The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels

The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels The passage I have chosen to analyze critically is a part of the book The Communist Manifesto authored by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels who are both political theorists. This particular passage has been taken from the second chapter of the book which is named Proletarians and Communists. The Communist Manifesto is considered to be one of the bravest books of all time. Karl Marx, after being banished from Paris for his comments on radical politics, he established a group of working class people from Germany and together they formed The Communist League. The testimonials of the communal principles of the group were written down which later took the form of the book, the Communist Manifesto. The book unwraps with the thought that- The history of all hitherto societies has been the history of class struggles. In the book, the authors talk about the drawbacks that have arisen in the society due to the formation of two classes: the bourgeois and the proletariats, and the antagonism between these two classes. In the first chapter of the book Bourgeois and Proletarians, Marx and Engels describe the rise of the bourgeois class, in which he thought the French revolution had played a huge part. He also explains that how tremendously the bourgeois class is harmful to the society and that it will be the cause of its own destruction. In the second chapter of the book Proletarians and Communists, the authors main focus is on the ideologies and features of the Communists and that they aim to work on behalf of the proletariats. He also expresses own thoughts regarding the modern bourgeois property features, wage-labor, capital accumulation and lastly ends his argument by saying, In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonisms, we shall have an association, in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in this chapter mostly talks about the determined willpower of the communists towards the formation of proletariat into a class, overthrow the bourgeois supremacy and the power governance/takeover by the proletariat class in this chapter. They discuss many of the reasons why property and capital are at the power of the bourgeois class. In the passage I have chosen they argue that the wage labour creates only capital which in turn creates the property, but only for the bourgeois not the proletariats and this system needs to be changed in the society. In the first paragraph, the author talks about wage labour- the person who comes to work to earn a minimum salary for living. There is a certain aggression in the tone of the writing throughout the whole chapter which reflects their rage regarding the issue. They say that the average salary of a wage-labour is only the least possible amount of money needed for the worker to only come to work every day. What, therefore, the wage-labourer appropriates by means of his labour, merely suffices to prolong and reproduce a bare existence.- Marx and Engels seem to write this with complete offence and disbelief.ÂÂ   Because the scenario which they are talking about, which in fact still exists now, is that workers put their effort and are exploited constantly by the bourgeois class. The two dollars therefore expresses the relation in which labor-power is exchanged for other commodities, the exchange value of labor-power. The exchange value of a commodity estimated in money is called its price this is an extract from Karl Marxs writing Wage Labour and Capital in which he clearly explains that the wage labourer only receives the money in exchange for his work. This turns to the fact that a proletariat sells its own flesh and meat in exchange of a minuscule amount of money, which is completely undeserved. Moving on to an example from Adam Smiths book The Wealth of Nations. He says that a commodity is only priced at the cost of what it requires for the person to bring the product into the market. He explains the factors that are looked into while pricing a commodity where wage of the labour is only one of the factors; hence it is very distinct that the wage labourer cannot even afford to buy the product he himself has produced in the factory. His salary is just a bare minimum for him to afford some food and clothing so that he can come to work the next day to be exploited again by the bourgeois. The two kinds of societies that are talked about are the bourgeois or todays capitalist society, and the other is the imagined communist society which communists aim to establish. The authors expresses that in the capitalist mode of production, the workers are only seen as the work power or the force that will earn more capital for the bourgeois through their effort. But in the communist society, the whole proletariat class is a way to promote and enrich themselves and their lives too and not only serving the bourgeois. In bourgeois society, therefore, the past dominates the present; in Communist society, the present dominates the past- this statement is not very precise or clear, but from the lines written just before and after this statement it appears as if Marx and Engels think of the accumulated labour as the past and living labour as the present. Hence, the motivation and ambition to produce more labours will give rise to exploitation by the bourgeois on the present working lab our. The labourer only exists because it has to work for increasing the capital which brings me to the point that capital is materialistic, an inanimate object whereas the proletariat is a living person with will, wish and needs. Despite this being a fact, in the capitalist society, the bourgeois dominate the proletariats for which they gain no power or anything and are not free willed. Whereas capital, when controlled being a material object, has complete power to run anything or anyone. It is possible for the owner of capital to run his work without any particular labourer amongst the millions, but it is the labourers who are entirely and in a very complexed way dependent upon selling their labour. Also, the labourers do not have the opportunity to choose between a numbers of capitalists. In this way the labourers are destined to cope up with conditions in which they always give more labour power as an input than they get back in reward as the incentive. In the last paragraph from the suggested passage I have chosen, the authors seems to talk about the fact that the destruction of this cycle of manipulation and corruption, which is desired by the communists is thought to be unreasonable by the bourgeois society. The bourgeois society holds the communists accountable for depriving them of their individuality and freedom. By critically analyzing it appears that Marx and Engels critiques the existing capitalist society by saying that By freedom is meant, under the present bourgeois conditions of production, free trade, free selling, and free buying. In Capitalist mode of production the freedom is the freedom to buy and sell in the market for free, but only for the bourgeois.ÂÂ   Bourgeois desire to earn as much as capital they can earn needed that is crucial to acquire all the social power in the society. Throughout the whole writing it is very evident that Marx and Engels have persistently portrayed that the whole society is about the exchange of the propertied class and the property-less class. But this is only for profitable development of the former class by the help of the latter. The Communist Manifesto, being one of the most influential political theory books has been an inspiration for many also in the contemporary society today. It has very boldly addressed the social relations and structure of power in the society and how it depends on the production process. It has shown that proletariats are only worth to the bourgeois as long as it brings profits. But there are some aspects of the writing which makes us think about the usefulness and consequences of the establishment of a communist society. Marx and Engels point out several times that if the bourgeois possess majority of the property then exploitation will continue but an argument they also make is that the owner of the m eans of production do not work but make others work for them. Therefore, if proletariat forms into a class and earns property for them, they are also bound to become idle. Proletariats will also not work and fall under the bourgeois class and use their cogency to compel others to work for them. This circle of power struggles is bound to continue in different forms probably, which is why Marx and Engels writing is still essential.

