Sustainability And Energy Efficiency In Housing Essay

Sustainability And Energy Efficiency In Housing - Essay Example ceiling insulation; area of north-facing windows; floor insulation; amount of thermal mass; wall insulation, etc. (Healy, 2004) Traditional and current practice in relation to health and safety issues in energy efficient and sustainable housing Housing and health outcomes have been related for many years, but only recently this interrelation has acquired sufficient support through changing construction techniques. 'Housing sustains and supports human life and thus housing environments directly and indirectly impact on health, social support, absence of disease, quality of life and well-being'. (Givoni, 1976) This is why housing and energy-efficient sustainable housing should be looked at as one of the fundamental parts of the society as a whole. There has been conducted serious research as for the practices in housing and health outcomes. Promoting construction worker and home occupant health is a strong component of sustainable design. Sustaining the health of construction site workers involves choosing less-toxic material alternatives and providing worker training in specialized installation procedures. There are several strategies that are important for addressing the health of home occupants over the long term. These i nclude designs that provide for foundation radon venting in areas where radon is a concern. (Sunnikka, 2000) Energy-sufficient sustainable housing is the notion which includes the role of health of the future residents; for example, in the energy-efficient housing indoor temperatures are stabilized through the use of the adequate thermal mass (Williamson & Bennets, 2002), which ultimately leads to the decrease of the diseases which are directly connected with the rapid changes of temperatures (it is especially relevant... This essay stresses that the interrelation of housing, energy efficneicy, sustainability and health outocomes have acquired additional meaning in the recent years through understanding that the threats of energy and ecological crises should be reduced in every area possible. Housing has become the means of teaching people how to save finances through building and adjusting houses to energy-saving technologies, thus making the environment suitable for living. This paper makes a conclusion that many European and other countries have developed a number of policies in relation to energy efficiency in housing; making it state program and priority for the aims of general health improvements as well as with understanding that energy efficiency should be promoted at the state level to make it work effectively. Such policies include basic requirements to each type of construction and housing stage, starting with the siting of the house, finishing with the position of windows and level of wall and ceiling insulation. Design of sustainable houses is acquiring more popularity; despite stating that new houses are becoming less affordable, and energy saving technologies are too expensive to be implemented across all layers of society, it is understandable, that with the help of various state policies the realization of these aims will become real and will lead to the improved design of houses in general, as well as to higher energy efficiency which is achieved through following basic housing and construction requirements.

