Management and Team Essay

A team displaying effective team performance are identified as having several characteristics. These are: Clear Goals: These are essential and ensure that the team as a whole are working towards the same positive outcome – thus ensuring an effective and in tune team. Defined Roles and job descriptions: In order to encourage effective team performance it is critical that each team member in each position has definitive roles. When these are not followed confusion is rife and the performance of the team can be severely damaged. Defined roles ensure that each team member is doing what they should, know who to call on for assistance in a certain situation and makes for smooth and effective team performance. Open and clear communication: This ensures that all team members grow within a trusting and healthy interpersonal forum at work. Open and clear communications are the only way to ensure that a team performs effectively. Excellent communication throughout the team ensures that t he team are working in sync with each other, making a strong in tune outfit. Effective decision making: Teams must receive training on effective decision making procedures in order for them to be effective. Read more:Â  Define the Key Features of Effective Team Performance If a team follows this training then the performance is enhanced across the whole team and mostly the best decisions are made using this process. Time is often saved using these techniques making for a happier healthier team. Participation from all team members: Regular time and forums to gather all team members are essential to the performance of the team. It not only empowers workers to give their opinion but allows and encourages all within a team to have their ideas and opinions validated – thus making a positive enhancement on the team. Participation also encourages the sharing of ideas and knowledge within the team creating diversity within the team as a whole. Valued diversity: Every team member has a different idea, opinion or approach and so bringing all of the differences from each individual together – this enhances the knowledge and diversity of the team as a whole. For instance – someone may be methodical and the other creative. Between them they sho uld have all avenues covered to make a well rounded team when put together. Recognising, at supervisions and team meetings, each individuals strengths enables the team to have many sides to use and in turn enhances performance. Managed conflict: is essential to effective team performance as it stops issues and problems from being ignored. It is a safe and positive way to take problems and bring out new ideas in order to solve and put at ease any members of the team affected by this conflict. It gives team members a chance to be heard and a solution sought in order to keep the team the best that it can be. Positive atmosphere: People who are happy in their work have been proven to be more productive than those who dislike their position and so positivity is a must at all times within a team. Cooperative relationships: An effective team gets along well and takes knowledge from co workers to improve the things they are less able to do alone. It has been proven that optimum team performance is achieved by team members who get along with each other. Participative leadership: An effective team with have leadership who are good role models. The leaders will be involved in the same type of work as all team members on occasion and show that they themselves can and will work as part of the team, even if they are at the top. It has been written that it should be difficult to identify the leader in effective teams upon observation. (Bruce Tuckman 1965) states that the best way to gain effective team performance is to follow his theory of Forming, Storming, Norming and performing. Following his theory tool is definitely a way forward and shows key features of effective team performance. When each stage is followed , a team should reach maximum performance quickly and with ease. (www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_86.htm) To summarise – the features of effective team performance are to have a happy knowledgeable team who meet regularly, share experiences, ideas and knowledge, to ensure team members are valued and to create a happy work environment where conflicts are safely managed and management are actively seen a nd involved within the team. With all of the above features evident within an organisations team should ensure and show excellent team performance. 1.2 IDENTIFY THE CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY DEVELOPING TEAMS Challenges experienced by developing teams include the notion that team members may become overwhelmed if the development is handled wrongly. Psychologist Bruce Tuckman (1965)says that in the initial stages of team development it is easy for teams to become overwhelmed by expectations of what they are being asked to do. However if the theory and tools are used correctly, team development is planned carefully, and the plan followed then all challenges can be overcome. With any team, disengagement should be looked for as if members do not participate then they will not achieve the desired outcome. Reading many papers on the matter lead me to believe that if you keep a team engaged, have a stringent plan, outline goals for the team and orchestrate using tried and tested methods, all challenges that may arise will be overcome. Time is always difficult to find with developing teams to enable the progression. Regular time should be allowed for team performance meetings and it is always difficult to orchestrate a workforce to develop. However difficult, a conclusion from my reading is that teams need time and without adequate tim e and a leader who knows what they are doing, developing teams can be seriously impaired. 1.3 IDENTIFY THE CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY ESTABLISHED TEAMS Established teams can be difficult to change. If an established team has effective team performance then great but if an established team has team performance that is not good then an established team may be difficult to shape as they will not be used to the new strategies and ideas involved in upping their performance. Following on as a Manager into an environment already established is always difficult. Bringing in new ideas – it is written that established teams can become un nerved and so this should be done using tried and tested techniques. It is important to identify in established teams what already works and grow with that and to slowly bring in new ideas and routes to enhance performance. Resistance to change is a natural response by human beings and should be looked out for and overcome quickly so as not to see a decline in positivity within established teams. (http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-pm-cm.htm) 1.4 EXPLAIN HOW CHALLENGES TO EFFECTIVE TEAM PERFORMANCE CAN BE OVERCOME. Team performance challenges can be overcome by using communication. Excellent communication is at the forefront of any issues and challenges with team performance. Listening is also equally as important as the team should be viewed as a whole and not as an individual. This builds trust and can be imperative in overcoming issues. The whole team will fell valued. Team time spent together can also be productive – socialising and getting to know each other can alleviate stresses and strains and can make a firm foundation for problem solving. All team members must be treated as equals. Problems will come if team members feel that one member receives special treatment. A Manager must also show consistency when completing all tasks with the team. Offers of helping team members is a positive solution as if you do the work yourself and complete the task – others will see that you are an equal and should respond positively. 1.5 ANALYSE HOW DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT STYLES MAY INFLUENCE OUTCOMES OF TEAM PERFORMANCE. There are five management styles widely used throughout the world today. They are: Authoritarian Management: A Manager at the head of the company decides how things are to be done and how each team member will work. There is no room for autonomy within this style. The Manager is solely responsible for devising company policy and implementing it. This Management style could isolate the team when used alone – although there is a place in certain settings for this management style to be used. Democratic Management – this heavily involves all employees and encourages them to have a sense of ownership and to be a part of the decision making process within a company. This Management style to me seems to be the most productive in encouraging teamwork. Democratic Management is what is used in my own company through team meetings. Staff are involved in the changing of systems and work and it is very productive. Paternalistic Management is where the boss acts as a parent to the employees. This style encompasses employees social needs into the equasion and looks at them as a whole person instead of just a worker. I can see how this management style creates a friendly working environment although my worry would be that employees would become too familiar. I believe this syle to enhance team performance . Autocratic Management – This is when a Manager makes decisions in line with their opinions and views and completely alone without the assistance of a team. This management style can leave employees feeling under valued and that they can have no opinion or say in how things are to be. There is no team involvement in this style. Autocratic management can often present as a well run company on the outside but on the inside employees may be dissatisfied – thus team performance damaged severely. Laissez – faire management – This management theory is defined as having employees that manage their own sections of the business and the over all manager watches from a distance. I like this management theory as at team meetings each member who has been responsible for their own areas can bring in their own achievements, problems and findings. If the right people are placed in the right position – this theory can be very productive. The over all manager can take more of a back seat if done well and the individuals can run the company – but only if they are self motivated individuals. 1.6 ANALYSE METHODS OF DEVELOPING TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY A democratic management style clearly develops trust as every team member is involved in the processes and operations of the company. Developing trust is based around communication. As we interact, question, disagree with and support decisions in a positive way, we build confidence in one another and promote overall group success ( Limas 2003) Key elements for developing trust are communication methods. Active listening, body language, group interaction and group communication must be used, observed and acted upon. This is why team meetings encompassing these are essential to develop group trust. The leader of all team interactions must be familiar with all communication methods with a view to trust buildings. Accountability development. Robust performance is based guided accountability. Within an organisation it is essential that all involved know their accountability and when this is acted upon. For instance – Managers are accountable for ongoing training and how this is guided through supervisions and passed onto staff members. In a domiciliary care setting – all workers have a job description and code of practice. They also receive training on safeguarding, record keeping and any other aspect of their day to day role. When workers have signed policies and procedures they will be aware of their own individual accountability. It is essential that regular training and updates are done so that all know who is accountable and for what within a care setting. The Management need training in these matters so that they know their own responsibilities. Accountability is developed when own responsibility is defined. 1.7 COMPARE METHODS OF ADDRESSING CONFLICT WITHIN A TEAM. There are many methods of addressing conflict within a team. (Goldfien and Robbennolt 2007) developed a dual model based upon assertiveness and empathy and have proven that linking these together using their five conflict resolution is productive. These are avoidance conflict – adopting a wait and see approach. This can often lead the conflict to go out of control. Yeilding conflict style – this is based upon having more regard for the person creating the conflict than of ones own self. This is used by individuals who with to keep social situations pleasant. They give into demands so as to not upset the apple cart. Competitive conflict style – this maximises individual assertiveness and minimises empathy. This style is used for dominating people who simply wish to win or lose. This is an aggressive style of conflict that usually involves arguing and shouting and power games. It is based upon feelings of intimidation (Morrill 1995) Cooperation conflict style – This style is when the individual takes into account both sides of the conflict and to the best possible outcome for both parties. This style is based around the conflict being dealt with assertiveness and empathy in equal measure. According to literature that has been written on conflict resolution – a cooperative conflict resolution style is recommended above all others ( Sternberg and Dobson 1987) Conciliation conflict style – This style is based around fairness. Giving and taking actions are evident to reach half way thus promoting conflict resolution. This style is both yielding and co operative combined. When a conflict is evident then the management should seek these styles and act accordingly dependant on the nature of the conflict. It is also about personal preference and characteristics of the individuals involved in the conflict. My personal method of dealing with conflict within my company is the consiliation style first and foremost but with the different styles above I can use another if my natural choice is unsuccessful – which it is not very often it does not work. References Bruce Tuckman . (1965). Managent theories and styles. Available: http//www.mba-online-program.com. Last accessed 14th sept 2012. Goldfien and Robbennolt. (2007). conflict resolution. Available: http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/conflict_resolution_conflict_management. Last accessed 08th oct 2012. management. (2011). established teams. Available: http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-pm-cm.htm). Last accessed 08th oct 2012. MIT human resources. (2012). Accountibility. Available: http//hrweb.mit.edu/performance-development/accountibility. Last accessed 08th oct 2012. Morill and Sternberg and Dobson. (1995). Conflict resolution. Available: http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/conflict_resolution.conflict_management. Last accessed 08th oct 2012. Univerity of Florida. (2010). Developing trust and co operation. Available: http//edis.ifas.ufl/fy748. Last accessed 08th oct 2012. wikihow. (2010). How to build trust. Available: http//www.wikihow.com/build-trust. Last accessed 08th oct 2012.

