Looking for Alaska

Looking For Alaska In life we face many issues and challenges. Perhaps the most challenging time is when we are Teens. Being a teen means being in that time period when we feel invincible, reckless and we are still trying to figure out who we are. For Miles Halter, he was just like everybody else. John Green’s novel Looking for Alaska tells the story of Miles Halter, a shy teenager who transfers to Culver Creek Boarding School for his junior year of high school, in search of the â€Å"Great Perhaps. † While at Culver Creek, Miles faces many issues including trying to fit in, falling in love, and death. When Miles lived in Florida he had no friends. He would always eat lunch by himself and everybody picked on him. When the chance came up for Miles to go to a boarding school in Alabama, he begged his parents to let him go. When Miles arrived at Culver creek he was greeted by his roommate Chip. The first night at his dorm Miles was awoken to some boys who picked him up and threw him in the lake. For many teenagers moving to a new place means starting over. You get to make new friends and nobody knows who you are. The challenges kids face when moving, however is trying to fit in when everybody knows each other. The surroundings are new and you don’t really know anyone. For me moving when I was 13 it was the scariest thing in my life. I, like, everyone else had a hard time making friends, but eventually I did. Falling in love is also another issue teen’s face. When in high school there is always that boy or girl who catches your eye. When Miles started hanging out with his roommate Chip, he met Alaska Young. Alaska was the girl that didn’t care what anybody thought of her. She smoke, she drank, and she even pulled pranks, but Miles started falling in love with her. The issue that Miles had to face with falling in love was that he was starting to turn bad. Miles started smoking and drinking just to look cool for Alaska. I think many Teenagers do things that they normally don’t do to impress a girl or boy whether it’s good or bad. After a night of partying Miles wakes up and gets a phone call. The person explains to miles that Alaska got in a car accident while intoxicated and died. Miles thinks it is one of Alaska’s pranks and starts to laugh. When Chip opens the door sobbing, Miles realizes that what the person said on the phone wasn’t pulling a prank. Sobbing, Miles realizes that the girl he loved is dead. During her funeral, Miles is nowhere to be seen and is skipping class to get drunk and high. Many teens have to deal with a loved one dying. When a loved one dies many teens get the mindset that their live is not important without that person in it. All in all Miles did have to face more issues than many teens, but the struggles Miles had to face made him who he is. We all face issues during our teen live whether it’s trying to fit in, falling in love, or the death of a loved one. We must move on from these issues in the end, and they will make us the people we are. Looking for Alaska Looking For Alaska In life we face many issues and challenges. Perhaps the most challenging time is when we are Teens. Being a teen means being in that time period when we feel invincible, reckless and we are still trying to figure out who we are. For Miles Halter, he was just like everybody else. John Green’s novel Looking for Alaska tells the story of Miles Halter, a shy teenager who transfers to Culver Creek Boarding School for his junior year of high school, in search of the â€Å"Great Perhaps. † While at Culver Creek, Miles faces many issues including trying to fit in, falling in love, and death. When Miles lived in Florida he had no friends. He would always eat lunch by himself and everybody picked on him. When the chance came up for Miles to go to a boarding school in Alabama, he begged his parents to let him go. When Miles arrived at Culver creek he was greeted by his roommate Chip. The first night at his dorm Miles was awoken to some boys who picked him up and threw him in the lake. For many teenagers moving to a new place means starting over. You get to make new friends and nobody knows who you are. The challenges kids face when moving, however is trying to fit in when everybody knows each other. The surroundings are new and you don’t really know anyone. For me moving when I was 13 it was the scariest thing in my life. I, like, everyone else had a hard time making friends, but eventually I did. Falling in love is also another issue teen’s face. When in high school there is always that boy or girl who catches your eye. When Miles started hanging out with his roommate Chip, he met Alaska Young. Alaska was the girl that didn’t care what anybody thought of her. She smoke, she drank, and she even pulled pranks, but Miles started falling in love with her. The issue that Miles had to face with falling in love was that he was starting to turn bad. Miles started smoking and drinking just to look cool for Alaska. I think many Teenagers do things that they normally don’t do to impress a girl or boy whether it’s good or bad. After a night of partying Miles wakes up and gets a phone call. The person explains to miles that Alaska got in a car accident while intoxicated and died. Miles thinks it is one of Alaska’s pranks and starts to laugh. When Chip opens the door sobbing, Miles realizes that what the person said on the phone wasn’t pulling a prank. Sobbing, Miles realizes that the girl he loved is dead. During her funeral, Miles is nowhere to be seen and is skipping class to get drunk and high. Many teens have to deal with a loved one dying. When a loved one dies many teens get the mindset that their live is not important without that person in it. All in all Miles did have to face more issues than many teens, but the struggles Miles had to face made him who he is. We all face issues during our teen live whether it’s trying to fit in, falling in love, or the death of a loved one. We must move on from these issues in the end, and they will make us the people we are.

My role in globalized society Essay

Globalization is defined as the process of integration of philosophies, beliefs and other properties between different cultures (Albrow and King 1990, Giddens 1991). In modern society globalization plays an important role, whether it be on social, economic or cultural levels (Held et al. 1999). One of the key contributors to globalization is the mass media, in recent times this has occurred through cultural integration and the flow of information between different countries through mediums such as television, newspapers, film, music and newer technologies (Curran and Park 2000, Tomlinson 1999). With the development of new technologies, international cultural exchange will become easier, as has already been seen with Internet platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Significant theories in media and communications have arisen through globalization these include modernity, developmental theories such as the network society and cultural imperialism (Held et al. 1999, Herman and McChesney 2004). This essay will be exploring these theories and concepts in international communications and globalization to better understand media and the media industries in the twenty-first century. It will also critically engage these theories with my personal views and understanding as a media and communications student as well as a global citizen. Early communication theories were based around modernization and development. Daniel Lerner’s early works on modernization focused on the dispersion of Western culture, technological improvements and innovation (Albrow and King 1990, Lerner 1958). In the 1960’s Wilbur Schramm furthered modernization theory, he explained that communication could be used to benefit developing nations both politically and economically (Curran and Park 2000, Schramm 1964). Since earlier modernization and developmental theories, the focus has been switched away from Western influences and diffusion, rather gaining a more neutral interpretation. Anthony Gid den’s attempts to discredit the original ‘media dependency theory’ by differentiating traditional and modern societies, explaining that although influences have played a role in globalization, over time people have ‘stretch[ed] further and further across space and time using mass media and interactive media (Giddens 1991).’ Historically Western influence has played a large role in everyday society, from politics to economics, in media this is seen through television, film and news. One of the major influences over  the past few decades is Hollywood and it’s byproducts (Miller 2001, Mingant 2012). Traditional Hollywood films, although focused for an American only target, were broadcasted throughout the world, where it was well received. These films consisted of American values and cultures, additionally the ‘cast and spectacular quality’ are the reasons behind strong popularity around the world for these Hollywood films (Mingant 2012). As a global citizen it is easy to recognize this influence since the local film industry isn’t as large and the majority of the ‘popular’ films are from Hollywood. But this trend is on the decline as we are seeing more and more international films from India and France as well as Eastern and European influences in Hollywood films. This has lead to an increasing significance of other ‘foreign markets in [this] globalized world’ which has to change is the global market (Miller 2001, Mingant 2012). Similar to modernization and developmental theories, cultural imperialism theories were based on US influence and impact on developing countries. Herbert Schiller, one of the main contributors to cultural imperialism in 1969, explained that the US gaining imperialistic control of developing countries through the media (Schiller 1969, Sparks 2007). This view was influential and opened the door for others to critique and further cultural imperialism theories. Oliver Boyd-Barred advanced cultural imperialism theory by suggesting that it was more than just ‘gaining control’ and more so a matter of inequality between different nations and this lead to ‘political and economic dependency’ (Boyd-Barrett 1977). Through local news media we can see the inequality of news reporting. The news is often Western dominated and shows hints of modern imperialism, whereas when developing countries are show in the news it is mainly related to corruption or tragedy. Over time this has lead to a bias image of these countries, which places the viewer with an inadequate understanding of the issue. Additionally, the developing nations are unable to produce their own mass media, and if they are they copy the formats of the Western world. As a global citizen it is easy to see the inequality between different nations and with such a large influence from countries like the US and UK, we are beginning to see the same stories covered over and over again. A perfect example is when an even occurs US, for example the shooting of a black teenager; this news is spread throughout the world even though there is very little interest from other countries (Reuters 2014). Where as when killing occurs in other parts of the world, for example recently in Gaza when thousands had died, it was barely covered in Western media (AAP 2014). This shows a heavy political influence on the media. Nonetheless, although not predominant in the Western world, I believe Al-Jazeera is becoming a news platform for developing and Eastern countries. These are ‘real worldwide’ news stories, which have an equal balance of news stories from all over the world. Additionally, these news stories are more informative and let the audience make their own view on the topic at hand. In this modern age we are going through a technological revolution, new media platforms are being produced every day and content creation is easier then ever. Social media is slowly taking over as the predominant medium and sites such as Facebook and Twitter are booming through more and more people joining as well as advertisement revenue. Through this boom we are seeing increased globalizati on across these platforms. Many worldwide issues are discussed on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, from the FIFA World Cup, to the recent events in Ferguson, USA (Frier 2014, Reuters 2014). It is also important recognize that when going though these stories on social media, everyone is given an opportunity to present their own view. Outside of these social media platforms, users are able to access more worldwide news as well as create their own content. As a global citizen, I often see myself researching topics in much more detail to gain a better understanding of news and issues. I feel this is the best way to gain an accurate view. I have a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and through these media platforms I see many issues being discussed. Social media and the Internet will slowly take over as the dominant form of information flow. Globalisation can be seen to have many benefits as well has having a negative side. Traditionally globalization meant influencing other global nations with respect to media, politics and economics. This was a global view during early media theory works. Only through the 1970’s did the globalization theories become questioned with claims of inequality and bias (Boyd-Barrett 1977, Schiller 1969). From these findings through to modern media we are seeing a slight move away from Western dominance of media. The concentration of media agencies is owned by a few people and although the US is no longer considered culturally imperialistic; the global media system is still yet to hit the developing nations. As a global citizen, the media is  complex system and without looking further into issues of media we are given a one sided story with bias.