The pulley system investigation Essay Example for Free

The pulley system investigation Essay My aim is to create a pulley system which must consist of one, two or three pulley systems so that the results are recorded. I will also investigate and find the difference in the value of the force obtained for the three different pulley systems. Hypothesis I should be able to pick up 500g with one pulley but to make this easier I will use a pulley system, if I use one pulley that the force needed to lift this amount of weight should decrease by 25%. Off course this is my hypothesis Apparatus   Nylon Rope (3 Metres long Rope) Three pulley systems.   500g mass load force meter. (Newton Meter)   Clamp, Boss, Retort Stand. Loop and Weights. Safety Points The first thing that you must always be concerned about should be the safety of yourself and people around you. Safety should always be looked at seriously as this could alter the results and the test could turn unequal and unfair. You must always be concerned about Safety as this could always make the test more equal and Fair. Make sure that you put a bad underneath the pulleys in case they drop. A tension should always be readily available on the strings so that the whole pulley system does not collapse. Counter Balancing Masses could be an affective way to improve rather than a Newton Meter (optional). Method 1) The pulley must be firstly fixed together with a loop to a retort stand. 2) A string which has looped ends is then placed on top of the pulley 3) Weights can then be attached to one end of the string using its loop. A Newton Meter is than attached to the other side of the string. 4) By pulling down the Newton Meter you are able to raise the weight which sets the height and the effort is recorded on the Newton Meter. 5) You can now attach more pulleys and compare the force required to raise the weights. I have observed that you will not get the required result if you skip weight increasing from one number to another. You must go up step by step to see the trend. This is so that you can take real measurements and make observations correctly. 6) Adaptations To help make the experiment more efficient, the stand was were unstable; I got a friend to hold down the experiment whilst i was pulling the Newton meter. May I also mention that standard procedure may be different to the procedures which conclude in a Science Based Service. Science Based Services have much more detailed and quality instructions as well as equipment which give much more accurate readings. These accurate data include materials such as a digital Newton Meter which gives you an accurate reading to three decimal places. A Service which uses this equipment includes a building company which has to pick up a lot of weight. Diagram Result Test Number of Pulley Systems Force Needed to lift 500g load off the floor 1 0 3N 2 1 4N 3 2 3N 4 3 2N A surprising result has been achieved. The trend is very unusual. I have seen that the more the pulley is added the less force is required. But through observation i can see that without a pulley at all is better that has 1 pulley or 3 pulleys. The device is not very good as it was very unstable and people had to be aware of it. It was probably able to fall but did not due to the care that was taken. The performance of the system as a whole has not really attracted me. This is because the machine we used was insecure and unsafe to use. The first three tests were also very bad as they were better of not to be done. We contained results which were very unexpecting. If you were to add more pulleys the machine would get too complicated and may also not be able to handle it. As you know i had wished to add more pulleys but there were not any more to go around in the class. Conclusion I found out as the number of pulleys increased from 1 to 3 the amount of force needed to lift goes down. Evaluation I could improve my experiment if I repeat the test a few times to cancel any human errors such as wrong measurements which may occur during the measurement of the rope. Other measurements such as the weights may have been misunderstood due to their sizes which will vary accordingly. We also required adding more pulleys to get a more accurate result as more pulleys would have given us a more appropriate result. In the Industry In a laboratory you would use a pulley system simply to get the over all picture. It would be very small machine and the results taken would not be accurate. In a real world industry people have to move very large heavy items and materials. In an industry there are special separate companies which have the business of just moving items with huge pulley like machines. They take accurate reading of all there uses and determine through past experience of how much weight will be picked up and take on a job with the appropriate amount of pulleys. They have also got more stable and secure equipment which is checked regularly. The difference is our equipment is low graded and has not been specified for any specific weight criteria like there. We are also taking experiments before any real work can be taken up. But they have already got all the information required and choose there machine depending on the weight intended. Pulleys are found usually on cranes which help pick loads vertically but they use ropes, wires and chains!

Dialogue Essays - Freshly Cut Grass -- Dialogue Essays

Dialogue Essays - Freshly Cut Grass The air sings with the fragrance of freshly cut grass. As a backdrop to other things, children are at play, swinging too and fro, running and skipping; there are toddlers who toddle and mindful mothers who watch on in painful and patient distraction. The sun is everywhere: in the corners of the pavilion, bearing down on the tennis courts, caressing the flower beds, the convection of its heat pulling at the carpet-like lawns, dragging out bodily its scent. Meanwhile the park keeper potters about, the days' work done, reluctant to leave his eternal garden with its endless memories. Standing in the shade of elm he drifts away, and almost never comes back. He half-watches half-feels the bumble bees bumble from flower to flower. Else where, there is great inactivity, and everyone is busy doing it to a degree close to perfection. The park keeper, a simple man in blue overalls, T- shirt, straw hat, blue pumps and pockets full of silence, seeks out the cool of deeper shadow, retiring to the hidden security of his tool shed, where he sits in the stripy curve of a well worn deck chair. Door ajar, pipe smouldering, gazing out into the summery world through eyes bright with the light of nearly wisdom, he surveys his universe with unhurried care. A days grass cutting concluded, the park keeper presently plays part of an extra, superfluous to the tale's needs, and knowing this, he fades from focus. Over a ways, cross legged, mounted on a blanket and hiding on the inside of a book, sits the person of Doris, who, like her name, is of another age. On display, for the world to see, like a dusty exhibit in the quiet, unvisited corner of a dead museum, she aw... ...im again. She saw him everyday for the rest of her life. It was all so long ago, akin to a dream. It had been real enough though, and she is strangely thankful for it. Thankful to have known existence, and felt the terrible pain of it. She can almost feel the echo of its sorrow. Doris is all but dead, and she all but knows it. The fire of her life is fuelled by a few remaining drops of hope, but even they will soon be exhausted. She stands to leave. Walking by the park keeper in his hide-away, he gives a smile of recognition. Of his routine, she knows it well. Next Friday he will once again mow the lawns, releasing their fragrance into the air, to fill the world with sweet perfume. Doris will be there, to breathe it deeply, gasping for more, until it fills her mind, until she becomes drunk, once again, with that smell of freshly cut grass.