Public Policy and Section Assessment

Chapter 9 Section 1 p. 240 Section Assessment 1-4 1. What is a public policy? A public policy is a goal a government creates and accomplishes them. 2. List and describe the three main ideas in which political parties and interest groups differ. Political parties focus on nominations, on their goals and on their interests. Interest groups may favor a candidate, but the political party is in charge of the nominations. The political party is more concerned about the person who will be in charge of the government rather than the policies the government will create. . (a) How do interest groups stimulate interest in public affairs? They promote policies they favor and oppose those they fear as threats to their concerns. (b) Name at least three additional functions of interest groups. They unite with other people around the country to promote their concern. They provide detailed information to the government to address their concerns. They act as check-and-balances for the political proces s. 4. On what bases are interest groups often criticized? Some interest schools do not represent all the views they claim to speak.They can also use tactics to undermine the political system. They may also not represent all the people they claim to represent. Chapter 9 Section 2 p. 247 Section Assessment 2-4 2. (a) What are the four major types of economically based interest groups? Business, Labor, Agricultural, and Professional (b) List an example of a major type. A major type of organization is the American Medical Association, which focuses on the concerns of doctors. (c) How does a trade association differ from a labor union?A trade association is an interest group for business, while labor unions are interest group for workers that work in the same industry. Chapter 9 Section 3 p. 254 Section Assessment 1-4, & p. 257 1. For what three reasons do interest groups reach out to the public? They reach out to the public to share information that is necessary for the people to know. Also, they reach out to the public to impose a positive image on their interest group. Finally, they do so to encourage a public policy to be passed. 2. (a) Why do interest groups use propaganda?They use propaganda to influence the behavior and belief of people. (b) Identify at least three major propaganda techniques. They use bandwagon, which is when people are encouraged to take an action because everyone else is doing so. The plain-folks approach is where people must follow an action because it pretends to be one of the common people. Finally, the name-calling is where the opposing policy by calling negative nicknames to them to influence the views of people towards them. 3. (a) Why do interest groups try to influence political parties?Interest groups influence political parties in order to gain support for the passing of their public policies when the candidate of a political party holds office in the government. (b) What is a single-interest group? This group focuses on one par ticular issue and creates public policies concerning it. 4. How is lobbying used to influence public policy? Lobbying is used to influence public policy by pressuring legislators to bear aspects of the public policy-making process. Analyzing Political Cartoons 28 & 29 28. (a) What does the building in the cartoon represent?The building represent the government and the public policies made for the people. (b) What is the source of the words on the building? All the citizens of the United States have the right to represent themselves in the government. 29. What is the cartoon saying about the influence of special-interest groups on the political process? Interest groups have a great impact on the government’s public policies. Only those who are great in numbers can cause an influence in the government. Individuals must form into interest-groups in order to have a voice in the government.

Improve communication Essay

The reason why Carly didn’t come to me earlier to report the project delays was because she knew the reasons of the delay were not genuine. She was definitely part of the problem and therefore she didn’t have the language of reporting the conflict that was affecting the team project. Also, since the rest of the team knew her weakness she knew if she reported the case to me I would involve the rest of the members thus exposing her weaknesses. Carly hasn’t had a conversation with Morris about their differences despite being the supervisor since she was aware of the root cause of the problem (herself). On the other hand, Morris did not break the ice and discuss the problem with Carly because he assumed that it was Carly’s responsibility as the manager to approach and solve all differences. Furthermore, it was clear to him too of Carly’s participation in the problem. He had also been treated unfairly by Carly and this made it difficult for him to approach Carly. Coupled with the fact that Morris was more educated than Carly, pride could not be ruled out. If Morris had had a conversation with Carly, he would have mentioned about his unfair treatment to her. I tend to think since the other team members knew that Carly was treating him unfairly, this would have been his motivator to mention of this problem. He knew he had support from the entire team. As for Carly, I bet she would have owned up to this problem and promise Morris of a fair treatment in their future interactions. After such a conversation she would have realized that she was losing a key team member and the other team members had observed it previously which would also affect the whole team thus portraying her as an incompetent manager. For Carly to have been given this role of a project manager meant she had positive leadership qualities and therefore would have owned up to her failures. Failure to accept her mistake would have left her as a lone ranger thus breaking the team spirit. The biggest problem with the way these team members interacted lied on communication breakdown and barriers. This is because it’s clear the other team member had noticed the dispute but no one had shared about it with me or even asked Carly or Morris. Teamwork was minimal in this team and this would have affected this project very adversely if not handled well and quickly. To break this communication barrier and improve communication, it would be beneficial for the team to encourage more frequent and effective upward, downward and team communication. With more communication, any arising problem would be handled well in advance before affecting the project negatively. I think Carly should continue serving as the project manager. This because having discussed the dispute openly, the parties would have understood the facts of the problem and hence allow them to see their areas of agreement, thus turning the conflict into new ideas of enhancing teamwork in the project.

Google (unionization) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Google (unionization) - Essay Example The only indication of employee unrest surfaced on one occasion when Google employees discovered that the Company had been secretly monitoring their activities using concealed cameras on desktop PCs.(Khouieri,2007) but this was easily and quickly dissipated with an offer of increase in pay. From the perspective of key stakeholders however, the lack of unionization is beneficial, especially because it ensures that company operations are unlikely to be held up for too long due to strikes or similar collective action by employees. In a global online environment, that requires constant employee input in updating and maintaining sites and processing applications, any hindrance in the continuous progression of work could be disastrous and affect consumers, advertisers and Google’s partners all over the world. In a competitive environment, consumers have been increasingly discriminating and demanding, thereby requiring employees to be constantly vigilant in developing new products and services. Employees also need to be vigilant in dealing with problems such as the development of viruses and/or impediments in the smooth operation of software applications associated with Google’s search engine, Adsense programs and other technological applications. A strike by employees brought on by unions demanding higher pay or better working conditions for example, would cause these activities to grind to a halt and adversely affect the interests of consumers, many of whom are heavily dependent upon the online environment in their day to day work activities. Any impediment in the work of employees would also hinder the interests of vendors and suppliers who are liable to lose any cost advantages they may be currently enjoying in their relationship with Google. Where management is concerned, the scope for profits of the Company would also be severely affected, because in a competitive online environment, any impediment to employee inputs could result in

ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Essay Example In most cases, the novel meets unfavorable criticism about the limitations faced by females. She describes her role as the mother and does her best to portray the best motherhood and wife of the family. I this situation, the place of women in the American society is taken as care givers and housewives whose mandate is to take care of their children. In another occasion, after the death of John, Alcott is faced with difficult responsibilities. She takes in a full responsibility to provide for the family. This is taken as deviant within the society. Women became victims of the patriarchy society. However, in the story, Loisa felt much distressed by her poor family and felt responsible to play her part. She is considered a heroin in the way she went against the feminism and played her role as the only family bread winner. The death of her husband gave her much humility which later helped her in the fight for feminism in America (Knellwolf et al., 2001). In â€Å"the things they carried†, the cast is comprised of soldiers with the narrator being one of them. Different soldiers are distinguished through out the story by the items that they carry. O’ Brien points out the things carried by the soldiers who include both emotional and physical, whereby they all carry major military items (Knellwolf et al., 2001). The ambiguity of war and the tenuousness of morality demonstrate how exposure to the carnage of the nations at war leads to soldiers developing twisted perspectives on what is right and wrong. The ambiguity that consumes the narratives of the things they carried is displayed with much irony for the moral. In such stories, it is depicted that there is no moral at all. O’ Brien is much affected by the theory of psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud. Soldiers are said to walk around the fire in a state of much boredom and tension. This tension drives them crazy. In this situation, O’Brien describes the way the y cover their fear in a rational

Strategic Analysis of Regent Hotel Singapore Research Paper

Strategic Analysis of Regent Hotel Singapore - Research Paper Example Strategic Analysis of Regent Hotel Singapore For example, the firms that existed before Regent Hotel were a major threat. Major potential factors that expose an industry or a company to overcome such challenges may include; a sustainable competitive advantage through innovation. For this case, Regent Hotel established renewable sources of energy, which indeed was a great challenge to existing industries. However, Porter argues that competition between offline and online companies is also a factor need for consideration Secondly, Porter comments profitable markets that yield good profits will attract new industries. This results in many new competitors, which eventually will decrease profitability for all firms in the industry. The following factors can have an effect on how much of a threat new competitors may pose: the existence of barriers to entry for example patents, rights, etc. The most attractive segment is one in which entry barriers are high and exit barriers are low. Here, new firms can enter and non-performing firms can exit easily due to high competition. The following factors have indeed helped Regent Hotel, as a company to sail through government policy not affects Regent Hotel to expand its business. All suppliers of raw materials, components, labor, and services to the firm can be a cause of power over the firm when there are few substitutes. For example if you are making loaves of breads and there is only one person who sells flour, then you have no substitute but to buy it from them.

