Barriers and Drivers to Sustainability

This project has been assisted by the NSW Governmen t through its Environmental Trust. How to overcome common barriers and make the most of key drivers to sustainability About this guide This guide draws upon research completed in 2009 fo r the Urban Sustainability Support Alliance (USSA) by the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), Univer sity of Technology, Sydney, into the Barriers and D rivers to Sustainability in Local Government. This guide has been developed to assist council sus tainability practitioners to identify key drivers and common barriers often experienced when working towa rds sustainability. Why develop a guide? The guide adds value to the research by providing p ractical examples of strategies councils have used to overcome barriers and make the most of key drivers to sustainability. The examples provided have come directly from sustainability practitioners who have shared their initiatives with LGSA. The barriers and drivers are listed broadly in the order of significance indentified in the research. Complementary barriers and drivers are grouped toge ther to demonstrate the inter-relationships between barriers and drivers. More information: If you have additional examples to add to this guid e or if you require any assistance in taking any of the following actions please contact the Sustainability Team on (02) 9242 4000 or email [email  protected] Electronic copies of the research report and this g uide are available from the LGSA website: www.lgsa.org.au look under â€Å"ESD†. Gui de developed July 2009 Updated July 2012 Sustainability Learning Guide: Barriers and Drivers to SustainabilityThis project has been assisted by the NSW Governmen t through its Environmental Trust. Commonly identified Barriers and Drivers to Sustain ability: Barrier = Driver = Common Barrier or Driver What the interviews tell us How can I overcome this barrier? or How can I make the most from this driver? Lack of Organisational Support A lack of leadership or the failure of leadership to inspire others in the organisation. Despite a good reputation, the sustainability agenda often relies on individuals and occurs only in pockets across councils. Use examples of what other councils have done. Case studies can be used as a business case for sustainability. External experts or facilitators can be used to help raise awareness of sustainability internally. When communicating to senior management on sustainability issues do it in a meaningful and memorable way. Try using statistics and graphs. Get your sustainability initiatives recognised externally by submitting awards applications. General manager and senior management support The level of personal commitment, knowledge and leadership provided by senior management, in particular the General Manager of the council. Recognise staff achievements in the area of sustainability. The intranet and staff newsletters are possible tools. Reward staff achievements in the area of sustainability e.g. Staff Awards Program Ask your GM to endorse your work by inviting them to speak at relevant meetings and training sessions. Mayor and councillor leadership Strong leadership from the elected council. Simply having one or two new councillors who are open to, and positive about, sustainability can be a key driver. Harness councillor support by inviting them to pilot and champion council sustainability initiatives. Use your mayor as a speaker for council events. Encourage councillors to become representatives on sustainability committees.This project has been assisted by the NSW Governmen t through its Environmental Trust. Common Barrier or Driver What the interviews tell us How can I overcome this barrier? or How can I make the most from this driver? Gap between Theory & Practice A mismatch between what is espoused and what is practiced. Policies not being carried through to implementation. Integrate sustainability into councils management plans, job descriptions and induction training. Build momentum by doing the little things right. It is better to excel in a few targeted areas rather than have average performance across a wide range of areas. Sympathetic organisational structure The level of openness of staff to change can effect how sympathetic they are to the sustainability agenda. A council motivated to come up with new and improved ways of doing things. A history of strong leadership and a policy of recruiting people with these values and skills can contribute to a sympathetic organisational culture. Make the most of a positive organisational culture by involving staff from across the organisation in sustainability planning and actions. Create opportunities for staff to exchange ideas about sustainability. Start an internal sustainability committee or host lunch time sustainability discussions. Lack of staff capacity and high staff turn over Staff with responsibilities for engaging their organisation or community in sustainability, feel the pressures of their wide ranging responsibilities and the types of skills required of them. There is a need for increasing skills of staff more generally. High staff turnover and loss of corporate knowledge. Improve staff capacity to work on sustainability issues by developing an internal sustainability committee made up of staff from different divisions. Support professional development opportunities around sustainability. Consider implementing a mentoring program to give staff additional support. Dedicated sustainability staff Having a sustainability position or a sustainability team was identified as a major enabler. However regardless of a person's job title or position within council, staff who are highly motivated and posses skills in motivating others are extremely important. Recognise dedicated staff by offering incentives such as staff bonuses and awards. Encourage sustainability staff to speak at conferences.This project has been assisted by the NSW Governmen t through its Environmental Trust. Common Barrier or Driver What the interviews tell us How can I overcome this barrier? or How can I make the most from this driver? Competing priorities A lower priority for environmental or social equity issues was often a reflection of prevailing community attitudes, or lobbying by particular interest groups. Host sustainability workshops to raise community awareness and build community support. Use community expectations and concerns to highlight the importance of sustainability issues. Media coverage of global and local issues Increased media coverage of sustainability issues can increase the level of understanding and support for issues such as climate change and other environmental issues. Use an interesting angle and eye catching pictures. Link local sustainability programs and events to current and dominant issues in the media. Active and engaged community Active communities can have a major influence on the policies and priorities of the elected council. For example the influence of letters advocating action on particular issues. Involve community champions in workshops; e.g. to give a short presentation on a topic of their interest. Popular social media tools such as Facebook and YouTube can be used to harness community support. Inadequate systems for managing information For many councils, data management and IT systems present real challenges. The problems of complex and incompatible systems, or lack of automation, can add to the time involved in planning, coordination and reporting. Use internal financial management systems to track sustainable procurement. Investigate the use of external companies to monitor your water and energy consumption. Effective management systems Internal management systems that brake down silos and ensure easy access to information can help achieve sustainability outcomes. If you are using good systems for sustainability outcomes promote their use both internally and externally.This project has been assisted by the NSW Governmen t through its Environmental Trust. Common Barrier or Driver What the interviews tell us How can I overcome this barrier? or How can I make the most from this driver? Lack of internal and external funding A lack of resources can limit the implementation of actions in sustainability plans. The current economic climate is putting a strain on council budgets, with implications for staffing. Set up a revolving energy fund. The money that is saved from reduced energy consumption is reinvested in sustainability programs. Use a grant database to track upcoming grants and avoid missed opportunities. Partner with other councils or organisations to develop regional grant applications. Apply for an environment/sustainability levy. Identify and implement low cost initiatives. External funding External funding allows greater access to resources that support sustainability internally. Use the opportunity of external funding to integrate sustainability into councils operations. Regularly communicate your project outcomes to senior management to increase ownership. Ensure your sustainability initiatives are as self sustaining as possible when the funding ceases. Difficulty dealing with government agencies While relationships are often very good at a personal level with officers in other government agencies, the lack of co- ordination between federal and state plans and agencies, and between state agencies, complicated work at the local level unnecessarily and often hindered progress. Partner with state and federal agencies in grant applications. Network with government agencies. Organise round tables with government agencies to progress difficult issues. Partnerships and external agency support Positive partnerships with other agencies such as local Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and/or Regional Organisation of Councils (ROC). Use your partnerships to increase resources, provide joint training opportunities and facilitate information.This project has been assisted by the NSW Governmen t through its Environmental Trust. Common Barrier or Driver What the interviews tell us How can I overcome this barrier? or How can I make the most from this driver? Supportive Legislation The principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development outlined in the Local Government Act 1993 and related requirements can be used as an important driver. Educate the community, council staff and councillors about legislation e.g. LGSA's Understanding Sustainability for Councillors Course Link councils sustainability projects to relevant legislation. Inadequate Legislation While legislation was recognised as a driver, it was also a common view that it is behind current practice and that the debates and issues in the Local Government sector now are at a very different stage from when the Local Government Act 1993 was drafted. Actively participate in consultation phases of key legislation. Aim to go above and beyond the requirements. Research and development challenges Environment and sustainability positions generally required new knowledge and new ways of doing things, but time for reflection, reading and keeping up with developments is a challenge. Costs involved in obtaining reliable data, and finding appropriate and affordable external assistance can also be a challenge. Partner with universities to gain access to sustainability research and expertise. Subscribe to sustainability networks which allow for transfer of knowledge and approaches e.g. www.sustainablenet.org.au The language of sustainability While practitioners in this area understand sustainability is convenient short hand for a set of well understood principles, the term often proved problematic when used in a broader audience. This is often adds to confusion about the term â€Å"sustainability†. Encourage council and the community to define what sustainability means to them. Develop a shared sustainability vision and understandings. Sustainability newsletters, sustainability induction and sustainability surveys can be used to build awareness of key principles.