Legend of the Body in the Bed Essay -- Urban Legends

Body in the Bed The legend of the â€Å"Body in the Bed† has been retold over and over again for years. It is a very popular story, usually taking place at a hotel or motel in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, or in a remote location in the desert nearby (â€Å"Strange Smells from the Hotel Bed†). Various â€Å"spin-offs† and variations to the legend have arisen since its inception, believed to be in the early 1990s. Many examples supporting the legend have come to the surface over time. They provide a possible explanation to the origin of the legend. The version I collected was told to me by my girlfriend, on March 29th. She has been fascinated by urban legends since as far back as she can remember. Although she recounted several legends to me, I chose this particular one because it was my favorite. Before retelling the legend, she told me that I could easily find this story online. However, I told her that I would prefer if she retold it in the manner she first heard it. Her version of the legend goes as follows: A man traveling on a business trip arrived at a motel, checked in, and proceeded to his room. Once he got in, he became aware that the room had a very foul smell, practically unbearable. He called the desk clerk asking for another room, but there were none available. The desk clerk sent over a maid to clean the room and try to get the smell out while the man went to dinner. When he returned, he didn’t smell the foul smell. He showered, settled in, and went to bed. After some time, the man awoke to the horrible smell again. It was too late to call the desk clerk, so he began looking around, trying to figure out where the smell came from. He searched everywhere, but found that the smell was strongest around the bed. Finally... ...tivity would not agree with what goes on during the course of the honeymoon period. This legend plays upon all of the factors to warn against these â€Å"sinful† activities. It reminds us that we should not partake in activities out of lust or greed, for it may take over our lives and change who we are. It warns us to not seek these pleasures blindly, for we may be missing what is really going on directly under our noses. Works Cited Mikkelson, Barbara (2 November 2006). â€Å"The Bawdy Under the Bed.† Retrieved March 30th, 2007 from http://www.snopes.com/horrors/gruesome/bodybed.asp. Murphy, Autumn. â€Å"The Body in the Bed-An Urban Legend.† Retrieved March 30th, 2007 from http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/classics/Classics.htm. â€Å"Strange Smells From the Hotel Bed.† Retrieved March 30th, 2007 from http://www.halloweenghoststories.com/legends/strange1-2.html.

