The Shortage in the Supply of Clean Water free essay sample

However, according to a study carried by the journal Nature, if the Earth warms just a  degree  or two Celsius in coming decades, regions that depend on runoff from mountain snows for drinking water and farming will face shortages. Actually water shortage caused by global warming is due to the increase in demand for water but not a drop in water supply. When there is global warming, the rise in earth’s temperature will lead to an increase in the evaporation rate of the moisture in soils, thus increasing the demands on irrigation in agricultural activities. Moreover, higher temperature will speed up the water cycle as water evaporates at a faster rate and rain more often and plants will benefit less. There will be the depletion of water tables and lead to water shortage. Therefore, although the amount of water available in the world does not change when there is global warming, the rise in demand for water can still trigger the problem of water shortage. We will write a custom essay sample on The Shortage in the Supply of Clean Water or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page b. Increasing population The world population increase by 1%-3% annually and more people results in a need for more water. Industrial, agricultural and economic activities increase its water demand too. In some regions of even the most developed countries, people consume about 80% of their available fresh water supply at any given point in time. Problem exists when the increasing demand of water cannot keep pace with the limited supply of water. There is a report called â€Å"More people, Less Water† commissioned by Population Matters from an LSE  graduate student which reviewed that people will need between 1. 5 and 4. 9 million more tonnes of water (cubic metres) per day  if the population keep on rising. These are worrying figures implying the danger of water shortage and a rise in the cost of building new pipelines, sewage treatment and more long-distance pumping etc. This problem will keep on worsening if we do not take any actions to conserve water properly and gradually lead to water shortage which affects everyone’s life. c. Pollution Polluting water will reduce the water supply and lead to the problem of water shortage. Pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture, sewer overflows and oil and grease from roads are examples of pollutants which will eventually run off into the water systems. Other sources of excess nutrients include lawn fertilizers, pet and farm animal waste, decaying plant material, failing septic tanks, and inefficient sewage treatment plants. Besides, industry such as industrial plants and municipal wastewater treatment plants is also the leading producer of sewage which will enter streams and rivers and ultimately lakes, estuaries and coastal waters. According to the statistical study carried by the Shanghai Star magazine, producing one ton of steel requires 20 to 60 cubic metres of water in Shanghai while in the US and Japan 6 cubic metres of water are required. Due to huge amount of pollutants enter the water systems, water is heavily polluted and it will badly affect the provision of clean drinking water as polluted water is not always reusable. Therefore, pollution lowers the quality of water and reduces the amount of water available for use. d. Poor water management Although the supply of water in the world is limited, water shortage can still be avoided by better water management. However, some responsible agency did not take proper actions to conserve water. For example, water leakages are not properly prevented with regular maintenance of water containers and water distribution systems. Also, the number of water tankers or any other water related facilities are not adequate to store water for future use and the sewage treatment system is not well operated and supervised to prevent water being contaminated by pollutants and water can be reused. Fines should be imposed on anyone who wastes this precious source on other unnecessary areas as well as industries which continuously emit toxic substances to pollute water in order to punish them for the misuse of water and educate them to conserve water. Dams or other constructions should also be built to reduce flooding. After all, poor water management will speed up the occurrence of water shortage and become a threat of our life to us. e. Increasing water consumption The ever-growing water consumption of people leads to water shortage by wasting water in other needless areas. In our daily lives, people are not aware of conserving water. Instead, they consume much water for their convenience. For example, people do not wash their cars with a sponge and a bucket in their driveways anymore. They drive through car washes which utilize dozens of gallons of water in one wash. Another example is that people opt for much quicker showers which have a constant stream of water flowing and draining since they no longer have time to bath. Besides, there is theme park like Ocean Park in Hong Kong with water attractions that consume hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per day. We can surely adopt another way to take a bath, to wash a car or to promote the theme park. But people seldom try to help to conserve water and cause water wastage. So, we increase water consumption for our convenience and enjoyment but at the same time paid a cost which