Sustainable architecture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainable architecture - Research Paper Example Sustainable architecture starts with linkage to personal values and involves the social, environmental and economic conditions of a project. Similarly, architectural expression emanates from this desire, responding to certain watershed, locations, sites, societies and proximities. The answers to what constitutes sustainable architecture embrace a range as wide and dynamic as the challenges facing the globe and the statements list is as diverse and extensive as the civilization the dominate the world. Sustainable development embraces a balanced sociocultural, ecological and economic progress. The above elements also characterize sustainable architecture. Construction and design is one of the extensive world industries; hence their effects on sustainability are enormous, (Turrent 85). The metropolis and municipalities people have designed and constructed to satisfy their ever-increasing requirements have been unproductively consuming the resources of the earth, while declining to satis fy millions of humans. Sustainable architecture is a necessity if people wish to ensure human and enduring planet existence. Attaining sustainable architecture needs a multifaceted global effort by all countries. Sustainable architectural practices must appear in all places, address various challenges, occur in various levels, function in different contexts, serve various requirements and limitations, be applicable at various scales and use diverse disciplines. Similarly, the possibilities, requirements, potentials are diverse in each nation, similar to levels of education, techniques, industrializations, mechanisms, strategies and motivation. Each nation, person and community, should identify best-suited remedies, and via domestic action contribute to progress at a global level. Sustainable architecture is sweeping change in that it can be attained globally. There are various areas to start, various points to address the challenge, diverse attractive ways to construct structures an d towns and increased effective ways to utilize, replenish and recycle resources. In other words, it ranges from high- tech remedies to low technological strategies, research, advancements, education, industrial achievements, innovation of design, economic aspects, legislative measures and enormous adoption of beneficial practices as principle practices. Significant potential lies in substituting adverse measures with beneficial measures and increasing the advancements in architectural structures and cities all over the globe. Sustainable construction should support better living that incorporates better utilization of land, urban development and construction. Better land use involves preservation of useful, natural areas and ensures health balance amidst constructed and natural environments. Better urban planning entail proficient means of transportation and effective systems of infrastructure – constructed to reduce consumption, garbage and affluence during utilization. Eff icient towns, municipalities and structures, are long lasting, appealing and flexible to other future uses, effective in resource use (energy and raw materials such as recycling after use), and well suited to environmental, human and society needs. Sustainable arch

Reconstruction after the American Civil War Article

Reconstruction after the American Civil War - Article Example After the bloody American civil war, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendment articles were guarded in the U.S constitution and aimed to offer all Americans an equal opportunity in society. During this period, African Americans were permitted to vote, look for their own employment, utilize public facilities, get the lands of former owners, and actively engage in politics. However, some people opposed these move and rallied against the freedmen. Despite the opposition, aggressive and rapid amendments were made to the constitution which laid a strong foundation for the most aggressive and radical stage of the reconstruction process. The success of reconstruction was evident by 1870 in that former slaves attained equal rights like other people in society. For instance, they were in a position to get an education and vote. It is significant to note that during the era of reconstruction, most Southern States created public education for its residents but financing was variable (Foner, 2012). The efforts of reconstruction were rolled back in 1873 until 1877 when the conservative white gained power or authority via the former Confederacy. For instance, President Hayes removed federal troops, which led to the collapse of the three Republican governments. Via the implementation of racial policies known as the Jim Crow, the conservative whites introduced racial biases and segregation, which remained in the South until the late 1960s. Initially, Republicans agreed that slavery, all acts related to slavery had to be destroyed, and the structure of Confederate nationalism had to be abandoned and suppressed. It is also important to note that white men who were in power abandoned succession and slavery but regained the issue of white supremacy (Foner, 2012). During reconstruction period, new spending on infrastructure, schools in addition to corrupted spending, and the failure of the state credit because of unreasonable spending, made the southern states to raise t ax on property. These measures were wasteful as the money meant for social amenities such as schools and development of infrastructure was embezzled. Historians provide distinct reasons as the efforts of reconstruction after the bloody civil war failed. Despite the fact that reconstruction reestablished the economy of the South, it failed. Although slavery practices in the U.S ended, sharecropping was a brutal sequence almost as awful. This is because the freed people would participate into this and barely get anything to survive. Another reason as to why reconstruction failed in the U.S is that the ability of the South to go back to previous or initial animosity or hatred with the African Americans or black tenets and the Jim Crow policies. These policies discriminated against freed slaves and made them inferior and unequal with other people in society. Groups that carried out racism could get away with heinous acts such as murder and it would not be seen as something bad with no c onsequences. For instance, the KKK was not punished for their crimes (Foner, 2012). In addition, Historians argue that the objection of the efforts of reconstruction by various factions led those who desired to continue it either give up their efforts or become discouraged to be in a position to continue.

