Louis XIV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Louis XIV - Essay Example Also important was his concept of himself which enabled him to rule by Divine right, and the philosophies of the time that supported his notions. Louis was five years old when he sat on the throne with the regency of Cardinal Jules Mazarin, against whom the nobles and the Paris Parlement (a powerful law court), rose in 1648 at the beginning of the long civil war known as the Fronde.In the course of this war, Louis suffered humiliation,poverty, misfortune, fear, cold, and hunger, because he had to often leave his place in Paris and go into hiding for his own safety.These early experiences led him to have a lifelong mistrust in the nobility, they taught him that the nobility was one of the greatest threats to a French king and inspired him to set about implementing his absolutist concepts. Being a devout Catholic, he had no trouble in imagining that he was an agent ordained by God himself to rule the kingdom and made great efforts to cultivate an image for himself that was based on myth and legend, as well as on reason and political legitimacy. Louis chose the sun as his personal emblem, signifying that he was the source of all benevolence in the kingdom and that the entire world, including the nobles, revolved around him, and he soon came to be known across all Europe as the "Sun King". "On June 5th, 1662, a procession of monkeys, bears, nobles, and slaves, spiralled through the streets of Paris in celebration of the glory of Louis XIV. ......the king was represented as the serene and uncontested master of the world; each noble carried a shield bearing a device which affirmed his absolute subjugation to Louis Dieu-donne figured as the sun." (Lynn, 1998) Louis' concept received further legitimacy in his status as agent of God in the work of those like Thomas Hobbes and Jacques-Bnigne Bossuet, who argued that monarchy was the most natural and ancient form of government , and since kings receive their power and sanction from God, their authority was absolute and unchallenged. "The power of God makes itself felt in a moment from one extremity of the earth to another. Royal power works at the same time throughout all the realm. It holds all the realm in position, as God holds the earth. Should God withdraw his hand, the earth would fall to pieces; should the king's authority cease in the realm, all would be in confusion." (Bossuet, 1679) This belief in absolute authority, a megalomania of sorts, reinforced the monarch's stance on the nobility, as they represented a threat to his power and security on the throne.Nobles before Louis' reign were feudal lords, and had the means to raise private armies. This was because the lesser nobles acted as the king's agents and in his name collected taxes, posted edicts and dispensed justice. They and their overlords, the higher nobility, provided armies to the king in times of war as the kings before Louis did not possess a standing army of their own. The higher nobles could also build their own fortifications, which gave them the power to hold their ground if they rose against the king.Louis realized that if the nobility continued to hold so much influence, not only will they tend to rebel and create disorder, he himself would be accorded the status of first among equals, and this he found totally

Work-based Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Work-based Learning - Essay Example Thus, the drastic changes that have been taking place in every field of occupation due to globalisation has also resulted in the new knowledge economy where the essential issues become what counts as knowledge sin an organisation, how this knowledge is transmitted and stored, who owns it, and how it is shared etc. that is to say, there has been an increasing significance for both individual workplace learning and organisational learning. Significantly, "workplace learning is a process through which both individuals and organisations move towards desirable and sustainable outcomes. However, this raises the question of whether individual learning and organisational learning are congruent and synonymous. In principle, the desirable outcomes and planned goals of individuals and organisations may diverge. ... Learning in the contemporary world of globalisation has been realised as an important process which involves experience with knowing and there is great scope for work-based learning in every field of education. According to the UK's Campaign for Learning, learning can be defined as "a process of active engagement with experience. It is what people do when they want to make sense of the world. It may involve an increase in skills, knowledge or understanding, a deepening of values, or the capacity to reflect. Effective learning will lead to change, development and a desire to learn more." (Campaign for Learning, 2) This definition of learning suggests the importance of work-experience in the process of learning which can result in an increase in skills, knowledge or understanding, a deepening of values, or the capacity to reflect. Significantly, work-based learning, which is central and most important aspect of learning to impact on performance at work, reflects the concept of work-experience in the process of learning and it is a practical approach to learning and experience. With the emphasis on high standards in the learning process of higher education, the question is now open about what approach educators may employ in order to achieve those standards. Even in the high school levels of learning, educational reforms to help the student development emphasise the incorporation of work-based learning which integrates experiences outside of the school with classroom learning. "Over the last 15 years, some education reformers have argued that integrating experiences outside of the school with classroom learning is an effective approach to engaging students in their studies and helping to prepare them for education and work after high

Critical Appraisal of Business Planning Process Essay - 2

Critical Appraisal of Business Planning Process - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that external market conditions change rapidly in certain industries, thus driving a need for innovation in order to compete with other businesses operating in the same market environment. Products and services both from an entrepreneurial business and the competitive environment have a specific life cycle by which it generates profitability and consumer adoption patterns. A product or service will move from growth to maturity, a period where sales decline and thus new product development becomes a critical internal activity of the organization. This is why generating new ideas becomes a paramount objective in the planning process, usually requiring the input of executive leadership and managers to determine how best to introduce a new product whilst still recognizing costs. In generating new product ideas, the business leaders must determine whether compromises will be made, opportunity costs or trade-offs, in order to launch a new product o r service on the market. â€Å"Will conventional wisdom be defied, an understanding that teams, plans and reflects on learning lead to reduced cost, risk and speed to market†?. Recognising the financial impact of new product development and market launch urgency must be considered when generating new ideas. Innovations, however, are critical to maintaining a stable market position.Strategy formulation determines the objectives necessary to achieve a long-term market position. The strategy defines sustainability over the long-run or whether growth is an expectation related to revenue-building. An entrepreneurial dimension of strategy is persisting to find a better fit in the competitive market or developing a vision by which the organization founds its values and organizational structure against. Developing a long-term orientation is necessary for business planning as it determines the strategic direction the business intends to pursue and thus resources are allocated toward m eeting this purpose.

