The Business Model Of The BBC

The Business Model Of The BBC The business model of the BBC is quite complex as it is funded by the government through TV licence fees, however, it is expected to be many things:  [3]  private and public, profit and non-profit making, a respected and responsible national institution as well as a nimble entrepreneurial entity. The BBC could be defined as an  [4]  intersect organization which demonstrates its conflicting objectives. The BBCs mission is to  [5]  enrich peoples lives with programmes and services that entertain, inform and educate through its various forms of media communication, that is to say, its purpose is to provide a value for money service to the public. It provides value for money through a variety of shows, for example, regarding ethnic minorities which other channels would not consider and also there are a wide range of channels which are dedicated to specific age groups such as CBeebies for kids and BBC Four focuses on documentaries whilst there are different radio stations for various genres of music thus conveying the diversity of the BBC appealing to all kinds of people including minorities through radio, television and internet. This value is also extended through the use of BBC iPlayer which enables viewers to catch up on watch again episodes such as Top Gear. The BBC prides itself on delivering innovative and informative programmes through the revolutionary technology of internet, digital and satellite communications. The BBC claim their vision is to be  [6]  the most creative organisation in the world and their goal is clear which is to be a global icon. They also wish to represent an independent view point on issues such as politics and be a proud representation of Britain. Their main objective is not to earn significant profit but to be globally recognized as a top quality producer of innovative programmes and services via a wide range of mediums and offer the best news coverage in the world. The BBC provides a wide range of shows from entertainment to sports coverage to educational programmes. It is also committed to earning profit through the sale of educational books and TV shows whilst also doing charity work. In addition, the cooperation is dedicated to research and development which has lead to a strong presence on the internet and BBC radio and television are available in over  [7]  99.4% of UK homes. It is mainly based in London, however, through the leadership of  [8]  Mark Thompson he has decided to diversify and move employees to Manchester to change the stereotype of their image as a London cooperation. I think that the present situation is viable; however, a few changes could be made which I will mention later. I believe that the current situation is tenable as the BBC is universally renowned for its productions which will generate cash flow though the sale of programmes and the sheer number of people who watch their news coverage which covers sport to politics. The BBC has done very well as it moulds itself to different areas and markets of the world to appeal to certain people through e.g. BBC world or releasing a BBC channel in Arabic. The cooperation has also divulged itself into the technology side making all its information and programmes easily and readily accessible which will hopefully meet the demands of the people in the ever evolving technology based world we live in. The BBC have the upper hand over BSkyB in the sense that their brand image is internationally recognized and their unique selling point is the originality of its programmes which must carry on as they enri ch peoples lives. Also the plan to go digital must stay on course as when this is complete they will be able to compete with BSkyB as the BBCs services do not need a satellite box and dish. Due to the current situation, the BBC must make slight changes to their business model because of the emergence of BSKYB which has dominated the UK market recently. They are now competing with hundreds of channels thus resulting in less guaranteed viewers because the BBC has  [9]  traditionally taken programmes from internal or external sources and fitted them into their schedule via their two channels to meet the needs of the audience therefore they could make more specific channels like BBC education. Firstly they need to do this because it will be able to compete against the plethora of new channels but also to convince people that satellite television is not necessary as the BBC has it all. However the BBCs income is fixed as the licence fee is set by the government so as its other main competitors are using this profit to expand and increase their range of services whilst the BBC is falling behind therefore the BBC must find new ways of generating more of a cash flow to keep up with its competitors possibly through online advertising. In addition, thanks to the growth of broadband one is now able to stream TV through their computer and access content easily which provides a further threat to the BBC but to which they have taken to their advantage whereby they have introduced BBC iPlayer which has attracted 41 million requests in December 2008 alone. With regard to the future, the BBC cannot carry on being all things to  [10]  everyone this is not viable as they are mainly government funded hence they cannot expected to meet the needs of everyone. I think this does not allow it to focus as there is no clarity because you cannot be all things to all people it is virtually impossible and it is not viable at all due to the increasingly competitive market but needs to be careful as its budget is very limited. The BBC needs to be efficient and the job cuts might be justified as they need to ensure their financial stability and future ambitions. Michael Porter highlights three generic positions which can be implemented to create a competitive and