Mergers and acquisitions-B Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mergers and acquisitions-B - Coursework Example Are any Sell-Offs Likely? 10 7. Risk – Given that the Majority of Takeovers Destroy Shareholder Value, What Are the Major Risks? 11 Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction Evidences reveal that M&As can be quite risky to lead the pathway of the acquiring company’s destruction and on the other hand, be highly beneficial to assist the company in the attainment of its long-term objectives. Despite the immense risk, companies opt for M&As in order to gain the benefits of operational leap, integration, larger customer base, channels and higher competencies (Galpin & Herdon, 2007). One of the most risky acquisitions in the recent past can be identified as the acquisition of National Westminster Bank (NatWest) by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in the year 2000. It is recorded as one of the most daring acquisitions, due to the fact that during the period of acquiring NatWest, RBS was recognised to be smaller than the target company. It took a great effort from RBS’s e nd to complete the deal and rewarded it the reputation of one of the leaders in the British Banking Industry (Larsen, 2007). With this concern, the paper will examine the entire process of acquisition considering the various aspects, such as strategic fitness of NatWest, regulatory factors influencing the process, justification of the valuation of acquisition, defence tactics applied, implementation of integration and risks involved in the acquisition. 1. Strategy – How Does The Target Company Appear To Fit into the Acquirer’s Long-Term Strategy? According to the experts, strategic fitness of the target company in M&A is considered to be one of the most significant aspects while determining the plan. Because, underneath every M&A the observed motive of the acquiring company or the merging companies are to increase the value of the two companies together which would be more than the sum of the total values of both the companies. Strategic fit of the target company, thus , holds a significant position to increase the overall value of the acquirer (Lee & Pennings, 1996). The strategic fit of the acquisition and the target company can be analysed in depth considering the fact that M&As are often termed as a past of the strategic objective of the acquirer to attain growth and higher competency (Edinburgh Business School, 2008). The objective can be well identified in the acquisition of NatWest by RBS. It was a horizontal acquisition, which means that the target company and the acquirer belonged to similar product line and also to a similar cultural background. This reduced the constraints in terms of cultural divergences. The prime objective of the acquisition depended on the fact that RBS was facing major difficulties in terms of shrinking stock prices to approx 32% and required growth. Similarly, with an increased competition and reducing market share led by the falling stock price and increased operational costs; NatWest opted to go for an M&A in or der to survive in the industry (Mahar & Polson, 2003). Being three times larger than RBS, NatWest was able to reward a higher market share and increased balance sheet value quite instantly after the acquisition with a paid bid of ?21 billion (NatWest, n.d). Subsequently, the stock price of RBS increased rapidly over the next two years (Mahar & Polson, 2003). Therefore, it is quite apparent that the acquisition proved to be a successful one in the short-term as well as in the long-term perspective. The market

Child Verbal Abuse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Verbal Abuse - Research Paper Example When a child is verbally abused, several negative emotional and psychological problems arise, especially at the most critical stages of his development. One of the outcomes is that he is likely to develop interpersonal difficulty which defines a personality disorder characterized with the sense and emotions of doubt, guilt, mistrust and inferiority (Johnson et al. 16). It also entails a distorted way of thinking as well as behaving. For people who were verbally abused as children, they usually suffer from personality disorders as adults. This negative emotional effect caused by verbal abuse can be linked with increased risk of fanatical and irrational behavior from childhood even to his adulthood. Alloy defines negative cognitive style as a characteristic way of attributing the causes of negative life events to stable, internal, and global factors (e.g. I did not pass my exam because I am stupid), inferring negative consequence (e.g. I will never make it in life) and making self-critical judgments of ones character (e.g., I am not worthy), with Beck adding that it also involves having dysfunctional attitudes and maladaptive self-schemas (qtd. in Sachss-Ericsson et al. 72). The child suffers low self-esteem and belittles himself to the point where he does not see his sense of worth. This cognitive style may result to the child getting into depression as he advances into maturity. Besides parents, the teacher is one of the people a child spends most of his time with. As a result of this, there develops a teacher-child relationship which largely influences the child’s social skills, behavior with other children, his academic performance, as well as the emotional aspect. Brendgen et al. say that a child, who has a negative relationship with the teacher instigated by verbal abuse will adversely be affected, with the likelihood of missing out on learning opportunities as well as suffering behavioral