is water shortage. . Consequences a. Disruption of agricultural activities According to research done by Shiklomanov, water usage for irrigation represent 66% of the total usage and up to 90 % in arid regions, the other 34 % being used by domestic households (10 %), industry (20 %), or evaporated from reservoirs (4 %) and we can know how important water is for irrigation of crops. Most plants need water to stay alive. Without water, crops cannot grow healthily and eventually died. Farmers wont be able to produce enough to stay in business and the price of food will go through the roof. They have to think of other alternative ways to irrigate their land for the crops since their regular water sources are always running dry, such as spend money on buying clean water or deliver water from places which are far away from their land. Food supply will then be badly affected as there is unstable supply of food from the farmland with unstable supply of water. Water shortage might lead to dry up of rivers or even desertification, which means the degradation of land  in any  dry lands, as lands become dry with little water moisture and cannot produce any food. Overall, agricultural activities cannot be smoothly carried out without water and badly affect food supply. b. Privatization of water When water becomes scarce, it is not surprised that the price of water will rise because there must be people who want to make a profit by the provision of limited supply of this precious resource while the market have a high demand in water. So many corporations are trying to privatize access to water in order to make water officially as a need rather than right. If water is a need, the private sector could provide this resource, through the market on a for-profit basis. On the other hand, if water is a right, the government will be responsible for ensuring all citizens have the equal access to water on a non-profit basis. For example, the World Bank has made privatization of urban water systems as a condition for receiving new loans and debt restructuring. Not only will this phenomenon increase the cost of living of the citizens with higher water cost, but also it is unfair to those who are not wealthy enough to buy adequate water for their daily needs. It creates the trend of â€Å"more money, more water, better living† which cannot raise the standard of living. Privatization of water will only worsen the problem of water shortage as well as the lives of all citizens. c. Poor sanitation and health of people The World Health Organization has identified clean water as the single most important factor in determining public health as it is what people daily intake. Without clean drinking water, human being surely cannot live for a long period. Besides, the human need for basic hygiene cannot be fulfilled without water. People cannot wash their body and clothes and clean themselves. As their basic hygiene need is not met and harmful virus or bacteria cannot be killed, it will reduce their resistance to diseases and cannot prevent infection from diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, salmonellosis, other gastrointestinal viruses, and dysentery. Also, when water was scarce, people might often force to rely on drinking water sources that might not be safe. It will increase the chance of people being contaminated and badly affect their health. Therefore, a normal person without water in his or her daily life is more likely to be sick or even died. d. Disruption of aquatic life Creatures which live in the water are also the victims of water shortage. When water shortage exists, river may dry up due to global warming and evaporation and aquatic lives in the river will soon be dead without water. Also, when the demand for water is high, people might get water from the sea. The sea level will become lower which is bad for the living of animals in the sea. The death or destruction of the aquatic life leads to the collapse of the fishery too. It is because the number of fishes collected will be smaller and they are difficult to stay in their business.

Human Cloning Essays - Cloning, Genetics, Molecular Biology

Human Cloning Essays - Cloning, Genetics, Molecular Biology Human Cloning Biological Aspects True human cloning involves taking a somatic cell from a person and removing its nucleus. Then the nucleus of a fertilized egg cell is removed and placed in the somatic cell. This is impossible in humans right now because the somatic cells are specialized and there are many genes that have been switched off in them that we do not know how to turn them back on. This was done with frogs however. The eggs were implanted with the nuclei from the intestinal lining of tadpoles. Most of these frogs died or grew into monsters. Of the ones that did grow normally they were sterile. Embryo splitting or blastomere separation is what is most commonly referred to as human cloning. Embryos in the early stages of development start to divide into cells called blastomeres. The zona pellucida (a protective covering for the egg) is punctured or removed and the blastomeres are separated from each other. Each blastomere is then covered with an artificial zona pellucida. Then each of the blastomeres starts dividing and becomes an embryo. This was attempted by Hall and Stillman in 1993. They used embryos that contained too much genetic information and got as far as 32-cell divisions in some the embryos. At this stage the embryo can