Health Unit Coordinator Essay Example for Free

Health Unit Coordinator Essay Health unit coordinators provide support in areas of the hospital where nursing care is provided to patients. They perform a variety of services to patients, visitors, and hospital management. Health unit coordinators receive new patients and give information and direction to visitors. They have good communication skills to perform the follow tasks: answering the telephone, providing information to the health professional staff, answering patient signals, and taking and delivering messages. see more:explain why it is important to assess health and safety risks Unit coordinators also need a working knowledge of medical terminology for transcribing doctors orders, copying and compiling information from patients charts, and scheduling tests and appointments for patients. Other duties include maintenance of records, maintenance and inventories of supplies and equipment. At the direction of nurses or doctors, the unit coordinator also makes emergency code calls. Specialty areas include reception, scheduling, communication, archive maintenance, clerical duties, coordination of non-clinical tasks, and safety. Most health unit coordinators work in hospitals. The work environment is often fast-paced with many activities in progress at any given time. Although health unit coordinators may receive on-the-job training, many hospitals prefer to hire those who graduated from formal education programs. These programs are offered by vocational schools, adult education centers, and community colleges and take a year or less to complete. In training programs, students receive a combination of classroom and clinical training. They learn clerical skills, medical terminology, hospital organization, legal and ethical responsibilities, transcription of doctors orders, computer operation, and other relevant courses.

Advantages of Global Marketing

Advantages of Global Marketing Globalisation To define the key processes for globalisation, a number of issues exist in order to clearly define the different perspectives of globalisation (e.g. Neoliberal, Counter-hegemonic etc) and the particular branch (e.g. economic, cultural etc). Globalisation itself is the process facilitating the international operation of financial and investment markets mostly due to deregulation and improved communications. Fischer (2003) proposes the ongoing process of greater interdependence among countries and their citizens. Harris defines globalisation as an economic process increasing the internationalism of production and distribution of goods and services whereas Friedman defines it as that loose combination of free trade agreements, the Internet and the integration of financial markets that is erasing borders and uniting the world into a single, lucrative, but brutally competitive marketplace (cited in Datta-Ray et al., 2008). Dicken (2011) proposes 4 parallel processes; localisation -concentration of economic activities with varying degrees of functional integration, internationalisation -the dispersion of economic activities across national boundaries with low levels of functional integration, globalisation demonstrating geographical spread and a high degree of functional integration regionalisation- same but slightly less widely dispersed. Global jobs refer to posts held by knowledge workers-a concept coined by Drucker (cited in Wartzman, 2014) to mean an individual employed in the task of developing or using knowledge. Drucker further clarified this by defining them as those who work differently than those of an industrial and agricultural age cerebrally rather than physically involved. Today, the roles are no longer mutually exclusive however, as those physically involved, may well contribute significant knowledge. The question can be asked as to whether companies should act as if there is a single market motivated by the same demands, or should they account for local or cultural differences when developing or marketing the cultures they serve? Globalisation is more than administering to foreign markets from a single corporate HQ. It is the globalization of the HQ itself, with different senior corporate functions being located in many parts of the world. By achieving this, the company in effect becomes local mimicking the behaviour of an indigenous company because key corporate decisions are made within the countrys borders even though those decisions have global impact. A company truly becomes global when it mimics a local company in as many different countries as it can. The possibilities of entering the global market require serious research and investment in order to produce successful results. Jones (2016) pointed out that many organisations have neither the proficiency nor the required strategic contacts in order to commence the global marketing process and concluded that there were advantages in the hiring of intermediary companies to act as representatives. Griffith (2013) outlined necessary management skills namely planned and improvisational decision making and soft skills which enhance the decision process-essential owing to the dynamic nature of the global markets. Delaney (2016) listed 4 advantages of global marketing-(a) Cost reduction and savings from an increasingly expanding market that strives to remain competitive. This is largely reliant on communications advances with multimedia and international broadband internet input, (b) Improved product and service effectiveness largely also due to significantly improved communications and multi-media awareness, (c) stronger competitive advantage compared to the number of firms that as of yet have failed to embrace globalisation and (d) heightened customer awareness regarding the global phenomena where customers can monitor the progress of their delivery. Additionally, negotiations with an increasingly diverse clientele generates significantly valuable experience in global trade. According to Neveling et al. (2014), ethics plays a key role on Chinese society, however ethics in business is relatively new territory, driven by reflections on economic reform, tradition and the influence of both Marxist philosophy foreign business ethics. China has a poor reputation in this filed with numerous examples e.g. when Toyota discovered a Chinese manufacturer using their logo on its cars, litigation ruled against Toyota when in the eyes of the court, the Toyota brand was not recognised in China. Subsequently, China is becoming a target for international litigation resulting in threats of sanctions. China has relented and is improving as a result. Neveling et al. (2014) also discussed the Chinese requirement for technology leading to increased multinational business transactions. The Chinese market is viewed with caution regarding breach of patents and theft, however the size of the market has acted as a deterrent for withdrawal by global corporations. References Datta-Ray, B., Deb, B., Sengupta, K. (2008). Globalization and North East India. New Delhi: Concept Pub. Co. in collaboration with North East India Council of Social Science Research. Delaney, L. (2016, September 28). Why Develop a Global Marketing Strategy? Retrieved March 28, 2017, from https://www.thebalance.com/why-develop-global-marketing-1953314 Dicken, P. (2015). Global shift: mapping the changing contours of the world economy. New York: The Guilford Press. Fischer, S., (2003). Globalization and its challenges. The American Economic Review 93.2 (May 2003): 1. Griffith, D., Hoppner, J., (2013). Global marketing managers. International Marketing Review30.1 (2013): 21-41. Jones, C. (2016, June 20). Globalisation is a reality but are we ready for it? Retrieved March 28, 2017, from https://www.fenews.co.uk/featured-article/globalisation-is-a-reality-but-are-we-ready-for-it-12194 Neveling, A., Malan, D., Yortt, A., (2014). Globalisation and its influence on ethical decision-making in business: China and intellectual property. African Journal of Business Ethics. 8(1). doi:10.15249/8-1-17 Wartzman, R. (2014). What Peter Drucker Knew About 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2017, from https://hbr.org/2014/10/what-peter-drucker-knew-about-2020