Schwann Cells and Nerve Regeneration

Schwann Cells and Nerve Regeneration Yinghui Xu   Ã‚   Abstract The majority of the nervous system cells are glial cells, which have various properties and functions. Schwann cells are the principal glial cells of the peripheral nervous system(PNS). In normal nerves, they function to form insulating myelin sheath around axons and provide support to neurons. In injured nerves, however, they change their properties and switch function to that of supporting nerve regeneration. Understanding their ability in the switching process could lead to better treatment for those suffering from nerve injuries. This essay gives an overview of the structure and development of Schwann cells and the causes of nerve injuries. It also provides an explanation in the role that Schwann cells play in supporting nerve regeneration and how different approach could promote nerve regeneration. Introduction to Schwann cells Schwann cells are the most abundant glial cells in the PNS. They are a diverse group of cells originated from neural crest cells and they play an essential role in the PNS of both vertebrate and invertebrate. They can be subdivided by their morphology and anatomical location into four subsets, namely the myelinating Schwann cells, non-myelinating Schwann cells, satellite cells and perisynaptic Schwann cells (Armati Mathey, 2014).These different types of Schwann cells and their anatomical locations are shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Locations of different types of Schwann cells in the PNS(Armati Mathey, 2007). (a) Satellite Schwann cells in the dorsal root ganglia. (b) Non myelinating Schwann cells in mixed peripheral nerve fibres. (c) Myelinating Schwann cells in mixed nerve fibres. (d)Perisynapic Schwann cells at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Each subset of Schwann cells has different functions. For example, perisynaptic Schwann cells are essential for modulating NMJ function whereas satellite Schwann cells have the ability to regulate the neuronal environment (Armati Mathey, 2007). Non-myelinating Schwann cells associate with several axons via a single layer of myelin. Myelinating Schwann cells are the most studied Schwann cell subset and they are most known for their function in speeding up the propagation of action potentials. Myelinating Schwann cells wrap around axons of neurons to form the insulating myelin sheath. Between the myelin sheaths are periodic gaps called nodes of Ranvier where action potentials occur. Action potentials jump from one node to the next node,in a process called saltatory conduction, which increases conduction velocity and allows signals to be propagated long distances without any degradation. In addition to their function in the propagation of action potentials, Schwann cells have many subtle yet essential functions, one of which is its role in nerve regeneration. This essay will focus on the characteristics of Schwann cells and how they respond to injury that allows the PNS to regenerate after damage. Development of Schwann cells The myelinating and nonmyelinating Schwann cells in the PNS are originated from the neural crest, which is a multipotent structure that also gives rise to other glial cells of the PNS. Schwann cell development occurs in well-defined developmental steps, which are strictly regulated by a number of signals. (Figure 1.2). During the first stage of Schwann cell development, neural crest cells produces Schwann cell precursors. These then generate the immature Schwann cells. At birth, the immature Schwann cells differentiate into either the myelinating or nonmyelinating Schwann cells. Figure 1.2 Main stages of Schwann cell development (Jessen, et al., 2015). Peripheral nerve injury Peripheral nerve injury is injury to peripheral nervous tissue. It can occur at any point along a peripheral nerve. Nerves can be damaged by a number of mechanisms such as compression, traction, or a cut. They can also get damaged by toxins, infection and physical agents such as freezing and electrical current (Murray, 2014). 2.1 Structure of peripheral nerves In order to understand the pathophysiology of peripheral nerve injury, it is important to know the anatomical structure of a peripheral nerve (Figure 2). Axon is made up of neurofilaments and microtubules that transport substances between the nerve cell body and the axon terminal. All peripheral nerve axons are associated with Schwann cells. In larger (myelinated) nerves, Schwann cells generate layers of myelin around the axon to form a sheath, whereas in smaller (unmyelinated) nerves a single Schwann cell associates with several axons via a single layer of myelin. The connective tissue (the endoneurium) that surrounds the axon-Schwann cell unit provides structural support to individual axons. Nerve fibres are further protected by a surrounding multipayered cellular tube (the perineurium) that surround nerve fascicles (Jessen, et al., 2015; Murray, 2014). Finally, the entire nerve trunks are protected by the outermost connective tissue (the epineurium) (Murray, 2014). Figure 2 Anatomical structure and main cellular components of a peripheral nerve (Jessen, et al., 2015). 2.2 Pathogenesis of peripheral nerve injury Regardless of cause, there is a limited range of responses to peripheral nerve injury. Wallerian degeneration. Wallerian degeneration occurs when there is a loss of axonal continuity by cut or crush. Communication is lost between the cell body and the segment of nerve distal to the site of injury. As a consequence, the distal nerve segment degenerate. The details of the initiation of this degeneration remain to be fully explained, but evidence shows that an increase in intraaxonal calcium activates proteases, which leads to the degradation of the axon cytoskeleton. Wallerian degeneration is also associated with the degeneration of the myelin sheath by lipases and proteases. Schwan cells (and later macrophages) are involved in further myelin degeneration. Schwann cells also proliferate and undergo morphological changes and are induced to generate molecules that will be required for nerve regeneration later on. Figure 2.2 Wallerian degeneration2.3 