be implanted in the womb. Another technique is nuclear transplantation. In this process unspecialized embryonic cells are used and their nuclei are removed. An embryo in the 32-cell division stage has its blastomeres separated and then the blastomere is fused with an egg cell by using an electric current or another method. A possibility for human cloning that has been proposed is that of the embryos that were cloned and not implanted would be frozen for use in a catalog. The child that was born from a cloned embryo would have a picture taken of him/her and placed in a catalog along with a description of the child. Then prospective parents could choose the child that they want, order its embryo, and implant it into the woman's womb. Then after nine months the couple would have their dream child. Something else that has been proposed is that a black market for embryos would arise. In this situation infertile couples could buy a cloned embryo that was stolen or was to be discarded in order to have a child. Embryo splitting could also be used to rid the world of genetic diseases. One could clone their embryo and test one of the clones for a genetic disease. If the embryo tests positive then all of the clones would be destroyed. If the embryo tests negative for diseases then one of the clones could be implanted to produce a healthy child. Ethical Aspects There are many ethical questions that must be answered before cloning becomes a reality. Many of these questions are difficult to answer because all of the facts are still unknown because cloning itself is still in its early stages as a science. Is Human cloning playing God? "And god said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have domain over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every thing that moveth upon the earth... And God saw everything that he made, and, behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:26-28, 31 Well, alot of that depends on perspective religions. Many believe that it is tampering with the work of God, but others believe that it is a miracle of science that will help infirtile couples live the dream of having their own children. Would you be willing to have a cloned child? Even if you or your spouse were infertile, there are still options other than cloning. Why not adopt? With cloned children, it means that there will be other children exactly like the one you have scatered throughout the world. With adoption, the child you

Summary what you have learned from lectures Assignment

Summary what you have learned from lectures - Assignment Example On the other side, counterproductive behaviors are those that are a hindrance to the accomplishment of the organization’s goals such as hostility, reduced efficiency etc. As an employee, recognizing these behaviors affects the quality of results that one attains in the organization, while to a leader, it is important to encourage the internal and organization citizenship behavior while discouraging the counterproductive behaviors. Organization commitment Organizational commitment can be explained as the desire for an employee to be ad remain part of the organization, it influences whether an employee stays in an organization or leaves to take up another job elsewhere. An affective commitment is whereby an employee stays in an organization because he wants to; he is emotionally attached and involved with the organization. In continuance commitment, an employee stays in an organization because he needs to, he is fully aware of the cost implications of moving from that organizati on and therefore desires to stays, normative commitment is because of the employee feeling that she ought to stay in the organization; one feels obligated to be in the organization. ... Motivation can either be extrinsic, which is because of external outcomes such as bonuses, job security and promotions, or intrinsic which is internal motivation such as a sense of accomplishment, skill development and a general enjoyment of the work. Learning and Decision Making Learning can be explained as a change that results from experience in the knowledge or skill that an employee poses, learning can be through reinforcement that is the use of rewards and punishment, observation and experience. In learning, classical conditioning implies that an employee’s response to a stimulus is not what would have been expected. Through operant conditioning, an employee learns by observing the how voluntary behavior produces certain consequences. To increase the desired behavior of an employee one can either employ the use of positive reinforcement whereby an employee’s desired behavior is followed by a positive outcome, or negative reinforcement whereby negative outcome is r idden off through a desired behavior. As a manager, the best form of employee reinforcement would be positive reinforcement and extinction whereby the consequence of an unwanted behavior is removed for example, stop downloading non-work related videos. Decision-making involves having a set of alternative options and choosing the one that is best suited for the issue at hand, this can be through intuitive decision making, in which the decisions are almost automatic to the person. On the other hand, rational decision making which is a systematic decision is making process and is mainly used by managers in an organization. Trust, Ethics and Justice There are different types of trusts and some depend on the trust, case and example, the disposition based trust, whereby, a person’s