Working Students

In educational institutions, success is measured by academic performance, or how well a student meets standards set out by local government and the institution itself. As career competition grows ever more fierce in the working world, the importance of students doing well in school has caught the attention of parents, legislators and government education departments alike. Read more: Define Academic Performance | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/about_4740750_define-academic-performance. html#ixzz2NEVziRNN Significance Although education is not the only road to success in the working world, much effort is made to identify, evaluate, track and encourage the progress of students in schools. Parents care about their child's academic performance because they believe good academic results will provide more career choices and job security. Schools, though invested in fostering good academic habits for the same reason, are also often influenced by concerns about the school's reputation and t he possibility of monetary aid from government institutions, which can hinge on the overall academic performance of the school.State and federal departments of education are charged with improving schools, and so devise methods of measuring success in order to create plans for improvement. History * In the past, academic performance was often measured more by ear than today. Teachers' observations made up the bulk of the assessment, and today's summation, or numerical, method of determining how well a student is performing is a fairly recent invention. Grading systems came into existence in America in the late Victorian period, and were initially criticized due to high subjectivity.Different teachers valued different aspects of learning more highly than others, and although some standardization was attempted in order to make the system more fair, the problem continued. Today, changes have been made to incorporate differentiation for individual students' abilities, and exploration of alternate methods of measuring performance is ongoing. Full-text education books, articles, journals at Questia. www. Questia. com/Education Function * The tracking of academic performance fulfills a number of purposes.Areas of achievement and failure in a student's academic career need to be evaluated in order to foster improvement and make full use of the learning process. Results provide a framework for talking about how students fare in school, and a constant standard to which all students are held. Performance results also allow students to be ranked and sorted on a scale that is numerically obvious, minimizing complaints by holding teachers and schools accountable for the components of each and every grade. Features * Performance in school is evaluated in a number of ways.For regular grading, students demonstrate their knowledge by taking written and oral tests, performing presentations, turning in homework and participating in class activities and discussions. Teachers evalu ate in the form of letter or number grades and side notes, to describe how well a student has done. At the state level, students are evaluated by their performance on standardized tests geared toward specific ages and based on a set of achievements students in each age group are expected to meet.Considerations The subjectivity of academic performance evaluation has lessened in recent years, but it has not been totally eliminated. It may not be possible to fully remove subjectivity from the current evaluation methods, since most are biased toward students that respond best to traditional teaching methods. Standardized testing is best responded to by students that excel in reading, mathematics and test-taking, a skill that is not in itself indicative of academic worth. The tests reward visual learners, and give no chance for kinesthetic or auditory learners to show their abilities.The standardized test fails to recognize students with learning and physical disabilities that do not all ow them to complete the test in the same manner or amount of time as other students. Evaluations from classroom teachers, though they give the most detailed information, may still retain bias if individual differentiation and learning styles have not been taken into account. Read more: Define Academic Performance | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/about_4740750_define-academic-performance. html#ixzz2NEXuduq0 Working studentsINTRODUCTIONMany college students today work part-time. Employment during school could improve grades if working promotes aspects that correspond with academic success, such as industriousness or time management skills, or instead reduce grades by reducing time and energy available for schoolwork. Otherwise, working might be associated with academic performance, yet not directly influence it, if unobserved student differences influence both labor supply and grades. Unmotivated students might neither work for pay nor receive good grades because they put little effo rt into the labor market or school.In contrast, students uninterested in academics might work long hours that would otherwise have been devoted to leisure. Students might misjudge the link between college achievement and future earnings when making labor supply decisions. If so, obtaining a consistent estimate of how such decisions affect academic performance is prospectively important for policy consideration. A student refers to someone who is formally engaged in learning, especially the one who is enrolled in a school or college. You would call an individual a student if he or she is a learner.Employment then correlates to jobs, vocation, profession, and etc. W would you then define ‘working student’? On another person’s mind, they would think of it as a student who engages in learning and working at the same time. It does not matter what nature of work it would be. Many college students today work part time. Their reason for working is mostly due to the fact that they lack the financial support they need. Few would reason out that they only needed the extra income for personal leisure. Parents would normally support their child for their education. In

Case Study Essay

1. Refer to Exhibit 3-3. How would a first-line manager’s job differ in these two organizations? How about a top-level manager’s job? Different managers perform at different levels and require different skills. To meet the demands of performing their functions, managers assume multiple roles. In Organization A, strong attention would be given to detail, with little innovation and risk taking. Teamwork would not be encouraged, and employees would be viewed as a means to an end. Strict controls would be placed on workers, and task achievement would be most important. The supervisor would have little latitude and would do things â€Å"by the book.† In Organization B, innovation and risk taking would be highly encouraged. The supervisor would have more autonomy in how to achieve goals. Employees would be given the opportunity to provide input, and a team approach would be used. People would be viewed as important contributors. The supervisor’s job would be more like that of a coach, encourager, and facilitator. 2. Describe an effective culture for a relatively stable environment and a dynamic environment. Explain your choices. An effective culture for a relatively stable environment would likely emphasize outcomes such as quality and productivity and would give significant attention to detail. It would not require high levels of innovation, risk taking, or aggressiveness. Conversely, an effective culture for a dynamic environment would likely em-phasize aggressiveness, innovation, risk taking, and team orientation. To stay on top of continual environmental changes, this organization would have a culture that celebrates productive work behaviors. 3. Classrooms have cultures. Describe your classroom culture, using the seven dimensions of organizational culture. Does the culture constrain your instructor? How? Educators today hear a lot about gaps in education – achievement gaps, funding gaps, school-readiness gaps. Still, there’s another gap that often goes unexamined: the cultural gap between students and teachers. 4. Can culture be a liability to an organization? Explain. organizational culture could be a liability. In the global environment, a society that discriminates on the basis of ethnicity or gender or in the exploitation of workers could experience a backlash from the reactions of consumers in other nations. 5. Why is it important for managers to understand the external forces that are acting on them and their organization? All outside factors that may affect an organization make up the external environment . The external environment is divided into two parts: Directly interactive: This environment has an immediate and firsthand impact upon the organization. A new competitor entering the market is an example. Directly interactive forces include owners, customers, suppliers, competitors, employees, and employee unions. Indirectly interactive: This environment has a secondary and more distant effect upon the organization. New legislation taking effect may have a great impact. indirectly interactive forces. These forces include sociocultural, political and legal, technological, economic, and global influences. Indirectly interactive forces may impact one organization more than another simply because of the nature of a particular business. 6. â€Å"Businesses are built on relationships.† What do you think this statement means? What are the implications for managing the external environment? organizations depend on their environment and their stakeholders as a source of inputs and a recipient of outputs. Good relationships can lead to organizational outcomes such as improved predictability of environmental changes, more successful innovations, greater degrees of trust among stakeholders, and greater flexibility in acting to reduce the impact of change. 7. What would be the drawbacks to managing stakeholder relationships? Stakeholder theory is widely recognized as a management theory, yet very little research has considered its implications for individual managerial decision making. But maybe the company’s stakeholders aren’t working to help the company instead they work for their own good maybe to steal or something else

Marketing and research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing and research - Essay Example STOP D is a testing machine that is used to test if someone has PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). The machine was invented and put into implementation by a renowned clinical psychologist who has worked with PTSD patients for long. The machine works by estimating the level of trauma that a person has and the amount of distress that the person experiences, and then, calculates the PTSD of the person. The test is also able to know the right kind of medication necessary for the patient and the prescription without the psychologist having to be there in person. At the same time, the test also gives the evidence to concerning the choice of the particular medication and how to improve the recovery process (DR. Mulhall 2011). STOP D is computerized meaning that everything done is recorded in a computer and then, the computer does all the judgment using the artificial intelligence that is installed. Later the computer comes up with the best solution to the problem as detected. There are lots of advantages for the computerization of the machine. Each time the test is done the method is the same; this reduces any chance of error that might occur unlike in cases where humans were to perform the same test. Due to the computerization the test is fast and every record is recorded and given within a very short time unlike when the test was done by a person. The machine has a touch screen that is used by the patient to enter their details, and to access the medication (DR. Mulhall 2011). New products in the market such as STOP D may require a high amount of finances so as to create awareness amongst its target market. Further, looking at the product life cycle; STOP D is a newly introduced product in the market; it is most probably in its growth phase of product life cycle. This stage is characterized by high advertisements, and

OLS estimation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

OLS estimation - Assignment Example The respective means of these variables are 82.38, 80.77 and 44.66 and significant variability among the values taken by these variables is observed, implying a possibility that variations in attendance can potentially cause variations in marks. Other variables that can potentially affect performances in the course have to be accounted for to ensure a proper evaluation and so, â€Å"ability†, â€Å"age†, â€Å"hrss†, i,e., study hours are also explored. All these variables reflect strong variability and thus are all potential candidates as controls. (For details, see table 1 in appendix). Apart from simply looking at individual descriptive statistics, in order to obtain some idea about the interrelationships and potential causations, a table of scatter plots are also explored where â€Å"smarks† is the plotted as the y variable while â€Å"ability†, â€Å"age†, â€Å"hrss†, â€Å"alevelsa† â€Å"attl† as well as squared f orms of ability and attl as the x variables. From the plots (figure 2 in appendix), we find that both ability and its square seem to be positively correlated with marks. The variables â€Å"age† and â€Å"alevelsa† seem to have no associative patterns with marks. For attendance, our primary variable of interest, we find that there is evidence of clustering of values greater than the mean marks at the higher values of attl implying that higher lecture attendance rate is associated with better performances on average on the course. Further, it seems that there is some clustering at higher values of the squared lecture attendance rates. No correlation seems to be present between smarks and hrss from the last graph in the table. The interrelationships between these variables are important for regression specifications, since high correlations among independent variables may lead to multicollinearity. So, a scatterplot matrix is presented as figure 2 in the appendix. Theref ore, the summary statistics and the scatter plots, show that there is a strong possibility that class attendance influences performance along with other factors such as ability. Further, since some evidence of possible positive correlation between class performance as measured by â€Å"smarks† and the squares of â€Å"ability† and attendance, represented by â€Å"attl† were observed, the possibility of nonlinear dependence cannot be ignored. 2. Basic OLS estimation a) From the simple regression of smarks on an intercept and the variable â€Å"attl†, we find that attendance has a significant positive impact on performance1. The coefficient on attendance is close to 0.15 and has a t-stat value of 4.33>1.96, which is the 5% critical value for the t distribution under the null hypothesis that the coefficient is insignificant, i.e., is not statistically significantly different from zero. Additionally the intercept takes a value of 52.91 implying that the condi tional mean of â€Å"smarks† is 52.91 for students who have a zero attendance rate for lectures. This value is significant at the 5% level as well (t-stat value 19.06>1.96). However, the adjusted R-squared value is only 0.06 implying that only 6% of the variation of performance can be explained in terms of variations in lecture attendance rates. Therefore, the model fit is poor. b) Inclusion of ability and hours studied (hrss) leads to the impact of attendance rate falling to approximately 0.13 from 0.15, but the

