Laughter Is the Best Medicine Period A

Laughter is the Best Medicine Vikrant Badhwar Period A. There are so many quotes about laughing like, â€Å"Laughter is an instant vacation†, â€Å"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people† and we are all familiar with one of the most well known quotes â€Å"Laughter is the best medicine. † Yes, you guessed it right, my speech topic is â€Å"Laughter is the best medicine. † Laughter is contagious and it not only improves physical, mental and emotional health but also makes people happier and brings them closer. Laughter helps and overcomes many social barriers.One cannot go through life being miserable all the time and we need to find humor in anything or everything we can. Laughter is free medicine and very easy to use at any place and anytime Laughter is one of the best natural pain killers in the world. There are a lot of health benefits from laughing. What can be a better way to relieve stress and get rid of pain than laughter? Laughing can boost your immune system. When you laugh, it reduces the stress hormones known as cortisol and increases the immune cells that can fight infections and prevent many diseases.Laughter increases a hormone known as endorphins that acts as a pain killer. It gives the body a good feeling and can temporarily relieve pain. Laughter increases the blood flow in our bodies which can prevent the risk of having a heart attack. Did you know that 15 minutes of laughter can be just as good as 2 hours of sleep; one good belly laugh can burn 3 and ? calories, laughing for 15 seconds adds two days to your life span. The Chinese have it right, they laugh more than any other culture in the world! Laughter makes you feel good about yourself and helps you stay emotionally healthy.When you laugh, you get a feeling in your body that makes you feel good. When you laugh, there is no way you will feel angry, sad or even mad, therefore it relieves all your bad emotions. Laughter brings a lot of joy and energy that allows you to have a positive outlook towards life even when you are feeling down. Researchers believe that there is a strong link between laughter and emotional health. Laughter reduces stress and helps you relax. Laughter also helps you stay focused and helps you look at difficult situations more clearly.Laughing by yourself is a great dose of medicine but laughing with others is even better. Shared laughter is considered to be great way of keeping relationships healthy. When you are laughing with others, it helps strengthen the bond between friends, and even helps dissolve a disagreement or conflict that otherwise maybe be harmful to your mental and emotional health. Laughing together can make life fun and enjoyable. Did you know that there are actually Laughter Yoga groups where the Yoga leader actually teaches you how to laugh!There is one group called the â€Å"Laughter Brigade† in India where you can catch a group of people laughing silly early in the morning whi le doing their routine exercises! As you can see, laughter is not only a free medicine but it can be available anywhere, anytime and in any situation. Laughter’s benefits to our physical, mental, and emotional well being are enormous. Laughing together strengthens the bond, brings people closer and overcome many social barriers. So, I say keep on laughing and add more joy, happiness and love to your daily lives.

The Constructionist Perspective of Obesity

Abstract In this paper I will explore the social construction of obesity and how it formed into a social problem. Recent and growing media attention surrounding obesity in the United States, the so-called obesity epidemic remains a highly debated scientific and social fact. This paper examines the contemporary obesity debate through systematic examination of the claims and claim-makers involved in the controversy.I will not take sides, but merely show and clearly explain each side's views on the obesity epidemic. Social Construction of Global Warming . Social Construction Process: Creating a social problem using the social constructionist approach requires an audience who believes that there is in fact a problem before that topic is considered a social problem. There is a process to creating a social problem starting with â€Å"claims, claims-making, audiences and claims competitions.Regardless of whether claims are verbal, visual, or behavioral, they are the social problems work of claims- makers who want to convince audiences how to think about social problems and how to feel about these problems. † (Lose,2009) In this paper I will discuss the process n which obesity is viewed as an epidemic so therefore is a social problem. We have to ask ourselves, who are the people making this claim, who are they trying to target, and are they being successful? In other words is the targeted audience being persuaded in the belief: obesity is an epidemic?In this process I will compare and contrast two arguments dealing with obesity. One set of views is obesity is a problem of individuals making bad choices and on the other hand there is a belief the food industry has increased portion sizes and markets unhealthy food options with high fat, calories etc. So that obesity is understood as more than Just an individual issue. The sub argument is how should treatment is administered. Do healthcare professionals target individuals and teach them a healthy lifestyle or do y ou target the food industry to make changes in their products? II.Claim-maker of Obesity: The healthcare industry finds the obesity epidemic of great interest due to the strong connection between obesity and obesity related health side effects. Many studies have been done to monitor the increase of obesity with in United States. â€Å"Adult obesity rates increased in 16 states in the past year and did not decline in any state, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2011, a report from the Trust for America's Health (TFH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (ROWS). Twelve states now have obesity rates above 30 percent.Four years ago, only one state was above 30 percent. † (â€Å"F as in,† 2011) As a result of these findings augments among health care professionals were establish focusing on the cause of obesity. One group of healthcare professionals believes the problem is an individual person's poor decision making which leads to obesity. I f a person is making bad hoicks in their eating habits and does not exercise then that person will eventually become obese. The other set of professionals would argue it is not in individual choice, but their environment in which they live in.Food companies are targeting their consumers with ads and their increased potion sizes so therefore more and more people are becoming obese. Both sides of the argument believe there is connection between obesity and obesity related health side effects. Each side has different beliefs on how to combat the obesity epidemic. One side of the house is focused on curing obesity while the other side focuses on prevention. A. Individual Problem: Claim-makers who feel obesity is an individual problem use individualism as their targeted moralities.There is a belief system that people embrace individualism, autonomy, and responsibility for their actions. The belief in the importance of individual's freedom to choose the types of food they consume and to h ave a more active lifestyle is embraced by most people. It is estimated that the leading cause of death in the United States is caused by â€Å"lifestyle† such as smoking, diet, exercise and sexual practices. (Adler & Stewart, 2009) Since studies have shown lifestyle is a cause f obesity, medical professionals using the medical model focus on the individual patient for a cure.They not only focus on lifestyles but genetics and family history. To them behavioral choices and therapy is the main target for intervention. Obesity is more than calories in verses calories out. There are other factors that go into this problem. More and more research is indicating that America's obesity crisis cannot be blamed entirely on too much fast food and too little exercise. Genetics plays a factor into which people are becoming obese. There are â€Å"natural and synthetic chemicals known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (Deeds), or as searchers have begun to call them, obsesses.Obsesses are chemicals that disrupt the function of hormonal systems; many researchers believe they lead to weight gain and, in turn, numerous diseases that curse the American populace. † (Perrine & Warlock, 2010) Other hormone disorders come into effect such at thyroid, adrenal glands, pituitary glands, ovaries which can also contribute to obesity. In many cases of weight loss management requires a balance of behavioral and medical intervention. This balance is created through the guidance of a physician.Another factor in the rise of obesity is parents of young children who have poor dating habits raise children who are obese. â€Å"Today's children are the first generation of Americans projected to have a shorter life span than their parents -? with one out of three at risk of developing Type Two diabetes, a crippling disease once seen only in adults. † (Stone, 2006) Parents instill healthy lifestyles in their children. They do this through family democracies, and beliefs and atti tudes in eating and physical activity.The significant associations between household, parent, and child variables offer a glimpse into the potential processes at work prior to a child's status as obese. For instance, measuring of general parenting and parent attitudes to-ward child eating and nutrition were meaningfully related to the kinds of foods available in the home and to children's activities, both potential risk factors for childhood overweight, Gable & Lutz, (2000) Children's roles in their own physical health and well-being cannot be discounted however, it is the parent who instill these values into their children.B. Public Health â€Å"The public health model differs from the medical model not only in its emphasis on prevention but also in its consideration of a wider range of causative factors. † (Adler Stewart, 2009) These factors focus is mainly on the food industry. Their believe system is the food industry exploits people by targeting lower income families and their environment. They do this through marketing, advertisements. Public health approaches in solving obesity does include health education, they approach the problem through legislative and regulatory means.Examples are nutrition standards for school lunch programs; bans on sugar-sweetened beverages in school's vending machines; requirements for developers of residential subdivisions to include bicycle paths, sidewalks, and parks; and zoning regulations for fast-food outlets. This group is using the moralities of equality of opportunity and equality under the law. Although obesity affects all demographics in the United States, some healthcare professional would argue obesity is target. Racial and ethnic minority adults, and those with less education or who make less money continue to have the highest overall obesity rates† (â€Å"F as in,† 2011) Published finding have reveal companies who produce products such as sodas, candies and alcoholic beverages target minoriti es verses the general audience. These advertisements are found on billboards in communities in predominantly African American and Hispanic. The advertisements are also seen in commercials and magazines that target African American and Hispanic audiences.The environment in which people live directly affects people food choices. Lewis and colleagues (2005) also identified substantially more point-of-sale advertising and promotion of unhealthful foods in restaurants in low-income African American and Latino communities than in more affluent white communities in Los Angels County. (Yankee, Cole, Brown, Williams, Hillier, Kline, Ashes & Beckman, 2009) Opportunities for physical activity, in low income neighborhoods are very low.Parks and walk able areas are scarce. Perceptions of resource quality, safety, and cultural relevance also affect physical activity levels. Research as concluded safety and quality factors in traffic fatalities, crime rates and park size effect obesity rates becau se counter to predictions, subpopulations generally considered vulnerable to obesity (and environmental injustices more generally) are more likely to live in willable neighborhoods and have better walking access to neighborhood parks than other groups.However, crime is highest in willable neighborhoods with large Latino and African-American populations and parks are smaller in areas populated by Latino/as. Given the higher prevalence of obesity and related diseases in lower income and minority populations the results suggest that benefits of built environments may be offset by social characteristics Ill. Audiences: The target audience for awareness of the obesity as a social problem targets every U. S. Citizen. Obesity is becoming a worldwide problem however the United States in the lead globally ranking the highest rates of obesity.Mainly the focuses is on physicians, nurses, dieticians/Dart's, nutritionists, fitness professionals, health educators, public health professionals, soc ial workers, psychologists, physical harpists, occupational therapists, teachers, administrators and school counselors. The other side tries to appeal to lawyers, food companies, and political representatives. These groups of people have the tools to promote change. IV. Power Relationships: As the obesity epidemic continues to intensify, it's becoming clear that there's more to obesity than lifestyle choices.Therefore, endocrinologists carefully examine the genetic and physiological causes and effects of obesity and develop treatment options that can produce concrete results. Endocrinologists are doctors that are facially trained to diagnose and treat diseases related to the body endocrine system – which regulates appetite, metabolism (food burning and waste elimination), and growth through chemicals known as hormones (â€Å"Combating obesity,† 2012) The same lawyers who battle the cigarette makers are now fighting the food companies.Dry, William Jacobs says â€Å"Fro m the days of â€Å"reefer madness,† that old anti- drug movie, the word â€Å"addiction† has conjured images of out-of-control behavior. But today, cutting edge science is shedding new light on addiction and its connection to chemical changes in the brain. If those changes can lead to compulsive behavior, mom scientists wonder if fatty foods and drugs Just might have more in common† (Stone, 2006) While most consumers would say what you eat is your choice. It's a matter of personal responsibility what you eat, but several academics and lawyers are arguing you're far less free to choose what's on your plate than you realize.While each group is made up of professionals who are notable, it is matter of persuading the audience to which solution is correct. V. Conclusion: Targeting obesity has support across the political spectrum. In the US, discussions of the supposed obesity epidemic usually take place within the context of a larger concussion, which assumes that t he increasing weight of the population is a sign of increasing moral laxity and that overweight and obesity are playing a significant role in driving up health care costs.This linkage is attractive for those who are ideologically committed to a focus on ‘individual responsibility, rather than on structural factors that continue to drive health care costs ever upward, and leave one out of every seven Americans without health insurance of any kind. Anxieties about increasing weight resonate with those on the left of the political spectrum as well, ho tend to interpret the ‘obesity epidemic' as both a by-product and a symbol of rampant consumer overcompensation and greedy corporations. Camps, Sashay, Reemerges, Oliver, Greaser, 2005) In this paper I have shown the construction of obesity as a social problem has been made through a series of steps used in the social construction of a social problem. Claims were made by those who feel obesity is problem of individual making b ad lifestyle choices and those who feel is the food industry plays a huge role in why more people are obese today. Both groups validate obesity is an epidemic and therefore a social problem however these groups battle the way we are to combat this problem.