AGING IMMIGRANT WOMEN IN CANADA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

AGING IMMIGRANT WOMEN IN CANADA - Essay Example This author intends to reveal how the Canadian socioeconomic structure exploits immigrant women for their tax contributions, while depriving them of necessary health benefits to live quality lives. The author’s thesis in this study is to asses the facts supporting the life-cycle theory, which basically asserts that most immigrants are young upon arrival to this Canada, and there presence in Canada benefits native-born Canadians through a tax transfer system. The author’s research confirms the theory through the assessment of 1981 Canadian Census of Population data, and comparing the consumption of major public services to the payment of taxes by average immigrants and non-immigrant households. In this study, the authors seek to find if there is a pattern revealing that there is a double-Negative effect on the Earnings of Immigrant women. By double negative effect the authors are refereeing to a direct correlation between twice as low income for individuals who are both women and immigrants in Canada. They do find these two social stigmas to be a factor, but the patter does not stay consistent across the board, considering highly educated women, and immigrant men who they find are virtually exempt form this type of dual prejudice. Boyd, Monica, and Deanne Pikkov. "Gendering MIgration, Livelihood and ENtitlement: Migrant WOmen in Canada and the United States." United Nations Research INstitute for Social Development os (2005): 1-56. 3 June 2007 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~boydmon/files/research_papers/OP6_Boyd_Pikkov.pdf The authors assess the conditions of economic appropriation for immigrants within Canada and the United States. The research is basically done for the United Nations. The sum of their research concludes that while both the United States and Canada encourage immigrants to come to their country, it is often for jobs of which they are extensively over qualified. They find this leads many

Economics graphs Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics graphs - Statistics Project Example A shift in the demand curve for a good is brought about by various factors such as income, population, price of a substitute or complement, consumer taste or preference and expectation among others. A change in any of these factors would lead to a rightward or leftward shift in the demand curve depending on the direction of the change (Begg, Fischer & Dornbusch). For instance, an increase in the income of consumers causes a corresponding increase in the demand for normal good A, with price level remaining the same. Given Graph 2, demand curve D1 would shift rightward to D2 in view of the increase in income. On the other hand, D1 would shift leftward to D3 should there be a decrease in the income of consumers. Similarly, the supply curve shifts leftward or rightward depending on the change in factors such as technology or productivity and price of raw materials. For example, as illustrated in Graph 3 below, a decrease in the price of flour, which is the main ingredient of bread, would cause the bread supply S1 to shift rightward to S2. On the contrary, an increase in the price of flour would result in a leftward shift of S1 to S3. The absolute value of the answer to the above equation would indicate how a percentage change in the price would affect the quantity demanded. Demand is considered elastic if the computed elasticity is greater than 1. This means that a 1% change in the price of good A would be accompanied by a more than proportionate change in quantity demanded.

Earthquake Resistant Vernacular Architecture | Analysis

Earthquake Resistant Vernacular Architecture | Analysis The role of Earthquake Resistant Vernacular Architecture in Kashmir Introduction Vernacular architecture is the response from a community or a group of persons needs in regards to the built environment using locally available resources. It is tailored to the climatic, geographic, sociological and aesthetic needs of specific localities and emulates local traditions. As it usually a community based activity without qualified architects, the approach tends to be more unpedigreed and constantly evolving. Rural buildings in Kashmir are designed by the people living there and thus reflect the local cultural heritage as well as the strength of the community itself. In general, buildings in Kashmir have relied entirely on mud, bricks, stone and wood for a long time. In recent times, non-local materials have become more available for the communities living in Kashmir, especially more prosperous regions1. Background Information Indian-administered Kashmir includes Jammu and Kashmir sharing a border with China, in the north and east. Pakistan-administered Kashmir terrorities are Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltisan which are part of the greater Kashmir region. The Kashmir region is on the northern borders of India and Pakistan and the southwestern border of China. Gilgit-Baltisan is the northern most region of Pakistan-administered Pakistan, bordering Azad Kashmir in the south. The irregular topography accounts for the variation in temperature and is largely regulated by the Himalayas, surrounding mountainous and water occupying regions. Despite this, Kashmir has still got four