The Common Indoor Air Pollutants Environmental Sciences Essay

Air pollution is an look used to depict the air province when the concentrations of chemicals, particulate affair, or biological agents in the air exceeds the recommended degrees and became a beginning of wellness jeopardy or do uncomfortableness to worlds and other beings, or cause amendss to the populating natural environment. Pollution can be resulted from semisynthetic day-to-day industrial procedures and activities or by the nature. There are many signifiers of pollutants solid atoms, liquid droplets, or gases. Indoor air pollution can be arises from indoor and out-of-door pollutant beginnings. Peoples, particularly pupils, spend about 90 % of their live in sealed controlled environments, EPA ( 2001 ) . These sealed environments may hold pollutant beginnings that could hold short or long effects on residents ‘ wellness, comfort, wellbeing, morale and productiveness. The strength of the effects depends on the degree of the quality of the inside air ( pollution degrees ) . In recent old ages, the issue of indoor air and its quality ( IAQ ) has become an internationally recognized issue that caught the attending of research workers and the residents toward bettering the quality of air inside edifices environments. Fanger ( 2006 ) defines the indoor air quality ( IAQ ) as â€Å" the desire of human to comprehend the air as fresh and pleasant, with no negative impacts on their heath and productiveness † . Many research workers such as Wark and Warner ( 1981 ) and Singh ( 1996 ) investigated discussed the beginnings of the outdoor and the indoor pollution that affect ed the indoor air. They found that the indoor air quality can be influenced by the out-of-door air pollution beginnings such as traffic ; industrial ; building, and burning activities and the indoor beginnings such as airing equipment, trappingss, and human activities. Common Indoor Air Pollutants In this subdivision, the common indoor air quality parametric quantities and its outdoor and indoor beginning in add-on to it is wellness jeopardy on human shall be discussed. The common IAQ parametric quantities consists of three physical parametric quantities ( room temperature, comparative humidness, and air motion ) related to residents ‘ thermal comfort which is defined in the old chapter, eight gaseous contamination parametric quantities ( sulfur dioxide ( SO2 ) , nitrogen dioxide ( NO2 ) , C monoxide ( CO ) , C dioxide ( CO2 ) , formaldehyde ( HCHO ) , radon ( Rn ) , ozone ( O3 ) and hydrocarbons ) and three airborne contaminations parametric quantities, particulates affairs ( PM ) ; bioaerosols ( bacteriums, viruses, Fungis and pollen, aˆÂ ¦etc ) and dusts, In add-on to the treatment of olfactory properties. Sulfur dioxide ( SO2 ) This type of pollutant gas has been extensively studied by many research workers around the universe in out-of-doorss environments due to it is high inclination to respond with broad scope of chemicals. SO2 is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent olfactory property and consequences from the fossil fuels burning. Acid rain is one of the out-of-door pollution job cased by this gas. Indoor SO2 concentrations are normally lower than outdoor, likely around 0.1 ppm, ( Andersen 1972 ; Yocom, 1982 and Meyer, 1983 ) . Due to it inclination to respond with many chemicals, indoor SO2 can respond with edifice stuffs and absorbed by the edifice surfaces ( Andersen 1972 ) . This gas can fade out in H2O and mixes with air in all temperatures. The chief indoor beginnings of SO2 are coal firing inside hearths and utilizing fuel oil ranges and warmers. Sulfur dioxide causes concern, general uncomfortableness, anxiousness, and redness of the respiratory piece of land, wheezing, lung harm, and annoyance of the eyes, nose and pharynx, choking and coughing, ASHRAE ( 2009 ) . Nitrogen dioxide ( NO2 ) Nitrogen dioxide is caustic gas with acrid olfactory property and formed in outdoor atmosphere from high temperature burning procedures by the reaction of the azotic oxide ( NO ) with Oxygen ( O2 ) and Ozone ( O3 ) . Motor vehicles contribute to about 55 % of the manmade NOx emanations, EPA ( 2008 ) . The major beginnings of this gas in indoors environments are gas cookery ranges and warmer and baccy fume, Samet et al. , ( 1987 ) . In a survey done by Yocom ( 1982 ) among British school kids it was found that pupils whom suffer from reduced respiratory map are populating in houses with gas ranges. Exposure to low degrees of Nitrogen dioxide ( NO2 ) causes shortness of breath, fatigue, sickness and annoyance to the eyes, nose, pharynx, and lungs ; exposure to high degrees cause rapid combustion, cramps, swelling of tissues in the pharynx and upper respiratory piece of land, reduced oxygenation of organic structure tissues, a build-up of fluid in the lungs, and may take to decease, ( Burgess and Crutchfield, 1995 ; Bascom et Al. 1996 and ASHRAE, 2009 ) . Carbon monoxide ( CO ) CO is a really toxicant asphyxiant and non irritating gas that has no colour, olfactory property or gustatory sensation. This gas produced by the uncomplete burning of carbon-based fuels ( Yocom, 1982 and Meyer, 1983 ) . Vehicular fumes is a major beginning of C monoxide, ( Moolenaar et al. , 1995 ; Girman et al. , 1998 and EPA, 2008 ) . The indoor C monoxide concentrations are frequently higher than the out-of-door concentrations due to the emanation from gas ranges and baccy fume, ( Yocom, 1982 and Girman et al. , 1998 ) . The chief consequence of this gas on human wellness is its affinity for haemoglobin in blood. The inhaled CO mixes with the haemoglobin in the blood and signifiers carboxyhemoglobin that reduces the O transporting capacity of the blood vass. CO is 240 times more efficient at haemoglobin adhering than Oxygen, ASHRAE ( 2009 ) . Exposure to carbon monoxide causes concerns, shortness of breath, musculus achings, chest hurting, particularly in people with old bosom jobs history, blurry vision, giddiness, nausea/vomiting, failing, confusion, weariness, rapid bosom rate at high degrees, fast deep external respiration at high degrees, fainting and decease at high degrees, CPSC ( 2008 ) . Carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless, asphyxiant nursery gas emitted from the complete burning of the C with Oxygen. The mean typical concentrations of CO2 in the outdoor and indoor ( nonindustrial ) environment are 350-400 ppm, and 400-1200 ppm, severally, ASHRAE ( 2009 ) . The chief beginnings of the indoor CO2 are human organic structure through the metamorphosis procedure ( nutrient ingestion ) , and residents ‘ activity. The wellness jobs associated with C dioxide exposure are concerns, giddiness, restlessness, feeling of an inability to take a breath, unease ( obscure feeling of uncomfortableness ) , increased bosom rate, increased blood force per unit area, ocular deformation, impaired hearing, nausea/vomiting, loss of consciousness, coma, paroxysms, decease from suffocation ( organic structure cells do non acquire the O they need to populate ) , EPA ( 2008 ) . Formaldehyde ( HCHO ) Formaldehyde is a colorless with a strong pungent olfactory property and considered as the most of import substance in the aldehydes group due to it is largely used in the production procedure of many constructing stuffs such as foam insularity, plyboard, rugs, burning contraptions and atom board adhesives which releases once more the methanal to the indoor environment. The typical indoor methanal concentrations range from 0.05 to 1 ppm, where in the new edifices the indoor degrees of the methanal are high, ( Meyer, 1983 ; Samet et al. , 1991 ) and most of the complains were from edifices with formaldehyde froth insularity and nomadic places that uses plyboard panelling, Wadden ( 1983 ) . The rate of diffusion of this substance is a map of the indoor temperature and humidness. Exposing to formaldehyde can do wellness effects include oculus, nose, and pharynx annoyance ; wheezing and coughing ; weariness ; skin roseola ; terrible allergic reactions, EPA ( 2008 ) . High concentrations of methanal may do malignant neoplastic disease and other effects listed under organic gases. Radon ( Rn ) Radon is an inert radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless baronial chemical gas component. Naturally, this component can be found as dirt gas contained Rn formed from the decay merchandise of uranium and can stay as a gas under normal environmental conditions. This contaminant component can be found indoors due to some beginnings such as edifice stuffs particularly that rich with Ra, such as alum shale-based stuff and phosphogypsum drywall, deep Wellss H2O natural gas holding high Rn concentrations. Another chief beginning is the flow of the dirt gas into the places through edifice clefts, sumps and any other gaps or around the concrete slab, Bale ( 1980 ) . Due to tightness of the edifices design, the indoor concentrations are normally higher than that in out-of-door environment. Recently, this component is considered as carcinogen component du to it is radiation, which has a critical wellness jeopardy on edifices residents, where it is considered to be the 2nd most ground of lu ng malignant neoplastic disease after coffin nail smoke, EPA ( 2008 ) . Ozone ( O3 ) Ozone is a really reactive pollutant that can oxidise most of the chemicals in nature such as aldehydes. In natural outdoor environment, Ozone produces from the consequence of the sunshine on the N oxides and hydrocarbons. Normally the Ozone concentrations in the out-of-door environment are higher than that found in indoors. The chief beginnings of the high indoor Ozone concentration are the photocopy machines, optical maser pressmans, electrostatic air cleaners and x-ray generators, ( Yocom, 1982 and Wadden, 1983 ) . These beginnings develop electrostatic Fieldss that can bring forth extremely toxic concentrations of ozone in air. Exposing to low concentration degrees of Ozone can do oculus annoyance, ocular perturbations, concerns, giddiness, oral cavity and pharynx annoyance, thorax hurting, insomnia, breath shortness and coughing ( Sittig, 1991 and Apte et Al. 2007 ) , where exposure to high degrees of ozone can cut down lung map or respiratory jobs, such as asthma or bronchitis, ( Bates, 1989 ; EPA, 2008 and ASHRAE, 2009 ) Hydrocarbons Most of the indoor hydrocarbons beginnings are consequences from the different housework stuffs such as widows, oven, drain, vesture cleaners, pigment dissolver and human usage stuffs such as deodourants, shaving picks, hair sprays and air refreshers sprays. The indoor hydrocarbons degrees reach high degrees when housework is in advancement, Meyer ( 1983 ) . The indoor cookery gas ( largely Propane gas ) is considered besides a major beginning of the indoor hydrocarbons which may consequences in serious fire accidents or decease due to deficient care or checking for the gas burner and cookery equipment, Meyer ( 1983 ) . Particulate affair ( PM ) Particulate affair ( PM ) can be found solid and/or liquid droplets atoms suspended in air. Particulate affair can be generated from adult male made ( fossil fuels burning and mechanical procedures ) or natural ( vents, dust storms, and forest and grassland fires ) , ASHRAE ( 2009 ) . There are many beginnings of the indoor atoms such as pets, gas ranges, and baccy fume. Atoms classified harmonizing to its size as all right atoms are those whose size is smaller than 2.5 I?m and harsh atoms are those which are larger than 2.5 I?m. Heinrich and Slama ( 2007 ) argued that the all right atoms are the major menace beginning that affects the kids wellness, where exposing to ticket atoms can consequences in cardiac and respiratory jobs, ( Dockery et al. , 1993 ; Dockery and Pope, 1994 ; Pope et al. , 2002 ; Wu et al. , 2005 and Gilliland et al. , 2005 ) . The PM metals constituents are a major beginning that involves in the development of pneumonic, cardiovascular and allergic diseases, Sch warze et Al. ( 2006 ) . Exposure to high degrees of all right atoms causes wellness jeopardies such as bosom diseases ; respiratory diseases ; altered lung maps, particularly in kids, and lung malignant neoplastic disease and decease, EPA ( 2008 ) . Bioaerosols Parameters Fungi, viruses, bacteriums, fungous and bacteria spores, pollen and allergens are types of the microbiological indoor particulate contaminations. The major beginnings of these contaminations are human, animate beings and workss and it can be found anyplace these beginnings are available, Meyer ( 1983 ) . Due to the deficient care of the HVAC system parts ( capacitors, chilling spirals, canals and drainage pans ) it can be another beginning of taint by promoting the proliferation of the bugs, ( Wark and Warner, 1981 and Samet et al. , 1991 ) . The concentrations of the indoor bugs are higher than that in the out-of-door environment due to the edifice stringency and the beginning handiness. Dust Dust is one type of the solid particulate contaminations. ASHRAE ( 2009 ) defines dust as â€Å" solid atoms projected into air by natural forces such as air current, volcanic eruption, temblors, or by mechanical procedures including suppression, crunching, destruction, blasting, showing, boring, shoveling and sweeping † . Dust immigrates from exterior to inside environment by infiltration air through the edifice ‘s cleft, uncertain Windowss and doors and through the airing system. Dust has wellness effects on people with ultra-sensitive lungs such as people with asthma, immature kids and aged people. Dust causes uncomfortableness for people and amendss home furniture and family equipment. Olfactory properties Indoor olfactory properties are originating from resident ‘s organic structure and their indoor activities such as smoke, cookery, refuse, sewerage and industrial procedures. The human organic structure usually dissipates around 200 types of chemicals which are responsible for the human olfactory properties, ( Meyer, 1983 ) . Olfactory properties do non hold any major effects on the resident ‘s wellness, but it causes discomfort esthesis to the residents which make it as a mark of the hapless indoor air quality. During this survey, the CO2 contamination will be studied to look into the indoor air quality inside Kuwaiti ‘s schoolrooms. The indoor concentration of C dioxide ( CO2 ) has frequently been used as a alternate for the airing rate per resident, ( Lee and Chang, 1999 and Daisey et al. , 2003 ) , where supplying good airing rates with sufficient sums of fresh air can thin and reduces the concentrations degrees of indoor air pollution generated by the different indoor pollutants beginnings. International and Kuwait Indoor Air Quality Standards and Regulations Since the last decennary, research workers were interested to look into the indoor air pollution for different indoor environments and the contamination beginnings to bespeak the acceptable indoor concentration degrees for these pollutants. As a consequence of these researches, many IAQ criterions and ordinances have been developed and established by different organisations indicates the recommended acceptable concentrations degrees for these indoor pollutants. A sum-up of the common indoor air pollutants criterions in ppm ( unless otherwise specified ) are given in Table 3.1. Since people spend most of their times in indoor environments in edifices, these edifices are expected to be good designed to non endanger the residents ‘ wellbeing and wellness. Residents ‘ have good cognition of the different types of the indoor pollutants and it is wellness jeopardies on human, but there is still one facet which is the quality of the air inside the edifice envelope and whether it is equal or unequal which may non hold a menace to residents ‘ wellness. Due to the energy crisis of the 1970s, tighter edifices designs with low