Donor card

â€Å"Sleep after toil, port after stormy seas, / Peace after war, death after life, / does greatly please. † This is a phrase by Edmund Spenser, a 16th-century poet. He asserted death to be a â€Å"pleasant† thing. But it is not the case for many of us. Death is not so easy. In fact, we are afraid of its pain. In fact, we are afraid of its loneliness. In fact, we are afraid of its irrevocability. And it is much more scary if we feel all those agonies even â€Å"after† our death. I am not going to write about horror movies however, but a true story of brain death. And through the arguments, I want you to realize the significance of the decision: whether to own a donor card. Donor card†¦ I guess most of you already know about it. Thanks to that card, you can save other people without any special skills by providing your organs. That is wonderful. When you watch a moving story of transplantation on a TV program, you may have a feeling that you, too, want to be like that â€Å"warm-hearted† donor. Especially, in case of heart transplantation, the donor must be a â€Å"brain-dead† person, who can no longer maintain life but still has a beating heart. If you are wanted and cannot live anyway, you may think you have a clear resolution. However, remember that you always have to pay something if you try to save others. So let me remind you that the â€Å"warm-hearted† donor is a â€Å"warm-blood-running† dead body. Into a soft and warm body, a knife cuts in, and organs are taken out. If that is all, it may not be a problem. But, the body moves, sheds tears, and even has a possibility of feeling pain. That is the reality. It may be only a spinal reflex, but may not be, too. And it may be only a possibility, but may not be, too. The diagnosis by doctors may be done in a right way, but any human-made criteria and human-performed examinations must not always be perfect. There is a fact that the donor is often anesthetized during the extraction, so that the body will not disturb doctors by moving around. Once we are misjudged in the court of death, we can never be allowed to appeal again. And even if the judgment is done in justice, the prosecution itself is fatal in this court. Once doctors start to examine if you are brain-dead or not, they will try it again and again literally till your death. Needless to say, during that testing, you cannot receive appropriate treatments for your recovery, which means, you are locked in the death court until your tombstone gets upon you. In old days, death was something absolute. We got it suddenly by divine will and we could easily tell if someone was dead or alive. However, today human beings refuse the will with their well-developed technologies. As a result, now they have got an extremely significant role of defining â€Å"death. If someone's brain is dead but heart is alive, is he or she totally dead or not? At what point do we regard the brain to be â€Å"dead? † More fundamentally, what is death indeed? Actually, we can never be sure of the answers. They are beyond our capacity. But we have decided to make the answers. So, today our death is human-made. Contrary to such an obscure definition of death, I have an obvious vision for death. I do not want my last moment to be in an agony of organ extraction. I do not want to admit my family's death when they are still moving. I do not want to leave my death to anyone's discretion. I want nobody to face any unexpected misery. And I am sure that I am not the only one. I know that I am a human being who should equally be saved as the recipients. To make my death like peace after war, I do deny writing my will to be a donor. But still, that is my opinion. The important thing is that you get interested in the issue. Today, you can easily get a donor card. But the action must not be easy. To be a guarantor of life, you must take the risk it deserves. And after distress and uneasiness, torment and bewilderment, if you still reach a conclusion of saving others, you should be proud of your devotion. If you reach a conclusion of saving yourself, you should be proud of your cautiousness. If you do not reach a conclusion, you should be proud of your sincerity to life. If you have never thought about this issue, you can start thinking from this moment. Do you really want to help others? Can you be responsible enough for your decision? How can you make your death after life most pleasant?

Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Philosophy of Education - Essay Example Developing a student’s mental, physical, moral and spiritual aspects is Ellen White’s philosophy of education. These are just some of the philosophies which have influenced one in formulating one’s own philosophy of education. One’s philosophy of education focuses on the end of ignorance among men. Like Plato, one is convinced that education â€Å"leads man out of the cave into the world of light† (Brennen, 1999). Education must however be flexible in that its content should be adapted according to the needs of men. One deems it important that education be child-centered as opposed to being content-centered (Brennen, 1999). The Montessori approach to education is a method which one will certainly adapt in one’s philosophy of education. According to Montessori, â€Å"the secret of good teaching is to regard the childs intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination† (1989). Montessori goes on further to say that teaching should encourage creativity and imagination. One believes that this should be one of the focal points of education especially among the young children. Education should be an enriching experience for the student. It is not enough that men are bombarded with a myriad of information, what is essential is whether these information are relevant to them and will be of use to them in the future. To a larger extent, education should be viewed as something which is pertinent to society’s development and that which will eventually help men’s lives prosper and become more fruitful. It is one’s belief that education must not only impart knowledge and make sponges out of men, who simply absorbs everything the educator teaches them. Its fundamental aim should be to make man critical thinkers, be effective decision makers and ultimately achieve whatever goals they want to pursue in life. One

What are the main differences between imperfect competition and Outline

What are the main differences between imperfect competition and monopoly market structures - Outline Example It is a fact that monopolies are bad for the consumer market structures because they lead to an authoritative regime in place which can mean that there are no competitors and hence a great amount of one-man-rule that shall rule the roost in essence. What is most significant is the fact that monopolies and imperfect competition structures should be kept at a safe distance from the shores of any organization that wants to grow beyond its expectations. Also the consumers would be given the best possible space that they richly deserve and hence their predicaments would be taken care of, the sooner the better. Perfect competition remains a much desired for act that industries would always like to have within their ranks but this is hardly the case as there is a great amount of significance on having monopolies and imperfect competition market structures – the result of which are severe prices meted out on to the consumers with no possible alternatives in sight. Moving on with the d iscussion, imperfect competition is in direct negation with perfect competition because the latter makes sure that the end consumers are given the best possible return on their money and their shopping realms are safeguarded in such a manner that they believe in trying different products and services which are available to them. However what monopolies bring to the fore is nothing short of bad blood, where one organization believes in doing everything while the rest are just not present (Carlton 2005). The monopolistic competition demands a sense of responsibility on the part of the dominant and the sole player as it has to take steps which are essential for the up and coming firms and businesses and it must be kept in mind that the new companies are there to serve the customer better and in a new manner and the customers have every right to demand the very same. They cannot be denied their due right just because a dominant player is bent upon ruining other’s sales and increa sing its own in both the short term as well as the long run. A check and balance approach thus holds the key here and it is the responsibility of the government to control these measures, no matter how harsh the situations are and how stern the steps have to be taken. To quote as an example of monopolistic competition, Apple Inc was accused of having the same within its ranks. There was hue and cry that Apple Inc was forming a vertical monopoly with the signature DRM System, the iPod, iTunes and so on. The pricing strategies were largely decided by the organizational heads and thus the market levels were discouraged from booming in essence. Non-pricing strategies were not made use of by Apple Inc which also formed up as an essential ingredient of the kind of monopolistic competition that the organization was bent upon doing. Monopolistic competition does not usually last for long since governmental interventions and consumer insights get the better of such tyrannical levels of compe tition. There is a more advanced and up to date value-added mechanism in place with the advent of competing players which eventually throng the market and get the biggest share. Unquestionably, competition brings in expectations by the customers, end users and all those who depend a great deal on the said business. This is because competition has motivated them for so long now that the absence of competitive activity would mean a loss-loss exercise. This is generally an unacceptable phenomenon and needs to be taken care of by the people who matter the most within the helm of affairs in the organizational domains. Motivation will only take place when competition is sound enough to send shockwaves within the industrial domains and set the ball rolling as far as delivery of value and quality for the sake of end consumers is concerned. This means that motivation will act as a reinforcing agent once the

Employee Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Employee Development - Research Paper Example Employee development leads to employee motivation and job satisfaction. A growth-oriented workplace culture works on improving small occurrences so that overall growth is guaranteed. Growth relates to each and every employee at the workplace. The development in the quality of existing employees’ skills and the quantity of skilled workers leads to overall organizational growth. The most precious asset that a company may cherish is its employees, and it needs to be seriously concerned with all issues that may dissatisfy, frustrate or depress them. Without happy employees, no strategy is going to work, and no progress will be seen in the long run. Also, employee development programs result in job retention which is necessary to save organizational finances. Opening new opportunities for employees, so that they can develop expertise, makes them stay happy with their jobs. This can be done through training and learning sessions, along with providing such avenues to employees where they can practice new ideas. In this paper, we shall discuss what research suggests about the benefits of employee development, both for the employee and the employer. Discussion Gallie et al. (2010) describe in their research how teamwork can be used as a strategy to enhance employees’ skills and, ultimately, organizational success. They have explained the benefits of teamwork in task discretion, skill development, organizational commitment, discretionary effort, and employee welfare. Talking about employee development, they state that teamwork creates such an environment in which employees can learn new skills and competencies. This is because the employer distributes tasks on multi-functional basis, requiring different people with different skill sets. This system of work organization requires employees to work on a collaborative platform on which they share their ideas, and get motivated by each other’s talents and capabilities. This makes them bring the best out o f their skills to accomplish the tasks assigned to them. Constructive criticism, feedback, and further appreciation motivates them, leading to successful employee development. The researchers found that employees, who were the participants of their research, stated that their jobs required them to learn and help other employees learn new things, when they worked in semi-autonomous or self-managed teams. Ellinger et al. (2008) prove our thesis statement in their research, by stating that employee development strategies, such as training, coaching and empowerment, lead to successful employee development that is beneficial to both the employees and the employers. They conducted their research on 123 logistic service provider firms using multi-survey design methodology, and found that firms which employed employee development programs performed better than those which did not value employee development. They emphasized that service-related training is the most important thing that impro ves employees’ skills. Training, which occurs after orientation, is a process in which employers intend to enhance employees’ performance through teaching them new skills and competencies, with the use of which, they can enhance their performance in their job areas. Training modifies the thinking of employees, and is a never-ending process. It makes employees efficient and

