Legal Process Paper: Discrimination

John, a 45 year old minority, is an employee in a private sector organization. He would like to file a discrimination complaint against his employer. What should he do? For many employees in the United States like John, there is a need to demystify the legal process so that they can take the right course of action. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) avers that any individual with the belief that there has been a violation of his employment rights may file a charge of discrimination against the EEOC. In fact, aside from John himself, another individual, organization, or agency may file in his behalf so that John’s identity would be protected. It is imperative to understand how the litigation process in United States courts is referred to as an â€Å"adversarial† system. The adversarial nature is because of the reliance on the litigants to present their dispute before a neutral fact-finder, according to the US Courts website. By analogy, this neutral fact-finder for employment cases is the EEOC, by virtue of the powers vested in it by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On what ground is John planning to file his complaint? He can choose from several laws but for the purposes of this discussion, what may be relevant to John’s case are Title VII and the Age Discrimination and Employment Act. Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964 This Act was landmark legislation in creating the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in eliminating race segregation and discrimination based on sex. The principle of â€Å"promotion from within† is invoked in equity since employers had already taken advantage of incumbent minority and female employees by using them in segregated jobs and often in depressed pay rates (Blumrosen, 1993, p. 74). The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) For persons aged 40 or over, the ADEA prohibits employment discrimination. Sec.623 provides for specific prohibitions against: discrimination in terms of hiring, promotions, wage and retiree health benefits(including a system to calculate the fees and ages); mandatory retirement; and publication of age preferences and limitations in advertisements for hiring. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) SEC. 705 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides for the creation, composition, duties, quasi-judicial functions and powers and of the EEOC. Corollary to this is Sec. 706 on the prevention of the unlawful employment practices, formulating the procedure for filing civil actions under the Commission. Pursuant to this, John may file a charge in person or by mail at the EEOC office. He should fill out an intake questionnaire that contains all the information detailing his charge based on the statutes discussed above. John should also state a clear request for EEOC to act on his complaint. If John is a federal employee, he must refer to the Federal Sector Equal Opportunity Complaint Processing, which is also available on the EEOC website. What should John’s charge contain? He must state his name, address, telephone number, and the same details for the employer he is complaining against. If there were other employees in a similar situation, John must also allege that in the charge. He must describe the alleged violation and the date of its occurrence, subject to the grounds defined in the statutes above. Before he can file a lawsuit in court, this is the first step that John must accomplish. To protect his rights, John must ensure that he files the charge with the EEOC within 180 days or about six months from when he was discriminated against. If John anchors his charge on violation of the ADEA, state laws can extend this period to 300 days. If there is a local anti-discrimination law, there is also a 300 day extension. What is crucial is for John to contact EEOC as soon as he believes that his rights are being violated. Civil Litigation Process – State Level Sec. 706 refers to the process for John himself. Sec. 707 of Title VII refers to the functions of the Attorney General in determining reasonable cause and placing the complaint under the jurisdiction of the district courts. If reasonable cause is found, John’s case can be filed in Court subject to the rules on dispute resolution. The Attorney General should file a complaint: â€Å"(1) signed by him, (2) setting forth facts pertaining to such pattern or practice, and (3) requesting such relief†¦against the person or persons responsible for such pattern or practice, as he deems necessary†¦.† He may file with the clerk of court a request for three judges to hear the case with a certification that John’s case is of general public importance. An important point is on the matter of expediting proceedings. The Judicial Conference on Dispute Resolution (2007) asserts, before John can invoke formal procedures, all reasonable steps to resolve disputes via informal methods should be undertaken. Examples of these include counseling and/or mediation, prior to a formal hearing (p.2). According to the US Courts website, mediation is a flexible, nonbinding dispute resolution procedure in which a neutral third party facilitates negotiations between the parties. It saves time and money for the litigants — in this case, John and his employer. Also, Mechan (1997) wrote that a discovery case management plan is required at the initial pretrial conference between John and his employer (p.39) so that delays would be avoided. If mediation, counseling and dispute resolution did not prosper, then the chief judge must set the case for hearing. Civil Litigation Process – Supreme Court The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over appeals from the final judgment of the district court convened to hear the case of John, as requested by the Attorney General after the intake questionnaire and complaint filed at the EEOC. Subject to the rules on civil procedure, what is important is to guarantee that each party is not denied his day in Court. That, and only that, can help John resolve the legal issue of employment discrimination. References Blumrosen, Alfred W. Modern Law: The Law Transmission System and Equal Employment Opportunity. Wisconsin: U of Wisconsin P. 1993. Mecham, L. R. (1997, May). United States Courts: Judicial Conference of the United States. The Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990: Final Report on Alternative Proposals for Reduction of Cost and Delay, Assessment of Principles, Guidelines & Techniques. Retrieved November 26, 2007 US Congress. 42 U.S.C.  § 2000e [2] et seq. (1964). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Retrieved November 26, 2007 US Congress. 29 U.S.C.  § 621-624. (1967). The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (Modified: 2007, September 11). Filing a Charge of Employment Discrimination. Retrieved   November 26, 2007, from http://www.eeoc.gov/charge/overview_charge_filing.html United States Courts. (  Ã‚   ) .Litigation Process. Retrieved November 26, 2007 United States Courts. (2006, July). In Resolving Disputes, Mediation Most Favored ADR Option in District Courts. Vol. 38, Number 7. Retrieved November 26, 2007 United States Courts. (2007, August 6). Statement of Work: Model Employment Dispute Resolution Plan Improvements. Retrieved November 26, 2007   

How Technology Has Changed Our Lives.

{draw:rect} MODERN AGE (1950-1985) After the Second World War Americans began to prosper, millions of people were changing. The troops that were returning from war some 12 million served during the war years were going back in the workforce. Most of these men were mere children when they signed on, some from rural America that never returned to work the earth. Farming technology was being made to counter act this problem. So much so that at the turn of the twentieth century 50 percent of the workforce was on farms that provided the nation’s food. By the end of the 1950’s only 7 percent of the workforce was working the nation’s farms. Hourly wages for selected industries, United States, 1950 1901 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. $ 0. 23 1918 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. .53 1935 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. .58 1950 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1. 59 SOURCE: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey Manufacturing. (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Yale Brozen writes â€Å"Fear of automation can be traced to four sources. † One is based on the assumption that there is a fixed amount of goods. The second source of fear springs from the idea that automation or cybernation is something more than the latest stage in the long evolution of technology. The third source of fear lies in the fact that we are much more aware of the people displaced by automation and concerned about them than we are of the other unemployed. Even while we reduce the amount of manpower needed to do a fixed amount of work does that fixed amount of work remain the same? As we all know this is not the case. As we free up manpower from one aspect we find new and productive uses for that manpower. His words speak the truth then as they do today. It saves lives through the aid it gives doctors. By controlling traffic signals in response to traffic flows and reducing traffic congestion, it adds hours to the free time of commuters every week. It helps scientists, with the aid of high speed data processing; to develop new knowledge that otherwise would not be available in our lifetimes. We are increasing the sc ale of educational activities because mechanization, automation, cybernation, or whatever we choose to call our new technology, makes it possible to do more than we could formerly. With the coming of automation, men are able to do more and have more. Both sublime and mundane activities are being enlarged and the number of jobs has grown as a consequence, not declined. † (Brozen) The second source of fear that the latest idea of automation or technology will become something more then what it was intended to be. People were so obsessed with what the future would hold books and movies were made to cast this fear. Science fiction was used to depict future events that could occur. Films such as one that was released in 1968 2001: A Space Odyssey where an artificially intelligent supercomputer, HAL takes over a space mission. Today some super computers are in use, are they anyway near being HAL? Some say we are getting close to true artificial intelligence, but we are far from HAL. The forth source of fear of automation is that it reduces the demand for unskilled workers. This may be true in some instances but at the same time the demand for skilled workers will increase. As stated previously companies do their best to keep their employees. When possible they are retraining these employees to fill new jobs that become available because of the new technology. If this were true then the unemployment rate would raise proportionately. If automation is added to a process and did the work of five people then five people would be unemployed. We know that this does not make sense. It has increased productivity to the process not that it reduced people from the process. NEW WAVE (1985-Present) The year 1985 saw more technological changes, Windows 1. 0 is introduced here you can do more than just one DOS application at a time. Made by this little upstart IBM partner company called Microsoft, it even comes with a calculator program. Some other wonders of 1985 is the first compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) of none other than a Grolier Encyclopedia. Apple was the big name in computers at the time and most businesses had one. To be up to date in the office the new Apple LaserWriter printer was the best and it only cost around $7000. The main reason we call 1985 the New Wave era is this, the first . Com domain name, symbolics. com, is registered by the Symbolics Corporation. (The People History) According to David Huether, chief economist of the National Association of Manufacturers, U. S. manufacturers are producing and exporting more goods than ever before. While manufacturing output easily outpaces the larger U. S. economy, manufacturing employment, at 14. million, is at its lowest level in more than 50 years. (Williams) Another place that has felt the effects of technology is in the office, or white collar jobs. Michael J. Handel writes in a brief for SRI International: â€Å"Analyses of national data indicate that increased use of computers in the 1980s and 1990s was associated with greater use of more-educated workers withi n industries. However, the direction of causality is unclear. It may be that both educational upgrading and greater computer use simply reflect an independent increase in the number of white collar workers within industries, who are the most frequent computer users. It may be that the hiring of more-educated workers, usually office workers, stimulates demand for computers rather than vice versa. In addition, the industries upgrading their educational levels coincident with adoption of computers in the 1980s and 1990s also appear to have been upgrading educational levels before the widespread diffusion of computers. † (Handel) There are many ways to make a job better, faster, and safer. Every dayI see improvements to the work floor. There are many facets of the business that help with these improvements. Some of which are our Product Development Teams (PDT) that will follow the work to see if anything can be changed. They work closely with our Research and Development (RD) operations. These two areas have grown by 1000% in the last twenty years. Another area that has greatly grown is our engineering staff and related personal. In 1996 the skilled trades had two engineers to take all our requests to. We now have engineers for facilities, electricians, repairmen, mobile equipment, power house, and toolmakers. In all we have become more effective and more efficient in how we do our business of repairing the machinery in the factory. Everyone can be affected by technology no job is completely that same as it was in years past. Studies have been made to classify a job for automation. They are based on three dimensions, Receptiveness Stability Structuredness Some jobs are changing constantly, I have seen toll booth operations change here in Illinois just over the last two years. The new faster E-Z pass lanes going into Chicago for one. I asked one of the booth operators how they liked them, one told me that it was all good. Their day is less stressful and they have hired more people in the toll way system. More people to monitor and maintain the equipment and make sure those that did not pay get those little notices in the mail. WORKS CITED Baughman, James L. â€Å"Television Comes to America, 1947-57. † Editorial. Illinois Periodicals Online (IPO) Project. N. p. , Mar. 1993. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. lib. niu. edu/1993/ ihy930341. html. Bland Jr. , Gordon R. â€Å"The Effects of Job Automation on the Economy. † Scribd. N. p. , 4 Mar. 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. scribd. com/doc/12965589/The-Effects-of-Job-Automation-on-the-Economy. Bureau of Labor Statistics. â€Å"100 Years of U. S. Consumer Spending: Data for the Nation, New York City, and Boston. † United States Department of Labor. N. p. , 3 Aug. 2006. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. bls. gov/opub/uscs/1950. pdf. Brozen, Yale. â€Å"Automation: The Retreating Catastrophe. † Ludwig von Mises Institute. N. p. , n. d. http://mises. org/journals/lar/pdfs/2_3/2_3_5. pdf. Rpt. in Automation: The Retreating Catastrophe. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. N. pag. Ludwig von Mises Institute. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://mises. org/. Handel, Michael J. SRI Project Number P10168. SRI International, July 2003. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. sri. om/policy/csted/reports/sandt/it/Handel_IT_Employment_InfoBrief. pdf>. Huether, David. â€Å"The Case of The Missing Jobs. † BusinessWeek. N. p. , 3 Apr. 2006. http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/06_14/b3978116. htm. Rpt. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/06_14/b3978116. htm. The People History . † 1985. N. p. , 2009. Web. 29 No v. 2009. http://www. thepeoplehistory. com/ 1985. html. U. S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Reducing Launch Operations Costs: New Technologies and Practices, OTA-TM-ISC-28 (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, September 1988).