air exchange ( fresh air ) with outside environment have been constructed in order to salvage energy costs. Indoor air recirculation airing scheme has been used for constructing airing intents. Although important energy nest eggs was accomplished, research workers reported residents ‘ complains due to a composite and even disenabling syndromes. These syndromes are recently defined as ill edifice syndrome ( SBS ) and were linked to the pollution of the inside air and the degree of the airing. Unacceptable indoor air quality ( IAQ ) conditions may happen in 30 % of the new edifices ( WHO, 2000 ) and may do diverse symptoms and unwellnesss that affect the residents ‘ wellbeing and consequences to increase residents ‘ productiveness lost and work absenteeism. These symptom syndrome which referred to as SBS, may take to important work clip lost and medical costs that affects the national economic system. The ill edifice syndrome ( SBS ) can be identified by the undermentioned typical symptoms such as concern ; chest stringency ; lethargy ; dry thorax ; stuffy nose ; lost of concentration ; dry tegument ; blocked, runny an scabies olfactory organ and lacrimation or antsy eyes. Constructing ill syndrome ( SBS ) and the edifice related unwellness ( BRI ) are non needfully to be the same, where the BRI symptoms such as disease, coryza and asthma are more acute than SBS symptoms in the edifices, Singh ( 1996 ) . Indoor Air Quality ( IAQ ) in Schools Schools are the most of import indoor environments that kids spend most of their times besides places. It is good documented that IAQ jobs in schools and other edifices types commercial and residential occurred during the 1970s oil episodes. Ventilation in these edifices has decreased to salvage energy by depending on the indoor recycled air inside the occupied zone. Children breathe higher volumes of air relative to their organic structure weights which make them more susceptibleness to some environmental pollutants than grownups, ( Faustman et al. , 2000 and Landrigan, 1998 ) . Poor IAQ in the schoolroom could hold negative impacts on kids ‘s acquisition and public presentation, which may hold both immediate and womb-to-tomb effects, for the pupils and for society ( Mendell and Heath, 2005 ) . Many research workers investigated IAQ jobs in schools around the universe, where these probes were conducted frequently for a specific individual indoor air pollutant or a combination of pollutants ( GAO, 1995 ) . In schools, pollutant emanations can happen in many topographic points within the school envelope such cafeterias, swimming pools, scientific discipline labs ( frequently without fume goons ) and computing machine suites. IAQ jobs can consequences besides from the edifice design, building stuffs, type of the HVAC units and the deficiency of care of these units, and crowded schoolrooms. The undermentioned literature is some illustrations of the surveies conducted in schoolrooms around the universe to look into the effects of the different indoor pollutants on the pupil ‘s wellness and public presentation. The NO2, TVOC, methanal, PM10 and asbestos dust concentrations were measured by Cavallo et Al. ( 1993 ) in 10 of course ventilated schools and seven air-conditioned office edifices in Italy. The findings of this survey suggested that the mean NO2, PM10 and asbestos dust concentrations were the same indoors and out-of-doorss in all schools. The effects of generated pollutants from gas warmers on kids in 41 schoolrooms in Australia were studied by Pilotto et Al. ( 1997 ) . A important relation was found between the indoor NO2 concentration and the absences of the pupils from school. The writers reported that strong grounds was found between the association of NO2 concentration degrees and the pupil ‘s sore pharynx, balls and absences from school even at these low degrees. Lee and Chang ( 2000 ) measured and compared the indoor and out-of-door comparative humidness ( Rh factor ) , CO2, SO2, NO, NO2, PM10, HCHO concentrations and entire bacterium counts in five air-conditioned or of course ventilated schoolrooms in Hong Kong. The purpose of this survey was to look into whether the mensural indoor concentration degrees are complied with the Hong Kong criterion. In a survey by Daisey et Al. ( 2003 ) reviewed and analyzed the literature of the go outing IAQ, airing and indicated the edifice wellness jobs information related to the school edifice. The mensural airing and CO2 concentrations showed that many of the schoolrooms were have unequal airing. They suggested that although degrees of the mensural indoor pollutants concentrations ( HCHO, VOCs and bioaerosols ) were lower than that recommended by criterions and guidelines, exposures to pollutants in schools are associated with allergic reaction, asthma, and SBS symptoms In Denmark, Meyer et Al. ( 2004 ) conduced a cross-sectional epidemiological survey included 1053 school kids aged 13-17 old ages, in 15 school edifices utilizing questionnaire about the edifice related symptoms and wellness facets effects on the pupils exposure some to indoor pollutants. In this survey the room temperature, CO2, comparative humidness degrees were measured, the dust from the floors, air, airing canals during school twenty-four hours were collected and constructing features including mold infestation were assessed. The writers reported there is no positive association between building-related symptoms and the wet of the air and growing of casts in the school edifices. The writers concluded that cast exposure is secondary beginning and non a chief beginning to either asthma, hay febrility, recent air passage infection, or psychosocial factors. A field survey included 358 pupils in traditional and portable mechanical ventilated schoolrooms in 22 primary and secondary schools conducted by Shendell et Al. ( 2004 ) to look into the consequence of the difference between the outdoor and indoor CO2 concentrations and the pupil absence in Washington and Idaho, USA. The short-run CO2 concentrations were higher in more than half of the schoolrooms. The writers found that a 1000 ppm addition in the dCO2 will diminish the one-year mean day-to-day attending of the pupils by 0.5-0.9 % , matching to relative10-20 % addition in the pupil ‘s absence. In a critical scientific reappraisal about the grounds for the direct association of the indoor pollutants and thermic conditions on the pupils ‘ public presentation and attending in schools, Mendell and Heath ( 2004 ) concluded that exposing to indoor microbic and chemical pollutants beginnings in schools can be linked to increased school absenteeism, asthma, and allergic reaction in kids and grownups. In eight schools edifices in France, which were either of course or automatically ventilated, Blondeau et Al. ( 2005 ) carried out a field survey to mensurate the outdoor and indoor pollution in these edifice. In this field study the writers continuously monitored the outdoor and indoor gaseous pollutants ( Ozone, NO and NO2 ) , and airborne atom pollutants in add-on to the indoor humidness, temperature, CO2 concentration for two 2-week periods. The findings of this survey shows an acceptable No and NO2 outdoor/indoor concentrations ratio, where the outdoor/indoor Ozone concentrations ratio was high and was affected by the out-of-door environment. Writers argued reported that â€Å" the more air-tight the edifice envelope, the lower the Ozone ratio occurred † . They besides found the tenancy is strongly influences the indoor concentration degree of the mensural airborne atoms when the edifices were occupied. In parallel categories of 10-year-old kids, Wargocki et Al. ( 2005 ) studied and measured the impact of the IAQ by increased airing on the kids ‘s larning public presentation. In appropriate lessons each hebdomad, the kids ‘s usual instructors administered parallel public presentation from reading to mathematics undertakings were administrated by instructors to the kids during a school hebdomad period. The writers found that if the airing rate increased from 5 to 10 l/s, a important betterment by ore than 15 % in the public presentation of school work is achieved. In a field survey conducted in 64 simple and in-between school schoolrooms in Michigan, USA, Godwin and Batterman ( 2007 ) , monitored and examined the Indoor air quality ( IAQ ) parametric quantities to measure the degrees of different indoor pollutants ( CO2, VOCs and bioaerosols ) , the emanation beginnings, comparative humidness, temperature and the airing rates over one school hebdomad. During this survey the writers completed a comprehensive and the measurings were used to look into the differences in air quality degree within and between schools. It was found that in many of the tested schoolrooms the CO2 concentrations are higher than the standard degree ( 1000 ppm ) which indicates unequal airing rates, where the degrees of the mensural indoor pollutants were low to chair concentrations. Ventilation Ratess and Energy Consumption in School Ventilation procedure is supplying sums of out-of-door air ( fresh air ) from the outside environment to the inside infinites or zones via flow through of course agencies ( unfastened doors and window ) or automatically agencies ( fans and HVAC systems ) or by infiltration through the edifice clefts. The chief thought of the airing procedure is to supply the comfort and wellness conditions of the residents by equilibrating the thermic comfort conditions and thining the concentrations of the indoor pollutants within the occupied zone envelope. The ingestion of the energy in the airing procedure in edifices is due to the usage the automatically ventilation systems to thermally conditioning the airing air by chilling, warming, dehumidification or humidification procedures or utilizing airing fans. The capacity of the energy ingestion by these systems is relative straight to the addition of the sum of the airing air needed. The airing procedure is guided by the international criterions and ordinances such as ASHRAE 62 criterion by stipulating the minimal airing rates that can run into the resident ‘s comfort and wellness conditions to keep their public presentation and productiveness, while salvaging the energy used. Due to Kuwait clime is characterized as hot and dry desert clime, the usage of the HVAC systems is indispensable in all edifice most of the twelvemonth. Air-conditioning in Kuwait consumes 45 % of the one-year energy production ( 21 G.kWh ) with one-year cost of about KD 0.7 billion, ( MEW-R6, 2010 and MEW, 2010 ) . In Kuwait there is 540 school edifices consists of 14426 schoolrooms occupied by 360634 pupils with an mean ratio of 25 pupils per schoolroom, MOE ( 2009 ) . The figure of schools is subjected to be increase by 10 % annually, MOE ( 2009 ) . Since the beginning of 1990 ‘s, the school edifices in Kuwait were extensively constructed or renovated. Air-conditioning systems were installed in those edifices to supply comfy thermic and wellness conditions. The control of those systems is non under the direct control of the pupils, and this may hold a negative consequence on the pupil comfort and wellness in the schoolroom. These schools consume about 10 % of the state one-year energy production ( 2.1 G.kWh per twelvemonth ) costs about KD 60 1000000s with a day-to-day rate of 16 kWh per pupil and one-year addition of 5 % , MEW ( 2009 ) . The ASHRAE criterion 62 ( 2004 ) for airing demands is considered by MEW-R6 ( 2010 ) codification for the different types of edifices and infinites. Harmonizing to this criterion a minimal airing rate of 7.5 L/s ( 15 ft3/min ) per resident in schoolrooms is recommended with a typical occupant denseness of 33 individuals per 90 M2 ( 1000 ft2 ) and ceiling tallness of 3 m ( 10 foot ) . The current ASHRAE criterion would necessitate an air exchange rate of about 3 air alteration per hr ( ACH ) for schoolroom. Sing to the air alteration rates in hr, the ministry of electricity and H2O recommended an air alteration of 0.5 ACH for schoolrooms for energy economy demands, MEW-R6 ( 2010 ) . The indoor air quality conditions in schoolrooms have to be earnestly considered because pupils are still physically developing, where hapless indoor air quality conditions could impact the pupils ‘ and staff ‘s comfort, wellness and may indirectly impact their acquisition and public presentation and productiveness – this may hold damaging effects on them and the society ‘s hereafter. Ventilation rates and Student ‘s Performance and Productivity Through the literature there are few surveies conducted to look into the consequence of the different airing rates on the pupil ‘s and staff ‘s school work public presentation and productiveness in schoolrooms. Myhrvold and Olesen ( 1997 ) conducted a field survey in 35 Norse schoolrooms to mensurate the pupils ‘ concentration by mensurating their reaction times with different airing rates. They found that by increasing the airing rate per individual from 4 L/s to 12 L/s, the pupils ‘ reaction times were 5.4 % less ( i.e. faster ) . In three public presentation trials used by Ito et Al. ( 2006 ) and Murakami et Al. ( 2006 ) in Nipponese schoolrooms, research workers found that with an addition in airing rate from 0.6-5 L/s the public presentation was improved 5.4 % ; 8.7 % and 5.8 % severally. Wargocki and Wyon ( 2006 ; 2007a and B ) investigated the impact of increasing the airing rate on the public presentation of 10 old ages old school kids with analogue of public presentation undertakings. The writers found that increasing the airing rate from 5 to 10 L/s, the school work public presentation will improved by 15 % and do a noticeable kids ‘s school public presentation and acquisition. In two UK schoolrooms, it was found that the students ‘ work rate increased by 7 % in the mathematical trials of add-on and minus by increasing the supplied fresh air from 0.3-5 to 13-16 L/s, ( Bako-Biro et Al, 2007 ) . Discussion Through the presentation of the indoor air quality literature reappraisal in this chapter, it can be shown that the importance of look intoing quality of the indoor air in the different occupied zones, particularly schoolrooms in schools, to bespeak the pollution beginnings and the degree of the different pollutants that may happen in schoolrooms. The necessity to regularly look into the indoor air quality inside the schoolrooms is due to the high denseness of pupils in schoolrooms and the long period of exposure for the different pollutants beginnings which may earnestly impact the pupil ‘s and staff ‘s comfort and wellness and consequences in serious wellness jobs that can increase the absence from school and increases the public presentation and productiveness losingss. These attendant wellness jobs can impact the national economic system by increasing the national wellness attention disbursals and lost disbursals due to the loss public presentation and productiveness in schools. Investigating the indoor air quality conditions inside schoolrooms is an expensive and potentially debatable issue because it is a map of different factors such as the edifice stuffs, equipment, furniture and HVAC systems where all of them are changing as a map of clip exposure and airing. The rate of airing inside any occupied zone can be a step for the quality of the indoor air. The adequately airing rate can be an index for inside environment, where during the literature many research workers reported that inadequate ( low ) airing rate indicates hapless indoor air quality and frailty versa. During this survey, the airing rates measurings inside the schoolrooms can be inferred by the C dioxide measurings, where the indoor concentration of C dioxide ( CO2 ) has frequently been used as a alternate for the airing rate per resident, including in schools. Lee and Chang ( 1999 ) and Daisey et Al. ( 2003 ) stated that the

