Green Buildings and Sustainability

Introduction With the increasing concern of human activities on global warming, there has been an incredible attention on looking for mechanisms of reducing its impacts on the environment. One of the proposed mechanisms of addressing this challenge is building houses that are environmental friendly called green buildings.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Green Buildings and Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Technically, green buildings refer to â€Å"structures designed using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout the building’s life-cycle: from sitting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition† (Kats et al. 12). To achieve this state, it is desirable that there exists close cooperation between architects, various engineers, design teams, and clients in all stages of execution of commercial real estates’ building projects. This paper scrutinizes the characteristics that need to be possessed by a building for it to qualify as green coupled with questioning the capacity of the green movements across the globe to prescribe the construction of purely green commercial real estates. Environmental Impacts One of the central concerns of putting up green buildings is to help mitigate the environmental impacts associated with conventional buildings. However, in the process of building any house, there is always some extent of the natural environment disorientations and interference. This implies that the greenest building is the one that has not been built at all. Additionally, a building occupies a space that was originally occupied by other natural systems. Therefore, even if the process of the building does not degrade the environment by interfering with the ground structure, space is consumed. This has the impact of making most buildings fail to comply with the requirement that they make use of a small space. Furthermore, green buildings need not to contribute to sprawling, which is the tendency of structures to spread in a manner that does not follow any fashion (Kats et al. 12).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These three rules for any green building are significant since the overall goal of going green in the development of commercial real estate pegged on the idea that people must put in place strategies for ensuring that energy absorption or release to the environment is kept minimal. In fact, International Energy Agency estimates that above 40 percent of the total global energy consumption is due to the buildings (Pushkar, Becker, and Katz 98). Buildings are also responsible for the 24 percent of the global carbon dioxide emissions (Pushkar, Becker, and Katz 98). Therefore, it is possible to manage the impacts of global warming due to environmental d egradation by controlling further development of ways of building real estates and shifting towards focusing on going the green way in building and construction. The only worry is whether this technology is sustainable and readily embraceable by all nations across the globe. Efficiency of Materials Building a green commercial estate calls for no extraction of materials from the environment particularly the ones, which are not renewable. Some of the materials that blend well with the concern are renewable materials obtained from plants such as straws, bamboo, recyclable stones and metals, sheep wool, paper flakes made panels, clay, non-toxic material, cork, and compressed blocks made from soil amongst others. To comply with the concerns of green building technology, it is prescribed that all materials that require processing such as earth blocks be processed right on the site where they are to be used to ensure that no energy is utilized in the transportation of the finished products . The mechanism of processing is also to be selected such that no fossil fuels, any other forms of non-renewable source of energy, or any sources of energy that would go into destroying or destabilizing the environment or the natural flora and fauna are utilized. However, utilizing high efficiency materials seem to be a subtle mechanism of ensuring that materials for the building will never end. Therefore, it is crucial to note that some impacts are produced on the environment while using these materials. For instance, when soil is dug for making earth blocks purposed for building green commercial real estates, the environment is affected in one way or another since earth crust is disturbed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Green Buildings and Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This outcome is not desired for a purely green building. Arguably, this qualifies as one of the reasons why it is incredibly difficult to sustain construction of 100% green buildings. In some situations, it is necessary that off-site manufacturing be done. This strategy is indispensable when it is desired to â€Å"maximize benefits of off-site manufacture including minimizing waste, maximizing recycling, high quality elements, better OHS management, and less noise and dust† (Kats et al. 57). This requirement makes green technology for building real estate problematic in that structures cannot be wholly manufactured off-site. Some form of joining is necessary. Some of the joinery processes used often lead to releasing some foreign matters to the environment to which green movement is largely opposed. Apparently, it is impractical to construct a whole earth block building off-site and then take it to the desired final site. This argument does not imply that measures should not be deployed to ensure observance of efficiency of materials. Rather, the point is that green techniques should focus on real istic things that are achievable within the spheres of existing building technology. For instance, it is acceptable here that scholars have proved that buildings play central roles in hiking the rates of global warming. Consequently, one of the mechanisms of reducing these impacts would be deployment of realistic green global warming reduction strategies such as utilization of greener forms of energy such as solar and wind energy in lighting and heating. This argument leads to the next characteristic of green buildings: energy efficiency. Energy Efficiency Green real estate deserves to be energy sufficient, energy efficient, and self-sustaining. This means that green commercial real estates require a high capacity to reduce energy consumption rates in terms of operating the energy required to power equipment and heat. In this end, the green movement prescribes the usage of materials, which have a low embodied energy in the construction of green buildings. Such materials include wood . Therefore, since steel has a high embodied energy, it is not a preferred green building material. Unfortunately, green buildings require that the materials used be highly recyclable. Steel perhaps fits well in this category of materials.