The role of motivation in management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The role of motivation in management - Essay Example Post WWII, the concepts of mass production, economy and scale, and uniform production methods brought businesses to leadership in their respective fields. During these years the labor pool was made up most significantly of men who learned to be successful by following orders and following through until they were told differently. This is a mindset which created an effective military machine, and brought economic success back to their home country. However, today's labor pool is significantly different. The workers are educated, and have been taught to think as well as work. Today's workers want to know, and to some extent feel connected to the 'why' behind their tasks as well as the 'what' of their daily tasks. To a great extent, these workers no longer hold to the ideals of the previous generation, and are no longer motivated to work for a secure paycheck, and a 30 year career path. Today's workers are looking for an emotional connection, or what researchers call a psychological contract (Clair et. al, 2001) between themselves and their employers in order to feel personally connected to their position. Hence, business a usual, expecting workers to be satisfied by following orders and completing tasks, is no longer a corporate culture which will build a successful organization. CF&F may not yet realize the problems for which it is headed. Surrounded by a corporate culture which has successfully built the organization, the CEO, board and other top executives may not yet be aware of the extent to which the employee dissatisfaction can undermine the organization. We could say that the organization must tame the unruly beast of employee unrest before it begins to negatively affect production, quality, and profits. The company needs to tame the problem before the organization begins to suffer profit decay due to increased costs associated with increased turnover. The following recommendations will use the acronym T.A.M.E. to form a recommendation for change. For the duration of this recommendation, T.A.M.E. stands for: Transformation of the company culture by training upper and middle management in transformational leadership. Authority disbursement from the hands of the upper management to the department heads and workers. Mentoring transformational leaders at every level. They will learn within a measured level of accountability how to lead and transform those under them Empowerment of each department to control their immediate environment and business variables in order to maximize efficiency, and employee moral. Basis for the recommendation Tom Peters and Robert Waterman published Mc Kinney's 7-S Model in their article "Structure Is Not Organization" (1980) and in "In Search of Excellence" (1982). The model starts on the premise that an organization is not just structure, but consists of seven elements: Those seven elements are differentiated into so called hard S's and soft S's. The hard elements (green circles) are feasible and easy to identify. They can typically be found in strategy statements, corporate plans, and organizational charts. The four soft S's however, are less

Critically assess the Prime Minister's powers, Review the role of the Essay

Critically assess the Prime Minister's powers, Review the role of the media in British politics, Is the higher civil ser - Essay Example This work will focus on the powers of the prime minister and other political issues in the United Kingdom, specifically Britain (Adams, 2000). Powers of the prime minister The office of the prime minister in the United Kingdome is not in the constitution meaning there is no reference or a proper legal document that describes all matters that pertains to this office. Due to this, it remained uncommon to majority until the 20th century when the relation between the prime minister, sovereign government, cabinet and the parliament was appreciated. Prime minister’s powers include: the head of the government, meaning he is the chief officer of the executive and legislative arm of the government or the head of the cabinet. Here the prime minister signs policies debated upon by the legislators into full law. In some nations, the prime minister and the president or head of state must both agree with the policy before it actually becomes a full law. But in the United Kingdom, the Monarc hy is a relief from active role in governmental affairs, hence it is the prime minister to solely sign such policies to full law. ... The second group laments that the prime minister is a senior government official whose wishes or orders ought to be done without further questions (Negrine, 2002). The best solution to this debate is to establish a vetting procedure through which qualified people are vetted before being appointed by the prime minister, further more, the constitution should protect the cabinet members from official exploitations by senior most governmental powers, prime minister being one of them. He organizes business between the executive, civil service and legislators among other important governmental departments. The prime minister represents the Queen or monarchy in both domestic and international affairs. He has the overall control over the cabinet office, which is headed by the secretary of the cabinet, also the head of civil servants. Here the head of civil service must present some issues to the prime minister before the final verdicts are made. Since the head of civil servants is appointed by the prime minister, no aspirant would dare oppose the Prime Minister (Stephen, 2000). Politics is real where some leaders agree and disagree for the sake of good governorship. In my opinion a one sided governorship is more of a dictatorship or the state of psycho fancy. A majority of both appointed and aspiring senior government officials will always support the prime minister despite the infeasibilities. The constitution should be amended to protect the senior officials from such oppressions. A good government is that which cabinet and other senior officials are free to make their personal opinions for the sake of the citizens in general. Role of media in British Politics Britain is of the countries where media sector is at full liberty to

Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Public Relations - Essay Example The primary reasons behind their failure to effectively, efficiently and consistently practice the PR have been further attributed with the lack of proper resources and ineffective time management as well as faulty resource allocation (Gale, 2007). Contextually, involving in community development activities is often considered as a vital strategy for promoting relationships as well as developing long-term prosperous ownership of initiatives with variety of important publics emphasizing on the sustainability needs of the organization through stakeholder engagement. In order to attain successful outcomes from the campaigns that are designed to promote healthy relationship with large group of population and encouraging behavioral change concerning with certain specific issues identified by NPOs, it is crucial that proper strategies and planning is devised prior to the commencement of the campaign. It is equally necessary that effective monitoring and evaluation is developed for ensuring the quality and effectiveness of the undertaken PR campaigns (Gale, 2007). Based on these considerations, the purpose of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of PR initiatives engaging United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and its public in relation to certain health related issues including cancer awareness, drug abuse prevention, smoking cessations and child welfare among others. Identification of Key Publics The primary reason behind determining the target group is to identify the groups and audiences who need to change their perceptions, behavioral traits and attitudes (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2010). The proper identification of audiences and their efficient segmentation can facilitate in determining the course of communication in the most progressive way. Contextually, UNICEF attempts to communicate with a wide range of the public maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship. Each of these public groups is further identified to have unique sets of issues concerning with various health factors (United Nations Children’s Fund, 2005). Correspondingly, the communication campaign initiated with due concern towards health issues, UNICEF targeted the group of public including men and women living in the most deprived areas specially those working in hazardous environmental conditions. For similar kind of PR campaigns, the school and college going young and adult people, who tend to easily get habituated to smoking and are vulnerable to drug abuse, can also be treated as the target audiences. Similarly, parents and teenagers were also targeted for the campaigns in order promote child welfare by UNICEF in its PR campaigns concerning the progress needs for women and children. With reference to the organizational vision and PR initiatives, the communication programs conducted by UNICEF can be divided into three fundamental groups of audiences in general, including men and women workin g in hazardous working environment, school and college going children and adult prone to unsocial lifestyles, and the parents who are primarily engaged in the working followed by teenagers (NGLS, 2009; United Nations Children’s Fund, 2005). Effectiveness of Communication between UNICEF and Its Intended People The perquisite for effective communication requires timely preparation, effective use of languages, proper understanding of culture where the campaign will be held and

Environmental and social impact from AL-HAMRA tower On heart of Kuwait Essay

Environmental and social impact from AL-HAMRA tower On heart of Kuwait city - Essay Example The Al Hamra Tower, for the purpose of its construction, has occupied almost 18,000-square meter of space in the East Maqwa district of Kuwait City. Two leading construction companies, Al Hamra Real Estate and Ajial Real Estate that represents the owner, have collaborated together for successful construction of the modern architectural landmark. In addition to the various facilities offered to the national and international visitors, this tower will also comprise a 77-story tower consisting of prime office space and crowned by a spectacular rooftop restaurant, a spa and an attached lifestyle shopping center. The shopping center will include a 10-screen Cineplex which will also have IMAX theaters. Despite the reason that the Al Hamra Tower will prove advantageous for the citizens of Kuwait in many ways and it will also add to the overall aesthetic beauty of the city but at the same time there is no scope to deny that it will also cause a great deal of environmental hazards during the time of its construction. Thus, it is important in this context to receive an overview of the whole situation, before and after construction of the tower. It has also been estimated by the constructing parties of the tower that aftermath its completion, the tower will contribute to a great extent in changing the overall socio-economic condition of the surrounding area. As this tower will be one of the most important centers for business and several other types of jobs, it is expected that after completion of the tower access of common localities to different job and income opportunities will also enhance accordingly. Thus, erection of the tower contains within its scope the twofold aspects of goo d and evil from societal perspective. The main aim of the report is to discuss the environmental and social effects resulted from erection of this project on the surrounding environment (i.e. during construction and after completion) and on the physical life in

Intellectual Property Law assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Intellectual Property Law assignment - Essay Example A copyrights issue, with regards to ownership and authorship of a book and photographs arises. Who between Burchill, the book author and Justin Timbersnake, the subject of the book, owns the copyright to the book and the photographs? Does Burchill own the rights to the photos of Justin Timberlake she took in the pretence of her personal use and do such rights allow her to publicly distribute the photos in question? As noted, this is purely a question of copyright law; most importantly, The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 and the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003, No. 2498. In particular, this case is about copyright laws because it touches on moral rights and obligations. In this case, the right of privacy for Justin’s photographs Burchill had taken for her personal use, of which she has now agreed to give to the editor of The Sunday Topical. Secondly, there is the issue of copyright infringement and moral infringement; has the editor of The Sunday Topical infringed on Justin Timbersnake’s rights to the contents of Burchill’s book and photos? It is a fact that Burchill is the author of the book biography of Justin Timbersnake and the photographs she took of Justin while at his mansion. ... Justin Timbersnake should not sue The Sun Topical for serialising the book since they have not in any way infringed on his copyright since Burchill owns the authorship rights. However, Timbersnake can go ahead and sue Burchill for giving his private photos to The Sun Topical for public display. Likewise, as the facts of this case those outlined above are concerned; the relevant law to this case is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, specifically in relation to authorship, ownership, infringements, moral rights and privacy. Based on the facts of the case, it is imperative that the issue of ownership of the book and of the photography needs to be established. It is also beneficial to determine whether, by allowing Burchill access to his personal diary, Justin Timbersnake’s granted or transferred his copyrights of the diary to Burchill. If there was an assignment or transfer of copyright ownership, it will be important to find out whether there is a written documentatio n signed by or on behalf of the assignor. Another issue that needs determining is the nature of relationship between Burchill and Justine Timbersnake with regards to both the photography and the book; was Burchill employed by Justin when she took the photographs? Or did Justin ask or commission her to write the book on his life? These questions help in determining the first owner of the copyright with regards to both the photographs and the book. In addition to solving the issue of copyright ownership and authorship, it is important that the issue of infringement is looked at. Determining whether liability exists is also important as is the issues of remedies in terms of damages and or criminal

