Leed Certification Essay

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

Company Profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Company Profile - Essay Example Business Interaction / Communication in more than 100 different languages. 49,000+ individuals are employed worldwide by the Coca-Cola Company and its subsidiaries. In Britain the brand arrived in the year 1990 when the son of the founder, Charles Chandler brought the brand to England. The company today is extremely popular and surprisingly, "the word 'Coca-Cola' itself is even thought to be the second most widely understood word in the world after 'OK'!" (Coca Cola). The company is facing fierce competition with Pepsi Co. that is the other giant in the industry. Coca Cola is having a share of merely 50% in the Europe, the company is a market leader in Europe, however the company is rated 2nd in many parts of the world such as India. The company is having a wider product line and length that forced me to prepare the profile. The product line includes Coca Cola, Coca Cola Zero, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Lilt, Dr. Pepper, Oasis, Kia-Ora, Schweppes, Five Alive, Minute Maid, Rose's, Spri t 3G, and Powerade. The company is having a concern about the health too, it is unusual to think about since the company is manufacturing a drink that many people view as unhealthy, nevertheless the company cares about people when it says, "You can enjoy 'Coca-Cola' and all of our other products as part of a healthy balanced diet and active lifestyle" (Your Health). It is also a healthy sign that Coca Cola has associated it self with various healthy activities such as Football. SWOT There are number of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats regarding Coca Cola. In UK, the strengths include, highest market share possessed by any soft drink company, the biggest product line and length, a strong focus on society's health as the company mentions clearly on their products, "'Big 8: energy, protein, carbohydrate, carbohydrate of which sugars, fat, saturated fat, fibre and sodium" (What our labels tell you). The customers are welcomed at anytime to inspect the company's internal environment, the company has mentioned the free number '0800 227711'. A strong focus on fulfilling social responsibility as the company has associated itself with many important events such as sports etc. The weaknesses are limited for Coca Cola, The company has not got the full penetration in the market, there are many gaps in the society. The company is focusing on brand extension rather than the penetration of current brands. Obesity is getting common is Britain and company is not taking the issue in account. The different sales headquarters are not interlinked directly and they are having problems in internal communications, "We are currently developing new communications programmes to improve employee engagement and to ensure that they all understand our business priorities" (Key challenges in Britain). The opportunities for Coca Cola are, the obesity is getting common in Britain, Coca Cola can target that segment specifically and make it aware of the may Diet Coke that can help people understand the benefits of such drinks. The company can then cater each segment individually, such as kids who prefer sports should be targeted through advertisements using powerade, when every segment would be targeted, the outcome could be very profitable, "developing new, and hopefully successful, products is vital and, as Band says: Coca-Cola also needs to get the mix of products correct; that is the

Rappin'it up Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rappin'it up - Coursework Example Advantages and disadvantages are straightforwardly represented in the dimension of this question. Passage One names â€Å"Alcoholic Beverage Advertising Should Be Restricted† is introduced by Laurie Leiber contains a number of advantages concerning the question of restricting advertising of alcoholic beverages. He suggests the idea that alcohol-industry representatives usually claims that there are no connection between usage of alcohol and its advertising. Still, there are a number of facts that prove an opposing idea. Leiber refers to researches that demonstrate the harmful connection between alcohol usage and its advertisements. He introduces the investigation by Joel W. Grube and Lawrence Wallack that suggests the idea â€Å"that awareness of TV beer commercials leads to favorable beliefs about drinking in children 10 to 12 years old and increases their intention to drink as adults† (Leiber, n.p.). In addition, the information about alcohol-related motor-vehicle deaths â€Å"with quarterly measures for broadcast advertising in 75 media markets over a three-yea r period† (Leiber, n.p.) is admonished the tendency of supporting the restriction of alcohol beverages advertising. The second passage under consideration is represented by Robert A. Levy, and named â€Å"Alcohol Ads Do Not Promote Underage Drinking† suggests the idea that there is a number of more influencing factors concerning the increase of alcohol usage than the advertisements. He pays attention to the problem of underage consumption of alcoholic beverages. Levy introduces the concept about â€Å"the doctrine of personal accountability† and â€Å"the insidious notion that you can engage in risky behavior, then force someone else to pay for your mistakes† (n.p.). The idea that this message is more essential for the problem of usage alcohol by juvenile than any advertisement at all is appeared straightforwardly. Taking into account