Dilemma of Immigrants in America Essay -- Literary Analysis, Bharati M

In the essay, â€Å"American Dreamer† by Bharati Mukherjee, Mukherjee writes about the problems of immigrants nowadays. Because of her families religious tradition, Mukherjee is confined by her permanent identity in her own culture, â€Å"a Hindu Indian’s last name announced his or her forefathers’ caste and place of origin†¦a Mukherjee could only be Brahmin from Bengal†¦my identity was viscerally connected with ancestral soil and genealogy† (Mukherjee 1). From her attitude towards her identity, Mukherjee does not want to confine by the Hindu tradition. She is rebellious against her own culture even though she understands Hindu tradition forbids any assimilation with any other culture. After her marriage with an American of Canadian origin, she had hard time adopting the new environment in Canada. People in Canada see her as a â€Å"visible minority† because of her race that she is not white. She remarked America as promising nation o f democracy and equality; however, America still has many flaws on the clash of ethnic issues. No matter how hard the immigrants try to assimilate into American culture, the society treats them as minority, subordinate citizens. Because they are not white, they are categorized as being â€Å"Asian-American†. She pointed out that immigrants are trapped in the† identity crisis†: a person not knowing who he or she is in the foreign culture, and some of the first-generation Indo-Americans are even â€Å"more-Indian-than-Indians-in-India† (Mukherjee 3). Similarly, in Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, Jasmine, the protagonist is an immigrant from India and she has created different identities for every place she stays. Jasmine aspires to forget her past memories and identities, while some immigrants in the novel are seeking to reta... ...l group. Although they are U.S. citizen, they lose their sense of belonging in America. Nirrmala is living in her own little world while Professorji is disguising himself from the lost of dream. They do not know who they are and where they belong to. A wife who still keeps her Indian name and culture and a husband who attempts to fit into the American society but his ego is still drowning in his past. Mukherjee who has deserted her biological identity, she would exclaim to the immigrants that to follow the Jasmine’s belief, â€Å"to bunker oneself inside nostalgia, sheathe the heart in a bulletproof vest, was to be a coward† (Mukherjee 185). Immigrants should suppress their cultural memory, â€Å"let the past make you wary, by all means. But do not let it deform you† (Mukherjee 131). Mukherjee conveys that let the American culture to transmogrify them, but not their past.