Cultural Differences of Brazil, China and Nigeria Essay - 4

Cultural Differences of Brazil, China and Nigeria - Essay Example Like any other company, Stipel Marketing has to prepare itself for this process and this reports highlights some of the factors that need to be considered to enable a smooth transition. Human resource is very important to any organization. This is because it provides the organization with skilled manpower that helps it to achieve its objectives. Our organization provides an open type of communication platform where employees and their supervisors get to interact freely and share their thoughts and ideas. Given that we are a marketing company, communication is core in our business and this must be enhanced at all costs. At the United Kingdom head office, the staff has adapted to this open plan network and it has proved beneficial to the company so far (Green, 2011). As the company seeks to expand and explore other business opportunities around the globe it is important for the company to analyze the communities in these target markets so as to know which approach to use to get the best talent. In some areas around the globe, workers are not allowed to mingle freely with their supervisors and this is what will make them perform optimally. However, in other parts of t he globe, employees are free to interact with their superiors (Gordon-Reed, 2008). This gives them a sense of togetherness and they are able to perform more efficiently. All these factors are to be considered if the organization is to establish sustainable and rewarding working relationships with these colleagues from other countries. The countries that are in focus in this report are Nigeria, China and Brazil, each of which has its own distinct culture. The role of this report is to showcase the opportunities and the challenges that may arise as the organization tries to establish cross cultural operations (Golden, 2005).

Global Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Business Environment - Essay Example The drivers of communication have mainly been technological advancements in the field of IT, diplomacy, the establishment of international organisations and multinationals and world economic treaties. Even though there are some who may take the persuasion in favour globalisation, fact remains that globalisation has largely entrenched inequality of income both within and among countries, as shall be seen in the discussion which ensues forthwith. In the first instance, it is important to acknowledge the fact that globalisation easily mingles with and depends on neo-liberalism. For this purpose, it is always pointed out that there should be modalities placed on world trade to create a level playing field among all states or countries which are participating in international trade. In this light, World Trade Organisation has always prevailed upon participants to abolish the exacting of trade tariffs and the issuance of trade and farming incentives such as subsidies, aids and grants. Inst ead, governments should open their markets and allow a laissez fare to sustain market competition among all the participating countries. Nevertheless, even this strategy has only entrenched inequality since this arrangement works on the presumption that all states are economically at par, which is not factual. On the contrary, less developed countries [LDCs] because of their fledgeling nature, depend on the tariffs they exact on imports, as a source of revenue, while developed economies such as Britain, Germany, the US and Canada are full-fledged enough to forgo the gains which would be accrued from tariffs. Because of this, LDCs get too shortchanged to gain from international trade, while developed countries continue to thrive in international trade. This development fosters and further entrenches economic inequality among LDCs and developed economies. In a closely related wavelength, it is important to take to stock, the fact that unlike the situation in developed economies, farme rs in LDCs are poor and therefore, mainly operate small-scale farming. Because of this, farmers in LDCs are not economically endowed to do without government grants, loans and subsidies. The corollary to this is that such farmers cannot also carry out independent agricultural research undertakings, cross-breeding and artificial insemination, as opposed to their counterparts in developed countries who are able to carry out all these exploits, and to access and afford disease-and-drought-resistant seeds. The same inequality above is replicated in the field of technology, as far as agricultural exploits are concerned. Farmers in developed countries are able to use and readily access reliable sources of information such as the World Wide Web, agricultural, marketing and agronomical journals, mainly by the virtue of the Internet. In like manner, Ezcurra and Rodriguez-Pose (2013, 92) point out that farmers in developed countries benefit from an advanced IT superiority and a more liberalis ed media. The liberalised media is a readily manifest reality in developed countries than in LDCs because developed countries are majorly mature democracies. Mature or stable democracies such as the UK, the US, Canada, Netherlands, Germany and Italy have liberalised their media so that information is not controlled by the

Philosophical Autobiography Essay Example for Free

Philosophical Autobiography Essay Life is what not it’s cracked up to be. Sure, it sounds like good, but eventually we all encounter despair, failure, suffering, frustration, the being unloving of our own hearts and of those around us, and finally death. Experience tells us even the best aspects of life are ultimately unsatisfying.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Probably the most significant question we can ask ourselves is what the most important thing in life is. The question has far reaching implications in that the answers that we arrive at can determine the course of the rest of our lives. Many would consider money or financial success as the most important factor in life. The high rate of suicide amongst lottery winners would contradict this. Others would search for fame, yet the list of famous people who have committed suicide or died from an overdose of drugs continues to grow. Good health would be high on anyone’s priorities, and the presence of love in ones life is also of major importance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I would propose that wisdom is the most important thing in life. The best definition of wisdom that I have read is â€Å"the best means to achieve the best ends†. Wisdom is needed to achieve the best results in the myriad decisions we all need to make daily in our personal, financial, family, work, community lives. Each one of us has a unique mindset or set of beliefs which are continuously changing and which we use to make decisions, each of which has significant roll on effect on how the rest of our lives turn out. These mindsets are determined by the unique environments we have grown up in, our age, our education and the cumulative impact that each life experience has had on us. Our unique mindset is either working in our favor or working against us in each and every situation that we face. One way that we can test how online our thinking is in a particular situation is to look at the results we achieve as a result of the actions we took. Good results means our governing beliefs were online, bad results means that we need to re-evaluate our beliefs to determine what caused the negative outcome. I would propose that life is very much like a game and that a