profitable advantage: Cost leadership, focus and differentiation. Cost leadership strategy underlines the fact that the company must become the lowest cost producer but produce a given level of quality which the consumers are happy with. This strategy is illustrated via  [11]  Toyota which supplies quality cars which are low in cost but have marketing skills to use a premium pricing policy. A differentiation generic strategy offers a product or service to consumers which are unique whereby they believe it is better than their rivals. This can be done through creative programmes, strong sales team and developing brand strength. The focus strategy is a middle ground line taken whereby the organization cannot take on either strategy therefore they focus on a narrow and elite market. This will create a relationship in the long term with specific consumers and the organization must provide whenever needed. Out of these three strategies the BBC does have a bit of each strategy; nonetheless, I believe that the main strategy utilized by the company is differentiation with a hint of cost leadership. The main strategy is differentiation because the BBCs brand image is internationally recognized and is well known for its quality programmes. The hint of cost leadership is that they have attempted to minimise cost as much as possible through mainly redundancies and also through the TV licence only costing  £142.50 per year, although an increase, is relatively cheap in comparison with rivals. Through the culmination of these strategies this would provide customers real value for money as well as discouraging potential entrants. 12Porter claims that the main ingredient needed is clarity in combination with one of these strategies. He goes on to say that the companies that do not follow this model do not necessarily fail, however, they fail to maximise and optimise their resources hence this does not put them in a comfortable situation which could have been avoided. Due to the fact that everyone must have a TV licence for their television sets the licence the BBC must provide good value for money and cater to peoples needs. Through differentiation strategy the company is able to grab a hold of the market through customer loyalty and if the quality is to the consumers satisfaction will discourage potential entrants. I believe this is the generic strategy as the BBCs main income comes from TV licence fees so it needs to be unique and this strategy can be only maintained if the BBC carries on offering creative and innovative programmes. There are five industry forces in a competitive market according to Michael Porter: Barriers to entry, Buyer power, Supplier power, Threat of substitutes and Rivalry. With regard to the five industry forces mentioned, the entry barriers of differentiation strategy gives the opportunity to deter potential entrants through customer loyalty in the hope that you gain some kind of monopoly in the market. Buyer power is a strength of differentiation because large buyers have less power to negotiate due to fewer alternatives. The cooperation will also find it easier to pass on supplier costs to consumers as they are willing to pay that bit extra. The company will be well protected from the threat of substitutes due to the consumers attachment of the differentiated company. The brand loyalty will keep consumers from rivals and put the company in a strong position. Overall the strong points of differentiation strategy are that it ensures customer loyalty with guaranteed quality which will discourage and one can pass on costs to the consumer because of their affiliation to the service. From the companys point of view of the company it guarantees consumers and secures stability in the long term. Leadership plays a key role in providing the vision and direction that structures the way in which the company will work in terms of strategy.  [13]  Leaders are expected to deliver and achieve what they set out to do and they also are expected to establish standards and motivate the employees to achieve maximum potential whilst also being totally committed. A leader must act in the interests of everyone and achieve quality communication between all staff. Taking this into account I will now analyse the leadership of the BBC with regard to Mark Thompson. The director-general, Mark Thompson, has decided to pull out of the so called ratings war but as the BBC is a public service broadcaster this should not be its priority. I see this as a strength as it will allow the BBC to make original and refreshing programmes that will offer a range to viewers. As the BBCs revenue comes through the governments implementation of the TV licence this again gives the BBC an advantage because it provides it with assured revenue and stability which guarantees job security for the staff and also ensures that BBCs priority are the viewers and not to gain profit. Another positive is that the government does not intervene in affairs of the BBC which permits the BBC to work in its own way and be unconstrained. Thanks to the leadership of Mark Thompson the BBC is to become more diluted through the  £200 million investment in the new BBC base in Salford Quays which will diversify and dilute its London influence in the hope that it will be seen as more Britis h. The BBCs commitment to technological advancement is a major strength as the demand is growing and it has certainly provided through the launch of BBC iPlayer and the completion of the switchover to digital throughout the whole country. The technology will also enable the need for fewer job requirements and possibly render some staff to leave which will ease the financial situation. The Director-General has also highlighted the need to have no imitation programmes and the return to in depth current affairs coverage which will please viewers as they want something