An Unfor Gottable Event in My Life

he Most Memorable Event in my Life As the title suggests, my essay is about some event which is important, exciting, memorable to me. A lot of people probably would agree with me that one of the most interesting activities in life is traveling, this is one of the thing I enjoy the best in my life. For this reason, I try to travel as much aas possible. The last trip was a very long and interesting one, it was a trip to the United States of America. The first thing to be said about is the choice of the country.It wasn’t that the United States was a country of my dreams like it is for some people. There were a lot of countries which I wanted to see more than America, but I was given an opportunity to work there for some time and this is how I went overseas. I worked there and traveled as well. During this trip I had visited a lot of places, but I decided to write only about one city which impressed me the most. It is the New York. City. When I first arrived to this city I had nev er seen anything like that before.When you come from such a small country like Lithuania you are shocked how big the city is. It left a great impression to me, I just loved the buildings of it: new ones, old ones, small ones and especially big ones. There is so much of everything: huge and tiny shops, restaurants, cafes, night clubs, museums, galleries, etc. It seems that it would take at least few years to see everything only in one city, not mentioning the whole country. Another interesting and important thing about New York, as well as the whole United states, is a mixture of cultures.I met so many people from so many different countries. I think America is the only country which has so many cultures mixed with that of their own. This is a very interesting and at the same time strange thing to discover for someone who is not familiar with such thing. The last words which I want to say about this trip, it taught me a lot of things about life and people. In the States people are ve ry different but one thing is common to the majority of them, it is money.Visiting this country I discovered how great the power of money is, how it changes the world, people and their lives. I guess it was the only disappointing thing about this country because the rest of it was very exciting. To conclude, I would like to say that it is quite hard to write everything on one sheet of paper as there is so much of interesting to say, but it takes a lot of space. Summing up, I could say that this trip, in some way, changed my life and outlook to the world, that is why I have chosen it on the most memorable event in my life.