comparison between the two is very enlightening. In any game, you need to be fit, possess certain skills and have a good knowledge of the rules in order to participate. In life, we need to have a good knowledge of the rules that apply and to use this knowledge continuously in order to assess and make decisions in every situation that we face. The more intensely we play the game of life, the better our knowledge and application of the rules, the better the results we will achieve, much like a football player who is skilled, trains hard and knows the rules. During the course of our lives we progress from being dependent on our parents for food and shelter and emotional support, to being independent as we become young adults. We learn to make decisions for ourselves, and as we see the results of our decisions we get feedback and the resultant experience adds wisdom to subsequent decisions. The next stage is to develop relationships with others, or interdependence, and it is through these relationships that significant personal growth can occur. Many of us however have a low sense of self esteem which holds us back in relating to others. We look at the results we have and are achieving in our lives. If our results are unsatisfactory, we reassess our beliefs and make adjustments to our actions. Additional feedback is our emotions like fear, anger, unhappiness, disappointment etc. Our target is to lead a joy-filled, intense yet balanced life, leading to continually increasing wisdom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, most of us need to unwind and get away from our hectic schedules from school, work, and other things that keep us busy. Like other young adults, they hang out in bars to have some fun but in my case, I rather go to the beach or in the mountains with my family to spend time with them and at the same time to recollect, meditate and appreciate the creation of God. Each place has its own beauty that attracts my attention. I love nature that much. I am thrill and feel excited every time I gaze their natural beauties. These are the places where I can meditate, recollect and reminisce my past or the things I do previously.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I like going to the beach if I want to find enjoyment and fun. I like the beach a lot because the breeze is very fresh. When I am in the beach, I enjoy staying under the heat of the sun while reading my favorite book and the sun makes my skin tan and adorable to look at. I also feel free and at ease. I can wear too my favorite swimwear.   When I am in the beach, it gives me an opportunity to surf and play beach ball games which I cannot do when I am at home and school. I also bury myself under the sand as a sort of relaxation and therapy to my body and when I do that, it gives me a sort of relief. Going to the beach also gives me an opportunity to meet new set of people from different walks of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, going to the mountains is also an interesting thing to do. It is fun and adventure. If I want to be on my own and don’t want to be disturbed by people, I immediately go to the mountains. The air there is as fresh as in the beach but it is not crowded with people. I can only find trees and animals. The chirps of the birds really inspire me and want to live life to the fullest. It makes me realize, too, that though birds live simply, they are happy and contented with their lives. They don’t ask for more but happy of what they have. This is the perfect place for meditation and for adventure. I am free from air and noise pollutions from the city where I live. When I am on the mountains, it gives me an opportunity to sleep early and helps me wake up excitedly the next day to have a brisk walk or climb some mountainous areas. Moreover, as a wide reader, I love to read detective and inspirational books. These would help me develop my critical thinking and analyze why things happen that way. Hence, I also like the works of Shakespeare especially the story of Hamlet. Considered as one of the greatest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Hamlet is also one of the best-known plays in world literature. It is distinguished to be one of the first of its kind of being peculiarly a â€Å"philosophical play†, in addition to having a variety of metaphysical and psychological theories. Although revenge tragedies already existed during and before its time, Hamlet best exemplifies the genre of Elizabethan revenge. A center of many arguments is the apparent delay of Hamlet’s revenge. Critical discussion of this supposed procrastination has a long history. Goethe thought Hamlet too sensitive, Coleridge and A.W. von Schlegel too intelligent to be capable of action. The early 20th century English critic A.C. Bradley saw him as restrained by melancholia, the 19th century German scholar Herman Ulrici by moral scruples; the Freudians viewed him as too complex-ridden to kill his uncle (â€Å"Hamlet†). This aspect of Hamlet’s behavior is seen either as a flaw or a virtue. The story contains four sons of murdered fathers (Hamlet, Laertes, Fortinbras, and Pyrrhus), but Hamlet differs from the three’s pursuit for revenge. He even goes as far as feigning insanity in order to conceal his real agitation and divert attention from his task of revenge. The subject of revenge, which is one of the focal themes of the play, transcends every genre, for there is a Hamlet in every one of us. As Hamlet in the story suffers pain and grief as a result of the circumstances surrounding his father’s death, the usurping of the throne and by the betrayal he felt from his mother’s remarriage to his father’s brother, Hamlet is then filled with the dilemma of whether to take revenge against the wrongdoer. Suffering and grief as a consequence of injustice and oppression is as old as man’s history. Even during the course of the play, Hamlet’s torment alienates him from all those around him, even though he has a close friend to confide with. Such inner turmoil is only expressed in his soliloquies but unknown to those around him. Certainly, the depth of suffering is known only the most by the one who suffers.   How people variously react to such agonies is showcased in the play’s story. Most often, it is the common desire to act as the three other young men (Laertes, Fortinbras, and Pyrrhus) did pursue their task of vengeance with ruthless single-mindedness. However, Hamlet’s situation is far more complicated. This shows that indeed, vengeance is far from simple. While it seeks to retaliate by inflicting pain for pain, Shakespeare’s Hamlet shows the peril of vengeance. All those who sought revenge died. Hamlet’s loved ones (such as Ophelia), those whom he could have sought solace and comfort, and himself also died. They became victims of Hamlet’s reckless rage as a result of his deflected and unfulfilled desire for retaliation. Revenge therefore, sinks both the offender and the avenger, pulling down along with it the innocent. It is a bearer of destruction. While most revenge plays justifies the avenger by emphasizing him or her as a victim, Hamlet’s character hangs a question above it. At the very core of revenge is bitterness, and is like a ‘rotten apple that spoils the whole bunch’. It has destroyed everything that’s good in Hamlet and made him much more evil than his stepfather. The danger of retaliation is to do greater harm than what was received. No one overcomes evil, with evil. Before bitterness could do its harm, it is best thrown out. Truly, Shakespeare’s Hamlet speaks to every individual in every genre, since ALL of us must pass through a time of making that choice: â€Å"TO BE (bitter) OR NOT TO BE (bitter)? That indeed is a question we all must face.