Critically examine the similarities and differences between public and Essay

Critically examine the similarities and differences between public and private nuisance. Support answer with relevant statute and case law - Essay Example Although such obstruction may cause inconvenience to many persons but none can be allowed to bring a civil action for that, otherwise there may be hundreds of actions for a. single act of public nuisance. To avoid multiplicity of suits the law makes public nuisance only an offence punishable under criminal law. In certain cases, when any person suffers some special or particular damage, different from what is inflicted upon public as a whole, a civil right of action is available to the person injured. What is otherwise a public nuisance, also becomes a private nuisance so far as the person suffering special damage as concerned. The expression special damage in this context means damage caused to a party in contradistinction to the public at largest For example, digging trench on a public highway may cause inconvenience to public at large. No member of the public, who is thus obstructed or has to take a diversion along with others, can sue under civil law. But if any one of them suffers more damage than suffered by the public at large, e.g., is severely injured by falling into the trench, he can sue in tort. In order to sustain a civil action in respect of a public nuisance proof of special and particular damage is essential. The proof of special damage entitles the plaintiff to bring a civil action for what may be otherwise a public nuisance. Thus, if the standing of horses and wagons for an unreasonably long time outside : mans house Creates darkness and bad smell for the occupants of the house and also obstructs the access of customers into it, the damage is ‘particular, direct and substantial’ and entitles the occupier to maintain an action.(Benjamin v. Storr,(1874) L.R.9C.P.400) In ‘Rose v. Milles’(1815; 4M.&S.101): the defendant wrongfully moored his barge across a public navigable crack. This blocked the way for plaintiffs barges and the plaintiff had to incur considerable

The use of DDT in malaria vector control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The use of DDT in malaria vector control - Essay Example DDT is slowly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract; however, if the DDT has been dissolved in fats from vegetables or animals, then the absorption rate is enhanced up to 1.5 times. The oral ingestion of DDT usually results in convulsions after 2 hours, if the rate of administration is twice that of the oral LD50 value. It has also been established that absorption of DDT by the skin is minimal (DDT). Subsequent to absorption, DDT accumulates in the tissues, especially in the adipose tissue. Many studies have reported the storage of DDT in the central nervous system, blood, liver, heart and kidneys. The body excretes DTT in milk and urine (DDT). A small amount of the ingested DDT changes into DDE, whose toxicity is much less. The latter is impervious to biotransformation, and consequently persists in the adipose tissue, indefinitely. The chief detoxification route for DDT is transformation to DDD, which quickly changes into the water soluble DDA, and then excreted (DDT). The rate of elimination of DDT from the body has been assessed at 1% of the amount stored in the body. DDA excretion in the urine is around 47% of the ingested precursor material; however, this loses significance, when the amount of DDT being ingested increases. Moreover, there has been a reasonable correlation between the DDA concentrations in urine and DDT levels in body fat (DDT). The different routes of exposure, associated with DDT are first; oral which transpires when there is ingestion of DDT or food contaminated with DDT. Second; by inhalation; however, this is not of much importance, because absorption is insignificant, due to the non – volatile nature of DDT. Third; absorption through the skin, which is not an important route. DDT absorption by the skin is negligible, and an increase is effected, if it is dissolved in oil. Fourth; absorption through the eye,

Inviting a Distinguished Guest (email format) Assignment

Inviting a Distinguished Guest (email format) - Assignment Example Core to the group’s agenda is development of members’ entrepreneurial potentials for self-employment and job creation for members and the group believes that you are a perfect example of successful people in this scope, both in your industry and beyond. The group succeeded in ventures such as sponsoring its members’ viable business ideas. Visionaries Group therefore wishes to invite you to address its members on your strategies to success, challenges that you have faced in the journey, your motivational factors, and your vision for the next decade. We believe that your presence and address will have great impacts on the young minds that wish to follow the same path as yours. The seminar will be held at University of California Los Angeles. Every member of the group is looking forward to your address and to interact with you at a personal level and the group is able to reschedule the seminar to suit your schedule. There will be other invited quests but all have communicated their availability and flexibility to our scheduled time. There will be a token of appreciation for your special time as the group has set aside $ 500 for the purpose. All of us look forward to your confirmation of your availability for our seminar and your suitable date, time, and suitable duration

Economical and Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis on Hybrid Cars Essay Example for Free