unique. The BBC must also ensure it keeps its coverage of certain sports which attract a wide range of viewers and are extremely popular such as Wimbledon tennis championship, Formula 1 coverage and Match of the Day. Mark Thompson has been a great leader to the BBC as he always sent out emails to staff to underline his aims and objectives which give employees a sense of unity demonstrating his clarity of objectives and communication. When the salaries of executives at the BBC were revealed, Thompson immediately proposed the pay of the top 20 executives to be frozen for the next three years including his salary but also the suspension of bonuses for managers. He has done extremely well when the BBC has received so much abuse and attempted to resolve the issue without kicking up a fuss and enforcing absol ute standards: the sign of a leader. Mr Thompson is courageous and is not afraid to do what others might not, he recognized that redundancies were needed and so that is what he did this could be perceived as ruthless or rather, putting the companys interests at heart. The decision to dilute and diversify from London is in my opinion a weakness of leadership of the BBC as London has always served as an excellent hub to the company and is at the centre of everything. In a way Mr Thompson has contradicted himself because he claims that he wants to dilute the London influence by relocating staff to ensure there is evenness (2004) but a year later he decided that substantial job losses (6,000) were in order from different regional offices then why did he not make redundant those 1,800 going to Manchester. In reality Mark Thompson is a great journalist, however, one cannot expect him to be a great leader as well and this has been exposed during his time through various incidents, Brand-Ross incident and reporting of the war in Iraq, which have put the BBC under some serious pressure and abuse from the media. In 2007, the BBC were faced with losses and shortfalls of up to  £2 billion thus announcing the speeding up of the relocation of staff to Manches ter, nevertheless, I cannot understand how this ploy is supposed to help the situation and further the announcement of up to 3,000 redundancies is clearly not going to help the situation. I think that this is bad decision making and shows the desperation and weakness of the leadership of the company. As well Mark Thompson has shown a lack of control with the regard to the pay of executives at the BBC, it is  [14]  claimed that top 47 paid executives salaries range from  £190,000 to more than  £600,000 which is astonishing even though the BBC has had to lay off more than 2,000 staff. This shows real weakness on behalf of Mark Thompson including the running and decision making in the cooperation as well. I think Mark Thompson is a very direct leader and always has clear objectives or solutions. His main strengths are arguably communication, although, not in person and acting in the interests of the company exhibited by the restructuring of pay and focus on technology. In my opinion, his main weaknesses are his lack of experience and enthusiasm which sometimes leads to uncertainty and does not boost morale of staff. On the basis of what I am told, the priorities of the leadership should be to resolve the job redundancy levels before strikes might severely cripple the company. As the BBC have decided to divulge more into technology they must ensure that it is fully functioning with no problems due to the fact that they have a history with these sort of issues: electronic accounting system which deletes invoices. Probably the most important priority is to complete the move to Manchester to convey that they are serious and committed to diluting the London influence. I believe that there are two main priorities which are key to resolving the BBCs future and ensuring its stability. There needs to be a restructuring of the wage bill at the top of the company the salaries that have been quoted regarding executives and performers are excessive due to the BBC being a public service broadcaster. Through restructuring the wages this will free up some funds and put the interests of the company at heart. Also more attention is needed towards staff as they are at the hub of what the company does and by creating a sense of unity will hopefully move towards optimum performance because without the staffs capabilities and willingness nothing can be achieved. The relocation to Manchester must be completed as soon as possible because this will demonstrate the devotion and the ability to achieve their objectives. In addition, the BBC must stick to its aim to go digital which will help with their increase in the use of technology and provide consumers with a wide variety of ways to keep up with programmes and watch them in the highest quality possible. The BBC has had to deal with an array of issues over its time and there are situations which could have been handled differently. The slowness of the relocation to Manchester is a problem because firstly it shows that the BBC are not serious about diluting their London influence and also if the staff are not onboard then the move will not reap its expected rewards. In addition, the magnitude of redundancies that are occurring at the company does not reflect well on the situation and creates an unpleasant vibe with staff possibly leading to strikes causing turmoil. When the BBC releases technology it must be fully functional because people lose confidence and trust. If there are any issues that give consumers an excuse to purchase an alternative and then the cooperation will acquire a bad reputation. The other issue is the pay and behaviour of executives and presenters. The executives pay is outrageous and upsets the public as their licence fee money is being wasted on the salaries of overpaid executives further damaging