distinct seasons with the highest temperatures reaching over 30 °C and the winter temperatures as low as -4 °C during the nights with snowfall. The climate is known to milder than other surrounding regions to the relatively low altitude2. The soil found in Kashmir is described as clayey, loamy rich and light with alluvial origin. Allu vial soils are known to be more vulnerable to ground failure when seismic vibrations take place. Softer soils are found in Srinagar and across the Valley of Kashmir and they can contribute to making an earthquake last longer3. The economy of the area heavily relies on agriculture with 60% of the area relying on irrigation for major crops such as rice, maize and wheat. There are dense forests that can be divided into two zones (Sub-Himalayan and Himalayan) providing an invaluable source for timber in construction4. Earthquake Risk The Himalayas itself have been created by the collision of two tectonic plates, making it one of the worlds most earthquake prone zones. The Kashmir region is a seismically active experiencing several earthquakes in the Valley of Kashmir throughout history. The boundary of the Indian tectonic plate is colliding with the stationary Eurasian plate creating areas of high stress. Studies show that the Indian tectonic plate moves at 1.8cm a year beneath the Himalayan tectonic plate. Between 1904-2015, there have been 102 earthquakes recorded at this region and there are records dating back to the 15th Century detailing severe earthquakes4. The built environment around Kashmir has changed to help minimise the impact of these earthquakes Initiatives such as the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) collaboration with India in 2006 after the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake have advocated for the preservation of vernacular buildings but also to discuss alternatives in earthquake-resistant buildings with world-renowned international experts5. Evolution of Vernacular Buildings Most of the buildings in the Kashmiri area are constructed because of the communitys adaptation to living in a disaster-prone area. Many towns and villages in Kashmir are found on soft soils or on former prehistoric lakes, therefore it is essential to have characteristic yet simple residential houses. For example, in places with soft water-laden soils, the evolution of timber-laced construction is a necessity for structural survival in the long term. These buildings tend to lean and tilt slightly with little rigidity. For a long time, the heating and cooking systems of these houses has remained intact. Wood-burning stoves were and still are made from easily sourced mud and a copper vessel embedded into the masonry wall to heat up the water. Due to very little additional expenditure, stoves made from galvanized iron sheets have become more popular. Timber-laced masonry construction systems in Kashmir date back to the 12th century, however it was only in the beginning of the 19th centu ry that these systems split into two main traditional construction styles: taq and Dhajji dewari. There has been other earthquake resistant vernacular constructions found in Kashmir after the 2005 earthquake, such as balconies resting on wooden joists, well-designed trusses and ceilings with joists that rested on the wooden built bands spread across walls. There are variations of these styles that are found in heavily mountainous areas where soft soils are not a problem.6 Therefore, the major factors that controlled vernacular architecture are access to good soil for brick-making, to water and to timber, as well as earthquake resistance. Taq (bhatar) buildings Taq buildings are a traditional form of Kashmiri construction and are known for their resistance against earthquakes. The taq system involves load-bearing masonry walls with horizontal timbers embedded in them. The unreinforced masonry is low-strength which is known as masonry laid in lime-sand or mud mortar. The masonry piers are tied together in a ladder-like format by the timber beams in each floor and window level. The symmetrical positioning of windows in a characteristic feature of taqs and is where the name originates from. These timbers resist earthquake collapse by allowing movement of the masonry and the confinement of the brick mud or rubble stone of the wall. The timbers allow an increase in ductility when absorbing the energy released from an earthquake. The full weight of the masonry can be placed on the timber allowing the structure to be held in place. These buildings have enough flexibility to sway in an event of an earthquake. However, the materials in taq are not i ndividually ductile and dont typically exhibit plastic behaviour under stress. Although, since it works as a system, the behaviour that shows this form of flexibility is because of the energy dissipation from the friction between the timbers and the masonry. This friction only occurs when the masonry has been consisted of mortar made from low-strength mud or lime. The Kashmiri house size measurements is defined by the number of window bays, for example, a 5 taq house is five window bays wide. All materials that allow flexibility are easily sourced in Kashmir yet these naturally occurring materials tend not to be strong enough to provide rigidity to the buildings. These ancient taq buildings originally possessed structural and traditional Kashmiri patterns and designs, and held a cultural significance amongst