Economical and Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis on Hybrid Cars Essay A hybrid car is a car propelled by the application of two or more power sources. First attempts to introduce hybrid cars goes back to mid 1660, way before the discovery and introduction of the fuel powered conventional cars but were never commercially manufactured until 21st century when Japanese car manufacturer, Toyota produced the Toyota prius exclusively for its domestic market. In fact, it is estimated that the first attempt to produce a hybrid car was in 1665. The delay in the production of this class of vehicles was because of two main reasons; first, the limited range in the distance the vehicles could cover and secondly the difficulty and costly process of recharging their batteries. Furthermore, it is a basic science concept that the more complex a machine is the more it is prone to failure and thus the idea of commercial production of hybrid vehicles has been a slow process over the centuries. World’s population explosion, demand for fresh air and green cities, dwindling petroleum deposits, over dependency in overseas oil, economic recession and global warming are just some of the environmental and economic factors that have forced world’s leading car manufacturers to provide to the market car models that are not only environmentally friendly but also cost effective. A cost-benefit analysis on this topic will attempt to bring out the cost of getting a hybrid car into the road in comparison to the benefits that the world stands to reap as a result of this venture. This research seeks to bring to the surface three major aspects that are associated with the introduction of hybrid cars into the transportation world. These three issues are: (i) The cost of producing a hybrid car: The successful landing of a hybrid car is in focus under this area. It is not easy to get into the road a car that makes use of a combination of two or more sources of energy. The research involved is estimated to run to millions of dollars thus sky-rocketing the price of a hybrid car. (ii) Environmental factors: Environmental factors simply refer to the concerns that a particular type of car produces substances that injure our surroundings thus making life on earth more dangerous and therefore more complex. These substances include green house gases as well as toxic metal compounds such as the ones that contain lead in their structure. (iii) Economic cost benefit factors: Economic factors have much to do with the living standards of people as far as the generation and investment of money is concerned. The economic make up of the world has gotten pegged heavily on oil and there are concerns from every right thinking citizen of the world that this is a self consuming trend that is likely to create serious economic problems if the oil industry hits a serious problem. This has already been witnessed before whereby a slight rise in oil prices has sent shockwaves in economies in both the developed and the developing world. Literature Review The former Vice President of the United States who later won the Democratic Party nomination and lost the presidency in a controversial manner to George W Bush, Mr. Al Gore, has had the world rethinking its actions as far as the degeneration of the environment is concerned. An inconvenient Truth, a film he worked on captures the problems that are already being experienced in various parts of the world as a result of global warming. This, he says is being fuelled by the use of environmentally unfriendly cars that use oil or gasoline (Gore, 2006, para1-3). It is not surprising that he went a head to win a Nobel Prize for this peace of work. Electric and hybrid cars have always received much appreciation due to the perceived ability to tackle this burning issue of climate change. Their ability to cut the emission of these toxic substances into the atmosphere that lead to negative climatic shift is the major reason for this (Anderson and Anderson, 2004, pp 6-10). In recognition of this serious problem, vital steps have been made in the research that is involved in the development and production of cars that make use of a combination of two or three sources of locomotive energy. Chief among these is the research into electric cars that promise to reduce the overreliance on oil (Westbrook, 2001, pp 34-39). The pioneer nation in the world in the research and possible mass production of hybrid cars is Japan. But the appetite with which the United States of America has picked up the issue points to the significance of this type of car. The driving force is the reduction in pollution, the saving that comes in terms of finances and most importantly national security that is put at risk with too much dependency on foreign oil. The argument is often projected in terms of supplying their dollars to nations that fund terror groups such as al Qaeda (Boschert, 2006 pp 2-7). It is common knowledge that mass production of hybrid cars will not only provide a partial solution to world environmental problems but also be a practical measure to save countries from losses running to millions of dollars due to escalating prices of world crude oil. The cost of producing a hybrid car The production of hybrid cars is not a cheap or a simple venture. Confessions by companies that have dipped their fingers into this hot pot have clearly shown that more than just simple technology is in play in the production of this type of cars. Research that has been on-going for a long time now is very complicated and has consumed millions of dollars. At the end of the day, despite the hyped advantages of shifting from purely oil consuming cars to hybrid cars, the cost that must be borne has to be high (Westbrook,2001,pp 56-61). It is the overall ability of the hybrid car to assist man in solving most of his economic and environmental problems that make the whole exercise worthwhile. Environmental factors While scientists agree that there can never be perfect environmentally friendly hybrid cars and that this depends solely on the design and model of hybrid power system. It is worthy appreciating that the use of this class of vehicles will automatically lead to the reduction of global warming by approximately 0. 3 to 0. 5 percent and that more advanced models and designs in the coming years due to technological advances would reduce this figure even further. The problems of the quality of urban air, reduction of noise due to application of electric motor in fuel power conventional cars, and elimination of smog forming pollutants could be solved in a century if research on mass production of hybrid cars is given a priority. The main source of air pollutants in cities and major towns is transportation. Fuel powered conventional motor vehicles produce much higher levels of carbon dioxide (Co2) carbon monoxide (Co), nitrogen oxides (Nox) and hydrocarbons (Hc) and this from the primary source of these dangerous pollutants. This is mainly because fuel powered conventional cars (FPCC) make short trips that do not give time for electric motor warm ups and cold starts. It is noted that hybrid cars reduced the levels of the carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide by 97% in comparison to other sources of these pollutants. Carbon monoxide (C0), when inhaled for long periods interferes with the proper functioning of the brain in that it impairs the flow of oxygen (O2) into the brain. Once the brain stops working in the expected way, the person involved turns into a vegetable. Carbon dioxide and water vapor form the principal components of green house gases that bring about the green house effect. Green house effect is a scenario in which too much heat is trapped within the atmosphere due to the presence of such toxic gases as carbon monoxide and this resultant effect is a highly raised earth temperature. Infact carbon dioxide (C02) is considered one of the major atmospheric pollutants, and is solely responsible for approximately 57% global warming. Negative effects of global warming include the rapidly declining numbers of polar bears and melting of ice in the tropics. It is therefore an open knowledge that releasing carbon dioxide (C02) into the atmosphere is detrimental to the lives of living organisms and the equilibrium of the ecosystem. Sulphur and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are very dangerous air pollutants produced by combustion of sulphur containing fuels. Over the years, scientists have devised means of producing sulphur and lead free fuels but achieving an excellent degree is still a distant mirage. Deposition of these compounds in the air is harmful to plants, man and infrastructure. Exposure to high concentration of sulphur dioxide irritates respiratory tracts making breathing difficult and can easily cause lung problems. Sulfur Oxide contributes to respiratory illness. Patients suffering from heart diseases risk aggravating their conditions if exposed to even mild concentration of sulfur oxides. These components also form secondary pollutants when transported and combined with other elements forming sulphates, nitrate salts, nitrogen dioxides and even nitric acid vapor. This is what is commonly known as acid rain that corrodes buildings, burns vegetations, burns the human skin and destroys infrastructure. Chlorofluorocarbons also form component of green house gases that bring about the effect of global warming. When exposed to gamma rays, these compounds break down to release chlorine atoms. The presence of chlorine atoms in the atmosphere catalyses splitting of Ozone (O3) into oxygen gas (O2), however the negative effects of their presence overweigh their importance. Photochemical air pollution, usually known as smog and is commonly sported in the tropics and subtropics is also caused by incomplete combustion of gasoline emitted by fuel powered conventional vehicles. This process leads to the production of Ozone gas that is responsible for irritation in the eyes, extensive damage to plants and crops and lung complications. The release of carbon dioxide (C02), chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides (N0x) and other pollutants into the atmosphere contributes to the destruction of plants on the earth’s surface. Photosynthesis, the process through which trees produce oxygen from carbon dioxide is so vital to human life in fact it is said that life cannot exist without trees. Destruction of trees by releasing these pollutants into the air is equal to destruction of both human life and plant life. While particulate matters are the main contributors to lung problems and most cancer cases, hydrocarbons are also a cause of lung problems and other tissue problems. Long exposure to high concentrations of hydrocarbons eventually leads to total organ failures. Furthermore it is a major contributor to birth defects and other complicated illnesses like cancer. With the commercial manufacture and introduction of hybrid cars, extensive damage to the environment is definitely reduced, quality of life enhanced and urban areas become clean to inhabit, the dream of world environmental rights groups. Economic factors Crude oil is the raw material that propels almost all components of world’s economy in many ways. In fact the world is so dependent on crude oil that if its supply would be cut abruptly, major world economies like United States of America, Russia and China would immediately come to a standstill. United States depends on crude oil alone for 40% of its energy supply, triple than other sources. Overdependence on crude oil is not sound enough. First, crude oil is a non-renewable source of energy and analysts predict it will be largely exhausted within half a century. This rings an alarm bell that if measures are not put in place and countries go green by using hybrid cars, then the future is bleak and the word is in danger. Transportation sector depends entirely on oil for energy supply. Trucks, planes, ships cars and buses are propelled by motor engines that use oil. Introducing hybrid cars would reverse this trend, make the world safer from fluctuating oil prices and reduce dependence on this energy source (Paterson, 2007 para. 3-5). Reliance on crude oil for fuel supply is a major contributor to ethnic and tribal wars in Africa. This demonstrates the levels at which scramble for this commodity has reached. In fact notably China is so hungry for crude oil that it is ready to ignore the sufferings of millions of peoples around the world and specifically Sudan, so as to get its industry moving. It therefore points to the fact that lasting peace and safety will be found and armed conflicts reduced drastically when less fuel consuming cars are produced and thirst for oil curtailed. Hybrid cars are pocket friendly as they consume less gasoline in comparison to fuel powered conventional cars. Even though they are slightly expensive to purchase, the reward is achieved in long term due to lower fuel consumption. Further, governments and notably the United States of America give tax incentives to buyers of hybrid cars in to a move aimed at reducing the average prices of these vehicles and thus encouraging more people to purchase them. Dwindling petroleum deposits in a major concern to the world. It is widely acknowledged that only a total of one trillion barrels of recoverable crude oil reserves is available for exploration worldwide with only two percent (2%) of this value in the United States of America. Most of these oil deposits are found in the eastern hemisphere that is made up of countries that are well known for political instability. It is therefore very wise for countries that fall in the Western hemisphere and more so, the United States to adapt the mass production and commercial use of hybrid vehicles. This will not only cushion them from ever fluctuating oil prices but will also prevent the imminent collapse of most sectors of the economies of these countries. Conclusion From the foregoing, it is evident that the world stands to gain immensely from the introduction into the world of transportation hybrid cars. It is true that the cost of producing a hybrid car is not one that sends one smiling all the way to the bank. In fact it is prohibitively high and the faint hearted who will not pay attention to the long term benefits of this hybrid car model will not dare. But the benefits or gains both in terms of saving a planet in peril and a global economy in a shambles are so enticing and crucial that it is actually the way to go. The environmental problems that come as a result of oil utilization in transport and other areas of life will be dealt with once and for all. For instance, the release of dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere that is responsible for global warming and numerous respiratory problems as well as problems in farming thorough such phenomena as acid rain will be solved. The economic woes that emanate from over dependence on oil will also be contained. The availing of financial resources to rogue nations such as Iran that fund terrorist groups, the shaking of the global economy due to shifts in oil prices as well as the escalation of conflicts in most third world countries in the east and Africa as a result of scrambling over oil resources will be eliminated. References: Anderson C. D Anderson J (2004); Electric and Hybrid Cars: A History. ISBN-10: 0786418729, ISBN -13: 978-0786418725, McFarland Company. pp 6-10 Boschert, S. , (2006); Plug-Ins: The cars that will recharge America. pp 2-7 ISBN-10: 0865715718, ISBN-13: 978-0865715714, New Society Publishers. Gore, A. (2006): An Inconvenient Truth. Retrieved on 24th March 2009 from: http://www. climatecrisis. net/aboutthefilm/. Para 1-3. Paterson, B. N. , (2007). Economic benefits of hybrid cars. Retrieved on 23rd March 2009 from: http://www. helium. com/items/1026111-economic-benefits-of-hybrid-cars, para 3-5. Westbrook M. H, (2001): The Electric Car: Development and Future of Battery, Hybrid and Fuel-Cell Cars. ISBN-10: 0852960131, ISBN-13: 978-0852960134. The Institution of Engineering and Technology. pp 56-61.