the BBCs image. It is clear that one of the main problems that could have been tackled in a different way is that of the relocation to Manchester. There is no problem with the idea itself, however, there seems to be a lack of drive and determination to progress by Mark Thompson and the move only seems to lead to further redundancies. In summer 2008, it seemed as if the BBC were not serious about relocating which gives us a reflection of the ambition of Thompson to complete this move of certain departments. I believe the relocation should have been completed by now and this is a sign of weakness for the BBC because they have been funded by  [15]  millions of public and private money so there should be no excuses. Also the fact that they are now offering  [16]  generous relocating packages to London staff is absurd because they are employees of the company hence they should either agree to it or not. On the face of it, it seems a pretty desperate move by the BBC as employees should be excited about moving into a modern base and that is the way I believe the BBC should have tackled it in order to convince employees to move through the excitement factor of being a part of something special. Culminated with all this there are lay-offs occurring in order to save money and then we see them offering these charitable packages. Also I believe there is a contradiction because the majority of these redundancies are to come from different regional offices so the idea to become more British by relocating to Manchester will not work as other offices will have fewer employees. If they want the BBC to become more British then they should employ people from other regions rather than relocating London based staff but the BBC defend this  [17]  position claiming they need their experience and ironically some of them will not even move. I believe that the redundancy issue should have been tackled by more London based staff facing the sack. In my opinion, the BBC are taking the relocation in the right direction in the sense that this move needs to be completed as soon as possible and they need their experienced London staff to ease the transition. It is now paramount to complete this move and if the relocation package speeds things up then it is a positive move. The desired outcome would be that everything is up and running by 2011 because it has taken too long. Despite the BBCs previous track record regarding technology which has caused them numerous problems the release of BBC iPlayer sparked several issues and frustrated viewers all over the country.  [18]  100,000 people registered for the iPlayer during its first weekend of release which demonstrates the popularity of BBCs media and this problem could have easily been remedied through applying various tests and ensuring a pretty much flawless version. I believe if it had been fully functional when released the BBC would have gained applause and restored the confidence of the nation in them. The desired outcome of this case is very simple which is to have a fully functioning media player which provides viewers with what they want and the ability to carry out any function that was promised. The BBC has become shrouded lately in controversy and has been accused of bias which affects their global iconic image and their supposed independent view point on issues. Taking the Brand and Ross incident, this has damaged the BBCs integrity and generated massive media attention once again denting their image. This issue should have never arisen in the first place if the BBC had been more stringent and set out the rules with these two presenters the idea would have never popped into their heads as it clearly was unprofessional and uncalled for. It was a very daft and unnecessary incident which has smeared BBC radio twos reputation. The BBC would hope now that this sets a precedent and is now a warning to those others to not generate such extreme media pressure needlessly. Last of all, the BBC must now tackle the issue to do with salaries of executives and presenters which it has dealt with to a certain extent. The issue initially begun because Mark Thompson himself is earning an incredible amount,  [19]  Ã‚ £647,000 basic salary, which sets the standard that other top executives can as well. The BBCs way of tackling this issue was to publish the salaries to show their cautiousness with licence payers money because once the MPs expenses came to the light they were bombarded with complaints. This could have been tackled by completely restructuring the pay of the whole company which is unlikely to occur or simply not revealing the salaries. The second option is the easiest and seems sensible because the BBC should have known that when they released these figures it would cause mass uproar as they are a public service broadcaster. Taking into account everything, the best but not easiest solution is to restructure the pay of executives as they have don e with certain presenters such as  [20]  Graham Norton who earned  £2.5 million a year before agreeing to a pay cut and Bruce Forsyth. This will certainly ease the financial pressure on the BBC by reducing the magnitude of redundancies and manage the  £3.6 billion budget to maximum efficiency. Overall, the BBC has had its ups and downs but that is possibly down to the management and leadership of Mark Thompson. He is a respected journalist, however, this does not mean that he will be an implausible chief executive and this has been reflected in some of his decisions. The main two issues that must be resolved are the completion of the move to Salford Quays and the financial structure of the company with regard to executives and presenters. If both of these are achieved the BBC will be able to do what it does best which is to provide innovative and informative programmes and ensure value for money for licence fee payers.