Biography of Paulo Coelho Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biography of Paulo Coelho - Essay Example His first works were widely performed by Elis Regina but he received much of his artistic and commercial success on collaborations with Raul Seixas. Writings- Although Coelho had written many works in the 1970s his breakout work was The Pilgrimage in 1987. This autobiographical work outlined his spiritual journey wherein he walked the 500 mile Way of Saint James in Spain. His follow up book, the Alchamist (released in 1987) helped cement him as one of the great writers of this generation. Philosophical and spiritual views: In an interview conducted on his own blog, he identifies that although he was once an atheist and a Buddhist he has since returned to Catholicism. He identifies that he has tried everything that there is and stated that all religions have the same objective. File Sharing- Coehlo is a big proponent for file sharing technology as a means of spreading his work. He releases much of his personal work on his blog and had permitted personal translations of his works to be republished. Current life: He founded the Paulo Coelho Institute which provides financial assistance to needy people and has aided in a number of charitable causes. He lives in Rio de Janiero and occasionally in Europe. He is married to Christina Oiticica whi is a Brazilian Artist. Summary: Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian Lyracist and writer. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, and he was given a traditional Jesuit education as a young man. Because of prolonged disagreements with his mother over his future career path he subsequently spent a portion of his youth in an insane asylum. According to an interview that appeared on his blog (2007) he identified that he had been committed to an insane asylum three times for his non-conformist beliefs. Although he had a brief stint at law school he ultimately dropped out to work as a lyricist in which he received commercial and artistic notoriety working with artists such as Elis Regina and Raul Seixas. It is upon this foundation

Scenario Analysis Develop a training or college course Essay

Scenario Analysis Develop a training or college course - Essay Example In our discussion, we will critically analyze and present the efficient method that can be used to train a staff of a given business organization. Trainers should always work towards success and as argued by scholars, success of a teacher is attained through good performance and excellence of the students. Therefore, to achieve your goal, always ensure you reach the all class meeting the students’ expectations. Observation has been made that a good teacher is the one who understands their students hence coming up with conducive and convenient teaching program without ignoring any gender, age and class. The teacher should satisfy the whole class so as to ensure excellent results. Basing our argument on the case of the group of trainees given in this paper, it is right to understand the theories concerning with adult studies so as to make effective decision on how to tackle the varying group for good understanding. Age theory explains the fact that, individuals at different age are faced with different problems. They are exposed to various individual issues depending on the period of life at hand. People at the adult period of life are observed to be more concerned with their achievements in life and value of their culture. They appear to be more resistant to change and always fighting towards protection of their good values. Adult group according to age theory is observed to have great feeling of membership to their community (International Conference on Green Communications and Networks, Yang & Ma, 2013). This makes them more resistant to any idea that seems to violate and depleted their traditional practices. On the other hand, stage theory brings out the different stages that are undergone by an individual as they grow up. These theorists argued that, knowledge is never stagnant it is always in progress. They asserted that as individuals move from one level of life to another their knowledge becomes more and more. Therefore, adults will always want to

American Theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American Theme - Essay Example These writers, while not as formally educated as the Brahmins, were taught by the twists and turns of real life experiences and drew their sustenance from the soil and the air of the country. The desire for freedom, both social and intellectual, seemed to be the most abiding passion for this intrepid tribe of realists. Though Philip Freneau had a fine education and was well versed in European romanticism, he willingly embraced democratic ideals and espoused liberal thoughts. He was against the imperialist designs of the British and fought against them in the Revolutionary War. He was captured in 1780 and almost died before being rescued by his family. As it is he was a bitter critic of the British and on top of it the torture he faced during imprisonment made him one of the most vociferous antagonists of the British Empire. His pen started spewing fire and brimstone and the fiery poem â€Å"The British Prison Ship† became his first condemnation of the British who were, he thought, out "to stain the world with gore." But this was just the beginning as "American Liberty", "A Political Litany" and "George the Thirds Soliloquy†, among several other such feisty outpourings, quickly cemented his place as the foremost poet of American Revolution and a diehard bearer of the flag of liberty an d independence. (Elliot 1982) With the help of Thomas Jefferson he established â€Å"National Gazette† in 1791 and became America’s one of the first crusading newspaper editors – an ideal that later day stalwarts like William Cullen Bryant, William Lloyd Garrison, and H.L. Mencken would emulate. Freneau was equally fluent in colloquial as well as pedantic styles and could evoke refined neoclassical lyricism with consummate ease. His collection of poems "The Wild Honeysuckle" is still considered one of the finest examples of neoclassical subtleties which could

Organization and Management_theories Essay Example for Free

Organization and Management_theories Essay Organization is a complex and intricate framework whose nature, behavior, effects, consequences and incidents are broad and ambiguous. It is not automatically comprehensible and manageable as any person dealing with it remains uncertain of what the organization is all about. This is so simply because the behavior, conditions and status of the organization is contingent or dependent upon individual members. Hence, one must first have to determine the basic traits, behavior, disposition, aims, and positions of each member before one can truly have the rudimentary idea of an organization which could guide and lead towards its dealings for a better and more effective management policies. Managing an organization requires a basic framework, plan, strategy or principles on how the manager will deal to his or her subordinates. These framework, plan, strategy or principles should be possessed by the manager, and should be well defined with a sense of concreteness and direction, before he or she can deal with his or her subordinates. The success of the manager’s plan or the fulfillment of his or her objective is basically determined on how efficacious and sustaining is his methods of management towards the subordinates. The manager must devise and establish such a framework, plan, strategy or principles which would best fit to the basic structure and environment in which he is managing, and one that is acceptable, favorable and bearable by all subordinates. This paper concerns the need for a manager to have an instrumental and conceptual knowledge in everyday practice. This includes the assessments of various frameworks critically analyzing some management and organizational methods and theories that may be utilized and applied as a management policy. The manager may not contend only to use one method, but resort to various methods could before practical and efficacious in reaching for the intended output. The manager therefore, must possess a sound and rational discretion, this being the condition sine qua non, in order for him to make use of the various management theories and methods which he may deem fit, convenient and effective within the premises and circumstances of the establishment or enterprise which he or she is managing or dealing. Critique on the Classical Models The classical thinkers like Plato waxes some ideas though profoundly and abstractly laid down in his The Laws and The Republic. He advanced the idea that a leader must necessarily possess a general idea of everything to the extent that he or she must know the basic function of each unit in the community. Plato would suggest that managers must be acquainted to his or her subordinates, especially their strengths, talents, skills, ability and capacity so as he may designate and assign them to such a job where such subordinate or member of the community is best fitted and productive. The explicit theory of the one best way to organize is normally ascribed to the classical theorists, notably Frederick Taylor and Max Weber, but it is, as we have seen, much older, even if it then only concerned social organization. Taylor’s model sprang from factory production and Weber’s from the offices of public administration, but they had a lot in common—notably a reliance on standardization of work, control of quality, fine-grained division of labor, and a strict hierarchy. They both strongly believed that the organizational models they proposed would prevail and eventually supplant all others because they were the most efficient. Weber’s interest was not in organization per se, but in the role it played in politics and economics in general. His discussion of bureaucracy therefore centered on its legal and political ramifications, as well as its part in the general rationalization of society—a result of the growing hegemony of rational means-ends relations. Weber viewed bureaucracy as the epitome of this development, working with supreme efficiency, and believed it would supersede all other organization forms. In Weber’s eyes, this development was not necessarily in humanity’s interest—on the contrary, he saw in the efficiency of bureaucracy a frightening potential to lock us into an Iron Cage of machine-like existence. With Weber’s own definition of sociology in mind, it is difficult to understand how he could be so sure of the inevitable and total domination of a single organizational structure. In that definition, he bases sociology squarely on an understanding of individual action and interaction, based on individuals’ subjective understanding of their situation and the purpose of their own actions (Fivelsdal 1971). Supra-individual concepts such as structure, function, and system are rejected as causes. One should think that human variation would make room for more than one structural form, and at least that its grim advances could be blocked by a pervasive tendency among disgruntled individuals to choose (for subjective reasons) other solutions. Henri Fayol and later Luther Gulick and Lyndall Urwick emphasized formal authority and the role of direct supervision (Mintzberg 1979), but the spirit of their work was the same as Taylor’s. You might even say that they were not really presenting theories of organization at all, but recipes—indicating the best solution for every type of activity, just as Plato did in the meticulous details of The Laws. The early theorists’ belief in the existence of final, superior solutions and their inescapable triumph can be viewed as an expression of their times—of the rapid progress of science and technology; the immense success of the mass-producing factory, the general increase in rational attitudes; and a rather naive belief in the simpleness of human affairs and their resemblance to physical systems. Buckley (1967) has suggested that such theories represented a continuation of the Social Physics the central notion of which was that man was a physical object, a kind of advanced machine; that behavior and social relations were subject to natural laws of the same kind as the laws of physics; and that man and society could be analyzed and managed accordingly. In politics and history the Marxian visions of inevitable social transformations embodied much of the same spirit, even if the underlying analysis was more sophisticated. The belief in the rationality and inevitability of things was thus a reflection of the contemporary beliefs in progress and technology, and the notion of the one best solution also appeals to our natural thirst for simplification—a faith in a one best way is much more reassuring than the acknowledgment of a bewildering array of optional solutions. As such, this view lingers on today—both in the minds of managers and in the offerings of consultants. Implied in this view is a notion of technological determinism—if there is a one best way of organizing, there must also be a one best way to utilize any new tool. Such a one-to-one relationship between a tool and its optimal use means that the tool itself will, by necessity, have strong bearings on organizational design. It is quite obvious that Taylor included tools and machinery in his designs for factory organization, and that the properties of those tools and machines were important determinants for the design of jobs and the relationships between them. The connection may not seem just as plain when we look at Weber and his theories of bureaucracy—there do not seem to be so many tools in use. However, the most important organizational tool in history (at least before the computer) has probably been the art of writing, and Weber’s bureaucracy is explicitly based on written procedures and written information. In other words, if bureaucracy is the one best way to organize administrative work in a literate society, and it presupposes the use of writing, the properties of writing (as a tool) must be regarded as one of the most the most important determinants of bureaucratic organization—maybe even the most important. In Scott’s (1987) classification of theoretical schools, both scientific management and Weber’s theory of bureaucracy are closed, rational system models. They presuppose that organizational actors are fully rational in all their decisions, that they always strive to achieve the organization’s expressed goals, and that the structure and functions of an organization are independent of its environment. Simon’s Bounded Rationality In the development of organization theory, the belief in the one best way and the closed, rational model of organizations (Scott 1987) gradually came under attack after World War II. One of the early attackers was Herbert A. Simon, who developed a new theory of decision making, opposing the reigning concept of unbounded rationality in organizational and economic matters. Simon attacked both the economists’ image of economic man and the rational manager of the earlier management theorists. Although he seemed to accept the notion that there was an objective, theoretical best way in a given set of circumstances, he denied the possibility of finding this solution in practice. Simon’s great common-sense realization was that humans operate with limited information and wits in an exceedingly complex world, and that they have no choice but to simplify, to operate with a bounded rationality, to satisfice—not maximize. The basic realization of an objective best way is not a practical possibility, even if it may exist in theory. The objective, practical goal of organizational members is therefore never to find the optimal solution (even if they may think so themselves), but to find one that is good enough for their ends—which usually also means good enough for the organization to survive. It also follows that there must be many such solutions, and that different people and different organizations will more often than not choose different solutions. Scott (1987) also classifies the theory presented in Administrative Behavior as belonging to the closed, rational system model. This seems a bit unjust, since several passages in the book discuss interactions with the environment (for instance, the discussions in Chapter VI, The Equilibrium of the Organization) and fully document that Simon does not believe that an organization is an island to itself. However, the theory of decision making that is developed in the book largely treats organizational decisions as something internal to the organization, and this may perhaps merit Scott’s classification. Because the environmental connection is more pronounced in the book coauthored with March (March and Simon 1958), the theory presented there is classified by Scott as belonging to the open, rational system models. These models represent organizations as predominantly rational systems, but they recognize that organizations are continuously dependent on exchanges with their environment and must adapt to it to survive. Transaction Costs Analysis Another approach in the open, rational systems category is the transaction cost analysis developed by Williamson. However, Williamson’s interest in organizational structure centers on questions of organization size and the degree of vertical integration. He argues that the cost of exchanging goods or services between people, departments, or organizations will decide whether or not a function will be incorporated into the organization. The primeval, natural state of business activities can be seen as a situation with individual producers exchanging goods and services through the market. If markets or tasks (or both) grow so complex that the cognitive limits of the producers become overloaded or if the transaction costs increase for other reasons, there will be a pressure to increase the level of organization in order to overcome these difficulties. Applied on the current situation, this implies that existing organizations will try to internalize transactions if they believe they can execute them more efficiently than the market or if they become so complex that market-based solutions become intractable. For instance, an auto manufacturer will develop or buy its own dealer network if it believes it can sell more cars or fetch a bigger profit that way; an aluminum producer will buy into bauxite mines if it believes that this will shield it from dangerous price fluctuations. Technology has a part in transaction theory insofar as it changes transaction costs in the market, inside the organizations, or both. Since information technology has a great potential for changing the conditions for coordination—both within and between organizations, it should be of great interest to the transaction cost perspective. The Several Best Ways: The Human Relations Movement The human relations school brought the individual and the social relations between individuals into focus. People in organizations were no longer seen only—not even mainly—as rational beings working to achieve the goals of the organization. It was discovered that they were just as much driven by feelings, sentiments, and their own particular interests—which could be quite different from what classical theory presupposed. Moreover, the new studies also showed that there was an informal structure in every organization, growing from the unofficial contacts people in the organization had with each other. This informal structure could be just as important as the formal one for predicting the outcome of decision-making processes—sometimes even more important. There were a number of main themes investigated by the different approaches within the human relations school, and most of them are still actively pursued by researchers. The most basic is the insistence on the importance of individual characteristics and behaviors in understanding organizational behavior. This easily leads to an interest in the effects of different leadership styles, as well as in the effects of race, class, and cultural background. Formalization in work is strongly repudiated on the grounds that it is detrimental to both worker commitment and psychological well-being, and participative management, job enlargement, or, at least, job rotation is prescribed. In fact, human relations theorists have always been eager to promote changes in organizations to produce what they see as more humane work places, and they claim that the less formal, more participative organization will also be the most productive. It is not unreasonable, therefore, to criticize at least the most ardent proponents of these views for prescribing one best way solutions just as much as the classical theorists (Mohr 1971). With their emphasis on humans and their psychological and social properties, the human relations theorists were not especially interested in tools and technology except as a source of repressive formalization. However, even if we might say that they inherited a belief in optimal solutions from the classical theorists, their theories implied that it was human needs and qualities, and not technology, that dictated the optimal organizational forms. In other words, it was in their view possible to design and operate organizations principally on the basis of human characteristics, and thus thwart what others viewed as technological imperatives. Woodward Among the new research projects were Woodward’s pathbreaking studies of a number of manufacturing companies in the southeast of England in the 1950s (Mintzberg 1979, Clegg 1990), in which she showed how three basic production technologies strongly correlated with a corresponding number of organization structures: Bureaucratization increased as one went from unit or small batch production via large batch or mass production to continuous-process production. First, this discovery led to renewed faith in technological determinism: there now seemed to be not one best way to organize, but rather a best way for each class of production technology—in Woodward’s case, unit production, mass production, and process industry. The Multitude of Ways: Sociotechnics In England a group of researchers developed a distinct framework, which in addition to action approach, they also proposed that the distinguishing feature of organizations is that they are both social and technical systems (Scott 1987, p. 108). The core of the organization represented, so to speak, an interface between a technical system and a human (social) system. This implied that, in order to achieve maximum performance in an organization, it did not suffice to optimize only the technical or the social system, nor to search for the best match between existing technological and organizational elements. The goal should be a joint optimization of the two—creating a synergy that yielded more than could be achieved simply by adding the two together. Their preferred organizational solutions emphasized co-determination, internalized regulation, and workgroup autonomy. They also discovered that changes at the workgroup level did not survive for long without compatible changes in the overlying structures—a discovery that was also made in a series of experiments with autonomous workgroups in Norwegian industry in the 1960s, inspired by the Tavistock group and directed by the newly founded Work Research Institute in Oslo (Thorsrud and Emery 1970). During their projects they also learned that the environment impinged on intra-organizational activities to a much larger degree than they had anticipated. Sociotechnics, for me is here taking a position that is particularly relevant for information technology, even if sociotechnics was established as a theoretical framework before computers started to make themselves felt to any significant degree. When working with information technology in organizations, it is of utmost importance to be aware of the intimate interdependence between the computer-based systems, the individuals using them, the manual routines, and the organizational structure. Any serious attempt to optimize the use of information technology must acknowledge this reciprocity. It is therefore quite remarkable that sociotechnical theory has remained so much out of fashion for the last decade, just the period when the use of computers has really exploded. One reason may be the general lack of interest in information technology that has plagued the social sciences overall; another is that those who were interested within the sociotechnical tradition tended to be drawn toward research on the cognitive aspects of computer use, especially the (literal) user interfaces of computer systems, neglecting the overlying question of the broader interaction of humans and computer systems in structural terms.