Alan Mulally Ford Motor Company

The content of this paper is to outline the roles of leadership and how it affects organizational performance. It then discusses the role of Allan Mulally’s, CEO of Ford Motor Company, leadership style. The paper also presents how Mulally’s decision to set a goal increased the company’s performance and mentioning how Allan Mulally’s openness has gained him trust and helped him to reach his goal. Finally, my point of view on the impact of Mulally’s leadership style and how it effects the organization. Leadership is guiding people toward productive results to achieve the goals of the organization. An effective leader has the ability to motivate and influence others. Leadership influences organizational performance depending on the level to which the leader enables managers and team leaders to plan, organize, control, and act effectively. By accepting authority, responsibility, and accountability, managers can confidently face though situations that require decisions made. Faced with an overwhelmingly complex situation, Alan Mulally has been brought in as Ford Motor Company's new president and CEO. As diverse global dynamics confront the company and competitive pressures continue to build, he has the challenging task of improving Ford's brand image and returning the company to profitability. Mulally has invited your consulting firm to advise his management team on restoring the company's reputation and viability. Leaders significantly influence organization’s success, they must have the ability to develop new ideas, use that idea to set goals, and develop ways to achieve those goals. They must have aspiration to build vision, values, and goals, in order to accomplish great performance. Leaders have the talent to influence other people in order to have them follow him or her and have the ability to motivate the employees. They need to be able to be flexible to changes in its environment like demands, expectations, and pressure. A good leader builds trust, develop opportunities for the employees grow, get them encouraged, listen to employees, and bring up the best of them. By valuing and respecting cultural differences at work, leaders may avoid the negative stereotypes that can affect the company’s success. Leaders need to address the importance of open communications within the organization. Active listening, questioning, and placing emphasis on verbal and written communications between management and subordinates guarantees the company stays on track with the organization’s goal. Recognizing individuals and team differences will help the leader achieve a successful career with the organization. To build trust, the person in charge should be open to communication, be honest and hold integrity, be a risk taker, problem solver, and be able to face reality. Also, another factor that can be included in being a good leader can be the willingness to be open to diversity and a one that sets good ethical competency. It is the leader that will guide an organization to success. â€Å"Allan’s style is pretty relentless,† said the chief financial officer Lewis Booth His look is confident, disciplined, have the desire to succeed and very determined (Hellriegel & Scolum, 2011). He filled five binders with information he collected from interviewing to set plan for Ford Motor. Communication is the key aspect for him, he wants everyone in the company to know what is going on, what the company goal is, how to reach that goal, the position that the company is in, and the fields that need specific awareness. Because of his openness, Mulally gained many support from his employees and built trust. Mulally created cards that were written the four goals on one side and the meaning of the company on the other side to let everyone know what his intentions were. Allan Mulally is a very hands on leader, he expects weekly or sometimes daily updates of all the components of the company. Ford needed someone to point out what needed to be done and how it could be done. Alan Mulally set a goal to increase the sales by 2011 and he developed ways to accomplish that goal. One of his goals was to have Ford sustain its independence and not be taken over by the government. His target was small cars that were fuel efficient and electric cars rather than big trucks, bring up brand new Taurus to build brand, differentiate itself from it competitors, and take the company globally. He made sure that everyone in the firm knew these goals and how to reach the goals. Ford has picked up sales by 25% and is 1. 4 points on market share, where the two of its competitors lost. Allan Mulally made sure that everyone was involved in every operation that was taking place in the organization and that everyone understood the goals. He built trust by communicating with his employees and by being open. There were no secrets at Ford, everyone knew the plan. At Ford, the 12 functional departments and Mulally himself held meetings on every Thursday. In the meeting Mulally wants to know everything and he involves everyone from manufacturing to human resource to participate. His intentions were to communicate and be able to open about the problems that had occurred and find ways to work on it. I think Allan Mulally’s leadership style is very effective because I believe in communication and the involvement of everyone from every field of a company. By being open and communicating with his employees, he built trust, respect, and motivated his employees. He’s also a risk taker, passionate or very driven and a strong person. He set goals to achieve and he managed to find ways achieve those goals. I think, he definitely should continue with his style of leadership.

What's The Incentive Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What's The Incentive - Case Study Example The terms of employees’ payment within each organization have to be based on specific criteria: emphasis needs to be given on equality among employees so that conflicts in the internal organizational environment are avoided (Laffont and Tirole 1993). In the case of pay and reward pay package of engineers a significant dilemma appears: is this package fair, taking into consideration the changes developed in the organization since its introduction? The answer should be negative. The specific view can be justified through the following argument: the visits of engineers to the depot have been a key part of their position, meaning that their payment would be significantly lower if they were not obliged to visit the depot. In other words, the terms of engineers’ pay and reward have been arranged in this way mostly because engineers had to visit the depot many times each time, a fact that would reduce their free time for making calls to sites. It is for this reason also, that the term for a visit of at least 4 sites and the provision of reward for visiting extra sites was set in the agreement between the employer and the engineers’ union. The above agreement would not be valid today since the working conditions of engineers have been significantly altered so that a key feature of their daily tasks, the need for visiting the depot, has been eliminated. Being considered as valid, the above agreement can lead, in the short or the long term, to severe turbulences within the organization, at the level that other employees have not been favoured from similar advances in their daily tasks. From another point of view, the current pay and reward package of employees leads to another concern: the employer had suggested such package on the terms that the daily calls of engineers to sites could not be over a particular number. This means that having to visit the depot on a daily basis, engineers could not visit many sites each day; for this reason, 4 sites have

American Airlines Bankruptcy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Airlines Bankruptcy - Essay Example The airline company which was known to be the worlds largest carrier five years ago was forced into bankruptcy on account of various reasons including mergers and acquisitions which significantly affected its business in terms of reduction in number of customers. The company’s position declined steadily from number one to number 3, over the years behind United Continental and Delta Airlines. Source: CBS News (2011a) Furthermore the profits of the company were steadily declining since a long time now. It reported profits in only one quarter during the entire year in 2007 and recorded losses amounting to approximately $4.8 billion over a period of 3-3.5 years. Various airline analysts and experts estimated these losses to either shoot up or continue throughout 2012 (CNN Money, 2011). The American Airlines have filed for Chapter 11 Reorganization for Industry Competitiveness, bankruptcy protection. This type of bankruptcy is usually used by companies which are struggling financially and have large public debts, in order to reorganize their business. Unlike the other types of bankruptcies the Chapter 11 Reorganization bankruptcy allows the company to seek help in reorganizing its business, by restructuring its debts; prevents the creditors from suing or selling off the debtors assets to pay off the debts; and have the opportunity to resume business and emerge from bankruptcy. (Elias, 2011). The board of Directors at AMR decided to file for bankruptcy under this category considering the best interests of its stakeholders and at the same time gain time to restructure its debts, costs and obligations (American Airlines, 2011). The American Airlines will continue to operate according to its normal flight schedules and no changes will be made in the customer reservations. The operations will resume as usual. The company is likely to honor tickets and