Bending: Second Moment of Area and Solid Edge

MEM23061A Test Mechanical Engineering Materials Lab. BEAM BENDING The bending of beams is one of the most important types of stress in engineering. Bending  is more likely to be a critical stress than  other types of stress – like tension, compression etc. In this laboratory, we will be determining the Modulus of Elasticity E (also called Young's Modulus) of the various materials and using Solid Edge to determine the Second Moment of Area for the different cross-sections. [pic] Equations Use units: Force (N), Length (mm), Stress (MPa) E = Young's Modulus or Mod of Elasticity (MPa)I = 2nd Moment of Area or Area Moment (mm4). Can calculate using SolidEdge sketch. BENDING [pic] In our case, we must first convert the mass to Newtons (N). W = kg * 9. 81 L is the span length in (mm). I is the Second Moment of Area in (mm4). We can calculate this for a rectangle using a simple formula; [pic] For other shapes it is not so simple. We need to calculate these using a program such as Solid Edge (see below). Determining the value of E in MPa. From the above equation, Deflection    z = W * L3 / (48 * E * I) so E =   W * L3 / (48 * z * I) Determining Stress in MPa.From the above equation, Bending Moment   (Nmm)    M = W*L / 4 and Maximum  Stress (MPa)      f = M * y / I where y = distance from centroid to the bottom (or top) of the beam. This is simply half the depth for all the symmetrical beams except the channel. To find the centroid for the channel you need to use Solid Edge again (same as the Ixx window) [pic] Laboratory 1. Load another beam onto the rig. 2. Adjust dial gauge to ensure it is touching the beam. Zero the dial face by rotating the lense and locking in place. 3. Apply each load and record the deflection measurement. . Check you have all recordings: Beam material, beam cross-sectional dimensions, span length, deflection readings, masses. 5. Make estimates of the errors associated with each measurement. E. g. Parallax error, mis-alignm ent, mechanical play,  incorrect deflections etc 5. Repeat for next beam†¦ [pic] Report 1. Use Solid Edge to calculate Ixx for each beam. Also determine the weight on CAD. Draw up the cross-section (either in part   mode or as a draft). While you are still in the profile sketch (i. e. before going to a solid) go to top menu:  Inspect > Area†¦ gt; Click â€Å"Area Information† button in Ribbonbar > (click inside the area you want to inspect) > Click on the green arrow in Ribbonbar. > You should see a table like this†¦ [pic] Ixx is the Second Moment of Area in bending with  a vertical load. 2. Write a short   report on the beam bending results. Each beam must have at least 3 weights. Make sure the deflection does not exceed the travel of the dial indicator (if so, use a lighter weight). 3. Using the equations above, calculate the value of E. Compare these values to the values obtained from  the internet.E. g. Matweb. Show the working for 1 example cal culation, but only give the rest of the answers in a table. Use Excel to do your calculations. 4. Determine the maximum stress   for each mass (load) added to the beams. 5. Discuss any sources of error in the experiment – esp measurements – and how they might affect the results. Specify an overall error for your calculation of E. [pic] [pic] Using the dial gauge to measure deflection in the beam while under a load of 500g. [pic] [pic] The face of the dial gauge can be rotated to zero the scale.