Physics of Sound Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Physics of Sound - Essay Example The nature of sound could, therefore, be defined through standard wave characteristics. Loudness would be a direct component of the amplitude with sound intensity being the rightful physical description to use in this context. This intensity would directly depend on the quantity of wave energy which meets the area which is perpendicular to the direction of the wave at a specified time period. The intensity of sound would thus be expressed in Jm2s. Since dividing a joule by second yields the unit of power, Watt, Myers (134) defines sound intensity as the quantity of power that is transmitted through an area, expressed in watts per square meter (Wm-2). According to the inverse square rule – the intensity of sound is inversely proportional to the square distance from the source (Parker 8), – as the sound spreads, the intensity decreases explaining the relation of intensity and distance from the source. Pitch is another characteristic but one that relates to frequency. Musi cal instruments’ strings that vibrate rapidly result in high pitched sounds. Temperature, density, and humidity affect yet another factor, the speed of sound (Myers 136). The equation (331 + 0.6T) m/s gives the speed of sound with T being the temperature in 0C, approximated at 343, 1,480 and 6,000 m/s in the air, water, and steel respectively at room temperature. The speed of sound has been found to be higher in liquids and solids than in air.Myers (135) notes that the threshold of human hearing is about 10-12Wm-2 above which most humans would experience pain. Human ear detects s

Summative Assignment (Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summative Assignment (Business Plan - Essay Example The vast majority of our lodgings were among the first structures to be raised in adolescent urban area. Few inns can brag that their groups actually grew up around them. Today, we have added present day downtown area properties to our gathering, with center areas that permit you to join the rushing about of the city, make part in the move of the business locale, and appreciate the society, the lights and qualities of road life. We promise consistency all through our gathering of lodgings and resorts by holding fast entirely too broad measures. Focal buying guarantees the same great pleasantries are accessible to all visitors wherever they visit. All these and more make each Oasis in an uncommon spot, and your stay, an exceptional experience (Software, 2015) â€Å"Transforming minutes into memories for our visitors† is the mission statement of Oasis hotel and resorts. On the off chance that anything positively characterizes Oasis Hotels & Resorts, it is the quality we append to enduring memories. Expanding upon a century of experience as hoteliers has blessed us with a rich convention of neighborliness. We offer encounters that are legitimately nearby, in inns and resorts of unrivaled vicinity. Furthermore real accommodation is attained to when captivating administration and meticulousness hoist each one stay into valued memory. We realize that even the best areas and offerings would be negligible without extraordinary visitor administration. Our talented and persuaded staff is furnished with the instruments and the attitude to commonly convey on this guarantee. Inside an Oasis experience, each visitor is offered a warm welcome and is made to feel uncommon, esteemed and increased in value. We transport our visitors to exceptional spots saturated with special structural engineering, expressive dà ©cor and wonderful imaginativeness. Oasis areas dont simply ooze history; a lot of people are nothing short

Unit 5 Individual Project 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 5 Individual Project 1 - Essay Example conomic Review, Microsoft is the most admired company in the world, both due to its development and vision, and because of its financial stability and economic strength. It has been on the top of the list for nine straight years. Much of the credit for this goes to the increasing financial growth of the company over the years, and its expanding revenue and costing horizons, thanks to its ever-developing subsidies all around the world. According to the Review, there was a 13% growth in its revenue in the fiscal year ending in June 2003, to an outstanding $32 billion, with an 11% increase in the operating income, to $13 billion (Review 2008). The importance of the growth of its subsidies and global presence can be inferred from the fact that Microsoft decided to spend around $750 million to build up on its position in China by 2005 (Review 2008), a strong market and a booming economic strength that is sure to provide Microsoft with an increased influx of revenue, resulting in an increa sed growth rate and financial stability post-2005 investment. In fact, the financial growth is already apparent. Owing to the increased markets and customers liking for the launch of new features of Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007, there has already been a 6% increase in the revenue for the fiscal quarter ending on 31st December, 2006, which reached $12.54 billion, a deferral of $1.64 billion of revenue and operating income, as compared to the figures of the same quarter for the previous year, that is the quarter ending on 31st December, 2005 (Microsoft 2007). All the facts and figures revealing the company’s financial standing and growth are a proof of the economic stability and expansion of

Assignment One Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment One - Coursework Example It will make it a lot easier to achieve. I have done O and A levels in September 1999 and my subjects are Arabic, Arabic Literature, English language, History, Art, Geography. I have also done some courses as General Principle of English Law, Procedural Law Completed Virgin Atlantic/GBTA level 1 and level 2 FARES & TICKETING and GALILEO. With attaining degrees in HR, I also need to start working professionally. I already have worked in different human resources areas as volunteer and part time worker. For next five years, I have set some goals for myself to achieve: I need to improve my general knowledge about people and their behavioral psychology. It is because I am pursuing a career in Human Resource and for that I need to have an extensive knowledge about different people, their cultures, political views etc. For this purpose, I need to attend seminars, training courses to meet new people, meet professionals in the field to develop my knowledge. I also need to read books on a regular basis, apart from my course material to have an advanced learning of the subject. I need to be adaptive to new environment and people. For an HR professional, being adaptive is very important as HR professionals are key drivers in bringing change in the organization and they have to meet and manage people from diverse background. This I will learn when I move out of my home country to a new place for my university degree. Moving to a new country will give me a chance to meet people from diverse background and know them better. I need to work on my creative side. I need to develop skills for thinking out of the box and lead to innovation. For this purpose I have to go through a lot of brain storming exercises everyday to develop lateral thinking in myself. I researched through a lot of text and website in order to set my educational and career goals. I used Nova Scotia Government Career Development Plan 2006-07 guide to see

Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War Essay Example for Free

Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War Essay Some have said that the United States and Iran have been involved in a â€Å"Cold War† for three decades starting with the fall of the taking of American hostages in 1979. One could trace the problems between Iran and the United States to the installation of the Shah in the 1950s. Regardless of the origins, the fact remains that Iran and the United States consider themselves enemies. As such, it is not out of the question that a war between the United States and Iran could break out. This creates a very complex scenario because of the global economic implications of a war between Iran and the United States. Iran is, of course, a major supplier of oil to the many allies of the United States. Japan, for example, is one of the United States’ strongest allies and it receives an enormous amount of oil from Iran. Similarly, many European allies receive imports of Iranian oil. A war between Iran and the United States would have tremendous global implications. Among these many implications would be serious potential negative implications for the world’s economy. Several of these different â€Å"nightmare scenarios† will be explored in this essay. First, it is important to state there are different ways to wage war. Some methods such as supporting the overthrow of the Iranian government via supporting resistance forces might not have the impact of the global economy to the same degree as a series of surgical airstrikes or a ground invasion. In this essay, the subject of ‘war’ will be discussed in its most conventional sense. Specifically, it will be defined as a large scale, drawn out military conflict between the two nations. One of the most strategic areas the United States must consider when it comes to Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 2 the issue of a war with Iran is the fact that Iran is completely reliant on the importation of gasoline. Without shipping access, the ability for Iran to maintain its importation of gasoline would be impossible. Of course, it would be to the United States’ interest to enact a naval blockade on Iran to prevent the importation of gasoline. This would almost immediately lead to Iran further rationing its gasoline supply in order to effectively operate its military. While it would not be accurate to state that a naval blockade would immediately end the war (Iran’s navy could attack the US’ navy and potentially reverse the blockade) However, the scenario of no imports or exports would also cripple Iran’s ability to deliver oil to other nations in the world. This would then have potentially enormous economic impacts on the global markets. The notion that there would be serious economic implications resulting from a war between the United States and Iran has been weighed by many serious thinkers. â€Å"earlier in July when Iran tested missiles capable of reaching Israel and other corners of the Middle East, the price of oil jumped to a new high of over $147 per barrel. In fact, some analysts see the impact of U. S. —Iran relations on the oil market as so important as to suggest the best way to give quick relief to energy consumers around the world is a declaration by the U. S. that military force is not an acceptable option in its dispute with Iran. † (Esfahani) This is why there is so much concern globally regarding a potential United States/Iranian conflict. At the core of mostly all basic economics is the theory of supply and demand. If Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 3 the supply of something is limited and high demand remains in place, the price of the item increases. This then creates the issue of opportunity costs. When you buy something with your money, you have eliminated the potential to use that same money for something else. In other words, if the price of gasoline skyrockets and people have to pay more for it, then they will be depleted their cash reserves or increasing their borrowing. Oil is also employed for the production of electricity which would also increase in price in the face of an oil embargo. Once again, the drain on personal finances as a result of such increased energy and fuel costs would cut into every sector of the global economy. Discretionary income would drop and leisure purchases and even the purchases of necessities would diminish rapidly. What would be the effect of this on the economies of various nations? The impact would be felt on a variety of front. The stock market, for example, would experience a great deal of negative impact as a result of such diminished spending. When people are not purchasing, the stocks of many companies may decline. After all, their profit margins could decline. Granted, there are many steps a company can take to make sure its stock price remains stable. For example, reducing the workforce or cutting spending in other areas would aid in boosting stock prices. However, if something is not done to present the lowering of stock prices, economies will take an immediate tumble. Those with investments in the market would see their net worth diminish. If one Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 4 sees a 25% decline in the value of their portfolio, they will see a 25% decline in their net worth. Again, this is how simple economics works and such an impact will assuredly be the result of a large scale (or even minor military skirmish) between Iran and the United States. There really would be no way to avoid such a chain of events from occurring if a war broke out between the Unites States and Iran. This is because there will be an enormous impact on the price and flow of oil if such a war was to break out. Such an occurrence could not be circumvented in any way. As one can infer, this ties heavily into the concept of aggregate demand which would be the definitive demand for goods and services in a particular economy at certain specific price levels. As one could logical infer, demand for high priced items in this situation of reduced consumer cash liquidity would certainly hamper purchases of high priced items or items that are not considered of vital importance to one’s sustenance. This can lead to s significant reduction in output – the total value of all services and goods produced in the economy – within a very short period of time. We will see the impact of this in the Mundell-Fleming Model (An aggregate demand model) which would detail the relationship between the inflation of prices combined with the actual output of goods and services. In the simplest of terms, high inflation combined with a slow decline in goods and services could prove cataclysmic for an economy. But, even with high inflation, it would be safe to say that the potential for the Mundell-Fleming model to maintain a high supply of goods and services is possible in the United States. The reason for this is that the various sectors of the United States Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 5 economy are so vast that there will be those able to purchase goods and services even at inflated prices. Some professions would not be as significantly impacted by high fuel or energy costs. As such, there may be a certain level of maintained stability within model even though a large section of the population may still be suffering. Issues surrounding a war with Iran are complex and far reaching. This includes the actual manner in which the war would be waged. Considering the size of the US and Iranian military, no option would be off the table in terms of how the war would be waged. Case in point, the utilization of tactical nuclear weapons by the United States may be necessitated. This is not to say that tactical nuclear missiles would be a first response or that they would be directed towards civilian targets. However, there are possibilities that could necessitate the use of such weapons by the United States. For example, Iran has tens of thousands of cruise missiles. The threat of launching thousands of these missiles into Israeli cities, European cities, or neighboring American military bases would potentially require the detonation of the missile silos with tactical nuclear arms. A wide scale Iranian invasion of neighboring countries such as Iraq could require a tactical response. Use of chemical weapons by Iran would constitute a WMD attack and lead to a nuclear response. Really, there are many different variables at work here. Again, this is not to say that a war between the United States and Iran would automatically lead to nuclear strikes. However, the potential for such strikes exist in any large scale military conflict. This would have a devastating impact on the world economy Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 6 for a number of reasons. The possibility of a nuclear strike destroying oil fields would be a potential scenario. The presence of radiation reducing the amount of work that can be performed on oil wells is another. Such scenarios are grim when discussed in an antiseptic manner. In the decades since the detonation of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, the horror of a nuclear strike’s effects have not been dulled on the senses of people. However, the specter of the potential use of such weapons is always present. As such, the impact – both human and economic – must be weighed. Because of the potential for a tactical nuclear strike leading to arms races in the region (Other nations will want their own nukes as a deterrent to future strikes), the need for a significant conventional force is required. This means the war will have to be funded to handle a long campaign and potentially significantly longer post-war rebuilding phase. This will cost significantly in terms of government expenditures which, in turn, means the deficit will skyrocket. With very high, out of control deficits, a number of seriously negative economic situations could develop. First, a debtor nation may not be able to provide for the common good of society. As such, it must take steps to reduce the impact of the deficit. One method involves printing more money and the other process involves increasing taxes. Both methods have the potential for significant economic harm. When a nation prints more money in order to meet obligations tied to a deficit, it the value of the currency will decrease. A weakened dollar comes with many problems. Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 7 Namely, investment is seriously hampered since the dollars that you amass are worth less. Additionally, there will be a disinclination on the part of foreign investors to put their money into the US market. There would be limited value for their doing so since the dollar is declining meaning their investment capital in dollars would potentially decline as well. Debt holders of US bonds would also become more nervous since they would be losing money on their investment. As pointed out in BUSINESSWEEK, â€Å"As the currency deteriorates, it becomes more expensive to import goods and services from other countries, fueling inflation. In an effort to pull investors back, central banks often raise interest rates when their national currencies lose value. But as anyone who remembers the 70s knows, the combination of rising interest rates and on-the-run inflation can be a devastating economic cocktail. † (Rosenbush) In some cases, foreign investment is critical for the spurning of employment and economic growth. With foreign companies opting to avoid putting their money into the United States, the unemployment could increase which further raises deficit potential. This is due to the fact that more unemployed people means less tax dollars paid to the government. Additionally, unemployment creates greater dependency on welfare which also contributes to higher deficits. All of this further sets the stage for inflation which makes goods and services less affordable to the public. This further damages the economy and adds to the deficits. Tax Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 8 increases are commonly pointed to as a solution, but their value is limited. When money is taken out of the private sector and placed in the treasury, it makes job creation harder. This, in turn, makes economic recover more difficult as well. If an economic recovery if difficult to expedite, then it becomes much harder to get out of it. That is because the sheer volume of economic pain induced by the many months or years of poor economic factors and growth create complexities and problems that multiply. Again, this makes reversing a poor economy more difficult. As such, some may wonder why the United States’ policy towards Iran may be so hard lined. The reason is that not treating Iran as a threat could prove equally harmful to economic and security interests. Iran’s agitation towards the United States prime allies is not helpful for US strategic security. Also, Iran’s potential domination of the other oil countries in the Middle East does not appeal to US economic interests. As such, there will be perpetual tension between the two countries. Hopefully, such tensions will not lead to war but preparedness for such actions is required. Considering the economic impact of such action, war should be the perennial last resort or option to be executed. So, far it has been averted and will hopefully remain averted for the foreseeable future. Most do not tie the economic ramifications to military action. However, the two are intertwined. Wars need to be funded and there are additional economic costs associated with military action. This is why sensible nations do not rush to war and as well they should not. But, this does not mean a nation should not prepare for the potential worst case scenario.While the US is not is a rush to engage Iran militarily, it understands the potential for such a conflict needs to be adequately prepared for. Works Cited Esfahani, e. (2008, September). The Economic consequences of us-iran relations. Retrieved from http://www. ideals. illinois. edu/bitstream/handle/2142/9093/ policy_brief. esfahani. final. pdf? sequence=2 Rosenbush, S. (2004, November 12). The Pros and cons of a weak dollar. Businessweek, Retrieved from http://www. businessweek. com/bwdaily/ dnflash/nov2004/nf20041112

