesnt produce any noise at all. Here are the data of gas consumption on some of the hybrid cars: Ford Escape 31.9 mpg; Honda Accord 29.4 mpg; Honda Civic 46.2 mpg; Honda Insight 55.3 mpg; Lexus GS 450H 23.5 mpg; Lexus RX 400H 25.3 mpg; Mercury Mariner 29.5 mpg; Nissan Altima 34.3 mpg; Saturn Vue 25.9 mpg; Toyota Camry 36.5 mpg; Toyota Highlander 26.4 mpg; Toyota Prius 47.5 mpg (www.greenhybrid.com). Based on www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com, Hybrid car sales statistics have shown steady growth over most of the last five years, but sales peaked in early 2008 (at 45,000 vehicles) and showed a steady decline in the second half of 2008 with sales starting to recover somewhat in spring 2009. Considering the spike in oil and gasoline prices up to about July of 2008, and their rapid decline once the economic downturn hit later in 2008, its not surprising that sales show a peak followed by a steady drop. Fortunately for hybrid car manufacturers, gasoline price increases in the second through fourth quarters of 2009 have been accompanied by a return to high er hybrid car sales (http://www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com/hybrid-car-sales-statistics.html). Take a look at this chart, which shows three data series: hybrid car sales statistics by month, a 12-month moving average of hybrid car sales, and average US gas prices per gallon, from January 2004 to December 2009: (www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com) According to carsdirect.com, the August 2009 hybrid car statistics show that of the more than 200,000 hybrid cars sold in the U.S. year-to-date (YTD), the Toyota Prius is the top selling vehicle. There were 93,810 Prius sales through August 2009, with 18,886 units being sold in the month of August alone. Behind the Prius were the Toyota Camry, which sold 17,630 YTD, Honda Insight, selling 14,045 YTD, Honda Civic at 14,014 units sold and Ford Escape in the top 5 at 11,222 units sold YTD. In the month of August, Toyota Prius sales were 49% of all August U.S. hybrid sales. Camrys August sales made up 5% of hybrid sales, Insights comprised 11%, Civics 2% and Escape sales were 4% of all August hybrid car sales.   There were 38,701 hybrid cars sold in the United States in August 2009. Sales of the Toyota Prius were 1% of all car sales in the month of August.   All hybrid sales were 3% of the car sales that were made in the month. The number of hybrids sold in the month is up 48.6% over the same time period in 2008, showing a rise in the popularity of these vehicles by American drivers. Toyota, Honda and Ford are the largest makers of hybrid vehicles, with the most sales and models.  Toyota features the top-selling Prius, Camry and Highlander models. Honda has the Insight and Civic while Ford produces the Escape and Fusion hybrid vehicles (www.carsdirect.com). Based on www.mixedpower.com, from the states hybrid sales statistics in 2008, California sold the most hybrid cars with 39,830 units followed by New York: 8,810; Florida: 8,612; Texas: 8,255; and Illinois: 6,107 (www.mixedpower.com). The increasing of environmental awareness also contributes to the rise of green vehicles popularity. Alexandria Haber in his article The Facts About Hybrid Car Emissions and Global Warming explains that hybrid cars emit far lower levels of pollutants in the air than conventional cars, resulting decreased pollution and reduced effects of global warming. Because no two people drive the same way, it is therefore difficult to estimate, but emissions can be reduced from 25% to 90%, when comparing hybrid cars to conventional gas-powered vehicles (www.buzzle.com). Ricky Lim also in his article explains that hybrid cars emit lower toxic emissions compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars due to less gasoline being burned (www.buzzle.com). It is environmentally friendly, causes less pollution and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (http://ezinearticles.com). Peak oil theory also emerges and causes people to be more aware to consume more oil. Peak oil theory states: that any finite resource, (including oil), will have a beginning, middle, and an end of production, and at some point it will reach a level of maximum output as seen in the graph: (www.peakoil.com) This is the graph of world oil production from 1900-2080 taken from www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net It indicates that in the future we will have no more oil to be consumed, and the productivity of green vehicles has to be increased to decrease the dependency of oil. The last contributor to the rise of green vehicles is the tax incentives for the green vehicles buyers. It was in 2005 that Energy Policy Act of 2005 was passed by the United States congress and passed by President George W.Bush. The act, described by proponents as an attempt to combat growing energy problems, changed US energy policy by providing tax incentives and loan guarantees for energy production of various types. Consumers can itemize purchases on their federal income tax form, which will lower the total amount of tax they owe the government. In addition to federal tax incentives, some consumers will also be eligible for utility or state rebates, as well as state tax incentives for energy-efficient homes, vehicles and equipment (www.energy.gov). According to www.hybridcars.com, the exact amount of credit given by the government may vary: Current Models Make Model Tax Credit Audi A3 TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,300 Audi Q7 TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,150 BMW 335d (Clean Diesel) $900 BMW X5 xDrive35d (Clean Diesel) $1,800 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid $1,300 