Author: William Van Zyl
Publisher: Five House Publishing
ISBN: 0473452332
Category : Dampness in buildings
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Author: William Van Zyl
Publisher: Five House Publishing
ISBN: 0473438372
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 125

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Book Description
Abstract: Concepts of 'openness' in education hinge on interactions between individuals and organisations and boundaries within which these interactions exist. The future development of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technologies of Higher Education rests on the critical decisions of 'openness' ('open' & 'free' education). The conceptualisations are largely influenced by those responsible for making political, economic and social decisions. I argue that NZ is currently in a favourable position to take advantage of P2P technologies because it has the basic infrastructure to support collaborative technologies (digital interconnectivity-Web 2.0 moving into Web 3.0). This literature review explores the value of philosophical perspectives or 'foundational schools of thought on openness' from theorists such as Karl Popper, Michel Foucault, and Jürgen Habermas - which act as a measuring stick in this literature review to gauge the position of NZ HE's 'open' education within a global tertiary education context. 'Openness' and the concept of 'neoliberalism' in the two main philosophical theories of Michel Foucault on Governmentality ('biopower') and Jürgen Habermas on Communicative Action are at the heart of the 'democratisation of the knowledge economy' debate. There is no point of convergence when comparing the theory of Foucault and Habermas. Foucault is mainly concerned with providing a genealogical account of the diffusion of power (political & economical), whereas Habermas is concerned with creating a political philosophy based on the recognition of the communicative capacities of rational human beings, which Foucault neglects.... P2P technologies implemented by some OECD countries compared to NZ shows that NZ HE is utilising and implementing P2P technologies (VLE's, video, podcasts, vodcasts, microblogging, and Moodle) successfully and effectively to enhance peer teaching and learning. I reason, with specific reference to the fundamental notion of the 'openness school of thought', that the P2P learning and teaching technologies in NZ HE are well developed, and NZ takes every opportunity to develop and refine the infrastructure and software available. The Neoliberalist ('laissez fair') approach refers to an economic system in which transactions between private parties are free from government interference such as regulations, privileges, tariffs, and subsidies (Peters, 2011; Olsen & Peters, 2005). I reason that this approach in HE shows agendas that are seeking profit over altruism. The paradigm of education as 'social good' within the knowledge economy (knowledge to be shared) is at the heart of the philosophical approach in this paper. Peters (2011) suggests that what is required is a change in 'ethos'. "It is not the confidence and trust of the markets but rather the development of trust that comes with the radically decentered democratic collaboration that epitomises distributed knowledge, political and energy systems" (Peters, 2011, p.182). Keywords: Peer-to-Peer Collaboration (P2P), Peer Learning (PL), Peer Assisted Learning (PAL), Openness, Neoliberalism, Post-Neoliberalism, Higher Education (HE), New Zealand (NZ), Conceptualisation, Governmentality & Biopower (Foucault), Communicative Action (Habermas), Microblogging, Twitter, and P2P Technologies.

Author: William Van Zyl
Publisher: Five House Publishing
ISBN: 0473452391
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 85

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Book Description
Who is this book for? For Design and Visual Communication teachers and students. Students aged 16 to 18 years old. New Zealand context. Design and Visual Communication - NCEA Level 3. Spatial Design Brief. Two design briefs are included: BRIEF 1: Design a Unique Sustainable Bach BRIEF 2: Design an exhibition for your unique sustainable bach (holiday home) in a room in the Waikato Museum, which will be provided by the museum. Include your portfolio, 3-d model, enlarged pictures of your model and design sketches/work drawings, etc. (Sketch-up). Use the computer, data projector & screen to loop parts of your presentation (choose a component like research, for instance). Show possible flyers and brochures of your design work (assume you are an architect marketing your work). Show the link to your website or blog. EXCERPT: For example, you could use the following building materials for your bach: Aluminium cladding for the exterior walls and roof. Shuttered rammed earth sections for interior walls. Coloured concrete floors. A macrocarpa ceiling (sustainable timber). Large triple glazed windows in aluminium frames. Aluminium frames with large glass sections for interior /external doors. Discuss and illustrate the following with regards to your design decision (Unique Bach Design): Weather and climate of the location (precipitation, sunny days during the year, wind speed and wind direction) The terrain of the location (screenshots Google Maps and Google Earth) Bio-mimetic influences (for example the shape of a dune could be considered for the unique bach). To make the building more aerodynamic it will channel the air flow effortlessly over the building when the wind blows, and you could perhaps trap some moving air into tubes which could spin smaller wind turbines (blades) in the tubes to generate electrical power (engineering). Sustainable architecture (e.g. Passive Solar Design – Sun, Passive Ventilation-Air Flow, and more). Apply what you know and explore additional and new sustainable features and functions. View this slideshow from slide share about passive solar design: http://www.slideshare.net/WilliamZyl/passive-solar-design-architecture-33264758 Scientific concepts and ideas. For example, some engineering features you are thinking of. Discuss and collaborate with your friends in class-you could get some new ideas! Artistic inspired shapes/forms and ideas. Other Book details: Word count = 6078 Pages = 55 (size A4) including mane images, sketches, and links to websites and videos.