Types of peripheral nerve injury There are two main types of peripheral nerve injury (Burnett Zager, 2004). The first type is axonotmesis, in which axons are damaged but the connective tissue sheaths are preserved. This type of injury can be caused by compression, traction and laceration but it is mainly seen in crush injury (Murray, 2014). Axonal regeneration is very effective and function is restored in 3-4 week when modelled in rodents by nerve crush (Jessen, et al., 2015). The second and the more severe type of nerve injury, neurotmesis, involves damage to both the axon and connective tissue sheath. Severe traction, crush and laceration can lead to neurotmesis (Murray, 2014). In this case, functional recovery is generally poor. The Schwann cell injury response When nerve injury occurs, Schwann cells respond rapidly and undergoes a radical phenotypic change. The process has two major parts, one of which is the reversal of myelin differentiation. Molecules involved in forming Schwann cells before myelination are up-regulated while myelin associated genes are down-regulated (Jessen, et al., 2015). The other part of the response involves the appearance of phenotypes that are not associated with normal Schwann cells or immature Schwann cells. These cells have a repair supportive phenotype and contribute to the nerve regeneration process. Schwann cells function in multiple modes during nerve regeneration. There are four main functions that Schwann cells carry out in response to nerve injury (Niu, 2009). These functions include(1) activating macrophages and clearing debris; (2) forming the Bungner band; (3) secreting neurotropic factors; (4) secreting ECM and CAM. 3.1 Schwann cells secrete cytokines to attract macrophages When an axon is cut, the end still attached to the cell body is called the proximal segment, while the other end is called the distal segment. The process of nerve regeneration involves the formation of axonal sprouts at the proximal stump and the growth of axonal sprouts until they enter the distal stump. Efficient nerve regeneration needs a suitable microenvironment which is regulated by macrophages via their phagocytotic and clearing functions (Barrette, et al., 2008). Experiment by Huang et al. showed that Schwann cells can secrete macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) when peripheral nerve injury occurs (Huang, et al., 2002). MIF is a pluripotent cytokine that functions in inflammatory reactions and immune responses. It also plays an important role in macrophage activation, attracting macrophages to clear away debris at the injury site and regulate the microenvironment to allow for efficient regeneration. Nishio et al. administered anti-MIF polyclonal antibody into regenerating rat sciatic nerves using the silicone chamber model. The results showed that the regeneration length of the nerve in the anti-MIF antibody-treated group was significantly shorter than that in the control group at weeks 2,4,6 after surgery (Nishio, et al., 2002). In addition, a large number of apoptotic Schwann cells were observed the anti-MIF antibody-treated nerves. These results suggest that MIF also contributes to the acceleration of peripheral nerve regeneration and the prevention of Schwann cell apoptosis (Nishio, et al., 2002). Besides MIF, other cytokines such as MCP-1 were also secreted by Schwann cells When peripheral nerve injury occurs, Schwann cells secrete MIF and other cytokines which activates macrophages. Invading macrophages also secrete cytokines which contribute to Schwann cell proliferation (Kubota Suzuki, 2000). Injury-induced Schwann cell proliferation plays an important role in axon regeneration as described in the following section. Schwann cells are also capable of phagocytosing myelin and they cooperate with macrophages to clear away myelin and debris (Jessen, et al., 2015), providing a good microenvironment for nerve regeneration to occur. 3.2 Schwann cells proliferate to form the Bungner band to guide axonal growth Schwann cells are highly plastic. The change has been characterised as de-differentiation (Chen, et al., 2007), but it is also seen by some groups as activation (Armstrong, et al., 2007). The two terms seem to be contradictory to each other, but this can have a simple explanation, which is that the change in Schwann cell phenotypes during Wallerian degeneration in fact involves both of these processes. The conversion of Schwann cells to repair Schwann cells involves both a loss- dedifferentiation and a gain-activation of phenotypes In the distal stump of injured nerves, denervated Schwann cells undergo a phenotypic change to form repair Schwann cells. These repair Schwann cells form Bungner bands which are regeneration tracks that provide support for injured nerves and guide regenerating axons to their targets. 3.3 Schwann cells secrete neurotropic factors (NTF) to enhance nerve regeneration NTFs are peptides or small proteins that support the growth and differentiation of neurons. The level of their expression is elevated in Schwann cells during nerve injury. Because of their strong function in promoting neuronal growth, they may be used to prevent the impairment of function or death of neurons during nerve injury (Niu, 2009). Most NTFs produce their effects by signalling through receptor tyrosine kinases (Malenka, et al., 2009). NTFs can be divided by their cellular mechanisms into three families, namely the neurotrophin family, the CNTF family and GDNF family (Henderson, 1996) 3.3.1 Neurotrophin family The neurotrophin family includes nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3/4/5/6/7 (NT-3/4/5/6/7). There are two receptor types for neurotrophins. The first type is called the tropomyosin receptor kinanse (Trk) which has an high affinity to different neurotrophins. TrkA is the receptor for NGF, Trk B can be the receptor for BGNF, NT-4 and NT-3, and TrkC is activated only by NT-3. The other type of is called p75 neurotrophin receptor which has a low affinity and can bind with all neurotrophins (Niu, 2009).. NGF is the first discovered neurotrophin. It is critical for the proliferation and survival of neurons, especially after nerve injury. Schwann