Compare and Contrast Song of Roland and The Iliad. Similarities and Term Paper

Compare and Contrast Song of Roland and The Iliad. Similarities and differences - Term Paper Example The poems are long works and so they are broken into shorter verses and chapters, which makes it easier for the performers to remember. There are many repeated phrases that are used to refer to individual characters or places. Athena is usually referred to in terms of her grey eyes, for example, and there are a lot of references to Roland’s youth and nobility. The content is also similar. Both poems tell the stories of heroic warriors who fight with each other on behalf of great kings. There is a lot of focus on battles, and the women play a secondary role, usually being taken captive like Helen in the Iliad and Bramimonde in the Song of Roland and displayed as a trophy for the winner of a battle. There is a strong narrator who reports what happens, what people are thinking and saying, and even what gods and other divine messengers are doing. The contrast between the human and divine dimensions is very important in epics. There are obvious differences in terms of the historica l period and culture of the two poems. Homer talks about war between Greeks and Trojans, while the Song of Roland deals with the Frankish followers of Charlemagne and their enemies the Muslim Saracens. In the Greek/Trojan world there are many different gods who take an active part in the battles.

Earthquake's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Earthquake's - Essay Example The plates interact at their boundaries (margins) or edges. There are various types of plate margins which include; diverging, converging and transform faults (kearey, Klepesis and Vine, 2009). Converging plate boundary Converging occurs when two plates travel towards each other. When the plates converge, different types of margins are formed depending on the boundary; the boundary can either be between two continental plates, oceanic plates or either one of each. One type of convergent margin occurs when a continent meets another continent along the convergent line where they crumple upwards and downwards as the lithosphere thickens in a collision zone. Another type of convergent margin takes place when one or both plates are oceanic where by one plate typically slide underneath the other plate sinking into the asthenosphere where water that is released from the wet rocks of the seafloor advances the formation of the magma (kearey, Klepesis and Vine, 2009). Diverging plate boundary Diverge is also known as rifting or spreading centers. Diverging occurs when two plates move apart from each other and can occur in either continental or oceanic crust. When plates diverge from each other a new ocean may form in the widening rift, an example of this is the Red sea. When oceanic crust diverts (splits apart) the result is known as a midocean ridge (kearey, Klepesis and Vine, 2009). Transform faults plate boundary The transform plate boundaries are the locations where plates slide past each other. A crack zone that normally forms a transform plate boundary is well known as a transform fault. The transform faults are mostly common in the ocean floors (ocean basins) where many of them run perpendicularly to the midocean ridges (Kearey, Klepesis and Vine, 2009). Why earthquakes are common along plate margins Earthquakes occur mostly at the plate margins because under the plates there is much friction and the plates are constantly bouncing off each other. The plate’ s margin material is not as sturdy and is found near the molten part. The earthquakes occur normally near the fault lines (this is where the plates are normally separated). In the fault line two plates confine together until much pressure is formed and they are forced to grind away from each other. The lateral fault line happens frequently and within different magnitudes, an example of a lateral fault line is the San Andreas Fault in California. How the earth moves when it quakes and shakes When the earth quakes and shakes sudden movements on the grounds occur. The quakes are mostly provoked by movements along the faults, landslides, bomb blasts and volcanic eruptions. When a quake occurs, the surface of the earth forms into waves that move across; these waves are considered to be pretty spectacular and extremely destructive. During a quake the seismic waves move about in all directions just like the sound waves (Kusky, 2005). Events that cause the earth to quake and shake Earthquak e is the ground shaking that is caused by an abrupt slip on a fault. When pressure in the earth’s outer layer pushes the sides of the faults together causing stress to build up and the rocks to slip all of a sudden discharging energy in waves that travel through the earth’s crust causing the shaking that is felt during an earthquake. Earthquake measurements Earthquakes are recorded by seismometers up to great distances as the seismic waves are

2010 health care reform law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

2010 health care reform law - Essay Example Without being included in the exception, an individual that must be under coverage and remains without health insurance, faces the fine of $95 per adult and $47.50 per child (up to $285 per family) or 1.0% of the family income, whichever is greater† for this year and the fine increases annually (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2014). This reiterates that information must be further disseminated and the need to encourage individual participation. The cooperation of employers is also an important aspect in the success of the program. They must be re-oriented of the policies contained in the law to aid them in choosing the best health insurance policy to implement. The dilemma of small employers and of those self-employed in higher income brackets who often wish to ignore it due to the financial burden it inflicts must be addressed. The tax credit system and the exchanges, federal or not, provide for choices that should keep them on track (Klein, 2012). Kaiser Family Foundation. (2014). The requirement to buy coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Retrieved from http://kff.org/infographic/the-requirement-to-buy-coverage-under-the-affordable-care-act/ Klein, K.E. (2012, Oct. 4). What Obamacare means for small employers in 2013. Businessweek. Retrieved from

Failure of the Strategic Systems Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Failure of the Strategic Systems - Article Example The financial world responded with uncertainty but they were reassured by the Federal Reserve Bank and the European Central Bank as both of them poured billions of dollars into the financial market. However, the crisis continued to grow as defaults occurred and interest rates were not raised to stem the growing credit market (Essen, 2008). Lehman Brothers, JP Morgan, and several other financial institutes were players that were heavily invested in these subprime loans and as their share prices went down, they looked for opportunities for someone to buy them out or for the government to bail them. In September of this year, the government announced that it would have to take over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in what is essentially a bailout of these companies (Kaletsky, 2008). The extent of the crisis was thus made clear to anyone who had any doubts about the situation. Even companies such as AIG made mistakes as they traded in derivates while the economic system was going through difficulties. In fact, the impact of the financial crisis has been felt across the world as nations such as India and Australia have started raising alarms concerning the banks operating in their territories which had financial links to the banks and financial institutes which have gone south (Kaletsky, 2008). The White House has responded with another $500 billion bailout package for the financial markets but analysts are still doubtful if it will save a worldwide economic meltdown (Essen, 2008). When examined in its entirety, it is easy to see that the problems were first created as banks decided to enter the subprime mortgage market which is strategically a very weak division. Had the banks been more strategically aware, they could have judged the economic boom to be short-lived and could have also considered the long-term impact.

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, FACILITATING CHANGE Research Paper

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, FACILITATING CHANGE - Research Paper Example The dimension of Power-distance addresses existing inequality level across the cross-cultural workforce. The inequality operational is acceptable within the power setting of the organization with regard to positions held in the work environment. In a low PD leadership system, power is well distributed as opposed to a high PD system where the management positions held are key in decision making in the organization. As such, closed-door meetings are done and communication is different in the different states that are created. Visionary leadership applies a hybrid system that allows acknowledgement of everybody’s role in decision-making. During crisis, a high PD system is preferable in making decisions while low PD useful where the decisions made affects policies. In addition, the dimension of Individualism-collectivism (IVD) that focuses on the strength of ties within the organizational community should be applied. An organization with high IDV displays characteristics of loose connection, little responsibility and a demand for high privacy. On the contrary, organizations with low IDV display qualities of respect, loyalty and strong cohesions within the work force in the organization. Visionary leadership lays down strategies that emphasize the benefits of working as a community with the aim of motivating labor force intrinsically and encouraging teamwork. Similarly, visionary leadership assesses the role of the dimension of Masculinity (MAS) in its environment. It refers to the ability of an organization to appreciate the traditional male and female roles in workforce. Organizations where the score of MAS is high expect men to be assertive and tough. In this setup, men occupy the managerial positions. In a leadership where the MAS score is lower, the roles played by men and women are related and are assigned in regards to professionalism and qualification. Visionary leaders embrace workforce based on qualification and professional

Report on issues in higher education in england Essay

Report on issues in higher education in england - Essay Example As students manage their schedules of schoolwork, employment, extra activities, and personal lives, they must learn about time planning, goal setting, and effective work strategies. A number of professionals at employment and student service offices are often available to help students learn about the most effective time-management and study strategies. As students continue through their education, they must learn to cope with both academic successes and challenges (Lindsay Paterson, 2005). They must deal with individuals, who they may not get along with, and they must learn to cope with subjects and classes, which seem difficult and they do not like. Facing these challenges in a university or college prepares the student for coping with challenges outside of school. In England within the higher education system the professional training is in direct in areas such as physics, computer science, medicine, engineering and other technical fields, some of them carried out in institutions of higher level. The system provides for the operation of English universities organized under the departmental system and institutions organized on the basis of schools. From an academic point of view, universities operate no more than 6000 to 8000 students in total, whose growth is gradual, allowing maintain a student / teacher for not more than 1/10 or 1/12. The dedication of teachers and students is full time and is based on a very narrow coexistence, both academic and social, as well as an ongoing process of sharing experiences, advice and council (Galvin, 1996). All students are sponsored, by paying the university a lump sum of 390 pounds annually. It included accommodation, food, buying books and incidentals. Moreover, the government finance to all universities by about more than 75% of its total budget. Admission to college is very selective, firstly because the levels of requirements are very high and secondly because the landscape of higher education English is very broad,

