The Great Gatsby Summary

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby takes place among the New York elite during the Roaring Twenties. The story, told from the perspective of a naà ¯ve young narrator, focuses on a mysterious millionaire, the woman he loves, and the self-absorbed denizens of their wealthy neighborhood. Chapters 1-2 Nick Carraway, a World War I veteran and recent Yale graduate from the Midwest, moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to work as a bond salesman. He rents a small home on Long Island in the neighborhood of West Egg, which is largely populated by wealthy, self-made men. Nick is intrigued by Jay Gatsby, who lives in the lavish mansion next door. Gatsby is a mysterious recluse who throws massive parties but never makes an appearance at any of them. Across the bay, a distance away but directly across from Gatsby’s dock, there is a green light that seems to draw Gatsby’s attention. After settling in, Nick drives to the other side of the bay to the mirroring neighborhood of East Egg, where his flapper cousin Daisy Buchanan lives. Daisy is married to the arrogant and mean-spirited Tom Buchanan, a former college classmate of Nicks. Nick discovers that Daisys dock is the source of the green light. Daisy introduces Nick to her friend Jordan, a professional golfer who gives Nick a crash course in their social circle. Nick also learns that Tom is unfaithful to Daisy. Tom has a mistress named Myrtle Wilson who lives in the â€Å"valley of ashes—the stretch of land between West Egg and New York City, where poor workers live surrounded by industrial waste. Despite this new knowledge, Nick goes with Tom to New York City, where they attend a party at the apartment Tom stays in with Myrtle for their assignations. The party is hedonistic and crass, and the evening quickly devolves into a violent fight between Tom and Myrtle. After Myrtle repeatedly brings up Daisy, Toms barely concealed anger bubbles up and he hits Myrtle until he breaks her nose. Chapters 3-4 Nick finds himself at one of Gatsby’s parties, where he runs into Jordan and finally meets Gatsby himself. Both Jordan and Nick are taken aback at how young Gatsby is, and Nick is particularly surprised to realize that he and Gatsby served in the same division during the war. This shared history seems to generate unusual friendliness in Gatsby towards Nick. Jordan tells Nick what she knows of Gatsby’s past. She explains that, when Gatsby was a young military officer preparing to fight in Europe, Daisy was part of a group of debutantes doing volunteer work alongside the soldiers. The duo shared a flirtation, Gatsby fell in love, and Daisy promised to wait for him to return from the war. However, their different social backgrounds—Gatsby from humble origins, Daisy from a wealthy family—precluded a relationship, and Daisy ultimately met and married Tom. Jordan goes on to explain that ever since returning from the war and making a fortune, Gatsby has been throwing lavish parties in hopes of attracting Daisys attention from across the bay. So far, though, his plan has not worked, and he has been relegated to gazing at the green light on her dock. Over time, Nick begins dating Jordan, and Gatsby and Nick strike up a friendship. Despite their different life experiences and world views, Gatsby and Nick share an optimism that borders on naà ¯vetà ©. Since Nick is Daisy’s cousin, Gatsby uses their connection as a cover to arrange a meeting for himself with Daisy. Nick willingly agrees to the scheme and invites Daisy over to his house for tea, but doesn’t tell her that Gatsby will be there. Chapters 5-7 The reunion between Gatsby and Daisy is awkward and uncomfortable at first, but over the course of the summer, they begin a full-fledged affair. Gatsby confides in Nick that he wants Daisy to leave Tom for him; when Nick reminds him that they cant recreate their past, Gatsby insists that they can—and that money is the key. Daisy and Gatsby are successful in keeping the affair under wraps for a while, but one day, Daisy accidentally speaks about Gatsby in front of Tom. Tom immediately deduces that his wife is having an affair and flies into a rage. Tom uses Daisy as a weapon, telling Gatsby that he could never understand the kind of history that Tom has with Daisy. He also reveals the truth of how James Gatz, a poor officer, became Jay Gatsby, the millionaire: bootlegging alcohol and possibly other illegal dealing. Tom forces Daisy to make a choice then and there: him or Gatsby. Daisy insists that she has loved both men, but chooses to remain in her stable position married to Tom. She drives Gatsby back to Long Island in Gatsby’s car, while Tom drives with Nick and Jordan. This proves to be a fatal mistake. Myrtle, who recently had a fight with Tom, sees them driving by and runs out in front of Gatsby’s car, trying to catch Tom’s attention and reconcile with him. Daisy doesn’t stop in time and hits Myrtle, killing her. A panicked and distraught Daisy flees the scene, and Gatsby reassures her that he will take the blame for the accident. When Nick arrives and gets the details, he goes to check on Daisy. He finds Daisy and Tom calmly eating dinner together, apparently reconciled. Chapters 8-9 Nick returns to check on Gatsby, who mournfully tells him about his first, long-ago courtship of Daisy. Nick suggests that Gatsby leave the area alone, but Gatsby refuses. He says goodbye to Nick, who heads to work for the day. Myrtle’s suspicious husband George confronts Tom. George tells Tom that he believes the yellow car that killed Myrtle belonged to Myrtle’s lover. He explains that he has long suspected that Myrtle was unfaithful, but never figured out who she was having an affair with. Tom informs George that the yellow car belongs to Gatsby and gives him Gatsby’s address so that he can get his revenge. George goes to Gatsby’s home, shoots Gatsby, and kills himself. Nick organizes Gatsby’s funeral, but only three people attend: Nick, an anonymous partygoer, and Gatsby’s estranged father, who expresses pride in his late son’s achievements. Later, Nick runs into Tom, who openly admits to sending George Wilson to Gatsby. Tom says that Gatsby deserved to die, and he expresses more unhappiness about losing his apartment in the city than all the death and trauma. Having come face-to-face with the careless people of West Egg, Nick feels that the true â€Å"dreamers† have died along with Gatsby. He moves away and returns to the Midwest.

The Definition of Ratchet Essay - 987 Words

Raymond Santos Lawson English 100 14 October 2012 I Do It for the Ratchets â€Å"Ugh, she so ratchet,† a common phrase when hitting the club or scrolling through any social media site. No, they’re not referring to the mechanical tool or the beloved Transformers character, their inferring to the new slang term that has established itself within a generation’s vocabulary. But how exactly does an everyday term such as ratchet become so twisted to the point where it’s new meaning no longer resembles it’s old one? As it once was mainly known as a mechanical tool used to repair clocks and roller coasters, it now has a entirely different definition. Although words may have an established meaning, as time goes by, that meaning may change,†¦show more content†¦Ratchet Culture The definition from Urban Dictionary does not allow one to fully grasp what a ratchet is. It takes real life experience to fully understand. For those who would rather stray away from sweaty clubs filled with o bnoxious people ‘twerkin’ to the latest Travis Porter tracks, simply take a stroll through the many social media websites. The most common sites infested with ratchets are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Your typical Facebook ratchet is busy posting ‘thirsty’, as in wants to hook up with someone, statuses that fill up other’s feeds. Usually asking around for ‘likes’ or in other words, an ‘lms’ (like my status), ratchets tend to become unfriended by others. Switch over to Twitter, where more annoying updates occur. The timelines of ratchets on Twitter consist of stories of their late night escapades at the club along with the usual ‘Twitter beef’ with other ratchets that all deny that they are ratchets...but we all know that they ratchet. On the photo sharing site, Instagram, ratchets tend to post daily mirror shots of themselves that are bombarded with hashtags in effort for more ‘likes’. Hashtags such as #nomakeup, #nofilter, #justgotoutoftheshower, and #dontneednoman compliment pictures of their new jeggings or freshly done weave perfectly. The appearance of a ratchet is very distinguishable when seen in public. They can be spotted inShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of White Kids 1427 Words   |  6 Pagesidentifying marker the students use is slang. Linguists define slang as a youth-dominated, rapidly changing lexicon associated with casual social contexts, but a nonlinguistic view frames slang as an illegitimate linguistic variety. The latter definition is inaccurate because these varieties have strict grammatical rules and are only â€Å"illegitimate† to the uneducated eye. Furthermore, calling slang illegitimate is disrespectful because it disregards the users of such language as inferior, thereforeRead More Essay on Toni Morrisons Beloved - How We Define Ourselves2941 Words   |  12 Pagesthe characters in the novel have strongly opposite ideas of defining their o wn â€Å"selves†.   Baby Suggs displays a very healthy sense of self, completely based on only who she is as a person, and not relying on any other person to assist her in her definition.   She is an independent person and loves her own â€Å"self† greatly.   Sethe, on the other hand, has an unhealthy sense of self because who she is is strongly dependent on her interactions and relationships with her children. The above is excerptRead More Sales Ethics Essay example1344 Words   |  6 Pagesincludes not only the culture but the laws and standard procedures of the environment. 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Nonetheless, Bibbit’s atelophobia and mommy issues did not mean he was insane as many could have concluded since he was in asylum; instead, he was a patient who was confined by the fearRead MoreLiterature Review And Hypothesis Development852 Words   |  4 Pagesis the most common form of exiting an invest ment, we identify any investment where the company is eventually acquired or lists its shares on a public stock exchange via an IPO as a success. The rationale behind this filtering is the fact that via ratchet clauses and liquidity preferences, in an event of a sale, liquidation or public offering, the investors are protected to receive their initial investment outlay, and often a modest return on the aforementioned investment before the founders and subsequentRead MoreBeyonce s Formation : Anti Cop Or Pro Black?965 Words   |  4 Pagesand how they attempted to cover it up or look past it. Furthermore, the video switches from an old fashioned grainy look to a high definition more modern look. I feel like she did this to convey a sense of time, to show the passage of time and the effects it has had. She promotes self-love in the black community using imagery of what would normally be seen as â€Å"ratchet† or â€Å"inappropriate† from liking cornbread and collard greens to wearing different colored weaves and dressing yourself uniquely. Read MoreAnalyzing Communication And Access For Private Data926 Words   |  4 Pagesthat its greatest enemy is its own citizen. Although surveillance might hold some merit; in its present form, the mass surveillance is certainly on the wrong track. In Harvard Law School National Security Journal, Austen D. Givens talks about the ratchet effect. He talks about how once an anti-terrorism law is made, it is difficult to scale back and the law may get misused or misinterpreted with time, the laws that were designed for a particular use can expand and change into something else entirelyRead MoreExploring The Controversy Of Bitch1294 Words   |  6 Pagesover the years altered in their meanings. The etymology of the word â€Å"bitchâ €  is a prime example of a word that has become difficult to categorize into a single definition. The word itself has been adapted, reinvented, and created into a form of endearment (akin to best friends). One can be called a bad bitch or a basic bitch, even a ratchet bitch has become socially acceptable. Being called a bitch not too long ago was immediately perceived as an insult, but being a bitch can signify independencyRead MoreFree Cash Flow1481 Words   |  6 Pageshas negative sales growth it s likely to diminish its capital spending dramatically. Receivables, provided they are being timely collected, will also ratchet down. All this deceleration will show up as additions to Free Cash Flow. However, over the longer term, decelerating sales trends will eventually catch up. Net Free Cash Flow definition should also allow for cash available to pay off the company s short term debt. It should also take into account any dividends that the company means toRead MoreJohn Keats s Poem Analysis1328 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Exemplary form. The Exemplary form relies on the spoken word to express its qualities. The base concept behind Exemplary form lies in this: the shapes of words, as they pass through our lips, have an effect on our emotions. Words such as â€Å"ratchet† and â€Å"drivetrain† sound aggressive and menacing, even though they are terms found in the common automotive garage. When thinking in terms of unexpected words that soothe, we can find examples in words like â€Å"shelf† and â€Å"grassy.† The Exemplary form

