Green Building and Sustainable construction Essay

Green Building and Sustainable construction - Essay Example Some of the methods used to address the environmental sustainability of a structure involve recycle and reuse of materials, ensuring the building uses renewable energy source or employs energy and water saving methods. Besides the accessibility of the building, can make be used to gauge whether the building is environmental friendly? Buildings, which are far away from transport network, can be considered less environmental friendly. Sustainable construction involves use of environmental friendly materials for construction. Use of wood from trees, which have been certified by the United States Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is one way of promoting sustainable construction. FSC ensures the trees which are used for construction purpose are replaced and the existing biodiversity is not affected by cutting down of a particular tree. Sustainable construction also involves the use of renewable materials which can be recycled or reused. While promoting sustainable construction additional materials, which may not be renewable in nature, are used. The purpose of using such materials is to improve the overall performance of the building. A good example is use of plastic to insulate buildings; here plastic is used because of its availability and energy saving nature. Use of locally available materials is an economical way of saving on cost and reducing pollution of the environment. Transporting materials from another place would require use of means e.g. trains; heavy trucks which would definitely pollute the environment. When a building use available energy effectively, it is economically and environmentally sustainable. Measures to ensure such state is achieved included use of insulate which prevents loss of heat, use of glass windows on most part of the building to promote natural light penetration thus save on lighting and heating. Ensuring the lighting and appliances within the building are

Genentech's move to restrict the use of its drug Avastin, its Cancer Essay

Genentech's move to restrict the use of its drug Avastin, its Cancer Drug, by ophthalmologists on Eye - Essay Example in disallowing physicians and pharmacists from obtaining Avastin from wholesale distributors1, there are still questions pertaining to the motives which need clarification. Why do they have to restrict the distribution of Avastin for off-label use? Why did they have to refuse the proposal of the American Ophthalmologist Community to conduct a comparative study between Avastin and Lucentis in AMD? What are their motives in doing this decision? We cannot hastily justify, so we are not yet certain whether they are just protecting their own financial interests, or there might be other reasons behind this decision which necessitates such action. Even though the FDA approved the use of Avastin not for ophthalmic use, there is no issue of legality should physicians use the drug other than its recommended indication2, when the physician believe it to be appropriate, under his own risks of doing a medical malpractice3. Due to the drug’s anti-angiogenesis property, it was being used by physicians in treating various eye disorders precipitated by the leak caused by the blood vessels in the eye causing detachment of the retina4. The studies regarding the use of Avastin in eye disorders thru Pubmed search (limited to clinical trials and RCT and published within 3 years) reveals positive beneficial effects, yet requiring further long-term clinical studies. An attempt to investigate the long-term comparison between the two drugs was still on-going, yet an early result of the prospective randomized controlled trial reveals no difference between Avastin and Lucentis in effectiveness for choroidal neovascularizaton secondary to AMD5. Genentech’s decision to allow or suppress the availability of Avastin to the market may have legal implications that would threaten the company. The FDA approves the indication for the drugs after undergoing extensive research, toxicological assessments and clinical trials6. However, using the drugs beyond its indicated use, called