The Use of ICT in Primary Science Learning

The Use of ICT in Primary Science Learning Earlier in the history of electronic advancement, children in highly developed countries had learned to appreciate and use simple to complex electronic gadgetries but never understood basic principles behind them. Some knew how to assemble robots but could not understand how the motor or magnets in it work. In other words they learn to walk before they crawl. Concerns have reached the classroom as today’s educational systems use more of ICT in teaching basic principles of English, Mathematics, and Science teaching. The question whether how much exposure and competence the pupils must have on certain science principles before they are exposed to ICT as a means of performing laborious, repetitive or more complex tasks is a challenge for educators of today. The schools and all education stakeholders must however understand that the uses of ICT tools are an advantage to both teachers and pupils. Results of several studies conducted throughout the world revealed that the use of ICT greatly increased the level of learning and understanding of the pupils on the scientific principles being studied (Betts, 2003, Mistler-Jackson Songer, 2000, Hogarth et. al, 2006). In fact the ICT tools can even be use to demonstrate science principles in a safer way. For instance, teaching electricity principles to pupils can be both interesting and dangerous. But the advent of computer hardwares and softwares has made it more motivating and rewarding minus the hazards. Primary knowledge and skills about how electrical circuits work, how much power is required for certain types of lights, and others can be learned through simulation and not in actual exposure to real electrical circuits. To determine if ICT is really needed for primary science education and understand when is the proper timing of its introduction into the learning process it is proper to understand first what ICT applications are necessary and how can they be integrated into the learning systems? What are the advantages and disadvantages of its applications? Types of ICT learning tools in science The use of ICT in teaching science for primary education came in various forms. Review of schools’ science teaching modules show the use of ICT hardwares and softwares to obtain and use science information, encoding of data, and creating presentations. Science information materials can be obtained from CD-ROM based encyclopedia and other e-books, journals, and articles, through a wide variety of Internet locations, and through local and international electronic library networks. There are a lot of word processing softwares that can be used to prepare science reports including customized programs for science report preparations. Data processing programs, spreadsheets, databases used for logging science data, processing them, and analyzing the results and its implications are already available for use. Higher-level applications include the use of simulation programs to explain scientific principles and perform experiments in virtual conditions. There are experiments, which are impractical to conduct under normal conditions but can be simulated in computers to show the implications to let the pupils appreciate and understand. Example to this are CD programs that show what would happen if we walk on surfaces of different planets, what are the magnitudes of the gravity in Mars, Pluto, our moons, and others. Children can appreciate the effects through computer images animated based on the actual situation in the simulated locations. Advantages of ICT science learning tools The use of ICT tools has a lot of identified advantages over the use of conventional methods of instructions such as the traditional ordinary chalk and board and the pen and paper system. Several of these identified edge of ICT is discussed below. In primary level ICT applications on data logging using sensitive probes to measure temperature, light, pressure, acidity, and other parameters increase the affectivity in data gathering and extend the range and accuracy of the observations. Ordinary tools used to gather these data such as thermometers, pressure gauges, pH meters or pH papers, and others require manual reading and data quality is dependent on the child’s skills and mode. The use of ICT based instruments has helped free the children from doing laborious task and repetitive works and focus their attention on analysing the meaning of the data. The use of networks through Internet, intranets, e-libraries, and other ICT medium widened the pupil’s access to information and even brought him to places virtual which cannot be accessed easily with conventional means without ICT. Children can access information from libraries in other European, American, Asian, and other countries around the globe without leaving the classroom. Simulation software used in science learning provides higher achievements of students than those not using the simulation, with girls achieving equally with boys (Huppert, 2002). The use of ICT in the classroom makes as much demand on teachers’ understanding and mediation as non-computer activities; however it speeds up the process and makes use of class times more efficiently by eliminating board works as replaced by computer presentations. Illustrations and examples are more realistic with use of virtual replica of real world figures like plants, animals, and objects. ICT has really made learning more fun and exciting and even made to raise the enthusiasm of the pupils as learning is made easy and enjoyable just like games. Disadvantages and problems Just like any other promising technologies the use of ICT has perceived problems in education and in application to teaching-learning in particular. Several reports and reviews enumerated these problems which can be grouped into: teacher related, facility related, and learner related. As far as the teachers are concerned, review of Hogarth, et. al (2006) revealed some of those involved in utilizing ICT in science classes have doubts over the value of ICT in promoting learning in science lessons. This is caused by the fact that many ICT resources have no clear rationale for their inclusion in teaching. The worst case is that some teachers lack adequate training to handle ICT programs and if they are trained they lack the time to plan for effective use of ICT in their lessons. Some teachers lack confidence on the effectiveness of some hardware and software used in the process while others felt threatened by the presence in the classroom of a new, powerful source of information. Yerrick Hoving (1999) also reported that despite similarities in teachers knowledge on ICT the implementation of ICT programs differ with teachers which could have been affected by the school’s and teacher’s practices. In relation to facilities, Hogarth, et al. (2006) reported there are planning difficulties associated with banks of networked computers being located centrally in rooms which had to be booked in advance for the instructional purposes. These are caused by shortage of computers and other hardware and the lack of technical support. Materials in CD-ROMS and websites used in science researches must be controlled to conform to standards. Proliferation of non-approved materials in CDs and online can be a threat to performance and the quality of primary science learning. On the part of the pupils the use ICT, which speeds up the processes may cause learning disparities across different types and learning capacities of pupils especially in the heterogeneous classes wherein fast learners are merged with medium and slow learners. The Importance and Timing of ICT programs in science learning. It has been properly illustrated above that advantages of using ICT in primary science education outweighs that of the disadvantages and that problems identified from different settings can be solved with proper planning and coordination among stakeholders. Whether or not to adopt ICT programs to improve the learning of process skills among primary science pupils is already out of question. The question would be how much exposure to theories and learning the principles of science process skills the learners need before they are exposed to ICT applications. Is it necessary that theories must be learned first before application, or the other way around? The answer requires common sense and areas of concern must be dealt in a case to case basis. There are process skills that require just basic competency such as data encoding, internet browsing, CD-ROMS access. But there are skills that require just theoretical knowledge before ICT applications are used. Graphing is one particular case. To understand the graph, pupils must be taught how it is done and how to anaylyse them. But there are cases when innovativeness and flexibility on the part of the teacher is a better judge. To site an example in most cases pupils are taught about the basics on the physico-chemical properties, such as those mentioned above (temperature, pressure, pH, etc) and what these things are all about before they must be exposed on how to obtain the measurable properties whether conventional of through ICT. The use of ICT here just replaces the conventional which at this age are really outdated. But try to think that other teachers uses unique methods of presenting situations first via simulation software or even data logging programs to spur curiosity among pupils before discussing in depth the concepts behind them. Concepts such as magnetism, the earth, and others can be treated this way. Unless properly regulated, a teacher has the leeway to use his styles in order to achieve the learning outcomes. As a matter of fact, â€Å"who discourages innovation?† Conclusion We have lived into the Third Wave, the Information Age, and no one can argue about that. Whether we like it on not everyone even those who are out of school are exposed to ICT in everyday lives from the TV, the microwave ovens, the heaters, the street lights and everything. These electronic gadgets which have ICT software integrated in them confront us without any advance or basic knowledge about the theories behind them. The fact is everything can be learned if one desires. So if you are tasked to know how to operate a microwave oven you don’t have to understand how the microwave works on the food. But if you want to know about it you have the prerogative to learn. The point is as long as the basic requirement is satisfied then let the children use ICT to learn more. References British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta). 2004. Moving on: The role of ICT in pupil’s transition. Millburn Hill Road Science Park Coventry CV4 7JJ Information and communication technology in primary schools The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools 2004/05. Retrived on Jan 4, 2008 from http://live.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/annualreport0405/4.1.6.html Betts, S., (2003). Does the use of ICT affect quality in learning science at Key Stage 3? Studies in Teaching and Learning, pp. 9-17. Hogarth S, Bennett J, Lubben F, Campbell B, Robinson A (2006) ICT in Science Teaching. Technical Report. In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London. Huppert, J. (2002). Computer simulations in the high school: Students cognitive stages, science process skills and academic achievement in microbiology. International Journal of Science Education, 24 (8), pp. 803-821. Mistler-Jackson, M., Songer, N.B., (2000). Student motivation and internet technology: Are students empowered to learn science? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37 (5), pp. 459-479. Yerrick, R., Hoving, T., (1999). Obstacles confronting technology initiatives as seen through the experience of science teachers: A comparative study of science teachers beliefs, planning, and practice. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 8 (4), pp. 291-307.