The Effect of Deforestation to Human Lives

Deforestation is increasing as a global concern. In recent years deforestation has risen to dangerous levels. This reason is mainly due to the fact that most people have no idea what deforestation is. This lack of education has caused many changes in the global economy. The concerns no longer center on deforestation but in the effects it will have in our environment in the future. This issue has sparked national attention. It has caused a chain of recent plans and policies to be introduced. Also it has brought us together as a nation to fight a common problem. Deforestation is the clearing the land of forest or trees. Many people do not even know that this problem exists, although it may be occurring right in their own neighborhoods. The causes of deforestation are broad. It used to be thought that the lumber industry was much to blame, when in fact the industry is very low. Most of the land was used for various other reasons such as building and agricultural expansion. The land is used for growing crops and livestock grazing. In many cases the ?  §Slash and Burn? method is used. This is where the farmers cut down and burn forests to get to the land that is feasible for farming. Most of the tropical soils are very poor in nutrients and can only support crops for a few years. When the soil has been exhausted it is either abandoned or turned over for livestock grazing. The effects of deforestation on the environment are numerous. The reduction of forests upsets the entire ecological cycle. The forests are home to a number of plants and animals. When a forest is cut down, the whole cycle suffers. Most of all the forests act as a carbon ?  §sink?. That is they help to take in carbon, a green house gas, and offset its effect on the atmosphere. Also trees and plants on a forest can help to supply an alternative source of fossil fuels. Tree planting is also good for urban development. They help with heating and cooling costs to be lowered. There is evidence from the UN sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that came out in 1990. This organization records the change of climate control and has the best of these fields working for it. It predicted that if our economy keeps releasing emissions as we are that our annual temperature would increase at 0. degrees per decade over the next century. This is beyond what the earth has experienced over the past 10,000 years? (Muller Introduction). We currently are increasing at a rate of 0. 5 percent per year. To get these levels back to normal we would have to have a cut in emissions by over 60%worldwide. The greatest producer of these carbon gases is the burning of fossil fuels. ? § With just 5% of the worlds population, the United States currently accounts for 20%of both total warming commitment and carbon dioxide emissions? (Muller Intro. ). Congressional concern over ways to reduce deforestation has grown. They center mostly on developing countries where the deforestation is most rapid. Many new plans and programs are being introduced to help aid with the issue. The major organizations working on deforestation are: the Tropical Forestry action Program, the International Tropical Timber organization, the United Nations Conference on Environmental and Developmental Forest Principles and Agenda 21 chapter on forests, the U. S. Forests For the Future Initiative, and the World Bank. Some of these are centered strictly in tropical deforestation. The Tropical Forestry Action Program (TFAP) was started in June of 1985. Its purpose was to slow down the tropical deforestation and help countries develop plans to help with their management of such issues. It was a correlation of the World Resources Institute, the World Bank, the United Nations Developmental Program and work by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The program is developed to help aid tropical countries in the reduction of deforestation. Currently 90 developing countries are participating-38 African countries, 20 in Asia and the Pacific, and 32 in Latin America and the Caribbean. (Fletcher, Lyke 6) The objectives of the plan are as follows. They plan center on five major issues in tropical countries. These were defined by the 1987 TFAP. „h Forrest in land uses. Action is this area is at the interface between forestry and agriculture and would aim at integrating forestry into agricultural systems in order to conserve the resource base for agriculture, and, in general, achieve a more rational use of the land. h Forest based Industrial Development. Planning in this area would promote appropriate forest-based industries, reduce waste, and develop the marketing if forest industry products. Fuelwood and energy. Action in this area would aim at restoring fuelwood supplies in the countries affected by shortages through foreign assistance and support for national fuelwood and wood energy programs, development of wood-based energy systems for rural and industrial development, regional training and demonstration, and intensification of research and development. h Conservation of tropical forestry ecosystems. Action planned in this area would aim at conserving, managing and utilizing tropical plants and wild animal genetic resources through the development of national networks of protected areas, the planning, management and development of individual protected areas, and research into the management of tropical forests for sustainable production. „h Institutions. Goals would be actions to remove the institutional constraints impeding the conservation and wise use of tropical forest resources by strengthening public forest administration and related governmental agencies, to integrate forestry concerns into developmental planning, providing institutional support for private and local organizations developing professional, technical and vocational training, and to improve extension and research. (Fletcher, Lyke 6-7) The funding for the project is provided by governmental and private sources. It plans on spending roughly eight billion dollars over the next five years (1985-1991). It would be divided among the five areas just mentioned. There have been numerous criticisms about the plan. Mostly it has been that it is on the fact that it is concentrating mostly on the deforestation factor and failing to recognize other environmental issues. It has been said to isolate groups of people. Also, they fail to get to the real source of deforestation, which to some, are things such as over population and poverty. They say that it doesn? t give any incentives or sanctions. Although this centers more on the tropical regions, there are also many other plans to help out in our areas. The easiest way to combat deforestation is through reforestation. This is, planting new trees. This does not mean just going out and planting seeds, but actually planting grown trees. There needs to be educated environmentalist who know what they are doing to plant these trees. We can not just go and place them anywhere and expect then to work to their potential. They need to be strategically placed in areas where they can work the best that they can. This is not to say that everyday people can? t help. We can definitely all try. By planting a tree we can do our best, while making the world a more beautiful place. Deforestation is an increasing global concern. In recent years it has risen to dangerous levels. This is due to the fact that many people do not even know what it is. This lack of education has caused the problem to get to intense levels before there has been any plans to reverse its effects. Its effects are effecting the whole ecological cycle, and if not dealt with could lead to an ecological disaster. Although there are many companies out there to try and solve this problem, many people have a common misconception. They believe that we could all just plant trees, and save the world. Although tree planting would be great that is not true. There needs to be the right trees planted in the right areas, where they can work to their highest potential as carbon sinks. This way they can help to reduce carbon in the atmosphere, while looking beautiful. Wouldn? t it be nice if we could just have a world with normal carbon levels covered with beautiful trees? Personally I would rather look at a beautiful oak or maple rather than a cloud of smog. So, in conclusion, we can all try to help, plant a tree.

