Leed Certification Essay

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is both a professional certification in sustainable building practices, and a grading scale on a structure’s environmental impact and sustainability (USGBC, 2008). A LEED certified professional is recognized as having completed the required course of curriculum in LEED and has successfully passed the LEED Certification exam. This allows a LEED certified professional to be able to work with colleagues of the construction industry in all aspects of a project to develop a LEED certified structure. Using LEED ensures a structure to be designed and built with the utmost attention to detail to assure that the structure is as environmentally friendly as possible. LEED Rating Systems exist for every area of the construction industry and range from the interior finishes of commercial buildings right down to resource consumption and health risks of residential structures (USGBC, 2008). The LEED certification exam covers the entirety of the LEED AP Handbook as well as several industry standard construction practices. The exam and handbook together will run almost $700 for a non- USGBC member to take and nearly $600 for members of both the USGBC and GBCI to take (GreenBuild, 2008). The exam is very rigorous and the study time required to take the exam is substantial. Most people take about 2 months of 20 a week study time to prepare for the exam (GBCI, 2008). Contrary to popular belief, becoming LEED Certified is not something that a person achieves, but it is the building that achieves it. The process of LEED certification has five different categories that insure that the build is a â€Å"green† building. There are five categories that are taken into account when building a LEED certified structure. They are sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. This means that if all of these categories are met the building will be considered Green. It sounds easy, but is not that simple because there are different stages of being certified. The building is then, as the USGBC website says: â€Å"LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures. All certified projects receive a LEED plaque, which is the nationally recognized symbol demonstrating that a building is environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to live and work. † (GBCI, 2008). The way that professionals achieve the ability to certify building is through attending LEED specific classes that are offered on the USGBC website. The USGBC’s website provides many different ways to become an accredited LEED professional. The first way is through online courses that are self-paced learning. The second way is through in house seminars. The online option offers three different classes to help increase an individual’s knowledge. The first course is the 100 level, awareness. This course is highly recommended for anyone who wants to take the more advanced 200 or 300 level courses. This course introduces a person to the principles of Green building and also serves as a base in which the person is able to build off of. The next Level of LEED certification is the 200 level, Understanding. In this level the person begins to take courses that deepen their knowledge of LEED and Green building. The first course on this level is the Essentials of LEED Professional Accreditation. This course was developed for people getting ready to take the LEED Accredited Professional exam. The next two just help the person understand Green building even more. They are LEED for Homes Program Review and LEED for General Contractors/Construction Managers. The third and final level, 300 Level: Application & Implementation offers several courses that offer courses that make the student apply their knowledge to real life situations and it challenges them to apply what they learned in the 200 level (GBCI, 2008). There are many different benefits that you can achieve by being having a LEED Certification. It proves to many people that you have achieved your environmental goals. Having a LEED Certification means that you have many government incentives, marketing benefits, and increased property values, which can help, boost the presses interest in your current project. Building green can also greatly reduce the cost to construction managers and tenants (USGBC, 2008). There are four different levels of certification that you can achieve. These are: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each level has its own special incentives to it. To gain a higher ranking you must accumulate credits. To accumulate credits you must have certain standards in your projects that benefit the environment. These consist of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality (GBCI, 2008). Green Buildings can help the earth in so many ways. Being certified means that you build more environmentally friendly, which means that building green friendly can reduce the negative effect buildings and operations have on the environment. Also green building greatly decreases the chances of fire, explosions, spills or splashes. Building green also reduces health problems such as allergies. Finally, if you’re building green it calls for green cleaning. This means that the products used in cleaning these green buildings are also very environmentally safe. For example a stain on a carpet is taken care of with a mild cleaner. This not only protects the environment but can also help protect the furnishings in the long run (USGBC, 2008). Commissioning is a prerequisite of the LEED process. Commissioning involves an outside team of individuals that is not part of the design and construction team. The area of responsibility is to ensure compliance of â€Å"fundamental building elements and systems† with the LEED guidelines. The estimate commissioning cost is to be in the range of 0. 5 percent to three percent of construction costs (DCD, 2008). LEED has certain requirements on architects and engineers because these designers must assess how a project could best attain certification and prepare the design and specifications to reflect these additional requirements. In either case, participating in the LEED process adds time and effort to the design and specification phase of a project. The estimate is that traditional design costs range from eight to twelve percent of construction costs, and then the additional design costs for green buildings are in the range of 0. 4 percent to 0. 6 percent of the total construction cost. A significant weigh down of the LEED system is the need to document compliance with the various criteria in order to submit a package to the GBC for review and a decision on certification. This requires the establishment of a tracking and reporting system, which is often performed by a LEED consultant, rather than the design and construction team itself, and the tracking down of information that otherwise is not standard practice in specifying or sourcing systems and materials. The estimate of documentation and application fees as a percentage of total construction costs were found to be; the costs averaged 0. 7 percent of construction costs with a range from 0. 05 percent for a very large project to 3. 8 percent for a very small one (DCD, 2008). Where is LEED certification taking the construction industry? So far, businesses and governments worldwide are taking advantage of going green and looking into LEED. Several LEED certified buildings have already been built, but the future for green buildings is just now getting started. The past decade in green building has been a revolution in the construction industry and has no indication of a slow down. With numerous grants available for LEED projects by Governments and green organizations, LEED certified buildings are becoming more realistic and within reasonable costs to construct. We are just in the dawning of the â€Å"green age† and things are just starting to catch on with LEED. With new technologies, techniques, and equipment being invented all of the time, going green is becoming easier faster (Botelho, 2007). As for the future of the LEED industry, Governments are now starting to place requirements on construction projects to comply with their green specifications. Sometime in the future, every building constructed will have to meet Government specified codes that pertain to LEED. All of this is for the benefit of the environment and aims towards a better and healthier Earth (Botelho, 2007). In conclusion, LEED is taking the industry in a new direction and could someday be the standard for building any structure. Most professionals support the idea and there should be a take-off for green building in the near future. As for the cost, it ends up paying for itself over a period of time. LEED is proving more and more reasons why the construction industry needs to start adapting to the green future.