Report Communication proccess in Wivenhoe hotel Essay

Report Communication proccess in Wivenhoe hotel - Essay Example And thus NOISE to Mr. John could be his very engagement at always. Noise to Mr. Robinson could be poor reception, lack of hearing information sending to him clearly and many others. Mr. Huge as Secretary always busy with incoming calls, and that might be where NOISE arise. Susana can always be ups and downs, and she might forget many things MEDIA/ CHANNEL TYPES OF CHANNEL: General Manager: The General Manager can Communicate by the use of word of mouth, including writing messages Likewise Mr. Robinson can explore to the use of verbal and written communication as well. Paullina can also communicate verbally and also in written form Susana can only adapt to communicate verbally as she cannot vow to writing messages to their esteem customer which will look very odd. HOW: Meeting and Sending Letters Emails, Calls Advertising and Emails messages Minor Meeting Noise When people are called to attend a meeting, they might be tired and boring as it may turn long and uninterested. What is boring and problematic in oral communication is that, it can interrupt unprecedented. Example, Paullina may be interrupt by roaring of car engines while she is communicating orally with customers. Customer may likely avoid phone calls as ringing and roaring of phones might interrupt his other activities. A customer may decide not to check his email messages especially that of junk, and that is another problem of noise Oral expression without seeing visible can also disturb customer THE RECEIVER New and old customers Organizations and Companies locally FEEDBACKS How Communicating Customer can reply via email or letter, while an instant reply can be given on meeting periods. However,... (Overview) "Communication is defined as a process by which we assign and convey meaning in an attempt to create shared understanding. This process requires a vast repertoire of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analyzing, and evaluating. Use of these processes is developmental and transfers to all areas of life: home, school, community, work, and beyond. It is through communication that collaboration and cooperation occur..." What is boring and problematic in oral communication is that, it can interrupt unprecedented. Example, Paullina may be interrupt by roaring of car engines while she is communicating orally with customers. We have a very means of communication, while we have drew attentions of lots of customers and organization to patronize with us through our communication motivation processes. We adapts to 2 ways of communication, synchronous, which chanced us to get immediate replies to our messages, while we also adapts to asynchronous, which we receives via letter and emails as well. We also adapt 2 means of communication, verbal and visual. Our General Manager and other Staffs have jointly working hard to see that new facilities as mean of more improvement are started.

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

And Analysis - Case Study Example As per the open system model, the organization along with the sub system which includes groups, individuals and departments often share a number of similar features which explains how the organizations functions and are organized (Cummings & Worley, p.89). The organization, in the given case study, seems to lack coordination among the members and also with the top level management. There are no specific goals attached with the organization and employees often sends query about what the specific goal is and how to achieve it. By looking at the open system model of the organization, it can be assumed that the major problem lies with the group level. Although the other two levels that is organizational level and individual level are far away from perfection but the major issue lies with the group level. Group Level Diagnosis The group level diagnosis consists of inputs under which organizational design plays an important role in group design. Structure of the organization, technology, H R system, measurement system and organizational culture are the components of the organizational design. It mainly specifies the work done tighter in a group which is the main issue in the present organization. As per the survey or questions asked, the response revealed that the organization did not have a so called team. The organization does not function as a team whenever group decisions are required. As commented by Don, the national sales manager, the members do not listen to each other and tends to talk much without listening much to each other. The members are effective in sharing information but not much as a team. The core factors of team functioning was missing such as appraisals and reward system. The next factor is design components which consist of five major components. In task structure, the main idea is to see how the group work is designed. It varies along two dimensions which are regulation of task behavior and coordination of member’s effort. In the respect ive case, there is no group work, no interaction among the group members regarding the work. When meeting are conducted the members do not know what to discuss on such meetings. Meetings are thought to be wastage of time and rather talking as a team the members address it to Joe the division president. The next components talks about the clarity of goal. The members do not know the objective of the organization, what kind of goal is the organization thriving for and so on. Group composition is concerned with the membership of the groups .The members have the ability to differ on dimensions which are relevant to group behavior. But group work does not take a stand in the particular organization, members tends to work on their own, their own way. Group functioning is also important to group life. It takes into consideration how members of an organization relate to each other as quality of relationship does affect the task performance. The relationship among the members is quite effect ive, which is expressed on the last page of the case study. Since there is a lack of team spirit and team work, members needs to work on their own and discuss issues with Joe instead of team members. Lastly, the performance norms which talks about the group should perform task and include performance which are acceptable. The members in the organization want Joe to take care of the needs and

GOP Debates on 09.07.2011 and 10.18.2011 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GOP Debates on 09.07.2011 and 10.18.2011 - Essay Example It was clear that the debate would be aggressive as Romney and Perry exchanged blows. Both candidates continuously challenged each other with allegations one every given opportunity. The debate was undoubtedly crucial as the economy has been lagging and Obama’s popularity has been diminishing. Throughout the debate, it seemed that Perry was confident and poise even with criticism that were alleged against him. His illustration of running a country with the same policies as Bush and Regan made him formidable against his opponents. Perry came out aggressive, attacking Romney often and early as he tried to gain leverage with the voters. Moreover, he continued to avoid the accusations that were made to him. It seemed as he did not finish strong at all, but did able to leave his impression. Perry and Romney’s clash was the focal point as Romney attempted to mimick the same strategies as McCain and Dole. It was evident that Romney wanted to gain leverage but failed to do so. After dodging the accusations from Paul, Romney counterattacked. Romney seemed to look defensive in his stand. It seems as if Perry will dynamically modify the GOP race. While Perry and Romney dominated the packed, Gingrich and Paul did make some impact. Gingrich seemed to be confident at times with his plan to increase employment but failed to gain any momentum as he was too focused on attacking the media. Similarly, Ron Paul offered a strong defensive stand against libertarianism, but failed to expand his argument as he continued to emphasize non-trivial matters such as vaccines for HPV, eliminating TSA agents and FMA. Furthermore, it seemed that Paul promised too much financial stability that seemed too good to be true at this point. It seemed as if Paul and Herman Cain were on the same playing field. Herman Cain good off to a good start as he insisted on reducing taxes but was shot down of the sexual allegations that continued to diminish his reputation. Rick Santorum and Jon Hu ntsman, both failed to solidify foundation. Rick Santorum was passionate but kept deterring from main issues as he kept using big words that were not comprehended by the public. Santorum failed to gain any ground like Cain, who was already having a hard time feuding against accusations that were made against him. Jon Huntsman, another Republican nominee, was clearly out of sync as he failed to build his repertoire in any manner. His futile attempts to build his reputation as a diplomat seemed to be quite interesting. The only female of the Republican party, Michele Bachmann, seemed to be a very interesting yet fanatic character as she proposed a universal $2.00 per gas gallon. Overall, the essence of this Republican debate symbolized the critical events for the upcoming elections. THE GOP DEBATE ON OCT 18th The GOP debate on October 18th was another testy affair as candidates continued to spar with each other on critical issues such as foreign policy, immigration, and tax plans. It seemed to be so feisty that New Gingrich, the Republican candidate, took a huge shot at Obama as he remarked, â€Å"Unlike President Obama, I’m glad to be in Las Vegas. It’s a great place to have a convention.† Similarly, Rick Perry did not wait for his chance to take shots at Herman Cain, criticizing him of his 9-9-9 plan as he stated, â€Å"

Business to Business Marketing & Supply Chain Management Essay

Business to Business Marketing & Supply Chain Management - Essay Example Significantly, the success of an organisation must be pegged on the supply chain as pasrt of the vital elements in the system structure. Observably, supply chain is often regarded as the process of integrating companies and their operations together with regard to the flow of products, services along with other aspects of modern businesses (Ellis, 2010). Basically, the supply chain process entails the contribution of a supplier, distributer along with an instantaneous customer, and this further incorporates the flow of gods and the services of an organisation. In modern business practices, the supply chain retains its critical importance as it is directly associated with the operational wellbeing of the business (Warkentin, 2003). Correspondingly, this particular discussion will primarily deal with analysing the importance as well as the role of supply chain management in the domain of business-to-business marketing. The paper will also conclude some of the major prevailing issues as sociated with the supply chain management with considerations of two different industries, which will include the Textile Manufacturing Industry of China and Chemical Industry in Singapore in a macro prospective. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is one of the most integral processes in the contemporary business environment. It will not be vague to depict that it is one of major elements, which can directly decide upon the success potentials or failure risks of a company, irrespective of its industrial positioning. SCM is often defined as the management of the flow of goods within any particular business context. It primarily involves the movement of materials or finished goods from one domain of the business to the other in a systematic manner, ensuring time effectiveness in each of the stages involved in the supply chain process. The process of supply chain in the modern day business context also involves the