Impacts Of Globalization Islamic Architecture Cultural Studies Essay

Impacts Of Globalization Islamic Architecture Cultural Studies Essay The tension between modernity and tradition has influenced all aspects of todays life, especially in the social, cultural and architectural aspects. This dual structure closely reflects the realities that most modern Muslim societies face today. The impact of modernity and globalization cannot be ignored, which has become one of the most controversial issues in contemporary Islamic architecture. In recent years there have been a considerable number of papers and books regarding the dialogue between old and new or modernity and tradition, which emphasize the role of these challenges in our life. Most of the times becoming dissolved by globalization do not let us pause and rethink the architectural styles we are following. What are the reasons that we need to talk about the consequences of globalization? Because it is necessary for a dialogue to be created between new horizons that take shape within a globalized context and local values, especially when we discuss an Islamic country like Iran that has experienced an Islamic revolution by its own people. We should rethink the challenges of contemporary Islamic architecture in order to enhance our knowledge and increase our ability to tackle current problems confronting the cultural and architectural need of the changing Muslim society. On the one hand there is an urgent need to revitalize local identities and characters and on the other there is inevitable need for new building materials and technologies. The architectural character of purpose -built Islamic community centers in non-Muslim countries has been shaped by image of Islamic architecture in the West constructed through the Orientalist discourse, the post-colonial search for identity, and the particularities of postmodern architectural practice. Nowadays we believe that the architecture of the present day is surely the product of past lessons, even if historicism and classicism are in minority. There are subjects we need to consider such as the main approaches and groups in contemporary Islamic architecture and their perspectives regarding globalization and regionalism in contemporary architecture. Since the 1970s and 1980s the economy systems in Middle Eastern countries (as the biggest Muslim societies in the world) like Iran or UAE has been undergoing a process of transformation from international to global. The furiously rapid development of information and telecommunication technologies and infrastructures is bringing advancements such as the worldwide spread of finance and capital markets. Finally the reorganization of these various global functions has caused the transformation of the metropolises that were the historical and traditional centers of international exchanges. Not only did globalization and global approaches become widespread all over the world, but they also became impossible to ignore. Globalization is a word transposed from globalization and localization. The advance of globalization gave rise to simultaneously react to and resist local movements at the various levels of nationalism. This approach showed that globalization and localization are not unilateral processes and cannot be successful without a collaborative approach and always being together. Globalization is driving localization and localization is driving globalization at the same time. Traditional architecture (Islamic architecture, for an instance) was confronted with western architecture; they are getting compared at all the times. Modern architecture enjoys materials of premium and high quality, total advanced technology of the day and the hunger of new designers, architectures and engineers in inventing new things, but traditional architecture would utilize the same traditional technologies and the same outlines and limitations; as a result this battle did not lead to a desire and pleasant state of things and it was western architecture that won the unfair race. International style and modern architecture were the first true examples of the newly-fashioned styles that dominated the scene of contemporary Islamic architecture. This facing with the new ideas cost traditional architecture its coherence, originality and integrity; however it caused many challenges in the later periods such as the usage of modern material that is totally irrelevant to the function of the buildings, such as mosques with facades covered with English orange tiles or using black marble to make a minaret. Analysis At the turn of the twentieth century the roots of international architecture style had already taken shape in steel-framed, concrete faced and multistory commercial buildings. But it was to take another fifty years and some social reforms to change the contemporary Islamic (religious spaces) architectures trends before the spirit of modern Islamic architecture began to find a coherent style that could call its own. 2.1. Contemporary architecture of Islamic countries At the turn of the twentieth century the roots of international architecture style had already taken shape in steel-framed, concrete faced and multistory commercial buildings. But it was to take another fifty years and some social reforms to change the contemporary Islamic (religious spaces) architectures trends before the spirit of modern Islamic architecture began to find a coherent style that could call its own. The middle decades of the twentieth century could be called the ascendancy of international style in Middle East, when no one dared to question the validity of its principles. The powerful waves of globalization have influenced the trends of contemporary Islamic architecture in many ways. It has changed architectural education and training, materials and components, ideas and conceptions, political and economic conditions, social and civic values, and technology and the design process substantially. Taking Iran as an example for modern Muslim society in the Middle East, we can find facts that Islam as a main component of society has a visible effect on architecture and design. The revival of Islamic regional architecture epitomized the revivalist ideas of exponents of the Islamic revolution of Iran that want to dominate Islam as the most determining criterion in all aspect of life, especially in culture, art and architecture. They are looking for a version of traditional architecture that could be implemented in contemporary circumstances. Some radical trend in contemporary Iranian architecture emphasized a backward looking historicism; however this has been among a small minority of architects. Regional movements accuse modern architect of sacrificing traditional values, but on the other hand they accused regional movements of not being diligent in the enhancement of the quality of contemporary Islamic architecture of Middle East. 2.2. Islamic architecture in non-Muslim countries; Mosques and Islamic community centers As we know representation of Islamic architecture in the West go back at least to the eighteenth century, when European travelers and artists came back from the Islamic world with vivid impressions, which they recorded both in writing and paintings. To them, the most fascinating aspects of the mosque were its domes and minarets. Due to restricted access, the images these foreigners conveyed were generally distorted; minarets and columns were ill-proportioned; curvatures of domes were exaggerated; pointed, shallow, and horseshoe arches were used interchangeably, and so on. The diversity of backgrounds, origins, and ethnicities of Muslims in non-Muslim societies and their shared values and experiences with fellow Muslims all over the world are important aspects of identity of Muslims in non-Muslim countries. The daily interaction of Muslims with the issues of immigration, multiculturalism, a loosened relationship between the religion and the government, liberalism, stereotypes and racism has shaped the development of their hybrid identity. These Muslims are striving within this context to develop an Islamic society that is autonomous as well as participatory, one that constantly attempts at adapting to the contradictions of living in non-Muslim countries. This society would nonetheless be vigilant to avoid the hegemony of the dominant culture, and aware of its role in challenging injustices. Efforts to engage this way with society are evidenced by the participation of Muslims in local and national politics, the armed forces, an increased emphasis on education, and a growing economic base supported by Islamic banking institution. Amidst this interaction, Islamic community centers have emerged as clear markers of the distinctly Muslims presence of this population. The very concept of an Islamic community center in a non-Muslim country represents a set of contradictions. It is not just a mosque for performing prayers; rather it concerns the establishment of a religion, in majority society of non- Muslims who have by and large secularized themselves over the last two centuries. The Islamic communities in these countries are seeking to build for their selves a sense of group identity in a social context that glorifies individualism as opposed to communal interaction. They strive to create permanence and stability in a culture that is increasingly based on mobility, transition and change. The community centers and mosques in these countries struggle to maintain to their ties with the ancient past that they are supposed to link to and far away homelands in a seemingly isolated land. The formation of Islamic community centers indicates a search for identity among Muslims that goes beyond the limitations of ethnic bonds. It also serves as a community institution that helps to consolidate their scattered efforts and secure the right to practice their beliefs. Most Islamic community centers and Mosques in non- Muslim countries have been designed by architects who base their knowledge of Islamic architecture on their own image of it, inspired by the increasing number of community buildings throughout the western countries, as well as the substantial literature that has been developed in the West on Islamic architecture. The emerging architecture can be seen as a descendent of the Moorish revival style and the architecture of fantasy inspired by Islamic pavilions in the expositions of the nineteenth century. Just as these styles formed part of a general western trend, so has the architecture of the Islamic community center become the part of a wider architectural movement in the west, where the presence of Muslim communities in increasingly felt, especially in the metropolitan centers of Western Europe and North America. Figure 1 Through their experience in designing Islamic community centers, non- Muslim architects often learn to reconsider some of their myths about Islam, and to change their previous negative images about Muslims. Such experiences not only increase their knowledge of non-Western aesthetic and building traditions, but also expose them to the nature of Islam itself, especially the tenets which are most prominently reflected in the designs for municipal and domestic buildings and mosques. Unfortunately, many of the new Islamic community centers in America are scaled down and impoverished imitations of old monuments The architect of the West Virginia Community Center, William Preston boast that: The South Charleston Center is modeled after a famous Islamic house of worship, the Badshahi Mosque, in Lahore, Pakistan (fig. 1). The Badhsahi Mosque is bigger than the Taj Mahal, and is considered the largest house of worship in the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In the final product, the building in no way resembles any of these monuments, but this is not seen t disappoint either the architect or the client. Faithful imitation was not the intention; rather it is the capturing of the flavor of the old (fig. 2) Figure 2 The result is often kind of parody, which is presumably found desirable within a community seeking a nostalgic relationship to the past. In this case, the role of the architect is to revive the past and reinterpret its vocabulary in the contemporary architectural language. In the U.S., this is the language of the commercial strip. The resultant combination of architectural revivalism and the strip mall aesthetic more often captures the essence of an exotic Oriental restaurant than the spirit of traditional Islamic architecture. In such buildings the aesthetic features of the mosque- the minaret especially- are appropriated like the sign posts advertising gas stations or fast food restaurants. The distorted expression of many Islamic community centers in the U.S., their vivid colors, and their use of modern industrial materials, contribute to a generally crude aesthetic, one which may be related to the general loss of high skills and craftsmanship, low budgets, and the low level of ar tistic sophistication on the part of both client and architecture. On the other hand, it is worth pointing out that in the quest for self-representation through architecture, the use of format icons such as domes and minarets has become widespread, not just in non-Islamic countries, but also in many Islamic ones, even where those forms did not belong in the past. While this globalized use of iconic references may seem to be a product of the Muslims attempt at representing themselves through an architecture that they see as authentic and reflects the essence of their Islamic culture, it is in fact more closely related to the Western representations of Islamic architecture being perpetuated today by both Muslims and non-Muslim famous architects and scholars around the globe. Conclusion At a glance at the discussion it might be possible to conclude that the interest of contemporary Islamic architecture in Glocalization and moderate attitudes is in a good condition and is going to become the main popular style in Contemporary Islamic architecture, especially among the recent generation of young architects. Global-regionalism is too young to find a coherent style that it could call its own; therefore there are several kinds of approaches that could be categorized in this group. Their buildings are suggested by the spirit of traditional Islamic architecture, as well as the utilization of new technologies and materials. This paradoxical strategy is the main specificity of the new generation of contemporary Islamic architects. Their fidelity to the spirit of their ancestors, as well as their keen interest in new technologies and advanced building materials, formed a new generation that could only be called Glocalized. The architecture of Islamic community centers in non-Muslim countries illustrates issues related to a minority culture attempting, through architectural form, to re-establish continuity and stability, to express identity and to maintain forms of collective memory. The relationship between identity and iconic references should be seen within a broad-based setting, due to the increasing globalization of ideas about contemporary Islamic architecture that are constantly moving back and forth between the West and the Islamic world through architectural writing, competitions and commissions. While Islamic architecture in non-Muslim countries has already contributed to deconstructing the totalizing agendas of identity politics and Orienatalist stereotyping, cycles of representation are difficult to escape. The focus needs to shift to what kind of identity is being expressed, and where the architectural aspects of collective memory of Muslims can be complemented, overlaid, or even replaced by other systems, so as not to miss the potentials of creative representation. This critical understanding may raise issue of shred human values that can help create a dialogue with non- Muslims through architecture. This can be achieved through fragmentation and perhaps domesticity that reduce the authoritative aspects of formality and humanizes the architectural product. Emphasis needs to be directed toward the expression of transparency, rather than obsession with privacy and exclusiveness. List of references Al-Qawasmi, Jamal[2007], Regional Architecture and Identity in the age of Globalization, volume 3, CSAAR, Tunisia Owen, Graham[2009], Architecture, Ethics and Globalization, Routledge, USA Guggenheim, Michael[2010], Reshaping Cities, How global mobility transforms architecture and urban form, Routledge, USA Hillenbrand Robert [2004], Islamic architecture: Form, Function, and Meaning, Columbia University Press, USA Petruccioli Attilio[2002], Understanding Islamic Architecture, Routledge, USA