An Industry View of the Organic Baby Food Market Essay

â€Å"The organic niche for baby-food processors and retailers may continue to be a window of opportunity for increasing sales in an otherwise stagnant industry. † There are limited studies done on the organic baby food niche, but it is proven by many studies that its popularity and market share continue to grow at a double digit rate when compared to conventional baby food products. * Organic baby products averaged around 7. 7% total market share in 2010, and expected to be 10. 9% by 2014. * Growth is partially contributed to the expanding sector of consumers buying only organic products. * It is important to note that Individual manufactures and retailers are never again expected to achieve growth rate like that in recent years (since 2000) due to the saturation and leveling of the market. A growing number of baby food consumers are realizing the benefits of organics over conventional counterparts, and are in most cases willing to pay a premium for organic products. However; being organic or not organic has yet to become a major determinate in making baby food purchasing decisions. * The most important factor influencing the decision to purchase organic vs. conventional remains nutrition. Organic or not organic comes in a very distant 4th according to a study done by Bond, Thilmany, and Bond. * The same study concluded that although most people are willing to pay a premium for organic baby food, it is not considered to be a dominate purchasing factor. * On the other hand, when looking specifically at consumers who purchase only organic food, organic baby food is among the most popular items purchased. Illustrations below produced by Agriculture and Agri-Food of Canada show that per capita dollars spent on organic baby food and the compound annual growth rate for organic baby food is second only to organic ice cream. With the increasing number reputable companies starting to produce organic baby food, reliance on â€Å"trendy† advertising, product innovation & development, SEO, a constant effort to educate consumer awareness, and acquiring shelf space everywhere possible is recommended to stay competitive. * Eating at home and eating healthy are important trends that are likely to increase demand for organic foods in general. * The misconception that organic food is only accessible and purchased by wealthier consumers is fading. Organic products are still considered to be a niche market, but organic packaged food has increasingly penetrated mass market grocery retailers such as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods. * On-line sales will continue to increase as people become more connected and comfortable with technology. Especially true for the next generation of mothers who are already experts in convenience and on-line shopping. Continue to focus on developing your e-commerce capabilities. * The organic food retail industry is highly fragmented and comprised of many small local and regional chains. Focusing on expanding into these stores will allow you access to additional locations; therefore increasing brand recognition and influence on consumer decisions. * Develop relations with suppliers. Major competitors manufacturing organic baby food include: * Earth’s Best- Gerber. * Hain Celestial Group – Happy Family * Happy Baby- Kamut International More at http://www. theorganicpages. com Bottom line; with the national influx of local health food stores and the expanding selection available at grocery stores and boutiques, organic baby food should provide for a steady market increase in the years to come. People are increasingly requesting organic products, and like most adopted trends, these parents will pass on their buying habits to their children who will also become devoted patrons. The key to long term success will be to stay on top of your industry. This includes aggressive marketing strategies, developing good business relations with you suppliers and retailers, and actually understanding what your consumers want rather than telling them what they want.   [ 1 ]. Demand for Organic and Conventional Baby Food – Victoria S. LeBeaux, James E. Epperson, Chnng L. Hnang (March 1, 2009) [ 2 ]. Agriculture and Agri-Food of Canada [ 3 ]. Demand for Organic and Conventional Baby Food – Batte et al. (2007) [ 4 ]. Datamonitor, Whole Foods Market, Inc Market Profile.