Neighborhood Planning Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Neighborhood Planning - Annotated Bibliography Example iii. The City of Surrey has an OCP defined by goals and policies, which lead to the city’s planning operations. Surrey’s OCP offers direction for Surrey’s physical organization, management of land, transportation priorities, community growth, use of farmland, and ecological awareness.3 iv. Fraser Basic Council developed an OCP for taking action against climate change and raising awareness about the phenomenon. Local authorities approved the development of the OCP as a form of bylaw under which activities assumed by Fraser Basic Council would be consistent with the OCP.4 v. The Ministry of Community, Sport, and Cultural Development under the Government of British Columbia undertook an OCP in 2014 that its cities and regional constituencies developed.5 This OCP is a long-term reflection of the community that determines locations, sums, types, and concentration of suburban developments required by the Local Government Act  section 875. vi. The City of North Vancouver first undertook an OCP in 1980, revised it in 1992, and continued it to date. The OCP aims to balance the social, ecological, and economic requirements of the community of North Vancouver.6 Gansmo, Helen Jà ¸sok. "Municipal planning of a sustainable neighborhood: action research and stakeholder dialogue."  Building Research & Information  40, no. 4 (July 2012): 493-503.  Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed January 23, 2015). Researcher Gansmo attempts to find the most appropriate way to foster the change to greener neighborhoods. Determining whether planners can start an improved dialogue to facilitate stakeholder participation in planning, construction, and residing in greener neighborhoods.7 The article describes and implements methodical procedures that find the core contributors to greener neighborhoods and implementing the dialogue approaches in the early stages of planning for the project. Aditya, Trias.

Politics versus need in politics of disaster payments Essay

Politics versus need in politics of disaster payments - Essay Example It also provides funding for rebuilding purposes to the States as well as to offer smaller relief loans at low interest rates to individuals in order to rehabilitate themselves. As a part of its preparedness effort, agency also provides training support to States and other territories in order to increase the overall responsiveness of the States to deal with such catastrophic events on their own. It also offers funds to impart training to the local State employees to better deal with the disasters. The arguments presented by Garrett & Sobel suggest that this funding to the States however have been political motivated. By questioning the public choice model, authors have actually attempted to outline the politics behind the public choices. The arguments indicate that the Congress and Presidential influences are key to the rate of declaration of disasters and subsequent provision of funding to the States. The arguments further suggest that States which are politically more important to the President tend to have higher disaster declaration. Further, the arguments also pointed out stronger correlation with election years and States having Congressional representation on FEMA committee. (Garrett & Sobel, 2003) The above arguments basically indicate the political motives of President and the States to get FEMA funding for the disasters. The overall distribution of FEMA funds therefore is not according to the way public choices should be made. The inability of the bureaus and departments to actually independently and submissiveness to the will of members of Congressional Committees therefore suggest that the overall distribution may not be just and equitable and that the political motives may be significant in making funding decisions. Over the period of time, various criticisms have been raised regarding how the grants and funds are distributed in US. During October 2004, grants were given to five of the most competitive States for

Affirmative Action Racism And Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Affirmative Action Racism And Discrimination Essay America is called â€Å"the land of opportunity† however, most of the countries citizens are not able to enjoy the benefits that the title provides. Being able to accomplish scholastic goals, attend a four-year college, and to have an influential career, are not obtainable for many, even though they work hard. Our nation has long been plagued by an ugly occurrence. An occurrence that finds its origins at the very core of our society. It is a problem familiar in some ways to all of us regardless of which side of the argument we find ourselves, and yet it remains unsolved. To verify that a problem exists, as Beverly, Tatum explains, we must first understand, racism as a system of advantage based on race, and white privilege as unjust enrichment through racial oppression,(Tatum,pg 10, 115). Next we must look at the steps taken to level the playing field of advanced racial groups. In America racism and discrimination is a cruel reality. For centuries now, local, state, and federal governments have been proactive in protecting or expanding the system of racial discrimination. White government officials and programs have often favored the racial and political-economic interests of white Americans. Government programs historically provided much access to homesteading land and numerous other valuable resources exclusively to white Americans (Feagin, 2010, p. 143). In an affords toward concern for equality, Affirmative action was created. It was designed to counteract the effect that discriminatory practices have embedded in the American culture. Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an under represented group in areas of employment, education, and business, usually justified as countering the effects of a history of discriminatio n. The term affirmative action was first used in the United States in Executive Order 10925 and was signed by President John F. Kennedy on 6 March 1961; it was used to promote actions that achieve non-discrimination. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson enacted Executive Order 11246 which required government employers to take affirmative action to hire without regard to race, religion and national origin. In 1968, gender was added to the anti-discrimination list. A lively debate with sparks flying within racial group exists over the importance of the Affirmative action process. Some would argue that affirmative action undeservingly rewards minorities, and takes away from whites in effect causing reverse discrimination. Not long ago, Senator Bob Dole, a Republican presidential candidate, spoke in a television interview of â€Å"displaced† white men who compete with black workers because of affirmative action. He said that he was not sure that â€Å"people in America† (he meant â€Å"whites†) should be paying a price for discrimination that occurred â€Å"before they were born†. (Feagin, 2010, p. 15). Taking this evidence into consideration, should this influence the direction taken regarding affirmative action? University of California Regent Ward Connerly believes that affirmative action is used as a crutch that is ruining the relationship between blacks and whites. If this were true, would this be a good reason to halt government involvement in affirmative action programs? Would people identify these issues and take steps to make changes? Historically this has not been the case. Affirmative action programs have been successful in making social change. Minorities that have previously been excluded from opportunities have been afforded opportunities to achieve through affirmative action programs. Initially, affirmative action was a policy primarily aimed at correcting institutional discrimination where decisions, policies and procedures that are not necessarily explicitly discriminatory have had a negative impact on people of color. Affirmative action policies address and redress systematic economic and political discrimination against any group of people that are underrepresented or have a history of being discriminated against in particular institutions. Beneficiaries of these programs have included white men and women, people with disabilities, and poor working class people, but their primary emphasis has been on addressing racial discrimination (Kivel, P) If our goal is to eradicate discriminatory practices, then our government must continue to mandate legislation, and fund programs to address these issues. Following this conclusion it is clear to see that all evidence supports the benefits of affirmative action. What we have before us is a society with the possibility to make great strides in regards to changing the system of inequality. It is important that government lead in the direction that supports affirmative action programs. Government needs to see this as the biggest problem on their social agenda, and it will take a significant effort to mandate change, but the benefit for everyone will be extraordinary. References Feagin, J. (2010). Racist America Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations New York: Routledge Press. Tatum, Beverly Daniel. (2003). †Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? New York: Basic Books. Executive Order 11246. (2012, July 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:23, October 30, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Executive_Order_11246oldid=500344831 Montgomery, A. (2000, march 27). A â€Å"poison† divides us, salon.com, Kivel, P. (1997, November,17) Affirmative Action Works! Motion Magazine