Stigma of mental illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stigma of mental illness - Essay Example People who suffer from a mental illness not only â€Å"struggle with the symptoms and disabilities that result from the disease† but they also â€Å"are challenged by the stereotypes and prejudice that result from the misconceptions about mental illness, and as a result of both, people with mental illness are robbed of the opportunities that define a quality life: good jobs, safe housing, satisfactory health care, and affiliation with a diverse group of people† (Understanding the Impact of Stigma on People With Mental Illness, P.Corrigan and A.Watson, 16) Mental illness is perceived by society as an indulgence or a sign of weakness. Surely the affected person has brought it upon himself to live this way. It leads the sufferer to feel shame, to feel isolated and be socially excluded, to be discriminated against and be faced with stereotypes that are difficult to overcome. Even self-stigmatization can result which includes low self esteem, so the affected person not only feels stigma from society, but from themselves as well. (Stigma of Mental Illness and ways of Diminishing It, P. ... So why, as a society do we not attempt to educate ourselves about mental illness and why do we allow the stigma to continue? As a society, our beliefs are largely affected by the media; everything we think, believe, or discriminate against can be drawn from the media and its messages. Media is such a powerful tool and if used properly, can be a wonderful resource, but so often, the messages we receive are flawed. The Canadian Mental Health Association has compiled the results of many reports into its paper Mass Media and Mental Illness: A Literature Review (Dara Roth Edney, 2004). They found that the media repeatedly portrays people with a mental illness as being incapable of both developing opinions and speaking on their own behalf, as being unstable, unpredictable, disheveled, helpless, and appearing lost and confused, to lack comprehension and as being unproductive failures. The media also makes it appear that violent crimes committed by people with a mental illness are common and that the general public has reason to fear them. Imagine if it was you or a loved one battling a mental illness and having popular culture discriminate against you in this way. How would you feel and how would you want the messages that media sends us to change? While the majority of our media messages are negative in nature, there have been small steps taken to try to change the views of society. The television program Monk and the movie As Good As It Gets are both examples of stories that revolved around characters with a mental illness. Unfortunately these are just two examples in a medium that produces thousands of products each year. For society to fully accept the mentally ill as people and not as people with a problem, the media needs to step up

Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Decision Making - Essay Example most viable when time is of essence in arriving at quick recommendations and when the decision-maker has established vast experience and expertise that warrants knowledge of the potential outcomes of the decision to be made. Still, most women have been proven to have practiced making decisions based on gut-feel and relying merely on perceptions. In one’s personal experience, decision-making follows the rational decision making process where there are clearly stipulated steps that are structured and where one is expected to adhere to. This has been proven to be most effective in one’s personal and professional experiences in life due to the objectivity it accords me, as the decision-maker, to see various options on a factual perspective; and to have generated the most effective recommendations that have been agreeable or amenable to those affected by the decisions on a longer time frame. Likewise, as emphasized in the discourse entitled â€Å"Why Being Certain Means Being Wrong† there is an evident feeling of â€Å"certainty, in the form of the calm feeling of knowing, (which can ultimately) replace the tension of not knowing† (par. 3). Thus, through rational decision making, one ultimately attains a feeling of sublime calmness in the certainty that the selected course of action is the one that is most plausible, more leaning to accuracy and correctness and the least fallible to error. In a more generalized form, one’s rational decision-making process follows these crucial phases: (1) defining or clearly stating the problem (not the symptoms but the root or main predicament); (2) identifying one’s alternative courses of action (which also includes not doing anything, which is called status quo; and other viable options); (3) using cognitive or analytical tools in evaluating each option (such as enumerating benefits versus costs or advantages versus disadvantages, at the most simplest form; SWOT analysis, if needed; ethical, moral and legal considerations;

Pay day loan companies should be subject to more regulation Assignment

Pay day loan companies should be subject to more regulation - Assignment Example Vega (2014) argues the loans offered range from  £100 to  £1000 and this is offered for a period of few weeks or months. However, these lenders face a lot of criticism. This is because lots of people argue that they lend money irresponsibly and charge very high interest rates to individuals (Bonnette, 2005). This is unlike the traditional lenders who required lots of details so as to lend money to their clients. In light to this argument, this essay shall attempt to evaluate if the pay day lenders should have their businesses regulated or not. As seen in the work of Vega (2014), pay day lenders subject their borrowers to misery. This is from the verity that they ask for very high interest rates to desperate individuals who wish to sort out their financial issues with immediacy. One would argue that these pay day lenders are simply on the move to make huge amounts of profit by frustrating poor individuals who lack better alternatives to their present situations. In fact, the Perry (2011) and Cresswell (2009) refer to the pay day lenders as the worst offenders that the society can breed. However, the pay day lenders defend their mission by arguing that they save situations that cannot get assistance from the traditional lenders (Vega 2014; Jefferson, 2012.). They also argue that their services are better as they prevent borrowers from yearly interest rates that are high and may rise to 400% (Vega, 2014). The most interesting part, though, is that more and more people are caught up with this system with the day. Pay day loan companies should be regulated by the government as they offer extremely high interest rates to their clients. As argued by Cackley (2011) in an event that the pay day companies are regulated, it will be easy for regulation to take place as the government will ask for a clear range of the interest rates payable by the clients. This means that the pay day companies will only deal with persons can

Public participation in Guelph landfill search process Essay

Public participation in Guelph landfill search process - Essay Example Anyone can play a role in rebuilding the environment† (par. 7). This sounds like a lovely idea, and a very creative way to turn what is essentially a controversial garbage dump into something more positive†¦something the public can enjoy and be proud of. The City’s choice not to relocate the landfill and go with a more environmentally sound decision was a wise one, helped enormously by public input. The Implication: Social Risk vs Economics The City of Guelph had for some time known it would have to deal with the issue of a needed landfill. In fact from 1987 discussions had been sporadically on-going with little progress, the reality being that no one wants a landfill in their backyard for all of the obvious reasons. In January of 1993 a proposed dump site north of Guelp was eliminated from further consideration after opponents managed to convince city council to throw out almost three years of work that had cost nearly $3 million. It was the beginning of a back and forth battle that would discourage county involvement and place the onus of burden on the city of Guelph. The search, beginning in 1994, would be controversial, intense and difficult. Based on records the intension of including public opinion and that and of others was, at least at first, well meaning. Ali (1999) in his study of the project writes, â€Å"In order to avoid the pitting of the public against the technical consultants that had occurred in a previously unsuccessful search, Guelph City Council wished to adopt a more inclusive process in which all members of the community could voluntarily participate† (p. 1). To this end the Landfill Search Group (LSG), a Community Advisory Subcommittee of varied professionals and the (CASC), or Neighbourhood Liaison Groups made up of volunteers from all walks of life from the community and ostensibly representing the public. It would seem that things would go smoothly, but that was not the case and the public, suspicious of how t he groups were selected and would perform, formed their own counter groups who, at the outset, were set against the landfill. After the LSG announcement of five potential sites, other neighbourhood groups were formed against the landfill for environmental reasons and surprisingly, on the basis that the sites which were being considered were all in lower economic areas. In essence, the latter complaints were â€Å"primarily on the basis of social equity† (Ali, 1999, p. 1) and the fact that the area was already home of a good share of the industry of the city. All of the groups came up with a list of 48 criteria on which the selection would be based, prioritized by the public which, in the end, promoted a site considerate of public health and the environment. From the beginning much of the controversy centered upon the components of priority ranking of the various aspects of the decision making process concern acceptable tradeoffs â€Å"between economic and environmental impac ts†¦to both the community and to the City† (Ali, 1999, p. 1). The business community favored sacrificing environmental concerns [groundwater contamination] for business interests, while other groups set on protecting the environment held fast. In the end, site selection was placed in the precarious position of a quid pro quo. As Ali (1999) quoting officials

Pakistan Energy Outlook Essay Example for Free

Pakistan Energy Outlook Essay Primary energy consumption in Pakistan has grown by almost 80% over the past 15 years, from 34 million tons oil equivalent (TOEs) in 1994/95 to 61 million TOEs in 2009/10 and has supported an average GDP growth rate in the country of about 4.5% per annum. However since 2006/07 energy supply has been unable to meet the country’s demand leading to shortages. Meanwhile per capita energy consumption in Pakistan at under 0.5 TOEs/capita remains only one-third of world average. Indigenous natural gas is the largest source of energy supply in Pakistan contributing 27. 7 million TOEs (45.4%) in 2009/10, followed by oil products, mainly imports, at 21.3 million TOEs (34.9%), hydel power at 7.5 million TOEs (12.3%), coal, mainly imports, at 3.7 million TOEs (6.1%) and nuclear power at 0.8 million TOEs (1.3%). Consumption of indigenous natural gas has grown rapidly in all sectors of the economy (residential, commercial, industrial, transport and power) over the past 15 years, driven by growing availability of gas and a low, government-controlled gas price as compared with alternate fuel prices. As a result, Pakistan has developed a vast natural gas transmission and distribution network across the country. However Pakistan’s indigenous natural gas reserves are declining and a low gas price has become a significant disincentive in attracting new gas supplies, either through increased domestic exploration activities or via imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) or regional gas pipeline imports. If current gas policies persist, Pakistan’s natural gas supply is expected to decline from 4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2010/11 to less than 1 bcfd by 2025/26. This will lead to a growing gas/energy shortfall reaching 8 bcfd (over 50 million TOEs) by 2025/26 and will depress Pakistan’s average GDP growth rate over the next 15 years. It is also unlikely that Pakistan will be able to substantially develop its other indigenous energy sources of hydel power and coal by 2025/26 under current policies, and the energy import requirements of the country may grow from the present 30% to over 75% of the energy mix by 2025/26 costing over $ 50 billion per annum in foreign exchange. The government-controlled power sector in Pakistan, one of the largest consumers of primary energy, is facing growing problems due to an unrealistic power tariff, high inefficiencies, low payment recovery and the inability of the government to manage its subsidies mechanism. This has led to a serious â€Å"circular debt† issue which is becoming a barrier for future energy sector investments. This Pakistan Energy Outlook document identifies a set of energy â€Å"Blueprints† which, if implemented, could allow the energy sector in Pakistan to thrive and grow and become the engine for the social and economic development of the country, allowing accelerated GDP growth rates. As with all reform processes, the â€Å"Blueprints† will require significant political will to execute and it is hoped that the present and succeeding governments in Pakistan will rise to the occasion.