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, I believed that I am a one of a kind person so the saying or quote that would definitely describe me is The Grateful One. The reason I chose this quote is because this is what I perceive myself as and this is what other people think about me too. Not all people are being appreciative and thankful of what they have in life. Some of them would only be grateful when things go smoothly and when they can get the things they want. But through the years and seasoned with testing and circumstances, I have learned that I should be grateful in every way; thus, thanking those people who have helped me shape my character not only those people who brought positive impacts in my life but including those people who have hurt me. It is so irony to be grateful for those people who have hurt me but to some degree, their negative actions toward me make me strong as an individual and learn to depend on God. I have learned, too, that I should not only be thankful during the times when my spirit is uplifted but as well as the time when I am also down because I believe that everything has a purpose why things happen and during those gloomy days of my life, I was able to ponder and see the true beauty of life; thus, showing me who are my true friends are.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, I never let the day pass without being appreciative and thankful to every people I meet. I may not directly say thank you to them but at least I would tell them that I appreciate to be with their presence. But most of all, I will continually be grateful to God for giving me a family and parents who are very supportive and really inculcated that good conduct. Actually, I come from a strong Christian background and my family tells me, consistently, to always acknowledge God and to remember where my blessings come from. I am what I am today because of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though I am very active with my academic career and civic organizations, I had this experience before that totally teach me a lesson. It teaches me how to listen some advices from others especially from our parents. This is my other side. To let go of someone you dearly love is very painful to do. The pains cause by ending relationship is very unbearable. Some people may find their world tear apart when they realize that their relationship with their partner is not going well. I have had this relationship in the past that truly marks in my heart and in my mind. I do love this person very much despite of his weaknesses and flaws but many people around us do not like the idea of being us together. At first, I try not to give ear to their comments and opinions because of my love for my partner. But in a long run, I decide to call it quits because I find out that my partner is having an affair with other man; take note, it’s a â€Å"man.† It truly hurts me a lot because he exchanges me to a man! It is a big slap my on face. That is the first factor I consider when I break up with him. He is not trustworthy and faithful. I just strongly believe that a woman is meant to be with a man and a man is meant to be with a woman. Though I live in a liberated world but I cannot just take and stand with this kind of idea that is having an affair with same sex. When I break up with him, I feel so much freedom that I never been experiencing when we are still together. I don’t know why I feel that way, but that is how I really feel. I feel like a bird being imprison in a cage for a long time and has the chance to be released. When my friends especially my parents learn about it, they are very happy and relieve. They don’t just like my partner because they can smell something fishy on him. After the break, I feel such joy in my heart and feel more beautiful inside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, many people think of personality as being made up of observable traits such as shyness, friendliness, and initiative. However, such traits are only the outward expression of various inner conditions and processes such as intelligence, attitudes, interests, and motives. Normal persons develop relatively consistent personalities that are distinguished by certain dominant traits. Persons belonging to the same cultural group—such as a family or nation—have many traits in common. But each person exhibits different traits under different circumstances, and each has unique traits as well as those he or she shares with others. It is also known that personalities develop throughout life, and may even undergo fundamental changes as result of psychotherapy or other treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, personality is produced by the interaction of heredity and environment. Inborn qualities affect the individual’s response to the outside world, and the environment influences the way in which inborn capacities develop. However, the precise reasons why one person develops certain personality traits, while other develops other traits, are not known.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What you have known to yourself is not known to others. They only base their judgments on what they see and that is your personality. Basically, the treatment of people on you depends on how you carry yourself, through your composure when you are irritated and how you dressed up yourself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An example of this is how you dress up yourself.   Don’t wear clothes that will give others a reason to criticize and not respect you at all but rather wear clothes that would motivate them to respect you as a person because if you would like to be respected, pay respect first to yourself by wearing clothes decently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I have observed that people that I meet pay me respect because of the way I dress and talk to them. I have a number of experiences that with regards to how I dress up and gaining respect from others. They find my personality respectable because of how I act and how I carry my clothes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another thing, we cannot deny that there is always prejudice and biases wherever we go. People will treat you nicely or give you special treatment if they find you attractive or appealing but if you are not attractive to their eyes, they will just ignore you as if you do not exist. It usually happens in big and known department stores or any establishment. If you wear flashy clothes and very attractive to look at, the salesperson will entertain you very well and gives you a welcome smile but if you wear just a simple dress and you are not that attractive, there is a tendency that the salesperson will not give you a fair treatment. She/He might think that you cannot afford the stuff they are selling and why does she/he bother entertaining you?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are times too that attractive people are always popular and they are respected because of their good looking appearances. Moreover, many people would be fanatic to them and may imitate their styles. Just like the actresses and actors that we have in the past and at present. Because of their charisma, many people would try to imitate and dream to be like them. But if you only have a plain face, there is always a tendency that people would make fun of you. So we cannot deny that in this world, most people are looking only for the outside appearance and they forgot to look what is in the heart.