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid $2,200 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid $2,200 Ford Escape Hybrid (2wd) $3,000 Ford Escape Hybrid (4wd) $2,200 Ford Fusion Hybrid $3,400 GMC Sierra Hybrid $2,200 GMC Yukon Hybrid $2,200 Honda Civic Hybrid $2,100 Honda 2005 Civic Hybrid (auto) $1,700 Lexus GS 450h $1,550 Lexus LS 600hL $450 Lexus RX 400h $2,200 Mazda Tribute Hybrid (2wd) $3,000 Mazda Tribute Hybrid (4wd) $2,200 Mercedes GL 320 Bluetec (Clean Diesel) $1,800 Mercedes R320 Bluetec (Clean Diesel) $1,550 Mercedes ML 320 Bluetec (Clean Diesel) $900 Mercedes S400 Hybrid $1,150 Mercury Mariner Hybrid (2wd) $3,000 Mercury Mariner Hybrid (4wd) $2,200 Mercury Milan Hybrid $3,400 Nissan Altima $2,350 Toyota Camry Hybrid $2,600 Toyota Highlander Hybrid $2,600 Toyota Prius $3,150 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,300 Volkswagen Touareg TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,150 Despite of its cons, green vehicles have the cons as well. Phillip Dunn in his article Hybrid Cars Pros and Cons explains that all this new technology comes at a price: a hybrid car is complex and expensive. It has two motors and all the ancillary systems to manage them plus a heavy battery and a regeneration system used to produce electricity during breaking. Hybrids are the most gasoline efficient of all cars they typically get 48 to 60 mpg (claimed). Not bad, but only about 20% to 35% better than a fuel efficient gasoline powered vehicle like the Honda Civic, for example, that gets 36 mpg. But, when comparing prices hybrids cost from $19,000 to $25,000 and gas saver cars cost $14,000 to $17,000 the justification to buy becomes less clear. Much of the fuel efficiency comes from improvements in aero dynamics, weight reduction and, the biggest change: a smaller, less powerful gas engine. In fact, any car will get substantially better mileage just by reducing the engine size. The main reason this is not done has to do customer demand they want the extra power and zippiness (www.physorg.com). EV1 Controversies. Since the rise of green vehicles popularity, have the oil industries been affected tremendously? In the 1990s oil was getting scarcer and the pollution produced by combustion engines was becoming recognized as a very serious problem. Consumers began to demand some solutions that would save their world, their bank accounts and their breathing from gasolines bad effects. Like mentioned earlier, electric cars have been around for 110 years from the first time its been made. Alexandra Paul in her article Who Killed my Electric Car? explains that in 1900, electric cars outsold both gasoline and steam vehicles because electric cars didnt have the vibration, noise and dirtiness associated with gas vehicles. But soon afterward with the discovery of Texas crude oil that reduced the price of gasoline, the invention of the electric starter in 1912 that eliminated the need for a hand crank, and the mass production of internal combustion engine vehicles by Henry Ford the electric vehicle went t he way of the horse and buggy (www.cnn.com). In the 1990s oil was getting scarcer and the pollution produced by combustion engines was becoming recognized as a very serious problem. Consumers began to demand some solutions that would save their world, their bank accounts and their breathing from gasolines bad effects. In 1990 California passed the ZEV, requiring 2% of new vehicles sold in California to be emission-free by 1998, 10% by 2003. In response to ZEV, GM launched their revolutionary car EV1. The EV1 required no gas, no oil changes, no mufflers and rare brake maintenance. The success of electric vehicles would have threatened the status quo and core business models of two of the worlds biggest industries oil and automobile. Electric cars are a threat to the profitability of the conventional gas-powered auto industry. GM said that it spent more than $1 billion to market and develop the EV1 (www.ecosherpa.com). Not only would a successful electric car program cannibalize sale s of conventional cars, but the electric car costs the auto industry in other ways: lacking an engine, it saves the driver the cost of replacement parts, motor oil, filters, and spark plugs. The EV1s regenerative braking system, in which the cars electronic controls handled much of the work of slowing down the car, spared the cars mechanical brake system from wear. Brake parts and repair is a billion-plus dollar industry alone. The EV1s efficiency was a winner for consumers but a loser for the auto industry. Despite of its advantages, EV1 still had its disadvantages: it was only available to be leased to the public; it was only available for three year leases with no option for renewal or purchase at the end lease period. Leases ranged from $299 to over $574 monthly which was pretty expensive at that time. EV1 also had a short range (around 80 miles) and no backup system. It took 12 hours to fill up the battery. All in all, GMs EV1 has brought pros and cons to the public. It was thr eatening the oil industry, yet it also had major weaknesses to sustain its existence. In conclusion, the popularity of the non-traditional energy sources is increasing since more than two decades. People have realized the importance of the green vehicles for the environment. The rise of green vehicles has been encouraged by the uncontrollable increases on gas prices, the awareness trend to save the environment, and also the tax incentives that is given by the government. The electric cars need to be existed for one more time because with the advancement of technology, it wouldnt be difficult to produce a better car than GMs EV1. Electric vehicles will help tremendously to conserve the oil that has been consumed uncontrollably.