Theory of Knowledge for the IB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Theory of Knowledge for the IB - Essay Example The second definition goes beyond the original reason for the invention of machines. Instead of just aiding us in our daily tasks by being "extensions" of our bodies in performing their tasks, machines, especially since the time when a machine called computers are invented, become performers of tasks independently of its user. As long as its actions are programmed in such a way that it can now perform tasks without the presence or the real-time control of humans. They have become very sophisticated that they can surpass what we can do. Mechanical cranes can lift manifold times the maximum weight that the strongest living human can. Assembly line robots can accomplish a task way beyond a team of fastest human workers of that particular job. And, in 1997, a supercomputer named Deep Blue defeated the then world chess champion, Garry Kasparov. The power of machines exponentially increases our capacity to produce goods and services. It is understandable that they can outshine our mechanical abilities. But in terms of our mental faculties, machines such as Deep Blue has been programmed to outsmart our rational faculties. This presents a question that we are to resolve in this paper. Can a machine know Before going further, we must first define what the verb "to know" means. In English this word has several definitions. In the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition) " know" has eight definitions: "1. To perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty. 2. To regard as true beyond doubt. 3. To have a practical understanding of, as through experience; be skilled in 4. To have fixed in the mind: 5. To have experience of: 6a. To perceive as familiar; recognize: b. To be acquainted with: 7. To be able to distinguish; recognize as distinct: knows right from wrong. 8. To discern the character or nature of:" The definitions above give us different aspects of the word "know." By these we can say that "knowing" something starts when we perceive a thing by our senses, processing this acquired information to a point that we become acquainted with those things and ends up with the capability of the "knowing" person to distinctly distinguish or recognize that thing from others. The emergence of the Information Age has introduced machines that can "think" independently. They, such as supercomputers, can grasp and process data at astounding speeds. In a fraction of a second, they can perform mathematical operations that a human can do in hours or even years. With this capacity, they can really perform rational activities, at least to a certain extent. But can we say that this supercomputer's ability to process data is already an act of knowing given the definition of "know" above For me, I believe that machines cannot fully know. They may perform mental tasks of humans with rapidity and precision way above that of humans. But still they cannot totally know things as per defined by dictionaries. If we use the definitions above, they fall short of thoroughly knowing something. To prove this, let us consider the first definition "To perceive directly, grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty." Computers are designed to perceive and grasp data to help us in our tasks. Word processing programs, for example, are created for us to write a letters and other documents in a precise and neat manner. It can receive data coming

Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. Loan Package Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. Loan Package - Essay Example Tootsie Roll Industries has a great pool of working capitol. In many cases companies can borrow money cheaper than spending their working capitol. As an example if the 10% increase in liabilities for Tootsie Rolls Industries costs them less in interest than the money will generate in revenue, then the investment is well worth the increase. On the other hand, if the increase in revenue generated is projected to be less than the 10% increase in liabilities than Tootsie Roll Industries would be better served looking for other funding sources. The following proposal justifies the loan for expansion inside our Tootsie Roll Industries and increase total liabilities by 10%. We are expanding our current Tootsie Roll candies by creating a â€Å"mini† Tootsie Roll with a dark chocolate center. Product studies show that this new product is very popular among test sites. By re-directing a portion of our high volume sales to major distributors whose sales have remained on par or below average per quarter since 2010, we can increase total revenue and re-branding of our Tootsie Roll products. The candy industry market is saturated and very competitive. Large end competitors produce high volume candies and distribute to wholesale distributors for average profit. Our goal is to target the customers who also purchase the wildly popular Tootsie Roll product by adding a new dimension and re-energizing our existing customer base and introducing new customers with this product line. The loan provides the additional revenue required to produce the new product at low costs and distributed to targeted distributors for sale. By creating a new product and re-energizing our existing customer base, we will grow our brand while delivering high quality candies. The change in strategy increases revenue, generates more tax dollars, and expands the Tootsie Roll brand into the next century. As noted the loan will be implemented for

Rhetorical Analysis of President Obamas Inaugural Speech Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of President Obamas Inaugural Speech - Essay Example The speech feels like the fresh morning dew that soothes our doubting soul as we traverse the scorching heat and difficulty of a financial crisis. The speech intended to lift us from our debilitating skepticism about ourselves and our world to believe once more in the enduring spirit that made America â€Å"the prosperous, most powerful nation on earth†. It is a speech where all the three rhetorical concepts of pathos, ethos, and logos were astutely utilized not only to deliver a message but also to touch and affect its audience. To underscore further President Obama’s message of hope, he used pathos or emotion as a primary medium for him to get his message across and for the audience to relate to him. It is very noticeable in that inaugural address, that the word â€Å"I† was sparingly used and was only mentioned twice. First, it was only mentioned in the opening statement which was in the context of humility that he is grateful of the trust that was bestowed up on him and â€Å"mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors†.   The second time that President Obama mentioned it was in a collective context involving the audience by saying â€Å"today I say to you that the challenges we face are real†. ...He was inviting sympathy without even asking by subliminally hinting that he, a black man, suffered too just like many of the audiences yet the opportunity of America enabled him to rise above his circumstances and now bestowed a position of great honor. Subconsciously, he was playing an underdog while calling for America to rise above the challenge, to unite and to once more take the challenge of leadership. In a way, he was subconsciously saying that if he was able to be where he is right now when before blacks cannot be even served at a local restaurant, then the rest of America can also overcome the challenges that they are facing as he did. President Obama’s used of emotional appeal or pathos is reinforced by hi s own credibility or ethos. As a political leader, he is known as a man of integrity and has never involved in any compromising political situation.  