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Performance Management - Essay Example 2. Can the culture of an organization be changed to increase performance? Yes, the culture of an organization can be changed to increase performance because in today’s environment, change in the business environment is typical because of the rapid developments of technology. Business has been exposed to different stimuli, like economic crisis, globalization and technological changes. Changes in the organization are imperative because of the external developments and market development. The conditions obtaining in the market dictates for a culture change in the organization for survival reasons. For instance, in high technology firms, technological innovations becomes critical in responding to fast changes, so much so that innovation highly depends on acquiring new knowledge. 3. As a senior leader in an organization what can you do to change the culture and in turn increase performance of the business? To change an organizational culture is a difficult task because it has been entrenched and grown over time. Often times, people and management are too comfortable in it to attempt for a change and only a dramatic or significant event can change this culture like bankruptcy, loss of sales and customers or maybe lives. In starting a cultural change, senior leader should make an assessment, results of which could make one happy or sad. As a senior leader, he should have a keen eye to watch emotions, why they are excited or upset on things that matter. The leader should also be a watchful observer of objects displayed or hang on the walls that may present convictions, and to watch for things that are not there. A senior leader should be curious for things that are not mentioned by employees, but something that is very much important to management like customers. To change an entrenched culture, leader should first of all win the hearts and minds of the people he is working with. This cannot happen in a very short while, but it will take persuasion and patience. First, people should understand why change of culture is necessary, second, leader should know the cost of the change as it will entail shift from present design to a new one, and third, is to find ways how to motivate the people, and last, is to practice the organizational politics. 4. As an HR leader in an organization what can you do to change the culture and in turn increase performance of the business? Since it is inevitable that all things flow from the head, the values of the leader of any organization are reflected in the organization’s culture. In changing the culture of the organization, a leader must be able to communicate the vision of where the organization needs to go, and at this aspect, the leader must be trustworthy. In this context, it is seen that the transformation of the employees is the responsibility of the HR leader in the organization and the duty of the subordinates to receive and implement. Generally, employees are happy when they feel they are tru sted and important in the company. As an HR leader, there is a need to study the company’s personnel structure and find each employee’s strength. In working for a culture change, an HR leader should get

Sensory Perceptions Essay Example for Free

Sensory Perceptions Essay â€Å"The brain, a complex structure, allows a human being to perceive and react to their environment, contemplate the big questions, and experience a myriad of emotions. The brain controls the body and maintains the delicate internal balance needed to sustain life† (Smith, 2010). If fortunate enough, we humans all have five senses: vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. All of these senses that we have, work together to give us a conscientious picture of the world and where we belong in it. The statement, â€Å"There is nothing in the mind unless it is first in the senses† (Kirby Goodpaster, pg. 54), means, that our brain would be empty without our senses. Our senses consolidate to make us understand who we are, where we are, and what is happening around us. Because our brain feeds and processes information about our five senses, we put meaning to our sensory experiences, thus, we are able to respond and behave accordingly. We rely on accurate observations. Our senses prove its accuracy on a daily basis and â€Å"act as our lenses, amplifiers, particle detectors, and pressure and heat gauges† (Kirby Goodpaster, pg. 54). Our vision allows us to be aware so we can stop at red lights, wait for cars to pass, and know when it is safe to walk across the street. Hearing is another powerful sense that we use to listen to words, is crucial in communication, and is interactive with our thinking. When we hear a very loud noise close to us, we become startled and our senses might kick in and tell us to be aware of our surroundings. The touch sensory is circulated throughout our body. When we feel heat on a pan on the stove, our senses alert us to the danger of being burnt, and we proceed with caution before receiving further injury. Smelling uses the noise that sends sensations to the brain. When we smell smoke, we instinctively know there is a fire or something is burning. Then our sense sends a message to our brain that we need to take care of the problem or leave if it is too dangerous. â€Å"Our senses feed our brain much as food feeds our body; without their input, our brain would be almost empty†Ã‚  (Kirby Goodpaster, pg. 54). I believe that our senses, in most cases, are accurate. There are elements in life such as being sick or sleep deprived, that may distort the accuracy of our sensory perceptions temporarily, but in most cases they are accurate and the information they provide us with is essential in establishing our thinking. There are also other cases where what we think we see is not really what it is, â€Å"habits, interests, and biases, focuses and thus limits our perceptions† (Kirby Goodpaster, 2007, pg. 56). I believe that our sensory information in most regards is accurate, without any sort of accuracy we would not depend on them as much as we do in our thinking and decision making. When it comes to the accuracy of sensory data, there are various things that can cause an affect. Clearly, the brain needs food. Just like the rest of your body, it requires energy, protein, and vitamins for the brain to function correctly. Without a proper diet, our brain will have an effect on the sensory data. Drugs and alcohol also play a huge part in contributing to sensory accuracy. Certain types of drugs such as nicotine, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy can affect the brain as well. â€Å"All of these drugs interact with the brain at the synapse, increasing or decreasing the brain’s natural chemical activity. Even though their pharmaceutic effects are different, they all have in common the ability to disrupt our cognitive abilities; and in some cases the deficits seems to last after the drug is discontinued, leaving open the possibility of permanent cognitive damage† (Kirby Goodpasters, pg. 72). Last but not least, sleep is inevitable. We need sleep to think. Perhaps that is why we spend one-third of our lives sleeping. â€Å"Sleep, like diet and exercise, is important for our minds and bodies to function normally. In fact, sleep appears to be required for survival. Rats deprived of sleep die within two to three weeks, a time frame similar to death due to starvation† (â€Å"Why Sleep Is,† 2008). Sleep is a natural part of everybodys life, but many people try to get by with a little amount of sleep. Sleep is something our bodies need to do, it is not an option. â€Å"Sleep debt can negatively affect mood, motivation, memory, decision making, concentration, problem solving, and logical thinking† (Coren, 1996; Kirby Goodpasters, pg. 73). The nature-nurture controversy is defined as, â€Å"A traditional and long-standing disagreement over whether heredity or environment is more important in the development of  living things, especially human beings.† The relative contribution of nature (genetic and biological inheritance) and nurture (environmental factors) in developmental processes have been, and to this day, continues to be a debate. Both nature and nurture influence behavior. Some things are obviously nature. Eye color, for example, is genetic, and cannot be influenced by environment, although people could use colored contacts to change their eye color. On the other hand, language is a matter of nurture, ultimately by where someone is born and raised. We may not see the world as it is, but that is where accuracy of sensory information is concluded. Three reasons to believe in the accuracy of sensory information are the ability to use our senses to provide data so that our brain can identify the truth, using our senses to help connect the brain and emotions together, and lastly, senses give the mind the potential to determine what reality is. References Smith, A. (2010, April 11). Functions of the Parts of the Brain. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/104669-functions-parts-brain/ Kirby, G., Goodpaster, J. Thinking. (Fourth ed.). Why Sleep Is Important. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Parents_Why_Sleep/