Author: William Van Zyl
Publisher: Five House Publishing
ISBN: 0473454386
Category : Dwellings
Languages : en
Pages : 64

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Author: US Global Change Research Program
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1510726217
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 592

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Book Description
As global climate change proliferates, so too do the health risks associated with the changing world around us. Called for in the President’s Climate Action Plan and put together by experts from eight different Federal agencies, The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health: A Scientific Assessment is a comprehensive report on these evolving health risks, including: Temperature-related death and illness Air quality deterioration Impacts of extreme events on human health Vector-borne diseases Climate impacts on water-related Illness Food safety, nutrition, and distribution Mental health and well-being This report summarizes scientific data in a concise and accessible fashion for the general public, providing executive summaries, key takeaways, and full-color diagrams and charts. Learn what health risks face you and your family as a result of global climate change and start preparing now with The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health.

Author: Darcy D. Marciniuk
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781849840880
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Author: Xavier Bonnefoy
Publisher: World Health Organization
ISBN: 9289071885
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 293

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Book Description
The second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century witnessed important changes in ecology, climate and human behaviour that favoured the development of urban pests. Most alarmingly, urban planners now face the dramatic expansion of urban sprawl, in which city suburbs are growing into the natural habitats of ticks, rodents and other pests. Also, many city managers now erroneously assume that pest-borne diseases are relics of the past. All these changes make timely a new analysis of the direct and indirect effects of present-day urban pests on health. Such an analysis should lead to the development of strategies to manage them and reduce the risk of exposure. To this end, WHO invited international experts in various fields - pests, pest-related diseases and pest management - to provide evidence on which to base policies. These experts identified the public health risk posed by various pests and appropriate measures to prevent and control them. This book presents their conclusions and formulates policy options for all levels of decision-making to manage pests and pest-related diseases in the future. [Ed.]

Author: William Van Zyl
Publisher: Five House Publishing
ISBN: 0473446316
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
SYNOPSIS: This book is about Design and Visual Communication for secondary school students and teachers. It is a very useful resource for primary, secondary school teachers and tertiary students, who are interested in all aspects of sustainable architecture. Designers and architects could also find it an interesting read. The software Google Sketch-up used, discussed, and illustrated in this book, is very user-friendly. The computer-aided drawing program – SketchUpMake – is freeware, which can be downloaded from the Internet. The computer program is very easy to use; very young kids, like primary school students, and secondary school students, can use it. It is a great design program and many tertiary students, as well as professional architects and designers, make use of it. The advantage is that objects and buildings can be designed in just minutes, for example, concepts and ideas. Included in the sleep-out brief is general research (inspiration board, design eras & influential architects), and design activities that include possible solutions to a sustainable architectural design brief. Extensive content is included on freehand sketches, SketchUp computer-aided drawings, elevations, site plans, diagrams, screenshots, biomimetics, assessments, and more. The assessment of the chosen building site is presented, including weather and climatic factors. Additionally, the author has included links to his YouTube videos (model/movement). These videos were specifically included to assist the solution to sustainable architectural briefs. Links to published academic work by the author, and much more, are also included. See Five House Publishing for more details. Exemplars of secondary school students work (sixteen-year-olds) from a New Zealand Secondary School are included (Design and Visual Communication). KEYWORDS: Design and Visual Communication (DVC), Sustainable Architecture, 16-year-olds, animal architecture, armadillo and onion inspired, ask nature how, biomimetics, clerestory, climate, collecting rainwater, computer-aided software, concrete, creativity, design eras, elevations, freehand sketching, generating design ideas, green roof, harvesting energy from the sun, harvesting energy from the wind, heatsink, ideation, illustrate sustainable function, influential designers, innovation, location, model, modernism, modernist architects, movement, New Zealand, orientation, passive solar, passive solar design, passive solar panel, passive ventilation, photovoltaic panel, primary school, retrofitting, secondary school, sectional views, Shadows and Shading, shipping container sleep-out, site assessment, site plan, Sketch-Up, sleep-out, steel reinforcing, sustainable architecture, sustainable features & functions, the living classroom, thermal mass, trombe walls, weather, climate.

Author: Claude Henry
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1800371780
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 496

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Book Description
The world has witnessed extraordinary economic growth, poverty reduction and increased life expectancy and population since the end of WWII, but it has occurred at the expense of undermining life support systems on Earth and subjecting future generations to the real risk of destabilising the planet. This timely book exposes and explores this colossal environmental cost and the dangerous position the world is now in. Standing up for a Sustainable World is written by and about key individuals who have not only understood the threats to our planet, but also become witness to them and confronted them.

Author: David Crichton
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136444564
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 398

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Book Description
From the bestselling author of Ecohouse, this fully revised edition of Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change provides unique insights into how we can protect our buildings, cities, infra-structures and lifestyles against risks associated with extreme weather and related social, economic and energy events. Three new chapters present evidence of escalating rates of environmental change. The authors explore the growing urgency for mitigation and adaptation responses that deal with the resulting challenges. Theoretical information sits alongside practical design guidelines, so architects, designers and planners can not only see clearly what problems they face, but also find the solutions they need, in order to respond to power and water supply needs. Considers use of materials, structures, site issues and planning in order to provide design solutions. Examines recent climate events in the US and UK and looks at how architecture was successful or not in preventing building damage. Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change is an essential source, not just for architects, engineers and planners facing the challenges of designing our building for a changing climate, but also for everyone involved in their production and use.