Slaves were acquired in a few different free essay sample

Slaves were acquired in a few different ways. Sometimes the capturers would simply hide out and wait for a passer-by. Some traded for goods, as mentioned above, and other Africans who would receive pay captured some. However acquired, their fate would depend on physical and mental toughness. In order to survive what lay ahead these two qualities were essential for survival. Many Africans believed they were going to be eaten by the Europeans. This was a rumor that traveled among the captive slaves. There were also rumors circulating among white slave traders about a grisly incident that took place in 1724 on an English slave ship commanded byCaptain John Hardin. Believing that the slaves onboard his ships were plotting a revolt, Harding ordered the arrest Of the man whom he believed to be the ringleader. In front of the other captives, the mans throat was cut and his heart and liver were cut out. We will write a custom essay sample on Slaves were acquired in a few different or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then Captain Harding ordered the bloody heart and liver to be cut into three hundred pieces, and he forced each of the horrified captives to eat a piece by threatening to do the same thing to them if they refused. The the experience so traumatized and disgusted the captives that many of them refused all food after that and gradually starved o death.Death of slaves on board was very common. There are several reasons slaves died during the Middle Passage. Starvation and malnutrition were common slave ships. Sometimes captains underestimated the amount of food needed or the journey took longer than expected and therefore the slaves went hungry. Some slaves refused to eat in hopes to die. Disease and sickness also affected slave survival rates. Many of the diseases came from the Europeans and very few doctors could treat the slaves. Ship doctors rarely understood the causes of diseases that the captives suffered from. If he illness or disease was treatable, appropriate medical care was difficult given the situation and numbers. Some of the illnesses could be blamed on changes in diet and contaminated water. Dysentery, dehydration, and scurvy were direct results of those changes. Other fevers such as malaria and small pox were major killers during the voyage. An account of the slave ship, the Regard, records losing 142 slaves to small pox in 1706. The Indian Queen lost 140 slaves in 1 716 to small pox and 45 slaves had advance signs of the disease while 43 more showed early stages of the disease upon cocking .Men, women and children alike endured all of the conditions mentioned. No one person was given a better chance of survival over the journey. Women however, faced other burdens during the voyage that men and children were not exposed to. Sexual abuse and rape from ship creamers was very common. Some women were captured during pregnancy and forced to give birth aboard the ship. Other women had to make the journey across the Atlantic pregnant and gave birth soon after arriving in the colonies. Numbers on this subject are unknown but it has been documented that it did occur.

Nike Case free essay sample

Nike Case 1. Should Nike be held responsible for working conditions in foreign factories that it does not own, but where subcontractors make products for Nike? No, I do not believe Nike should be responsible for working conditions in foreign factories. I do believe that there should be working standards in place and adhered to but I do not believe that is Nike’s responsibility. Nike is a business in order to run a successful business one must abide by good business practices including respecting others beliefs and values. It would be no different than if a Nike employee another employee how to raise their kids. As long as they are abiding by the laws governed in that their own country people are free to raise their children how they please. 2. What labor standards regarding safety, working conditions, overtime, and the like, should Nike hold foreign factories to: those prevailing in that country, or those prevailing in the United States? Nike should uphold the standards prevailing in the particular country. We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If there are issued regarding safety, working conditions, overtime, etc, they should be discussed through separate entities, for instance the United Nations. 3. An income of $2. 28 a day, the base pay of Nike factory workers in Indonesia, is double the daily income of about half the working population. Half of all adults in Indonesia are farmers, who receive less than $1 a day. Given this, is it correct to criticize Nike for the low pay rates of its subcontractors in Indonesia? It is not appropriate to criticize Nike for low pay rates. According to salary. gov, the average American income is 46,326. If a company from United Arab of Emirates came exports products from a store in the U. S. and paid the works 105,623 (equal to the percentage raise Nike is paying in Indonesia), Americans would be grateful. 4. Could Nike have handled the negative publicity over sweatshops better? What might it have done differently, not just from a public relations perspective, but also from a policy perspective? Yes, Nike could have handled the negative publicity better. For instance Andrew Young should have brought is own interpreter into the factories. There is no way of knowing what is actually being said and the motives behind a foreign interpreter. Nike took the right steps when it mandated hours worked per week, minimum wage per governing country, and raising the child labor laws. They set emplace standards and followed up with them. When they found businesses not adhering to the regulations they increased them, and gave the business a clear definition of what the regulation mandates. I don’t think Nike could/should have done anything else. 5. Do you think Nike needs to make any changes to its current policy? If so, what? Should Nike make changes even if they hinder the ability of the company to compete in the marketplace? No, I do not believe Nike needs to make changes to its current policy. The fact that they even implanted policy shows their character. If Nike did make changes and couldn’t compete in the market place thousands of Americans would be upset about losing their favorite sports brand, and millions of people would be out of jobs. The failure of Nike to compete in the market place could literally mean the down turn of foreign economies. 6. Is the WRC right to argue that the FLA is a tool of industry? The WRC is correct in stating FLA is a tool of the industry. However, the businesses involved are exactly that, businesses. The FLA was an appropriate step in the right direction for the pursuit of better business practices by other countries while maintaining the best business relationship possible. Disrespect, is not only a great way to lose business, but wars are literally started over it. FLA takes the times to look at the beliefs, and values of the companies it is working with and not just â€Å"do what they feel is the right thing to do†. 7. If sweatshops are a global problem, what might be a global solution to this problem? The United Nations should handle the sweatshop issue. That way it is not just the U. S. attacking, or implementing their business structures on other countries. The United Nations is specifically designed to handle global issues. Having multiple nations give their input and suggests would be an incredibly helpful and compromising tool for employees and employers in all countries.

Seven laws of teaching Essays

Seven laws of teaching Essays Seven laws of teaching Essay Seven laws of teaching Essay The book is a modern take on classic literature about learning dynamics and classroom management. The book tackles these subjects in the same way as its predecessor but incorporates modern adaptations to the matter. In the law of the teacher, the book is sensitive to current problems brought about by a lack of competent teachers in the public school system. It reestablishes the timeless line that â€Å"one cannot teach what one doesn’t know†. In the law of the learner, the book gives emphasis on the effects of media and popular culture and how teachers of the present should evolve with these trends in order to keep in touch with their student’s mindsets. It is argued that interest and attention must be culled by the teacher from the students by appealing to their present interests and relating subject matter to them. This gives the transition to the law of the lesson, where it was discussed that students have become alienated with classroom learning. This problem could be addressed by understanding student background and using it to the teacher’s advantage. Teachers should draw the beginning of each lesson out of learner’s experiences that could include popular music, television shows, and fashion and gaming trends. In the law of the language, issues on ESL learners and bilingualism were put into focus. It was explained that classroom diversity has expanded to a point that teachers cannot expect their students to be readily fluent with the English language. That being the case, teachers must make appropriate use of other tools of expression in order to get through to their students. In the law of the teaching process, modern concepts like student-centered learning were integrated to modern tools such as rubrics, portfolio, and other materials. In the law of the learning process, the advent of multiple intelligences was discussed within the context of achieving genuine learning. In the law of review and application, common day issues and concerns were addressed with emphasis on the usability of learned knowledge to modern life.

Unraveling the Mystery of Capitalizing French Titles

Unraveling the Mystery of Capitalizing French Titles First of all, you wouldnt put lumià ¨re (light) in all caps, as we did in the subhead above, just to make a point. There are, indeed, rules to follow, and you shouldnt capitalize French titles willy-nilly. English speakers should understand that the capitalization of titles and names in French and English exhibit several differences, all of which involve words that are capitalized in English but not in French. This means there is, by and large, less capitalization in French than there is in English.   In English, the first word of a proper title and all subsequent words, except short articles, conjunctions and prepositions, are capitalized. The rules are more complicated in French, and the table below examines three schools of thought regarding French capitalization of titles and names*.   Standard Capitalization In French, capitalization depends on the position and the grammatical function of the words in the title. The first word is always capitalized. If the first word is an article or other  determiner, the first noun and any adjectives that precede it are capitalized, like this: Trois Contes Un Cur simple Le Petit Robert Le Nouveau Petit Robert Le Bon Usage Le Progrs de la civilisation au XXe sicle If the title consists of two words or phrases of equal value, they are considered co-titles and each one is capitalized according to the above rules, as in: Guerre et Paix Julie ou La Nouvelle Hà ©loà ¯se This system  is used in Le Petit Robert, Le Quid, and throughout the Dictionnaire de citations franà §aises. Le Bon Usage, considered the bible of French grammar,  briefly discusses an inconsistency in the capitalization of titles. It does not mention the system above, but it does list the systems in 2. and 3. below. Important-Noun  Capitalization In this system, the first word and any important nouns are capitalized, like this: Trois Contes Un Cur simple Le petit Robert Le nouveau petit Robert Le bon Usage Le Progrs de la Civilisation au XXe sicle Le Bon Usage  states that system 2. is more common than 3. and uses it in its own bibliography. Sentence Capitalization In this system, only the first word of the title is capitalized (except proper nouns, which are always capitalized). Trois contes Un cur simple Le petit Robert Le nouveau petit Robert Le bon usage Le progrs de la civilisation au XXe sicle A number of websites use this system, crediting it either to the MLA Handbook  or to normes ISO  (norms of the International Organization for Standardization).  It is difficult to find any official online documentation for either of these sources. If you look at the spines of a few dozen French books, you will see capitalization is split about 50-50 between Important Noun Capitalization and Sentence Capitalization.   In the end, what will probably work best is to  decide which system works best for you, and stick with it consistently.   Proper nouns, as we mentioned above, are not affected by these capitalization systems; they always follow their own rules of capitalization. *Capitalization of Surnames French surnames (family names)  are often capitalized in their entirety, especially in bibliographies and administrative documents, like this: Gustave FLAUBERT Camara LAYE Jean de LA FONTAINE Antoine de SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Risck Factor for colon cancer related to Obesity Essay

Risck Factor for colon cancer related to Obesity - Essay Example It is advised that individuals should add a lot of fiber and calcium intake in their diet to reduce the chances of acquiring colon cancer. Moreover, people should be conscious of their weight and maintain an ideal weight to prevent complications that are linked with being overweight or obese. This paper will discuss the risk factor for colon cancer related to obesity. Colon cancer is discovered in its asymptomatic or premalignant stages, and there is a possibility for cure and prevention. Colon cancer can be considered as an illness confined to an anatomically and geometrically clear plane of flesh that is easily accessible to direct assessment. Colon cancer starts as benign polyps which develop slowly into cancer. A polyp is the flesh protuberance from the colon mucosa and the greater the polyp, the higher the risk. Colon cancer grows directly from the inner lining via the muscle wall of the bowel and into neighboring tissues. The tumor may metastasize direct to the liver through the portal vein, the lymphatic system to adjacent lymph nodes and rarely through the bloodstream to the lungs or bones. In the early stages, colon cancer produces no symptoms. Patients experience blood in the stool, cramping pain in the lower abdomen and rectal bleeding are a sign of advanced disease. Digital rectal examination (DRE) is employed to reveal 15% of colon c ancer (Lippincott & Wilkins, 2013). Colon cancer arises from two kinds of precursor polyps through two clear pathways: serrated adenomas according to the serrated adenoma-to-carcinoma theory and conventional adenomas by the conventional adenoma-to-carcinoma sequence. The conventional adenomas result from mutation of the APC gene; advancement to colon cancer is a multistep procedure. The important genetic defect in serrated adenomas is not known. Furthermore, diet also contributes to the development of colon cancer. Diets with high fat and low fiber

Downsizing and Globalization In the USA and the UK Assignment

Downsizing and Globalization In the USA and the UK - Assignment Example The cost is the international rationalization process, which is currently wreaking havoc in the labor market, particularly in certain parts of Europe. The primary reason for the adoption of downsizing and globalization strategies by firms is to achieve cost-cutting and increase revenue by capturing the global market (Scholte, 2005:132). However, this results in serious implication for the economy of the country of origin, as more workers lose their jobs and plunge into poverty, which significantly reduces the standards of living. The cost is the international rationalization process, which is currently wreaking havoc in the labor market, particularly in certain parts of Europe. The primary reason for the adoption of downsizing and globalization strategies by firms is to achieve cost-cutting and increase revenue by capturing the global market (Scholte, 2005:132). However, this results in serious implication for the economy of the country of origin, as more workers lose their jobs and plunge into poverty, which significantly reduces the standards of living. Reasons for Downsizing In essence, downsizing refers to the planned elimination of jobs or positions. Many corporations and business have used, or are likely to use, the strategy to achieve different goals. In the United States, for instance, approximately 43 million jobs were slashed off between 1979 and 1995. Evidently, this is a significant portion of the workforce (Archibald, 2009:321). Companies adopt downsizing measures due to a number of factors that affect the organizational and work structure, including computerization, consolidations, globalization, and divestment. These factors create a new attitude towards employment, a new workforce, and over and above all, reduced job morale, and security. The prevalent increase in global business has led to more competition in the marketplace (Slaughter and Swagel, 1997). In addition, the increasing rate of technological advancement enables businesses to achieve higher productivity and run their global businesses smoothly.  Often, companies are unable to keep up with the enormous technological advancement introduced into the market every month. The subsequent shift from producing products to providing services often leads to reengineering and downsizing of many companies. Companies employ downsizing strategies in financial attempts to produce larger revenue margins. Holding other factors constant, the fewer the employees a company has, the more productive and efficient the workplace. Conventionally, the remaining workers feel obliged to become more efficient in quality and speed, as well as the significant reduction in the use of company resources (Archibald, 2009:325).