Low Pressure Mercury Vapour Electronic Discharge

Low Pressure Mercury Vapour Electronic Discharge A common discharge lighting luminary for use in an office environment would typically be a low-pressure mercury-vapour electronic discharge (fluorescent) lamp. The lamp is constructed from a hollow glass tube with an aluminium cap at each end. Within the tube are two electrode coils, one at either end. The inner surface of the glass tube is coated in phosphor, and the tube, containing a small amount of mercury vapour, is filled at low pressure with an inert gas such as argon or krypton. Construction of a typical fluorescent lamp http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Documents/FL%20Introduction.htm Block diagram showing fluorescent lamp and associated circuitry http://www.leonardo-energy.org/drupal/files/root/Images/ballast/Grundschaltung_e.GIF An automatic starting switch (starter) is used to initialise the flow of electrons from a coated filament cathode, which then collide with mercury vapour atoms, exciting their electrons to a higher energy state. This higher energy state is unstable and returns to a lower, more stable level, and in so doing produces a very small amount of blue-green light and a large amount of ultraviolet radiation. When the UV radiation comes into contact with the phosphor coating it causes the phosphors electrons to reach a higher energy state, which when returning to a normal level give off visible light; the colour of which is dependant upon the chemical composition of the phosphor. Fluorescent lamps are negative resistance devices, meaning that as the current increases, the electrical resistance decreases, allowing further increase in current flow. If the rise in current flow were to be uncontrolled the lamp would quickly self-destruct. To prevent this, a ballast device is used in order to regulate the current flow. Fluorescent lamps are a well established standard for general lighting in industrial, commercial and domestic applications. They come in a range of standardised sizes, power ratings, white colours, and colour temperatures. Other benefits of using fluorescent lamps compared to, for example, incandescent lamps, is that they are more energy efficient and have a longer life, typically 10 20 times longer than an incandescent lamp. When switched on they illuminate almost immediately, there is no waiting period whilst they warm up to their operating temperature, which for a fluorescent lamp is room temperature. When switched off, they can be restarted immediately, unlike high pressure sodium lamps which must cool down. One disadvantage of fluorescent lamps is that in some circumstances they may flicker at twice the supply frequency, causing a stroboscopic effect which, in a workshop type environment, may cause rotating machinery to appear stationary. One way to overcome this is by using lamps with a high-frequency electronic ballast. A common discharge lighting luminary for use in an indoor sports environment would typically be a high-intensity discharge (HID) type lamp, such as metal halide or high pressure sodium. High Pressure Sodium Sodium vapour at high pressure and temperature is highly reactive with glass, which would rapidly fail as a result. So, for a high pressure sodium lamp, a ceramic arc tube body, known as translucent polycrystalline alumina (PCA) and manufactured from aluminium oxide, is used instead; and is itself enclosed by a protective outer glass bulb, which is either evacuated or contains an inert gas. High pressure sodium lamp (image from: http://www.hydroyard.com/) The arc tube is evacuated of air and volatile contaminants, a dose of sodium-mercury amalgam and a filling gas of either argon or xenon are introduced. The type of gas filling is chosen for its ability to allow an arc to strike at low pressure. Tungsten electrodes, having a coating of electron-emissive material, connect to the electrical supply and the tube is hermetically sealed. A high voltage pulse causes the gas within the arc tube to ionise, creating an arc between the two tungsten electrodes, and increases the temperature of the gas. Initially, the arc voltage, due to the low vapour pressures, is low. As the amalgam temperature increases so does the pressure, and thereby the voltage, taking a few minutes for the lamp to reach its optimum operating condition. Once the lamp has been switched off, it needs to cool for a short while before being able to restart. The ballast, as with the fluorescent tube, controls the current to ensure stable operation. Diagram showing basic construction of a high pressure sodium lamp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:High_pressure_sodium_lamp.svg Some of the benefits of using high pressure sodium lamps in an indoor sports environment are that they give good colour rendering which is important where teams need to clearly identify each other by their colours. HPS lamps also provide a whiter light which allows players to clearly identify the sports equipment, especially where that equipment is used in fast moving sports such as the ball in a game of squash. Task 20 Escape Route Lighting It is essential that every workplace has a means of egress during an emergency, and this requires a system of emergency lighting be fitted to ensure that evacuation can be done in a safe manner should the normal lighting system fail. BS EN 50172:2004/ BS 5266-8:2004 details the requirements for emergency lighting systems. Legislation requires that lighting be sited in points of emphasis along the exit route, covering areas such as each exit door, intersections, changes of direction and floor level along the route, stairways, fire fighting equipment, alarm points, potential hazards, emergency escape signs, first aid points, equipment and machinery that requires shutting down in an emergency, outside and near to each final exit. The term near is defined as within 2 metres, measured horizontally. Examples of points of emphasis At each exit door At each piece of fire fighting equipment and alarm call point At each intersection of corridors Near each first aid post The escape route must attain a minimum level of illuminance, additionally, every compartment on the escape route must have at least two luminaires in order to provide some light should one fail. BS 5266 Pt 7: 1999 (EN1838) details the Light Level Requirements, a minimum of 1 lux anywhere on the centre line of the escape route for normal risks. A uniformity ratio of 40:1 maximum to minimum must not be exceeded. This illuminance must be provided for the full duration and life of the system. 50% of the illuminance must be available within 5 seconds and the full value within 60 seconds of supply failure. (http://www.cooper-ls.com/dg_emersystem.html) High Risk Task Area Lighting Guidance for the requirements of provision of emergency lighting in high risk areas is given in BS 5266 Part 10: 2008. The provision of emergency lighting in High Risk Task Areas must be sufficient enough to allow the safe shutting down of machinery and equipment in areas such as workshops, control and plant rooms, switchgear rooms, production lines, laboratories, or any other areas where potentially dangerous situations or processes are likely to occur, and which might affect the safety of the workforce or other occupants. It is a requirement that for high risk areas the maintained illuminance should be not less than 10% of the normal maintained illuminance on the reference plane for the task, and not less than 15 lux, whichever is higher. It should have a maximum uniformity ratio of 10:1, and a response time of at least 0.5 seconds. It should also be free from stroboscopic effects. http://www.voltexlighting.co.za/Download/emergency_lighting.pdf, http://www.westyorksfire.gov.uk/departments/fireSafety/nfgs/FS-NFG029-EmergencyLighting.pdf Most emergency lighting systems fall into three types, Maintained, Non-maintained and Sustained. A maintained system is one where the luminaire uses the same lamp for both standard and emergency use, can be switched on or off in the same manner as a normal light, but once the regular power supply is lost the lamp will illuminate, using its back-up battery pack. A maintained system has an M designation and a number indicating the emergency duration in hours, e.g. M2. A non-maintained system is one that illuminates only when the mains supply fails. It is designated NM and, again, is followed by a number that indicates its duration of illumination. A sustained system is a combination of the maintained and non-maintained systems, and contains two (or more) lamps within a luminaire. Each lamp is supplied independently, one by the mains supply and the other by the battery back-up for when the mains supply fails. This system is designated S and also has a number indicating the emergency duration. Maintained systems should generally be used in locations such as pubs and bars and other premises where alcohol is served, along with public areas where the lighting levels can be reduced to below the levels required for escape route illumination. Sustained systems can be considered for places that may require safe lighting at all times, e.g. hallways and stairwells in areas of accommodation such as hotels or halls of residence, where evacuation at night may be necessary, even if no power supply failure has occurred. As an energy and lamp-life saving measure it may only be necessary to have the lamps illuminate during night time, or other periods of low ambient light, activated by a motion sensor during normal operation, and automatically in emergency. Non-maintained systems can generally be considered for all other situations. A duration of emergency illumination lasting between 1 and 3 hours can be considered sufficient for most situations. BS 5266 gives detailed guidance regarding which category may be most suitable for a given situation and location. Back-up power supply Providing a source of power in the event of a mains supply failure can be done by one of two main methods; either by battery or generator. There are two distinct types of battery systems, a self-contained system whereby each luminaire contains a battery, charger, and changeover device; and a central system where these items are located in one room and which supply all the luminaires in the system. Using the latter method, it is essential that the wiring be of a high standard as there may be a risk of loss of power due to fire damage, and also poor performance due to voltage drop over long cable runs. Therefore, the former may be preferable to overcome these drawbacks; installation is simpler and requires little maintenance other than routine testing. Where a back-up generator is used, it should be either run at all times or be able to start automatically and run up to provide the required output level in 5 seconds or fewer. Where neither of these conditions can be met, it should be s upplemented by a battery back-up system, that is capable of running the emergency lighting system for one hour. In this situation the generator need not be required to start automatically, but be available to take over from the battery back-up as soon as possible. Signage Cooper Lighting and Safety states that illumination requirements for signage must conform to the colours of ISO 3864, which defines that exit and first aid signs must be white with green as the contrast colour. The ratio of luminance of the white colour to the green colour must be between 5:1 and 15:1. The minimum luminance of any 10mm patch area on the sign must be greater than 2cd/m ² and the ratio of maximum to minimum luminance shall be less than 10:1 for either colour. (http://www.cooper-ls.com/dg_emersystem.html) Example of emergency exit sign conforming to ISO 3864 http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/emergency-exit-signs-143363.jpg Task 3 Number of luminaires required The luminaires require an electrical input of 58 watts and suffer losses of 18%, which result in a power rating of 41 watts. Taking into account a correcting factor for this power rating of 1.04, multiplied by the Utilisation Factorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the number of luminaires required is 50.28; rounding down to 50 to give a common sense workable number. Taking a space/height ratio of 1.7, and the height of the luminaire above the working plane being 3.2 metres, the space between luminaires should be a maximum of 5.22 metres. Arranging 50 luminaires to best fit a room of dimensions 20m x 15m gives an arrangement of 5 luminaires by 10 luminaires, with the length of each luminaire orientated across the width of the room. The spacing between each luminaire across the width of the room would be 1.5 m with 0.7m between the luminaire and the wall at each end. The space between the centre of each luminaire down the length of the room would be 2m with 1m between the centre of the luminaire and the wall at each end. Both of these figures fall well within the maximum spacing determined by the space/height ratio. Although to be mathematically accurate in determining the minimum number of luminaires required, one would usually round up; real world considerations need to be taken into account such as arranging the luminaires to fit the rooms dimensions, and the additional costs involved in adding substantially more luminaires required just to make a nice aesthetic pattern. In the question, no consideration has been given to the availability of natural light, nor the range of commercially available lamps and luminaires which could be more efficient and effective than the given figures suggest. Diagram showing orientation and spacing of luminaires 15 metres 1.0m 1.5m 0.75m 2m 1.5m 20 m