Jaws Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jaws - Case Study Example C. jacchus and C. pygmaea exhibit longer masseter and temporalis muscles. They also have higher fiber to muscle mass ratio. They have a greater excursion potential of distal tendons hence the muscle can stretch further. The more fibres in C. Jacchus and C. Pygmaea lead to wider jaw gapes and hence can offer more power during gouging (Campbell 25). They also have shorter angle of pinnation, larger PCSA as well as a smaller proportion of tendons. S. Oedipus has a greater tendon proportion as compared to common marmoset masseter. Hence, S.oedipus has a lower muscle excursion and a lower contraction velocity leading to shorter stretching and hence smaller gapes. It also has a greater pinnation angle and a smaller PCSA. They, therefore, produce a smaller biting force as compared to C. jacchus and C. pygmaea. (Garber, Estrada, Heymann and Strier 208). Burrows and Nash (10), explains that the lateral pterygoid muscle in C. pygmaea and C. jacchus gives them a wider gape. They also found no difference in the anteroposterior ratios of both species. There is little to suggest that these mammals have undergone a reorganisation of the structures of the soft tissue. Kilgore et al (11) suggest that C. pygmaea, C. jacchus and S. oedipus have evolved significantly to adapt to their mode of feeding. Both the new literature cited and the course work books agree that C. pygmaea and C. jacchus are able to have a wider jaw gapes than S. oedipus. This has influenced their feeding habits as well as their diet. C. pygmaea and C. jacchus have a long mandible that enable it produce a stronger bite as the masseter and temporalis are longer as compared to the latter’s shorter that are short (Lord 56). Future clinical investigations should aim to establish whether muscles have an optimal length that, therefore, produces optimal biting force. Also, investigations should look into the positions of the stretched

IDENTITY paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

IDENTITY paper - Essay Example The word agency in this context refers that 'agency is directly tied to social structures' in so far as they interact and produce society together. Obviously, Agents have complete knowledge of their society and this mutual information that therein produces structures. The everyday ordinary life of an agent leads is simply a part of reproduction in society. The important thing is here that Levine theory primary refers "Ontologiclal" security in the trust. In contrast, Agency, apart from reproduction of society can also lead to the transformation of society. According to Levine a good way to explain this concept is "reflexive monitoring of actions". Reflexive monitoring looks at the skill to look at actions to estimate their effectiveness in achieving their aims. However, if agents can replicate structure through action, they can also transform it. However, according to Levine "in terms of identity formation and maintenance, two key issues pertain to (a) the relevance of the concepts of structure and agency for understanding identity, and (b) the extent to which identity is conceptualized as having an "inner" versus "outer" origin. The first issue involves assumptions regarding individual causality, or personal responsibility; the sociological equivalent of which lies in the notions of reflexivity and agency. It is quite true that this issue has long been ignored in sociology, but as noted, the issue is currently being discussed by late modernists in terms of the structure-agency debate (i.e., how much individuals exercise control independent of social structure versus how much social structure determines individual behavior". (Levine, 2002, pg, 54+) Structural Influence on Identity (A) Gender Base Structural Influence on Identity The benefits of receiving ample parental support and, conversely, the costs of receiving poor parental support during childhood may be the most powerful within "same-sex parent-child dyads". The important point is to note here is that the daughter-mother relationship is central in most women's lives. Certianly, this relationship between mother and daughter is a key influence in the identity formation and the long-term psychosocial adjustment of daughter. Similarly, the son-father relationship has significant influence on the development psychosocial, morality, behaviour and so on. Furthermore, the relationship between father and son influences everything in a man's life, in what he sees himself and in what way he sees all other people. Thus, the amount of support a child receives within this same-sex dyad would be a important determinant of psychosocial and moral values development an individual's life course. "When taken together, this review suggests that although receiving early parental support may be an important predictor of mental and physical health outcomes in later life, the impact of early parental support can be fully appreciated only by identifying the social structural factors that are most closely associated with receiving poor support in early life and understanding how associations between levels of support received during childhood. However, moral and behavior status vary according to following factors. 1. Does the amount of early parental support reported vary by gender of the parent, gender of the child, or racial or socioeconomic status 2. Is the moral of women and men differentially