War is never justified Essay Example for Free

War is never justified Essay In this essay I shall give a review of the current war on Afghanistan and some of the theories behind it being either just or unjust war. In these time is can be difficult for people to give their honest and pure opinions on war, partly because of their countries allies, enemies and even their personal friends foes. People living in the United States of America will be influenced by their leaders getting them to go to a war against Afghanistan in which they call: War Against Terrorism. There is one problem with this and that is that you cannot wipe out all the wicked off the world as this is impossible. You may be able to stop a significant amount of it but not all of it, it is just physically impossible. I said at the beginning of this essay that I would go through some of the theories, so here they are: 1. Realism: no moral justification Realism is when the public do not get a decision to go to war, it is all up to the government to decide and work at their own interests on the war. 2. Consequentialism: Consequentialism is when a war is justified by the consequences on both sides. This prevents any possible tragedies happening. 3. Just War Theory: The Just War Theory has VERY strict conditions, in fact if a war is justified it must meet with seven conditions: 1.Just cause 2.Last Resort 3.Lawful Authority 4.Formal Declaration 5.Right Intention 6.Prospects of Success 7.Proportionality (good overall effects) 4. Pacifism: Pacifism is simply that war is never justified, this is what I believe. Now let me give you three questions that give a simple sum-up of what I have just said: 1. Is war allowed or not? Pacifism versus non-pacifism 2. If allowed, are any ethical limitations suitable? Realism versus ethics-of-war theories. 3. If moral constraints are appropriate, what should they be? Consequentialism, Just War Theory or Pacificism. Ill bet there are many more theories out there, but I have just picked these out because it gives a good range of different perspectives. I will now go through the seven conditions of the Just War Theory and apply them of the war against Afghanistan: 1.Just cause 2.Last Resort 3.Lawful Authority 4.Formal Declaration 5.Right Intention 6.Prospects of Success 7.Proportionality (good overall effects) Just Cause Just Cause means that you cannot just attack a random country for some poor reason, for example (this is imaginary): The USA attack Monte Carlo because they are jealous of a wonderfully complex and twisty racetrack they possess. This would be pathetic as the Americans have the Laguna Seca Raceway and it just seems so childish. Anyway, back to the point, this theory has to include two states, one being attacked and the other doing the attacking. The problem with this is that no state attacked America, it was an organisation. So this part of the Just Cause Test has been failed. Now for the second condition. Last Resort This condition states that if all other reasonable (in the eyes of the theory) options have been exhausted then the best option can be taken. It seems debatable that other options have not been exhausted, so another failure. Lawful Authority Formal Declaration The war must be formally declared to the public and the opposing state. Bin Laden has completely failed this test, but the USA has formally declared their war. This test has been passed with flying colours Right Intention Not only do states have to have a just cause, they must let the public know about it, not just some hidden intention like the imaginary example I gave earlier. If we look at American foreign policy since World War II it shows that the policy has been inconsistent throughout. Through their disobedience of justice we can positively say that the same has happened here, so this test is almost undoubtedly failed. Prospects of Success If there are no signs stating that this war will be won, then it will be a disastrous waste of life. The current War against Terrorism covers such a colossal span it is evident that the named battle will never be won. Another test failed. Proportionality (good overall effects) No war is justified unless the good effects gained by the war are better than the evil it inflicts. The war is causing starvation (including death of it), many casualties, and death because of protests. According to the just war theory two out of the seven conditions have been passed, so in this theory the war should not be continued. Realist View Nothing better will be gained for the Americans, so from this view the war should not have been started either. Utilitarian view The verdict is doubtful for utilitarianism, too. Whether the war has better consequences than any alternative approach depends not just on the last point of the Just War Theory, which itself makes it very doubtful that the war can be justified. Also, utilitarianism requires not just that the results of war be on balance but on the war being the alternative with the best results, which is even more doubtful. Completely failed. Consequentialism According to Consequentialists the key question is: Will the final strategy minimise the bad-effects compared to all the other options? You must consider that all lives are equal. So, if all lives count equally, then a military strategy that kills many more civilians for the sake of a smaller reduction in military casualties on one side cannot be justified on consequentialist justifications. But this is precisely the reason why the US and its allies have used massive air strikes in what they say is the first phase of the war. It seems likely that this strategy does not minimise the bad effects compared to all alternatives and so any consequentialist justification is doubtful. Summing up I believe that there is no such thing as a just war and countries should stop, tidy up and talk, it would save a lot of lives and be a lot more logical, even if it means translating!

The Transition to Parenthood Essays -- Parenthood Pregnancy Fertilizat

The Transition to Parenthood Section 1: The case study Today, in western industrialized nations, the decision whether or not to have children is, as Berk (2004) describes it a â€Å"†¦.matter of individual choice† (p.460). This contrasts with many non western nations where what Michaels (1988, cited in Berk, 2004) describes childbearing as, â€Å"†¦an unavoidable cultural demand† (p.460). Research on the New Zealand population suggests that couples are having children at a much later phase of life. The median age for a woman to give birth is now 30.3 years, compared with her counterpart in the early 1970’s who gave birth at 24.9 years. There is also an increasing amount of individuals foregoing parenthood altogether. Statistics also show a trend towards later marriages and smaller families (www.stats.govt.nzfertility-rates) and couples living together especially in the early stages of the relationships (www.familiescommission.govt.nz). Many factors contribute to the marked shift from early to delayed childbearing. Berk (2005) suggests financial circumstances, personal and religious values and health conditions are influencing factors. While Barber; Tangri & Jenkins (cited in Berk, 2004) suggest that women with high-status, demanding careers will less often choose parenthood than those with less time consuming positions. Other factors may include how the parents feel a new baby will impact on their lives in terms of disrupted sleep, caregiving tasks and the couple’s relationship. Harry was 36 and Sally 34 when Sally fell pregnant. The previous 10 years were spent forming an intimate relationship, travelling, working and saving money for the future. Both focussed through their schooling years, earned high paying jobs and travelled intermittently. Both came from high socio-economic families and aspired to their parent’s life achievements. Being able to raise a child without concerns over money was the main motivation behind both Harry and Sally’s joint decision to delay childbearing. Financial independence, they felt would be achieved through owning their own property and having money in the bank. Once pregnant Sally suffered from morning sickness and her employer encouraged her to take time off when needed to rest; and at eight months pregnant Sally finished work, while Harry continued to work evenings and weekends. Harry’s long working hours had not ... ...he extended family, the couples workplaces, the support within the community, social services available and the overarching belief of a nation at that particular time all work together and ultimately provide a notion of how well the individual and the family unit adjusts. Reference List Berk, L.E. (2004). Development through the lifespan (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Families Commission (2005). Let’s give a fair go to families. Retrieved April 26, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.familiescommission.govt.nz/media/20041222.php Heath, P. (2005). Parent-child relationship: history, theory, research, and context (1st ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Hutchins, T. & Sims, M. (1999). Program planning for infants and toddlers: An ecological approach. Australia: Prentice Hall. Lefrancois, G.R. (1999). The lifespan (6th ed., pp. 45-48). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. Papalia, D. E., Olds, S. W., & Feldman, R. D. (2001). Human development (8th ed., pp. 501-503). Boson: McGraw-Hill. Statistics New Zealand (2005). Fertility rates. Retrieved April 5, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.stats.govt.nz/popn-monitor/births/default.htm