Strategies for Zero Carbon Homes

Strategies for Zero Carbon Homes ABSTRACT Anthropogenic climate change is a phenomenon that has received much attention in the last few decades, and for good reason. Since the renowned studies carried out by Dr. Rowland and Dr. Molina, which began in the 1970s on Ozone depletion, subsequent studies have revealed that human activity is causing the planet’s atmospheric and surface temperatures to rise and may also be a major contributor towards climate shift, due by and large by the release of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse particulates and gases in to the atmosphere. The effects of climate shift include severe weather conditions, receding glaciers and ice caps, rising sea levels and drought, with the poorest countries being affected the most. Since the introduction of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the UK government is committed to the agreement to reduce UK carbon emission by 80% by the year 2050. It has been suggested that the 21 million homes in the UK account for around a quarter of the total carbon emissions into the atmosphere. With the current government’s indication to increase the number of dwellings to 3 million by the year 2020 due to the rising population, a greater effort is needed to reduce carbon emissions within the housing sector; a drive that will aid the UK Government’s long-term commitment to the United Nations Framework convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol. The government is responding to the challenge quite firmly and has set out strict targets to reduce energy use in new dwellings. To implement such a monumental task, the government has put in place a scheme called the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), which sets out criteria for reducing energy for all new dwellings. Gordon Brown’s Governments’ main objective is for all new dwellings to be Zero-Carbon by 2016. The current research paper sets out to identify the impediments that may prevent Gordon Brown’s policy of achieving the zero carbon homes challenge and also to determine the drivers in achieving zero carbon homes across the board by 2016. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank the individuals who have assisted in the production of this dissertation. A special thank you must go to my supervising tutor Dr. Michael Coffey, whose wisdom and guidance provided support and inspiration towards completing this dissertation. I would also like to thank all those persons who responded to the research questionnaire, which made a significant contribution towards the production of this dissertation. Finally I would like to thank my wife Uzma and children Saqlain, Aaliyah and Owais for their support and for putting up with my neglect towards them in the last few months. Thank you again! Section 1 – Introduction Nature of the Problem Since the Industrial revolution in the late 18th century, greenhouse gas emissions have increased considerably. Scientists have observed that a third of the Sun’s energy that is directed towards the boundaries of the Earth’s atmosphere is reflected back into space, whilst the remaining energy is absorbed by the surface of the planet and to a lesser extent by the planet’s atmosphere. Anthropogenic influence upon climate change is partly caused by the escalation of excess greenhouse gases emitted in to the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, principally influenced by the burning of fossil fuels. The effects of climate shift include severe weather conditions, receding glaciers and ice caps, rising sea levels and drought, with the poorest countries being affected the most. The problem scientists have determined is that the sun radiates tremendous amounts of light energy emitted in short wavelengths, however the heat energy released from the surface of the planet itself is released in long wavelengths. Whilst carbon dioxide does not absorb the sun’s energy, it does however absorb heat energy from the planet i.e. long wavelength energy. Therefore when a molecule of carbon dioxide absorbs heat energy, the molecule goes into an excited unstable state. The molecule becomes stable again by releasing the energy that is absorbed. Therefore much of this energy remains within the earth’s atmosphere, whilst the rest of the energy will go out into space. Carbon dioxide therefore allows the light energy from the sun to pass but does not allow all of the heat within the earth’s atmosphere to be released into to outer space, thus intensifying the greenhouse effect. Ultimately causing the temperature of the planet to rise. Illustration courtesy of www.dinosaurfact.net Pro-Active Response to the Problem In response to the Kyoto Protocol’s commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the UK must reduce it’s baseline greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% by 2008 2012 from a baseline target set in 1990. Furthermore, the draft Climate Change Bill commits the UK to reductions of C02 emissions of at least 26% by the year 2020 and also to a long-term goal of an 80% reduction by 2050 (Energy Saving Trust) Housing within the UK contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The UK’s 21million homes account for around 27% of the overall carbon emissions released in to the atmosphere (Skandamoorthy, 2007) and with the current Government’s promise to construct 3 million new homes by the year 2020, the need to address the carbon situation within the housing sector is of paramount importance (BBC News, 2007. New agency to drive home building) Traditionally the construction industry has had little regard for the environment, which makes common ground for producing buildings without energy efficiency in mind. It is only until recent times has the consumption of energy been an important agenda in the house building industry, as advancements in energy efficiency playing an important role in the design of buildings built today, due partly to the crucial role being played by the stringent building regulations; pushing the boundaries further to make buildings more energy efficient. In response to the current situation with regards to reducing carbon emissions within the housing industry the government introduced in 2006 the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) scheme (a successor to the Eco Homes rating scheme). At the moment the code is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency and sustainability, applying to newly built homes in the private sector however, it is mandatory where public sector (Homes and Communities Agency) funding is involved. The code aims to deliver a standard guideline for house builders in the UK and addresses key areas of sustainability such as water use and C02 emissions in house building and use. A rating system has been developed within in the code, which measures the ability of the building’s efficiency in terms of energy use. The code’s rating system ranges between levels 1 and 6. Level 6 being the highest level of efficiency and is the level that is most appropriate and applicable to the current study, which is the attain ment of ‘zero carbon status’ (Code for Sustainable Homes Technical Guide, 2007) The Government has indicated that the code will become the single national standard for the design and construction of sustainable homes and is set to become a vehicle for the development of sustainable home building practice in the UK (Code for Sustainable Homes, 1997) The subject of interest is whether the government and the building profession can implement and administer an effective strategy that will allow all new homes to achieve the highly challenging standards of incorporating level 6 rating to dwellings across the board to allow zero carbon status of newly built homes by 2016. Why is there a lack of zero carbon dwellings in the United Kingdom? The problem that presents itself is that the conscious world has accepted that the global warming phenomenon is a serious threat to the planet. Up until recent times carbon emissions and the negative effects being imposed by them upon the environment were not clearly understood, or even thought about in many respects and therefore not a major issue in the housing industry. Recent studies have reported that homes contribute around 27% of total UK carbon emissions. For this reason the housing industry may not have grasped the technologies sufficiently to mass-produce zero carbon homes. Because demand may have been low for zero carbon dwellings it may indicate that there may be a premium cost to build zero carbon homes and therefore not in the best interests of financiers and developers, who may not receive healthy returns on assuming risk for building such assets. Lack of enforceability may be another issue why such dwellings have not been mass-produced. Maybe the supply of materials t o produce such assets may be lacking in availability; again this may be as a consequence of low demand, which may also contribute towards extra cost. It is not clear that any of these scenarios are either singularly or collectively responsible for the slow progress in developing zero carbon homes. Therefore the current study will examine the various drivers and barriers that influence the development of zero carbon developments such as cost, legislation, market demand, available technology and the supply chain. The identification of these factors will provide a basic analysis to determine whether the policy of achieving the zero carbon homes policy by 2016 across the board is actually feasible. Section 2 – Review of zero carbon homes legislation Few green policies have had quite such an impact on a sector as the zero carbon homes policy has had in housing says John Alker, Head of Advocacy at the UK Green Building Council. In December 2006 the government introduced a commitment plan which formulated a requirement that all new homes are to be zero carbon from the year 2016 onwards. The initial proposal was formally communicated via the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) technical guide, which is based on and replaces the Ecohomes national standard for sustainable design and construction for new housing in the UK in April 2007. The code stated that a building would emit zero net carbon emissions from heating, hot water, lighting, appliance use and cooking. All CO2 reductions had to be achieved by local off-site means connected to the building by a direct physical connection. However, more recently the government defined a zero carbon dwelling as one which generates 70% of the energy it uses for heating, ventilation and lighting f rom on-site renewable energy (The Energy Saving Trust). Meeting the criteria would enable the home to be rated as a code level 6 home; the highest star rating achievable in terms of the Code, thus certificating the home as a zero carbon dwelling. The acquisition of a code level 6 certificate will allow first hand purchasers of zero carbon homes up to the value of  £500,000 exemption from paying stamp duty land tax (SDLT). Homes above the  £500,000 threshold will enjoy a  £15,000 reduction towards the stamp duty bill (Section 58b, 2007 Finance Bill) It should be noted that the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) is currently UK legislation and its implementation is optional to use apart from developments funded by the government (BRE, EcoHomes, 2007). The government has indicated that home builders are encouraged to follow the guidelines of the Code now as adherence to the Code will become mandatory in the future for all new house building (Code for Sustainable Homes, 2006) The government has also provided an incentive for the installation of energy saving materials and micro-generation apparatus by reducing the VAT to 5%. This VAT decrease only applies to the UK however, â€Å"the European Commission is committed to bringing forward proposals for a change to the Principal VAT Directive to allow an EU-wide reduction in VAT for green products, particularly those aimed at improving energy efficiency in buildings† (HM Treasury, 2008) The UK government aims to reach their stated goal of 80% carbon dioxide reduction in the UK by 2050 through implementing progressive tightening of the building regulations. The tightening of the regulations is to be maintained in three phases in 2010, 2013 and 2016 (Building Regulations Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings, 2007). The graph on the previous page shows the target reductions for each phase. These target reductions equate to the energy performance standards in the governments vehicle for reducing CO2 in housing; the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) Levels 3, 4, and 6 respectively; highlighting the governments progressive strategy to achieving carbon zero homes by 2016. Source: (Building Regulations Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings, 2007). The primary method of measurement of energy efficiency for the Building Regulations is the dwelling Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rate (DER), which is an estimate of CO2 per metre squared of floor area. Currently (2010) the improvement in the DER is said to be 25% compared to the 2006 level. An improvement of 44% is required in 2013 and ultimately a 100% improvement which is incidentally zero carbon for all new homes built in 2016. An analysis of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) The code seeks to make improvements in energy efficiency and water usage upon those required by the Building Regulations Part L 2006. The code will compliment the system of energy performance certificates that was introduced in 2007 by the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD). At present the Code is voluntary, however house builders are encouraged to utilise the Code as a guideline for house building practice, as the government states that the code will be mandatory in the future. Energy efficiency is measured at every level of the code by assessing nine individual design categories, with higher level of sustainability performance achieving a high code rating. The Code measures the following design categories: The code implements a procedure which mirrors the BRE’s EcoHomes system in its method of assessment, which relies on trained and accredited independent assessors to inspect the homes. Design stage assessments are conducted by the assessors who on completion of the assessment recommend a sustainable code rating for the home being assessed and will issues an interim certificate. On completion of the development a post completion assessment is carried out by the inspector, who will on completion of the final checks issue a final code certificate which states the level achieved and therefore be given a CSH code rating. A home meeting any level of the Code will have to meet minimum standards for certain items depending on what