Marks and Spencer: Structure and Culture

Marks and Spencer: Structure and Culture 1. INTRODUCTION Marks Spencer is British institution. Opened in 1884, the company emerged as a major retailer of clothes, food, household items and financial services. By 1997, Marks Spencer was an international company with sales of over  £8 billion and very high net profit margins. However, the group experienced a shocking reversal in fortune at the turn of the 21st Century when its main customer base, women aged between 35 and 55 began to stop shopping at their stores. This posed a very serious threat to the companys survival and Marks Spencer thought hard and long about how to rectify the situation. It did so by introducing bold new moves changing its corporate culture and by strengthening existing systems and processes. By doing so, the company was able to regain its loyal customers and grow once again. Yet, the last few years have been challenging as the company was badly affected by the global economic crisis. This report outlines the changing structure and culture at Marks Spencers. It provides a comparison of the contributions of the key business functions to the organizational change. It also identifies the key stakeholders of the organization and the key issues of managing them. Finally, a SWOT analysis is done for Marks Spencer along with an assessment of its long term future prospects. 2. CHANGING CORPORATE CULTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE All organizations have their own cultures, which consist of the values and beliefs shared by its members which determine to a considerable degree how managers respond to problems and opportunities. But corporate culture can become static and excessively bureaucratic over time, even among successful organizations (Huff et al, 2009). An organizational culture is powerful because it automatically shapes the way members see their world. Any culture is deeply rooted in beliefs and values that members have internalized. When beliefs and values are held without challenge for a long period of time, they are even less likely to be questioned (Robbins and Judge, 2007). The norms rarely change to accommodate those who deviate from them. Inertia sets in and employees become stuck in a rut. Employees become resistant to change and are unwilling to do things differently because they involve inconvenience and uncertainty. This could ultimately destroy the company. Like most successful organizations, Marks Spencer was a victim of its own success. Its corporate culture because inflexible, rigid and resistant to change because it was felt that since the company was successful, there was no need to change. Deeply entrenched was a sense of employee entitlement regarding remuneration and working hours. However, when it became clear that the old culture was unable to cope with changing demands of the marketplace, the top management decided on a major revamp. As a result, employees became less resistant to change and began to embrace new ways of doing things. Employees were willing to work for longer hours if it meant better pay and they were less resistant to the fact that they might lose their jobs if the company performed poorly. They were also sent for learning and education programs to equip them with new skills sets so that they were better able to cope with changes in the working environment. All these efforts contributed to the change in corporate culture which is now more dynamic and flexible. A number of major changes were also made to the organizational structure. The formal chain of command was flattened to a certain extent and in doing so the company became more agile and responsive to changes in customer demand and taste. The regional management structure was simplified to delegate more responsibility to individual store managers to give them more autonomy. 3. CONTRIBUTIONS OF KEY BUSINESS FUNCTIONS TO ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES 3.1 Finance The finance function plays a critical role at Marks Spencer in cutting costs and eliminating unnecessary expenditure. The entire value chain was examined to determine where and how costs could be trimmed. As a result, the company was able to reduce costs, provide better prices to the customers and improve its overall profitability. Ultimately, it is the shareholders who stand to gain the most from the initiatives made in terms of maximization of shareholder wealth. 3.2 Marketing To attract new customers and retain existing customers at Marks Spencer, the marketing function critically examined the cause of declining sales. The main cause negative customer perception of its main customer base women aged between 35 and 55 that the clothes sold at Marks Spencer were unfashionable and even dowdy. Therefore, the marketing function decided to split up the long-cherished St Michaels brand into a number of categories to cater for different customer needs. Consequently, the company launched three new product categories for women (www.marksandspencer.com, 2011). The first, the Perfect and Classic ranges were for basic purposes, for example jeans, sweaters and plain shirts. The second range, Autograph is for the more fashionable woman of a larger demographic group. The final range, per una, is targeted at the younger woman of ages 25 to 35 and is of average dress size. By segmenting its products for different markets, the company was able to regain most of the sales it lost. Different marketing campaigns are held for each range and this makes the companys products appear more attractive to customers. 3.3 Operations A number of critical changes were made to the companys operations. For one, the supply chain was made leaner and in doing so, the company made substantial savings. Fewer suppliers were used and this facilitated transparency and response time. The lead time was reduced and the company placed a greater emphasis on timeliness and quality. These contribute to leaner operations which lead to higher profits. 3.4 Human Resource This function is critical to the successful implementation of a strategy. The HRM function at Marks Spencer played an important role in changing employee mindset and modifying the corporate culture to be more attuned to the changes that need to occur (Hitt et al, 2004). As a result, employees were more receptive to change and aware of the sacrifices they need to make. 4. KEY STAKEHOLDERS The key stakeholders of Marks Spencer are shareholders, management, employees and customers. The following diagram shows their relative importance and power: Power of Stakeholders Meet Their Needs Key Player B, C A D Least Important Show Consideration Interest Key: A Shareholders B Management C Customers D Employees 5. MANAGING KEY STAKEHOLDERS Shareholders would like to maximize their wealth. Share maximization is through share price appreciation and dividends (Aaker, 1996). Therefore, satisfying this group would require increasing profits and the company profile. Management is concerned about maintaining control over operations. Their goals are sometimes similar to that of shareholders but in some cases they differ (Daniels et al, 2007). Hence, there is the agency problem. The employees at Marks Spencer are most concerned about job security and work conditions. Ideally, they would like jobs that pay well and have good hours. However, this may be incompatible with the goal of wealth maximization of shareholders as employee benefits will erode profits. Similarly, if employees are unionized, they may cause problems to management and reduce its influence. Hence, management must strike a balance between making employees and shareholders happy. Customers are concerned about satisfying their needs and wants. Managing them effectively would require Marks Spencer to improve its product offering to make satisfied customers who make repeat purchases. 6. SWOT ANALYSIS 6.1 (S)trengths Excellent control system for suppliers, inventory and layout of stores. Very high quality products Efficient and modern production techniques Good understanding of its core customer base. 6.2 (W)eaknesses Generic clothing that is often perceived as unfashionable An image of being boring 6.3 (O)pportunities Global expansion Utilizing more overseas suppliers to achieve cost advantage Maximize use of existing technology to obtain competitive advantage 6.4 (T)hreats Competition with premium quality clothing manufacturers Competition with discount stores Economic downturn 7. FUTURE PROSPECTS Marks Spencer is facing a very difficult time. After its successful business turnaround, it is once again facing problems due to the recession. Indeed the next few years may be a very difficult time for the company. Not only is it facing competition from high end retailers but discount stores as well. Meanwhile, the middle class is shrinking and if the company does not take bold steps, it may collapse. To succeed, the company must grow its market share by penetrating new markets or new product lines. 8. CONCLUSION Marks Spencer is a company with a long history of success. To overcome its current difficulties, it must draw on its strengths, overcome its weaknesses and revamp its strategy to stay relevant and competitive.