Building Lifecycle

LIFE-CYCLE OF BUILDINGS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE , UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELORS OF SCIENCE (BSc) IN ARCHITECTURE BY WHENU MAUTON . A. 100501059 OCTOBER 2011 Building Life Cycle refers to the view of a building over the course of its entire life-in other words,viewing it not just as an operational building,but also taking into account the design,installation,commissioning,operation and decommissioning phases.It is used to use this view when attempting to improve an operational feature of a building that is related to how a building was designed for instance,overall energy conservation. In the vast majority of cases there is less than sufficient effort put into designing a building to be energy efficient and hence large inefficiencies are incurred in the operational phase . Current research is ongoing in exploring methods of incorporating a whole life cycle view of buildings,rather than just focusi ng in the operational phase as is the current situation.Building life-cycle is in the stages listed below: * Extraction Of Building Materials * Processing Of Building Materials * Designing Of Building * Construction Of Building * Occupancy/Maintenance * Demolition/Disposal * Destruction And Material Re-Use * Design For Deconstruction * Diagram showing building life-cycle. DECONSTRUCTION Deconstruction is a technique practitioners are using to salvage valuable building materials, reduce the amount of waste they send to landfills, and mitigate other environmental impacts.It is the disassembly of a building and the recovery of its materials, often thought of as construction in reverse. Today, the appreciation of the lifespan and value of materials has become diminished in the context of a more disposable society in which new is assumed to be better. Technological innovation and increased availability of materials, coupled with a growing economy, population, and desire for more individu alized space, has increased the demand for commercial and residential development, typically using new materials.According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the size of an average home in the United States jumped 45 percent between 1970 and 2002, from 1,500 to over 2,200 square feet, while the number of people living in each home decreased from an average of 3. 2 people to 2. 6 people. This meant more demolition, and renovation, of older structures to allow for new and bigger structures. Demolition using heavy equipment is the traditional process for building removal. Modern demolition equipment removes structures quickly, destroying the materials within and creating solid waste destined for landfills.Some recycling does occur during the demolition process, most typically concrete, brick, metal, asphalt pavement, and wood. However, landfill costs in many states are still low, enabling wasteful disposal practices. Although certain areas in the United States are beg inning to restrict disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in order to promote recycling and reuse (see Section 3), some states still have local landfill tipping fees as low as $9. 95 per cubic yard. Environmental impacts from construction and demolition activities are sizeable, both upstream and downstream.Large amounts of energy and resources go into the production of new building materials. RESOURCES NOT WASTE Deconstruction advocates are working to change the perception that older building materials are â€Å"waste. † In fact, many of these materials are valuable resources. However, according to EPA, only 20 to 30 percent of building-related C&D material was recycled or reused in 1996. 10 This gap presents an opportunity to capture valuable resources. Deconstruction is becoming a complement to or a substitute for demolition worldwide, including in the United States where a market is emerging.Brad Guy, a leader in the deconstruction field and president of the B uilding Materials Reuse Association, has found that there are currently over 250 active deconstruction programs throughout the United States. Such programs recognize the potential and benefits of this process, which include:  ¦ Reduction of Waste and Debris— According to the Deconstruction Institute, in order to sustain human society into the next century, resource efficiency will have to increase by a factor of 10. The materials salvaged through deconstruction help replenish the construction materials market, rather than add to the amount of waste in landfills.In fact, studies indicate that deconstruction can reduce construction site waste by 50 to 70 percent. 11 This not only helps extend the life of the existing landfills, but also decreases disposal costs for developers by minimizing the amount of building related C&D material they are responsible for at the end of a project. EMBODIED ENERGY A major factor in determining a building’s lifecycle impact, Embodied En ergy is the amount of energy consumed to produce a product, in this case building materials. This includes the energy needed to:  ¦ Mine or harvest natural resources and raw materials; Manufacture the materials; and  ¦ Transport the materials. By extending the life of building materials, deconstruction and materials reuse preserve this embodied energy, minimizing the need for further energy use.  ¦ Resource Conservation and Emissions Reduction—Deconstruction helps preserve a material’s â€Å"embodied energy† (see text box) and extends the life of natural resources already harvested. 13 This minimizes the need to produce new materials—in turn saving more natural resources and reducing production impacts such as emissions.For instance, a dominant benefit of deconstruction and the reuse of salvaged materials is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Using materials salvaged from deconstruction projects also reduces the demand to ship materials typi cally sourced and manufactured long distances from their ultimate use. This helps support the local economy as well as further reduce air emissions. Deconstructing a building also provides the opportunity to recycle any of the material that cannot be reused. Although the recycling process uses some energy and raw materials, and emits pollution, it is still a more sustainable option than disposing of materials. 4  ¦ Economics Benefi ts—New end use markets, including salvaged material resellers and other small businesses, are being created to support deconstruction activities. Other economic benefits include job creation, workforce development training, lower building material cost, and revenue generation through salvaged materials sales. Avoided demolition debris disposal costs are a benefit when considering the transportation and disposal costs, as well as disposal restrictions, in certain U. S. states.Additionally, property owners can realize tax deductions that include th e value of the building and its materials if they are donated to a non-profi t organization. MATERIALS RE-USE Building materials may retain structural or aesthetic value beyond their lifespan in a given building. This value is captured through materials reuse, a practice that can occur independently from or in conjunction with deconstruction and other lifecycle construction activities. As a component of lifecycle construction, it is an essential step in completing the loop.The concept of â€Å"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle† identifies reuse as midway between initial reduction of resource use and resource recycling in a hierarchy of limiting environmental impact. Reducing initial resource use avoids the impact entirely, as well as any need for reuse or recycling. However, reusing materials is preferable to recycling them because less remanufacturing and processing is required, and less associated waste is generated. In its broadest definition, materials reuse is the practice of incor porating previously used materials into new projects.In the context of lifecycle construction, salvaging finish features, stripping interior components, and deconstruction all make building materials available for reuse. Similar to deconstruction, the major benefit of materials reuse is the resource and energy use that is avoided by reducing the production of new materials. Materials reuse also salvages materials with characteristics that are generally unavailable in new materials. For example, lumber with desirable structural and aesthetic qualities such as large dimensions (especially timbers) and knot-free fine grain can be found in walls of old buildings.Such items have a high reuse value as a combined structural and finished surface piece. Note that it is less important what species of tree the wood came from than the way it has been used and the state it is in after such use. Certain challenges accompany the numerous benefits of this critical step in the lifecycle construction process. These include the need to verify material quality (e. g. , lumber grade) and the variability of available material quantities, which fluctuate with the level of deconstruction activity.This section describes the opportunities for materials reuse, the market for reusable materials, and challenges associated with materials reuse. Three case studies at the end of the section highlight projects that incorporate materials reuse. The first case study describes a joint venture deconstruction/materials reuse project that features immediate reuse of salvaged materials. The second case study describes a residential construction project that incorporates significant amounts of reusable materials. The third case study highlights a used building materials retail store within the growing market for reusable materials.IMPLEMENTATION OF MATERIALS REUSE Materials reuse can occur on both large and small scales. Depending on the availability of materials and the desired future use, materials reuse can involve: a) whole buildings, b) building assemblies, c) building components, d) remanufacturing of building components, and/or e) reuse of individual building materials without modifications to them. These are defi ned below. a) Whole Building—Involves relatively minor changes to a building’s structure that often adapt it to a new use (e. g. , transforming a factory into lofts). ) Building Assemblies—Defined as â€Å"a collection of parts fitted together into a complete structure† (e. g. , pre-fabricated walls). 28 c) Building Components—May be subassemblies or other structures that are not complete on their own (e. g. doors with jambs). d) Remanufacturing—Adds value to a material by modifying it (e. g. , re-milling framing lumber for use as trim. Note that this differs somewhat from recycling because the wood is not entirely reprocessed, and retains its basic form). e) Building Materials—Reuse of any individual type of mat erial such as lumber or stone (e. . , brick from an old structure used in a new landscape design without modifying it). Individual building materials and finish pieces are the most commonly reused. Primary among these is lumber, but steel beams, stone, brick, tile, glass, gypsum, and plasterboard, as well as doors, windows, and cabinets are also routinely successfully reused. At a larger scale, building components are ideal for reuse, while the ultimate reuse includes entire building assemblies, such as panelized walls or floors that can be wholly incorporated into new projects.To help promote more materials reuse and recycling, the City of Seattle produced an â€Å"index of materials reuse† that identifies suitable materials for reuse, recyclable materials, and those that should be disposed of, as well as information on potential environmental and health concerns associated with some materials. A NEW APPROACH TO BUILDING DESIGN As society continues to face significant waste and pollution impacts related to conventional building design, renovation, and removal practices, innovators are imagining a future where buildings are designed to consume fewer resources and generate less waste throughout their lifecycle.Building industry professionals are pioneering the concept of Design for Deconstruction (DfD), sometimes referred to as Design for Disassembly, a technique whose goal is to consider a building’s entire lifecycle in its original design. This includes the sustainable management of all resource flows associated with a building including design, manufacturing of construction materials, operation, renovation, and eventual deconstruction. 51 The typical building lifecycle is a linear one,. Resources are used and eventually discarded with minimal thought of re-cycling or reuse.The environmental impacts of this approach are sizeable. In terms of waste, if housing replacement rates remain unchanged, over the next 50 years 3. 3 billion tons of materia l debris will be created from the demolition of 41 million housing units. Even more dramatic is the fact that, if trends in housing design continue, new homes built during this same time period will result in double the amount of demolition debris, or 6. 6 billion tons, when they are eventually demolished. Beyond these waste issues, the energy consumed to produce building materials is having a huge effect globally.A 1999 United Nations study states that 11 percent of global CO2 emissions come from the production of construction materials. These are the same materials that regularly end up in landfills. 52 The trend in construction practices since the 1950s has only exacerbated these impacts, as buildings progressively contain more complex systems, materials types, and connecting devices, making it more difficult technically, as well as economically, to recover building materials for reuse or recycling.Unless a sustainable lifecycle approach to building is adopted, most building comp onents in the future will become increasingly more non-renewable, non-reuseable, and non-recyclable. INCORPORATING DESIGN FOR DECONSTRUCTION (DFD) Design for deconstruction addresses waste and pollution issues associated with building design and demolition by creating a â€Å"closedloop† building management option that goes against the traditional linear approach (Figure 2). By designing buildings to facilitate future renovations and eventual dismantlement, a building’s systems, components, and materials will be easier to rearrange, recover, and reuse.It is estimated that the average U. S. family moves every 10 years. Over an average 50-year life span, a home may change hands five times and undergo structural changes to meet each occupant’s needs. Thus, there is potential for multiple renovations over a building’s lifetime, as well as complete building removal to make the land available for a newer building – as has been the trend most recently. Df D can proactively address future occupancy flow through a sensible approach that maximizes the economic value of a structure’s materials, while working to reduce environmental impacts from their renovation and/or removal.DfD also creates adaptable structures that can be more readily reshaped to meet changing needs of owners. Incorporating DfD into the design of a building comprises four major design goals. All of these goals combine to minimize the environmental footprint of a building. Reusing existing buildings and materials Architects and developers should, to the extent possible, incorporate reused materials in the construction of new buildings.Besides minimizing waste from disposal of materials from existing building, as well as decreasing resource use and pollution associated with the creation of new materials, incorporating reused materials will help preserve the materials embodied energy, which is the amount of energy consumed to produce the materials . Additionally, supporting the materials reuse market will also help create demand for more used materials. Materials, climatic materials, surface materials, surface treatment Refining process Metals, chemicals cement, fired clay, straw,sawn timber, etc.Extraction process Ore, stone, clay, oil, timber,plants, etc. Mining Drilling Harvesting The Earth Ore Oil Timber Dumping Waste Use Re-use Recycling Buildin (Source—Bjorn Berg, â€Å"The Ecology of Building Materials)Building process REFERENCES * WWW. WIKIPEDIA. ORG * LIFECYCLE CONSTRUCTION RESOURCE GUIDE * EPA Deconstruction and Reuse http://www. epa. gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ debris-new/reuse. htm * EPA Construction and Demolition Debris http://www. epa. gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ debris-new/index. htm VALUE OPTIMIZATION IN RELATION TO BUILDING PROJECTSA THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE , UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELORS OF SCIENCE (BSc) IN ARCHITECTURE BY WHENU MAUTON . A. 10 0501059 OCTOBER 2011 INTEGRATED OPTIMIZATION â€Å"Optimize human enjoyment in the act of production and you optimize production† — W. Edwards Deming The construction industry often mounts initiatives to increase efficiency and productivity, but assumes the initiatives will gain traction within what is arguably a fragmented and therefore dysfunctional industry.The reality is that a healthy, integrated industry needs to first be developed, and then optimized. Increased efficiency and productivity will follow. The three-fold aim of this paper is that the reader understand: * First, the organizational structure is optimized. In the performance paradigm, this includes the clarity of structure, roles and responsibilities — all of which need to be reorganized. This enables lasting and integrated team life (as opposed to reshuffling the team from project to project). The supply chain is also to be consolidated in order that the manufacturers, building products and syst ems are part of the team. Next, the processes are to be optimized. This will be accomplished through: (1) Lean Building, (2) Production Quality, and (3) Process Integration and Automation. * Finally, the object of the performance paradigm — the building itself — is optimized. This requires a management re-orientation toward the total true cost of a development, and the building producers accepting responsibility for the performance of the building operations. While construction productivity has been stagnant — even declining — laments over productivity have been increasing.Productivity is, of course, a function of the  optimization of the production process (productivity = measures of output from process per unit of input). So, to make a given system more productive (whether it's the producer, process or product), the system is â€Å"optimized† to produce more units of output per units of input. With the goal of decisively reversing the productiv ity decline and the lament incline, this paper proposes some optimization strategies for building systems that create an optimized, efficient and super-productive high performance industry producing high erformance buildings. Building construction and operation have extensive direct and indirect impacts on the environment. Buildings use resources such as energy, water and raw materials, generate waste (occupant, construction and demolition) and emit potentially harmful atmospheric emissions. Building owners, designers and builders face a unique challenge to meet demands for new and renovated facilities that are accessible, secure, healthy, and productive while minimizing their impact on the environment.Considering the current economic challenges, retrofitting an existing building can be more cost effective than building a new facility. Designing major renovations and retrofits for existing buildings to include sustainability initiatives reduces operation costs and environmental impa cts, and can increase building resiliency. Source: EPA, 2004 Recent answers to this challenge call for an integrated, synergistic approach that considers all phases of the facility life cycle.This approach, often called â€Å"sustainable design,† supports an increased commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation, and results in an optimal balance of cost, environmental, societal, and human benefits while meeting the mission and function of the intended facility or infrastructure. The main objectives of sustainable design are to avoid resource depletion of energy, water, and raw materials; prevent environmental degradation caused by facilities and infrastructure throughout their life cycle; and create built environments that are livable, comfortable, safe, and productive.EPA's New England Regional Laboratory (NERL) achieved a LEED Version 1. 0 Gold rating. From conception the project was charged to â€Å"make use of the best commercially-available materials and te chnologies to minimize consumption of energy and resources and maximize use of natural, recycled and non-toxic materials. † Chelmsford, MA While the definition of sustainable building design is constantly changing, six fundamental principles persist. * Optimize Site/Existing Structure PotentialCreating sustainable buildings starts with proper site selection, including consideration of the reuse or rehabilitation of existing buildings. The location, orientation, and landscaping of a building affect the local ecosystems, transportation methods, and energy use. Incorporate Smart growth principles in the project development process, whether it be a single building, campus or military base. Siting for physical security is a critical issue in optimizing site design, including locations of access roads, parking, vehicle barriers, and perimeter lighting.Whether designing a new building or retrofitting an existing building, site design must integrate with sustainable design to achieve a successful project. The site of a sustainable building should reduce, control, and/or treat stormwater runoff. * Optimize Energy Use With America's supply of fossil fuel dwindling, concerns for energy independence and security increasing, and the impacts of global climate change arising, it is essential to find ways to reduce load, increase efficiency, and utilize renewable energy resources in federal facilities.Improving the energy performance of existing buildings is important to increasing our energy independence. Government and private sector organizations are committing to net zero energy buildings in the next decade or so as a way to significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. * Protect and Conserve Water In many parts of the country, fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource. A sustainable building should use water efficiently, and reuse or recycle water for on-site use, when feasible. * Use Environmentally Preferable ProductsA sustainable building is construct ed of materials that minimize life-cycle environmental impacts such as global warming, resource depletion, and human toxicity. Environmentally preferable materials have a reduced effect on human health and the environment and contribute to improved worker safety and health, reduced liabilities, reduced disposal costs, and achievement of environmental goals. * Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a building has a significant impact on occupant health, comfort, and productivity.Among other attributes, a sustainable building maximizes daylighting; has appropriate ventilation and moisture control; and avoids the use of materials with high-VOC emissions. Additionally, consider ventilation and filtration to mitigate chemical, biological, and radiological attack. * Optimize Operational and Maintenance Practices Considering a building's operating and maintenance issues during the preliminary design phase of a facility will contribute to improv ed working environments, higher productivity, reduced energy and resource costs, and prevented system failures.Encourage building operators and maintenance personnel to participate in the design and development phases to ensure optimal operations and maintenance of the building. Designers can specify materials and systems that simplify and reduce maintenance requirements; require less water, energy, and toxic chemicals and cleaners to maintain; and are cost-effective and reduce life-cycle costs. Additionally, design facilities to include meters in order to track the progress of sustainability initiatives, including reductions in energy and water use and waste generation, in the facility and on site. REFERENCE * WBDG SUSTAINABLE COMMITTEE