Financial Analysis of Ryanair and British Airways

Financial Analysis of Ryanair and British Airways Financial analysis The purpose of financial analysis is to determine the financial health of a business. Generally, this analysis is performed by the professionals who prepare reports using the ratios taken from various financial reports. The financial ratios calculated are also helpful to compare with different business. The following analysis studies the four major financial positions of BA and Ryan air; Profitability, Efficiency, Liquidity and Financial gearing. Profitability: It is the primary goal for any business, without this the business cannot be projected in long run. The purpose of measuring profitability is the key contribution for success of business. The ratios which are used to evaluate profitability are listed below: Return on ordinary shareholders funds (ROSF) Return on capital employed (ROCE) Net profit margin Gross profit margin. ROSF: It compares the amount of profit for the period available to the owner’s average stake in the business during that same period. The ratio is expressed below: ROSF = (Net profit after taxation and preference dividend (if any) / ordinary share capital +reserves) Ãâ€" 100 The Ratios calculated for BA Ryan air are shown below: From the above table, it is clearly seen that BA values are inconsistent but whereas Ryan air tends to show improvement every year which gives more profits to the shareholders. From the definition we can say that the high ROSF %, the more profit available to shareholders. The year 2011 considered to be good for both airlines BA and Ryan air, since they are making huge profits and improved revenues compared to their previous year performance. As a result, their ROSF had risen to 26% 11.34% which resulting high profits to the shareholders. This scenario has changed completely when it comes to 2012 for BA. If their investors left their money in bank, they could have got some positive returns. But instead BA returned (3.6%) to their investors. Though its revenue is increased by 8% and operational cost by 11% it continued to show appreciable operating results. However, due to exceptional costs items like expense related to pensions, BMI’s acquisition affected the BA economy. On the other hand, Ryan air returned 16.11% which is higher than previous year to the shareholders. This is because Ryan air revenue increased by 25% and profit by 50% approximately compared to 2011. (According to annual report 2012).Though its operating costs are increased due to (fuel price rise) it managed to balance that by increasing passengers fares of about 15%. In 2013, BA has raised from loss of (3.6) % to 10.78%. This is because of company attains the profit from exceptional items ( £57m) and IAG part of BA contributed  £ (265m) and also revenue rose by 5.5%. Though inconsistent in fuel prices affects their operational costs which is almost 0.3% of their total operational costs. But BA managed to stabilise it by non-fuel costs which has risen in 2012. Whereas Ryan air revenue increased by 13% which is less compared to 2012 change. Since it’s a low cost carrier it should maintain passenger fare as low as possible in order to compete with its rivals but, inconsistency in fuel prices had raised their operational costs by 45% and passenger fare by 6%. At the end company operated in profits and returned 17.35% to the shareholders. Based on ROSF results, we can say that Ryan air has performed well continuously in three consecutive year’s period by giving profits to its shareholders but BA shown some ups and downs in its results. Further ratios will give us more idea why the difference has been evolved in their performance. ROCE (Return on capital employed): It is a fundamental measure of business performance. ROCE is defined as the ratio of net operating profit to the capital employed. Capital employed is the difference b/w total assets and current liabilities. The ratio is expressed below: ROCE = (NET PROFIT BEFORE TAX / CAPITAL EMPLOYED) Ãâ€" 100 The ratios calculated for BA and Ryan air is shown below: The above table describes the ROCE of a company for a period 2011-2013. From the definition we can state that higher the value of ROSE is indicating that the company c generates more earnings per dollar of capital employed. It enables us to analyse and compare BA and Ryan air without the impact of tax. It also considered the long-term debt as a part of capital, which is not the case of ROSF.Thus; this ratio reveals how BA and Ryan air economized on its overall capital. In 2011, BA performed well by giving a positive result due to increased revenue in 2011 from premium travel passengers. But the performance is shrined in 2012 due to rise in operational costs and loss of  £ 41m on exceptional items and also  £66m due to partnership with IAG. Due to this it had shown negative result in 2012. But in 2013, it again rises to 4.11% from (1.86%) because of the factors explained in ROSF. Ryan air has shown continuous improvement for three years. In 2011 its profit increased by 26% and carefully balancing the fuel costs and operating costs. For the other two years also it continuous to shown good result even though operating cost rise to 45%. Thus, we can say from ROCE ratios Ryan air performed much better than BA. The gross-profit margin is studied below to measure the profitability. GROSS PROFIT MARGIN: It is a key financial factor that asses the profitability of a company core activities excluding fixed cost. Gross profit represents the difference b/w sales revenue and the cost of sales. The ratio is represented by gross profit to the sales revenue generated for the same period. It is a given by the formula shown below: Gross profit margin = (gross profit/sales revenue) Ãâ€" 100 Gross profit margin ratios of BA and Ryan air is shown below: It can be seen from above table that Ryan air performed well compared to BA. Though the values over three years slightly fluctuate but they were generating good profitability by improving their sales and proper balancing and control of fuel costs which has almost rise to 38% in 2013. Similarly airport charges and other operational costs were stabilised to make airline in profitable condition. On other hand, BA also performed well except for the year 2012.in which its fuel costs rise by 14 %, maintenance by 15% and operating lease costs by 34%. Due to this they showed lower values. But by gaining proper control over the above costs mentioned they started to improve their profitability by 2013. Now net profit margin is studied in order to see whether the airline is able to improve its profitability. NET PROFIT MARGIN: It is the defined as the ratio b/w net profit before tax to the sales revenue. It also measures how much each of dollar earned by the company is translated into profits. If the value is low it indicates low margin of safety and higher risk that the sales decline will erase profits and lead to net loss. It is given by the formula as shown below: Net profit margin = (profit before tax / sales revenue) Ãâ€" 100 Net profit margin ratios for BA and Ryan air shown below: The above table depicts us Ryan air is operating much better than BA. From annual reports it is known that BA invested much money for long-term asset. Hence, their net profit margins are quite low in these three years. In 2011, it invested in IAG, bought BMI at  £172.5m in 2012 and from 2011 it’s investing  £5 billion every year for new fleet and up gradation of fleet and other.in 2011 it opened T5 which will be home to A380 fleet from 2013. On the other hand, Ryan air net profit margins are high since its investments for long term assets are low compared to BA. Ryan air continuously invest to buy new a/c’s hence it’s the reason that it has youngest fleet of planes in the world. In 2013 it decided to buy 175 new Boeing 737-800 a/c which will be a long term asset for the Ryan air to transport more no. of passengers. In conclusion to the analysis of BA and Ryan air, profitability is measured by using various ratios. The results are fluctuated for BA whereas Ryan air tends to show improvement year by year from 2011-13. Both BA and Ryan air increased their revenues, gained some control over operational costs along the analysis and deliver positive returns except for the year 2012 for BA. EFFICIENCY: The efficiency ratios measure the efficiency in which various resources are managed and used in the business. The following ratios are used to evaluate the efficiency of the business: Average settlement period for receivables Average settlement period for payables Sales revenue to capital employed Sales revenue per employee Average settlement period for Receivables: A business will usually be concerned with how long it takes for customers to pay the amounts owing. The efficient and timely collection of customer debts is a vital part of cash flow management. So this is the ratio which is very closely watched in many businesses. It is given by the formula as shown below: Avg.settlement period for receivables = (Trade receivables/sales revenue) Ãâ€"365. The ratios calculated for BA and Ryan air shown below table: The values in above table depict the average number of days used to collect its revenue from debtors. Both BA and Ryan air has got appreciable shorter period to collect their revenue. In the analysis period from 2011- 13, BA managed to get back his revenue from receivables by an average of 17 days with slightly increased in 2013 compared to 2011. When it comes to Ryan air it has got very shorter period of an average of 5 days. From the table it is clearly seen that debtor days have fallen which means business is converting credit sales into cash much quicker than BA. This shorter period certainly asset for Ryan air liquidity. Average settlement period for payables: The average settlement period for payables measures how long, on average, the business takes to pay its trade payables. The ratio is calculated by a formula shown below: Average settlement period for payables = (trade payables/credit purchases) Ãâ€"365 The ratios calculated for creditors as shown below: Sales revenue to capital employed: This ratio examines how effectively the assets of the business are being used to generate sales revenue. Greater the value represents higher productivity. The ratio is calculated by a formula shown below: Sales revenue to capital employed= (sales revenue/ (total assets-current liabilities)) The ratios are calculated for BA and Ryan air as shown below: From the table it is clearly seen that both BA and Ryan air have utilised their assets properly to improve their productivity and hence it is the reason their values of productivity rising over past three years. The values of Ryan air is small compared to BA because Ryan air revenue is almost half of BA’s total revenue. At last despite of their company size both are making use of their assets properly. Sales revenue per employee: It is the ratio relates sale revenue generated to a particular business resource, which is labour. Higher the value indicates greater staff efficiency. Its ratio is calculated by a formula shown below: Sales revenue per employee = (sales revenue / number of employees) The ratio calculated for BA and Ryan air shown below: The above tables describes about sales revenue per employee. Both companies uses different currency so for better analysis BA revenue is converted to euros according to exchange rate in that periods. The values clearly states that Ryan air is more labour productive than BA and other fact is noticed from table is that two companies increasing their efficiency over the analysis period 2011-2013. LIQUIDITY: These ratios are concerned with the ability of the business to meet its short-term financial obligations. Higher the ratio, the more liquid the business is considered to be, since liquidity is vital to the survival of a business. Liquidity is measured by the following ratios shown below: Current ratio; Acid test ratio. Current ratio: It is defined as the ratio b/w liquid assets to the current liabilities. A higher current ratio is preferable to a normal one since liquidity is vital part in business. It is given by the formula as shown: Current Ratio = (current assets/ current liabilities) The current ratio values for BA and Ryan air shown below: Values in above table clearly depict that BA current ratio values over three years On the other hand, Ryan air maintained its current ratio values >1 throughout analysis period in which it properly balanced short-term assets over liabilities and has got more liquidity compared to BA. In 2013 Ryan air current ratio value is decreased compared to 2012 because it has decided to buy 175 new Boeing 737 planes over next five years. Overall, Ryan air liquidity is better than BA. Acid-test ratio: This is an indicator that determines whether a company has enough short-term assets to cover immediate liabilities without selling inventory. This ratio is more reliable compared to current ratio because it doesn’t include inventory. This is given by a formula as shown below: Acid-test ratio=current assets / current liabilities. (Excludes inventories in current assets) The values for BA and Ryan are shown below: From the table it is seen that BA values during analysis period is 1.so, this ratio indicates that company experiencing good growth, fastly converting receivables into cash and also it can also overcome its financial obligations without depending on inventories. In conclusion to the analysis of BA and Ryan air, liquidity is measured by using various ratios. The results are fluctuated for BA whereas Ryan air tends to show improvement year by year from 2011-13. Ryan air has got more liquidity compared to BA and it can easily overcome its financial obligations. 3.4 Financial Gearing: It is the relationship b/w the contribution to financing made by the owners of the business and the amount contributed by others in form of loans. A business level of gearing is an important factor accessing risk. Gearing takes place of owner’s insufficient funds. Any business borrowing money from others agrees to pay interests; if the borrowing is heavy then this can be significant financial burden to the company. The ratios used to measure gearing are shown below: Gearing ratio; Interest cover ratio. Gearing ratio: It is defined as ratio b/w long-term lenders to the long-term capital structure of a business. It is given by a formula as shown: Gearing ratio = (non-current liabilities/capital employed) The gearing ratios for BA and Ryan air calculated below: The values from table states that both companies are highly geared businesses since their gearing ratios > 50%. Both the companies have high shares of long-term debt in their long-term capital structure. So both companies are subjected to financial risk. Ryan air tends to decrease its debts during analysed period which can be seen from the table by controlling their operational costs effectively during analysed period. Whereas, BA managed to decrease their debts with some fluctuations in values which can be observed from the years 2011-2013.so, a cash flow which is strong and reliable can handle high gearing effectively compared to cash flow which is unreliable .