Luddites, Neo-Luddites, and Technophobes: Confused by Technology :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Luddites, Neo-Luddites, and Technophobes: Confused by Technology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In today’s fast-paced society, there are many who wish we could just go back to the â€Å"good ‘ol days,† a magical time, possibly in the fantastic cultural memory of the 1950s, where we weren’t surrounded by computers and pagers and cell phones and all manner of surveillance and recording.   Many say that these things add hassle to our lives, and that the digital revolution is simply incompatible with our analog minds and souls.   Such people are often condescendingly called â€Å"old fogies† when they are, typically, older, confused by technology, and fearful of change of any sort.   There are, though, hearty subcultures which embrace a return to a less complicated time with intelligence and reason, generally known as â€Å"Neo-Luddites,† after the early 19th century English protesters who destroyed industrial machinery.   This, however, is a misnomer, as the many groups claiming ideological ancestry seldom refer to anything other than the popular anti-technology belief.   And, while the wealthy industrialists put down the Luddite rebellion, their ideals have survived, and probably will survive as long as technology continues to be so totally complex and separate from nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The original Luddites were technological guerillas who, from 1811 to 1813, and sporadically in the next three years, broke machines (most often knitting machines) throughout Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leistershire, the three Midland counties in England, as well as starting riots and specifically terrorizing machine owners (Bailey 111-114, 18-19).   Machine-breaking was not a new form of rebellion, and the Luddites did little to modify it; there were many copycat breakings, but there were also many unconnected breakings, in the same time (11).   The chief distinguishing characteristic of the Luddites was their name, and that they had one:   rebelling â€Å"textile workers in the Midlands and north of England† used the invented name â€Å"Ned Ludd†Ã¢â‚¬â€-or â€Å"General Ludd† or â€Å"King Ludd†Ã¢â‚¬â€-in place of a leader, becoming known as followers of that name:   Luddites (x, 139). Sadly, the growing popularity of this name opened up a new area of problems.   The Luddites’ standard machine-breaking eventually inspired others to commit acts of violence in their name, which Luddite purists apparently detested enough to cease their breaking to prove the distinction (144).   Although in the thick of the machine-breaking fervor, though, there were many who took the chaotic opportunity to commit unrelated crimes in their name,

Tax Structure in Pakistan

Tax structure of Pakistan TAX: To tax (from the Latin taxo; â€Å"I estimate†) is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Some commentators have argued that â€Å"a direct tax is one that cannot be shifted by the taxpayer to someone else, whereas an indirect tax can be†. A income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses (corporations or other legal entities).When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate tax, corporate income tax, or profit tax. Individual income taxes often tax the total income of the individual (with some deductions permitted), while corporate income taxes often tax net income (the difference between gross receipts, expenses, and additional write-offs). A  sales tax  is a  consumption tax  charged at the  point of purchase  for certain g oods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a  percentage  rate to the taxable price of a sale.Most sales taxes are collected from the buyer by the seller, who remits the tax to a government agency. Sales taxes are commonly charged on sales of goods, but many sales taxes are also charged on sales of services. Ideally, a sales tax would have a high compliance rate, be difficult to avoid, and be simple to calculate and collect Income tax Pakistan:Law concerning taxation of income in Pakistan is stated in the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 (the Ordinance) and the rules framed there under viz. Income Tax Rules, 2002 (the Rules).The Ordinance is a Central statute and is, therefore, applicable to the whole of Pakistan . Under section 4 of the Ordinance, income tax is imposed for each tax year at specified rates on every person who has taxable income for the year Tax Year in Pakistan:Tax year is a period of twelve months ending on 30th June and shall be denoted by t he calendar year in which the said date falls. Taxable Income in Pakistan:It is the total income of a person for a tax year reduced by the total of any deductible allowances, under the Ordinance, for the year.A person is entitled to a deductible allowance for the amount of any Zakat paid by the person in a tax year under the Zakat & Ushr Ordinance, 1980. Total Income:it is the sum of a person's income under each of the heads of income for the year. Heads of Income in Pakistan:Under the Ordinance income is classified into the following five heads: Salary, Income from property, Income from business, Capital gains and Income from other sources.The income of a person under a head of income shall be the total of the amount derived by the person in a tax year that are chargeable to tax under the head as reduced by the total deductions allowed under the ordinance to the person under that head. CORPORATE TAX RATES:Pakistan corporate tax rate is 35% of net taxable income of a company. For no nresidents, a 15% rate is levied on the gross amount of royalties or technical service fees, and 30% for other payments under the presumptive tax regime. Residence – An entity is resident if it is registered under the law of Pakistan or its management and control is situated wholly in Pakistan.Basis – Resident entities are taxed on worldwide business income; nonresidents pay tax only on Pakistan-source income. Taxation of dividends:A resident entity pays tax at a rate of 10% on dividend income regardless of whether the dividends are Pakistan or foreign source. A nonresident pays tax at a rate of 10% on Pakistan source dividends. PAKISTAN SALES TAX:The standard rate of Sales Tax in Pakistan is 16%. Taxable transactions Sales Tax is levied on the supply of goods and services, and the import of goods.Sales Tax Registration:is mandatory for manufacturers if turnover exceeds PKR 5 million; for retailers, if the value of supplies exceeds PKR 5 million; and for importers and other persons if required by another federal or provincial law Filing and sales tax payment:Sales Tax returns and payments must be made on a monthly basis. RGST:The RGST is actually plain old Value Added Tax (VAT) with a new name. Since the VAT has already had its fill of bad publicity, the government decided it would be a smart move to rename and repackage the new taxation system.The RGST is a taxation system that operates by an addition of 15 per cent tax on each and every value addition on taxable products Who is involved? The key players behind the proposed RGST are the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, United States Mission to the European Union   (USEU) and other assorted donors who are tired of paying their taxpayers money to cover up for the leaks in our taxation system. But this is not to say that we do not  need reforms in our taxation system. The International Monetary Organizations might be the catalysts towards the reforms just now, but in all reali ty, tax reforms have been long overdue.