How Can I Avoid Literal/Verbal Translation from My Native Language When Writing an English Essay Essay

As a foreign English learner, , I constantly make grammatical and structural errors when writing in English even though I started learning English at a very early age and have a relatively better speaking and listening ability among my peers. In fact, many Asians, Mandarin users like me in particular, encounter such problem a lot when writing in the English language. As a consequence, I want to find out the main reason that causes me to write in English with the inverse (Chinese) structure all the time. In other words, I want to know why I constantly â€Å"think† in my own language and translate it into English instead of directly â€Å"think and write† in English simultaneously. That is, as stated in the title, to avoid literal/verbal translation from my native language when writing in English. In the first part of this essay, discussion will to focus on illustrating the core concepts of how humans form and convert grammatical structures into English. In the second part, a brief research conducted by myself will be used in support of the main question of this essay, which is the methodology to resolve writing difficulties for foreigner English speakers. Last but not least, an overall analysis in regard of the topic can be found in the final paragraph. The objective of this essay is to observe the influence between a Mandarin user’s native language (mother tongue) and the English language in terms of logical thinking process and psycholinguistic perspectives as well as avoiding literal or verbal translation from my the language. This is an interesting however less discussed topic in terms of English learning method. I sincerely hope English learners, particularly foreign learners, can more or less understand the existing problems that can likely bother us, also, â€Å"can generate some interesting data to show the need to explicitly stimulate bicognitive and bicultural development in Chinese EFL learners†(Gonzalez, Virginia, Chen Chia-Yin, and Claudia Sanchez 627-52). The thinking process We can discover a nearly inevitable process, regardless of its use, before writing a formal essay. That is, in fact, the process of sketching a rough idea (abstract) of what specific concepts we are going to talk about or what type of audience we want to persuade. For instance, suppose our topic is â€Å"My Family†. Undoubtedly, the first thing that comes into our mind is a picture consists of mother, father, and children. This is inevitable as we tend to â€Å"picturize† abstract words into actual images that we have already acquired from our experience (database) in the past. Later on, after these approximate frames are set up, a complicated process will start interpreting the picture into the language we are familiar with. To simply put, the input (given topic) needs to be processed in order to obtain (write down) the output. Understanding the process, we can further apply the idea to foreign languages. Take myself as an example. Chinese is my native language whereas English is my second (foreign) language. Based on the thinking process demonstrated earlier, the process for me to convert â€Å"English topic† into â€Å"English sentences† is to first convert â€Å"English topic† to â€Å"Chinese topic†(since there is no such database known as â€Å"English† in the past), and then picturize â€Å"Chinese topic† into â€Å"Chinese sentences†, and finally translate those sentences into English. What a tough work it is! Yes, indeed, as a foreign language learner, especially a beginner, this is actually the fastest way to deliver message. However, after such a long process, we experience another problem—the translation is still in â€Å"Chinese† linguistic structure! For this reason, our brain starts modifying the structure, again, based on our â₠¬Å"database†. (I will further explain the importance of â€Å"database† in a while) The modification process So the modification process starts. Our brain starts searching for the most native way of expressing the idea in English. Yet, if no such word or structure was learned in the past, it is very likely that we would simply output the most similar or the most â€Å"literal† translation of the sentence. In this case, many common grammatical and improper structures can be easily observed, such as saying â€Å"What can I make?† instead of â€Å"What can I do?†(make and do both have the same meaning in Chinese) Of course, people can still understand what the writer tries to indicate, but on the other hand it can sometimes cause great misunderstanding between the author and the audience. Research This survey is conducted on the basis of 57 effective samples, representing participants from more than three different education levels and 3 Mandarin-speaking countries. Questions 1 through 5 are general information used to analyze the background of participants. Questions starting from question 6 are divided into two contrary tracks. Track A is designed to investigate those who had encountered literal/verbal translation difficulties whereas track B is for those who seldom have difficulties writing what they intend to illustrate. In this research, a few phenomena can be discovered. According to the responses of question 6, apparently over 70% of the participants have had a hard time translating what they really wanted to express into English. As for question , 62% think such writing difficulty is mainly due to the lack of vocabulary while in question , interestingly, more and more people tend to utilize resources through internet. From here, we can see the importance of technology in terms of learning and gathering information. On the other hand, however, Track B shows that those who seldom or never have literal/verbal translation problems believe reading is also important and that looking up dictionary helps them avoid literal/verbal translation problems. Some suggestions are listed in question and which include extensive reading and writing, have peer editor to review his/her essay, and even â€Å"fall in love with the language.†

How to Write a Dissertation in Mathematics Step-by-step Guide

How to Write a Dissertation in Mathematics Step-by-step Guide A dissertation in mathematics is a significant component of postgraduate education where students have to work independently and produce a coherent piece of text in which they need to describe the results of their investigation. It’s a challenging and time-consuming project which requires thorough understanding of complex mathematical concepts and producing coherent research outcome. To help you cope with this complex academic paper, we’ve created this guide which covers the essential steps in writing a dissertation in mathematics and addresses the most common difficulties that students face during the writing process. You will learn how to structure your dissertation and write its chapters. We will provide you with editing and proofreading tips and give you a list of 15 interesting dissertation topics. If you struggle with writing any other academic project, on our website, you will find full guides to all writing assignments out there. What Is a Dissertation in Mathematics? Basic Requirements Dissertation in mathematics is an individual project where students investigate and study a specific area of mathematical research or an application of advanced mathematical techniques and write a report on their findings. When writing a dissertation in mathematics, you will learn to understand complex mathematical texts, work on open-ended problems, and communicate mathematical reasoning and ideas clearly. In your dissertation, you need to report what was previously known on a particular topic and contribute to some field of mathematics. A Masters dissertation can be either expository that explains some results that are already known or research-based that includes a new theorem. A PhD dissertation in mathematics is based on original mathematical research and includes at least one previously unknown substantial theorem. The length of a dissertation varies with the topic and typically is between 50 to 80 pages for Masters’ dissertation. Keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity. Mathematical sentences contain notations, figures, and equations that are difficult to type if you use a typical word-processing program. That’s why dissertations in mathematics should normally be produced in TEX or LaTEX which were specifically designed for the production of technical and scientific documentation. If you are going to type your dissertation in mathematics yourself, you should dedicate a certain amount of time to become familiar with this software. And keep in mind that you will need several drafts because it’s practically impossible to concentrate on getting all aspects of your paper (layout, mathematics, grammar, spelling etc.) correct at once. Writing is a process and no one is capable of producing a well-organized, clear, and error-free exposition the first time he/she sits down to write. Typically, good papers are thoroughly rewritten at least once or twice and the key sections often require 3 to 5 major revisions. A dissertation in mathematics reports results of your investigation and should meet the following standards: It should follow a standard format for scientific communication and include a title, introduction, results, discussion, conclusions, and bibliography. You need to follow conventions of mathematical writing and citations. Your final paper should be correct and logically coherent. You should clearly explain which contributions are your own and which you have taken from other scholarly sources. You also have to report negative results. The text of your dissertation should be clear, interesting, and readable. You should write it with your readers in mind and ensure that even non-experts could be able to make sense of what you write. Precision is crucial. Every mathematical statement in your dissertation must have a precise mathematical meaning. You must define every term and every symbol and use them according to their definition. You must also justify every mathematical conclusion that you reach in your paper. If you write something (ideas, facts, proofs, mathematical results) which you obtained from a published source, you must refer to such a source in the text and list it in your bibliography to avoid plagiarism. Choosing a Good Topic for a Dissertation in Mathematics The first step in writing a dissertation in mathematics is choosing a topic. The dissertation project typically relates to the research interests of your supervisor so you should speak to members of the staff about possible dissertation topics and find out who works in the areas that you are interested in. If you can’t think of something to write about, here is a list of topic suggestions for your inspiration. Representations of Finite Hecke Algebras for Complex Reflection Groups; Homotopy Type Theory: Computing Homotopy Groups of Spheres; Geometric Quantisation of Symplectic Manifolds; Cohomology of Abelian Varieties; Geometric Class Field Theory; Application of Theorems of Grushko and Stallings for Classification of Groups up to Quasi-isometry; Evolution Equations: Problems Arising in Population Dynamics; Low-rank Approximations in Multiple Variables; Stochastic Gradient Descent Methods; Application of Discrete Mathematical Techniques in Cellular Automation Models in Biology; Fluctuation Theory of Levy Processes; Random Matrices and Free Probability; Intersection Theory of Singular Varieties; Linear Programming Methods in Combinatorics; Mathematical Modelling in Metal Forming Processes. How to Structure Your Dissertation in Mathematics Dissertations in mathematics typically give an extended analysis of a particular topic and report on a research project or study. A dissertation commonly consists of multiple chapters: Abstract of approximately 300 words summarizes the aims, scope, and the conclusions of a dissertation. Introduction introduces a specific research topic, its scope, and significance, gives a review of relevant literature, and briefly outlines the logical structure of your dissertation. Body of the paper should be structured into several chapters that contain proofs and details of numerical implementations. Conclusion restates the main arguments, tells about the consequences, and provides suggestions for future work. You may structure the body of the work like this: Introduction Proof of Theorem 1 Proof of Theorem 2 Numerical Examples Extensions Writing a Dissertation in Mathematics A dissertation in mathematics is based on independent mathematical research which differs from most researches in other fields of knowledge. To get your PhD in math, you need to create at least one new theorem and become a world’s expert in your niche. That’s not easy. Typically, it takes about a year and a half of hard work reading papers and attacking different math problems before you find one that you can prove. So first, you need to choose an advisor, select a topic, and work hard on your research reading papers, making conjectures, and proving lemmas. While reading, you should analyze examples, and memorize important vocabulary. You should understand that you won’t be able to prove your theorem by making one big step. You’ll need work hard and add lemma after lemma, write down your research results, and keep them organized in your notebook. You may need a couple of years to prove your theorem and you never know if you are following the right or the wrong path for a proof until you actually find it. Research will take up most of your time but you’ll also need to meet regularly with your supervisor and attend all relevant seminars. When you start writing your dissertation, you should provide definitions for terms and notations that you will use throughout the paper so that your readers can understand your work. The best way to do it is to provide explanations of the key terms in the introduction section. Your introduction should also clearly describe the problem and put it into the context. When writing the main chapters of your dissertation, you should split lengthy proofs in several steps or several lemmas, taking care of the logical flow. When writing a proof, you must start with the hypothesis and use other mathematical truths such as definitions, axioms, computations or theorems to arrive at the desired conclusion. Write your proof like a manual in a natural step-by-step order. You need to provide all logical steps but there is no need to explain obvious arguments. It’s important to provide clear arguments and justify every step. Don’t just add a parenthetical remark, telling readers that a certain equation was used. You should provide step-by-step explanations in full sentences. When you finish a long argument, you should summarize it. You should also mark the end of your proof. Don’t forget to link ideas in different chapters using transition words and phrases. This way, you will integrate your work and see your dissertation as one whole in your mind. It’s important to number equations, as well as theorems, lemmas, etc. by section to help your readers follow your argument. You should also include numerical results, examples, computations, comparisons, and interpretations. Don’t try to write an abstract of your dissertation in mathematics first because you’ll only waste your time. It’s the most difficult part of any academic paper and it should be written last in spite of the fact that it appears at the very beginning of a document. You should try to condense the content of your dissertation into one paragraph and ensure that your readers will be able to understand your message. Abstract provides readers with a quick overview of your dissertation and its organization. It should express your hypothesis and your key points in the proof. Besides, your abstract should suggest applications o implications of the research you discuss in the paper. How to Cite Sources in Mathematical Writing You must properly cite all sources of the results used in your dissertation that are not your own because if you state a definition, theorem or an idea and don’t give reference to it, you tell your audience that it is something absolutely new and make a claim that you have created it. And if it’s not true, you commit plagiarism. Every time you use a person’s words or even ideas, you need to give them credit. This includes direct citing and paraphrasing. All major citation styles require using in-text citations and an entry in a reference or bibliography list. When referring to your bibliography in text of your dissertation in mathematics, you need to include the item into the square brackets e.g. [45] and then provide more specific information such as theorem number and page number. e.g. E. Snow [46, Proposition 4.1, p.3] gave a good example of †¦ When you present a technical material word for word, such as a definition or a statement of theorem, you don’t need to use quotation marks if you provide an appropriate reference. Revising and Polishing Your Dissertation in Mathematics As you write each chapter of your dissertation in math and finish it, you should read it for understanding and pay attention to the logical flow and sense of continuity. Then, you should read it again and this time, you need to pay attention to how comprehensible it is to ensure that your audience will understand your arguments. Finally, you should read it once more and pay attention to language issues like spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Following these three stages, you will be able to evaluate each chapter for its structure, content, and style. When you complete all chapters, you should read the dissertation again and this time, check overall understanding, coherence, clarity, precision, and presentation. Ask your supervisor to read and criticize your early draft of your dissertation. Keep in mind that the more you polish up your math dissertation, the better your chances of getting good mark for it. A good idea is to do a final revision of the text of your dissertation in math on a printed copy instead of doing it on the computer. Printing your math dissertation out and revising it on hard copy can help you feel as if you are reviewing someone else’s paper. It’s a useful technique because it will help you overcome the writers’ blindness and be more objective so that you will be able to spot more mistakes, typos or inconsistencies. If you take the right approach and take full responsibility for your project from the very beginning, you will be able to write a competent dissertation in mathematics and make a significant contribution to this field of study.