cells express an elevated level of NGF during nerve injury, which promotes axonal regeneration and accelerates the process of nerve repair (Niu, 2009). Recombinant NGF have been produced in laboratory and it is regarded as a feasible therapy for neurodegeneration of the CNS and PNS (Colangelo, et al., 2005). BDNF help to support the survival of existing neurons and promote the growth and differentiation of new neurons (Huang Reichardt, 2001). Schwann cells that are genetically modified to overly express BDNF significantly improve the survival of spinal gangalion neuron (Pettingil, et al., 2008). Takano et al. developed an in vitro model for retinal explants and showed that BDNF greatly promoted the regeneration of neurites from retinal ganglion cells in a damaged retina. A considerabe number of neurites were observed within 24 hour in the group containing BDNF while only a small number of neurites were observed after 3 days in the control group (Takano, et al., 2002). Other neutrophins use different ways to accelerate nerve repair when damage occurs. Using NT-3 alone or in combination with other NTFs can promote nerve regeneration in the injured spinal cord (Taylor, et al., 2006; Arvanian, et al., 2006). Research by English et al. showed that neutotrophin-4/5 is required for the early growth of regenerating axons in peripheral nerves (English, et al., 2005). 3.3.2 Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) family The CNTF family includes CNTF, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). LIF and IL-6 can act directly on neurons to promote axonal regeneration (Jessen, et al., 2015). The most prominent function of the CNTF family is its prevention of motor neuron degeneration, which suggests that it can be used as a therapeutic treatment for human degenerative motor neuron diseases (Sendtner, et al., 1992). 3.3.3 GDNF family GDNF is a small protein that supports the survival of many types of neurons including motorneutrons. It can also prevent apoptosis of motor neurons caused by axotomy. 3.4 Schwann cells produce extracellular matrix proteins (ECM) and cell adhesion molecules (CAM) The endoneurium surrounding peripheral axons contain a large amount of ECM secreted by Schwann cells. ECM is rich in collagen and contains glycoproteins such as fibronectin and laminin (Niu, 2009). ECM regulates key aspects of Schwann cell development including the formation and function of myelin (Court, et al., 2006). In addition, they mediate Schwann cell proliferation and axon growth (Armstrong, et al., 2007; Webber Zochodne, 2010). CAMs secreted by Schwann cells are involved in peripheral nerve repair. They play an important role in axon growth and formation of nerve bundles. Study from Lavdas et al showed that Schwann cells have the ability to migrate in the CNS, promoting myelin regeneration and making it possible for remyelination in the CNS (Lavdas, et al., 2006) . Experiment from Park et al. showed that the attachment and proliferation of Schwann cells are affected by special CAMs. It is therefore important to consider choosing optimal CAMs for tissue-engineered nerve regeneration (Park, et al., 2008). Summary Schwann cells use the above four ways to function during peripheral nerve repair. Many years of research have already proved that Schwann cells can secrete a large amount of molecules to support neurons and accelerate the damage repair process. However, further research is needed to show whether As Although the PNS is able to regenerate, much research still needs to done to maximise regeneration potential.      Ã‚  

How to Write a Synthesis Essay :: Synthesis Essays, Argumentative Essays

A synthesis is a written discussion that draws on one or more sources. It follows that your ability to write syntheses depends on your ability to infer relationships among sources - essays, articles, fiction, and also nonwritten sources, such as lectures, interviews, observations. This process is nothing new for you, since you infer relationships all the time - say, between something you've read in the newspaper and something you've seen for yourself, or between the teaching styles of your favorite and least favorite instructors. In fact, if you've written research papers, you've already written syntheses. In an academic synthesis, you make explicit the relationships that you have inferred among separate sources. The skills you've already been practicing in this course will be vital in writing syntheses. Clearly, before you're in a position to draw relationships between two or more sources, you must understand what those sources say; in other words, you must be able to summarize these sources. It will frequently be helpful for your readers if you provide at least partial summaries of sources in your synthesis essays. At the same time, you must go beyond summary to make judgments - judgments based, of course, on your critical reading of your sources - as you have practiced in your reading responses and in class discussions. You should already have drawn some conclusions about the quality and validity of these sources; and you should know how much you agree or disagree with the points made in your sources and the reasons for your agreement or disagreement. Further, you must go beyond the critique of individual sources to determine the relationship among them. Is the information in source B, for example, an extended illustration of the generalizations in source A? Would it be useful to compare and contrast source C with source B? Having read and considered sources A, B, and C, can you infer something else - D (not a source, but your own idea)? Because a synthesis is based on two or more sources, you will need to be selective when choosing information from each. It would be neither possible nor desirable, for instance, to discuss in a ten-page paper on the battle of Wounded Knee every point that the authors of two books make about their subject. What you as a writer must do is select the ideas and information from each source that best allow you to achieve your purpose. Your purpose in reading source materials and then in drawing upon them to write your own material is often reflected in the wording of an assignment.