A Study On Football Hooliganism Sociology Essay

A Study On Football Hooliganism Sociology Essay Before talking about football hooliganism, it first must be clear how this phenomenon is defined. What is football hooliganism? In the literature many definitions are given, but actually none of them really covers the whole problem, we believe. The main reason for that is that hooliganism is something that has expanded all over the world which makes it is a very complicated problem actually. Between the countries, and even within countries and clubs, there are many differences. For example: some hooligan groups are very well organised, others not; one group is more violent than the other; some violence is directly related to sport, other not, etc. So you can say that hooliganism is many-sited and worldwide, what makes it a very complex problem. Eric Dunning stated that there actually is no precise definition of football hooliganism: â€Å"it lacks legal definition, precise demarcation of membership and is used to cover a variety of actions which take place in more or less directly f ootball-related contexts† (Spaaij, 2005). We take this as our starting point in this paper, showing that the problem is very complicated and very hard to attack. To Guilianotti there are two important ‘types of football violence. Some violent behaviour can be called spontaneous, other violence is more organized. The first type, the spontaneous violence can be caused by a ‘wrong decision of the referee for example or even by a wrong â€Å"word† of someone. These are situations that couldnt be foreseen and it can lead to total chaos. It is very dangerous and it requires a fast reaction of the police. The latter type, the organised violence, may even be more dangerous and larger of size. ‘The battlefield in Beverwijk Holland is a good example of this type of violence. Two hooligan groups (Ajax and Feyenoord hooligans) met each other at an open field and fought with each other. The rest is history; one man died. Even today this event has a great impact. But this is only one example, and so many other examples can be mentioned here to illustrate the problem of well-organised hooligan fights against other groups and the pol ice. Even innocent people, like father and son, are not safe anymore in those situations. Through the years many things had changed and organisation of violent behaviour actually became easier due to the internet and mobile telephones for example. Another point is that the stadium is not the anonymous place anymore as it used to be in the past. The security had become a lot better, so it became harder to riot in the stadium itself. Rioters now find other, more anonymous places where they can still go on with their illegal activities. This makes it of course harder to control for the police. The preceding examples were just given to illustrate how difficult the phenomenon hooliganism is and how many problems it entails. The above distinction by Guilianotti (spontaneous vs. organised) is a very general one and it does not cover the whole problem according to us. Spaaij makes several efforts to give a more precise definition of football hooliganism. By trying to conceptualize the phenomenon he had to deal with several problems. Below, some of most the relevant problems are briefly described to show how difficult it is to define hooliganism. 1. In the past hooligans mainly fought against other hooligans. Actually, nowadays there are a lot of examples where hooligans attacked the police or other innocent people, like ‘normal fans. This is very dangerous of course because now nobody is safe anymore. 2. Where the violence used to be in and around the stadiums, now it more and more spread to all kind of other places like housparties, open fields and other locations that are not related to the sport. This shift in violence is probably due to the better security in and around the stadiums. So it really becomes a wider and more incontrollable problem. Like the first problem this is a very important point in this paper. 3. Football hooliganism not always means violence in the way of really attacking other people or demolishes all kinds of stuff. For al lot of so-called hooligans, group feeling is most important and violence is not a priority. To them it is all more symbolic opposition. 4. Like Guilianotti stated already, not all the incidents are well-planned. Actually there are a lot of situations where the violence was not planned at all. Like said before one single event can lead to a big riot. This is dangerous of course because of the ‘surprise element and it becomes harder to counter by the police. Many people, like the police, think that hooligan groups are always very well-organised, but this is definitely not always the case. The rate of organisation differs from country to country and even within countries and clubs there are many differences. Some groups have a real hierarchical (criminal) organisation, like in the army, while other groups just fight with almost no organisation at all. This is another point what makes it so difficult to define hooliganism. Although, there is no precise definition of football hooliganism; almost everybody acknowledge the problem of the violence that seems to go hand in hand with this specific group of football ‘fans. The last thirty years it really became a sociological problem en many efforts had been made to attack this so-called ‘English decease. A lot of different prevention strategies led to a decrease of violent behaviour in and around the stadiums in many countries all over the world. But despite all the efforts that are made, hooliganism remains a disturbing problem (Spaaij, 2001). The next chapter describes some good working prevention strategies to counteract hooliganism. How to prevent football hooliganism? As mentioned in the introduction, football hooliganism is a very old phenomenon. â€Å"Even in the 1870s, when the game got its modern form in England, there was violent behaviour of spectators† (Dunning, 1986). But the last thirty, forty years the problems did become bigger and bigger and the phenomenon became a real societal problem. Something had to change and the authorities did a lot to prevent the violence that comes with hooliganism. But what is a good strategy to prevent this complex problem? First, it must be clear that there is not a single strategy to fight hooliganism. In the previous chapter it was stated that there are a lot of differences between groups in every country and city. Every group has its own characteristics which entails different problems. So one has to look at the specific problems causes by an group and the Spaaij gives some good working strategies It is also important that there is an international and national exchange of prevention strategies. Good-working strategies in one city or nation could then be implemented in another city or nation for example. So, successful prevention of football hooliganism requires cooperation between a variety of institutions and agents, and also between football clubs and fan clubs. Their commitment is very important and the task is to continue the development to make even better strategies for the future . Over the years many successful strategies are developed to prevent football violence. Like is said before these strategies came from all over the world thanks to the great effort of many relevant authorities. Now some four forms of prevention are discussed briefly. First, the police forces are discussed. There has been a change in policing football matches. It used to be very aggressive just responding to the problems as they arise. Thats why the police got a bad name, especially in Southern and Eastern Europe and in Latin America (Frosdick, Holford and Sidney, 1999). They used too much violence according to a lot of people and this had a counterproductive effect. So something had to change. The last ten years the policing changed into more proactive and intelligence-led, especially in Britain, The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. This so called proactive and intelligence-led policing is advanced and appears to be very successful in these countries. Special police officers for examp le are closely monitoring the activities of hooligan groups. So the police forces are now trying really hard to prevent violence, whereas the old way of policing actually was just a reaction to the violence. Nevertheless, significant variations exist in the investments made in intelligence-led policing in different countries and in different localities (Spaaij, 2005). Second, fan projects as a prevention strategy. An important aim of a fan club is to improve the relationship between the hooligans and the club. However, it is difficult to determine the preventative effects of fan clubs. Evidence suggests that certain projects have improved the relationship between hooligans, clubs, youth workers and the police, and have prevented young fans from identifying with football hooliganism (Bieleman, De Jong, Naayer and Nijboer, 2004). But there are also hooligan groups who dont want to be in a fan club. They want to distinguish themselves from regular fans and they will go on with their ho oligan activities. Third, the football club itself has a major role in preventing hooliganism. For a very long time clubs where trying to please the hooligans, by giving them free tickets and an own territory within the stadium for example, because they were afraid of reprisals. All this favours only led to expansion of the group and that couldnt have been the intention of the clubs (Spaaij and Vià ±as, 1996). So clubs have to make a statement, they have to take action, just like FC Barcelona did with their zero-tolerance policy for example. Fourth, and finally, real football fans are important in the prevention of hooliganism. With their supporters organizations they can achieve a lot of good for the sport. They are against racism and violence and they cooperate with many institutes. Many of these supporters organizations contribute to conferences, debates or educational programmes promoting the positive social functions of sport. This is a very good thing, especially for young fans, because they are learning that violence is a bad thing and that this is not good for the sport. References: Dunning, Eric, Murphy, Patrick Williams, John: â€Å"Spectator Violence at Football Matches: Towards a Sociological Eplanation†, 1986 Dunning, Eric: â€Å"Towards a sociological understanding of football hooliganism as a world phenomenon†, 2000 Giulianotti, Richard: â€Å"A different kind of carnival†, 2001 Spaaij, Ramon: â€Å"The prevention of football hooliganism: a transnational perspective†, 2005