Word Choice Altar vs. Alter - Proofeds Writing Tips

Word Choice Altar vs. Alter - Proofeds Writing Tips Word Choice: Altar vs. Alter One little letter can make a very big difference sometimes, so it is important to make sure you know the difference between similarly spelled words which nevertheless have dissimilar meanings. In the case of altar and alter, for instance, the contrast couldn’t be much bigger! Whilst alter is a commonly used verb in English, altar is a noun which should only be used in a very specific context. Mixing these words up can therefore seriously impact upon the quality of your written work. So to help out we’ve thrown together this guide on how to use them. Alter (Modify) Alter is a verb which means â€Å"change† or â€Å"modify.† Thus if you are looking to describe an adjustment or change that something has undergone, use the word alter: After his sister forgave him, William decided to alter his will to include her. Altar (A Ceremonial Table) Altar, on the other hand, is a noun which refers to a table or raised surface used in religious ceremonies, including the Christian Eucharist. For example: The congregation faced the altar as they awaited Holy Communion. The word altar is also sometimes seen in the idiom â€Å"to sacrifice X on the altar of X.† This means to give up or neglect something in favor something else. Usually this is used in a negative way, such as: John sacrificed his family life on the altar of his career. The above relies upon the religious meaning of altar, metaphorically suggesting that John has failed to fulfill his family duties by sacrificing them in favor his work. Alter or Altar? It is quite easy to remember which of â€Å"alter† or â€Å"altar† to use in any given situation. Just keep the following in mind: Alter (verb) = Change Altar (noun) = A ceremonial table If you’re looking for a word meaning â€Å"change† or â€Å"modify,† it will always be a verb you need. As such, â€Å"alter† is the term you’re after. The noun â€Å"altar,† meanwhile, will usually only be applicable if you’re describing a religious ceremony of some kind. For further advice on vocabulary in your writing, you will find plenty of helpful tips in the word choice archive section of our academic blog. And to make sure that the spelling, grammar and vocabulary in your work are perfect, Proofed’s professional proofreaders provide a comprehensive range of proofreading and formatting services.

My Superhero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Superhero - Essay Example The paper has a detailed description of hero’s traits. His personal life was also very simple and modest. He does not wear expensive clothes rather he always used his traditional Indian dress i.e. Dhoti and Shawl. He was immensely impressed by the village traditions of India that endorsed self-sufficient behaviour. He used to be self-sufficient in every matter of life and preached others to do the same. He was a man of principles and due to this, he sometimes argued with the decisions of his other party members. After his success as a leader of India, he became very popular all around the world and he was described as a nonviolent person fighting for his nation’s rights. Many leaders like Martin Luther King in U.S. and Yasir Arafat in Palestine followed the footsteps of Gandhi and tried to free their community from the slavery of another nation. He can also be equally compared with other historical personalities like Abraham Lincoln, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Dalai Lama and Mao Tse Tang. His first act after returning from South Africa is to lead the movement against the government for the cause of having reduced land taxes upon the Indian citizens. He used the method of nonviolence and civil disobedience in the subcontinent against British rulers. It was the era when there two world wars were fought. Millions of people were killed in these two wars all over the world. Most of the nations were running through the lines of hatred, violence and war. He was the one who developed the nonviolent technique to fight for rights. 3.1. Describe hero perspective of being an agent of change-maker His foremost contribution for his people was to force British colonizers to make an independent India. This describes him as a change maker in the world. It was an attempt made for the betterment of India and refrain from the domination of British people in India. His plan was to fight for freedom but through a non-violent movement. It was his best self core values that ev entually brought his nation independence in 1947 from the British colonial rule. This capability of Gandhi distinguishes him among all the freedom fighter around the world until the early 20th century. His non-violence behavior can be described by one of his sayings: â€Å"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind†. He demonstrated violence as the most important problem in the world that is generating continuous problems for people. This can only be solved by its counter-part i.e. following the path of non-violence. This is the only mechanism, according to him, which can bring peace and harmony in the world. 3.2. Identify self core values His life is less theoretical but more practical, giving a perfect example of perfect personality. He always put ethical and moral principles in every matter of life. For example, once one of his disciples introduced the concept of industrialization programs in the villages of India but he disagreed to him publicly on the basis of self-su fficiency. According to him, industrialization is making people dependent upon another person, which will bring insecurity in the lives of people financially and socially. He also showed his concerns upon the issue of area of border at the time of

Operation analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operation analysis - Essay Example Thus, the proponent emphasises the two chosen measures of operational performance for McDonald’s by explaining their importance and their capacity to help manage McDonald’s operation effectively. Company Background The company is an international icon as the leading fast food chain restaurant operating in an international coverage. Thus, it is important to learn a little background about this company as far as global foodservice retailing and performance evaluation measures are concerned. There were 22 million people worldwide served by McDonald’s in 1994 (Lyon et al., 1994). This figure rose more than twice which correspondingly one of the most important bases why McDonald’s declares to be the leading global foodservice retailer (McDonald’s, 2011). McDonald’s does not only cater to the needs of the consumers, as well as its franchisers. The reason why McDonald’s continues to flaunt its achievements is to entice international franchise rs in order to continuously help the brand grow for the better. Today, there are more than 32,000 McDonald’s local restaurants in 117 countries which approximately cater around 60 million people. This alone is enough to entice local business persons to go for foodservice retailing through McDonald’s franchising. At present, 75% of McDonald’s restaurants are globally owned or operated by local business people. Among of the world’s favourites at McDonald’s are its world famous fries, big mac, quarter pounder, chicken mcnuggets, and egg mcmuffin. Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s had established a good foundation for the company. He was successful in passing on the vision from generation to generation. This makes McDonald’s one of the best companies that can remarkably give important insights on how a business should function according to the basic business principles and even in areas of complicated situations. McDonald’s without q uestion is good at establishing both its internal and external control. This paves way to probable interrelated relationship between the company’s management control system and its strategies (Kober et al., 2007). In every business, control is important because it paves way to strategic management system (Nilsson and Olve, 2001). It is in this reason that control has become one of the most important options in business operation in order to evaluate existing strategies prior to the achievement of corporate goals. It is in line with this that performance measurement and management control have become strongly related with each other prior to effectively enhancing efficient business operation (Epstein, 2004). Measures of Performance – McDonald’s The main content of this paper includes two general performance measures that can be applied in an organisation. Particularly, the proponent includes financial perspective and customer perspective as two general performanc e measures that can be applied at McDonald’s. These two measures are essential perspectives of the balanced scorecard as a set of performance measures from the company’s strategies in order to support its strategy and generally its operation in the long run (Garrison and Noreen, 2000). Financial Performance Measure In the midst of tough competition most firms are apt to stimulate needs for their service or product offerings (Kotler et al., 1999; Boone and Kurtz, 2006). This is eventually relevant in the case of McDonald’s. The current market trend demands for more healthy foods which eventually tries to ward off consumers from

Muke analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Muke analysis - Essay Example The two of them therefore head west with no money and desperate to make ends meet. Out of anxiety on how to survive, James engages himself with drugs. The book goes on to explain the ins and outs in the drug world and the effects of greed on the main character, James. James showed a great deal of greed among all the characters in the novel. He clearly wanted a lot of things which lead him into making bad decisions. First of all, he involved himself with drugs when things went south for him and Kate. He chose the wrong path of drug dealing since it seemed to him that it could be of much worth than any other job out there that was availed to him. He could not care about endangering himself. In addition to this, James proved his greediness in how he supplied the marijuana to his customers (D’Souza 18). As much as what he did was all for his coming baby, he still did it with self-indulgence and always made sure he could get more than enough. Another evidence of greed is revealed to us when James and Mason fronted Russell around two pounds when they sold him the drugs. Russell did not say a word about it probably due to his rather long time friendship to them (D’Souza 97). Also, James always agreed to help out greedy people for example, Darren, whose business collapsed in Thailand. Darren Rudd was in a major mess, that he even went to jail and this made him loose a lot of his assets like his cars, his farm and much more. It is clear that greed drove James into making bad decisions that totally changed his life. He was now in an illegal world that didn’t make anyone close to him feel safe, especially Kate and their