Critically evaluate the contribution that music can make to health and Literature review

Critically evaluate the contribution that music can make to health and wellbeing - Literature review Example People with mental health issues can benefit from music because it takes them away from thinking of themselves as patients by promoting their self-esteem, social recognition, confidence and status especially when they participate in singing (Bradt & Dileo, 2009:2, Music for stress and anxiety reduction in coronary heart disease patients). The relationship between arts and health has been a topical issue for a long time. The linkage between arts participation and health has been developed for instance the influence of sports on physical health and the influence of music on mental health. It is indeed true that arts participation has an effect on key health indicators. Music, health, and well-being: A review by Raymond and Macdonald (2013) asserts that musical participation as part of arts participation has a direct influence on the mental health and well being in people. Research has indicated that music contributes to mental health and wellbeing of people in different stages of life for instance children and the elderly. Rose Perkins and Aaron Williamon (2013) in their article Learning to make music in older adulthood: A mixed-methods exploration of impacts on wellbeing explore the links between older adulthood, wellbeing lifelong learning and music and posit that music has an important aspect for healthy ageing (Unkefer & Thaut, Eds. 2009:23). By healthy ageing, Unkefer & Thaut, Eds. (2009) refer to the absence of illnesses in old age in terms of social, physical and mental health. In this respect Unkefer & Thaut, Eds. (2009) acknowledge the fact that, â€Å"There is a growing body of literature exploring the relationships between music and wellbeing in the ageing population, and we know that music is a powerful part of many older adults’ lives† (Perkins & Williamon, 2013:551). While citing other sources, Downey, et.al, (2013)

Desert Flora Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Desert Flora - Essay Example Olive trees are in abundance in the Mediterranean desert toward the north of the Sahara desert. Plants found in the desert of Utah include mesquite (Prosopis), Cacti, and Yucca. Perennials, unlike, annuals, survive in the Utah desert all the time. Some perennials have deep root systems to reach the subterranean water. For example, Yucca’s roots exist 40 feet below the ground surface whereas the roots of mesquite (Prosopis) can penetrate up to 100 feet below the surface (Andersen, 1996, p. 5). The desert of Utah has an open nature with shrubs spaced widely apart. This speaks of the low content of moisture and is suggestive of extensive underground roots’ pattern. The main factor the limits the plants’ survival in the desert of Utah is water. Plants have different structural mechanisms to deal with this problem. Waxy coatings on the plants’ stems serve to reflect heat and reduce evaporation e.g. the leaves of Incienso covered with dense fine hairs serve the very

Review of a Reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Review of a Reading - Essay Example For this reason, the author says that, the concept of designing strategy for a business organization must address the whole business organization. Consequently, the author says that, strategy in business must be formulated at three independent levels, i.e. corporate level, business level, and functional level. A critical analysis of this view by the author shows that the author’s conception of strategic management is right. This is because strategic management affects all facets of a business organization unlike other areas of business. The author of this reading defines strategic management as the process of creating interdependent activities that will enable an organization to compete successfully. The author goes on to say that, for most business organizations, creating the interdependent activities is the difficult part. An evaluation of this view shows that author’s views on this point are true. This is because harmonizing various portfolios of a business organization to operate with synergy is quite a challenging task; it normally requires skills in management and leadership to create such synergy in an organization with different portfolios. In the assigned reading, the author discusses in details the corporate Level Strategy and the scope of corporate level strategy. According to the author, corporate level strategy sets the overall direction for the whole Company. The author recognizes specific tasks and questions to that are unique to corporate level strategy. Expressed as questions, the author argues that the scope of corporate level strategy is: To explain further the actual meaning of corporate level of strategy, the author explains in details the meaning of each of the four questions; the author uses a concrete case of the Pepsi Company to demonstrate how the four questions of corporate level strategy are applied in actual situation. The author begins by explaining how the Coca-Cola Company has applied the