Developing Low Energy and Sustainable Homes

Developing Low Energy and Sustainable Homes Climate change and energy security are the greatest challenges facing the world today. Climate change is causing global warming, which is the increase in the average temperature on the earths surface, air and oceans. The release of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere, from human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation have been a major factor in their increase over the last 100 years. Energy security is vital for any developed economy. The OPEC member countries control about 75% of the worlds oil reserves (R). Many of these countries are politically unstable and they can control the price of oil. In the early years of this decade, the UK was a net exporter of gas and it is estimated that by 2020, they will only be able to meet about 40% of their oil and gas needs themselves(R). The UK needs to reduce its green house gas emissions and meet their energy demands without having to rely on other nations. The Kyoto protocol was established to limit and reduce the amount of green house gases released into the atmosphere. Industrialised countries, and those is transition to a market economy, which were called the Annex I countries have agreed to ratify the agreement and reduce their emissions to a 1990s baseline (R). The UKs commitment under the protocol is to reduce their green house gas emissions by 12.5% of 1990 levels, by 2008-2012. This involves an 8% reduction in their C02 emissions, the main cause of global warming, over this time frame. Further aspirational targets are set out in the DTI Energy White Paper published in 2003, such as to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050 (R). In 2002, the residential sector caused 27% of the UKs CO2 emissions, of which 82% of the energy was for space and water heating (R). The proposals, as laid out by Gordon Brown in 2006 stated that within ten years, every new home will be a zero-carbon home. The Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced in 2007, the code rates the sustainability of homes over six levels based on certain criteria. In theory, constructing zero-carbon homes (homes which can generate their own electrical and heating needs either onsite or locally) is a fantastic idea which will eventually lower energy demands and then lower the CO2 emissions countrywide. But they are ambitious plans and there are several issues that need to be resolved such as: Zero-Carbon Home: Definition New Construction Techniques Building Regulations The Code for Sustainable Homes Planning Laws Grants and incentives Whats happening now? Certifying Agencies Zero Carbon Homes: There is still some confusion as to the detailed description of a zero-carbon home. The Housing Minister, John Healy published on the Communities and Local Government (CLG) website the zero carbon homes definition: A zero carbon home is one whose net carbon dioxide emissions, taking account of emissions associated with all energy use in the home, is equal to zero or negative across the year. The definition of energy use will cover both energy uses currently regulated by the Building Regulations and other energy used in the home. (R) Detailed information is still needed about energy imported and used in the zero carbon homes. The energy standards state that there has to be onsite renewable energy and a locally connected heat supply to achieve a 70% reduction in the carbon emissions from current levels. Currently there is no allowance made for renewable energy generated off site, for example, wind and wave power. If I design a proposed zero carbon home and connect it to an energy company that is generating electricity in the north of Scotland, I might not achieve the rating I want which is unfair, even though he electricity is generated from a renewable source. The life cycle of a building is not taken into account in the definition of a zero carbon homes either. The construction, renovation and disposal can cause significant amounts of CO2 emission to be released. A life cycle analyses of a zero carbon home should include the embodied energy within the materials and waste disposal. Of course, not all of the material could be sourced locally as this would be impossible, but each council/local government should be able to compile a list of materials that are located locally. Ideally, a certain percentage of the local materials should have to be used. This would not only decrease the embodied energy within some of the construction materials but also help support local businesses. The government should invest more in the research of this idea, with many businesses suffering in the current economic climate, we should be buying locally, not importing. New Construction Techniques Building Regulations: Our European neighbours have been developing low energy houses and energy saving construction techniques for over 30 years. While some of the techniques might be new to the UK, they have been tried and tested on the continent. Currently the averaged U-Value for Walls, Roofs and Floors (wm2K) in Part L of the Building Regulations for the UK is 0.24, whereas in Germany and Switzerland the Passivehaus and Minergie-P regulations are achieving an average of 0.10(R). In 2013 the averaged UK Part L will lower to 0.18 and then in 2016 to 0.14. (R) The German designed Passivhaus has been a hugely successful energy saving concept that has only reached the UK in recent years. The basic principle include very good levels of insulation with minimal thermal bridging, utilising solar and internal gains by house orientation, window design and location, excellent levels of air tightness and good indoor air quality provided by whole house mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery.(R) Sweden, also has produced energy efficient house designs since the 1970s, with different mandatory standards for the north and south due to the difference in climate. There performance standards are among the highest energy efficiency requirements in the world, already in line with Passivhaus standards. Over 7000 home have been constructed across Europe to the Passivhaus standard, the techniques used can easily be adapted here within the UK. The highly insulated and airtight passivhaus have a heating requirment of 15kwh/m2/year, which is nearly 90% less energy used to heat a standard UK home (R). These homes often need little or no heating for 9 months of the year. This will not automatically mean that the houses will achieve the highest level on the Code for Sustainable Homes. If we are to achieve the standards of the Passivhaus, the design and construction techniques should be introduced into the university courses now, for such degrees as I studied (Architectural Technology). These techniques are the future for zero carbon residential, commercial and industrial building. Starting with the basic house construction, if we are thought the techniques on how to construct dwellings that minimise their heat and hot water demand, less energy is needed, and expensive renewable options such as PV cells, geothermal pumps and domestic wind turbines can be reduced. We can then adapt these techniques for other building types. Code for Sustainable Homes Sullivan Report: The Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) was introduced in England on a voluntary basis in May 2007 and a code rating for all new buildings became mandatory from 1st May 2008. The Code Level 3 rating for newly constructed homes promoted or supported by the Welsh Assembly Government became mandatory from 1st May 2008 also and from 2nd June 2008, Code Level 3 is required for all new self-contained social housing in Northern Ireland (R). The Code does not apply in Scotland. A panel was appointed by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Changet, chaired by Lynne Sullivan, they made recommendations to develop a strategy to achieve zero net carbon emissions. Experts for the UK as well as from Norway, Denmark and Austria participated. They agreed on eventual and staged recommendations to be achieved by new build and existing homes in Scotland. The following was recommended for all new build homes in Scotland: Net zero carbon buildings (i.e. space and water heating, lighting and ventilation) by 2016/2017, if practical. Two intermediate stages on the way to net zero carbon buildings, one change in energy standards in 2010 (low carbon buildings) and another in 2013 (very low carbon buildings). The 2010 change in energy standards for non-domestic buildings should deliver carbon dioxide savings of 50% more than 2007 standards. The 2010 change in energy standards for domestic buildings should deliver carbon dioxide savings of 30% more than 2007 standards. The 2013 change in energy standards for non-domestic buildings should deliver carbon dioxide savings of 75% more than 2007 standards. The 2013 change in energy standards for domestic buildings should deliver carbon dioxide savings of 60% more than 2007 standards. Backstop levels of U-values and airtightness for building fabric should be improved in 2010 to match those of Nordic countries, but consideration must be given to the social and financial impact of measures that would necessitate mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in domestic buildings. The ambition of total-life zero carbon buildings by 2030. The Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced to replace Ecohomes which was the energy assessment rating for all homes in B.R.E.E.A.M. (R). The CSH was intended to be a single national standard for design and construction of sustainable homes. The code complements the system of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) which was introduced in June 2007 under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) (R). All new homes (and eventually all homes, when they are sold or leased) will have an EPC which provides key information about the energy efficiency/carbon performance of a home. The CSH and EPC and energy assessments used the same terminology. The CSH was developed by using the existing Building Research Establishments (BRE) EcoHomes System. The Code has a scoring system of six levels. The different levels are made up by achieving both the appropriate mandatory minimum standards together with a proportion of flexible standards. Level 6, being the highest level achieves a Zero-Carbon Home standard. The Code has been designed so it is closely linked to the Building Regulations, which are the minimum standards by law. The minimum standards for the Code compliance have been set above the requirements of the Building Regulations. The Code has been set out as a baseline in relation to carbon emissions from energy use in a home. The introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes will encourage developers to build to higher standards. Homes that will be constructed to the higher standards set out in the Code will produce lower levels of CO2 and generate lower energy bills for the occupants. Including the 6 level scoring systems is a good opportunity for developers and buildings to try various construction techniques and see what level they can achieve. The levels are a good stepping stone to achieve a level 6 score and obtaining a zero-carbon home status. The Code for Sustainable Homes was designed to show how sustainable a home could be. Sustainable homes should include the three pillars of sustainability: Environmental, Social Economic. In the Code, only one of these pillars is addressed, Environmental. For the Code to be truly sustainable the social and economic issues need to be included in the design, construction and operation of all new homes. The location of new homes, either in a rural or built-up area could be added to the weighting system for points scoring. Constructing a home within a certain distance of a public transfer route could also gain points on the scoring system, this would reduce the home owners daily car use and CO2 emissions. The government or local authorities could have specially designated areas, preferably Brownfield sites that could be classed as sustainable sites. A points system could be incorporated into the CSH for constructing a new home in this area. As transport makes up over 23% of UKs GHG emissions (R), encouraging alternative-fuel vehicles and electric cars would be beneficial. An alternative-fuel top up station could be constructed within these proposed sustainable sites area. This would meet some of the economic issues by creating employment within the green industry. Until the social and economic issues have been addressed, we should consider contacting the Department for Communities and Local Government and asking them to rename the Code for Sustainable Homes to the Code for Environmental Homes. Planning Laws: As stated in Section 1.0, Zero-Carbon Homes will have to incorporate either on-site renewable technologies or locally sourced combined heat and power (CHP) for their energy needs. The National Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy gives national guidance in England, on the installation of renewable technologies. Statement 22 was last updated in 2004, but has been supplemented by the updated Planning Policy Statement 1: Planning Climate Change published in 2007. Currently there is a consultation draft to be updated and published before the end of this year (2009). The equivalent planning statement in Scotland is the National Planning Policy Guideline 6: Renewable Energy Developments. It provides the Scottish Executives policy on national land use and planning matters regarding renewable technologies. New permitted development rights introduced on 6th April 2008 in England and the 12th March 2009 in Scotland have made it easier to install renewable energy technologies such as solar panels and biomass boilers(R). These permitted development rights have lifted requirements for planning permission for most domestic micro-generation technologies. In England, The General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) gives rights to certain forms of development on the home without the need to apply for planning permission. In Scotland, these rights are under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Developed) (Domestic Micro-generation) TCP (GPD) Scotland Amendment Order 2009. Currently the Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland Government are considering changing their legislation to permit certain renewable technology development without having to apply for planning permission. Both governments hope to introduce legislation in 2010. The GPDO in England and the TCP (GPD) in Scotland include the following technologies: Solar PV Solar Thermal (Roof Mounted) Solar PV Solar Thermal (Stand Alone) Wood burning boilers and stoves Ground source heat pumps Water source heat pumps Air source heat pumps Micro and small wind (due to legal technicalities not included yet but further legislation expected later this year) The DPDO and TCP (GPD) are for guidance only. Each local authority has their own regulations that are set exclusively for their area. For example, a dwelling constructed within a conservation area would have to comply with stiffer standards with regard to installation of renewable technologies towards a dwelling not located in a conservation area. The Mid-Lothian Local Plan was published in 2007 and within NRG2 Individual Wins Turbines and Micro-Generations it states, The Council will support development that proposes the use of individual and community scale wind turbines and other micro-generation technologies for localised power requirements, provided they are located to minimise any potential adverse impact on the local community. The cumulative visual impact of such proposals will be taken into consideration when assessing individual planning applications There certainly is a good system in place in allowing the installation of certain renewable technologies without the need for applying for planning permission. The National Planning Policy Statements (England) and National Planning Policy Guidelines (Scotland) provide national frameworks which help local planning systems to evolve and deliver sustainable development. The current planning system is definitely driving us towards a sustainable future and the possibility of making ZCHs a reality by 2016. It is great to see that certain micro-generation technologies do not need to apply for planning permission, even if certain restrictions apply. But the main concern for home developers and owners is the cost of these technologies. Grants Incentives To construct a home that achieves a Level 6 in the CSH and a ZCH status requires new construction techniques and materials. There might be a higher initial cost to incorporate these techniques and materials than constructing a current standard home, but energy savings can be achieved over the whole life cost and operation of the home. The cost of constructing a ZCH is greater than a standard home because of the requirement to install renewable technologies. The cost of renewable energy generation depends on which type of technology is going to be installed within a home. In the UK, the government, energy suppliers and local authorities all provide grants towards installing renewable technologies into your home. The Department of Energy Climate Change (DECC) low carbon building programme provides grants for householders. The grants are available for micro-generation technologies including Solar PV, wind turbines, small scale hydro, solar water heating, heat pumps and bio-energy. The programme also funds renewable CHP, micro CHP and fuel cells. In Scotland, the Energy Saving Scotland home renewable grant scheme provides grants for homes. It is funded by the Scottish Government and the Energy Saving Trust. Funding is set at 30% of the installed cost up to a maximum of  £4,000. The grant covers Solar water heating, solar PV, solar thermal space heating, small scale wind and hydro systems, ground source and air source heat pumps and biomass boilers and stoves. In Scotland, you have the choice to apply for an Energy Saving Scotland home renewable grant or a low carbon buildings programme grant, but you cannot apply for a grant from both programmes for one technology. The grants available help towards the cost of the installation of renewables, but are they enough? With the current economic climate, people are being very careful with their money. Renewable technologies can save money over the whole life costing of a home, but its the initial cost that is important to people now. The grants available should be increased to really entice people to purchase these technologies. There are also feed-in tariffs available, if a home is generating more electrical energy than it needs, it can sell it back to the main energy suppliers. There are currently two main types of feed-in tariffs available, the Export Tariff, where you are only paid for the electricity you export to the electricity network and the Generation tariffs, where you are paid for all the electricity that your system generates even if you use it in your own home. There are also some Set Price Tariffs available where a fixed amount is paid by the energy supplier based on the type of system installed. The tariff feedback system is a chance for all consumers to become producers. All homes could become energy-plus which could make the UK a net exporter of renewable energy in the future. In Germany, they have been using a feed-in tariff system for over 10 years. It has been a huge success. Under the German system anyone generating electricity from solar PV, wind or hydro is guaranteed a payment of four times the market rate for 20 years. This reduces the payback time for cost of the renewable technologies to less than 10 years and after the payback time is complete, the home owner has a regular income from the electrical company for the power they generate. The cost is spread by generating companies among all users and has added about one cent/kwh to the average bill, or an extra à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 ( £1) a month (R). The growth in home electric generation and renewable technology use in Germany has created jobs and reduced the initial cost. With more companies competing for a share of the market, they have lowered their prices, a typical 3kw PV system costs about  £17,000 in Britain but less than  £10,000 in Germany (R). It has been proven that the feed in tariff system in Germany is lowering the initial cost of renewable technologies, creating employment and generating income for the home owner after the payback period is over. This system should be introduced worldwide, and promoted as a sustainable method as it incorporates the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. Certifying Agencies BREEAM (BRE Environmental AssessmentMethod) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a buildings environmental performance (R). An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for all homes whenever built, rented or sold. If you are buying or selling a home it is now law to have a certificate. They are also required on construction of new homes and are needed for rented homes the first time the property is let after 1 October 2008. The certificate records how energy efficient a property is as a building and provides A-G ratings. These are similar to the labels now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. The UKs governments Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), assess the energy performance of dwellings and produces the EPC. Energy performance is based on consumption per unit floor area, energy cost rating (SAP rating), an Environmental Impact rating based on CO2 emissions (EI rating) and a Dwelling CO2 Emission Rate (DER). The SAP rating is based on energy costs associated with space heating, water heating, ventilation and lightings, less cost savings from energy generation technologies. The SAP rating is expressed on a scale of 1 to 100, the higher the number the lower the running costs. An EPC is always accompanied by a recommendation report that lists cost effective and other measures (such as low and zero carbon generating systems) to improve the energy rating. A rating is also given showing what could be achieved if all the recommendations were implemented. EPCS are produced by accredited energy assessors. Whats happening now? Some local authorities in the UK have been making exemplar progress in delivering a low carbon economy, such as Fife in Scotland and in the near future, Merseyside Council are to become the biggest UK low carbon economy (R). The Zero Carbon Hub is a web-site set up by the Government to help you understand the challenges, issues and opportunities involved in developing, building and marketing low and zero carbon homes. The Zero Carbon Hub shares practical experience and uses this information to accelerate main stream adoption of low and zero carbon methods and technologies. The web-site identifies successful examples of low and zero carbon housing solutions. This will help identify successful design, method, technologies and approaches. Currently major house developers within the UK are constructing prototype zero carbon homes. They are using the developments as exemplar projects on techniques and technologies needed to be included within a home to achieve Zero Carbon status. The following developers and companies have all developed a zero carbon home. Stewart Milne Group Sigma Project Kingspan Off-Site The Lighthouse Creo ProKoncept The Creo House Barratt Developments Plc The Barrett Green House Miller Homes Ltd. Miller Zero Housing Project Tarmac Ltd Level 6 Home University of Nottingham It is encouraging that the major house developers are constructing their own example of zero carbon homes that can be mass produced. They are experimenting with new techniques and materials and then sharing their results and information so everyone benefits. The Stewart Milne Group claim, for their Sigma project to achieve a Level 6 on the CSH, the initial cost for renewable technologies is currently from  £60,000- £70,000. They suggest we should be concentrating on super-insulating our homes instead of trying to generate energy. They make a valid point here, if we super insulate our homes we will need less energy to heat it, requiring less renewable technologies to generate electricity. It is highly likely that by 2013 many of the sustainability stumbling blocks for the UK will have been swept away by neccesity. Retrofit solutions to existing properties must be part of the future. If only our banks were to protect their assets by financing a UK wide improvement programme. As practitioners of sustainability we have the following summary for you all What is a zero carbon home? A zero carbon home would qualify for zero stamp duty if its design emission rating (DER) were a negative number and its Heat Loss Parameter HLP sufficiently low. At present; the embedded energy of the materials used the energy from appliances and fittings and fixtures the energy associated with transport and servicing are not included. The term low carbon home is rather vague and ambiguous for the consumer Regards The impact of achieving the 25 per cent and 44 per cent improvements above the current Part L standard in 2010 and 2013 is estimated to have a net impact on the economy up to 2016 of around  £1.9bn. These costs are based on assuming that developers choose technologies on the basis of minimising the capital costs of construction. However, if the impact of on going costs and benefits is taken into account in technology choices, then the overall cost to the economy is reduced to  £0.85bn, which is nearly half of the  £1.9bn cost. Under this scenario there is a slightly higher capital outlay (the percentage increase in Part L above 2006 in 2013 is 6.2 per cent compared with 5.4 per cent when the capital costs are minimised), but the difference in size of the ongoing benefits is clear.