Heritage Tourism On Archaeological Sites In Egypt Tourism Essay

Heritage Tourism On Archaeological Sites In Egypt Tourism Essay Egypt is located in the North- Eastern corner of Africa and South-Western Asia and is commonly known as The Motherland of the World Land of Civilizations and The Greatest Power in Human History being reputable for its 7,000-year-old record of civilization and immense wealth of knowledge (SIS, 2011). Amongst all civilizations and nations, Egypt is known to be one of the worlds oldest tourist destinations, possessing one third of the worlds ancient monuments within its country. Besides its other archaeological and cultural monuments, the discovery of the Pharaonic antiquities long time ago has added a special appeal to Egypt, therefore boosting Egypts tourism industry. However, with the booming increase in Egypts tourism, conflicts and issues starts to surface concerning the management and conservation of the ancient Egyptian archaeological sites and treasures. What defines Egypt is its massive number of archaeological sites that can be found all over the country and of course, its extraordinary architectural and heritage attractions such as the legendary Pyramids of Giza, the world-famous Valley of the Kings and the temple at Abu Simbel. These well-known and remarkable sites are the lifeblood of the countrys tourism industry where it attracts over 2 million visitors annually to Egypt (Boniface and Cooper, 2001). Despite being one of the most highly industrialized country in the Arab region, Egypts petroleum and economy is not sufficient to provide adequate amount of jobs to its population of 73 million (e.g.: Boniface and Cooper, 2001; MINTEL, 2004). It is also mentioned by Weeks and Hetherington (2006) that tourism has been a key factor in Egypts economy for about the last two centuries and over the last generation. It has become a crucial component of the economy and is now the source of 45 percent of the countrys annual foreign currency earnings. Therefore tourism in Egypt plays a critical role of support for its economy where it benefits both the government and to all levels of the society. One of the main components of the tourism industry in Egypt is heritage tourism. Heritage itself as a concept has entered on to a global stage and penetrated into the local, regional and national arena (Burnett, 2001). The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) states that heritage and culture have become an important element in almost 40 per cent of all international trips taken (Timothy and Boyd, 2003) and despite of recession, heritage tourism still continued to grow (Hanna, 1993, cited in Timothy and Boyd, 2003). Throughout the world, ancient venues and archaeological monuments have become major tourism attractions (Laws, 2011) and one such destination is Egypt where the impacts of flourishing heritage tourism on ancient archaeological sites are apparent through out the country. However, in spite of the thriving tourism industry in Egypt, conflicts and issues starts to arise that contradicts Egypts own tourism interest. In order to maximize revenue from the tourism industry, Egypt implemented the approach of opening more sites to visitors and promoting visits through advertising and high profile overseas tours of antiquities (Weeks and Hetherington, 2006). Ironically, the benefits of expanding Egypts tourism are being out weigh by the negative aspects. Lambert (2011) states that a bustling tourist industry is sadly known to be a double-edged sword. She added that, as most archaeological sites are very fragile and ancient, they were not meant to accommodate thousands of visitors on a daily basis. The overcrowding of tourists visiting, touching and stepping onto these sites, are destroying many archaeological attractions. One such incident happened in February of 1988. A chunk of limestone fell from the Egyptian Sphinx, the half lion, half man relic built by the ancient Egyptians over 4,000 years ago. Recently on January 2011, Egypts Supreme Council of Antiquities had announced plans to close the tomb of Tutankhamen to tourists by the end of the year. The tomb, which was discovered some 89 years ago, was damaged as a result of the overwhelming visits of tourist, particularly over the past three decades (http://www.redorbit.com). The mass tourism in Egypt has also impacted the Valley of the Kings, altering the physical and natural aspects of the environment. According to Gaetano Palumbo, the program director for North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia for the World Monuments Fund, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered historical sites around the world: One could say that, the heritage sites in Egypt are victims of their own success. In the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, visitor numbers have almost doubled in the past 10 years, from 1.5 million to close to 3 million, with peaks of 10,000 visitors a day. This creates massive problems in visitor management. Drastic decisions may have to be taken in order to regulate visitor numbers, including temporary or permanent closures of ancient sites.   Due to poor tourism and cultural heritage management, Bindlegas (1997) states that the decay of some of the worlds most fabulous ancient relics has been happening at a shocking rate. These major archaeological and cultural heritage sites represent the origins of human civilization and provide the best evidences of the historical and cultural development of humanity (Global Heritage Fund, 2010). If measures are not taken to start preserving and conserving the ancient monuments, it will be completely destroyed within centuries. However, increasing the tourism receipts into Egypt and on the other hand, conserving these heritage sites is not as simple as it seems. Leask (2006) described that balancing the development of tourism opportunities and heritage conservation activities has been a continuous struggle for countries with tourism and cultural heritage management. The different parties involved are unable to decide on the same agreement, resulting in the lack of proper management that can benefit both the tourism and conservation of the ancient Egyptian archaeological sites and treasures. Therefore this paper aims to identify the variables that constitute and associate to the impacts of heritage tourism on archaeological sites in Egypt. AIM To assess the impacts of heritage tourism on archaeological sites in Egypt OBJECTIVES To review secondary literature about the environmental impacts of heritage tourism on archaeological sites in Egypt. To study the conflict between heritage and tourism in Egypt. To assess the management and conservation of archaeological sites in Egypt. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW DEFINING TOURISM According to the Advance Release of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, international tourism showed a strong recovery of almost 7% to 935 million in 2010, from the 4% decline during the global economic crisis in 2009. Through the decades, tourism is now known as one of the largest industry in the world, experiencing dynamic improvements and intense diversification, leading it to become one of the worlds fastest growing economic sector (e.g.: Youell, 1998; World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2011)). Therefore, prior to assessing the impacts of heritage tourism on archaeological sites in Egypt, it is first essential to define and understand the term tourism. Even in early researches, the term tourism had yielded, as many definitions as there were many studies of phenomenon (Cohen, 1974, cited in Wall and Mathieson, 2006). Guyer-Feuler who concentrated on the economical and statistical aspects of tourism, conceived the first definition of tourism in 1905, where it defined tourism as: A phenomenon unique to modern time which is dependent on the peoples increasing need for a change and relaxing, the wish of recognizing the beauties of nature and art and the belief that nature gives happiness to human beings and which helps nations and communities approaching to each other thanks to the developments in commerce and industry and the communication and transportation tools becoming excellent. (Bahar, 2005: 2, as cited in Esen and Uyar, 2010) The origin of the term tourism goes back to the 17th century where the root word tour is derived from the Hebrew word torah which means learning and examining. People who were sent on a voyage to explore distant areas to learn the social activities of the population living in those places are known by the Hebrews as tourist and the behaviour as touring. (Bahar, 2005) Some other few pioneers who attempted to define tourism were Professor Hunzikar and Krapf (1941, cited in Holloway, 1994:1) of Berne University who states that it is: The sum of phenomena and relationships arising from the travel and stay of non-resident, in so far as they do not lead to permanent residence and are not connected to any earning activity. Holloway (1994) then continues that tourism, besides being associated as a form of recreation or leisure; it might be where individuals or a group of individuals travel away from home. However, Holloway (1994) also questioned the specificity of the statement on whether tourism is defined by its purpose or the distance travelled. Indeed, it is a common perception and a popular understanding amongst people that the central aspects of tourism evolves around holidays, leisure and tours, engaging in different kinds of activities to have a good time and as long as being in a foreign land, it is considered to be tourism regardless of the distance travelled. However, tourism is more than just a cursory explanation of leisure, recreation and being in a foreign land. In 1993, after much reviews, researches and further analysis on existing works of tourism definitions, the UNWTO (1993, cited in Youell, 1998:9), with co-operations from many international organizations, finally announced the officially accepted definition as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. Therefore with the multitude of tourism definitions given by researchers and studies, which of these, can academics, organizations and professionals use as an accurate guideline in the tourism industry? In spite of the existence of many variations of tourism definitions and the popularity of tourism studies in recent decades, it has been discussed and acknowledged by academic researchers, organizations and industry professionals that there has been no specific means in defining the principal concept of the term tourism due to its large complex nature of subject, involving diverse combinations of disciplines and industry sectors (e.g.: Morley, 1990; Youell, 1998; Goeldner, Ritchie and McIntosh, 2000; Dredge and Jenkins, 2007). Moreover, regardless of the complications of specifying definitions for tourism, tourism is nothing without the tourists. The main factor that drives tourism is the tourists who are travelling and therefore any effort to understand tourism as a concept has to first understand the motivations behind the tourists decision to travel. Also, the definition of tourism is dependent on an individuals perspectives and perception of tourism and also how it will fit into a particular purpose or situation (Dredge and Jenkins, 2007). In addition, the changes of the different definitions since the early 1900s till the present day demonstrates that tourism can no longer be associated to merely economics and geography (Arlt, 2010). As time passes with the continuous growth of the industry, researches into the concepts of tourism will persist to expand, eventually resulting in the creation of more definitions of tourism. IMPACTS OF TOURISM Tourism is an integration of close interactions involving the dynamic relationships of different variables or elements in the tourism travel process and thus, it can never be a standalone unit. Hence, any changes or effects to a variable will create a ripple effect within the whole tourism structure. With this, contributions made by the growth of the tourism industry will therefore lead to an increased economic activity within the country. Countries are increasingly becoming dependent on tourism, as it is one of the most rational and sustainable development choices that have the capability of creating employment to the communities and also acting as a main provision of foreign earnings to the economy. (UNWTO, 2010 Tourism and the Millennium Development Goals) While it is often the economic impacts of tourism that businesses and public organizations that are usually interested in (Stynes, 1999), the late twentieth century saw the emergence of environmental and socio-cultural impacts of tourism being controversial and critical issues discussed in tourism study (Youell, 1998). As the main objective of this paper aims to concentrate on the impacts of heritage tourism on the archaeological sites in Egypt, this section will therefore provide an overview of the positive and negative influences that tourism, in general, have on the economic, environment and socio-culture around the world. Economic Impacts It is predicted that by 2020, revenues earned from the tourism industry will be $1.5 trillion (Kumar and Prasad, n.d). Tourism being declared as one of the worlds largest industry is similar to any other businesses and industries; affecting the economy by generating income for the countrys economy, stimulating job opportunities for the people from the international level down to the local levels. Increasing competiveness amongst countries has also pushed the business capacity of the tourism industry to the level of, or, sometimes even exceeding trade commodities such as oil and food exports (UNWTO, 2011). Tourism being a major player in the service sector is naturally dependent on labor therefore stimulating a great deal of employment opportunities both in developed and developing countries. The fact that tourism is an intergration of many various individual elements in a tourism travel process, the economic impacts from tourism will therefore affect industries in the construction sector, agriculture sector, commercial services sector such as retail and customer services and also the health and finance sector (e.g.: Wall and Mathieson, 2006; ÃÆ'-nder and Durgu, 2007). Tourist expenditures contributing to the balance of payments through foreign exchange earnings, and revenue generated from tourism developments can represent a crucial source of income for a nations economy (Balaguer Cantavella-Jorda, 2002, cited in Seetanah, 2010). However on a negative note, seasonal tourism also known as induced employment, being influenced by the increase in the demand and supply of tourism causes the increase of low-paying jobs and often creating unemployment during off-peak seasons (Kreag, 2001). Peak periods of tourism can benefit the economy of a country, however on the expense of the locals, who might have to pay for the higher prices of goods and services in the community, thus increasing their cost of living. However, contributions of tourism to a countrys economic benefits is relative to factors such as the availability of facilities and resources, the countrys social and political stability, the host communities behavior towards tourist and the amount of investment injected by the government into tourism projects and development (Youell, 1998). Environmental Impacts The relationship between tourism and the physical environment, natural or man-made, is firmly interlinked and complicated. Controversial debates of tourism and the environment have been going on in determining whether they are friends or foes. The physical environment is an important aspect of tourism; it ensures the sustainability of attracting tourism in the long run. In fact, it is impossible to define the different