Sexuality :: Gender Roles, Sex

In chapter 10, Henslin talks about the issues of gender. In addition, he talks how sex and gender are different from one another. â€Å" When we consider how females and males differ, the first thing that usually comes to mind is sex, the biological characteristics that distinguishes males and females.†(248) Henslin defines sex as a biological attribute. (248) There are two distinct kind of sex a primary, and secondary. Primary sex features are related to the reproduction organs. Where as, secondary sex refers to the differences between one sex. â€Å"In short, you inherit your sex, but you learn your gender as you socialized into behaviors and attitudes your culture asserts are appropriate for your sex. (248) Sex is an ascribed status, and on the other hand gender is something you are taught. Gender is a tool that our community uses to control us; it is the structural property of society. (248)â€Å"Gender, in contrast, is a social, not a biological characteristics.† (248) Gender distinguishes the different inflections that one has and requires in words syntactically associated with them. In manifest words gender is refers if one person have masculinity or femininity characteristics. â€Å"Rather, each human group makes its own interpretation of these physical differences and assigns males and females to separate groups.† (248) After they are separated, they are told what is presume for them, and are given different access to property, power, prestige, and other privileges that they community provides. Henslin also talks about nature vs. nurture, your sex is nature, but the way you are raised to be like one is nurture. A medical accident that a 7-month baby experience when accidentally burns off a penis of the boy. The doctor recommend a sex-change-operation, the parents changed their little boy to a little girl. The know new girl behaved as a girl and followed her mother steps, but later on during her adolescent she felt she was trappe d and then her parents told her about her accident at 7 months of age. Then later on she changed back to he. (250) Gender is the main dissection between humans. â€Å" Every society sorts men and women into separate groups and gives them different access to property, power and prestige.† (251) Property, power, and prestige have a good turn for men than women. â€Å" Gerda Lerner concluded that ‘there is not a single society know where women-as-a-group have decision making power over men (as a group).

Subjectivity in Edith Whartons The House of Mirth Essay -- House Mirt

Subjectivity in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth      Ã‚   Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth presents an interesting study of the social construction of subjectivity. The Victorian society which Wharton's characters inhabit is defined by a rigid structure of morals and manners in which one's identity is determined by apparent conformity with or transgression of social norms. What is conspicuous about this brand of social identification is its decidedly linguistic nature. In this context, behaviors themselves are rendered as text, and the incessant social appraisal in which the characters of the novel participate is a process of deciphering this script of behavior. People's actions here are read, as it were, according to the unique social grammar of this society. The novel's treatment of this conception of social reading is brought to the fore through its devaluing of written texts in favor of legible behaviors.    The novel signals this pattern from its opening. In the first scene we are introduced to Selden, engaged in what we discover is a typical activity for the novel's personae, the silent, personal, interrogation of another person. "If she had appeared to be catching a train," we are told, "he might have inferred that he had come on her in an act of transition between one and another of the country houses which disputed her presenceÃ…  "(5†¹emphases mine). Here, Selden, at his first glimpse of Lily, has taken to conjecturing all manner of explanations for her simple presence in the train station. He, like all members of his social niche, does not shy away from judgement until he is more fully appraised of her situation. Even, the slightest "air of irresolution" gives him license to divert his at... ...bling Structure of 'Appearances': Representation and Authenticity in The House of Mirth and The Custom of the Country."   Modern Fiction Studies 43.2 (1997): 349-73. Gerard, Bonnie Lynn.   "From Tea to Chloral: Raising the Dead Lily Bart."   Twentieth Century Literature 44.4 (1998): 409-27. Howard, Maureen.   "On The House of Mirth."   Raritan 15 (1996): 23 pp.   28 Oct. 2002   <http://proxy.govst.edu:2069/WebZ/FTFETCH>. Howe, Irving.   Edith Wharton, a Collection of Critical Essays.   Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1962. Miller, Mandy.   Edith Wharton Page.   19 Nov. 2002  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://www.Kutztown.edu/faculty/Reagan.Wharton.html>. Pizer, Donald.   "The Naturalism of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth."   Twentieth Century Literature 41.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (1995): 241-8. Wharton, Edith. The House of Mirth. (1905) New York: Signet,. 1998.