Executive Summary of Camar Automotive Hoist Essays -- Executive Summar

Executive Summary of Camar Automotive Hoist Camar Automotive Hoist has built its reputation on a quality product in the Canadian market however in 2000 the company is facing the problem of sustaining future growth of its business. In an attempt to address this need of sustaining growth we recommend that Camar Automotive Hoist clearly defines its position as a safe and convenient scissor lift producer on international wheel alignment markets; and transfers its focus mainly on the US and the European Union markets. Our suggestion is to spotlight the US market by working closely with the wholesalers instead of using a direct sales-force; while exporting products to Europe by means of indirect exportation instead of through other ventures. By doing this, the company will efficiently allocate its resources and achieve its goal of sustaining growth gradually with low risks. The Canadian market potential is limited thus we believe that US market is a quick growth opportunity for us immediately with low risks while exploring the EU no w will allow us to search for long term future growth. The implementation of our strategic plan for the US market is to build our brand image with to the wholesalers by giving incentives to their representatives for working hard and selling our products. For the EU market, we will find distributors who are familiar with the market and familiarize them with our product. Recommendation For the next fiscal year we recommend that Cama...

The 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers :: Hockey History Winning Sports Essays

The 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers It is the dream of every child that has ever played hockey to one day be able to hold hockey’s most prized possession over his or her head. The glory, honor, and prestige that goes along with this trophy is by far the most elite in any sport. It is amazing to me how many years and the amount of effort these players put in just to hold this cup over their heads. Why is there such a drive and how did this trophy come to mean so much to so many people? This trophy has such humble beginnings. Originating in Canada, Hockey was taken very seriously. There was a lot of rivalry going on throughout the country, especially in the Amateur Hockey Association, as to who had the best hockey team. It was in response to this that Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor of Central-Canada, decided to present a trophy to the team that won the championship. He said, â€Å"I have for some time been thinking that it would be a good thing if there were a challenge cup which should be held from year to year by the champion hockey team in the Dominion (of Canada)† (Nhl.com). Lord Stanley purchased a cup-like trophy for the equivalent of only $50.00, and from then on, it was presented to the winning team. â€Å"The Stanley Cup—today the symbol of the hockey championship of the world, oldest professional sports trophy in North America, glittering prize of a multi-million dollar industry, was then for amateurs†(McFarlane 14). The cup wa s first awarded in 1893 and the names of each member on the team were engraved on it. As the years went on, they were forced to add more rings around the cup to make room for all of the champion’s names. The cup started as a challenger’s cup, meaning whoever won had possession of it, but any other team could challenge them at any time for their chance at the cup. â€Å"Over the years the Stanley Cup has grown in size and importance† (McFarlane xi). The New York Rangers, who entered into the National Hockey League in the 1926-27 season, quickly became aware of what it was like to rise to the top of the league and to hold the Stanley Cup over their heads. Lead by Lester Patrick, the head coach and Bill Cook, who won the scoring title that year, the Rangers finished at the top of the league.

Literal vs. Figurative Blindness

The importance of figurative vision as opposed to literal vision to the influence of an individual is emphasized by the power inner vision yields, even over the power of the gods. Homer first highlights the power of inner sight in the situation of Agamemnon and Aigisthos. This example demonstrates that even the authority of the Greek gods cannot overcome the imbalance of power caused by the lack of figurative vision, for â€Å"the gods may love a man, but they can’t help him when cold death comes to lay him on his bier,† (III, 255-256).The gods attempt to save Agamemnon from the consequences of his figurative blindness by warning Aigisthos against the betrayal, but even the interference of the gods cannot assist Agamemnon when he is weakened by lack of knowledge. Another circumstance where inner vision is indirectly shown to be more powerful than the strength of the gods themselves is in the case of Demodokus.Demodokus’ example is unique in the fact that it can b e argued that Demodokus’ literal blindness is a demonstration of the power of the gods to keep mortal power in balance, for though Demodokus was â€Å"that man of song whom the Muse cherished,† it was â€Å"by her gift he knew the good of life and the evil- for she who lent him her sweetness also made him blind,†(VIII, 67-70).However, this only bolsters the point that inner sight brings one level with, if not above, the Greek gods themselves in terms of influence. If not, the Muse would have had not felt the need to take away literal sight to limit the power wielded by Demodokus through inner vision. The gods themselves are the product of strong inner vision in conjunction with literal vision.While they do possess magical powers, it is their inner vision that truly gives them power over mortals. Clearly, the strength of inner sight, or the weakness caused by a lack thereof, is a force that even the power of the gods cannot overcome. It is clear that an eye for a n eye does not steady the imbalance of power caused by a mortal possessing or lacking inner vision, for an eye with figurative sight is far more powerful than an eye with literal vision. Literal vs. Figurative Blindness The importance of figurative vision as opposed to literal vision to the influence of an individual is emphasized by the power inner vision yields, even over the power of the gods. Homer first highlights the power of inner sight in the situation of Agamemnon and Aigisthos. This example demonstrates that even the authority of the Greek gods cannot overcome the imbalance of power caused by the lack of figurative vision, for â€Å"the gods may love a man, but they can’t help him when cold death comes to lay him on his bier,† (III, 255-256).The gods attempt to save Agamemnon from the consequences of his figurative blindness by warning Aigisthos against the betrayal, but even the interference of the gods cannot assist