types of tourism without the inclusion of the environment (Safakli, n.d). A tourists decision to travel and the duration of stay depends on the physical environment of the destination. According to Olali (2000), the estimation given by academics states that in the next 100 years, the environment will be the only option that will determine the demand of tourism. The environmental impacts of tourism can be categorised into two categories which are postive and negative impacts, and finding a balanced relationship with the environment is uncommon, if not, there is hardly a balanced relationship (Holden, 2000). The negative impacts of tourism on the environment caused by the increased in tourist visitations are visible through the changes, damages and depletion of natural resources, causing the destruction of wildlife habitat, improper waste disposal, air and water pollutions, and also erosion of the natural landscape such as the mountains and historical sites (e.g.: Youell, 1998; Holden, 2000; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2001; Wall and Mathieson, 2006). The lack of facilities and space to accommodate the increase in tourist visitations results in the overcrowding and the over usage of an environment, therefore also increasing improper waste disposal, loss of significant attractions and unethical behaviors due to the lack of supervision over the large number of visitors. The detrimental state of the environment will then lose its beauty and attractiveness to these tourists therefore causing a decline in tourist visitations. Despite of the attention on the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, there are still positive impacts of tourism that benefits the environment. Contradictory to the cause of degradation of these natural resources, the motivating factor behind a tourists decision to travel to these places are based on the sentimental attachment they have with the environments (Kreag, 2001). And because these environments are what attracted tourists visits in the first place, preservation efforts are heighened to keep them well managed, and protected from further deterioration. The positive environmental impacts of tourism are sometimes associated to the economic value of tourism earned revenue (Holden, 2000). The increase of tourism travel to a destination also increases the tourism funds flowing into the countrys economy. This additional funds allows governments to use the added revenue from its tourist industry to implement measures into proper management and invest in the restoration of the environment such as construction of new roads to accommodate overcrowding of vehicles, building and upgrading facilities to attract or accommodate the influx of visitors and installing modern technologies into the conservation and preservation of sensitive areas (e.g.: UNEP, 2001; Kreag, 2001). And as tourism travel increases, the impacts on the environment are also increasing. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for government agencies and tourism organizations to focus on the preservation and conservation of the environment. When the environment is restored to its original state or even better, the flow of visitors into the destination will resume once again. However if there is a lack of proper management or close facilitation of the situation, the environment will eventually return back to its damaged state. The attempt to balance the positive and negative aspects of the impacts of tourism on the environment tends go round a vicious cycle. This is where the importance of strategic planning intervenes and it is a crucial part of sustainable tourism of a destination. Socio-cultural Impacts The inclusion of social impact studies is an essential criterion for any tourism industry and tourism government agencies planning for a sustainable tourism industry as it provides an insight of the support for tourism development within host communities (e.g.: Nyaupane and Thapa, 2006; Zhang et al., 2006; Tovar and Lockwood, 2008; Deery, Jago and Fredline, 2011). Social cultural impacts on a destinations society such as traditions, identity, lifestyle, values and customs, are the results of the direct and indirect interactions between the host communities, the tourists and the tourism industry. These impacts of tourism development on the local society are identified through the evaluation of residents perceptions and behaviors towards tourism (Tovar and Lockwood, 2008). Regardless of the magnitude of the fluctuations of tourism demand, the impact on the host community will not only be dependent on the number of tourist arrivals but the type of tourist (Holloway, 2002). Of which, the se impacts can either have a positive or negative influence on the society. Firstly, improvements of infrastructures resulted from tourism development such as clean water and stable telecommunications, improved transportation and banking services, and new business investments are positive impacts that contributes in enriching the local communities way of life (http://www.gawler.sa.gov.au). Tourism also helps in boosting the quality of life in the society and provides opportunities for locals to experience cultural exchange and interactions with the rest of the world. The accumulative experience gained from engaging in the cultural exchange with visitors enhances the host communities ability to interact comfortably and confidently with future potential visitors in the long run. Having an influx of tourist arrivals to a destination can also encourage the preservation and conservation of cultural values and traditional customs which are in danger of losing its identity. The increased interest of tourists into the culture and traditions of the local society also helps to push the demand for historical and cultural education and local tourism agencies will be pressured to step up on preservation and conservation of possible endangered ancient sites, monuments or artifacts (Kreag, 2001). Despite of the positive and inspiring socio-cultural impacts of tourism on a host environment, the negative impacts of tourism, on the other hand, can equally cause a prominent damage on a culture. Ironically, instead of riviving a lost culture, the continuous development of tourism driven by the influx of tourist demand can very well cause the same cultural identity and value of the host communities to change and this issue has raised concerns amongst tourism organizations. This normally happens when local communites conformed to the needs, wants and desires of tourists expectations in the bid to respond to their growing demands. As such, this conformity leads to the commercialization of local culture into a commodity and the modification of traditional art and craft forms, resulting it to become reconstructed ethnicity which might end up causing the eradication of cultural goods (www.coastlearn.org). One of the negative aspect on the social status of a culture is the social differences between the host and the tourists. According to Mathieson and Wall (2006), more often than not, social tensions between host communities and tourists happens in developing countries whereby the tourist market are from a country with higher foreign currency rate than the host communities and thus unintentionally highlighting the disparity of wealth. They also mentioned that since the nature of tourism involves the movement of people around geographical locations, social conflicts occur as a result of differences in cultures, values, lifestyles and languages. TOURISM AND HERITAGE Defining Heritage in Tourism With the growth of the tourism sector, the types of tourist are also diversified and the collection of individual experiences of these tourists influence the different types of tourism offered today, thus the formation of the different types of tourism (Timothy and Boyd, 2003). Heritage tourism has been one of the oldest forms of tourism offered since the early ages, however in recent years, it has grown to popularity in the industry. It is the inheritance of the unrepeatable products of life from the past that is worth preserving for the benefits admiration and education of the current and future generations (e.g.: Nurick, 2000; Timothy and Boyd, 2003; Sethi, 2005; National Trust, 2011). Heritage could be anything that is tangible or intangible left behind by the past such as archaeological or historical sites that have been preserved, natural landscapes which are of a destinations significance, artifacts and documents, culture, values and sometimes even the people of the past such as the indigenous people. However over the years, heritage has been modified and commercialized to suit tourists demand and expectations, allowing it to be more accessible, attractive, educational and entertaining (Fyall and Rakic, 2006). Heritage itself as a concept has entered on to a global stage and penetrated into the local, regional and national arena (Burnett, 2001). The World Tourism Organization (WTO) states that heritage and culture have become an important element in almost 40 per cent of all international trips taken and despite of recession, heritage tourism still continued to grow (Hanna, 1993, cited in Timothy and Boyd, 2003). The different types of heritage attractions offered now are varse and wide, examples includes natural history attractions, religious attractions, sociocultural attractions, art galaries, ancestral dwellings, and genocide monuments. Fyall and Rakic (2006) adds that the demand for heritage based tourism has been on the rise because Lowenthal (1979) states that peoples sentimental reminensce of the past is deeply affected by the parallel ongoing eradication of historical antiquities while on the other hand, Hannabuss (1999) also claims that heritage enthusiasts are immersing themsevles in heritage for the purpose of finding a rational explanation for their post-modern lives. With the controversial issues happening in everyday life, it is no wonder that heritage behaves as a touchstone in reminding people the primary essence of life. Hence, an attempt to understand the demand of heritage tourism could best be determined by initiating a study on visitor psychographic characteristics as these visitors are the primary factors pushing the demand for heritage tourism. Determining the visitor demographics can also aid in better planning and management of visitor capacity control in relation to preservation and conservati on of the heritage sites which will be discussed further in the next section. According to Hall and McArthur (1993a, as cited in Timothy and Boyd, 2003), the significance of heritage can be categorised into four different areas in relation to its economic, social, political and scientific significance. The economic significance of heritage refers to the value of the heritage to visitors, in terms of the amount of revenue earned from visitations to the sites. The social significance refers to the personal identification that individuals have to associate themselves with their heritage. In terms of its political significance, the representations of heritage can behave as an aid in managing political issues due to its political nature behind its existance. Finally, heritage educates visitors on its history, culture and the population of a destination. It also acts as a benchmark for ecological studies on the environments and ecosystems, therefore presenting itself as a scientific significance to the people (ibid.). Impacts of Tourism on Heritage Through the globalization and increasing competiveness of the tourism industry, governments, tourism organizations and agencies are continuously pushed into the whirlpool of sustainable tourism development. Bramwell and Lane (1993) states that sustainable tourism development can be implemented if the balance of the economic, environmental and social aspects of the development is realised. It is certain that every country in the world will definitely have a heritage background attached to them, however, what makes heritage tourism in a country unique is the exclusiveness of the actual heritage product itself. The characteristics and uniqueness of that particular heritage product dictates the different types of visitors and the demand of heritage tourism in the destination. With tourism, comes impacts. As mentioned in earlier sections, tourism impacts the economy, environment and the socialcultural aspects of a destination. Likewise, heritage tourism being categorised into the four different aspects of significance, will therefore impact the economy, evironment and socialcultural aspects of a destination. An influx of tourist visitations can positively or negatively affect the destination in many aspects. Prosperity of the economy, job creations, improved quality of life are some of the positive impacts whilst seasonal unemployment, social tensions, pollution of the environment are some of the negative impacts. However when it comes to heritage, tourism is known to be impacting the environmental and sociocultural aspect of the destination more often than the economical aspect, unless otherwise, the countrys tourism economy is highly dependent on heritage tourism. Tourism is known to have an intitmate relationship with the matters of heritage conservatio n and preservation; a significant element in deciding the survival of a countrys heritage Hence, the impacts caused by tourism on heritage sites are in ways similar to that of a natural environment (pollution, lost of habitat, lost of attractiveness), however, the results and repercussions are amplified due to the uniqueness of the heritage enviroment that can never have an exact replica elsewhere in the world. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Heritage Sites in Egypt Demand of Tourism in Egypt IMPACTS OF TOURISM ON HERITAGE IN EGYPT Politcal Issues in Egypt CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS GROWTH OF TOURISM IN EGYPT Tourism and Heritage in Egypt The term history can be best epitomized by the ancient Egyptian civilization than to any other ancient culture (Grimal, 1994). Egypt is probably the worlds oldest civilization from the  Nile Valley  since the 3,100 BC and is reputable for its extensive collection of historical record on civilization and the immense wealth of knowledge (SIS, 2011). Five thousand years ago, a glimpse start of Egyptss tourism began with the start of cruising (Goeldner, Ritchie and McIntosh, 2000). Queen Hatshepsuts first cruise journey is recorded on the walls of the Temple of Deit El Bahari in Luxor, where it states that the purpose of cruising at that era was for peace and tourism (ibid.). However the genesis of heritage tourism in Egypt could mainly be attributed by the smart and innovative grandeur infrastructure of the Pharaonic burial tombs such as the Sphinx and the other ancient Egyptian pyramids, which saw the first early arrivals of tourists. The start of tourism playing as a core role in the economy of Egypt came with the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 and after being announced by Khedive (Viceroy) Ismail that Egypt was to be part of Europe (www.thelonelyplanet.com). The Nile, Luxor, the ancient Pyramids of Giza and temples are what defines Egypt as a heritage destination. Egypts ancient civilization is an evidence of the evolution of mankind from the prehistoric days till the present. The rich history of Egypt acts as a connection to the distant past of humanity, which reveals mankinds greatest glories and achievements. Current Status of Egypts Tourism Industry Tourism in Egypt is a huge lucrative business that has flourish and become a major component in the economic development. Millions of tourists are travelling to Egypt each year, for the purpose of appreciating the abundance of the natural and historical phenomenon within the country (www.greenstarhotel.net). In 1995, international vis