Problems with Cheap Food

Problems with Cheap Food Casey Vorfa Food fight: Worldviews on food production and consumption Cheap Food Is Simply Unaffordable During the past few decades, the Food industrys productivity levels have skyrocketed and our food system is now able to produce large quantities of food in very short time spans. Furthermore, these products are sold at extremely low prices in order to attract consumers. At first glance this seems like an ideal food system but unfortunately things arent as they seem. Producing unlimited amounts of cheap, processed food actually costs a lot of energy and has harmful effects on the environment, animals and our own health . Therefore, finding new sustainable ways of producing food remains crucial. First of all it is important to understand how the food industry manages to sell its products at such an irresistible price. The reason is simple. All large food companies have one single goal : maximizing their profit. In order to do so, they want to make sure that they produce and sell as much as possible in a very short period of time. In order to increase their yield companies use advanced technology and an alarming amounts of resources such as pesticides, herbicides, fossil fuel and corn. In particular corn is of great importance, it is used as a preserving agent and also as food to cattle. More than 12 billion b.u of corn are produced annually(1). Furthermore, with fossil fuel levels running low, corn is turned into ethanol and later used as fuel. The food companies can sell us their products at such cheap prices because the corn that they buy and use doesnt cost them a thing. The price of corn is being maintained at low levels in an artificial way. Over the past decade the US Federal Government has spent more than 50 billion dollars into the corn industry(2). This is the why unprocessed organic foods are so much more expensive. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a dollar could buy 1200 calories of potato chips or 875 calories of soda but just 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit (3). In a few words, the large food companies have been receiving financial support by the government. No wonder unprocessed foods are much more expensive and unaffordable. They havent been receiving any royal treatment. One of the main flaws of our food production system is that it is very energy-intense. The food industry is heavily dependent on the use of oil and fossil fuels. In order to increase their output food industries use diesel powered tractors, irrigation pumps, pesticides and herbicides made of natural gas and petroleum. In fact, in the U.S about 10 percent of the energy budget goes to producing, distributing, processing, preparing and preserving the plant and animal matter we consume (4). However, the amount of food that is produced is much smaller than the amount of energy used to produce it. For instance, the U.S expends roughly ten units of fossil energy to produce one unit of food energy (5). Thus, if companies are already producing large amounts of food an unimaginable amount of energy is used to make it. It seems that the large food companies are ignoring the energy crisis we are in. For decades industries have been exploiting Earth’s natural resources as if these resource s were to last forever and the food industry has been no exception. Considering the fact that the global population is increasing and that we are running out of fossil fuels we will no longer be able to satisfy the increasing demand.The demand for meat and poultry is expected to increase by 25 percent by 2015 (6). In addition, the price of oil and other fossil fuels will also increase. Hence, the current food production system is unsustainable and will eventually collapse. Not only is our current food system very energy demanding but it also damages our ecosystems and harms animals. As one of the main energy consumers the food industry is also one of the major water, air and soil polluters. Burning fossil fuels create greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming. Intensive farming requires large amounts of chemical fertilizers. In American farms more than 10 million tons of fertilizers are being used for corn alone. 23 million for all crops (7). All these chemicals end up in rivers, lakes or in seas contributing to water pollution, soil contamination and in what we call dead zones .Dead Zones are areas of approximately 6000 -sq-mi area which contain no oxygen, killing all forms of sea life. There are nearly 400 dead zones and these dead zones cause the fishing industry to lose 212 000 tons of seafood a year (8). But our food system does not only pollute our land by releasing chemicals. Our ecosystem is also affected by the large amount of manure our system releases. One pig can produce four times more waste than humans (9). Considering the number of pigs and other livestock we can definitely say that a tremendous amount of waste is produced. All of this waste is thrown into giant pits called lagoons. These lagoons contain so much waste that they become toxic and they are one of the main causes of pollution in the United States (10). They also pollute the land with heavy metals like cadmium, selenium, zinc, copper and arsenic(11). Furthermore, industrial agriculture also contributes in soil erosion and the loss of biodiversity. Monoculture crops are vast spaces of land where only one type of plant grows. These crops create an ecological vacuum that insects take advantage which reduces the quality of soil (12). These crops also reduce biodiversity which damages the food chain. But the degradation of animal life doesnt end there. Because the food industry wants to make us much profit as possible thousands of animals are cramm ed together in small contracted areas where they never get to see sunlight. Apparently, for large companies animal welfare and our environment are much less important than making profit. Most importantly cheap food has also affected consumers health in a variety of negative ways . Processed foods are low in nutrients, high in salt, sugar and fat. Moreover, three-fourth of the world food sales involve processed foods which means cheap food has reached almost every country. Different studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between consuming cheap foods and the chances of developing different types of diseases. Since the late 1970s, obesity rates have more than doubled among children 6 to 11 of age and more than tripled among those 12 to 19 of age (13). Products like SSBs (sugar sweetened beverages) are major contributors to childhood obesity, as well as to long term weight gain, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (14). Furthermore, the chemicals and hormones that are added in our food also cause health issues. Danish Scientists have proven that hormone residues in beef are linked to high rates of breast and prostate cancer, as well as early onset puberty in girls(15). Moreover, all the waste and pollution that is caused by our food production system doesnt only affect animals but it affects our health as well. For instance, livestock manure pollutes the air with hydrogen sulphide which is linked to respiratory and neurological diseases (16). Hence, cheap food comes with very high costs to our health. Our current food system has many drawbacks, therefore it is important that we find new sustainable ways of producing food. First of all we posses technology that could decrease pollution and spare resources. Anaerobic digesters and micro turbines can convert manure into renewable, low-carbon biogas-fired electricity. Carbon dioxide could be used to grow algae for food and algae could easily be converted into bio-fuels. In addition, drip irrigation seems promising. Drip irrigation consists of underground tubes that deliver water directly to a plants roots. Researchers at Iowa State University estimate that corn farmers would use 40 percent less water and lower their energy bills by 15 percent with drip irrigation (17). No-till agriculture is yet an other promising option. This method involves planting seeds without turning the soil which reduces soil disturbance. Argentina already uses this advanced technique for more than half of its farms. Even though these methods are very helpful there is a lot more to be done. For the past decades large food companies have driven farmers off the land. In fact, nine out of ten hog farmers have left the business since 1979 (18). With unemployment levels getting higher by the day returning to the old way of farming might be a solution. Although it may seem that local farmers dont stand a chance towards the large food companies that is not necessarily true. If we support local farmers and the local food movement we are playing our part into stopping the food industrys harmful practices. Furthermore, companies like Niman Ranch have created networks of small scale farmers who only sale natural meat to restaurants (19). Other companies like Bon Appetit encourage their costumers to make environmental friendly choices. Our behavior as consumers also has a large impact on the energy ratio. Even though we might not realize it, our every day choices do have an influence on the amount of energy that is being used. Our diets one of them. If we eat meat every single day the amount of fossil fuels used is a lot greater than if we ate grain everyday. Meat is four times as energy demanding as grains are. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we should eat grains everyday but reducing our meat consumption and eating more foods that are less energy demanding does have a large impact. Restaurant owners might decide to sell in smaller proportions and keep the leftovers. Moreover, maybe we should think twice before going to eat at buffets. As consumers we should also think about not wasting our own food and not buying more than we need. The USDA estimates that Americans throw out 14 percent of the food that they buy which results in the waste of large amounts of resources (20). Thus our decisions as consumers can have large impacts on the food system. In conclusion, our society simply cannot afford cheap food. Our current food production system is not only highly inefficient but also harms our planet, animals and our own health. Fortunately for us it is not too late to change things. The use of modern technology to manage waste, supporting local farmers and Eco-friendly products are only some of the few ways to create a new sustainable way of producing food. References (1),(2),(3), (6),(7),(8),(19),(20) : Walsh, Bryan, Getting Real About High Price of Cheap Food , Time in Partnership with CNN, August 21, 2009 (4),(5)(9),(16)(17) : Webber, Michael E., More Food Less Energy, Scientific American, January 2012 (10),(11) (15),(16)(18) : Schloser, Eric â€Å" Cheap Food Nation Siera, November/December 2006 : Kaplan, David, Food Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy : Nestle, Marion Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity The New England Journal of Medicine, Boston, June 15 2006. : Stuckler, David and Nestle Marion, Big Food, Food Systems and Global Health Plos Medicine, Volume 9, Issue 6, June 2012

The Epilogue of Haydn Middletons The Lie of The Land :: Haydn Middleton The Lie of The Land

The Epilogue of Haydn Middleton's The Lie of The Land A few days had passed since Art had reentered David's life. While David, Quinn and Art spent the morning eating breakfast and discussing which is the best fruit jelly, Rachel was sulking in a pit of angst. Matthew hadn't spoken very much the past few days, still trying to come to terms with what she had done and why. And Rachel was trying to decide if she was on the road to healing a guilt which has haunted her for months, or could she still not forgive herself? Inspired by David Nennius' memoirs, she decided to do the same. She couldnUt bring herself to say to Matthew what she wanted to say, but perhaps she could write it then. Oh sure, she had told him the entire tale of her adventures with David, but she hadn't told him why she had been so obsessed with his troubles. Why she had to save him. Rachel picked her hands up from the keyboard. Rubbing her wrists she contemplated her future. Then, like many times, she began thinking of the past and details she had never told anyone. Rachel's Story "I haven't been able to bring myself to tell anyone what happened all those months ago," began the journal entry. I can still remember the day the man with no name came into the center, the day I committed my crime. That day I let a man walk out the door without getting his name. He wore a tattered overcoat and a sheep-like smile. Later, much too late, I learned the truth. No, that is not true. I knew the truth and did nothing. I knew he was a child molester - he told me. The worst part of it is that he came in twice. Twice I did the wrong thing. "I regret what I did," the man said through globs of tears. "I just wish these rages, these infatuations would vanish." I thought he was sincere, so when he would not give me his name I didnUt push him to do so. He pleaded with me not to tell the authorities. He said he could heal himself better in the real world. I thought he had a point. But then that fateful day came. I can still see Matthew's face as I read the story of a Chester Rogers being picked up for child molestation.