HR and performance, High-performance work system and big data Assignment

HR and performance, High-performance work system and big data - Assignment Example Many top organisational behaviour specialists believe that it can be relied on to provide companies that adopt it with a reliable and sustainable competitive edge. Given the popularity and endurance of the concept, it is understandable that it should be seen as a revolutionary method of handling human resources. In addition, quite a number or retrospective and contemporary studies posit that the effect of HRM on job satisfaction and, by extension, organisational performance is positive. However, this is not universal; some studies have portrayed job satisfaction as a primary mediator between HRM practices and organisational performance. On the other hand, others postulate that the implementation of HR practices is associated with increased levels of work intensity, which can translate into better performance but not necessarily higher job satisfaction (Green, 2004). There have also been claims that HRM practices that are adopted as part of high performance work system are not either designed to increase job satisfaction or tend not to have that effect (Appelbaum, 2002). However, some scholars have speculated that HRM tends to impact on separate components of job satisfaction such as a sense of achievement or contentment with ones pay (Green, 2006). However, what cannot be disputed is the fact that, despite the common assumption that HPWS are good for business, many organisations have failed to apply or implement them. This begs the question: If it is that good, why do more people not use it? A great deal has been written about the HPWS in HMR literature, however, despite this, little attention is given to it individually even though it concerns organisational economic; critical area in general economics. High performance work systems can be defined as high involvement or commitment organisations; these use a distinctive managerial approach to facilitate performance

Literary analysis for En Aquel Entonces Readings in Mexican American Essay

Literary analysis for En Aquel Entonces Readings in Mexican American History - Essay Example Subsequently, in 1993, the United States and Mexico entered into another important treaty--the North American Free Trade Agreement (hereinafter NAFTA). NAFTA created considerable controversy in the United States. It governs trade between the NAFTA parties: Canada, Mexico and the United States. The NAFTA parties trade hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods a year. Thus, one can expect that many trade disputes will arise under NAFTA. As a result, NAFTA has provided procedures for dispute resolution. In the 1800s, many in the United States believed it was America's destiny to expand westward so as to govern the entire continent. Writing in 1845, journalist John O'Sullivan explained: The American claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federative self-government entrusted to us. In accordance with this notion of "manifest destiny," in 1846, the United States went to war against Mexico in an effort to incorporate the western territories of California and New Mexico and certain Texas borderlands. At the war's end in 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo required Mexico to cede about half of its then existing territory. Much of the American West and Southwest was acquired by the United States in the 529,000 square mile cession by the Republic of Mexico. Thus, the United States conquered Mexico in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo completed that conquest and, therefore, completed the conquest of the Southwest. In agreeing to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico--a conquered nation--obviously had much less bargaining power than the United States. The Mexican government was under tremendous political and financial pressure to sign the Treaty. Mexican officials viewed the Treaty as a final opportunity to preserve Mexico. With the American Army just outside of Mexico City, they believed that if the war continued, all of Mexico would have been acquired by the United States. In addition, British money brokers, who had made large loans to Mexico, were pushing Mexican officials to end the war and pay off Mexico's debts. Under these circumstances, the United States virtually dictated the terms of the [Treaty]. So one-sided was the Treaty in favor of the United States that the American political party, the Whigs, who were opponents of the war, concluded that the Treaty was morally bankrupt. In particular, the Whigs argued that it was unethical to require a defeated country to "sell" its territory . Despite this, Mexico sought to provide certain rights for Mexican citizens in the territories ceded under the Treaty to the United States. Experience proves it is possible for one nationality to merge and be absorbed into another: and when it was originally an inferior and more backward portion of the human race absorption is greatly to its advantage. Nobody can suppose that it is not more beneficial to a Breton, or a Basque of French Navarre, to be brought into the current of the ideas and feelings of a highly civilized and cultivated people--to be a member of the French Nationality, admitted on equal terms to all the privileges of French citizenship--than to sulk on his own rocks, the half-savage relic of past times, revolving in his own little mental orbit, without