Agamemnon when he is weakened by lack of knowledge. Another circumstance where inner vision is indirectly shown to be more powerful than the strength of the gods themselves is in the case of Demodokus.Demodokus’ example is unique in the fact that it can b e argued that Demodokus’ literal blindness is a demonstration of the power of the gods to keep mortal power in balance, for though Demodokus was â€Å"that man of song whom the Muse cherished,† it was â€Å"by her gift he knew the good of life and the evil- for she who lent him her sweetness also made him blind,†(VIII, 67-70).However, this only bolsters the point that inner sight brings one level with, if not above, the Greek gods themselves in terms of influence. If not, the Muse would have had not felt the need to take away literal sight to limit the power wielded by Demodokus through inner vision. The gods themselves are the product of strong inner vision in conjunction with literal vision.While they do possess magical powers, it is their inner vision that truly gives them power over mortals. Clearly, the strength of inner sight, or the weakness caused by a lack thereof, is a force that even the power of the gods cannot overcome. It is clear that an eye for a n eye does not steady the imbalance of power caused by a mortal possessing or lacking inner vision, for an eye with figurative sight is far more powerful than an eye with literal vision.

Green Building Technology Essay

1. Introduction Would there be a technology that can benefit nature and human beings at the same time? Conventional belief over the use of technology is that nature is sacrificed and used up for the sake of human beings. However, technology is not simply about efficiency anymore, and its associated grounds are expanding. Concern over environment is one of the most prominent ones, and ‘Green building technology’ falls under it. Green building technology aims to create environmentally responsible buildings or housings throughout its life span, while using the resources available efficiently. It involves the whole process of building certain structure, covering the processes of design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction (EPA). In short, it is construction technology that tries to optimize environmental sustainability and efficiency while not giving up the necessary qualities of living spaces. Idea of Green building arose as OPEC oil embargo occurred in year 1973 with an Initial goal of reducing its fossil fuel usage. This being a motive, further researches was done by different groups and green building came into housing trend (Marble Institute) After that, there had been increased attention and development of green building technology. People are more interested in looking for environmentally friendly housings and many governments are promoting it through different kinds of green construction standards. Yet, is this technology really giving us substantial benefit in our daily lives? What kind of benefits, in specific, is it providing? What would be the processes of achieving such impacts? Even though this technology does not have a long history, it is already causing changes in reducing energy and resource usages; economic and social benefits are in rise too. Green building has substantial positive effect in both environment and economy, with potential for better outcomes in the future. This can be supported by numerous facts and application of technology. Specific applications of controlling energy usage leads to outright reducing of resources used in construction, which in bigger ground, leads to overall change of human society. 2. Functions in Resource Conservation 2.1 Background The need to conserve natural resources arose from several natural changes in climate. First major change was the global increase of temperature, which also caused devastating natural disasters. (Figure 1) For example, this diagram from NASA’s investigation implies that until the point of 1990s, at least there were below-zero global temperature anomaly. But it has exceeded the point of 0 degrees Celsius since then, reaching higher points. This caused problems like shifting natural characteristics for some countries (i.e. gaining more tropical climate, while the area doesn’t fall under tropical area) and extreme weathers like heat waves leading to hundreds of casualties (IPCC). Stanford researchers predicts summers will keep getting hotter for the next 20 years (Rust,2011) Additional problems of high energy dependencies and its consequences are not negligible too. Oil prices have doubled since 10 years ago with annual increase of 25% between 2004 and 2008 (Bauer, 2010). For countries who import their energy resources, reducing the energy usage and saving money is a big concern. High dependency in energy usage often causes crisis in some special crisis situations. It could be financial, political, or literally natural disaster. While so, housing alone takes up major portion of total energy usage. According to United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it accounted for 38.9 percent of total U.S. energy consumption in 2005. In year 2006 it took 72 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption and this number will rise to 75% by 2025. So it can be seen how change in managing housings can lead to positive changes (EPA). Green building technology tackles against these problems with many different technologies, adopting them appropriately for each aspects of energy conservation. While so, 2 examples that directly fight against specific aspects are brought up here. 2.2 Heat Control Firstly, it has been said that the heating and cooling process of a household heavily uses electricity and causes substantial carbon emission. Following are statistics stated by EPA: †¢ The average household spends at least $2,000 a year on energy bills — over half of which goes to heating and cooling. †¢ Out of the total energy consumption in an average household, 50% goes to space heating, 27% to run appliances, 19% to heat water and 4% goes to air conditioning. The numbers are self-explanatory; heating and cooling alone is a big part of whole energy consumption. Temperature control technology for green building enables reducing such consumption and carbon emission. During summer the sun light directly enters through houses through windows or hits the surfaces of outer building and heats up the whole construction. Four factors affect heat accumulation in a home: solar heat gain, internal heat gain, air leakage, and temperature difference. To solve these problems, approaches such as using shades, changing color of outer building, change of roof structure, reducing internal heat generating sources (ex. Electronic equipment), and better use of spaces for air ventilation are used. Today’s buildings also use machine controlled ventilation