communities7. There has been an area of debate amongst engineers in introducing modern elements to taq buildings, however these have proved to be incompatible. For example, usin g steel reinforcement inside the walls however the rusting of steel when iron converts to iron oxide results in an expansion and thus, the force of this has a negative impact on corresponding materials by breaking them, e.g. the masonry. In addition to this, using steel rods and other incompatible methods such as welding, requires more skill as it is more advance2. Dhajji dewari The Dhajji dewari buildings is a mixture of timber and masonry construction that is also found in non-earthquake zones. Dhajji dewari is a Persian term meaning a patchwork quilt wall. The walls are lighter and thinner and are made of timber framing with infills of brick or sometimes stone masonry. The wall is usually one-half brick thick and then mostly made of timber and masonry. The infil is commonly brick that is made from fired or unfired clay, or rubble stone in more mountainous regions. The vertical and horizontal cage that is formed by the timber frame allows diagonal movement against sheer stress. Timber studs are used to subdivide the infill which help resist the progressive destruction of the wall and of diagonal shear cracks. The buildings are usually found in flat terrain and are detached. They are found in more rural areas since urban areas of Kashmir (e.g. Mirpur, Azad Kashmir) use modern materials such as cement and steel in present time. These materials are affordable to areas where there are less agricultural based jobs, and more industrial based employment. Dhajji buildings in urban areas can also be up to four stories high and more extravagant. In general, Dhajji buildings are mostly found in the western Himalayas in both the Pakistan and Indian-administered sectors of Kashmir. This construction type has been used for over 200 years due to the speed, cost and availability of the resources required to produce these structures. The skill required is not exhaustive for the labour involved and in fact, easier to repair than to make a new house. Dhajji buildings tend to perform better after earthquakes than the original taq buildings, however it cannot be a choice for everyone in the region due to economic means. Despite the locally sourced timber, the judicious use of it in taq and Dhajji buildings means that over the years it has become more in demand, especially post-earthquake times. Towards the 21st century, several people would construct in reinforced concrete however the disadvantages included the poor thermal performance of hollow concrete block construction, this was especially seen in the cold winter seasons. Rich merchants and politicians tend to have very large houses constructed in the Dhajji format and it works as a multi-family housing unit, especially in a region known to have extended families living together. A lot of Dhajji houses are also used for shelter for livestock. Agriculture and farming are an integral part of Kashmiri society, therefore sheltering animals during an earthquake is essential. It is also difficult for communities to move elsewhere in the region since land ownership is the main form of inheritance and records go back to 500 years8. This is another reason why buildings are built upwards on one land plot as well the high density of development in these areas. There is a sense of craftsmanship in making these buildings as simple and reproducible for the community as possible. Cator and Cribbage There are several historic mosques in Srinagar that have employed a cator and cribbage style which is another variation of timber-laced masonry. These structures have also proven to be stable in earthquake-prone regions. The timber-laced masonry is much heavier with a greater use of timber and have been around for approximately 1,000 years. The corners of the building are made of a cribbage of timber with masonry, which connects to the timber belts (cators) running across the walls. These concepts of design come from the Islamic cultural influence from the Middle East, notably in Turkey where it dates back 9,000 years. The walls would usually have religious carvings and symbolism8. Fig.5: Cater and Cribbage technique A comparison of Modern Vernacular Architecture with Traditional Vernacular Architecture After the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake with a high magnitude of 7.6 killed approximately 80,000 people and over 3 million Kashmiris left homeless. Despite the government introducing more steel and reinforced construction over the last 20 years, it made little difference to the impact that the earthquake had, infact Dhajji and bhatar construction turned out to be more stable. This result from reinforced concrete has been witnessed in other earthquakes e.g. Ahmedabad in 2001 and Iran in 20038. Survival rates of those trapped under these constructions was higher than those trapped under concrete based buildings. There has been a modernization of cities such as Srinagar involving the replacement of masonry and timber based constructions with reinforced concrete, affecting the aesthetic appeal of the traditional buildings. Local traditional design usually involves large windows for the summer seasons, however with concrete houses, central heating during the harsh winters is poor and a large ma jority of Kashmiris fall into the lower economical class where they cant afford the fuel to