Peer Pressure and Drinking Essay -- Peer Pressure Essays

When the majority of us imagine what our college years should consist of, we see fun, friends, and frequent parties. It’s only natural considering all the hype that music, movies, and popular television shows portray. Singer Asher Roth describes what one should typically experience throughout his infamous single â€Å"I Love College.† Apparently, we should just dance, get each other naked, drink, and smoke then â€Å"pass out at 3, wake up at 10, go out to eat then do it again.† ABC Family’s hit series, Greek, produced an episode where all the fraternities and sororities were forced to comply with an alcohol ban during the campus’ â€Å"Dry Weekend.† All these students could do was whine and complain about how boring their lives would be for the next 48 hours. It is important to keep in mind that your friends probably can’t see past the stereotype of what they’re conditioned to believe college is all about. They’re under the fabricated impression that there’s a status quo to maintain and the only way to uphold this expectation is through Flip Cup and Power Hour. When you don’t want to submerge y...

Reducing Transport Carbon Emissions In The UK Environmental Sciences Essay

The conveyance sector is the fastest turning consumer of energy and manufacturer of green house gasses in the European Union every bit good as in the universe ( EIA, 2010 ) . Energy usage in the conveyance sector includes energy consumed in traveling people and goods by route, rail, air, H2O, and grapevine ( EIA, 2010 ) . In UK, the overall addition in concluding energy ingestion between 1990 and 2008, was 7.5 million metric tons of oil tantamount – an addition of 5.1 % . Transport energy ingestion rose to 21 % between this period, and the largest addition occurred in the air conveyance sector ; where ingestion rose by 83 % . Over the same period, the rail sector ‘s ingestion rose by 31 % , while rider route fuel rose by 4 % ( Govtoday 2010 ) . on the other manus, It has been estimated that 480.9 million metric tons of C dioxide ( MtCO2 ) were emitted during 2009 in UK. Out of these emanations, conveyance sector paged at 121.8 MtCO2- accounted for a one-fourth of all CO2 emanations in the UK ( Department of Energy and climate change,2010 ) This shows that conveyance remains one of the major users of energy and emitter of C, non merely in the universe or European Union in general but besides UK in specific. In position of this fact, the UK authorities demand to follow energy usage decrease schemes so as to cut down its C pes print and aid to accomplish European Union ‘s policy of cut downing C emanations by 2020 so as to accomplish sustainable development.Proposed Options to cut down Energy ingestion and or emanations in conveyance sector.1.Technological options( a ) .Hybrid-electric vehicles. A intercrossed electrical vehicle ( HEV ) is a vehicle equipped with either an internal burning engine ( ICE ) and an electrical motor powered by electrical batteries. HEVs are an emerging engineering in the automotive market, with makers planing and bring forthing intercrossed systems for rider autos, light-duty vehicles, heavy responsibility vehicles, and even engines. The improved efficiency of HEVs over conventional vehicle is achieved by runing a smaller, more efficient ICE within a narrower, more efficient operational speed/power set and utilizing an electric engine and electrical storage ( i.e. the battery ) to equilibrate the public presentation energy demands. ( Deutsche Bank,2008 ) . Potential nest eggs Hybrid vehicles are frequently equipped with â€Å" halt & amp ; travel † devices. In the urban rhythm, these devices may enable farther decrease of energy usage and emanations ( Ricardo, 2009 ) . Mild loanblends ( where an electric motor is non a exclusive beginning of driving power, but besides auxiliary internal burning engine when extremum power is needed ) provide a 10-20 % fuel efficiency addition ( Deutsche Bank,2008 ) , and full loanblends, can cut down CO2 emanations for urban applications by up to 40 % depending on the vehicle. For long draw drive ( i.e. chiefly on high-velocity roads ) an norm of 7 % is reported as more typical ( Ricardo, 2009 ) , and coachs runing on intercrossed system have the possible to cut down emanations by 30 % on the conventional Diesel coachs ( Transport for London ) . Restrictions and possible actions HEVs of In general, offer more efficiency benefits in metropolis drive instead than in long-distance expressway usage ( Ricardo, 2009 ) . Though nearing commercial position, HEVs are rather expensive and it is ill-defined whether consumers will encompass them in the mass market. However, Government can make a batch to advance loanblends, including strong monetary value inducements and instruction runs to do certain consumers are cognizant of this engineering and understand its benefits ( Deutsche Bank,2008 ) . ( B ) .Carbon gaining control and storage engineering ( CCS ) Refers to the gaining control of CO2 from emanations, followed by storage in geological constructions, thereby forestalling it from come ining the ambiance ( Parliamentarly office of scientific discipline and engineering, 2005 ) . This method of C segregation can be done at production phase of fuel such that Carbon gaining control and storage engineering offers a low-carbon manner to utilize fossil fuels to guarantee security of energy supply ( Parliamentarly office of scientific discipline and engineering, 2005 ) . Potential nest eggs Using CO2 gaining control to the UK ‘s energy industries has the greatest possible to cut down current emanations. The cost of emanation decrease utilizing CCS are comparable with those of utilizing offshore wind power or atomic power-Carbon emanation decrease costs of about ?50/tCO2 ( DTI, 2003 ) Restrictions and solutions There are concerns that Carbon could be released during conveyance and injection or over clip from geological storage ( DTI, 2003 ) .Hence, CO2 release would necessitate to be carefully monitored for homo and environmental safety. However, there are already expertise and industrial protocols associated with its handling. Even utilizing pessimistic premises it has been estimated that it is improbable that more than 0.03 % of the CO2 would be released during conveyance and injection ( DTI, 2003 ) . Under present economic conditions CCS is non financially feasible. However, Making inducements for CCS signifiers portion of the wider argument on economic schemes to cut down CO2 emanations ( Parliamentarly office of scientific discipline and engineering, 2005 ) .2. Fiscal techniquesFiscal instruments are an obvious tool for authorities policy in general. They can besides be a tool for rapidly act uponing the consumption of energy efficiency in conveyance so as to cut down energy demand and cut down auto ownership by persons ( Banister, 2006 ) . Examples of financial techniques that can be used are as follows ; Fuel bringing direction measures- where autos can merely replenish at a certain clip of the twenty-four hours dependant on the last figure of their license home base Artificial elevation of fuel monetary values through revenue enhancements, Introduction of route and interior metropolis tolls restrictive parking and debut of parking fees. These financial techniques can ensue to cut down urban vehicle trips to merely indispensable trips and to deviate the bulk of occupants to public conveyance where by cut downing energy usage and C emanations ( Saleh etal,1998 ) . Potential nest eggs These techniques can cut down oil demand and ingestion by between 7 % and 10 % depending on the size of the break ( Banister, 2006 ) . Road pricing/congestion charges have been implemented in London and Durham. Even though the motive has non been to cut down CO2 emanations but traffic congestion, there has nevertheless been a significant betterment in local air quality in cardinal London and CO2 emanations degrees are down by 15 % , chiefly due to fewer autos, higher velocities and less stop-start drive ( Banister, 2006 ) . Restrictions and possible actions Information about possible steps of demand decreases in the conveyance sector is frequently highly limited and dated. Fuel revenue enhancement addition has the possible to keep demand but – recent informations about the effectivity of such steps is scarce ( IE A,2003 ) . However, since other countries have been implementing the techniques, lessons can be learnt from them which can back up determination doing procedure.3.Legislative stepsLegislative steps can besides be used to excite the consumption of energy efficiency in conveyance where by cut downing energy demand and emanations ( The Allen confer withing group,2008 ) . Example include compulsory criterions for fuel efficiency Compulsory Standards for Fuel Efficiency Standards on degree of pollution can be imposed on auto makers, with a mark agreed that all new vehicles should hold mean lower emanation rate of fuel. EU mean rate is 140 g CO2/km3 ( SMMT, 2007 ) . In the UK, the current degree for new autos is 167.2 g CO2/km ( 2006 ) with approximately 20 % more to making the 140 g/km mark ( SMMT, 2007 ) . Potential nest eggs A survey by the The Allen confer withing group,2008 in Australia indicated that a plan affecting compulsory criterions demands for big energy consumers ( devouring 100 TJ or more of energy each twelvemonth ) , is likely to present a net economic benefit over 10 old ages of around $ 710 million ( in cyberspace present value ( NPV ) footings ) .This is based on a demand for these sites to implement energy salvaging undertakings with a payback period of 3 old ages or less, and the consequence of a modest domestic C monetary value ( assumed to average about $ 15 per metric ton CO2e ) in the period 2010 to 2020. Restrictions and possible actions Mandatory energy efficiency plans implementation incur highest plan costs compared to voluntary attacks but the expected benefits are besides the highest compared to other attacks ( The Allen confer withing group,2008 ) .4. Infrastructure alterations and behavioral alteration optionsIncreasing the efficiency of route and rail vehicles so they use less fuel per rider Km or tonne-Km ( IE A,2003 ) ; Reducing the overall auto ownership and sum of personal travel and motion of goods ( IE A,2003 ) ; Transfering riders and cargo from high-consumption manners to low ingestion manners eg public conveyance ( IE A,2003 ) ; back uping Eco- drive -energy usage in conveyance is besides dependent on mean velocity of the vehicle, service quality and driver behaviour hence important sum of energy and C emanations could be saved by learning people how to drive ( Hodac, 2008 ) . bettering journey times and connexions, improved quality, handiness and affordability of public conveyance through electrification of rail webs and disgnating high velocity rail associating metropoliss to do train more attractive option to auto use ( Scots Government Publication,2009 ) . planing substructure and layout to promote and ease walking and cycling ; and do non-motorised manners of conveyance safer, quicker and more attractive ( Scots Government Publication,2009 ) Promoting options to go ( e.g. greater telecommuting ) Potential nest eggs substructure betterments, â€Å" intelligent conveyance † engineerings and systems such as better routing systems and congestion decrease and information systems can assist to replace for travel systems and better theodolite systems. An aggressive combination of such steps could realistically cut travel ( or go growing ) by 10-15 % where by cut downing energy usage and C emanations ( IE A,2003 ) . Freight-efficiency betterment programmes, much more aggressive attempts could give a 10-20 % decrease in cargo fuel usage ( IE A,2003 ) .The IEA estimations that a 5 % -10 % decrease in mean fuel ingestion per kilometer could be achieved through a combination of the undermentioned steps: stronger review and care programmes to aim fuel efficiency, acceptance of on-board engineerings that better in-use fuel efficiency and better driver consciousness of efficiency ; better and more widespread driver preparation programmes, and better enforcement and control of vehicle velocities. Restrictions and possible actions Measures such as transport demand direction and traffic direction systems are frequently supported by specific revenue enhancements, publicity of public conveyance systems to promote voluntary transportation from autos, support for usage of alternate fuels, etc. These steps face a different scope of political jobs and other jobs ( OECD, 2002 ) . However, Measures including outreach and inducements for improved heavy-duty vehicle fuel efficiency and advancing greater usage of telecommuting and public conveyance for better system efficiency can be emphasized ( IE A,2003 ) ..DecisionThere are several options that UK Government can see to follow in seeking to accomplish the purpose of cut downing C emanations from conveyance sector. The options are in the class of substructure, engineering, statute law every bit good as financial techniques. Each option has possible to cut down emanations but has associated restrictions. However, suggested solutions to restrictions are available which so allow the Government to do determinations against its ain precedences.Beyond 2050Carbon gaining control and storage engineering ( CCS ) Using CO2 gaining control to the UK ‘s energy industries has the greatest possible to cut down current emanations. The cost of emanation decrease utilizing CCS are comparable with those of utilizing offshore wind power or atomic power-Carbon emanation decrease costs of about ?50/tCO2 ( DTI, 2003 )

