Constitutional Amendment that Allows Same

Skyscraper essays

Skyscraper essays When we look outside, we see the world as a very visual place, with many aspects that change what we see. In our cities, the skylines are transformed by towering building touching the sky. The places we live are transformed into works of art, trying to appeal to anybody who sets their eyes upon it, while maintaining a purpose. The world we live in was transformed around the turn of the 20th century. Architect Louis Sullivan, through intuition and innovation, and his prominence in his field, has become the keystone in shaping modern architecture. To achieve what Sullivan did, he had to have the successful early career he had. His background in architecture runs rather shallow, only completing one year of architecture studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then another year at the prestigious art school Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, France. What accelerated Sullivan was his incorporation with natural plant life and modern theory towards buildings. He partnered with Dankmar Adler to create Sullivan Chicago was the epicenter to a change that is felt today. The Auditorium was one of Sullivans greatest and earliest works, but it was just a beginning. The facade was heavily decorated, as was the interior, yet, Sullivan still established an outstanding purposeful building, achieving design with function. The influence spread, as later architect William Van Alen used decorative intuition with efficient use with the design of the Chrysler Building in New York City. As Sullivans work spread to other cities, the effect was just as great. The Wainwright Building in St. Louis set the norm for taller buildings of present day. The bottom two stories were left relatively undecorated, and set apart from the rest o the building. It was the space for retail outlets of all kinds. The upper seven stories were office floors, while the exterior was heavily decorated with intricate designs and patterns. It...

Describe the UK carbon reduction strategy, trends and the contextual Literature review

Describe the UK carbon reduction strategy, trends and the contextual issues that are forcing carbon reduction - Literature review Example UK policy: Recent years have seen a significant increase in the U.K legislation’s focus towards reduction in carbon emissions. A number of government departments across U.K have seen adopt and implement greener processes and equipment to help reduce carbon emissions. In 2008, the UK Climate Change Act proposed a target regarding the reduction in carbon emission levels of the country. Through the Act the government obtained its first target for the year 2020 in which the government has taken upon itself to reduce carbon emissions by at least 34%. Along with a short term target the Act also has provided the British government with a long term target for the year 2050 where its target of carbon reduction is 80% (DWP, 2013). The Act provided the basis for a number of legislations such as the CRC EES (CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme), which makes it mandatory for each and every sector to purchase a certain amount of carbon allowances every year (DWP, 2013). In addition to this, the go vernment has made it compulsory for all government departments to adhere to the carbon reduction targets that have been provided to them. These targets are in terms of energy consumption, transportation as well as in terms of solid and water waste (DWP, 2013). The table below shows the sources of carbon dioxide emissions, within U.K, in metric tonnes since 1995. Finally in order to promote the idea of carbon reduction all buildings that cover an area of at least 1000 square meters and provide public access are legally bound to procure a DEC (Display Energy Certificate). DEC rates each building between a scale of A and G with A representing a building with the lowest amount of carbon emissions and G representing a building with the highest amount of carbon emissions (DWP, 2013). Year Energy Supply Transport Business Residential Other 1990 241 120 113 79 39 1995 210 120 107 81 36 2000 203 125 107 87 31 2005 216 129 97 84 27 2008 213 125 90 80 23 2009 190 121 79 75 17 2010 195 119 79 8 7 18 2011 182 117 76 66 17 2012 192 116 79 74 18 Source: (Department of Energy and Climate, 2013) Climate change: Climate change is a phenomenon that leads to a significant change in the temperature of Earth over a period of time. Climate change occurs due to numerous factors for example natural phenomenon such as a variation in solar radiation that hits the earth increase the temperature of the planet. However, over the past few years’ human activities have also contributed to the increase in the overall temperature of the globe. These factors are have collectively been categorized under the heading of global warming (Houghton, 2004). Global warming in its basic terms is the steady increase in earth’s temperature mainly due to the greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons and other pollutants. Due to the increase in greenhouse gases the past few years have been the warmest over a period of hundred years. The effects of global warming are not just re lated to the overall temperature of the planet, but can cause a wide range of physical as well as social impacts (Oxlade, 2003). Experts believe that