Exploring the Organization Culture within McDonalds

Exploring the Organization Culture within McDonalds McDonalds Here I choose a McDonalds of New Zealand for my assignment. I choose this organization because it is very up growing organization of New Zealand. The biggest reason for choosing this organization is that because I am working here and I know much more about that. A milkshake salesman by the name of Ray Kroc in USA in 1954 received an order from the McDonald brothers hamburger in California. He was fascinated by their operation the menu was simple and cheaper and the hamburgers were good; the fries were made in-store with vegetable oil; and the shakes were thicker than usual. The first restaurant in New Zealand is opened in 1976 in Porirua.   Today there are around 150 McDonald restaurants in New Zealand and McDonalds is serving around 1 million people in one week in New Zealand. 80 percent of McDonald restaurants are franchised by local business men and women who own and operate their restaurants as independent business. McDonalds employees respect their customers and deliver them outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value (QSCV). Reference: http://mcdonalds.co.nz/about-us/organisation BUSINESS DEMOGRAPHICS McDonalds business model is based on providing regular levels of service and good quality products and quality, service, cleanliness and value is important to all those people who work for McDonalds New Zealand. For a successful business it is very important to fulfill the changing needs of customers. The way people eat and what they eat is changing people are becoming more aware than ever of the importance of health and nutrition, McDonalds offer so many healthy choices to the customers such as salads, deli wraps, fruits weight watchers etc. Customers are also becoming more interested in having information about their food, their production methods etc. McDonalds supply all the information to their customers very easily. Direct communication to customers is very important for McDonalds. Some of the methods McDonalds uses are: Television Advertisements. Brochures, tray mats. McDonalds website (www.mcdonalds.co.nz) Magazine and newspaper advertisements Public relations Internal newsletters Country-specific websites. Reference: SSC (Shift Supervisor Course) Handbook ORGANISATION GOALS McDonalds want to make its relationship deep with customers by providing them great service and experience. There are so many different activities that make a good relation between customers and McDonalds. Mission Statement: McDonalds vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. (http://www.samples-help.org.uk/mission-statements/mcdonalds-mission-statement.htm) Vision Statement: To be our customers favorite place and way to eat. McDonalds Goals and Objectives: 1. McDonalds vision is to be our customers favorite place and way to eat. 2. McDonalds is committed to maintaining and providing best food and fast service restaurant in market. 3. In order to deliver best and safe food, company has made so many commitments for food safety. 4. McDonalds have an objective to continual enrich and improve their menu. McDonalds time to time bring new items in its menu. This will satisfy their customers and give customers more reason to visit. 5. To be a socially answerable and responsible company. 6. To provide good earnings to its shareholders. 7. To provide its customers with food of a great standard, speedy service and importance for money. Reference: Shift Supervisor Workbook, Managing Shift (2006 McDonalds) Organization Culture and Ethics McDonalds has a vision that includes employees and the surrounding communities. They believe that satisfied employees give best in quality customer service. McDonalds also maintain promise to stakeholders. McDonalds culture is to do the accurate thing for their employees, the community and the customers; this promise is as important to them as serving food. McDonalds also provide support to school and youth programs and the Ronald McDonald house provides support for the comfort of children around the world. A program of conduct and beliefs is helpful to running any business. By encouraging this positive action allover the company they should be clear and include all people involved throughout the company. These policies should have a clear view on how to treat your customers in a respectful manner. Community involvement McDonalds is actively participated in New Zealand communities since 1976. Our restaurants and franchisees play vital roles in their local area, and we take responsibilities seriously to make sure we are a good neighbor and a good corporate citizen wherever we go. Junior sport: soccer and touch rugby McDonalds New Zealand is a long-term sponsor of junior sport in New Zealand, joining with both junior soccer and touch rugby. Our supports help more than 150,000 Kiwi kids active playing sport each weekend. Clean Up New Zealand Week We want to keep New Zealand beautiful thats why every year in September McDonalds participates in the cleanup New Zealand week. Reference: Systems Management, Managing People Practices Training (2007 McDonalds) Management of Knowledge Resources By way of one of the leading companies in the world and attacking every country, there is no doubt that McDonald is the leader in fast food industry. This statement has been proven for so many years and this will not happen if the company did not apply any plans with their capitals and calculating their abilities. The strategy may come in planning in the business setting. The process of developing and maintaining the goals and abilities is reflected to its changing marketing opportunities. Resources and Capabilities of McDonald For the company, the strategy is worried with matching a companys resources and capabilities to the occasions that rise in the outside environment. The growing reputation on the role of resources and capabilities as the basis for strategy may come in to two factors. First, the business where the firm belongs became unbalanced so the internal resources and capabilities of the firm are given more focus in expressing strategies. And second, the mixture of the resources and capabilities of the firm became the higher competitive advantage and profitability. The linking between the resource and capabilities of a firm in the area of business makes a competitive advantage. It is because the capabilities and resources allow the business to create value and gain some form of benefit from the competitors. The capabilities and resources may include the point of business cycle learning of the top of management team; placement of various forecasting resources, and broadcasting of macroeconomic information as well as timely decision making relative to competitor and a supportive organizational culture that supports the firms management activities. By way of concern of knowledge management, McDonalds companies are primarily affecting the McDonalds system. The principle of systematization of knowledge is followed by every outlet with a detailed set of rules. So, the operating practices became part of every employee and given a detailed attention from the management through the training platforms. Reference: Systems Management, Managing People Practices Training (2007 McDonalds) Group Dynamics Actually, Group dynamics is a combined act by two or more people, in which each person contributes with different skills and states his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and productivity of the group in order to achieve common goals. The most effective teamwork is produced when all the individuals involved match their contributions and work towards a common goal There is a saying that many hands make light work. The core of this statement is that more can be achieved as a collective than individually. There are several benefits of Group Dynamics. 1. Creativity As we all have different skills, knowledge and personal qualities. By consuming all of these different sides in a team, more ideas can be created. As more ideas are created, more creative solutions are generated, leading to better results. 2. Satisfaction Shortage of job satisfaction is often one of the key things highlighted in surveys of employees. Individuals working together as a team to achieve a common goal are repeatedly developing. As they relate more energy and interest is created. When this energy is utilized, it produces results which positively effects on motivation and leads to even more success. 3. Skills Even the best skilled individual cannot have all of the skills to do everything. Some people best at coming up with the ideas. There are others who can be counted on when it comes to applying and follow through of a plan. The important point is that when a team works together, it has a huge range of skills available that it can utilize to deliver extraordinary results. 4. Speed Suppose that you have a project that needs research, drawing together a plan, financing it, fulfilling it and delivering specific benefits. If one person was owed this task, it could take months and maybe years to make it happen. By splitting up the project, work can move forward in similar and the ultimate goal achieved faster. 5. Sounding board We all have a range of options open to us. If we are trying to number out what is best, we might never move forward. In a team, other team members can act as a sounding board, allowing us to cut through the options and get on with those most likely to achieve the desired goal. 6. Support It is wonderful the amount of friendship that is created in teams, especially when the going gets tough. People will often go to what seems like extreme lengths when they know that they can rely on the support and encouragement of the team. Never miscalculate the significance of this in achieving results. Reference: Systems Management, Improving Operational Efficiency (2007 McDonalds) Meeting Management Board Meetings The Board of Directors sits at least six times a year. Extra meetings are arranged as necessary. The Chairman heads all meetings of the Board of Directors. The Chairman, in discussion with the CEO, establishes an agenda for each meeting. Agendas are set so as to ensure that the Board will be able to fulfill its oversight responsibilities. Directors can at any time suggest the addition of any matters to a meeting agenda or raise for discussion at any meeting any subject that they wish. The Secretary attends all meetings of the Board and records the minutes. The Vice Chairman, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel also attend meetings of the Board. Restaurant Meetings The McDonalds management team has meetings every week where they reveal over what has occurred since the last meeting and discusses any problems. The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas. This shows the purpose of having the meeting and it is clear McDonald follow this theory. The minutes and agendas are recorded for each meeting and if any managers are absent, they are kept up to date by the Store Manager who also distributes summaries of the meetings to everyone via email. An example: as a short term goal on the Christmas holidays , all staff has been sent memos and have been emailed on the importance of this weeks. The activities and expectations they are holding are made clear for them to set the example. If the communication had not been made clear to all staff from the beginning the communication would not have had an overall staff contribution to the expected success of the promotion. STAKEHOLDERS Each business has stakeholders individuals, organizations or groups that have an interest in the organization and how it operates. Successful companies take into account the needs and supplies of their stakeholders. Most of the Companies commonly accept if their sales are good, then their brand and reputation must be strong. But they dont have a clear understanding of the ethics that drive brand and reputation and actually stand long-term profitability and growth. This leaves companies helpless to dangerous reaction between corporate values, and those of their stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders, media, government, and community. Even well-known and successful brands and reputations have suffered from this criticism. Every stakeholder applies their personal and professional values to judge the performance of a company. Stakeholders for McDonalds NZ are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Franchise holders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employees à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supplier à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Community groups à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shareholders. Reference: Systems Management, Managing Inventory (2007 McDonalds) Networks McDonalds IT Limited can provide the following services: * Audits * Reviews * Implementation * Consultancy * Design Messaging / Communications Email and instant messaging allows your business to keep in touch with the companies without them you cannot survive. Electronic communications have become an essential part of everyday life whether at work or at home. McDonalds IT supports by enabling cooperative messaging solutions that allows you to send and receive electronic collaborative communications, throughout your computer network and to other customers via the internet. By Microsofts latest email offering, Exchange 2010, McDonalds IT provides the necessary elasticity for secure contact from any user, allowing teams to collaborate and communicate more effectively, regardless of location. McDonalds IT also focuses in email migrations from other email platforms, including Lotus Notes, Exchange 5.5, Exchange 2000, 2003 and Exchange 2007. We have designed and applied one of New Zealands few Unified Messaging solutions. Remote Access Solutions 1. Microsoft ISA and TMG McDonalds IT has applied both ISA 2006 and TMG to our customers. We can modify these products to your requirements, be they web proxy, VPN or email protection. TMG can be scaled up to a Network Load Balanced configuration for an Enterprise client. 2. Microsoft Direct Access By the application of Windows 2008 R2, Windows 7 and IP v6, McDonalds IT can leverage Microsofts User Access Gateway (UAG). This method removes the difficulty that normal VPNs have. It allows continuous access to the corporate LAN regardless of location. Standout Features File sharing supports public and shared folders with permissions Free Drop box iPhone/ iPod Touch app available Can sync across multiple computers Syncs Windows, Mac and Linux computer Unlimited undo available Reference: Systems Management, Transition to Systems management (2007 McDonalds) Conclusion According to the findings, we came up with the conclusion that due to the different background and culture of the stay members and managers, language becomes a barrier as far as communication is concerned. Because most employees are from different culture and they are new in this work might hesitate to talk to the manager about their problems. In the meetings, employees are always asked by the managers are they satisfied with their jobs and with the environment of Mc Donalds, which will ultimately motivate them to satisfy the needs of their customers as well. Indian and Chinese staff member hesitates a lot because English is not there first language. We find that the level of satisfaction depends on the quality of service a customer receives. In this restaurant, both men and women deal with the customers because they are trained well before they join the staff. While dealing with different customers of different background they have to communicate accurately to satisfy the customers needs. In this family restaurant every staff member communicates well with the customers to fulfill the customers needs. They speak well in English. References http://mcdonalds.co.nz/about-us/organisation SSC (Shift Supervisor Course) Handbook Shift Supervisor Workbook, Managing Shift (2006 McDonalds) Systems Management, Managing People Practices Training (2007 McDonalds) Systems Management, Managing People Practices Training (2007 McDonalds) Systems Management, Improving Operational Efficiency (2007 McDonalds) Systems Management, Managing Inventory (2007 McDonalds) Systems Management, Transition to Systems management (2007 McDonalds)