Level is desired. For Level 6 this means: The home will have to be completely zero carbon (i.e. zero net emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all energy use in the home). This could be achieved by: †¢ Improving the thermal efficiency of the walls, windows, and roof as far as is practically possible (by using more insulation or better glass for example); †¢ Reducing air permeability to the minimum consistent with health requirements (a certain amount of air ventilation is needed in a home for health reasons); †¢ Installing a high efficiency condensing boiler, or being on a district heating system; †¢ Carefully designing the fabric of the home to reduce thermal bridging (thermal bridging allows heat to easily escape between the inner walls and the outer walls of a home); †¢ Using low and zero carbon technologies such as solar thermal panels, biomass boilers, wind turbines, and combined heat and power systems (CHP). It would mean for example that energy taken from the national grid would have to be replaced by low or zero carbon generated energy, so that over a year the net emissions were zero. The home will have to be designed to use no more than about 80 litres of water per person per day. This could be achieved by fitting such items as: †¢ 6/4 Dual Flush WC; †¢ Flow Reducing/Aerating taps throughout; †¢ 6-9 litres per minute shower (note that an average electric shower is about 6/7 litres per minute); †¢ a smaller, shaped bath – still long enough to lie down in, but less water required to fill it to a level consistent with personal comfort; †¢ 18ltr maximum volume dishwasher; †¢ 60ltr maximum volume washing machine. To achieve the standard would also mean that about 30% of the water requirement of the home was provided from non-potable sources such as rainwater harvesting systems or grey water recycling systems. Other minimum requirements are required for: †¢ Surface water management – this may mean the provision of soakaways and areas of porous paving; †¢ Materials – this means a minimum number of materials meeting at least a ‘D’ grade in the Building Research Establishment’s Green Guide (the scale goes from A+ to E); †¢ Waste management – this means having a site waste management plan in place during the home’s construction, and adequate space for waste storage during its use. But to get to Level 6 you need a further 64.9 points. So the builder/developer must do many other things to obtain the other points. In fact they will need to do 90% of everything in the Code to achieve Level 6, including: †¢ Energy efficient appliances, and lighting; †¢ Supplying accessible water butts; †¢ Reducing surface water run-off as much as possible; †¢ Using highly environmentally friendly materials; †¢ Minimising construction waste; †¢ Maximum, accessible provision for recycling; †¢ Improved daylighting, sound insulation and security; †¢ Building to the Lifetime Homes standard; †¢ Assessing and minimising the ecological impact of the construction of the home Source of information: Code for Sustainable Homes – A step change in home building practice guide (2006) Section 3 Cost implications of constructing zero carbon homes During the last ten years house prices have continually increased due to the rising population and a slow response to the demand in terms of house building says Kate Barker in her 2004 survey on housing supply (Barker, K. 2004) See figures 1 and 4 below. It was the Barker report commissioned by Prime Minister Gordon Brown which gave recognition to the home building industry to investigate into improving the level of housing supply in the UK. The report concluded that the UK had a serious shortage of homes and was in much need of around 120,000 homes per year built by private house builders. The figures are in addition to the 150,000 homes which are currently being constructed per year by the house builders. The Barker report engaged the government to set an objective to increase the supply of houses being built in England of at least 200,000 per year by the year 2020. The housing market in the UK is considered by the UK government as an important arena in contributing towards regulating the nation’s economy. Putting this into perspective it is ironic that the Labour government since coming into power has changed housing ministers nine times in the last thirteen years. During the first year in office by the Labour government, it has seen a housing crisis which has seen a 190% increase in house prices with a house price to earnings ratio increase from 3.1 to 5.8. What this means is that whilst house prices have climbed dramatically, average salaries have not increased in proportion to the rising cost of house purchasing. The solution to controlling current house prices is to build more homes, however in 2009 only 118,000 new homes were constructed, which is less than half the annual amount required if the government’s target of an additional 3 million homes are to be constructed by the year 2020 (Alexander, 2010). How does this piece o f information relate to the cost of constructing zero carbon homes? Quite simply; the government has introduced a policy which aims to build an additional 3 million homes by the year 2020. The government is also pressing with the policy which aims to see all new homes constructed by the year 2016 to be zero carbon. The problem that presents itself is that the cost of building zero carbon homes includes a premium cost for building and subsequently purchasing such a property. If in the year 2009 only 118,000 homes were built, when quite clearly the government’s target is at least 200,000 per year to be in a position to meet the 3 million new homes target by 2020 and the cost of housing is already quite high, then how does Gordon Brown intend on maintaining the road map for two extraordinary targets which clash quite apparently. Last years figures prove that house building was at an all time low since 1946. These figures indicate that Gordon Brown’s government may have ov erlooked the situation and set a target which is perhaps extremely challenging if taking account of the current economic position of the UK economy. The Cyril Sweett Consultation In 2006 Cyril Sweett construction and property consultants were approached by the English Partnerships and Housing Corporation to report on the implications of the move from the Ecohomes standard of ‘Very good’ rating to the level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes. The research carried out by Cyril Sweett consultants reviewed six different types of houses which included four types which were constructed using traditional methods of construction and two with modern construction techniques. Cyril Sweett say that the findings of the research are not necessarily standard for all construction and consideration should given to project specific variables such as the area of construction, type of development, the supply chain etc; each having a variable effect on the cost of building in the stated methods of construction. Whilst the figures do not represent code level 6 developments, they do however give an indication of what the expected cost of building level 6 zero carbon homes ma y be if factored. The study made consideration to a whole host of construction methods and technological solutions to improve the performance of the home. The sole purpose of the research was to assess which methods of construction were the most economically viable to achieve the various code levels of the CfSH. However four scenarios were given in the report for expediency which are as follows: Scenario 1 Initial energy efficiency measures followed by the use of solar thermal technology, then photovoltaic and biomass systems. Scenario 2 Initial energy efficiency measures initially followed by the use of small scale wind turbines and then biomass systems. Scenario 3 Development with shared energy services, such as combined heat and power (CHP). For this scenario costs per unit are averaged for different infrastructure options for a theoretical 200 unit development. Scenario 4 Achievement of Code level 3 without recourse to renewable energies through the use of a whole house mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery and by assuming the use of proprietary construction details. The findings of the study found that projects which allowed for wind energy or site wide CHP technologies had scope for achieving the lowest costs. Again, it is stressed that projects are site specific therefore areas with low wind speeds may not be able to achieve satisfactory wind speeds to justify using wind energy technologies. The following tabulated data highlights the additional cost of achieving the code level 3 over the Ecohomes Very Good standard. The baseline cost for the abovementioned homes is  £92,107 for a 116m ² detached home and  £75,230 for a 101m ² end of terrace home, as specified or compliant with the 2006 building Regulations. It is an interesting observation that the implementation of Scenario 4 to achieve a code level 3 rating costs  £5,090 for a detached house and  £4,748 for a terraced house; an increase in cost of 5.4% and 6.2% respectively. What’s interesting about these figures is that Scenario 4 does not implement any renewable energy solutions such as photovoltaic cell technology but does make use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems. Scenario 4 does in many respects mirror the PassivHaus dwelling or Scandinavian homes method of building. Scenario 4 combined with advanced micro generation technologies could achieve level 6 zero carbon status but to enable this industry would need to invest further in research and development of enhancing the micro generation technologies, however the cost will be greatly increased. As with anything that is new there is a premium cost to be paid. But as more efforts are made and competition increases due to demand the cost of such technol ogies should decrease in time. The costing data provided in the Cyril Sweett report (2007) went further to report on the cost of achieving a level 5 rating of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), which is incidentally the highest level of code attainment data provided in the report. The following cost comparison data only makes reference to detached dwellings as the costing data for terraced houses are not too dissimilar to the detached houses. Scenario 1 The table shown above shows the cost of achieving a code level 5 rating of the CfSH using scenario 1, which to reiterate includes the use of solar thermal technology with photovoltaic and biomass systems. The cost attached to upgrading to level 5 costs an additional  £20,270, as shown in the table. Therefore an 18% increase above the baseline cost of building a detached home with a 116m ² area to the 2006 building regulatory standard, which totals  £111,476. Scenario 2 Utilising Scenario 2, a 116m ² Home built with small scale wind turbine and biomass technology will achieve a CfSH level 5 rating at a cost of  £14,206 above the baseline cost. A 14% increase totalling  £106,146 Scenario 3 Utilising Scenario 3, a 116m ² Home built using site wide CHP technology will achieve a CfSH level 4 rating at a cost of  £2,622 above the baseline cost. A 3% increase totalling  £93,828 Scenario 4 Utilising Scenario 4, a 116m ² Home built with improved air tightening and mechanical ventilation will achieve a CHS level 3 rating at a cost of  £4,481 above the baseline cost. A 5% increase totalling  £95,687 The cumulative graph shown above shows the cost of achieving each level of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) up to level 5, in comparison to each scenario detailed on the previous pages. The interesting thing about the comparative cost data provided by Cyril Sweett consultants is that to achieve level 5 of the code using scenario one costs  £36,070, which is an increase above the baseline cost of 28.6%. Obtaining a code level 5 rating using scenario two is achieved by allowing for an increase in cost above the baseline of  £20,746 which is a 22.7% increase. These figures provide an indication of what the likelihood cost for building code level 6 zero carbon homes are going be. Therefore it is estimated that for a similar type of dwelling the cost will be in excess of 30% above the 2006 Building Regulations baseline cost. A 30% increase in cost is quite substantial considering a home built to the prescribed building standards would cost approximately  £92,107, thus around a  £40,000 increase to implement code level 6 to the dwelling is a substantial amount and therefore cost is going to be a major factor in determining the success or failure of achieving the z ero carbon homes by 2016 target. Clearly the figures shown in this report show that the cost of producing zero carbon homes across the board is going to be a major obstacle if drastic changes and new solutions to reduce the cost of zero carbon technologies do not surface within the next few years leading up to the year 2016. The situation appears to be quite discomforting as affordability is going to negate the possibility of achieving not just the 2016 target but may also interfere with the 2020 target of building an additional three million new homes in the United Kingdom as less demand due to affordability will result in less homes being built and therefore cause a stalemate situation if the government alongside industry does not take steps to resolve the situation fast. Reductions in cost for bulk purchasing As stated earlier in the report cost reductions can be made through advances in technology and through competition as demand for zero carbon homes increases. Whilst the cost of achieving zero carbon is quite high at the moment, cost will gradually subside. The Cyril Sweett consultancy further reported that the purchase of materials and technology in bulk order will reduce the cost of producing zero carbon homes. Cyril Sweett representatives approached a number of suppliers of water and sustainable technologies. It was found that for large scale procurement i.e. 5000 units plus reductions in cost were achieved for the following technologies. (Cyril Sweett, 2007) Section 4 Methodology This chapter focuses on the methodology used in the production of the current research paper and will highlight the various stages of the research method. The purpose of the methodology is to provide the reader with an insight into what is expected in the report and how the research is to be conducted. The current study focuses on the UK government’s policy of â€Å"all homes to be Zero Carbon† by the year 2016 and investigates into the feasibility of the policy and further considers the impediments preventing the policy to materialise. The study also aims to identify the key drivers and barriers of achieving zero carbon homes by 2016 across the board. The study will explore key areas in the Strategies for Zero Carbon Homes Strategies for Zero Carbon Homes ABSTRACT Anthropogenic climate change is a phenomenon that has received much attention in the last few decades, and for good reason. Since the renowned studies carried out by Dr. Rowland and Dr. Molina, which began in the 1970s on Ozone depletion, subsequent studies have revealed that human activity is causing the planet’s atmospheric and surface temperatures to rise and may also be a major contributor towards climate shift, due by and large by the release of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse particulates and gases in to the atmosphere. The effects of climate shift include severe weather conditions, receding glaciers and ice caps, rising sea levels and drought, with the poorest countries being affected the most. Since the introduction of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the UK government is committed to the agreement to reduce UK carbon emission by 80% by the year 2050. It has been suggested that the 21 million homes in the UK account for around a quarter of the total carbon emissions into the atmosphere. With the current government’s indication to increase the number of dwellings to 3 million by the year 2020 due to the rising population, a greater effort is needed to reduce carbon emissions within the housing sector; a drive that will aid the UK Government’s long-term commitment to the United Nations Framework convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol. The government is responding to the challenge quite firmly and has set out strict targets to reduce energy use in new dwellings. To implement such a monumental task, the government has put in place a scheme called the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), which sets out criteria for reducing energy for all new dwellings. Gordon Brown’s Governments’ main objective is for all new dwellings to be Zero-Carbon by 2016. The current research paper sets out to identify the impediments that may prevent Gordon Brown’s policy of achieving the zero carbon homes challenge and also to determine the drivers in achieving zero carbon homes across the board by 2016. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank the individuals who have assisted in the production of this dissertation. A special thank you must go to my supervising tutor Dr. Michael Coffey, whose wisdom and guidance provided support and inspiration towards completing this dissertation. I would also like to thank all those persons who responded to the research questionnaire, which made a significant contribution towards the production of this dissertation. Finally I would like to thank my wife Uzma and children Saqlain, Aaliyah and Owais for their support and for putting up with my neglect towards them in the last few months. Thank you again! Section 1 – Introduction Nature of the Problem Since the Industrial revolution in the late 18th century, greenhouse gas emissions have increased considerably. Scientists have observed that a third of the Sun’s energy that is directed towards the boundaries of the Earth’s atmosphere is reflected back into space, whilst the remaining energy is absorbed by the surface of the planet and to a lesser extent by the planet’s atmosphere. Anthropogenic influence upon climate change is partly caused by the escalation of excess greenhouse gases emitted in to the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, principally influenced by the burning of fossil fuels. The effects of climate shift include severe weather conditions, receding glaciers and ice caps, rising sea levels and drought, with the poorest countries being affected the most. The problem scientists have determined is that the sun radiates tremendous amounts of light energy emitted in short wavelengths, however the heat energy released from the surface of the planet itself is released in long wavelengths. Whilst carbon dioxide does not absorb the sun’s energy, it does however absorb heat energy from the planet i.e. long wavelength energy. Therefore when a molecule of carbon dioxide absorbs heat energy, the molecule goes into an excited unstable state. The molecule becomes stable again by releasing the energy that is absorbed. Therefore much of this energy remains within the earth’s atmosphere, whilst the rest of the energy will go out into space. Carbon dioxide therefore allows the light energy from the sun to pass but does not allow all of the heat within the earth’s atmosphere to be released into to outer space, thus intensifying the greenhouse effect. Ultimately causing the temperature of the planet to rise. Illustration courtesy of www.dinosaurfact.net Pro-Active Response to the Problem In response to the Kyoto Protocol’s commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the UK must reduce it’s baseline greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% by 2008 2012 from a baseline target set in 1990. Furthermore, the draft Climate Change Bill commits the UK to reductions of C02 emissions of at least 26% by the year 2020 and also to a long-term goal of an 80% reduction by 2050 (Energy Saving Trust) Housing within the UK contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The UK’s 21million homes account for around 27% of the overall carbon emissions released in to the atmosphere (Skandamoorthy, 2007) and with the current Government’s promise to construct 3 million new homes by the year 2020, the need to address the carbon situation within the housing sector is of paramount importance (BBC News, 2007. New agency to drive home building) Traditionally the construction industry has had little regard for the environment, which makes common ground for producing buildings without energy efficiency in mind. It is only until recent times has the consumption of energy been an important agenda in the house building industry, as advancements in energy efficiency playing an important role in the design of buildings built today, due partly to the crucial role being played by the stringent building regulations; pushing the boundaries further to make buildings more energy efficient. In response to the current situation with regards to reducing carbon emissions within the housing industry the government introduced in 2006 the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) scheme (a successor to the Eco Homes rating scheme). At the moment the code is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency and sustainability, applying to newly built homes in the private sector however, it is mandatory where public sector (Homes and Communities Agency) funding is involved. The code aims to deliver a standard guideline for house builders in the UK and addresses key areas of sustainability such as water use and C02 emissions in house building and use. A rating system has been developed within in the code, which measures the ability of the building’s efficiency in terms of energy use. The code’s rating system ranges between levels 1 and 6. Level 6 being the highest level of efficiency and is the level that is most appropriate and applicable to the current study, which is the attain ment of ‘zero carbon status’ (Code for Sustainable Homes Technical Guide, 2007) The Government has indicated that the code will become the single national standard for the design and construction of sustainable homes and is set to become a vehicle for the development of sustainable home building practice in the UK (Code for Sustainable Homes, 1997) The subject of interest is whether the government and the building profession can implement and administer an effective strategy that will allow all new homes to achieve the highly challenging standards of incorporating level 6 rating to dwellings across the board to allow zero carbon status of newly built homes by 2016. Why is there a lack of zero carbon dwellings in the United Kingdom? The problem that presents itself is that the conscious world has accepted that the global warming phenomenon is a serious threat to the planet. Up until recent times carbon emissions and the negative effects being imposed by them upon the environment were not clearly understood, or even thought about in many respects and therefore not a major issue in the housing industry. Recent studies have reported that homes contribute around 27% of total UK carbon emissions. For this reason the housing industry may not have grasped the technologies sufficiently to mass-produce zero carbon homes. Because demand may have been low for zero carbon dwellings it may indicate that there may be a premium cost to build zero carbon homes and therefore not in the best interests of financiers and developers, who may not receive healthy returns on assuming risk for building such assets. Lack of enforceability may be another issue why such dwellings have not been mass-produced. Maybe the supply of materials t o produce such assets may be lacking in availability; again this may be as a consequence of low demand, which may also contribute towards extra cost. It is not clear that any of these scenarios are either singularly or collectively responsible for the slow progress in developing zero carbon homes. Therefore the current study will examine the various drivers and barriers that influence the development of zero carbon developments such as cost, legislation, market demand, available technology and the supply chain. The identification of these factors will provide a basic analysis to determine whether the policy of achieving the zero carbon homes policy by 2016 across the board is actually feasible. Section 2 – Review of zero carbon homes legislation Few green policies have had quite such an impact on a sector as the zero carbon homes policy has had in housing says John Alker, Head of Advocacy at the UK Green Building Council. In December 2006 the government introduced a commitment plan which formulated a requirement that all new homes are to be zero carbon from the year 2016 onwards. The initial proposal was formally communicated via the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) technical guide, which is based on and replaces the Ecohomes national standard for sustainable design and construction for new housing in the UK in April 2007. The code stated that a building would emit zero net carbon emissions from heating, hot water, lighting, appliance use and cooking. All CO2 reductions had to be achieved by local off-site means connected to the building by a direct physical connection. However, more recently the government defined a zero carbon dwelling as one which generates 70% of the energy it uses for heating, ventilation and lighting f rom on-site renewable energy (The Energy Saving Trust). Meeting the criteria would enable the home to be rated as a code level 6 home; the highest star rating achievable in terms of the Code, thus certificating the home as a zero carbon dwelling. The acquisition of a code level 6 certificate will allow first hand purchasers of zero carbon homes up to the value of  £500,000 exemption from paying stamp duty land tax (SDLT). Homes above the  £500,000 threshold will enjoy a  £15,000 reduction towards the stamp duty bill (Section 58b, 2007 Finance Bill) It should be noted that the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) is currently UK legislation and its implementation is optional to use apart from developments funded by the government (BRE, EcoHomes, 2007). The government has indicated that home builders are encouraged to follow the guidelines of the Code now as adherence to the Code will become mandatory in the future for all new house building (Code for Sustainable Homes, 2006) The government has also provided an incentive for the installation of energy saving materials and micro-generation apparatus by reducing the VAT to 5%. This VAT decrease only applies to the UK however, â€Å"the European Commission is committed to bringing forward proposals for a change to the Principal VAT Directive to allow an EU-wide reduction in VAT for green products, particularly those aimed at improving energy efficiency in buildings† (HM Treasury, 2008) The UK government aims to reach their stated goal of 80% carbon dioxide reduction in the UK by 2050 through implementing progressive tightening of the building regulations. The tightening of the regulations is to be maintained in three phases in 2010, 2013 and 2016 (Building Regulations Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings, 2007). The graph on the previous page shows the target reductions for each phase. These target reductions equate to the energy performance standards in the governments vehicle for reducing CO2 in housing; the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) Levels 3, 4, and 6 respectively; highlighting the governments progressive strategy to achieving carbon zero homes by 2016. Source: (Building Regulations Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings, 2007). The primary method of measurement of energy efficiency for the Building Regulations is the dwelling Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rate (DER), which is an estimate of CO2 per metre squared of floor area. Currently (2010) the improvement in the DER is said to be 25% compared to the 2006 level. An improvement of 44% is required in 2013 and ultimately a 100% improvement which is incidentally zero carbon for all new homes built in 2016. An analysis of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) The code seeks to make improvements in energy efficiency and water usage upon those required by the Building Regulations Part L 2006. The code will compliment the system of energy performance certificates that was introduced in 2007 by the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD). At present the Code is voluntary, however house builders are encouraged to utilise the Code as a guideline for house building practice, as the government states that the code will be mandatory in the future. Energy efficiency is measured at every level of the code by assessing nine individual design categories, with higher level of sustainability performance achieving a high code rating. The Code measures the following design categories: The code implements a procedure which mirrors the BRE’s EcoHomes system in its method of assessment, which relies on trained and accredited independent assessors to inspect the homes. Design stage assessments are conducted by the assessors who on completion of the assessment recommend a sustainable code rating for the home being assessed and will issues an interim certificate. On completion of the development a post completion assessment is carried out by the inspector, who will on completion of the final checks issue a final code certificate which states the level achieved and therefore be given a CSH code rating. A home meeting any level of the Code will have to meet minimum standards for certain items depending on what