Payments fraud : consumer considerations

This article examines the potential for fraud associated with various "traditional" payment methods and the protective measures that consumers should take when using them.Payment systems ; Checks ; Credit cards

The Effect of the Clean Air Act and Subsequent Amendments on Air Pollution in Cleveland and Akron

The Clean Air Act, passed in 1970, is a major piece of U.S. legislation that governs ambient air pollution through National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) established by the Environmental Protection Agency. This piece of legislation became very effective after it was amended in 1990. This amendment allowed the Environmental Protection Agency greater power in enforcement of the Act as well as more responsibility in tracking air quality across the country. Locally, Akron and Cleveland did not attain NAAQS standards until shortly after the 1990 amendment was implemented. Why? Did the amendment cause Akron and Cleveland to lower emissions of hazardous chemicals, and would the cities maintain those standards after 1990? By examining EPA data and observing overall trends, it is clear that the concentration of hazardous chemicals dropped drastically after the passage of the 1990 amendment to the Clean Air Act and that a correlation exists between the two. Lead levels dropped by 96.3% in Cleveland from 1980-2010, with nickel and chromium concentrations dropping by 64.3% and 63.2% respectively over the same time frame

Innumeracy: The Product of Misrepresentation

Innumeracy refers to one’s inability to understand mathematics. Or, more simply, innumeracy is mathematical illiteracy. The main problem with innumeracy is the fact that most of society does not see it as a problem. In fact, many people boast about their innumeracy. Consider a table of five people at a restaurant: they split the check and attempt to calculate the tip. More often than not, at least one individual at the table will joke about the fact that they don’t know how to do make that simple calculation. This flippancy toward the prevalence of mathematics has become an accepted norm, though it can be detrimental in many aspects of life – from finances, to home maintenance, to personal healthcare. The growing innumeracy trend can be overcome, however, by society emphasizing a greater enforcement of the understanding of mathematics and its purposes. This can be done by addressing mathematical education and removing psychological blocks related to the mathematical mind, dispelling romantic misconceptions with math’s nature, and confronting the media’s role through probability misrepresentation