Definition Of The Term Authentic Material

Definition Of The Term Authentic Material During the last decades, English language has been expanding considerably all over the world. In fact, people have started to talk about English language as the new global language. As a consequence of this impressive evolution, our nation has applied several educational measures to the general curriculum of education in order to teach correctly English as a second language in schools. The creation of the program Inglà ©s abre puertas and the changes made to the studying plans of MINEDUC are clear examples of this initiative. Notwithstanding, these attempts of improving the English level in our students did not work at all. Last year, a proficiency test called SIMCE was taken so as to evaluate the level of English language in students of third year of high school, and the results obtained by this assessment were really deficient. Indeed, 89% of all students evaluated were not able to certificate a basic level of English. In light of this pitiful scenario, this paper proposes the use of authentic materials as an interesting and useful ESL teaching technique which can contribute to ameliorate the low level of English in students. In the following paragraphs, it will be stated the definition of the concept authentic materials in the ESL field and the sources where teachers can get them. Furthermore, guidelines for the correct selection of these teaching materials will be provided, and the advantages of using them will be described in detail and supported firmly. As the title of this project says, the subject of study is the use of authentic materials in ESL lessons. Thereby, it is necessary to start by defining what authentic materials really are. Firstly, the conceptualization of teaching/learning materials has to be stated concisely and explicitly. In essence, the term material refers to resources in the classroom which students are able to use with the purpose of improving and complementing their learning process. For instance, a book, a photocopied handout, a poster, a flashcard, a whiteboard, or any technological equipment can be defined as material because they act in a complementary way in the teaching/learning process and include the characteristics mentioned before. As Tomlinson (1998) asserts, they are anything which is used to help to teach language learners.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ anything which presents or informs about the language being learned.(p.11). Although it is easy to delineate the meaning of the term teaching/learning materials, the concept of authenticity is a bit more complex of classifying since there are several different authors who have attempted to define it in the field of second language teaching. For example, Heitler (2005) states that authentic materials are any texts written by native English speakers for native English speakers (p.5), while Tomlinson (1998) ascertains that an authentic text is a text not written or spoken for language teaching purposes. Likewise, Kramsh (1993) adds the term authentic has been used as a reaction against the prefabricated artificial language of textbooks and instructional dialogues, it refers to the way language is used in non-pedagogic, natural communication, and Little and Singleton (1988) declares that an authentic text is a text that was created to fulfill some social purpose in the language community in which it was produced. In the same line, Harmer (1991) defines authentic texts as materials which are designed for native speakers; they are real texts; designed not for language students, but for the speakers of the language, and Sanderson (1999) complements the description of authentic materials saying that they are materials that we can use with the students in the classroom and that have not been changed in any way for ESL students. A classic example would be a newspaper article thats written for a native-English-speaking audience (p.3). As it can be seen, there is a spectrum of distinct conceptualizations of authenticity. However, there is an agreement with some specific characteristics of genuine resources among the definitions established before. One of those shared features is the non-pedagogic purpose. Authentic materials are not produced nor adapted so as to be used for teaching or learning a second language; in fact, they are taken as genuine as possible from the reality. In this way, the artificiality of language is avoided completely. A pos itive consequence since the artificial nature of the language and structures used, make them very unlike anything that the learner will encounter in the real world and very often they do not reflect how the language is really used (Berardo, 2006, p.62). In order to complete this pursuit of genuineness, it is essential to obtain materials produced by native speakers. They interact with their peers inevitably in the target language because it is their innate language. Actually, there is not a better version of spoken or written English than the one made by the people who lives in English spoken cultures, so native production becomes another key aspect in the classification of authentic materials. Considering that any interaction between two native speakers can be used as an authentic material, it is unavoidable to look for common situations with the intention of getting real communication in English. Every person uses his own language to transmit a message to other person, and this pr ocess of normal communication among people has to be captured so as to have the authenticity desired in ESL teaching. Thus, real communication is a vital facet in the conceptualization authentic materials. In sum, the three basic characteristics of authentic materials are non-pedagogic purpose, native production, and real communication. For the purpose of this paper, authentic materials will be classified and identified in respect of those features. Nowadays, there is a huge variety of different sources where materials with the characteristics established before can be found, so the task of selection of adequate genuine resources has become a tough one. Even though, the globalized world offers multiple options to look for proper authentic materials for ESL lessons, there are three prime sources which are the most typical used: internet, literature, and mass media. The first one provides a limitless range of useful materials for ESL classroom. In internet, teachers can find podcast, videos, songs, websites, images, advertising, and plenty of other resources which can serve as authentic materials. All these resources possess the benefits of being constantly updated, and additionally most of them are interactive. Unquestionably, this source is the one which contains more available resources among the three named before, and the procedure of searching for specific information is easy to do as well. These advantages of abundance and easiness plus the others mentioned above make internet a valuable source for ESL teaching. Opposite to the advantages of internet, literature works with others aspects of language. It does not provide many resources to be used as authentic materials; indeed, it mainly provides books. Despite the fact that poems and fairy tales can also be utilized for ESL teaching, they are not applied in lessons in a frequent mode. In regard to books, they not only serve as genuine resources for English teaching/learning, but they also function as a reflection of the community in which was written. From literature, students can extract relevant information about cultures and know in depth their linguistic characteristics. As Sanderson (1999) states, language and cultures are intrexicably linked (p.2), so the cultural background is an important advantage of using literature as a source. In addition to this benefit, there is a special contribution to students made by literature. Most of the books are written with the purpose of transferring human experiences to readers, and these experiences have an intrinsic emotional significance. Hence, teachers can use literature to teach students human values so as to educate them integrally. In that way, they will be exploiting totally these authentic materials, and completing one of the major tasks for educators. By the same token, the other main source for finding genuine resources exhibits benefits akin to the previous ones. Mass media play an essential role in the communication of modern society, and their relevance can be demonstrated with the fact that today people are informed about all the important events which happen in the world due to their communicative labor. Mass media function as a way of global communication, and their product is abounding and immediate information. There are several resources from mass media which can be utilized for ESL teaching as magazines, TV programs, live radio and newspapers, but just the last men tioned provides numerous benefits as authentic material. According to Sanderson (1999), there are numerous reasons to use newspapers in classroom, and the stronger ones are general educational value, cultural background, reader interest, and varieties of English. The first one refers basically to the fact that newspapers inform people about what is happening in the world and elaborate on their general knowledge about their reality. The second one refers to the reflection of the culture where a newspaper is written in the language used within it. It is similar to the contribution of books in ESL lessons. The third reason is explained by the assortment of topics and sections which a newspaper contains. Due to that diversity of subjects, readers can be motivated and interested in working with them. The final argument points out the wide range of text types and language styles that newspapers offer to ESL teachers. It is not easy to find this multiplicity in others resources. In view of the advantages of using newspapers described before, they are definitely a beneficial and practical material for ESL teaching. Regardless the fact that plenty of texts can be taken from the three prime sources named in the previous paragraph, it does not mean that all the materials contained in them will be appropriate for ESL teaching. Actually, many examples of language use could be too complex, or too informal for L2 pedagogy. Thus, there are certain criteria which serve as filter for this profusion of resources. According to Berardo (2006), some specific traits have to be pondered in the selection of authentic materials. The most important one is the suitability of the text. The material has to be related to the needs of the students, and additionally it must be motivating for them. For instance, it will be absurd to use a conversation about the construction of a building between two engineers as a learning material if the learners are studying medicine or law because the resources utilized do not fit with the needs of the students. For this purpose, it is necessary to know as many aspects of the student s as possible, so teachers can look for attractive and relevant genuine resources. A useful way of collecting likes and dislikes of students is the use of surveys. By using that technique, teachers can accrue the necessary knowledge about the target group so as to find apt materials. Other factor to consider in selecting materials is exploitability. The text which will be used in class must have a teaching purpose. It should demand coherent and significant tasks from students in order to be helpful for the ESL lesson. Even though authentic material contains real English language, they could not have a use in the classroom if they do not require students to do fruitful exercises. Consequently, the fact of providing native English language is not enough to select a material for an ESL lesson. The texts extracted from the sources must be compatible with the objectives of the class. In addition to this, the complexity of a text should be also considered in the process of deciding if a m aterial is appropriate for ESL teaching. The language level of the genuine resource chosen must match with the language level of students. Linguistic features as structural and lexical ones can affect directly the understanding of students about the text, as well as the amount of new vocabulary and any new grammatical forms present in the material. A teacher cannot pretend to work with materials which their students are not even able to comprehend. The last element which needs consideration in the choice of proper teaching resources is presentation. The contextualization of the authentic material is a detail that cannot be sidestepped. Pictures, photographs, realia and concept maps can help students not only to grasp correctly the gist of the text, but also can aid to construct an imaginary image of the context in which the genuine resource was created. Besides, those elements add attractiveness to materials and stimulate students to learn the target language. The appearance of text s is the first aspect that students notice when materials a represented to them, so it is vital factor in the attempt of getting the attention of students. Considering the explanations and justifications of each criterion in the procedure of choosing materials, it would be beneficial for the teaching and learning of a second language to apply them. Therefore, teachers have to use the four criteria described thoroughly in the previous lines with the purpose of selecting practical and adequate materials for ESL lessons. As it has been already defined the term authentic materials and has been proposed guidelines to select appropriately them, it is the time to say explicitly why genuine resources should be used in ESL classes since that argument is the gist of this research paper. In concise words, the main reason for utilizing genuine resources in ESL lessons is they provide varied and exclusive advantages to the teaching/learning process of English language. Actually, numerous investigators of the field as Nuttal, Widdowson, Berardo, or Martinez have identified many benefits from the use of authentic materials, and in the following lines the most important ones will be presented to support the idea stated. The first and chief advantage of using authentic materials in ESL class is the exposure to real English. One of the central principles in the application of this kind of teaching resource is to immerse students to as much natural language as possible because learners are accustomed to receive an artificial version of the target language in their normal classes. Inevitably, the English language adapted to instructional purposes loses certain incidental features of genuine communication and reproduces the view of teaching designed by the people in charge, whereas using authentic materials provides readers with the chance to practice English with real models of language and to realize differences between communication of native speakers and non-native speakers. This last sentence offers a convenient bridge to explain the sense of achievement which will be the second advantage highlighted in this section. As students do not commonly work with authentic materials in English classes, they can feel afraid of misunderstanding the whole texts or committing mistakes when they will be working with them. The fear towards materials made in foreign countries affects directly the way in which students acquire the target dialect, and the sense of achievement can be explained with regard to that assumption. As it is believed that genuine resources are complex and hard to work with, students feel really happy and proud of themselves when they are able to grasp the main ideas of texts or to complete the tasks demanded for the material. Any improvement produced by learners pertaining to the comprehension and exploitation of authentic material will be significant for them. It is a unique and progressive procedure of delight in learners. Similar to the last benefit of using authentic materials, the next one is also concerned with the affective dimension of learners. Indeed, the third advantage which will be examined in depth is motivation. Generally, students react in a positive way upon the use of novel teaching/learning materials in everyday classes. These innovative pedagogic resources stimulate learners to practice language in an enthusiastic mode. Introducing authentic materials to an English lesson can attain the affective consequences named before since that kind of materials are unusual for students. Besides, genuine resources usually contain diverse visual stimuli which make them more appealing for learners. Videos, newspapers, brochures, and job advices are examples of that motivating characteristic. In light of the advantages about motivation and sense of achievement, it is important to mention that the affective factors of learning a second language have been investigated exhaustively during the last decades. As a matter of fact, Krashen (1977), who is considered one of the most important authors in the field of second language acquisition, states a hypothesis called affective filter which is about the relevance of feelings and attitudes in the L2 acquisition process. Returning to our focus, the fourth advantage of using authentic materials in ESL lessons is cultural background. By way of genuine resources are real communicative situations extracted from their natural context, there are traits of the context embed in them. Thus, cultural information about a country or a community can be obtained from the use of this type of teaching/learning material. Students not only learn a foreign language when using authentic materials, they also learn about cultures from different parts of the world. Thereby, learners can develop a global knowledge of the lifestyles outside of their country and be acquainted with what is going on in the world around them. In the section about sources of possible materials, there were described some resources which include this advantage as their primary characteristic. The final advantage which will be outlined against the use of common instructional materials is variety. This facet of the use of authen tic material possesses two connotations. The first one refers to the multiplicity of types of texts that teachers can utilize as genuine resources. In the part of the paper where it was discussed the diversity of sources, there were named around twenty distinct authentic resources which can be utilized in ESL class. In there, it was demonstrated that there is an abundance of kinds of genuine resources, and teachers only have to select one according to their teaching purposes. Besides, this wide range of texts includes a variety of language styles too. Students can benefit from them, and develop their basic skills of English language. For example, learners can ameliorate their listening skill by hearing different accents in conversations extracted from native speakers from distinct countries, or they can improve their reading skill by comparing diverse writing styles presented in books which were made in different cultures. The second connotation refers to the assortment of topics wh ich can be found in the sources of genuine resources. This mixture implicates teachers can choose materials considering likes and needs of their students and prepare a lesson which will be relevant and motivating for them. As it has been confirmed in previous paragraphs, the interest of students upon a learning resource can change radically the effectiveness of the class. With all these unique and practical features at their disposal, ESL teachers have to start questioning why they do not use authentic materials commonly in class because at the moment there is not a solid argument to stand out these advantages and benefits. It is compulsory for ESL educators to investigate about different ways to teach English so as to possess a spectrum of distinct methodologies or techniques. Thereby, they can choose an appropriate one pondering the characteristics and needs of their target group of learners. In this respect, authentic materials are teaching resources easy to find and select, and additionally they provide exposure to real English, sense of achievement, motivation, cultural background and variety to ESL classes. Therefore, they must be considered as a valuable and useful teaching/learning material for teachers in the ESL field, and undoubtedly they must be used in a more frequent way in their lessons.