Impact On The Natural Environment Construction Essay

Impact On The Natural Environment Construction Essay The building sector has a significant impact on the natural environment. It consumes almost 33 of the worlds natural resources, including 40 of its energy and up to 12% of its water. These estimates do not consider embodied energy (i.e. the energy used to obtain, manufacture, use and dispose of building materials), which can represent a significant proportion of a buildings lifetime energy consumption. The building sector is also responsible for 40% of global green-house gas (GHG) emissions and 40% of the waste which ends up in the landfills (World Green Building Council, 2006). The consumption of natural resources, particularly none-renewable energy sources, is an important factor in the economy of many nations. Authorative reports show such trends in many parts of the world. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the building sector consumes almost 50% of all the countrys energy. While in the United States, about 40% of the total national energy production and almost 70% of electrici ty production is used in the building sector, as well as 28% in transportation a factor which is partly influenced by urban design. The building sector in China currently accounts for 19% of the countrys total energy consumption. This relatively small percentage is due to energy intensive industrial production. The same scenario occurs in the rich oil-producing areas of the Gulf Corporation Council Countries (GCCC). For example, the building sector in Kuwait account for nearly 45% of the yearly electric energy consumption, whilst in Saudi Arabia this sector consumes about 70% of the total electricity consumption. In Bahrain, the smallest country within the GCCC, buildings account for 83% of the national consumption of electricity (EIA, 2010). Apart from its energy consumption, the building sector is also one of the largest contributors to changes in the environment and atmosphere: firstly, building construction, raw material processing and product manufacturing overall are the largest sources of GHGs. They account for some 40% of the world GHGs emissions. The building sector creates the most waste, habitat destruction and is responsible for the most pollution. Second, GHGs, particularly CO2, are the main by-product of fossil fuel energy consumption, and as buildings are, in total, among the largest consumers of energy, they are also the major contributor to the increase in CO2 emissions and hence global warming. While most available data related to these contributions are for the developed world, reports show that, on the whole, these contributions are worse in developing countries such as the GCCC. These countries have become major GHGs emitters. According to the International Panel of Climate Chang (2007), the GCCC are amongst the top countries in terms of CO2 emissions per capita. Recent statistics show an increase of CO2 emissions due to excessive energy consumption in different GCCC sectors, particularly the building sector. The increase in CO2 emissions had been within the range of 30-35% between 1997 and 2006. The GCCC are found to contribute two and half per cent of the global GHG emissions (United Nations Statistic Division, 2007). One of the main principles of the GCCC is to enhance the economic and environmental actions related to the adoption of policies and unifying environmental laws as well as the conservation of natural resources (GCC, 2008). Within this context a two-fold policy aims at promoting energy regulations and sustainable developments has been adopted. A major role has been given to the building sector, with a special focus on the important role that efficiency regulations can play in reducing energy consumption and protecting the environment. On the ground, some actions have been taken by the GCCC in order to achieve sustainability in buildings, such as the implementation of green building regulations. Most of these regulations are based on the USAs Green Building Councils (US GBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, with modifications made to account for the local environmental conditions. In terms of green construction, many attempts have been made in different parts of the GCCC. Examples can be seen in the Bahrain World Trade Centre in Manama, the large-scale Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, the campus of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia and the Energy City in Qatar. These projects incorporate several efficiency techniques and green materials. A consideration of these huge, costly projects shows that three parties can benefit from such developments: governments and owners can save energy and protect the environment, thereby gaining a favourable image; contracto rs and suppliers can sell green products and developers can use the affirmative image as a positive marketing tool. However, in his article The Business of Green Elsheshtawy (2010) claims that some green and LEED certified buildings in the GCCC end up consuming much more energy than the evaluators predicted due to poor energy practices. Coupled with this is the economics of energy efficiency and green buildings. Cost of building green A great number of available projects, such as those mentioned above, shows that if building green is a target at the outset of the design process and material selection then the cost of the green building is competitive. In a commercial setting, such projects can result in reduced energy consumption, saved environment, improved occupant health and comfort and reduced capital costs. Many rigorous assessments show that the overall cost of these projects is no more than that of any equivalent conventional project. Increases in first cost are reported within the range from five-ten per cent. During the construction phase the use of the green strategies, such as downsizing of costly mechanical, electrical and structural systems can increase the saving in initial costs, while during the first two decades the increases due to the use of green technologies will result in a savings of at least ten times the initial investment in operation costs for utilities such as electricity. In rental pro perties, owners are concerned only with the initial cost, especially in the cases where tenants are paying the bills. Governments and some owners, however, can realise the energy savings and so are willing to pay more for minimising the operation cost and reducing the environmental impact. The trade-off between economic costs and environmental benefits can stimulate people on the basis that adoption of green technologies will have environmental and social benefits outside the margin of cost consideration. Although the concept of eco-efficiency, in many cases, does not take into account the social benefits, such an approach can balance environmental design with cost-effectiveness. To