Lab 1: Introduction to Science

Data Interpretation Table 1: Water Quality vs. Fish Population Dissolved Oxygen| 0| 2| 4| 6| 8| 10| 12| 14| 16| 18| Number of Fish Observed| 0| 1| 3| 10| 12| 13| 15| 10| 12| 13| 1. What patterns do you observe based on the information in Table 1? -The more dissolved oxygen in the water, the more fish is observed in that area of water. 2. Develop a hypothesis relating to the amount of dissolved oxygen measured in the water sample and the number of fish observed in the body of water. -If there is more dissolved oxygen in the water, there will be more fish present in the area the water sample is taking from. . What would your experimental approach be to test this hypothesis? -I would test the dissolved oxygen in different areas of water, keep track of the fish in those areas and compare the results. 4. What are the independent and dependent variables? -Independent- Dissolved Oxygen -Dependent- Fish 5. What would be your control? -No Control 6. What type of graph would be appropriate for this data set? Why? -A line graph will be appropriate because it supports the hypothesis and provide clear results. 7. Graph the data from Table 1: Water Quality vs. Fish Population (found at the beginning of this exercise).You may use Excel, then â€Å"Insert† the graph, or use another drawing program. You may also draw it neatly by hand and scan your drawing. If you choose this option, you must insert the scanned jpg image here. 8. Interpret the data from the graph made in Question 7. -The graph above shows the fish population on the Y (axis) and the dissolved oxygen on the X (axis). The fish population increases in the above graph due to more dissolved oxygen that is found in the body of water. For example: There is 0 dissolved oxygen (ppm) in the water, so there is 0 fish observed.Exercise 2: Testable Observations- Determine which of the following observations (A-J) could lead to a testable hypothesis. For those that are testable: Write a hypothesis and null hypothesis W hat would be your experimental approach? What are the dependent and independent variables? What is your control? How will you collect your data? How will you present your data (charts, graphs, types)? How will you analyze your data? 1. When a plant is placed on a window sill, it grows three inches faster per day than when it is placed on a coffee table in the middle of the living room. . The teller at the bank with brown hair and brown eyes and is taller than the other tellers. 3. When Sally eats healthy foods and exercises regularly, her blood pressure is 10 points lower than when she does not exercise and eats unhealthy foods. 4. The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9 pm but the one two blocks away closes at 10 pm. 5. For the past two days the clouds have come out at 3 pm and it has started raining at 3:15 pm. 6. George did not sleep at all the night following the start of daylight savings. Exercise 3: ConversionFor each of the following, convert each value into the designated units. 1. 46,756,790 mg = 46,756,790 kg 2. 5. 6 hours = 20,160 seconds 3. 13. 5 cm = 5. 31 inches 4. 47  °C = 116. 6  °F Exercise 4: Accuracy and Precision – 1. During gym class, four students decided to see if they could beat the norm of 45 sit-ups in a minute. The first student did 64 sit-ups, the second did 69, the third did 65, and the fourth did 67. 2. The average score for the 5th grade math test is 89. 5. The top 4th graders took the test and scored 89, 93, 91 and 87. 2.Yesterday the temperature was 89  °F, tomorrow it’s supposed to be 88 °F and the next day it’s supposed to be 90 °F, even though the average for September is only 75 °F degrees! 3. Four friends decided to go out and play horseshoes. They took a picture of their results shown to the right: 4. A local grocery store was holding a contest to see who could most closely guess the number of pennies that they had inside a large jar. The first six people guessed the numbers 7 35, 209, 390, 300, 1005 and 689. The grocery clerk said the jar actually contains 568 pennies. Exercise 5: Significant Digits and Scientific NotationPart 1: Determine the number of significant digits in each number and write out the specific significant digits. 1. 405000 6 or 3 2. 0. 0098 2 3. 39. 999999 8 4. 13. 00 4 5. 80,000,089 8 6. 55,430. 00 7 7. 0. 000033 2 8. 620. 03080 8 Part 2: Write the numbers below in scientific notation, incorporating what you know about significant digits. 1. 70,000,000,000 7 x 1010 2. 0. 000000048 4. 8 x10-8 3. 67,890,000 6. 789 x107 4. 70,500 7. 05 x 104 5. 450,900,800 4. 509008 x 108 6. 0. 009045 9. 0450 x 10-3 7. 0. 023 2. 3 x 10-2