Microsoft Analysis Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Microsoft Analysis - Term Paper Example The purpose of this paper is to analyze the operations of Microsoft using a variety of business analytic tools Mission, Vision, Stakeholders The mission statement of Microsoft Corporation is â€Å"Our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential† (Microsoft, 2011). As a public company the firm’s actions must comply with the best interest of a variety of stakeholder groups. Some of the stakeholders that Microsoft must respond too are the shareholders, employees, board of directors, executive management team, suppliers, lenders, community, and the government. The company has tremendous aspirations and visions for the future. â€Å"At Microsoft, we believe the most engaging digital experiences will grow out of the combination of four things: smart devices, cloud-based services, natural forms of interaction between people and technology, and finally, people’s imaginations† (Microsoft, 2011). Five forces of Competition The threat of new entrants in the software industry is high. There are thousands of software companies in the marketplace. It is possible that one of these companies might be able to develop a new operating system to compete directly with Microsoft. In the gaming segment it seems as if the industry operates as an oligopoly with Sony and Nintendo being the only competitors. It takes billions of dollars and years of research to develop a new gaming console. The bargaining power of suppliers is low. Microsoft can take advantage of economies of scale to get better prices from suppliers. The bargaining power of buyers is medium low. Buyers are willing to pay the market price for software despite its relative high prices. The buyer power increases during certain seasons such as Christmas. The threat of substitute is medium. In terms of operating system I would classify the buyer power as low due to the lack of real substitute despite the existence of Linux and Mac computer s. In the gaming industry substitute are medium since there are only two competitors. The rivalry among firms competing in the industry is high. Due to the intense competition companies have to spend a lot of money on marketing. SWOT One of the strengths of Microsoft is its strong economic position and history of outstanding financial performance. The company’s equity is considered a blue chip stock. The company generated in 2011 sales of $69.94 billion. During the past five years the sales of the company have increased by 36.81%. The net income of the firm in 2011 was $23,150 billion. In comparison of the previous year the net income of the company increased by an outstanding margin of 23.40%. The market capitalization of Microsoft is $216.19 billion. The net margin of the firm in 2011 was 33%. The average net margin in the software industry is a mere 1.9% (Dun & Bradstreet, 2011). The net margin of Microsoft was 17.36 times higher than the industry average in 2010. The divi dend yield of the company was 3.10%. A second strength of Microsoft is the brand value of the company. Microsoft has the leader software industry largely due to the superior design of its operating systems programs. The current version of the Operating system Microsoft is selling is Windows 7. The customers of computers visualize Microsoft as the top brand in the industry. Due to the preference of customers for Windows product the majority of new computers come equipped with Microsoft operating systems. Another strength

Environmental Forces Affecting B&Q In The UK Essay

Environmental Forces Affecting B&Q In The UK - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the performance of a major competitor of UK’s home improvement retail industry: B&Q. The particular organization has achieved to acquire a large share of the particular market, as analyzed below. Still, concerns exist in regard to the firm’s ability to keep its profitability high in the long term. The firm’s macro environment has been reviewed and evaluated using an appropriate strategic management tool, the PESTEL analysis. At the same time, an internal micro analysis has taken place for checking the potentials of the organization to manage risks related to its daily operations and to stabilize its profitability. It has been made clear that the power of B&Q to achieve a long term growth cannot be guaranteed, especially since the UK economy is not stabilized. A strategy is proposed for helping the organization to face the external forces related to the particular market and to respond to the needs of its changing environment.In order to u nderstand the environmental forces that affect B&Q it would be necessary to understand the characteristics of these forces, as they are related to the operations of the particular organization. In general, the term macro-environment is used for describing a firm’s â€Å"external forces and agencies† (Reynolds and Lancaste 2012, p.32). The most popular strategic tool for evaluating a firm’s macro environment is PESTEL analysis (Cunningham and Harney 2012). ... The most popular strategic tool for evaluating a firm’s macro environment is PESTEL analysis (Cunningham and Harney 2012). When using PESTEL analysis for explaining a firm’s macro environment it should be necessary to take into consideration the following fact: not all parts of this framework will equally influence the relationship between the firm and its external environment (Cunningham and Harney 2012). Reference can be made to the following example: for pharmaceutical firms patents will have a key importance for measuring these firms’ potentials to face their external forces (Cunningham and Harney 2012). In the case of firms operating in the services industry emphasis should be given on demographics, as a factor that will influence the relationship between these firms and their external environment (Cunningham and Harney 2012). The PESTEL analysis refers to the macro environment of organizations. It should be noted that the particular framework helps to ident ify the factors that affect â€Å"the whole economy and not only a particular organization† (Bowhill 2008, p.331). In the context of the PESTEL analysis the macro environment of B&Q could be analyzed as follows: a) Political; the political environment of UK is quite stable. The current government has tried to enhance the stability of the economy by keeping inflation low, at least compared to other countries (Wood 2011). It should be noted that no threats seem to exist for potential turbulences in the UK political sector (Wood 2011). As a result, B&Q would not be threatened by the specific element, i.e. the political framework, of its macro environment. Still, the challenges that the