Strategic Position Review of Michael Hill Jewelers in New Zealand

Michael Hill Jewellers (MHJ) is one of the most recognizable names in the New Zealand retail jewellery industry. In 1979, Michael Hill opened his first store in Whangerei. Until then, jewellery stores had been run primarily by craftsmen jewellers. Michael Hill changed this with the philosophy â€Å"to make jewellery buying less intimidating and more accessible to the public.† In order for any company to succeed, it has to take a look at the environment in which it operates. This is why an external environmental analysis is so important. This involves a continuous process of scanning, monitoring, forecasting, and assessing the external environment. Doing so will illuminate any opportunities to be exploited or threats to minimize. The first step in the analysis is environmental scanning which is identifies any trends or changes which are occurring or have recently occurred in the environment. Once identified, the company can then strategise and react in order to exploit the phen omenon. Three useful tools in an environmental analysis are a PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, and Strategic Grouping. Utilising these tools, an environmental scan of the jewellery industry will be performed. PESTEL AnalysisPoliticalMany of the raw materials for the jewellery industry can originate in countries that have political instability. Of the top five diamond producing countries, Canada is the most politically stable, with minimal probability of any mining disruption due to war. The other four are a different situation. Russia is still in a state of internal turmoil regarding Chechnya and other breakaway nations, while Botswana, Angola and Congo are all in a constant risk of war both from within and from neighbouring war-torn countries. A war in any of the above countries would cause a considerable loss in production and have a significant impact on the jewellery industry worldwide.EconomicThe entire jewellery industry relies on commodities such as gold, platinu m and silver in order to manufacture their product. This can create a problem as the prices of commodities can fluctuate drastically. For example, from 1982 to 2005 gold prices remained relatively stable. From 2005 to 2011 it nearly quadrupled in value. This price increase for the raw material will  be passed on to the consumer causing a price increase in the end product. Conversely, if the price of the commodity drops it would be expected that the price of the finished product would reflect this.SocialIn recent years, it has become more important to consumers to purchase products that have been produced ethically. In the jewellery industry, one of the most prominent ethical issues is the use of blood or conflict diamonds. These diamonds are mined and sold by African rebel forces in order to finance their wars in Angola and Sierra Leone. There has been a certification system instituted that lets the consumer know the origin of the diamond that they are looking at purchasing. Consu mers can now ask the jeweller to see the certificate of origin for their diamond. Jewellers must now be aware of this and ensure that they buy only ethically obtained diamonds in order to fulfil this request.TechnologicalThe internet allows consumers to select and purchase any piece of jewellery they desire online. A large number of jewellers have online stores or use websites such as amazon.com and ebay.com to reach their customers. It is important for the jewellers to recognise that their clientele are no longer limited geographically and can easily find and in some cases import items that may not be readily available in that region.EnvironmentalBusinesses are starting to become more aware of the impact that their own production processes have on the environment and are looking for ways to reduce this. The gold mined to produce jewellery is not always extracted with the most environmentally sound methods. Up to 15% of the world’s gold is produced using artisanal and small s cale gold mining, the single largest demand sector for mercury. Virtually all of this mercury is dumped directly back into the environment causing havoc on the surrounding ecosystems. The jewellery industry needs to ensure that they purchase raw materials from only environmentally sustainable mining companies.Legal Due to the size of some of the companies in the jewellery industry along with the large sums of money and power that accompanies it, there are strict  antitrust laws in place. The Responsible Jewellery Council is an international organisation set up to oversee and protect the jewellery industry from various practices. This council has set up antitrust policies in order to protect its members. Industry Environment Analysis – Porter’s Five ForcesPorter’s Five Forces model is used to evaluate the degree of rivalry between competitors in a given industry through assessing the four forces that lead to this outcome. These forces are the threat of new entr ants, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of buyers, and the threat of substitute products.Threat of New EntrantsIs the ease in which a new company can start into the retail jewellery industry. It is not difficult to start a jewellery store as the only requirements are start up capital and a premises. There are many small sole trader jewellery shops in New Zealand to attest to this. Therefore, the threat of new entrants is: HIGH Bargaining Power of SuppliersIs the control that suppliers have over the pricing and distribution of their products across the jewellery industry. Once the wholesalers have sold their products to the retailers, the retailers can sell for any price they deem appropriate. There are many wholesalers in the industry, many based in Asia, giving the retailer alternative suppliers if the price is not right. Therefore the bargaining power of suppliers is: LOW Bargaining Power of BuyersIs the power belonging to the customer to choose to shop at a store. As there are many jewellery stores to choose from, many of which seem to have sales on every week, the customer can decide not only to shop elsewhere, but even try to haggle for a discount. Therefore the bargaining power of buyers is: HIGHThreat of SubstitutesIs the probability that a consumer will purchase something else. Since jewellery is a luxury item and not a necessity, consumers will choose to spend their income on many thing before jewellery even makes the list. Not only do necessities come first, but other luxury items may be higher on the list of things to purchase like golf clubs or bicycles. Therefore the threat of substitutes is: HIGH Degree of RivalryIs the level of competition within the industry. Even though only three out of the four forces were identified as high, the retail jewellery industry is still extremely competitive. The one anomaly was the power of suppliers and the only reason that was low is because the suppliers operate in such a competitive stat e as well, giving more bargaining power to their customers, the retailers. Therefore the degree of rivalry is: HIGH Strategic GroupingA competitor analysis compares a company against each direct competitor. It relies on four key areas for comparison. These are future objectives, current strategy, assumptions, and capabilities. By looking at these concepts a response can be formulated and the company can create a strategy. The closest competitor of Michael Hill is Pascoes. They have similar strategy with pricing and target market. Walker and Hall aims at a higher level with more designer items and craftsmen in store. Partridge Jewellers is a contrast to Michael Hill with only the best brands and handmade jewellery in their stores in only four select high end shopping districts in New Zealand.ConclusionThrough a PESTEL analysis, an industry environmental analysis and a strategic grouping map, the retail jewellery industry can be evaluated. The PESTEL analysis showed various trends tha t may have an effect on the industry while the industry environmental analysis showed that the competitive rivalry in the industry is quite high. The strategic grouping map illustrated that the company itself shares a target market with few other large companies but does not display the hundreds of other smaller independent firms that offer similar services.What has been learned in this assessment is that Michael Hill has cornered the jewellery retailing industry in New Zealand and has bucked the financial trend by being one of the companies on the NZX to make large gains during the recession. Through low prices, Friedman Group staff training, and a good understanding of their industry environment, they have  become one of the leading retailers in New Zealand.

What is a relationship

Reid with each other to. Hat makes this relationship special is we bond together and we treat each other nicely and are not disrespectful to one another-well crystal is special to me is she doesn't brag about things and she doesn't cry over dumb things and she's kind to one another. Crystal and recognized the relationship is when we started talking to each other a lot. Let all started back in the day 2011,we were at a party and I was eating food like usual and than saw her sitting down and I talked to her than we started to talk for a few than we have been friends since than.My relationship with this person is great ,we still hang out with each other and eating food, watching movies like usual. How feel about the relationship now? Is good like said we chill,eat,movies than more eating. What this relationship means to me is were just normal people , eating food with my best friend and its great ‘nice to each other. I learned thru this relationship is were not always goanna be wi th each other even thou we live 1 house down and not to be disrespectful. This experience will help me with other people is don't judge a book by its cover like just be nice to one another.

Discuss three of your achievements or accomplishments

Being employed while I was still in college was my first achievement. Although I still had a year to complete my college education, a company offered me a position as Information Technology technician after passing three stages of job interview. Initially, I tried to send my Curriculum Vitae to the company because I wanted to test my ability. Since I was still studying in the university, the company decided to give me a part job as Desktop Supporter. The job gave me a lot of hands-on experience and I was able to put all my knowledge into practice.Completing a program with a high grade and performing well in my job was my second achievement. After working for three years, I decided to upgrade my knowledge by attending the American Cooperation program. This program was conducted in the English language and it was a challenge for me since English is not my native language. However, while I was going through the program, I learned to use my time and effort wisely so I could complete all the required assignments of the program while maintaining a full time job as Business Analyst. In the end, I completed the Cooperation program with a 3. GPA and maintained a high job performance rating in the company. Getting my dream job was my third achievement.After five years of working in the software industry, I was given the System Analyst position at CSC Vietnam. Since I was a student, I wanted to become a System Analyst because this position will enable me to utilize all the knowledge that I have gained from my studies and work experience in the IT and business industry. CSC Vietnam is one of the biggest software companies in Vietnam and working in this company will provide a brighter future for my career path.

Ogre to Slay, Outsource It to Chinese Essay

David Barbosas brilliantly engages his audience with a catchy title that urges the reader to complete the piece to understand what it is that he is discussing. â€Å"Ogre to Slay? Outsource It to Chinese† is eye-catching and its content and is very thought-provoking and well researched. His preparation for the article includes him finding sources in China, who are engaged in illegal outsourcing of computer game players and contributing to what the Chinese government are attempting to halt, what they call â€Å"internet addiction†. Not only does Barbosas find these valuable sources for information and quote them, he also cites workers in these gaming factories. The effort of his research and concise conclusions to an interesting technological issue makes this piece very well put together and easily readable and understandable to a diverse audience. Barbosas says that this is an issue that spans from â€Å"Seoul to San Francisco† and he is very eloquent in his comparison between the affluent gamers, who are willing to pay Chinese workers to complete initial rounds of computer games and the gamers, themselves, who work 12 hour days, 7 days a week for a mere $250 a month. He does well, also, in showing the change of contrast from what has in history been a clear line between fantasy and reality to illustrate how these lines have blurred. He makes the point of outlining the beginning of the changes in the virtual world of gaming, when gamers began playing others worldwide a few years ago and then when they began becoming so enmeshed with their avatars (or characters that they create), that they pay others to essentially baby-sit them, as the Chinese do or use virtual currency to buy components, such as weapons to help their avatars. Barbosas does well in explaining the complex and intricate world of virtual gaming to even readers, who have no familiarity of the subject. He simultaneously delves into explaining this strange new world while vividly describing the Chinese workers behind the scenes or, more accurately, behind the screens. He paints an interesting picture of what he refers to as, â€Å"virtual sweatshops†. There gamers are playing in dark basements, surrounding by posters of the games they play. These Chinese farmers make up an estimated 40-50% of the gamers involved worldwide in these popular games and it is believed that 1 in 4 internet users in China use their online connection for gaming. In addition to the other staggering statistics Barbosas integrates into his commentary, he integrates what those involved in gaming have to say and what experts share on this issue. One conclusion by an American professor is that this illustrates how the time of Americans is valued more over the time of persons in countries, such as China. In contrast, one owner of a â€Å"sweatshop† believes that if these gamers were not working for him that they would be going back to hard farm work with smaller wages or on the streets. In conclusion, Barbosas shows his journalistic talent in this piece. His research, illustrated by interview citations and statistics, demonstrate his expertise in this strange, technological world. He presents many trends in the world of gaming, in reality versus fantasy, and in the currency involved in these questionable online enterprises. His work is easily readable by a wide audience and his lead-in to the article with it’s catchy title definitely lives up to the interest that title holds.