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, although wood may be replenished, the rate at which forests are disappearing is alarming to the extent that many countries have resorted to restrictions of felling of some species of trees, which are under threat of extinction. Therefore, based on the needs to use materials with low embodied energy, green technology’s applicability in the development of commercially viable real estate encounters some drawbacks. However, amid the position taken above, other concerns of green building are realizable. For instance, it is practical to build a house that has a low operating energy. For instance, houses without air leakages can be designed and constructed successfully. This result is accomplished through constructing double-walled houses with the space between the two walls being airtight. The design incredibly aids in reducing total energy loss from the interior of the house so that minimal heating is required especially during cold weather. In addition, high pe rformance windows coupled with ceilings, floors, and walls that have extra insulation are commercially viable to make. Other practical strategies include proper designing of houses to take full advantage of natural lighting so that the necessity of electrical lighting is minimized. Solar heating may also act as an additional means of electricity cost reduction. Arguably, even though on-site power generation encompasses one of the most expensive features to install in a building, biomass, solar, wind, and hydropower remain as some of the most practical and viable ways of mitigating the environmental effects of commercial real estates. Water Efficiency One of the biggest challenges of the commercial real estates is the emission of dirty water into the environment. As argued before, since the main concern of green building is to minimize environmental impacts of buildings, the question of water quality and efficiency of its usage in commercial estates comes out conspicuous under the gr een building technology in relation to the development of commercial real estates. In this extent, Pushkar, Becker, and Katz reckon, â€Å"reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives in sustainable buildings† (104). Nevertheless, it is also vital to note that green buildings emphasize that resources should not be utilized at a rate that supersedes their rate of replenishment. Unfortunately, the practical scenario in many commercial estates is that aquifer’s waters are used at a higher rate than it is actually possible to replenish. Therefore, reliability on aquifer water to feed commercial estates does not encompass a measure of going the green way of building. For this reason, it is desirable that green commercial estates, if at all they are practical and possible to realize, have their water supplies from on-site harvested, recycled, and purified water. One crucial drawback of these approaches is that some of the methods of water purifi cation such as desalination utilize a large amount of energy, which in many nations is currently obtained through nuclear power generation. In this sense, in terms of providing reliable sources of water, it sounds imperative to infer that it is somewhat impossible to develop a purely green commercial estate since production of energy to desalinate water would lead to disposal of remnants of the nuclear reactions (nuclear waste) into the environment. This is highly not supported by the ideals of green buildings. The question that is left unaddressed by the green movements is that- is it possible to generate large amounts of energy to purify water for supplying to commercial estates through renewable means of power generation? Pay Offs and Costs Many opponents of green buildings cite cost of building as one of the main disadvantages of developing green commercial estates. For instance, according to Pushkar, Becker, and Katz, â€Å"Photo-voltaic, new appliances, and modern technologie s tend to cost more money† (110). However, in the long turn, green buildings can help to save lots of money. For instance, Pushkar, Becker, and Katz approximate that $130 billion can be saved by different sectors in the US on bills of energy. They further argue, â€Å"Studies have shown that some green buildings have yielded $53 to $71 per square foot back on investment over a 20 year life period† (Pushkar, Becker, and Katz 112). To the commercial real estate’s developers, this implies larger returns on investments in the long-term basis. Additionally, green buildings attract higher occupancy rates, higher selling prices, and reduced rates of capitalizations. This suggests that investments in commercial estates that are green introduce lower risks of investments. Arguably, amid the challenges of realizing a purely green building, this benefit provides substantive grounds for sustainability and attractiveness of green buildings particularly in the commercial real estate’s sector. Conclusion In the attempt to resolve a myriad of challenges emanating from waste disposal and excessive release or absorption of energy from the environment, this paper has argued that many organizations across the globe are advocating for a change of the manner in which people do things such as building. The focus is towards building green buildings. Such