Australian Guide To Indoor Nox Exposure Which Affects The Human Health Literature Review Examples

Introduction Quality of air is a determinant in the quality of life, indoor air is important as people spend on average 80-90% of their lives in door (WHO, 2007). Indoor air quality began a long time but only been a health concern decades ago when awareness of contaminants presented in the air. The problem begins when the construction of building are highly insulated to conserve energy, which caused a trap to air intoxicants inside the building (E. Willard, 2005). This causes the exchange of outdoor to indoor to lessen and therefore the indoor air pollution builds up. Indoor air quality is a complex issue as research indicates that there are over 900 contaminants presented in the air from various sources (E. Willard, 2004). The indoor environments are under the impact of constant interaction changes which is difficult to analyze. For example, the concentration is greatly dependent on temperature or humidity, if temperature increases, the concentration increases. Sources of air pollution are important when considering health effects because they relate to individual and population exposures (R.E.Hester, 2008). A survey conducted to review the source of contaminants that lead to poor indoor air quality. The results given as: 53% inadequate ventilation 10% outdoor contamination, 5% microbial contamination, 4% building material contamination and13% others. (E. Willard, 2003) This review aims to find out how the indoor air affects the air quality management with various air studies that have been used to examine ambient air quality. The objectives of the review are to study: Sources of Nox exposure, both indoor and outdoor Strucutres that influence the accumulation of NOx Adverse health effects associated with NOx exposure Human behavior in response to Nox exposure Compare effects of max and min exposures The review strives to explore the different types of sources that contribute to NOx pollution and the sources are not restricted to indoor sources as the air also flows from the outside to t he inside.   The objectives of the paper leads to the research of the human health behaviors once exposed to NOx and explore different types of legislations and regulations that have been set up to monitor exposure of NOx since it is necessary to compare the current and the past issues that contribute to NO managements. Indoor Air Pollution studies Indoor air pollution is contributed from either indoor or outdoor air. Inside a building, there are many factors that originate contaminants and build up to air pollution. From outside, air may enter the buildings which increase the air the pollution (Willard,2008). Concentrations of pollutants are variable depending on the time and place. The impact of indoor pollution consists of cigarette smoking, stove operation, burning of kerosene, and various determinants from building materials (reference needed).   The impact from energy conservation decreases air quality due to the declining rate of ventilation. Air pollution and health’ by Hester (date), the studies of air pollution are determined by various ways and methodologies; they are as follow; By chamber (human challenge) studies By studies of morbidity Studies of hospital admissions Studies of mortality In chamber studies, the effect of individual pollutants is studied alone or in combination with other pollutants under controlled conditions. This monitors doses accurately to deliver the effects of co-factors. Epidemiological studies are more informative about health from individuals and population level.   The main purpose of the air quality studies is to measure, control and determine the effects on the human’s health and the results and examinations from the air pollution studies which enable the authorities to regulate and control the air quality for the community at the safest conditions. What is NOx? NOx is a reference to oxides of nitrogen, which as air pollutants, consists of NO and NO2. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) has the most contribution of human health issue at a higher magnitude to Nitrogen Oxide (NO) (National environmental health forum, 2007). Nitrogen dioxide can be found in various places such as the outdoors, motor vehicles, public places, inside an office and within the homes.   Nitrogen dioxide is formed naturally in the atmosphere and can be created as a by-product from human activities. Nitrogen dioxide can also be formed from oxidation of the atmospheric nitrogen by the ignition and the oxidation of ammonia. The combustion process converts the nitrogen fuel into oxide, such as nitric oxide. The Nitric oxide oxidizes into nitrogen dioxide from the presence of the ozone and hydrocarbons outdoors and the presence of hydrocarbons.   NO2 can react with other compounds in the atmosphere and thus forming inorganic and organic nitrates, such as nitric acid and peroxyacety l nitrate (National environmental health forum, 2007). NOx indoor sources The exposure to NOx has been known to cause varying levels of symptoms, but depending on the levels of exposure and its exposure can be particularly harmful to people suffering from asthma, as it might trigger an asthma attack.   