The Joys of Planning a Wedding Essay -- Wedding Planners Marriage Essa

The Joys of Planning a Wedding The verdict is in - I will only get married once. I’ve always felt that in my heart, but the experience of planning my wedding removed any doubts that I may have had. The process of planning a wedding is so extensive and involved that once the process has started, there is no turning back. You will be completely absorbed in the ins and outs of the entire day from that point forward. While the main focal point should be the actual ceremony uniting the man and woman, that is rarely the case. There are so many details to work out from the color scheme to the reception menu that you have no option but to stay completely focused. Anyone that has been involved in planning a wedding before will tell you that once you get the â€Å"big four† out of the way you’re almost home free. The â€Å"big four† in the wedding planning world are: deciding where the ceremony will be held, choosing a reception venue, deciding which dresses will be worn, and planning the ho neymoon. Deciding where the ceremony will be held is one of the first things you need to do when planning a wedding. You need to decide first and foremost whether or not you want a church wedding. If you are a member of a particular church, your first instinct will be to hold the wedding at your church. You have to be certain that the church will be able to accommodate the number of guests you’ll be inviting to attend. Does the church have any specific rules against music or decorations? You do...

The Voice of Victorian “Longing like Despair” Essay -- Literary Analy

Matthew Arnold’s Poetry: The Voice of Victorian â€Å"Longing like Despair† John Stuart Mill defined the Victorian Era as â€Å"an age of transition†, where â€Å"Mankind will not be led by their old maxims, nor by their old guides.† Other contemporary minds saw in this transition the main source of profound intellectual and moral confusion, â€Å"that may validly be described as a crisis of personal identity.† (R. A. Forsyth) The poet and Victorian literary and social critic Matthew Arnold distinctly expresses his age’s deepest anxieties, rising from a world being utterly redefined by industrialisation. Much of his poetry is infused with intense personal and emotional discussions of love and loneliness, which spring the rising feeling of isolation and alienation. His writings respond to the disintegration of the traditional Christian social order and to the Victorian human condition. Arnold’s voice is one of despair, although it is also one of longing; one that seeks comfort in intimate companionship. â€Å"To Marguerit e: Continued† (1852) and â€Å"Isolation: To Marguerite† (1857) are primarily love poems where Arnold expresses his struggle with personal isolation and his hope in the potential remedying power of love. â€Å"The Buried Life† (1852) is a reflection on the Victorian human condition, notably man’s identity crisis founded on social and self-alienation. Finally, â€Å"Dover Beach†, often characterised as a historical poem, mourns the disintegration of the traditional Christian order, as the Church was a pillar of England’s society for all of modern history. Despite these distinctions, Arnold’s verse responds to the Victorian human condition, as he weaves together his despair of the present industrialised world with a longing to overcome its darkness a... ...ety. Ed. J. B. Schneewind. London, 1965, pp. 30-31. Print. "Matthew Arnold : Dover Beach." Representative Poetry Online. Ed. Ian Lancashire. University of Toronto Librairies, 2009. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. . "Matthew Arnold : Isolation: To Marguerite." Representative Poetry Online. Ed. Ian Lancashire. University of Toronto Librairies, 2009. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. . "Matthew Arnold: The Buried Life." Representative Poetry On-line: Version 3.0. Ed. Ian Lancashire. University of Toronto Librairies, 2009. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. . "Matthew Arnold : To Marguerite: Continued." Representative Poetry On-line: Version 3.0. Ed. Ian Lancashire. University of Toronto Librairies, 2009. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. .

Existence of God :: Ontological arguments

The dilemma of the existence of God has troubled mankind for thousands of years. Many philosophers have put forth their theories in order to prove the existence of God. Most of these arguments can be termed as ontological. These arguments differ from other arguments for the existence of God since they are not based on empirical data such as the existence or nature of the universe, but are rather grounded in pure logic. First we will consider the arguments presented by Anselm. He believed that God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’; if one understand this, then God exists in his mind; but it is greater to exist in reality as well as in the mind than to exist only in the mind; therefore, something that exists only in the mind is not ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’; therefore, God exists in reality as well. Anselm also puts this another way: we can conceive of a being that cannot be conceived not to exist; such a being is greater than one that can be conceived not to exist; therefore the greatest conceivable being cannot be conceived not to exist; therefore, the greatest conceivable being exists. This argument does seem to conclude that something resembling the traditional theistic God exists – unlike the cosmological and teleological arguments, which seem restricted to a creator and a designer respectively. This argument was immediately criticized by Gaunilo, who argued that parallel reasoning could be applied to prove the existence of a perfect island. This is a reduction of Anselm’s position: it shows it to have absurd consequences. However, it is not clear that there is a coherent concept of the perfect island to start with: how many palm trees is the perfect number? Anselm’s own reply seems to distinguish the perfect island – which is a perfect example of one kind of thing – from the perfect being – which is a perfect example of a thing, with no restriction to kind. It is no virtue, excellence, perfection of an island qua island that it exists, but it is a virtue, excellence, perfection of a being that it exists, so the argument works only for the concept of a perfect being. The bigger criticism is the one Kant levied at Descartes’s version of the argument, but applies equally to Anselm’s. It is that existence is not a great-making quality of a being, because it is not a quality of a being at all; in Kant’s terms ‘existence is not a real predicate’.