Hank Williams Jr. :: essays research papers

Hank Williams Jr. Hank Williams, Jr. was meant to be a superstar from the day he was born. His father, the legendary Hank Williams, and mother, Audrey Sheppard, both played an intricate part in his early stardom. Hank had to overcome many obstacles in his life including escaping from his father's shadow and a near death experience in 1975. Hank's many triumphs, and his ability to overcome setbacks, have propelled him to a legendary status. Born May 26, 1949, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Randall Hank Williams, Jr. was destined to become a star. Tragically, his father died on New Years day, 1953, at the young age on twenty nine ("Official Home Page," Biography). However, his mother, a country singer in her own right, helped Hank Jr. start one of the earliest, and most successful, childhood careers in country music history. Hank appeared on stage for the first time at the young age of eight. Hank appeared on the Grand Ole Opry at the age of eleven, singing his father's songs in his father's style. At the age of fourteen Hank recorded his first album, a hit rendition of his father's "Lone Gone Lonesome Blues." At an age when most young boys are playing Little League baseball or football, Hank was learning the piano from Jerry Lee Lewis, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show, and performing before crowds of up to twenty thousand. In 1969, Hank teamed up with Johnny Cash to perform in the largest country concert to date. In 1970, Hank signed the biggest recording contract in the history of MGM Records. As proud as he was of being the son of Hank Williams, Hank got tired of being in his father's shadow. In high school, known as "Rockin' Randall," Hank played contemporary rock, however, that had to be kept secret from all his traditional country fans. He also liked to listen to rhythm and blues, however, these types of music were looked down on by many in Nashville. Later in his career, Hank even released a couple of rock singles under the name Bo Cephus on Verve Records, a subdivision of MGM. The split between what he wanted to do and what he was expected to do , along with his long-term alcohol and drug abuse, developed into a downward spiral of his career that led to a 1974 suicide attempt. In early 1975, Hank recorded "Hank Williams, Jr. and Friends," his first true step to escaping his father's shadow and the past. Although the album was a success, MGM wanted him to return to the style that would keep his longtime

Robert Frost Home Burial - A Reflection of Reality Essay -- Home Buri

Home Burial as a Reflection of Reality Robert Frost's "Home Burial" is a masterfully written work, conceived from his and his wife's anguish at the loss of their first-born son as well as from the estrangement between his sister-in-law and her husband due to the death of their child. In Donald J. Greiner's commentary on Frost's works, "The Indespensible Robert Frost," it is revealed that "Mrs. Frost could not ease her grief following Elliot's death, and Frost later reported that she knew then that the world was evil. Amy in "Home Burial" makes the same observati Often it seems that writers have their own personal inspiration that fuels a great work to cause its readers to realize the complexity of the human nature. Robert Frost's "Home Burial" is a masterfully written example of such works, conceived from his and his wife's anguish at the loss of their first-born son as well as from the estrangement between his sister-in-law and her husband due to the death of their child. In Donald J. Greiner's commentary on Frost's work s, "The Indespensible Robert Frost," it is revealed that "Mrs. Frost could not ease her grief following Elliot's death, and Frost later reported that she knew then that the world was evil. Amy in "Home Burial" makes the same observation". "Home Burial" illustrates the cause of the failing marriage as a breakdown of communication, both verbally and physically, between two people who adopt totally different views in the midst of crisis. Amy does not believe that her husband is in mourning over the death of their child. Her view can be defended by the fact that she is feeling unimaginable pain that she justly feels is unique to the nurturing nature of a mother. The child tha... ...eir ability to talk normally to eachother, but also because the physical side of their marriage is absent. Touch is a form of communication that the total absence of alone can destroy a loving union. Frost leaves the reader with a realistically portrayed image of their marital turmoil reaching a height as Amy opens the door, ready to walk out on the marriage. The melancholy conclusion to Frost's work ends up being the result of failed communication. "Home Burial" is unfortunately a reflection of the reality that many marriages fail in the event of a child's death. A lack of communication, both verbally and physically, tears apart two people even without a tragedy as profound as the one that Frost and his wife experienced. Frost's work is an expression of the more serious and traumatic side of nature and reveals the consequences of inevitable human flaws.