If one suspects that they have been exposed to harmful amounts of NOx   it is important to contact a health-care provider as fast as possible. At low concentrations, NOx has been shown to cause: Eye, nose, throat and lung irritation Shortness of breath Nausea Dizziness Coughing Fluid build up in lungs At very high concentrations, the NOx has been shown to cause: Reduced ability to oxygenate body tissues Death Spasms of respiratory tract Unconsciousness Burning and swelling of respiratory tract NOx affects the human health The equipment which measures NOx is available, but is it is usually too expensive and complex to use for the general public. The homes that are located near busy roadways or the coal burning power plants often have higher levels of NOx. But burning natural gas, smoking tobacco, the kerosene, or the wood inside homes increases the concentrations of NOx. By avoiding the sources of the indoor NOx,   it is often the best way to limit the indoor concentrations. Some easy recommendations to reduce exposure include not smoking tobacco inside, limiting the use of wood burning fireplaces and limiting the usage of gas or the kerosene powered space heaters and stoves. To limit the indoor concentrations, it i9s recommended that one always ventilate devices that create NOx directly to the outside (EPA, 2005) Epidemiological studies (Morgan et al, 1996) found significant effects of nitrogen dioxide on mortality and hospitalisation. Exposure studies show inconsistent findings with young children with asthma whom are most likely to be affected by nitrogen dioxide. NOx sampling and monitoring Studies are carried out to sample and monitor NOx to determine exposures to the human health over certain periods. Samplers collect nitrogen dioxide over period of time to measure the presence and concentration of the contaminant. For the indoor sampling, indoor air are not as uniform as ambient air and the general methods that are used to sample nitrogen dioxide are; Chemiluminescence method (AS3580.5.1), electrochemical cell device, passive Palmes tube method (AS2365.11) and passive badge method (AS2365.1.2). The Chemiluminescence method and electrochemical device allows sampling to provide continuous data which presents in 1 hour average. AS2365.1.2 presents data in short term averages of several hours and AS2365.1.1 show long term averages of several days. (National environmental health forum, 2007). The precision of data depends on the period of average system. One hour averages are more accurate to determine concentration of nitrogen dioxide. What are the differences between these methods, could add more information now such as comparing the results from different studies utilizing the different methods. There are indirect sampling approaches to measure nitrogen dioxide where studies used questionnaires technique to examine the candidates. Questions would be related to the presence or absence to nitrogen dioxide sources and the intensity of their use. The estimations are compared to the data from a continuous outdoor monitoring. The data then gathered from all sites and analyzed to provide appropriate result for an indirect assessment method (World health organization, 2008). Studies are not accurately presented with indoor monitoring data as limitations to the number of sites, amount of data, conformity of data average periods and uniformity of methods. This results in instability and inconsistency of data monitoring. A study was compiled by the National Environmental Health Forum (1997), which examined data from 5000 indoor samples. Figure X show a compilation of   the data on NOx exposures in†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. recorded. It shows those indoor peaks are dramatically higher than outdoor peak, also on a regular basis. 30 studies from USEPA (1993) found that average indoor nitrogen dioxide with no sources to be 71% in comparison to 61% of corresponding outdoor levels. It shows that peak indoor levels generally occur when most occupants are in that specific environment. Figure X.   Nox exposures in †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(National environmental health forum, 1997) Another table below shows the results from indoor nitrogen studies that represent the results in an expression of a percentage to the concentration of nitrogen. National environmental health forum, 1997 NOx regulations and guidelines The guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for nitrogen dioxide over a one hour period for the indoor levels should be at maximum of 0.16ppm. Currently, the level of concern for the indoor is at 0.3ppm (National environmental health forum, 2006). In 2002 the IPCS and the WHO Air Quality Guidelines from Europe recommended a lower 1-hour period guideline of 0.11ppm. Case Study The air pollution is a very serious problem in Canada and the burning of fuels in vehicles and engines is a main contributor, especially in big cities and thus, the air pollution is harmful to the environment and the health of Canadians. Many families use gas to heat up their houses as well as kerosene stoves and this contributes to much of the NOx emission. At the same time, the vehicles are parked adjust to the homes and the engines release all kinds of air pollutants including the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and the particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and sulphur oxides (SOx), which are jointly termed to as Criteria Air Contaminants (CACs). Both the NOx and VOCs supply to the arrangement of the ground- level ozone and this is one of the major components of smog, which is often to be seen as a haze over urban centres. In the 2000, emissions of the NOx and VOCs from these diesel engines that powered the farming and forestry, construction, mining, machines were equal to those created by about 480,000 heavy duty diesel trucks and buses and this NOx finds its way to these homes though the open windows. Figure X below shows the guidelines of nitrogen dioxide exposure over several countries. Figure X:   Title (National environmental health forum, 1997) Conclusion Nitrogen dioxide has shown to be an indoor pollution contaminant that comes from various home cooking, heating appliances and indoor tobacco smoking. It has shown to have an impact on the human’s health with respiratory issues and impairs lung functionalities.   