Level is desired. For Level 6 this means: The home will have to be completely zero carbon (i.e. zero net emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all energy use in the home). This could be achieved by: †¢ Improving the thermal efficiency of the walls, windows, and roof as far as is practically possible (by using more insulation or better glass for example); †¢ Reducing air permeability to the minimum consistent with health requirements (a certain amount of air ventilation is needed in a home for health reasons); †¢ Installing a high efficiency condensing boiler, or being on a district heating system; †¢ Carefully designing the fabric of the home to reduce thermal bridging (thermal bridging allows heat to easily escape between the inner walls and the outer walls of a home); †¢ Using low and zero carbon technologies such as solar thermal panels, biomass boilers, wind turbines, and combined heat and power systems (CHP). It would mean for example that energy taken from the national grid would have to be replaced by low or zero carbon generated energy, so that over a year the net emissions were zero. The home will have to be designed to use no more than about 80 litres of water per person per day. This could be achieved by fitting such items as: †¢ 6/4 Dual Flush WC; †¢ Flow Reducing/Aerating taps throughout; †¢ 6-9 litres per minute shower (note that an average electric shower is about 6/7 litres per minute); †¢ a smaller, shaped bath – still long enough to lie down in, but less water required to fill it to a level consistent with personal comfort; †¢ 18ltr maximum volume dishwasher; †¢ 60ltr maximum volume washing machine. To achieve the standard would also mean that about 30% of the water requirement of the home was provided from non-potable sources such as rainwater harvesting systems or grey water recycling systems. Other minimum requirements are required for: †¢ Surface water management – this may mean the provision of soakaways and areas of porous paving; †¢ Materials – this means a minimum number of materials meeting at least a ‘D’ grade in the Building Research Establishment’s Green Guide (the scale goes from A+ to E); †¢ Waste management – this means having a site waste management plan in place during the home’s construction, and adequate space for waste storage during its use. But to get to Level 6 you need a further 64.9 points. So the builder/developer must do many other things to obtain the other points. In fact they will need to do 90% of everything in the Code to achieve Level 6, including: †¢ Energy efficient appliances, and lighting; †¢ Supplying accessible water butts; †¢ Reducing surface water run-off as much as possible; †¢ Using highly environmentally friendly materials; †¢ Minimising construction waste; †¢ Maximum, accessible provision for recycling; †¢ Improved daylighting, sound insulation and security; †¢ Building to the Lifetime Homes standard; †¢ Assessing and minimising the ecological impact of the construction of the home Source of information: Code for Sustainable Homes – A step change in home building practice guide (2006) Section 3 Cost implications of constructing zero carbon homes During the last ten years house prices have continually increased due to the rising population and a slow response to the demand in terms of house building says Kate Barker in her 2004 survey on housing supply (Barker, K. 2004) See figures 1 and 4 below. It was the Barker report commissioned by Prime Minister Gordon Brown which gave recognition to the home building industry to investigate into improving the level of housing supply in the UK. The report concluded that the UK had a serious shortage of homes and was in much need of around 120,000 homes per year built by private house builders. The figures are in addition to the 150,000 homes which are currently being constructed per year by the house builders. The Barker report engaged the government to set an objective to increase the supply of houses being built in England of at least 200,000 per year by the year 2020. The housing market in the UK is considered by the UK government as an important arena in contributing towards regulating the nation’s economy. Putting this into perspective it is ironic that the Labour government since coming into power has changed housing ministers nine times in the last thirteen years. During the first year in office by the Labour government, it has seen a housing crisis which has seen a 190% increase in house prices with a house price to earnings ratio increase from 3.1 to 5.8. What this means is that whilst house prices have climbed dramatically, average salaries have not increased in proportion to the rising cost of house purchasing. The solution to controlling current house prices is to build more homes, however in 2009 only 118,000 new homes were constructed, which is less than half the annual amount required if the government’s target of an additional 3 million homes are to be constructed by the year 2020 (Alexander, 2010). How does this piece o f information relate to the cost of constructing zero carbon homes? Quite simply; the government has introduced a policy which aims to build an additional 3 million homes by the year 2020. The government is also pressing with the policy which aims to see all new homes constructed by the year 2016 to be zero carbon. The problem that presents itself is that the cost of building zero carbon homes includes a premium cost for building and subsequently purchasing such a property. If in the year 2009 only 118,000 homes were built, when quite clearly the government’s target is at least 200,000 per year to be in a position to meet the 3 million new homes target by 2020 and the cost of housing is already quite high, then how does Gordon Brown intend on maintaining the road map for two extraordinary targets which clash quite apparently. Last years figures prove that house building was at an all time low since 1946. These figures indicate that Gordon Brown’s government may have ov erlooked the situation and set a target which is perhaps extremely challenging if taking account of the current economic position of the UK economy. The Cyril Sweett Consultation In 2006 Cyril Sweett construction and property consultants were approached by the English Partnerships and Housing Corporation to report on the implications of the move from the Ecohomes standard of ‘Very good’ rating to the level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes. The research carried out by Cyril Sweett consultants reviewed six different types of houses which included four types which were constructed using traditional methods of construction and two with modern construction techniques. Cyril Sweett say that the findings of the research are not necessarily standard for all construction and consideration should given to project specific variables such as the area of construction, type of development, the supply chain etc; each having a variable effect on the cost of building in the stated methods of construction. Whilst the figures do not represent code level 6 developments, they do however give an indication of what the expected cost of building level 6 zero carbon homes ma y be if factored. The study made consideration to a whole host of construction methods and technological solutions to improve the performance of the home. The sole purpose of the research was to assess which methods of construction were the most economically viable to achieve the various code levels of the CfSH. However four scenarios were given in the report for expediency which are as follows: Scenario 1 Initial energy efficiency measures followed by the use of solar thermal technology, then photovoltaic and biomass systems. Scenario 2 Initial energy efficiency measures initially followed by the use of small scale wind turbines and then biomass systems. Scenario 3 Development with shared energy services, such as combined heat and power (CHP). For this scenario costs per unit are averaged for different infrastructure options for a theoretical 200 unit development. Scenario 4 Achievement of Code level 3 without recourse to renewable energies through the use of a whole house mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery and by assuming the use of proprietary construction details. The findings of the study found that projects which allowed for wind energy or site wide CHP technologies had scope for achieving the lowest costs. Again, it is stressed that projects are site specific therefore areas with low wind speeds may not be able to achieve satisfactory wind speeds to justify using wind energy technologies. The following tabulated data highlights the additional cost of achieving the code level 3 over the Ecohomes Very Good standard. The baseline cost for the abovementioned homes is  £92,107 for a 116m ² detached home and  £75,230 for a 101m ² end of terrace home, as specified or compliant with the 2006 building Regulations. It is an interesting observation that the implementation of Scenario 4 to achieve a code level 3 rating costs  £5,090 for a detached house and  £4,748 for a terraced house; an increase in cost of 5.4% and 6.2% respectively. What’s interesting about these figures is that Scenario 4 does not implement any renewable energy solutions such as photovoltaic cell technology but does make use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems. Scenario 4 does in many respects mirror the PassivHaus dwelling or Scandinavian homes method of building. Scenario 4 combined with advanced micro generation technologies could achieve level 6 zero carbon status but to enable this industry would need to invest further in research and development of enhancing the micro generation technologies, however the cost will be greatly increased. As with anything that is new there is a premium cost to be paid. But as more efforts are made and competition increases due to demand the cost of such technol ogies should decrease in time. The costing data provided in the Cyril Sweett report (2007) went further to report on the cost of achieving a level 5 rating of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), which is incidentally the highest level of code attainment data provided in the report. The following cost comparison data only makes reference to detached dwellings as the costing data for terraced houses are not too dissimilar to the detached houses. Scenario 1 The table shown above shows the cost of achieving a code level 5 rating of the CfSH using scenario 1, which to reiterate includes the use of solar thermal technology with photovoltaic and biomass systems. The cost attached to upgrading to level 5 costs an additional  £20,270, as shown in the table. Therefore an 18% increase above the baseline cost of building a detached home with a 116m ² area to the 2006 building regulatory standard, which totals  £111,476. Scenario 2 Utilising Scenario 2, a 116m ² Home built with small scale wind turbine and biomass technology will achieve a CfSH level 5 rating at a cost of  £14,206 above the baseline cost. A 14% increase totalling  £106,146 Scenario 3 Utilising Scenario 3, a 116m ² Home built using site wide CHP technology will achieve a CfSH level 4 rating at a cost of  £2,622 above the baseline cost. A 3% increase totalling  £93,828 Scenario 4 Utilising Scenario 4, a 116m ² Home built with improved air tightening and mechanical ventilation will achieve a CHS level 3 rating at a cost of  £4,481 above the baseline cost. A 5% increase totalling  £95,687 The cumulative graph shown above shows the cost of achieving each level of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) up to level 5, in comparison to each scenario detailed on the previous pages. The interesting thing about the comparative cost data provided by Cyril Sweett consultants is that to achieve level 5 of the code using scenario one costs  £36,070, which is an increase above the baseline cost of 28.6%. Obtaining a code level 5 rating using scenario two is achieved by allowing for an increase in cost above the baseline of  £20,746 which is a 22.7% increase. These figures provide an indication of what the likelihood cost for building code level 6 zero carbon homes are going be. Therefore it is estimated that for a similar type of dwelling the cost will be in excess of 30% above the 2006 Building Regulations baseline cost. A 30% increase in cost is quite substantial considering a home built to the prescribed building standards would cost approximately  £92,107, thus around a  £40,000 increase to implement code level 6 to the dwelling is a substantial amount and therefore cost is going to be a major factor in determining the success or failure of achieving the z ero carbon homes by 2016 target. Clearly the figures shown in this report show that the cost of producing zero carbon homes across the board is going to be a major obstacle if drastic changes and new solutions to reduce the cost of zero carbon technologies do not surface within the next few years leading up to the year 2016. The situation appears to be quite discomforting as affordability is going to negate the possibility of achieving not just the 2016 target but may also interfere with the 2020 target of building an additional three million new homes in the United Kingdom as less demand due to affordability will result in less homes being built and therefore cause a stalemate situation if the government alongside industry does not take steps to resolve the situation fast. Reductions in cost for bulk purchasing As stated earlier in the report cost reductions can be made through advances in technology and through competition as demand for zero carbon homes increases. Whilst the cost of achieving zero carbon is quite high at the moment, cost will gradually subside. The Cyril Sweett consultancy further reported that the purchase of materials and technology in bulk order will reduce the cost of producing zero carbon homes. Cyril Sweett representatives approached a number of suppliers of water and sustainable technologies. It was found that for large scale procurement i.e. 5000 units plus reductions in cost were achieved for the following technologies. (Cyril Sweett, 2007) Section 4 Methodology This chapter focuses on the methodology used in the production of the current research paper and will highlight the various stages of the research method. The purpose of the methodology is to provide the reader with an insight into what is expected in the report and how the research is to be conducted. The current study focuses on the UK government’s policy of â€Å"all homes to be Zero Carbon† by the year 2016 and investigates into the feasibility of the policy and further considers the impediments preventing the policy to materialise. The study also aims to identify the key drivers and barriers of achieving zero carbon homes by 2016 across the board. The study will explore key areas in the