heat up their homes. Due to their flexibility over the years, Taq and Dhajji buildings have showcased that they can survive low to medium Richter Scale earthquakes. Using natural occurring resources such as mud mortar and locally available supplies such as bricks and wood have allowed Kashmiri traditional houses to have a lower level of thermal conductivity than concrete, and thus greater insulation. This is a crucial need for those living in Kashmir because although the summers are short, they can be very warm therefore a house without windows is futile. The materials used for these structures is also useful in the sense that they were recyclable, and it was easier to re-build or reuse the materials for another purpose after an earthquake. This is much more difficult for a concrete building. There are more problems left for the residents after a concrete house has collapsed, such as the removal of debris and rescuing survivors. However there has been strain on the timber supplies due to the deforestatio n rate increasing as the number of earthquakes and population increase. This has led to a larger number of cement plants in Kashmir. Although, high-strength cement-based mortar is now a generic material recommended by most engineers for building on earthquake areas, but Kashmir which experiences considerably larger earthquakes, the mortar ceases to make a beneficial difference once the walls of the building begin cracking. With timber-based masonry, the low strength mortar is used to hold the bricks apart, rather than together allowing the dissipation of the earthquakes energy to other units of the structure. Therefore, internal damping is an area that differs between both kinds of buildings. In addition to these construction problems, many people in the region are more likely to have poor construction practice (due to the more complicated procedures and skills) such as poor mixing or inadequate hydration of concrete which increases the likelihood of a collapse. Tourism has also become an economically beneficial industry in the Kashmir regions providing new employment for its communities, therefore the need to keep its natural attractions is crucial. Prices of timber have increased over the years too and the cost to maintain wood structures has deterred many residents. Overall, the need for modernization and emulating westernization standards of housing has shifted what the communities want, rather than need. Taq and Dhajji dewari have become a symbol of the old times and the prevalence of architecture as a profession has helped create this shift. International architects and engineers have introduced new ideas and concepts to an area that has little similarity to other places in the world, due to its unique geography and climate. The consequences of the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake have caused a detachment from traditional architecture, despite the uniqueness and the performance of it under previous natural disasters. Using Vernacular approaches in Modern Times: Yasmeen Lari One architect that has adopted a vernacular approach in the Kashmir regions is Yasmeen Lari. Lari is Pakistans first female architect. She has been known to be an advocate for the preservation of historical and cultural Pakistani sites. Like others in Kashmir, she has a keen interest in maintaining cultural heritage yet also having a modern perspective. She has built 45,000 structures since 2010 withstanding earthquakes and even flash floods. Lari has also created the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan employing architecture students to teach and train the local community to build more sustainable homes. The foundation aims to increase the involvement of women in rebuilding their homes after natural disasters. Previously, male family members would be part of the community activity of rebuilding and restoration due to cultural reasons. Her technique involves using mud, bamboo, lime and mix lime with mud to create a strong foundation for buildings. The pillars of the houses consist of bam boo roofs, the walls are made from a mixture of mud, lime and other locally sourced material. The rood is known as the Karavan roof, whereby the bamboo can last for 25 years when covered with straw matting, and to make it waterproof a layer of tarpaulin and pozzolana is added. The sizes of the houses range from a single room to a larger room suitable for 5 people, kitchen, bathroom and verandah. After 3 years, it was found that these houses were still standing and in good condition. The reluctance to use cement, steel and burnt bricks for her was since these high-cost materials dont work as efficiently under a disaster situation. It also provides help to communities that arent as economically stable as others in Kashmir (e.g. Mirpur in Pakistan has a large British Pakistani population allowing greater expenditure on buildings) and are not in favour of modernisation. The idea behind Laris concept is the same that has been used in Kashmir for years before modernisation occurred, it ba sically ensures that buildings are simple enough to be rebuilt by inhabitants when in need. The importance of local involvement has been witnessed in the building of Taq and Dhajji Dewari buildings. Laris main objective is to enhance the focus on heritage methodology and learn from the past and advocate zero-cost and zero-carbon solutions9. Conclusion In current times, the Dhajji dewari system is still being