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 34

Case study - Essay Example The mediator does not enjoy a determinative or advisory function, with respect to the dispute or the outcome of its resolution (Spencer & Brogan, 2006, p. 8). NADRAC’s model of mediation entails a neutral third party intervention, vis-Ã  -vis the dispute in question. It facilitates the disputants to arrive at an agreement. Considerable variation can occur, with regard to the extent to which the mediator intervenes. However, this does not extend to deciding the outcome. The mediator can suggest methods for resolving the dispute (Astor & Chinkin, 2002, p. 84). Several means of procuring the assistance of experts are available to disputing parties. In general, these entail the third party conducting an independent examination of a few of the circumstances of the dispute and providing a report of such investigation to these parties. On occasion, the mediator could also provide advice regarding desirable, probable and possible results (Astor & Chinkin, 2002, p. 89). The mediator conducts an investigation of the dispute and furnishes advice regarding the disputed facts. As such, expert appraisal provides an independent, impartial, and objective evaluation of the disputed issues. This is made available by an expert appointed for this purpose by the disputing parties (Astor & Chinkin, 2002, p. 89). The expert cannot make recommendations, although further negotiations can be based on his opinion. Nevertheless, he can employ the findings to suggest desirable, probable and possible outcomes to the dispute. Upon the parties consenting to the factual findings being final and binding, the process acquires a determinative aspect (Young, 2001). For the above scenario, I employed the Expert Appraisal and Determination method of Alternative Dispute Resolution, as the dispute requires an expert opinion regarding the absence of air bags in the car. Since there are no precedents in this area, an expert can provide a suitable solution to the problem, after

Supply Chain Management at World Co. Ltd. Essay Example for Free

Supply Chain Management at World Co. Ltd. Essay Industry Facts: Specialty Retailing Sector -Women’s apparel industry in Japan seasonal industry products have short life cycles and extremely uncertain demand International Competition 3 Distribution Alternatives- company-owned stand alone stores, shops in fashion malls, and shops within department stores â€Å"store-within-a-store† Company Facts Operates in women’s apparel industry Company uses both wholesale and retail distribution methods Wholesale items are sold in other stores (retailers) Specialty store Private-label apparel (SPA) merchandise which includes the OZOC and Untitled brands was sold at stores owned by World Uses SPARCS, a business process system that allows World to monitor sales trends and focus on customer demand to maximize the efficiency of store support operations By late 1990’s World sold over 40 different brands in approximately 7,000 shops and stores World’s divisions are organized by product (brand name) 1998- World Employed 2,394 workers Net sales $1.8 billion and net income of $32million Company held a 3.5% share of the Japanese apparel market Major U.S. competitors are Gap Inc., The Limited Rooted in Domestic Manufacturing Brand Facts Targeted at female customers 25-29 years of age Annual Sales 2.2 million Introduce new collections twice annually (Spring-Summer; Fall-Winter) Introduced New Products Every 2 Weeks At the end of 1998, Untitled Brand could be Found in 110 Stores Qualitative Analysis Industry Analysis: Threats: Lack of Channel Power Uncertain Demand Seasonality Inventory Risk Opportunities Fewer Variations In Store Assortments Fast Changing Fashion Trends (Social) Low Inventory Levels International Manufacturing Company Analysis Strengths World’s High Inventory Turns (5/year) (Operations) 47% Gross Margin Keen Competitive Intelligence- reviewed competitor’s brands every six months (Marketing) Decentralized Merchandising Operations- each brand was autonomous (Operations/Marketing) High Responsiveness (Operations) Versatile Line Workers Recruited talented individuals who were unafraid of change and could motivate others (Management) Weaknesses Weak Pay-for-Performance System (Management) Low Brand Awareness Left over inventory is markdown 50% Quantitative Analysis: Wholesale net sales=(total net ales- net spa sales) ¥1,643,130,000 World’s private label spa brands  ¥250,000,000 Net Sales Of World Corporation ¥1,893,130,000 Cost of Sales  ¥983,610,000 Gross Profit Margin at 47%  ¥909,520,000 World’s private label Spa brandsNet Sales:  ¥250,000,000 SPA’s Cost of Goods sold:  ¥130,500,00 Purchases @ 97% ¥126,585,000 Other ¥ 3,415,000 G. M. of Spa brands at 47.8% of Sales Gross Margin:  ¥119,500,000 Cost of Goods sold include merchandise inventory, purchases, (purchase discounts), total merchandise available for sale Average Inventory for World Co., Limited and SPA Brands World Co., Limited Average Inventory = Cost of Goods sold =  ¥983,610,000 =  ¥$96,722,000 Inventory Turns 5 times a years SPA Brands Average Inventory = Cost of Goods sold =  ¥130,500,000 =  ¥15,294,117.65 Inventory Turns 8.5 times a years Cost to Retail Ratio Problems How to overcome Bargaining power of suppliers- retailers charge high prices for retail space Poor implementation of push (or pull) strategy Inventory Markdowns is second greatest variable expense accounting 24.10% of total Sales staff does not enter shipments into the computer upon receipt How to overcome compromised information accuracy during semi-annual sales