Analysis of the Story Doctor in the House Essay

The story to be analyzed is entitled â€Å"Doctor in the house† written by Richard Gordon. He also wrote several novels and screenplays dealing with practice of medicine. The extract is about passing oral and written exams on medicine. The author describes the way how the main character passed his examinations. He considered it to be death. A lot of images can be found in the text. They create atmosphere of a contest, a court, musical playing. The author emphasizes the inevitability of meeting Secretary to hear the sentence†¦ In 1952, he left medical practice and took up writing full time. He has an uncredited role as an anesthesiologist in the movie Doctor in the House. The early Doctor novels, set in the fictitious St Swithin’s, a teaching hospital in London, were initially witty and apparently autobiographical; later books included more sexual innuendo and farce. The novels were very successful in Britain in Penguin paperback during the 1960s and 1970s. Richard Gordon also contributed to Punch magazine and has published books on medicine, gardening, fishing and cricket. The film adaptation of Doctor in the House was released in 1954, two years after the book, while Doctor at Sea came out the following year with Brigitte Bardot. Dirk Bogarde starred as Dr. Simon Sparrow in both. The later spin-off TV series were often written by well-known British comic performers. Doctor in the House begins with the lead protagonist getting into a fictional medical college in London, St. Swithins. He collects a handful of faithful friends, including Grimsdyke, whose main aim to remain an eternal student as his aunt has left a large legacy in his name, for the duration of his course (as the funds will cease once he qualifies, he prefers to fail every examination). The book goes through the trials and tribulations of their college lives-sports, studies, spats with teachers and love affairs. Snippets like using a human skull as an ash-tray and trying to weasel out of tight situations in examinations will strike a chord not only in every doctor and medical student, but also in anyone who has ever attempted an examination! In one of my favourite incidents, Simon (the hero) is asked to check a patient’s eyes with an ophthalmoscope. He says ’’I always intended to find out how this thing worked, but never got around to doing it’’ Further, on checking the patient’s eyes, his comment was that ’’it looked like fishes swimming in an aquarium full of murky water.’’ Luckily for him, he was able to wriggle out of the situation by a simple trick, and eventually passed the examination! The book is full of incidents like that, and will keep you laughing page after page. When I finished the book, I felt a vague disappointment that it was over so soon! There is a little flirting, but nothing that even an adolescent reader’s mother would censor. Hindi films are a lot worse!! So if you havent been exposed to Richard Gordon yet, this is a good time to start. This is the original book in the Doctor in the House series and deals with his medical training. The Doctor books were written as memoirs, a fiction continued by the author and main character’s name being the same. In reality, Dr. Richard Gordon Dr. Gordon Ostlere, a highly-qualified surgeon and anaethetist and contemporary of my uncle who was a reknowned anaethestist himself – but I didn’t know that at the time. Humourous stories of young doctors at medical school. A series of films were based on the Doctor books, and a television series as well. This one was first published in 1952. Product Description Richard Gordon’s acceptance into St Swithan’s medical school came as no surprise to anyone, least of all him – after all, he had been to public school, played first XV rugby, and his father was, let’s face it, ‘a St Swithan’s man’. Surely he was set for life. It was rather a shock then to discover that, once there, he would actually have to work, and quite hard. Fortunately for Richard Gordon, life proved not to be all dissection and textbooks after all†¦This hilarious hospital comedy is perfect reading for anyone who’s ever wondered exactly what medical students get up to in their training. Just don’t read it on your way to the doctor’s! About the Author Richard Gordon is best-known for his hilarious ‘Doctor’ books and the long-running television series they inspired. Himself a qualified doctor, he worked as an anaesthetist, ship’s surgeon and then as assistant editor of the British Medical Journal before leaving medical practice in 1952 to take up writing full time. Many of his books are based on these experiences in the medical profession and are all told with the rye wit and candid humour that have become his hallmark.

Henry VIII Essay

1. Did Henry VIII have the right to manage his marriages to his own advantage? In my opinion, I do not think so.   While it is understandable he needed a son to succeed him and to continue the Tudor name, he did not have the right manage his marriages for the sake of political expediency.   It is also revealed in studies made on the history of the Tudors is that Henry VIII was notoriously licentious.   His authority as king did not give him the right to change the rules. At the time, England was Catholic and it turned to Rome for moral guidance and when Henry did not get annulment, he changed policy and subordinated the church of England under him and his successors and this was all because he could not have a son.   Furthermore, he executed two of his wives and ironically, one of them, Anne Boleyn, produced his eventual successor, his daughter who would become Elizabeth I, one of England’s greatest monarchs. 2. Should a royal figure be held to a different moral code than his spouse and subjects? Why or why not? No.   Monarchs, regardless of their title, are still human.   Their title and privileges do not make them infallible.   They are also human and therefore prone to error.   They should not hide behind their authority to justify their wrongdoings as what most of them did in history.   They have to answer to someone and unfortunately, they cannot use God.   This is the reason why the philosophers of the Enlightenment eschewed the Divine Right theory when they saw it being abused. If monarchs believed they were ordained by God, how come their people hate them? If monarchs are considered beyond reproach, one needs to wonder why Louis XI was overthrown during the French Revolution or Charles I of England and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia were executed.   These examples demonstrate that the Divine Right is passà © and the reason why some monarchies cease to exist. Those that do exist are prudent enough to relinquish most of their power when they senses the changing times.

Managing Staff

Management for any healthcare facility has many different roles that they must complete. A health care manager must be able to handle running the daily operations, complete any financial duties, and also manage the employees of the facility. When it comes to keeping the facility properly staffed management must be aware of what is needed. To be sure that the facility is properly staffed, a health care manager should utilize a staffing plan. A staffing plan can show where employees are needed to work any hours that the facility needs.Annualizing is also important because if a facility is to be run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week will require many staff members because one employee would not be able to fill all of the positions. In understanding any staffing needs for a facility the manager must take into consideration productive and non-productive time. Productive time means the time spent that is actually worked by an employee. Non-productive time would mean any time the e mployee is not at work; whether it is the weekend, a holiday, sick time, vacation time, or a personal day.When it comes to using a staffing plan it is important for the manager to have this information in place because it will help to show what actual hours need to be covered and how many employees it will take to cover those hours. There are two ways to do a staffing plan; they are either done in the annualized method or by the scheduled-position method. In the annualized method the manager would take the non-productive and productive days of each staff person and account for them in the formula that is used to fill the hours.In the scheduled-position method the non-productive and productive days are accounted for when filling a scheduled shift. This is why recording non-productive and productive days in a staffing plan are necessary because all of the hours of each staff member are accounted for. When it comes to the cost for any healthcare facility they can be tied to the staffin g in a variety of ways. In a staffing plan the costs are attributed to the amount of staff that is needed to cover the hours that are needed to run the facility.It also can be attributed to the pay rates of each individual staff member and also the benefits that each staff member is entitled to. This information can be kept in the books which will help in preparing a budget or a staffing plan. If a health care manager did not have access to this information they would not have the correct information that is needed to properly staff and run the facility on a day-to-day basis. A healthcare facility is run by a staff that must provide care to its patients, provide daily care, and handle administrative duties.Without proper staffing a facility cannot be run properly and the quality of care that the patients receive will suffer which in turn can affect the overall reputation of the facility. To ensure that this does not happen, management must have quality staff members and also to make sure that all of the hours are properly covered. Reference Bureau of Labor Statistics. (January 2012). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos014. htm