achieve eco-efficiency in the building sector, it is necessary to apply an integrated approach with the assistance of a team of professionals across different areas. This is realised in what is called the whole building approach. This approach represents a key factor in the design and construction of green buildings, especially with the advance of technology and increased complexity of constructional systems. The incorporation of the whole building approach at the projects conceptual design phase enables the evaluation of a buildings design, materials and systems from the perspectives of all the project team members as well as from the perspectives of owners and occupants. A principal advantage of this approach is the coordination and mutual dialogue between project team members, which represent a cornerstone for any successful projects. By applying the whole building approach initial and other cost savings can be realised, energy efficiency evaluated and environmental impact asse ssed. The role of cladding systems in making buildings green Green buildings are generally designed and built in an ecological and resources-efficient manner. They often respond to their local environment and, therefore, different building designs are found in different regions. In any region, however, the ultimate target of green buildings is to provide a comfortable environment in an economic way. The buildings skin, particularly building facade, represents the connection between the internal environment and the outside conditions, and hence a key function of the building facade is to reduce the need to modify the indoor environment as little as possible in response to the environmental load from the outdoor climate. Sometimes, a building facade fails to meet its objective due to one or more reasons, such as the insufficient design of wall systems or the inappropriate selection of cladding materials that probably make it impossible for any specific level of comfortable environment to be achieved. Then, it is necessary to rely upon electrical and mechanical systems to achieve comfort. This reliance leads to higher cost which is translated into bigger capacity requirements for lighting and mechanical equipment and higher capital costs for such equipment as well as larger amounts of energy consumption by the lighting system and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. In contrast, efficient environmental design and appropriate selection of green cladding materials can result in a comfortable inside environment, reduced project initial and running costs and a building that is energy and resource-efficient with lower operating costs than conventional buildings. Practitioners have demonstrated that the implementation of green strategies contributes to a buildings comfort, economic and energy performance. The use of green cladding systems, in particular, is able to make a significant impact on the thermal and operational performance of green buildings. Reports show that when green cladding systems are taken in to account at the conceptual design phase, significant improvements in the energy performance can be achieved (Radhi and Sharples, 2008). Aside from their influence on building operational energy, the external wall systems and cladding materials are major contributors to changes in the natural environment. The production of construction materials such as precast and aluminium increases atmospheric concentrations of GHGs. The environmental impact starts with the chemical reactions during the production phase, where such materials represent one of the largest source of CO2 emissions and other GHGs. Then, the transportation of the materials to construction sites consumes considerable amounts of primary energy and generates high levels of GHG emissions. At the installation phase these materials generate different types of waste, whilst at the operation phase some of them influence the interior and exterior spaces by producing unhealthy components into the air. Some construction materials have relatively short useful lives and, consequently, the disposal and manufacture of replacement materials occurs, thereby generating mo re GHGs and waste. Research experts have shown that a careful selection of low environmental impact components and materials reduces the CO2 emissions by up to 30%. Some cladding materials are reported to have the capacity to reduce ozone emissions and other sources of pollutants such as CO2 (Radhi, 2010). How can the eco-efficiency of cladding systems be measured? The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD, 2000) terms eco-efficiency as the synthesis of economic and environmental efficiency in parallel. Within this context, eco-efficiency in the building sector can be determined by three broad objectives: Reduce natural resources consumption by minimising the use of embodied and operational energy, raw materials, water and land as well as enhancing recyclability and material durability Reduce environmental impact by minimising GHGs emissions, waste disposal, water discharges and the dispersion of toxic substances, as well as encouraging the use of renewable resources. Increase the value of materials and systems by providing more benefits through material functionality, flexibility and modularity. In the light of these objectives the important question is how the eco-efficiency of cladding systems can be measured. Significant scientific work has been addressing this issue by introducing suitable assessment methodologies and rating systems. This is best seen in the environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle cost (LCC) approaches developed by the international standards for LCA principles and framework ISO 14040 (ISO14040, 2006). Assessment is performed in four phases, including goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment and interpretation. Two main approaches are available to classify and characterise environmental impacts. The first is the problem-oriented approach (mid-point). The second is the damage-oriented approach (end-point). A great number of methods have been developed under these two approaches such as the critical volumes (weighted load) and ecological scarcity (eco-points) systems in Switzerland, environmental priorities system in Sweden, eco-indicator 99 in Netherlands and the environmental problems system in the United States. The use of such methods makes it possible to select building systems and materials that achieve the most appropriate balance between environmental and economic performance based on certain values of the building team. Case study: assessing eco-efficiency of cladding systems in Bahrain The current assessment, based on the LCA of residential buildings (Radhi and Sharples, 2012), is performed to characterise the eco-efficiency of cladding systems in Bahrain. Bahrain is chosen as many of its building construction approaches and techniques