Teacher Leadership as a Catalyst for Change

Teacher Leadership as a Catalyst for Change Ankrum, R. J. (2016). Utilizing Teacher Leadership as a Catalyst for Change in Schools. Journal  of Educational Issues, 2(1), 151-165. doi:10.5296/jei.v2i1.9154 School leaders are continually attempting to discover alternative approaches to use and investigate teacher leadership potential in their schools. Teacher leaders will go well beyond their general obligations as an educator, and are the kind of teachers that fall under the theme of conceivably taking on added duties that will enhance the school community. This study takes the opportunity to look at approaches to use connections between teacher leaders and school leaders, keeping in mind that the end goal is to get the most output from the school staff. By injecting shared administration in the school group, duty and responsibility turns into a common belief that can be used as a catalyst for change throughout the school community. (Ankrum, 2016) The researcher of this study expected the following to come from their research: a) The results to conclude teacher leaders play an important role in changing the climate of a school; b) Teacher leader professional development is impactful to the teaching staff; c) Teacher leaders provide valuable guidance and support to the teaching staff; d) Teacher leaders increase the level of rigor provided by the teaching staff; and e) Teacher leader led professional development does in fact improve instruction in schools. (Ankrum, 2016) The research done for this study was completed as a Google Forms survey, which provides users with data collection, along with an analysis of the data collected. The survey was comprised of five questions fixated on teacher leadership, its role in culture change, enhancing professional development, and establishing professional learning groups that enhance educational practice. (Ankrum, 2016) When it came to the outcomes and findings of this particular study, the researcher concluded that teacher leaders are catalysts for change in schools. This research digs into exactly how significant teacher leaders are to the process of progress and change in school. The article explained that teacher leaders frequently go unacknowledged in light of the fact that they dont have titles, but titles do not make their impact any less important. Question number one examined the role that teacher leaders play in enacting change in the culture of schools. 90% of participants profoundly concurred that teacher leaders assume an instrumental part in changing the culture and way of life at a school. Question number two analyzed the effect of teacher driven professional development and its impact. 75.5% of participants profoundly concurred that teacher leader professional development is important to the educating staff. Question number three measured whether or not teacher leaders have direction and support to whatever is left to the educating staff. 93% of participants profoundly concurred that teacher leaders give direction and support to whatever remains of the educating staff. Question number four reviewed whether of not teacher leaders increase the level of thoroughness in classrooms.   70% of participants profoundly concurred that teacher leaders increase the thoroughness in classrooms. Question number five looked at whether or not educator driven peer observations were important. 90% of participants highly concurred that teacher leader driven peer observations were impactful to the educating staff. (Ankrum, 2016) Much like the teachers who were surveyed for the study in this article, I believe that teachers have the ability to play an instrumental role in changing the culture of a school. I also believe that teacher led professional development can greatly impact a school and can be very meaningful to the teaching staff, as I have been asked to lead a professional development session this school year, and have really enjoyed my teacher colleagues lead professional development session this school year as well. I agree with the survey participants that teacher leaders not only provide guidance and support to the rest of the teaching staff, but increase the rigor in classrooms as well. I also believe that teacher leader led peer observations can be tremendously beneficial to teaching staffs. In my current teaching situation, there are actually only three classrooms in our entire school, so weve essentially all taken on teacher leader positions, each focusing on our own strengths to share with th e other teachers in our school. This article left me curious as to how this study would turn out if it were to be done nationwide, instead of the few teachers selected by the researcher for this study.

The First World War (WWI) :: World War 1 I One

World War 1 World War 1 was called â€Å"The Great War†, â€Å"The war to end all wars†, and â€Å"The first modern war†. It had many causes and a few repercussions and I will describe them in detail. The most widely known reason for the start of World War1 was the assassination of the Arch Duke Ferdinad of Austria-Hungary in the Serbian capital of Sarajevo. The ArchDuke was there to talk to the Serbian leaders about peace in the Balkan Peninsula. After a Serbian was arrested for the assassination Austria-Hungary pulled out of the peace talks and declared war on Serbia. Germany who was allied with Austria-Hungary also declared war on Serbia. Russia who was allied with Serbia had to declare war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. When Germany invaded France and Belgium, Great Britain declared war on Germany. World War 1 had begun. As the German Chancellor, Bethmann-Hollweg said, â€Å"Once the dice are cast nothing can stop them.† Indeed once the dice were cast on World War 1 nothing stopped them until 22 million people had died. Besides the assassination of the archduke there were four other reasons for the start of WW1. 1. Militarism- the building of large armies. All the nations in Europe at that time were engaged in what today could only be called an arms race. As soon as one nation built a new weapon, all the others followed suit. 2. Alliance System- The building of alliances to strengthen the borders of a country. In theses alliances if one country went to war all the other countries in the alliance were forced to go to war also. 3. Imperialism- The practice of colonizing other lands by large European nations. 4.Nationalism- The feeling of Patriotism in a country that makes it compete with all other counties in the area in all areas. In my opinion WW1 was an unnecessary global conflict in which 22 million people needlessly lost their lives. I think that this conflict could have be prevented or stopped in 2 ways. One if the Serbian leaders had more closely guarded the car that carried Archduke Ferdinad. If the assassin had not been able to get near the car perhaps the