used in and adapted in places such as Srinagar, although the principles are the same, new additions such as mud mixed with straw for brick infill are being explored. However, the shift to reinforced concrete buildings is noticeable and has left some taq and Dhajji buildings out of fashion. The combination of vernacular techniques and methods with modern materials and technology are slowly being advocated by groups such as UNESCO. Taq and Dhajji dewari systems have become a symbol of continuity and tradition. The idea of improving the quality of life by modernization has overshadowed the need for traditional timber-based masonry buildings in an extremely earthquake zone. The evolution of earthquake resistance buildings in Kashmir has been rushed to the most generic and common answer (reinforced cement construction), but the disadvantages of this have been witnessed by communities, especially poorer communities. Older designs te nd to complement the climate and the resources available to a higher degree but reverting completely back to them is not ideal. There is general rediscovery of the advantages of old fashioned methods by the government too and a conscious shift to a pre-modern Kashmir but with also new building science. References Vernacular Architecture By Henry Glassie pg 12 Living in Harmony with the Four Elements 12-14 December 2010 Earthquake Resistant Traditional Construction is Not an Oxymoron* The Resilience of Timber and Masonry Structures in the Himalayan Region and Beyond, and its Relevance to Heritage Preservation in Bhutan By Randolph Langenbach Auerbachs Wilderness Medicine By Paul S. Auerbach, Tracy A Cushing, N. Stuart Harris pg 1926 History of Natural Disasters in Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir with Special Reference to Earthquakes Sidrat Ul Muntaha Anees M. Sultan Bhat Dont Tear it Down!Text and Photographs by Randolph Langenbach Preserving the Earthquake Resistant Vernacular Architecture of KashmirBOOK EXCERPT:Showing Forword, (2) pages 59-61: Section 3.6.2 corner vertical rebar in taq [timber-laced masonry bearing wall] constructionand definition of taq and dhajji dewari construction. FROM:Orig inal publication Info:Produced by UNESCO Cultures and Disasters: Understanding Cultural Framings in Disaster Risk edited by Fred Krà ¼ger, Greg Bankoff, Terry Cannon, Benedikt Orlowski, E. Lisa F. Schipper pg 65 Traditional Earthquake Resistant System Kashmir Mohd Akeeb Dar Sajad Ahmad Hazards and the Built Environment: Attaining Built-in Resilience International Journal of Civil and Structural Engineering Research ISSN 2348-7607 (Online) Vol. 2, Issue 2, pp: (86-92), Month: October 2014 March 2015, Available at: www.researchpublish.com Building of a disaster By Shahnawaz Khan Srinagar, July 3, 2014:  http://www.tabletwoproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Yasmeen-Lari.pdf

Explore Austen’s Presentation Of Marriage in Pride & Prejudice Essays

Explore Austen’s Presentation Of Marriage in Pride & Prejudice Marriage forms the basis of the events featured in Pride and Prejudice and is presented in various ways in order to convey to readers the importance of it in society and the expectations which come with it. Throughout the book, Austen clarifies what makes a good marriage and how society views marriage as a unity of equal classes and a way to establish connections. The first aspect of marriage which is revealed is the way a person’s position in society affects the choice of partner. Austen states in the opening line of the book: â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife† This line both sets out the beliefs that were held by society at the time, but also the tone of the book and the attitudes of the characters featured. From this line, we can learn that society considered marriage to be not only a unity of two people but also a unity of assets and connections in society. The expectations held by people are also revealed in the way that it is expected of men with a sound financial status to succeed in marrying a woman of equal if not higher status in order to maintain the connections previously established. This line stresses the belief that wealth was of great importance in society and that it was a factor that was taken into consideration even before love and was believed to form the basis of a successful marriage. Another aspect portrayed by this line is the extent to which Austen included irony in her writing. The word universal for example indicated that this is a worldwide belief, however, it is the belief of the several characters portrayed throughout th... ...formed due to the upbringing of people in different classes and the fact that women at the time had very few rights and little independence and therefore relied on men much more than in today’s society. Due to the extreme differences between the classes, many views were held in order to keep money in one family; such as the view of arranged marriages between relations. Society had very strict views on what was and was not acceptable behaviour and people such as Lydia who broke these unwritten codes of conduct suffered exclusion from society. Although the storyline speaks about love and marriage, it also reveals to readers other aspects of society which are not as positive, such as a marriage of convenience, and therefore helps readers to understand why many characters acted in the way they did and how society affected behaviour and influenced decisions.