buildings are designed to consume less energy in lighting and heating, less water, as well as emitting less green house gasses besides providing their occupants with an environment that is healthy. They support harvesting of rainwater. They are built using recyclable materials. Amid these benefits of green buildings in comparison with conventional buildings, the paper maintains that building purely green commercial estates is problematic. However, bearing in mind the long-term cost benefits and investment risks accruing from building â€Å"green† commercial real estates, such estates prove sustainabl e in the long-term. Works Cited Kats, Greg, Leon Alevantis, and Mills Adam. The Cost and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings. New Jersey, NJ: Princeton, 2003. Print. Pushkar, Susan, Richard Becker, and Arthur Katz. â€Å"Methodology for Design of Environmentally Optimal Buildings by Variable Grouping.† Building and Environment 40.3(2005): 97-112. Print. 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Eal School Systems and Policies for Meeting the Needs of Children with Eal and or Black and Minority Pupils Essays

Eal School Systems and Policies for Meeting the Needs of Children with Eal and or Black and Minority Pupils Essays Eal School Systems and Policies for Meeting the Needs of Children with Eal and or Black and Minority Pupils Essay Eal School Systems and Policies for Meeting the Needs of Children with Eal and or Black and Minority Pupils Essay Essay Topic: Middle School EAL TASK 1 (Q13) School systems and policies for meeting the needs of children with EAL and/or Black and Minority Ethnic pupils What are the needs in this school regarding EAL and ethnic minority achievement? Middle Row Primary School has a population of 39% pupils who are bilingual. A total number of 21 different languages are spoken throughout the school. According to the Race Equality Policy, 57% of the pupils have English as an additional language. The school has a majority of the ethnic minority as stated below: 17% Mixed White/Caribbean Moroccan – 15% Black Caribbean – 12% Somali – 11% White British – 11% What written policies are there about the school’s approach? The school has a general EMA policy which highlights the school aims in regards to the needs of EAL children. According to the policy the school employs a full time teacher funded by the Language Development Service other than 2 teachers which are funded by the school. In reali ty there is one full time EAL teacher. There is also a section in this policy on new arrivals to the school where it states that the school ‘ runs an induction programme for pupils at the very early stages of learning English. Furthermore, in terms of learning and teaching, the EMA policy acknowledges the large number of pupils which qualify for EAL support, therefore it prioritises its support offered. The EAL teacher liaises with the class teacher in terms of the child’s assessment and development. The school also has a Race Equality Policy to ensure the school/staff fulfils its obligation under the Race Relation Act 1976 [amended 2000]. What are your school’s procedures for raising the standards of BME children and/or children with EAL – are there any particular support programme, strategies or resources used? Middle Row uses the RBKC’s assessment forms for children with EAL needs. This is practiced twice a year by the school staff. Other than this, the EMA teacher and the class teacher also assess children each term. Target levels are than set for the child to achieve by the end of next term. The assessment includes speaking and listening, reading and writing skills test for literacy. What support is available for children at the whole school and classroom level for both groups? The EMA teacher not only works alongside with the Class teacher during sessions or can arrange one to one sessions depending on the class timetable. Due to shortage of staff it becomes impossible to extend support to each and every EAL child present in the school. Support is still provided to the best of ability. How are parents involved and what systems exist for developing home-school relationship? In autumn term (Nov ’09) MRPS in coordination with the RBKC arranged a session for the parents of EAL children. Many parents attended the session, which was mainly focused on the importance of home languages. The school is working towards involving the parents and having more sessions on developing home-school relationships. In the past there have been sessions on parent child reading in the classroom which was quite a success. Find out how it uses local and national data to inform its practice. Are there any particular groups that are targeted for support? The school prioritizes in providing support to beginner levels of EAL children. So far, the school haven’t categorised any particular target group as the main focus stays with children who are new in the country or the ones with little or no English language at all. In what ways have the children’s knowledge and experiences been taken into ccount in curriculum content? The Friday assemblies are a main feature which highlights different cultures and traditions. The children can relate to these assemblies as the parents of children performing are invited to watch the assembly. Awareness is spread about issues like racism and bullying. When planning sessions, teachers do tend to keep interest of the child’s knowledge and experiences and try and make a relation from the curriculum point of view. What place do first languages and culture have in the school and classroom? Does it promote pluralingualism? First languages are not spoken as commonly probably because English is the main language spoken. Spanish is a popular language in the school because of the presence of specialist Spanish staff. Lessons are delivered every week in Spanish and children tend to enjoy these sessions. The school does promote pluralingualism as the school staffs cherish children who speak other languages. Display posters, dual language books are available in the school but not put into much use as one would imagine.