are typical of those found in the GCCC. The production, construction, use and disposal of a 75 m2 front facade of a typical Bahraini house (Fig. 24.1), formed the basis of this assessment. Technically, the building facade consisted of two main components that included the wall system and cladding layers. The wall system is generally classified as cavity wall, barrier wall or mass wall (National Institute of Building Sciences, 2012). The cavity wall (sometimes called the screen wall system) is the preferred method of construction in many climatic regions due primarily to its ability to achieve pressure-equalisation. The barrier wall is an exterior wall system of assembly. The principal difference of this system is its ability to integ rate the surfaces of outermost exterior wall and construction joints, which can offer resistance to bulk moisture ingress. The mass wall relies principally upon a combination of wall thickness and storage capacity. Some fundamental differences exist among these systems such as the thermal performance, fire safety, moisture protection, acoustics, maintainability and material durability, and so consequently their impact on the environment. In terms of cladding, it is the exterior finish layer that is installed to cover wall systems and/or support structures. This finish layer serves several functions, including improving appearance, optimising thermal and environmental performance and keeping undesirable outdoor elements away. Today cladding systems are available in many forms and materials, which are often chosen based on economic and aesthetic factors. Structurally, the use of any alternatives of cladding determines the type of wall system and vice versa. The mass wall system, for example, can form structural elements or finished cladding systems. This system is commonly associated with plaster and masonry cladding systems. On the other hand, the barrier wall is used with precast concrete spandrel panels and some types of metal cladding systems such as composite and solid metal plate as well as with exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS). With the advance in building technology and construction materials, many alternatives of cladding systems are now available in the market. Examples are studied in the current work, namely, stucco, masonry veneer, marble, ceramic tile and the EIFS. Stucco is a hard, dense, thick and non-insulating material, such as cement plaster, that can be used to cover exterior wall surfaces. Both Portland cement and masonry cement are used with sand for the base and finish coats of stucco exterior walls. Unlike the ordinary stucco system, the EIFS (also known as synthetic stucco) is a lightweight synthetic wall cladding that includes foam plastic insulation and thin synthetic coatings. The masonry veneer is made from a mixture of Portland cement and aggregates under controlled conditions. It provides cladding and resists transferring wind and heat loads to the building support structure. The marble cladding system is a natural stone, while the ceramic tile cladding system consists of a mixture of clay and other ceramic materials. To improve environmental and thermal performance, recycled windshield glass is often added to the ceramic mix (Brookes and Meijs, 2008). These five cladding systems are assessed under real construction and thermal scenarios with the same wall system (mass wall), as illustrated in Fig. 24.2. To provide each scenario with the basic systems quantities per functional unit, the existing facade parameters and wall materials of the typical house are considered as a reference scenario, in addition to the operational aspects that are influenced by the building facade. Data inventory of cladding systems The LCA method and LCC technique are integrated to deliver a complete and detailed assessment of the overall potential impact of the typical house. An important point to note is that system and material selection based on a single impact could obscure other factors that might cause equal or greater damage. Therefore, the adopted LCA methodology takes a multidimensional life-cycle approach, in which multiple environmental impacts are considered over the entire life of the assessed cladding systems. To balance the assessment, the LCC is performed over a 60 year life span, and is based on published data and methods outlined in (Radhi 2010). Categories of expenditure typically include costs for purchase, installation, maintenance, repair and replacement. Measuring the economic performance is relatively straightforward by using real cost data collected through a field study. The data in question are the real cost data that occur and the subsequent cost, which will occur in the future. Normalisation is carried out in this work in order to present a more useful scale of measurement and to make comparisons of various systems simpler. Normalisation is an optional step in impact assessment and can be described as a form of benchmarking, where the flows of each environmental impact are first summed and then divided by fixed Bahraini scale impact values. This can yield measures that are placed in the context of Bahraini activity contributing to that impact. The placing of each measure in the context of its associated Bahraini impact measure makes it possible to reduce different values to the same scale and allows the comparison across impacts. The resulting performance measures are, thus, expressed in non-commensurate units. For credibility, the commercially available BEES model (National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2007) for building construction materials coupled with the international inventory data (Hammond Jones, 2011) were used to compare and check. The BEES model is generally used to measure the environmental and energy performance of building products and facade materials using the life cycle assessment approach outlined in ISO standard 14040. Environmental impact assessment Given the desire to link environmental and economic performance through the concept of eco-efficiency, the ideal way is to base the eco-efficiency indicators on international agreement as far as possible. According to the framework of the United Nations (2006), the assessment of eco-efficiency includes various generic environmental issues such as energy use, global warming contribution, water use, ozone depletion substance and waste. From these indicators, energy consumption and CO2 emissions, water use and ecological toxicity are of the greatest relevance for this study. Fig. 24.3 compares these indicators with respect to the five studied cladding systems. Some of these systems, such as the marble cladding, have significant impacts on water use but moderate impacts on global warming and embodied energy. Other systems, such as stucco, have a significant impact on both the energy consumption and global warming but a minor impact on water use. The others, such