system or, manual adjustment of ventilation openings to control the heat (Bauer, 2010). On the other hand, during winter it is important to keep and gain every possible heat. A simple method like building the houses facing towards south or optimizing use of sunlight would be the most well-known methods. Additionally, methods of ‘loading up’ the heat into the building are also used, which is using methods like using atria or double faà §ade- dual dimensioned surfaces like windows or wall surfaces- which can support the heat insulation by 20% (Bauer, 2010). As a particular example, window films are proven to be effective in solar radiation cut, reducing the heat level entering a house. The benefit of windows films is clear; it reflects the sun radiation that causes heat and let the room keep cool with less efforts, in terms of both cost and energy usage. This means less air conditioning is used and less energy is consumed. It is proposed by Solar Gard ®, that â€Å"Not only do Solar Gard’s architectural solar control window films help cut energy expenditures by up to 30%, its Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) scientifically proves that Solar Gard and Panorama ® solar control window films have a net positive environmental impact worldwide (Solar Gard). These are specific effects of window film proposed by them; 1. One square meter of a low-e wood window, the type with the smallest carbon footprint, has a carbon cost of 253 kilograms. The carbon cost of Solar Gard window film is less than one kilogram per square meter. 2. Solar Gard window film saves 1001 times more GHG emissions from entering the atmosphere than is used and/or created during its manufacture. 3. Solar Gard window film installed between 2007 and 2008 saved 3.6 million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere; this is equivalent to the carbon output of 16,350 American families (with four people). This particular products’ such effects can be expected from other window films too. In short, all these heat controlling technologies serve to reduce the electricity usage with additional energy conserving effects of reduced carbon emissions. 2.3 Emission Control Speaking of carbon emissions, there are specific uses of materials that combats them. In United States, housing alone takes 38 percent of the total carbon dioxide emissions (EPA). Carbon dioxide emission is one of the well-known factors that are blamed for the global warming. The famous Kyoto Protocol was established in order to limit this and also to achieve better results with global warming around the world. Choice of materials for constructions is thus carefully chosen from the planning stage, since once used in the process of construction, it is hard to replace them afterwards. Different sorts of materials has different amount of carbon emissions, and in green building that is considered as major criteria. Other aspects of renewability and sustainability are also considered carefully when material is picked. One specific example of such effort would be use of wood for floorings. Wood has its advantage as a building material from its characteristics of low embodied energy, low carbon impact, low pollution emission, and sustainability. Low embodied energy means it takes less efforts and resources in order to get it. Wood, since it has minimal energy processing during harvesting, has relatively lower embodied energy than those like steels, concrete, aluminum, plastic. In terms of carbon impact, it has lower carbon emission than most of other construction materials. Compared to other artificial or metal types or materials, it shows significantly lower level of carbon emission just as shown in figure 2. Figure 2 Basically, this is the most important characteristic of wood usage for green building, and it is listed as the followings in the website of The Solid Wood Flooring Company: * For every tonne of CO2 a tree absorbs from the atmosphere nearly  ¾ of a tonne of oxygen is produced * Over 83% of the timber supplied in the UK is certified to be sustainable * Using wood instead of other building materials saves an average of 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per cubic metre. * An ‘EUR’ wooden pallet stores around 29kg of CO2 taken from the atmosphere during the growth of the tree While metals and other fossil-based materials are not renewable resources, wood can be maintained forever if carefully used. It has to be accompanied by careful forestry planning, but it is definitely one resource that can be continuously re-grown. 3. Impacts 3.1 Social Impacts With all the features that efficiently use the natural energy and resources, green building technology also supports well-being of tenants in the buildings. It typically contributes to improve employees’ and students’ health, comfort and productivity. Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)—one of the criteria of the U.S Green Building Council’s LEED-H rating system—evaluates the subtle issue that influences people’s status of mind and body in a space. It has been scientifically proven by related study that people tend to be more productive and contribute better performance in environment with better ventilation and proper temperature control (Abdou, 2006). Figure 3 Just as shown in figure 3, improved working or living condition leads to better work performances. The study sponsored in part by commercial real estate giant Cushman & Wakefield, reported 30 percent fewer sick days among one company’s employees, and discovered a 10 percent increase in net revenue per employee in another company, after each office moved to LEED-certified buildings. Schools operating in green buildings also demonstrate higher test scores and heightened academic enthusiasm among students (Abdou, 2006) Plus, nature friendly methods and materials used in green buildings proved to ease sicknesses that could occur in daily lives of tenants. It is believed to contribute widely to respiratory problems, allergies, nausea, headaches, and skin rashes. With much emphasis on ventilation, non-toxic, low emitting materials and cutting use of air conditioning, green buildings indeed create healthier and more comfortable living environments, which keep people away from ‘Sick Building Syndromes’ (Fisk, 2002). In summary, all these benefits retrieved from applying green building technology can lead to wholesome social benefit of people, by promoting health initiatives and pleasurable living spaces. Hence it further goes on to the bigger scale of expanding economic ground, by improving productivity and economic activity of the users of this technology. 