Developing Low Energy and Sustainable Homes

Developing Low Energy and Sustainable Homes Climate change and energy security are the greatest challenges facing the world today. Climate change is causing global warming, which is the increase in the average temperature on the earths surface, air and oceans. The release of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere, from human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation have been a major factor in their increase over the last 100 years. Energy security is vital for any developed economy. The OPEC member countries control about 75% of the worlds oil reserves (R). Many of these countries are politically unstable and they can control the price of oil. In the early years of this decade, the UK was a net exporter of gas and it is estimated that by 2020, they will only be able to meet about 40% of their oil and gas needs themselves(R). The UK needs to reduce its green house gas emissions and meet their energy demands without having to rely on other nations. The Kyoto protocol was established to limit and reduce the amount of green house gases released into the atmosphere. Industrialised countries, and those is transition to a market economy, which were called the Annex I countries have agreed to ratify the agreement and reduce their emissions to a 1990s baseline (R). The UKs commitment under the protocol is to reduce their green house gas emissions by 12.5% of 1990 levels, by 2008-2012. This involves an 8% reduction in their C02 emissions, the main cause of global warming, over this time frame. Further aspirational targets are set out in the DTI Energy White Paper published in 2003, such as to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050 (R). In 2002, the residential sector caused 27% of the UKs CO2 emissions, of which 82% of the energy was for space and water heating (R). The proposals, as laid out by Gordon Brown in 2006 stated that within ten years, every new home will be a zero-carbon home. The Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced in 2007, the code rates the sustainability of homes over six levels based on certain criteria. In theory, constructing zero-carbon homes (homes which can generate their own electrical and heating needs either onsite or locally) is a fantastic idea which will eventually lower energy demands and then lower the CO2 emissions countrywide. But they are ambitious plans and there are several issues that need to be resolved such as: Zero-Carbon Home: Definition New Construction Techniques Building Regulations The Code for Sustainable Homes Planning Laws Grants and incentives Whats happening now? Certifying Agencies Zero Carbon Homes: There is still some confusion as to the detailed description of a zero-carbon home. The Housing Minister, John Healy published on the Communities and Local Government (CLG) website the zero carbon homes definition: A zero carbon home is one whose net carbon dioxide emissions, taking account of emissions associated with all energy use in the home, is equal to zero or negative across the year. The definition of energy use will cover both energy uses currently regulated by the Building Regulations and other energy used in the home. (R) Detailed information is still needed about energy imported and used in the zero carbon homes. The energy standards state that there has to be onsite renewable energy and a locally connected heat supply to achieve a 70% reduction in the carbon emissions from current levels. Currently there is no allowance made for renewable energy generated off site, for example, wind and wave power. If I design a proposed zero carbon home and connect it to an energy company that is generating electricity in the north of Scotland, I might not achieve the rating I want which is unfair, even though he electricity is generated from a renewable source. The life cycle of a building is not taken into account in the definition of a zero carbon homes either. The construction, renovation and disposal can cause significant amounts of CO2 emission to be released. A life cycle analyses of a zero carbon home should include the embodied energy within the materials and waste disposal. Of course, not all of the material could be sourced locally as this would be impossible, but each council/local government should be able to compile a list of materials that are located locally. Ideally, a certain percentage of the local materials should have to be used. This would not only decrease the embodied energy within some of the construction materials but also help support local businesses. The government should invest more in the research of this idea, with many businesses suffering in the current economic climate, we should be buying locally, not importing. New Construction Techniques Building Regulations: Our European neighbours have been developing low energy houses and energy saving construction techniques for over 30 years. While some of the techniques might be new to the UK, they have been tried and tested on the continent. Currently the averaged U-Value for Walls, Roofs and Floors (wm2K) in Part L of the Building Regulations for the UK is 0.24, whereas in Germany and Switzerland the Passivehaus and Minergie-P regulations are achieving an average of 0.10(R). In 2013 the averaged UK Part L will lower to 0.18 and then in 2016 to 0.14. (R) The German designed Passivhaus has been a hugely successful energy saving concept that has only reached the UK in recent years. The basic principle include very good levels of insulation with minimal thermal bridging, utilising solar and internal gains by house orientation, window design and location, excellent levels of air tightness and good indoor air quality provided by whole house mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery.(R) Sweden, also has produced energy efficient house designs since the 1970s, with different mandatory standards for the north and south due to the difference in climate. There performance standards are among the highest energy efficiency requirements in the world, already in line with Passivhaus standards. Over 7000 home have been constructed across Europe to the Passivhaus standard, the techniques used can easily be adapted here within the UK. The highly insulated and airtight passivhaus have a heating requirment of 15kwh/m2/year, which is nearly 90% less energy used to heat a standard UK home (R). These homes often need little or no heating for 9 months of the year. This will not automatically mean that the houses will achieve the highest level on the Code for Sustainable Homes. If we are to achieve the standards of the Passivhaus, the design and construction techniques should be introduced into the university courses now, for such degrees as I studied (Architectural Technology). These techniques are the future for zero carbon residential, commercial and industrial building. Starting with the basic house construction, if we are thought the techniques on how to construct dwellings that minimise their heat and hot water demand, less energy is needed, and expensive renewable options such as PV cells, geothermal pumps and domestic wind turbines can be reduced. We can then adapt these techniques for other building types. Code for Sustainable Homes Sullivan Report: The Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) was introduced in England on a voluntary basis in May 2007 and a code rating for all new buildings became mandatory from 1st May 2008. The Code Level 3 rating for newly constructed homes promoted or supported by the Welsh Assembly Government became mandatory from 1st May 2008 also and from 2nd June 2008, Code Level 3 is required for all new self-contained social housing in Northern Ireland (R). The Code does not apply in Scotland. A panel was appointed by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Changet, chaired by Lynne Sullivan, they made recommendations to develop a strategy to achieve zero net carbon emissions. Experts for the UK as well as from Norway, Denmark and Austria participated. They agreed on eventual and staged recommendations to be achieved by new build and existing homes in Scotland. The following was recommended for all new build homes in Scotland: Net zero carbon buildings (i.e. space and water heating, lighting and ventilation) by 2016/2017, if practical. Two intermediate stages on the way to net zero carbon buildings, one change in energy standards in 2010 (low carbon buildings) and another in 2013 (very low carbon buildings). The 2010 change in energy standards for non-domestic buildings should deliver carbon dioxide savings of 50% more than 2007 standards. The 2010 change in energy standards for domestic buildings should deliver carbon dioxide savings of 30% more than 2007 standards. The 2013 change in energy standards for non-domestic buildings should deliver carbon dioxide savings of 75% more than 2007 standards. The 2013 change in energy standards for domestic buildings should deliver carbon dioxide savings of 60% more than 2007 standards. Backstop levels of U-values and airtightness for building fabric should be improved in 2010 to match those of Nordic countries, but consideration must be given to the social and financial impact of measures that would necessitate mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in domestic buildings. The ambition of total-life zero carbon buildings by 2030. The Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced to replace Ecohomes which was the energy assessment rating for all homes in B.R.E.E.A.M. (R). The CSH was intended to be a single national standard for design and construction of sustainable homes. The code complements the system of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) which was introduced in June 2007 under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) (R). All new homes (and eventually all homes, when they are sold or leased) will have an EPC which provides key information about the energy efficiency/carbon performance of a home. The CSH and EPC and energy assessments used the same terminology. The CSH was developed by using the existing Building Research Establishments (BRE) EcoHomes System. The Code has a scoring system of six levels. The different levels are made up by achieving both the appropriate mandatory minimum standards together with a proportion of flexible standards. Level 6, being the highest level achieves a Zero-Carbon Home standard. The Code has been designed so it is closely linked to the Building Regulations, which are the minimum standards by law. The minimum standards for the Code compliance have been set above the requirements of the Building Regulations. The Code has been set out as a baseline in relation to carbon emissions from energy use in a home. The introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes will encourage developers to build to higher standards. Homes that will be constructed to the higher standards set out in the Code will produce lower levels of CO2 and generate lower energy bills for the occupants. Including the 6 level scoring systems is a good opportunity for developers and buildings to try various construction techniques and see what level they can achieve. The levels are a good stepping stone to achieve a level 6 score and obtaining a zero-carbon home status. The Code for Sustainable Homes was designed to show how sustainable a home could be. Sustainable homes should include the three pillars of sustainability: Environmental, Social Economic. In the Code, only one of these pillars is addressed, Environmental. For the Code to be truly sustainable the social and economic issues need to be included in the design, construction and operation of all new homes. The location of new homes, either in a rural or built-up area could be added to the weighting system for points scoring. Constructing a home within a certain distance of a public transfer route could also gain points on the scoring system, this would reduce the home owners daily car use and CO2 emissions. The government or local authorities could have specially designated areas, preferably Brownfield sites that could be classed as sustainable sites. A points system could be incorporated into the CSH for constructing a new home in this area. As transport makes up over 23% of UKs GHG emissions (R), encouraging alternative-fuel vehicles and electric cars would be beneficial. An alternative-fuel top up station could be constructed within these proposed sustainable sites area. This would meet some of the economic issues by creating employment within the green industry. Until the social and economic issues have been addressed, we should consider contacting the Department for Communities and Local Government and asking them to rename the Code for Sustainable Homes to the Code for Environmental Homes. Planning Laws: As stated in Section 1.0, Zero-Carbon Homes will have to incorporate either on-site renewable technologies or locally sourced combined heat and power (CHP) for their energy needs. The National Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy gives national guidance in England, on the installation of renewable technologies. Statement 22 was last updated in 2004, but has been supplemented by the updated Planning Policy Statement 1: Planning Climate Change published in 2007. Currently there is a consultation draft to be updated and published before the end of this year (2009). The equivalent planning statement in Scotland is the National Planning Policy Guideline 6: Renewable Energy Developments. It provides the Scottish Executives policy on national land use and planning matters regarding renewable technologies. New permitted development rights introduced on 6th April 2008 in England and the 12th March 2009 in Scotland have made it easier to install renewable energy technologies such as solar panels and biomass boilers(R). These permitted development rights have lifted requirements for planning permission for most domestic micro-generation technologies. In England, The General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) gives rights to certain forms of development on the home without the need to apply for planning permission. In Scotland, these rights are under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Developed) (Domestic Micro-generation) TCP (GPD) Scotland Amendment Order 2009. Currently the Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland Government are considering changing their legislation to permit certain renewable technology development without having to apply for planning permission. Both governments hope to introduce legislation in 2010. The GPDO in England and the TCP (GPD) in Scotland include the following technologies: Solar PV Solar Thermal (Roof Mounted) Solar PV Solar Thermal (Stand Alone) Wood burning boilers and stoves Ground source heat pumps Water source heat pumps Air source heat pumps Micro and small wind (due to legal technicalities not included yet but further legislation expected later this year) The DPDO and TCP (GPD) are for guidance only. Each local authority has their own regulations that are set exclusively for their area. For example, a dwelling constructed within a conservation area would have to comply with stiffer standards with regard to installation of renewable technologies towards a dwelling not located in a conservation area. The Mid-Lothian Local Plan was published in 2007 and within NRG2 Individual Wins Turbines and Micro-Generations it states, The Council will support development that proposes the use of individual and community scale wind turbines and other micro-generation technologies for localised power requirements, provided they are located to minimise any potential adverse impact on the local community. The cumulative visual impact of such proposals will be taken into consideration when assessing individual planning applications There certainly is a good system in place in allowing the installation of certain renewable technologies without the need for applying for planning permission. The National Planning Policy Statements (England) and National Planning Policy Guidelines (Scotland) provide national frameworks which help local planning systems to evolve and deliver sustainable development. The current planning system is definitely driving us towards a sustainable future and the possibility of making ZCHs a reality by 2016. It is great to see that certain micro-generation technologies do not need to apply for planning permission, even if certain restrictions apply. But the main concern for home developers and owners is the cost of these technologies. Grants Incentives To construct a home that achieves a Level 6 in the CSH and a ZCH status requires new construction techniques and materials. There might be a higher initial cost to incorporate these techniques and materials than constructing a current standard home, but energy savings can be achieved over the whole life cost and operation of the home. The cost of constructing a ZCH is greater than a standard home because of the requirement to install renewable technologies. The cost of renewable energy generation depends on which type of technology is going to be installed within a home. In the UK, the government, energy suppliers and local authorities all provide grants towards installing renewable technologies into your home. The Department of Energy Climate Change (DECC) low carbon building programme provides grants for householders. The grants are available for micro-generation technologies including Solar PV, wind turbines, small scale hydro, solar water heating, heat pumps and bio-energy. The programme also funds renewable CHP, micro CHP and fuel cells. In Scotland, the Energy Saving Scotland home renewable grant scheme provides grants for homes. It is funded by the Scottish Government and the Energy Saving Trust. Funding is set at 30% of the installed cost up to a maximum of  £4,000. The grant covers Solar water heating, solar PV, solar thermal space heating, small scale wind and hydro systems, ground source and air source heat pumps and biomass boilers and stoves. In Scotland, you have the choice to apply for an Energy Saving Scotland home renewable grant or a low carbon buildings programme grant, but you cannot apply for a grant from both programmes for one technology. The grants available help towards the cost of the installation of renewables, but are they enough? With the current economic climate, people are being very careful with their money. Renewable technologies can save money over the whole life costing of a home, but its the initial cost that is important to people now. The grants available should be increased to really entice people to purchase these technologies. There are also feed-in tariffs available, if a home is generating more electrical energy than it needs, it can sell it back to the main energy suppliers. There are currently two main types of feed-in tariffs available, the Export Tariff, where you are only paid for the electricity you export to the electricity network and the Generation tariffs, where you are paid for all the electricity that your system generates even if you use it in your own home. There are also some Set Price Tariffs available where a fixed amount is paid by the energy supplier based on the type of system installed. The tariff feedback system is a chance for all consumers to become producers. All homes could become energy-plus which could make the UK a net exporter of renewable energy in the future. In Germany, they have been using a feed-in tariff system for over 10 years. It has been a huge success. Under the German system anyone generating electricity from solar PV, wind or hydro is guaranteed a payment of four times the market rate for 20 years. This reduces the payback time for cost of the renewable technologies to less than 10 years and after the payback time is complete, the home owner has a regular income from the electrical company for the power they generate. The cost is spread by generating companies among all users and has added about one cent/kwh to the average bill, or an extra à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 ( £1) a month (R). The growth in home electric generation and renewable technology use in Germany has created jobs and reduced the initial cost. With more companies competing for a share of the market, they have lowered their prices, a typical 3kw PV system costs about  £17,000 in Britain but less than  £10,000 in Germany (R). It has been proven that the feed in tariff system in Germany is lowering the initial cost of renewable technologies, creating employment and generating income for the home owner after the payback period is over. This system should be introduced worldwide, and promoted as a sustainable method as it incorporates the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. Certifying Agencies BREEAM (BRE Environmental AssessmentMethod) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a buildings environmental performance (R). An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for all homes whenever built, rented or sold. If you are buying or selling a home it is now law to have a certificate. They are also required on construction of new homes and are needed for rented homes the first time the property is let after 1 October 2008. The certificate records how energy efficient a property is as a building and provides A-G ratings. These are similar to the labels now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. The UKs governments Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), assess the energy performance of dwellings and produces the EPC. Energy performance is based on consumption per unit floor area, energy cost rating (SAP rating), an Environmental Impact rating based on CO2 emissions (EI rating) and a Dwelling CO2 Emission Rate (DER). The SAP rating is based on energy costs associated with space heating, water heating, ventilation and lightings, less cost savings from energy generation technologies. The SAP rating is expressed on a scale of 1 to 100, the higher the number the lower the running costs. An EPC is always accompanied by a recommendation report that lists cost effective and other measures (such as low and zero carbon generating systems) to improve the energy rating. A rating is also given showing what could be achieved if all the recommendations were implemented. EPCS are produced by accredited energy assessors. Whats happening now? Some local authorities in the UK have been making exemplar progress in delivering a low carbon economy, such as Fife in Scotland and in the near future, Merseyside Council are to become the biggest UK low carbon economy (R). The Zero Carbon Hub is a web-site set up by the Government to help you understand the challenges, issues and opportunities involved in developing, building and marketing low and zero carbon homes. The Zero Carbon Hub shares practical experience and uses this information to accelerate main stream adoption of low and zero carbon methods and technologies. The web-site identifies successful examples of low and zero carbon housing solutions. This will help identify successful design, method, technologies and approaches. Currently major house developers within the UK are constructing prototype zero carbon homes. They are using the developments as exemplar projects on techniques and technologies needed to be included within a home to achieve Zero Carbon status. The following developers and companies have all developed a zero carbon home. Stewart Milne Group Sigma Project Kingspan Off-Site The Lighthouse Creo ProKoncept The Creo House Barratt Developments Plc The Barrett Green House Miller Homes Ltd. Miller Zero Housing Project Tarmac Ltd Level 6 Home University of Nottingham It is encouraging that the major house developers are constructing their own example of zero carbon homes that can be mass produced. They are experimenting with new techniques and materials and then sharing their results and information so everyone benefits. The Stewart Milne Group claim, for their Sigma project to achieve a Level 6 on the CSH, the initial cost for renewable technologies is currently from  £60,000- £70,000. They suggest we should be concentrating on super-insulating our homes instead of trying to generate energy. They make a valid point here, if we super insulate our homes we will need less energy to heat it, requiring less renewable technologies to generate electricity. It is highly likely that by 2013 many of the sustainability stumbling blocks for the UK will have been swept away by neccesity. Retrofit solutions to existing properties must be part of the future. If only our banks were to protect their assets by financing a UK wide improvement programme. As practitioners of sustainability we have the following summary for you all What is a zero carbon home? A zero carbon home would qualify for zero stamp duty if its design emission rating (DER) were a negative number and its Heat Loss Parameter HLP sufficiently low. At present; the embedded energy of the materials used the energy from appliances and fittings and fixtures the energy associated with transport and servicing are not included. The term low carbon home is rather vague and ambiguous for the consumer Regards The impact of achieving the 25 per cent and 44 per cent improvements above the current Part L standard in 2010 and 2013 is estimated to have a net impact on the economy up to 2016 of around  £1.9bn. These costs are based on assuming that developers choose technologies on the basis of minimising the capital costs of construction. However, if the impact of on going costs and benefits is taken into account in technology choices, then the overall cost to the economy is reduced to  £0.85bn, which is nearly half of the  £1.9bn cost. Under this scenario there is a slightly higher capital outlay (the percentage increase in Part L above 2006 in 2013 is 6.2 per cent compared with 5.4 per cent when the capital costs are minimised), but the difference in size of the ongoing benefits is clear.