as the EIFS, have a minor impact on different generic environmental issues. From the illustration, the EIFS system seems to be the best performer, followed by the ceramic tiles, marble and finally the brick. Stucco is found to be the least effective system in terms of energy consumption and ecological toxicity as well as in relation to CO2 emissions. This can be related to the large amounts of CO2 emissions during cement production, which is the main component of the plaster cladding system. Environmental versus economic When the overall environmental impact of the examined systems is considered, a different scenario occurs. The overall environmental performance is illustrated in Fig. 24.4. Two main observations can be highlighted: firstly, the overall environmental performance ranking of the five systems is different from single measures such energy use and global warming. The EIFS cladding system is the best environmental performer, whilst the ceramic tile system is the worst performer. The difference is more than 24 points. As systems with lower scores are greener, the EIFS cladding system is greener because it contributes, on average, 0.1% of annual per capita Bahrain environmental impacts, whilst the marble contributes a larger share, 0.35%. Secondly, the environmental performance ranking is different from that of the economic performance. The illustration shows that the economic impacts of cladding systems are various and different from the environmental impacts. For example, the stucco claddin g is illustrated as the best economic performer, but it is not in terms of the environmental performance. The difference in score is significant, being almost 11 points. This can be also seen in the case of the ceramic tile cladding. In contrast, the marble cladding achieves a high overall environmental performance and a low economic performance with a difference that reaches almost 21%. The EIFS cladding seems to have a balanced environmental and economic status. The same ranking occurs when both environmental and economic performance are estimated. By using the multi-attribute decision analysis technique, environmental indicators and the economic performance are combined into an overall performance measure (National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2007). It is important to mention that the overall performance scores in this work are not indications of absolute performance. Rather, they are reflecting proportional differences in performance and representing relative performance among system alternatives. By following this procedure, these scores can be changed when the number of system alternatives are increased or reduced. The potential overall performance of the studied systems shows different scenarios when compared with the environmental and economic performances. The stucco cladding seems to be the most eco-efficient systems in spite of its poor environmental performance, followed by the EFIS system with a score of 29%, with the masonry veneer coming next. In contrast, the ceramic tile cladding is found to be the wor st with almost 50%, in spite of its moderate economic performance. Overall, different cladding systems have different environmental and economic performances. Some cladding materials improve the environmental performance, but provide a moderate influence in terms of economic performance, and vice versa. Others positively improve the environmental performance and can optimise the economic performance. Therefore, a careful eco-efficiency assessment should be undertaken in selecting wall cladding systems. Such an assessment can benefit the appraisal of green cladding systems and hence into the design decisions made in developing various scale of green buildings. Conclusion Todays modern buildings systems, particularly cladding system, are often selected and assessed based on aesthetics and cost rather than their environmental performance or their overall potential impact. The concept of eco-efficiency introduced in this book balances the environmental performance with economic aspects. This chapter presented a systematic eco-efficiency assessment of cladding systems and explored its role progressing a green future in the building sector. The interrelation between environmental indicators and economic performance was examined by comparing various cladding systems, considering both overall environmental impact indicators and life cycle cost. The differences in environmental indicators of various cladding systems, namely, stucco, masonry veneer, marble, ceramic tile and the EIFS systems, are generally significant. The ranking of these systems in terms of environmental and economic performance are different. Some of the cladding systems, such as the marble cladding, reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions, but provide a minor reduction in terms of the life cycle cost, and vice versa. Others, such as the EFIS system, impact positively upon the environmental indicators and can optimise the overall potential impact. This system has the ability to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions; however, other aspects, such as maintenance and life expectancy, should be considered at the time of system selection. The scope of the current study focused on the eco-efficiency of representative residential cladding system in a developing country. Consequently, the outcome of this assessment may not be applied to buildings in countries with different economic and environmental situation. In spite of this shortcoming, this assessment approach may provide useful quantitative and qualitative information for cladding design decisions. Therefore, it is important to highlight some general notes: New green building technologies, such as the exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), are effective cladding systems in promoting a green future in the residential building sector. To improve the overall potential impact, wall cladding systems in desert climate regions, such as Bahrain, can be designed as exterior insulation and finish systems. Every building is unique in both design and operation. Academic experts and practitioners benefiting from this work should consider the impact of related variables, and therefore a careful assessment must be performed during the selection process in order to achieve eco-efficiency in the building sector. In addition to its ability to assess building cladding systems, the eco-efficiency concept can be used with various other systems, materials and innovative applications. It can yield a precise assessment in the case of multifunctional problems in relatively short times and at relatively low cost. In the near future the concept of eco-efficiency will become more important in the context of the green built environment in order to show which design process, building systems and renewable technologies are more favourable than other alternatives.