3.2 Economic Impacts Green buildings are so much more cost effective compared to conventional buildings. According to the USGBC’s LEED rating system, green buildings tend to be 25-30% more energy efficient and more likely to generate the renewable resource on-site. Due to its cost effectiveness, energy saving and easy maintenance, green buildings outperform non-green buildings in the resale market. Basically a newly–constructed green building will perform 10.9% better than its original construction value. Prospective buyers who realize the utility and maintenance cost and are more concerned about the sustainable design of the building will be attracted towards it. Though there is a common perception that green buildings cost a heavy premium over normal buildings, the cost of green design has dropped in the last few years as the number of green buildings has risen. Hence buildings both residential and commercial with sustainable design component continue retaining a high property value in th e retailing market (McGraw Hill Construction, 2010). By continuing to grow in different ground of constructions from the usual ones, green building technology is opening new opportunities for more economic activities with its prospects. As consumers and suppliers become more interested in such technology, it carries much potential for better outcomes. 4. Future Prospects Then would these outcomes continue to exist in the upcoming future too? Green building is getting on the line of popularity within the general public who are becoming more aware of environmental conservation. Governments are encouraging it with various policies and incentives with brandings. It does seem like there are some positive prospects for green building technology to continue to grow in the future. There are supple amounts of factors encouraging such potentials. Regarding the future upcoming green building designs, buildings such as Zero-Energy Buildings are being explored. Zero-energy building (ZEB) is the designation given to buildings that have zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. These buildings harvest energy produced on-site to meet their own energy needs. In addition to this, ideas of green schools are also being developed. Certified Green Schools are growing rapidly as part the LEED System. This trend will accelerate as understanding of the health and educational benefits of green schools grow (Yudelson, 2010). On the other hand, research efforts for further protection of environment are encouraging the future growth too. Awareness of the coming global crisis in fresh water supply leads building designers and managers to take further steps to reduce water consumption to increase sustainability. This will be done in buildings through the use of more conservation-oriented fixtures, rainwater recovery systems and innovative new water technologies. Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) examines the impact of materials and will allow architects to determine what products are more sustainable and what combination of products can produce the most environmentally friendly results (GEP, 2011). In 2011, the annual Image Power Global Green Brands Study polled more than 9,000 people in 8 countries (USA, UK, China, Brazil, India, Germany, France and Australia) to analyze consumers’ perception of green products. All participating countries, either developed or developing, indicated that they were quite willing to open up their wallets and pay a bit more for green options in real estate. Most of the informants showed great interest to the green buildings. To be precise, 60% of the surveyed consumers globally intend to extend their green choices more and more to items in the real estate, energy and technology sectors (Longsworth, 2011). By 2013 overall global green building market, both residential and commercial, may more than double in its scale from approximately $36-$49 billion to $96-$140 billion. When looking solely at the commercial and institutional real estate development markets, the green building market is projected to grow from its current occupation of 10-12% of the market to 20-25% (GreenBuildings.com). The future market trends are predicted to continue to grow with certain incentives and initiatives. One of them would be green building technology being encouraged to be used in government sectors. Government offices will need to be transformed into green buildings because of regulatory requirements in many countries. Such need will be the key growth area for green building market. Cash incentives for developers will play a major role in this too. Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan have developed strong support system and incentives for green building developers, designers and owners. Seeing benefits from such incentives, more experts will enter into green building area, stimulating its growth (Frost&Sullivan, 2009). 5. Conclusion Green building, regardless its short history, has achieved a lot in a short term. Its variety of technologies gave rise of new solutions for using less energy yet enjoying more nature friendly benefits, and as it get popular, economic and social benefits arose. Specific technologies that have been discussed were temperature control technologies and choice of building materials. Such direct outcomes lead green building’s positive impacts to be applied on overall human society and economy. From the current outcomes of green building technology and its rising popularity, it seems to have good prospects for the future growth too. There are different factors of future designs and economic incentives encouraging this trend, and so further growth followed by more positive impacts can be expected. These all consequently support the idea; green building has substantial positive effect in both environment and economy, with potential for even better outcomes in the future. Still, there are problems and limitations of green building technology that we have to consider about for the moment. It is a new born technology and yet to be fully developed. Hence full green buildings that incorporate much of the technology are prone to be accused for its high costs as mentioned before and also its insufficient development of efficiency are often pointed at as something unworthy of further developments. Nevertheless, its future potentials cannot be abandoned simply because of its current limitations. Since the initial goal of green building is to reduce human use of natural resources and promote sustainability, current green building technology should be pushed on for further developments that can solve problems at the moment and so forth move on to achieve its goal in an even better way. Besides, its potentials are sufficient to predict better efficiency and profound benefits for our society. Hence green building technology should be acknowledged for its supportive impacts on environment not only for the current moment, but also for the upcoming future that will aid human beings to continue to live on without exhausting the natural resources.