Epidemiological studies have assessed and quantify the health impact of indoor nitrogen dioxide exposure. It has shown a greater impact on the health effect of asthmatics and children. The indoor nitrogen dioxide concentration has been an issue for many countries over past decades. There has been guidelines set for improvements, however, Australia have not met to the guideline standards. Recommendations The resolution simply require the assessments to the problem, standard identification, formation of authorities to hold responsible for clean air and actions to improve air quality. At current Australia has National Enforceable Standards for Ambient air (NEPHs), but it only contains non enforceable guidelines for some indoor air pollutants. It is necessary to establish a set of national standard for indoor air quality in the near future. The Australia state government has imposed regulations for outdoor air control legislations which can fine up to $1 million for infringements of air pollution. However, there’s lack of interest for indoor air environment concerns. There have only been occasional involvements to issue information brochures about the gas heaters and the passive smoking to the community. There should be actions and plans to help reducing the level of indoor air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide. Some immediate steps to address the indoor nitrogen issues include: Establish a national body to be responsible for adequate nitrogen dioxide concentration. Lack of ownership and responsibility to indoor air quality will no doubt be effective. There should be a government department that is to be responsible for unhealthy air quality that affects the community. Develop standards for nitrogen dioxide. Until Australia has adequate benchmarks, we cannot establish a degree of concern about the level of nitrogen dioxide or any pollutants and its action for resolution. At current, Australia is very slow in developing standards that meet the world’s air pollution standards. The benchmarks should be expanded to all pollutants (not just nitrogen dioxide) and to adopt them into international standards to set as working guidelines. Collate data measured indoor nitrogen dioxide levels into a national database. Collating indoor air pollution data into a national database allow an easy accessible source to obtain any raw data or measurements. At current, the Commonwealth has began funding for the first project in Australia to gather data to a simplified source. This will establish extensive knowledge hubs which engage data from all over the world. Extensive education to the public about the concern of nitrogen dioxide. At current, communities are not aware about the health risks posed by nitrogen dioxide pollutant, and only occasionally are attentive to the media. Smoking causes the most indoor air pollution, but the media addresses smoking harms human health, but do not explain indoor smoking can increase the indoor concentration, where if not highly ventilated, then it will be trapped indoor. The information base is not adequate for delivering the objectives. Replace old unflued heaters (especially in NSW schools). NSW government schools use the most gas heaters, which research shows that the nitrogen dioxide concentration levels goes up to 2.9ppm. It is estimated that the number of affected students can be up to 50,000. Replacing the gas heaters can minimize the affected health issues to the students. Establish programs that will address the problems. Coordinated education program can equip the community with the required knowledge about decisions and actions that could affect the quality of indoor air and nitrogen dioxide. This is necessary if other plans are not feasible and would be an effective method to influence human behaviors and decisions. A recommendation is to action a national day for air quality to increase the community’s awareness. Improve ventilations where sources are presented indoors. This is the simplest method to reduce levels of indoor air pollution. Increase ventilation will allow emissions from sources to be diluted with the ambient air. Building should have standards to achieve this; therefore, this should be included in building codes and standards.   The vehicles that are parked near the houses should be parked far away from any open windows and doors. So the planners of the house should ensure that when the houses are erected, the parking should be far away from the houses. At the same time, it would be important if the home owners strived to stop using kerosene stoves or other equipments that emits NOx.