ART110 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ART110 - Essay Example Contour lines are predominantly used as well in the painting to add to the visual effect of the real images of the clouds, the tigers and lions as well as the hunters. Short broken lines gave realization to the texture of the horse’s mane and tail, the lions’ and tiger’s hair and claws as well as the hunter’s clothes and bodies. The blend of primary colors created just the right hues to bring real pigments to the animals and men. The saturation of colors on the gray horse’s mane brings a bright effect reflecting the additive light’s natural influence on the artwork in contrast to the dull colors created in the middle and bottom part of the painting. The illusionistic three dimensional space presented in the painting add color and action to the drama between the animals and hunters, giving it a seemingly photographed picture of real events. The proportion of the images is realistic as well. Reference Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art Throu gh the Ages: A Concise History of Western Art (2nd Edition). USA: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print

Ted Bundy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ted Bundy - Case Study Example In his tender age, he understood that his biological mother was his sister. That is when they were staying in Philadelphia. With his mother whom he never knew as a mother but a sister, they later moved to Talcom, Washington with their relatives. Their last family name was later changed to Nelson. He was afterward adopted by Jonny Bundy. In high school and in college, he knew about himself as a bad boy and moved on to use this character as his stronghold. His bad characters were influenced by pictures that only reflected sex and violence. These pictures were mainly from the celebrities that were very well known to him. According to trusted sources, he had already committed several crimes before he finished high school. The crimes committed by then were like shoplifting and other petty crimes. It, therefore, underlines the foundation of his criminal activities. After he had graduated from the Woodrow Wilson high school, he proceeded to the University of Washington. During his stay at the university, he volunteered at Seattle’s Suicide hotline. He, therefore, learnt a lot and got a high experience on suicide and death. He later had a relationship with Stephen Brooks, who was strange and acted in an unfamiliar character. On learning about her, Ted was not well pleased. He was greatly affected when their relationship eventually ended. Ted Bundy lived a life that saw other people die in his hand. He was prevalent and gorgeous. His talk was very nice, and he could cheat people especially women and fall to his trap. He used to move in his car in popular women places and say a word to them. He could then ask them to escort him to his car. On the way, he could remove an iron tool and crash them in secret. Then he used to rape those women in cold blood. To get attracted to this women he used to pretend that his hand had an injury or he was a disabled man. These women could be

Oz Jet Boating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Oz Jet Boating - Essay Example The competitive low prices offered by Oz jet boating attracts many customers because of its affordability. Adults part with $75, children with $45 and whole family parts with $195 for a boat tour. The purpose of this research paper is to describe Oz jet boating as a tourism company giving details of the products it offers and finally conduct a situational analysis of the company. The target consumer group is a young population. Boat tours appeal the young who are adventurous in nature. Social media, advertisement agencies and internet are the channels used to advertise Oz jet boating to the world. Oz jet boating offers flexible ways of booking for the tourist tours through the email, telephone or any outlets located at the harbour. Oz jet boating is a tourist company based in Australia. The products offered are sightseeing activities at the Opera house, Harbour sides, Shark Island, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Taronga zoo. The major rivals in the tourism industry include Sydney Harbour boat tours, Sydney Harbour and Sydney Harbour cruises. Prestige harbour cruises offer charter boats for hire used in corporate events, weddings and social gatherings (Sydney Harbour, 2014). Sydney Harbour tours are famous for its day guide tours. It also offers fresh food from the sea and beverages at Watsons Hotel. The charges are $129 for adults and $89 for children (Sydney Harbour Boat Tours, 2014). Sydney Harbour Escapes, on the other hand, is a family business started back in 2000 that offers boat services and tour activities (Sydney Harbour Escapes, 2014). Oz jet boating needs to creatively and innovatively offer differentiated and unique products that give it a competitive edge above its rival customers. Proper care ought to be taken in pricing of the products in such manner that it will offer competitive lower prices than rival companies offer but also obtain profits from such prices. The consumer target group should be diversified and not limited to the young population onl y. Touring activities should be designed to include activities that will appeal to the ageing population and by thus doing revenue streams will increase. Advertising channels used must reach myriad people so that the public is familiar with the company and its products.

Airline Sales Plunge Blame Low Fares Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Airline Sales Plunge Blame Low Fares - Essay Example Unlike the demand curve, the supply is positively related to the price hence the higher the price, the higher the quantity supplied to the market. At market equilibrium, the quantity demanded is equal to the quantity supplied hence there is absence of excess demand or excess supply in the market (Wessels 28). The quantity demanded is determined by several factors which include the income levels of the consumers, the price of the commodity, the price of related commodities, the future expectations of changes in price and the population. The quantity of commodity supplied in the market is determined by the price of the commodity, technology and the prices of inputs of production. The supply is also determined by subsidies and government taxation (Wessels 58). This paper will discuss the airline sales plunge which may have been blamed on the low fares. The paper will examine the effect of the recession on the airline industry. Research questions and methodology The paper will answer the questions on what were the causes of decrease in the quantity demanded of airline tickets. The paper will also answer the question on the effect of the fares charged on the cost or price which was actually paid by passengers. The paper will review articles on the impact of low fares on profitability of Airline industry during the recession. The airline passenger sales revenues declined by 19 percent in September year-to-year which was not attributed to lack of business but the low passenger prices for the fares. The number of passengers who travelled during the period also declined slightly by 2 percent according to the Air transport association while the average price per one mile of flying declined substantially by 18 percent (Smith 2). The scenario can be explained by the low demand in the airline industry. The fees which started to be charged on services which came free initially include the checked baggage fee, pet travel, non-alcoholic drinks and food. The extra fee accumulat ed to $ 1.15 in 2009.bsome of the major carriers like U.S Airways, Delta Airlines and Continental Airlines gained about $ 10 surcharge revenues for holiday travels while maintaining their normal fares. The decline in Airline industry profitability was also affected by the increasing prices of crude oil (Smith 2). The decline in the quantity demanded of the Airline industry fares during the recession can be attributed to the decline in consumer income levels. A reduction in the income levels would lead to reduction in the quantity of goods demanded especially goods which are not basic. The recession led to decrease in the number of tourism travels and other leisure related travel hence the Airline industry had to lower their prices in order to attract and retain customers during the recession. The low fares partly attracted demand since the passenger volumes fell by 2 percent but it negatively affected business profitability since prices of inputs like crude oil increased. The prices of other related transport services like ship transport did not increase hence the airline industry had to lower their prices so as to maintain their customer base (Smith 4). The recession negatively affected the global economic and business environment whereby major multi-national companies scaled down their operations hence the volumes

Interior architecture - Detail and the user Essay

Interior architecture - Detail and the user - Essay Example The large number of Scarpa’s architectural projects reflect his unique concepts and ideas of design (Scarpa, Beltramini, Battistella et al, 2007). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate Carlo Scarpa’s use of the relationship between the body and architecture, and examine the roots of his conception of the elements of architectural construction as â€Å"beings†. Further, Scarpa’s imaging the user, with architectural details in relation to the user’s body, and his layering of memories based on the affinity between architecture and place, will be discussed. Relationship Between the Body and Architecture In European culture, there has always been a significant place for the relationship between the body and architecture, and the complex phenomenon of corporeality. This tradition originated from Marcus Vitruvius, the ancient Roman architect and engineer in the first century B.C., who compares the human body directly to the body of a building, and reinforces the analogy, so that the importance of symmetry, proportion and harmony in architecture become secondary to his theory of the link between corporeality and architecture. According to Dodds, Tavernor and Rykwert (2002: 28) â€Å"although this highly provocative subject has been treated with great attention and subtlety by critics, it remains nonetheless poorly understood†. ... Thus, the body was used not only to designate conceptual, but also material reality. Plato followed by Aristotle undertook to find a clear understanding of corporeality. The concept of the body is always open for further improvemen â€Å"through the continuous reciprocity of necessity and reason† (Dodds et al 2007: 28). Consequently, the body is perceived as a comparatively stable structure in the context of reality as a whole denoted by the cosmos. There is a surprising richness and depth of understanding of the relation between the human body and the world, the common corporeality and meaning, rendering the body as a microcosm. There is great reciprocity between the human body and the world, and between the human body and architecture. Joints, Frames and Building Construction Mass as â€Å"Beings† In the mid-nineteenth century, Gottfried Semper divided built form into two separate material procedures: the tectonics of the frame in which members of different lengths ar e joined together to encompass a spatial field, and the stereotomics of compressive mass that, â€Å"while it may embody space, is constructed through the piling up of identical units† (Frampton 2000: 181). Tectonics relates to the construction of buildings. The work of Carlo Scarpa is a contemporary manifestation of Semper’s approach supporting the concept of framework as aerial and dematerialization of mass, while the mass form is telluric or relating to the earth into which it is embedded deeply. The former tends towards the light, and the latter towards the dark. These gravitational opposites, the immateriality of the frame and the materiality of the mass are considered to symbolise the two cosmological polarities towards which they reach out: the sky and the earth. The experiential limits