The Light Of Sight :: essays research papers

In this universe there are many thing that we cannot explain. Among these many things is light. Light, as far as we know, come in different wavelengths and the size of the wavelength determine what type of light it is. The middle wavelength lights are what gives us the seven basic colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Beside these visible lights there are the lights that cannot be seen by the human eye. These invisible lights can be grouped into two other groups the long waves and short waves. The first group of waves is the longer wavelength of light including infrared and radio waves. Radio waves, the longest wavelengths, alternate and can be volatile. Arthur C. Clarke said in the essay "The Light of Common Day" that since radio waves fluctuate so much no animal has ever been able to sense them. He goes on to say that if you had an eye big enough to see radio waves your eyes would be millions of times larger than a normal eye. The next longest wave is the infrared light waves. Infrared light is used nowadays to see in the night. Special goggles are designed to pick up infrared light making it possible to see at night. The next group of light waves are the shorter waves of ultraviolet and x-rays. Ultraviolet light, sometimes referred to as UV, is right next to violet and is just beyond sight. UV light is what causes sunburns and can be very painful. In Arthur C. Clarks essay it states that even though UV light is not visible the retina of the human eye reacts powerfully to it. He compare the human eye to a camera and says that a good camera need may types of lenses made out of different types of glass to take a good picture. The human eye has only one lens and cannot possible see UV light. The last type of light is the x-ray. The x-ray is the smallest wave and is used in the medical field greatly to take pictures through flesh of bones. Even though x-rays are very useful they can be very dangerous. They have been know to disrupt radio waves and can poison a human body to the point of death.

Jean Paul Marat: Target and Martyr of Liberty Essay -- Jean Paul Marat

Jean Paul Marat: Target and Martyr of Liberty The French Revolution produced countless influential politicians throughout its tumultuous course. As a political figure in the French Revolution, Jean Paul Marat began as a nonentity and became a martyr to the revolutionary patriots of France. His influence is often misconstrued, and sometimes overlooked. Although he was not a political leader like Robespierre, his influence was substantial in that he motivated many people through his writings and powerful personality. Through his involvement with the Cordeliers’ Club and his journal Ami du peuple, started September 1789, Marat was able to express the indignation of the bourgeois class through his hopes for social revolution. His conspiracy theories and alleged prophetic outlook on the Revolution created an aura of mystery and intrigue around him, as well as detestation. Because he often stood alone behind his radical ideas, Marat became marked as the scapegoat for various controversial events of the period, and was se veral times forced into hiding to evade the law. Targeting Marat was an easy and effective way for the warring factions in the National Convention to assert their political dominance. It is curious how a virtual unknown and newcomer to government could become so crucial to the politics of the French Revolution, only to be murdered by another unknown in a seemingly isolated event. Marat’s assassination played a great part in what became the cycle of the Terror. Even though he was not a preeminent leader, both his life and death had an impact on the course of the Revolution. Because of his incendiary political beliefs and bold nature, the government targeted Marat, however, his assassination by the outsid... ...manities Press, 1997. Germani, Ian. Jean Paul Marat: Hero and Anti-hero of the French Revolution. Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1992. Gottschalk, Louis R. Jean Paul Marat: A Study in Radicalism. New York: Benjamin Blom, 1927. Gough, Hugh. The Newspaper Press in the French Revolution. London: Routledge, 1988. Marat, Jean Paul. Polish Letters. Bibliophile Society, 1905. Miller, Stephen. Three Deaths and Enlightenment Thought. Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press, 2001. Popkin, Jeremy D. Revolutionary News: The Press in France 1789-1799. Durham: Duke University Press, 1990. Scherr, Marie. Charlotte Corday and Certain Men of the Revolutionary Torment. New York: AMS Press, 1929. Sydenham, M.J. The Girondins. London: The Athlone Press, 1961. Walzer, Michael. Regicide and Revolution. New York: Columbia University Press, 1992.

Abenaki Indians As Environment :: Free Essay Writer

Many people are under a false impression that early Native Americans are the original environmentalists. This is an impression that many people share. The Abenaki tribes that resided in Maine from 3700 BP were not by our traditional definition, environmentalists. In fact they were far from ecologically sound. This paper is meant not to criticize the Native Americans of the age, but to clarify their roles in the environment. To better understand this subject some background is needed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Abenaki People of the Northeast led a non-permanent exististance based mostly on the seasonal flux in the region. The area of land now referred to as Maine especially. Maine has always had abrupt seasons and the Abenaki used these seasons to their advantage. Their culture is one of direct appropriation with nature. This meaning that they were a culture in which nothing was permanent. Their survival depended on mobility. The Abenaki did not utilize storage as we do now, or even as the early Europeans of the time did. For each of the four seasons they stayed in areas where they would successfully survive. For instance, the summer months were spent on the coastal regions fishing and foraging while in the winter they pulled back into the interior forests for protection and hunting. However, they did return to the same part of the forests, coasts and waterfalls where their former camps had been.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the Abenaki culture bent to the seasons, they dramatically shaped their surrounding environments. The Abenaki tribes would change the location of the campsites every ten to fifteen years due to a variety of reasons. The southern Abenaki tribes who performed some sort of agriculture would experience severe soil exhaustion after a decade of farming that particular piece of land. The Abenaki required enormous amounts of wood for campfires, smoking meat, building homes and cooking to name but a small few. Pest infestation was also another reason that the Abenaki would move the camp. Fleas and vermin would become extremely bothersome after time had gone by and they had become accustomed to environments. They practiced a form of clearcutting known today as anthropogenic fire, anthro meaning “human'; and pogenic meaning “induced';. They would purposely ignite massive forest fires around their encampment for a variety of reasons. These areas would bur n underbrush and smaller trees but not ignite the foliage of the huge trees. This burning was good for some forms of agriculture.