How to get DNA from Banana Extraction Essay

I. Introduction DNA is found in all living cells. A polymer looks like a ladder that has been twisted in a helical form. . The sides of the ladder are acknowledged as the backbone of the DNA helix, and are involve of replicating sugar and phosphate units. DNA has a very important responsibility in the cell, as it encodes for all cellular proteins. s. The proteins expressed in a cell classify the distinctiveness of the cell, and organisms are compilation of several cells. Many of our physical characteristics are ascertained by the progression of our DNA. Banana is the general name for herbaceous vegetation of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. It is one of the oldest farmed plants. They are inhabitant to tropical South and Southeast Asia. Banana is also used to depict Enset and Fe’i bananas, neither of which fit in to the abovementioned class. Enset bananas belong to the genus Ensete while the nomenclature of Fe’i-type cultivars is vague. Removing DNA from a banana may sound like a complicated task, but it is not very difficult at all. The procedure involves a few common steps which include mashing, filtration, precipitation, and extraction. Squashing exposes a better surface area from which to extract the DNA. Substances are also added that will facilitate break-down cell membranes to discharge the DNA. The filtration step allows for the compilation of the DNA and other cellular substances. The precipitation step allows the DNA to break up from other cellular substances. At last, the DNA is detached from the solution. The DNA will be able to be seen at this stage because huge aggregates will have formed. Abstract: The lengthy, fat fibers of DNA store up the information for the working of the chemistry of life. DNA is present in every cell of plants and animals. The DNA establish in banana cells can be extracted using ordinary, daily materials. We will use an extraction buffer including salt, to split up protein chains that attach around the nucleic acids and detergent to liquefy the lipid (fat) fraction of the banana cell wall and nuclear membrane. This extraction buffer will facilitate and provide us entrance to the DNA within the cells. Rationale: Students will monitor first hand that DNA is in the food they consume. Students will study the simple technique of extracting DNA and each step is essential. To learn how chemical substances can split up the cell structures adjacent to DNA. To see how DNA looks like in food. To learn and see the physical structure of DNA through the naked eye. Statement of the Problem: Is the process of human DNA extractions similar from the banana DNA extractions? Hypothesis: If the process of extracting the DNA of human will be similar to extracting the DNA of banana then both of the proteins will isolate because in extracting DNAs of different kinds of cells (plants or animals), purification is the first step in the study and handling of DNA that allow scientists to see the genetic syndrome or pattern of chain ladders in each kind of cells. Although, plants and animals have different structure of cells but both create DNA in nucleus. Scope and Limitations: The scope for this lab is that DNA has critical part of each living thing, giving every cell its individual uniqueness, yet it is simply extracting from a cell. It would be appealing to watch this experiment open out in a laboratory with tools strong enough to observe this procedure and to see the individual strands of DNA. In addition, DNA might have been hard to understand but it’s amazing how this lab can see a lengthy DNA strands coiled. Lastly, it covers the aspect of the cells in nucleus and how the information of the DNA is kept deeper in human’s body, animal’s body, plants even in long or short period of time. DNA is a real secret hiding from every tiny cell in our body and surroundings. Lastly, we used the fruits to extraction because it’s a polyploidy. The limitation of this lab is that the limit of comparing the DNA of an animal cells such as meat and plant cell because there will be an expensive material’s going to be use in extracting animal cells, mainly spinach, broccoli, chicken liver, peas. What I did froe experiment is to compare through internet. The limitation would also be the temperature for isopropyl alcohol. The isopropyl alcohol must be kept cool at most time. Lastly, the precipitated DNA can cause poor outcome because of splitting up the DNA strands. Terminology: Chromosome- A threadlike linear strand of DNA and associated proteins in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells that carries the genes and functions in the transmission of hereditary information. DNA- Deoxyribonucleic acid; a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information. Filtration-The act or process of filtering; the mechanical separation of a liquid from solidify particles floating in it. Precipitation- the condensation of a solid from a solution during a chemical reaction Polyploid- more than two copies of chromosomes in cell, meaning lots of DNA II. Related Literature Foreign: â€Å"Genetic genealogy is DNA testing that’s done specifically for the purpose of learning about one’s heritage.† by Megan Smolenyak â€Å"DNA is the blueprint for life, and now it can serve as a computer to monitor life’s processes.† by Rebecca Boyle â€Å"The structure of double-stranded DNA is universal in all living cells, but differences occur in the methods for extracting genomic DNA from animal and plant cells† by Keiron Audain Local: â€Å"we describe mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in 423 Philippine samples and analyze them in the context of the genetic diversity of other Southeast Asian populations.† by Kristina Tabbada DNA barcoding can differentiate between closely related species that are hard to tell apart, especially large fishes that are difficult to bring back from the field. It can identify products like fish fillets so you know if the grouper you ordered in a restaurant is really a grouper by DR. mudjekeewis D. Santos Sa House Bill 2586 ni Western Samar 1st District Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento, nakakalungkot umanong isipin na hindi nabibigyang pagkakataon ang mga anak sa labas na kilalanin ang kanilang mga tunay na magulang noong buhay pa ang mga ito kaya’t ang pagsama ng DNA testing ay makakasiguro sa implementasyon ng Family Code of the Philippines bilang bentahe sa paggamit ng makabagong teknolohiya. by GEMMA GARCIA III. Methodology: 1. Get all the materials. 2. Cut the banana in smaller pieces. Put the entire banana in the Ziploc bag. Seal them tightly. 3. Mash them for 2 minutes. 4. In a plastic cup, mix the 1 tsp. of dish soap, 2 pinch of salt and 4 tsp of water. Stir thoroughly until the dish soap is dissolve in water. 5. Add the mixed solution to the mashed banana. 6. Next, make a well with the coffee filter and place it on a cup. Do not let the filter touch the bottom of the cup. 7. Pour the liquid mixture to the filter paper and filter it for 3-5 minutes. 8. In a test tube, fill the narrow tube with a super cold isopropyl alcohol. 9. Add the 2 tsp. of filtered banana mixture slowly, to have two layers of liquid. 10. Let the tube disturb up to 2-3 minutes. 11. There will be a precipitate DNA forming at the tube. 12. To get the DNA, use bbq skewer and twirl it. 13. Place with capped tube filled with alcohol. 14. Clean up all the materials IV. Data and Analysis: DNA accumulated in Banana. The finish product looks like: Chemical| Functions| Dish soap| Dispersing the lipid membranes | Salt| Eradicate the linked proteins| Isopropyl Alcohol| Precipitate the DNA| Analysis: When mashing up the banana in the Ziploc, it helps the cell wall, nuclear membranes and cellular to break down. The extraction buffer helps to discharge DNA from the nearby cell components of the mashed banana. The filter makes easier to liquefy and removes bigger particles from the solution and extracting smaller cell components such as the proteins of the banana. When the filtrate alcohol is added, the DNA precipitated out of the solution. The DNA looks like a white, cloudy or fine stringy substance. DNA is not visible as a single strand to the naked eye, however, if there’ are thousand of DNA strands present; we will be able to see the large group of DNA threads. Also, DNA is present in all living things in a long or short period, even dead animals or human’s centuries ago. That’s why DNA helps many scientists or doctors to identify genetics of each person and/or lineage. Even different kind of cells has DNA, animals or plants, because DNA is saved inside the nucleus. Also, the process of getting meat and fruits are the same because the experiment is to extract and purify the cell components and leave out all the unneeded substance to do the process. That’s why we used filter and dish soap. V. Conclusion/ Recommendation I therefore conclude that the process of extracting meat and fruits are the same because it has cell components and have same parts. The DNA of all kinds of cells is hidden in nucleus where they bring out the genes of each class and family of an organism. Even the person is dead or mummies can be extracted by DNA because there’s a cell living inside us. In doing this experiment, splitting up the cell wall, nuclear membrane and plasma membrane is important. So does in the meat extractions, because this three cell components is present with plant and animal cell. In the lab, DNA extractions collected the sample cells. Second, breaking open the cells to get rid of the lipid membranes. Then, after DNA is free from the cell, it precipitated the DNA as of the solution. Adding salt to the solution triggers the cellular debris and unnecessary proteins in the solution to cluster together. Finally, the isopropyl alcohol is added and assorted into the solution. Since the DNA is not soluble in the alcohol, it will precipitate and become perceptible to the naked eye and simply tested. Reference: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/extraction/howto/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_extraction https://www.migeneticsconnection.org/genomics/genetic%20variation/DNAExtractionBanana.htm http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/DNA_extractions.php