Key Components in the Leisure and Recreation Industry Essay

Recreational activities fall into six key components, which in turn are divided into sectors. Some activities will fit into more than one category, and other activities are hard to put into any category, such as bridge clubs- are they a sport or a home based leisure activity ? The main components are: * Arts and Entertainment * Home-based Leisure * Countryside recreation * Catering * Heritage and visitor attractions * Sports and physical recreation Arts and Entertainment This is a huge industry that includes many sectors, they are: Arts The arts, apart from commercial cinema and theatre is a precarious industry where losses are easily incurred due to high costs and a very fragmented market. Sponsorship and grants play an important part in these. The public sector plays the most crucial part in funding arts. At the top is the Arts Council, which in 1999 gave out à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½188 million in grants. Much of this came from the National Lottery. Some of it was given out to Regional Arts Boards who then fund local projects. Much of the grant aid is given directly to organisations or individuals. The Arts Council is not the only national public sector organisation to be involved in the arts. One important group is The British Film Institute (BFI) which is responsible for supporting film makers, and the promotion of the British film industry. Local authorities play an important role as well. They employ arts development officers who promote the arts locally and will support local artists. Some larger authorities employ established artists in residence, who work in the area promoting their art and creating commissioned pieces. Local Authorities are major providers of galleries and performance space such as town hall stages or community theatres or even parish halls. In some cases, such as the Lyric Theatre at Hammersmith, London is a part owner of a commercial theatre. Voluntary sector groups also contribute to this sector. Many trusts exist to develop minority arts or provide for specialist audiences. For example, Wolf and Water in Devon is a drama trust dedicated to working with people with special needs. Entertainment Classified as entertainment are popular performing arts and spectacles. The voluntary sector is important here as nationwide participation in amateur dramatics and music is a popular pursuit. Public provision is also evident but has changed in recent years. Thirty years ago most town halls and civic entertainments programme of films, theatre and musicals. This has largely disappeared now and has been replaced by events programmes that are organised by various departments. For example, many sports centres will host travelling theatre and ballet companies such as the Royal Exchange Theatre Group, while arts officers will book in tourism exhibitions. In the streets and parks outside, groups are invited to put on events such as the hot-air balloon events in Bristol’s Parks. It is the private sector that monopolises entertainment. There is a flourishing small-business sector that includes pub entertainments and single artists such as party and street entertainers, but the bulk of the market is contained within three areas: 1.cinemas 2. Theatre 3. Stadia/arenas Cinema-was very popular in the first half of the 20th century. Then when colour televisions and video players appeared cinemas started to lose there appeal to the public. Cinema companies were not refurbishing their buildings, most of which were built in the 1930’s, and were finding profit by selling them off as bingo halls. Some survived by aiming at niche markets(e.g. Corner House in Manchester). These ‘art house’ cinemas show foreign films. The main market is for commercial English-language films. In the 1980s there was a major review of how films were presented. This resulted in multiplexes being invented. They are equipped with the following features: * Modern luxurious buildings with high-quality projection and sound * Multi screens to show move films than one * Easy access often at out-of-town centres * Good customer care The closest multiplex cinema around is the Warner Brothers Village in Longwell Green. This complex has all the features shown above Theatre-the London theatres are highly profitable with a city audience and a huge tourist market. Even then, they increasingly stick to a formula of musicals or familiar plays with big name actors. For example Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was shown at London’s Palindrome with Michael Ball starring in it. The package largely consists of touring West End shows, nostalgia and tribute bands, comedians and spectacles like circus and ice shows. The main London Theatre companies are: * Delfont Mackintosh Theatres * Ambassador Theatre Group * Really Useful Theatres * SFX (Apollo) Apollo leisure is the leading national chain Arenas and Stadia- these are large multi-purpose buildings for very large audiences. Arenas(indoor) for example are likely to put on conferences and trade exhibitions as well as concerts, while stadia(outdoor) are designed especially for sport. An example of a stadia is Ashton Gate home to Bristol City Football Club. Many arenas are owned by Local Authorities or development corporations. Good examples of this are the various halls and centres in Birmingham ,including the National Arena. Sports and physical recreation These activities can be grouped as follows: * Informal recreation(play, walking, gardening) * Competitive sport (football, tennis, golf) * Outdoor activities (sailing, climbing) * Health and fitness (jogging, yoga) Many activities can often be put into more than one category. For example, swimming in the sea is informal, swimming for a club is competitive, swimming in a conventional pool can be seen as health and fitness. Each component has a different profile in the type of facilities and services it produces. Informal physical recreation or exercise- this is the most popular activity nationally. Nobody knows the hours children spend playing or adults spend gardening. We pursue these activities because they are cheap, available and don’t require a lot of skill. The enjoyment we get from them often depends on the environment we do them in. Competitive Sport-most people associate sport with the professional game. This means they are spectators, and it is the spectators money that underpins professional sport. Facilities were often run down to the extent that some were dangerous for crowds, e.g. Hillsborough 1989. Providers have found that profits increase when standards of customer care and corporate hospitality are improved. This has led to the building of a new generation of high-class stadia and race tracks and other facilities where the key services are: * Presentation of the core event * Merchandising * Catering * Safety and security Amateur sport is geared around participation and voluntary clubs. As land and buildings are expensive, many clubs use facilities provided by Local Authorities. Many outdoor sports clubs have their own facilities although there is an even greater number of players who use recreation grounds. There are about 78,000 pitches in the country. Thirty years ago amateur sport was largely centred on outdoor team games. Competitive sport means participation and developing skills and there is a sizeable industry for coaches and instructors. Despite its profile, competitive sport is on the decline and organisations like Sport England are concerned that as a nation we are losing our sporting skills and becoming less fit and healthy. For example, many governing bodies have big school-based programmes, and Local Authorities will run schemes in deprived areas where people cannot afford to play sport or go to health suites. Outdoor Activities-there are over a thousand centres in the UK which specialise in providing outdoor adventure holidays. Facility provision is also essential for outdoor sports, meaning the upkeep of the environment, and this is regulated by the organisations under the Countryside Agency umbrella, such as the Forestry Commission, Local Authorities or National Trust. For most participants activity in the natural world is occasional, and more time will be spent in training in built facilities such as pools or climbing walls. Profitable areas such as skiing, sailing, private sector companies are the main providers. Health and Fitness- there are now at least 2,500 private health and fitness clubs in the UK- it is a boom industry that many young people see as the exciting place to work in leisure. Private sector will increasingly dominate the market and eventually also manage and invest in public sector facilities on behalf of Local Authorities. The central product of these clubs is the fitness room consisting of cardiovascular equipment and perhaps free weights, and frequently areas with small pools, jacuzzis and saunas.. Heritage and visitor attractions The heritage industry concerns buildings and materials that have historical value. Thirty years ago these were largely stately homes, castles, ruins such as Stonehenge and battlefields. Heritage was often about how the rich and famous had lived or what they had collected, or about culture(e.g. Shakespeare). Now it has expanded to include a much wider interpretation of historical value. Whether the attraction is a theme park or museum, the organisers will do their best to employ all the techniques of facility management to look after the customer and make the product interesting. In a theme park the excitement of the rides is a key feature and bringing new and more exciting rides brings in more customers. The difference between a visitor attraction and a heritage site is that the latter involves considerable work behind the scenes which the public never sees. The most popular tourist attractions are: * Museums and galleries- British Museum * Theme parks- Blackpool Pleasure Beach * Historic houses and monuments- Tower of London * Wildlife parks and zoos- London Zoo Many heritage sites are owned by Trusts and limited companies that have been set up to manage individual sites, while many stately homes are owned and run by two big organisations: * English Heritage- is the national body responsible for the management, promotion and conservation of 400 archaeological sites and the historic environment * The National Trust- is a trust set up in 1895 to preserve places of historic interest or natural beauty. Its sites include a range from Paul McCartney’s teenage home to stately homes like Waddesdon Manor Museums-are not usually run by the private sector, largely because of high costs. Many museums started life as private collections which were later donated to the nation or the local community. Libraries-apart from their lending their services which we will look at later, they are largely involved in the heritage sector. They have a back-room role of collecting important documents including maps, and making these available to the public. This is known as the records and archives service. Catering Leisure catering includes pubs and clubs, restaurants, cafes and takeaways. Its firmly placed in the private sector with some exceptions. A catering company provides a service according to the specification of the ‘client’ and often under the client’s name. Many leisure centres and theatres buy in service in this way. The catering sector has various components that make eating out an enjoyable experience: the provision of food and drink; entertainment, such as jazz at Pizza Express, games; and security in the form of door staff. Eating out is an increasingly important and available leisure experience. The fast-food business is booming with a growth rate of 30 per cent. This growth is at the expense of takeaways and cafes, and especially of pubs and clubs. Fast food tends to be run by chains that can make economies of scale by producing the same product in each outlet. Many breweries have followed this trend and operate chains like Harvester restaurants within their pubs. In contrast cafes, restaurants and takeaways tend to be run and owned by family businesses. Countryside recreation The countryside is the natural, national playground and one which is used by walkers, ramblers and those involved in more active outdoor activities. A survey in 1998 by the National Centre for Social Research showed that 1,427 million day visits to the countryside were made and a further 241 million to the coast. Like any leisure facility such usage will have an impact which in turn will lessen, and even threaten, the leisure experience itself. Organisations working in countryside recreation are therefore primarily stewards who maintain, manage and regulate the environment and also produce information and education. An important organisation funded by the Countryside Commission is the National Parks Authority. This is responsible for the regulation and interpretative service inside twelve National Parks, which are designated areas of significant natural beauty and wilderness. The Local Authority has a part to play in managing and regulating country parks. In many cases it also owns the land and will act as landlord to any tenants in the park, such as farmers. Home-based leisure This is cheap, easy and relaxing. The equipment most popularly used are: radios, videos, TV sets, gardening materials and home fitness machines is normally provided by the private sector. The main exceptions are the library lending services in the public sector. Except for broadcasting this component is retail based. As the internet is more widely used, shopping for leisure on the net is likely to increase. Free services like Tesco mean more people are using the net.