Burning Out in Tom Stoppards Arcadia :: Stoppard Arcadia Essays

Burning Out in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia Humanity has no intention of fading away, but rather has designed, by its nature, a flash before death, a burning out, if you will. Inherent in the human character is a desire to fight until the end, whether it be physically, or intellectually. In Arcadia, Septimus describes life as a processional march, telling Thomasina, "The procession is very long and life is very short. We die on the march" (Stoppard 38). But as we die, we don't simply allow ourselves to pass into the distance. We push our muscles to the limit, breathing harder and harder until we fall. The people of this earth do not follow the uncomplicated universal pattern of slowly giving up hot for cold. Despite human understanding of this pattern, and the ultimate fate of ending up cold even after the flash, our "noise," as Valentine calls it, love and sex and other various distractions, affects our life equation, and makes Thomasina's death in a fire all too appropriate. As Hannah and Valentine discuss the mysteries of Sidely Park, Valentine argues that everything in the universe progresses from heat to cold. He illustrates, "It's a one way street. Your tea will end up at room temperature...[it] is happening to everything everywhere. The sun and the stars...we're all going to end up at room temperature" (Stoppard 78). Hannah, appearing to support Valentine's statement, recites a section of Lord Byron's "Darkness": I had a dream that was not all a dream The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars Did wander darkling in the eternal space, Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air... (Stoppard 79) Hannah, however, is refuting Valentine's statement, not supporting it, as is evidenced by the rest of Byron's poem, which goes on to say: ...all hearts Were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light And they did live by watch fires... The habitations of all things which dwell Were burnt for beacons; cities were consumed, And men were gather'd round their blazing homes To look once more into each other's face... Forests were set on fire - but hour by hour They fell and faded - and the crackling trunks Extinguished with a crash - and all was black... (Byron 31) Â   "Darkness" implies that as the universe gets colder, humanity, in an effort to stay alive, burns the earth for warmth.

A Psychological Analysis of Alice Walkers Everyday Use Essay -- Every

A Psychological Analysis of Alice Walker's Everyday Use  Ã‚     Ã‚   The human mind is divided into three parts that make up the mind as a whole. These parts are necessary to have a complete mind, just as the members of a family are needed to make up the entire family. The use of components to equal a whole is often exercised in literature. Alice Walker's short story, "Everyday Use," contains the idea of family and of the mind, therefore her work can be evaluated through psychological methods. Through their actions, the characters symbolize the three different parts of the mind: the id, the ego, and the superego. The first type of mind division, the id, "constantly strives to satisfy basic drives...[and] seeks immediate gratification" (Myers 379). In "Everyday Use," Dee's personality is equivalent to the id because she seeks her own personal gain and does not necessarily consider the consequences of her actions. Mama, the narrator in "Everyday Use," says that "Dee wanted nice things. She was determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts" (Walker 92). Dee strives for satisfaction in all she does; she will do everything in her power to get what she desires. The story recounts a situation in which Dee wants some quilts that were stiched by her grandmother, but Mama has already promised these treasures to Dee's sister, Maggie. Mama said that as she "[moved] up to touch the quilts. Dee moved back just enough so that [Mama] couldn't reach the quilts. They already belonged to [Dee]" (Walker 96). Mama explains that Dee is determined to gain possession of the quilts. Although the quilts belong to her mother, Dee has already mentally determined that the quilts belong to her. Dee's personality is comparable to the id branch of the... ...The use of psychological strategies in the Walker's work shows that the characters are joined and create one unit, a family. Works Cited Alice Malsenior Walker: An Annotated Bibliography, 1968-1986. Eds. Louis H. Pratt and Donnell D. Pratt. Connecticut: Meckler Corporation, 1988. Everyday Use: Alice Walker. Ed. Barbara T. Christian. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1994. Myers, David G. Exploring Psychology. Third edition. New York: Worth Publishing, 1996. Walker, Alice. "Everyday Use." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Sixth edition. Eds. X.J. Dennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. http://www.dc.peachnet.edu/~shale/humanities/composition/handouts/sample/walker.html http://www.luminarium.org/contemporary/alicew/ http://www.seattletimes.com/extra/browse/html97/altalic_051697.html

Effect of television advertisements for foods on food consumption in children Essay

Effect of television advertisements for foods on food consumption in children Introduction Question 1 Â   Â   Â   Â  This research describes a research that is both qualitative and quantitative. To start with, the research can be said to use quantitative research method because it employs the use of the top down scientific method of research. Throughout the research, the researchers make use of quantitative data that involves the analysis of a number of variables like the preference of certain foods by some children and attraction to certain advertisements by some children. Moreover, the research uses quantitative research which involves the use of data that can be measured. For example, the number of children who took certain types of foods and the number of adverts that every child was shown. The main use of quantitative data in the research is to understand the behavior patterns of the children. Question 2 Â   Â   Â   Â  This research summary describes cross-sectional study which is also referred to as prevalence. This is because the research involves collecting data from a number of students who represent a large population. The study applied in the research summary is mainly descriptive and uses a small sample of students from a larger children population in England. In addition, the research summary describes cross sectional study because the findings can be used to describe the prevalence risk ratio of the concerned population. Question 3 Â   Â   Â   Â  The research summary is full of evidence to indicate that the researchers concerned did everything possible to ensure that the exercise was carried out ethically. The first evidence of attention to ethics was to inquire from the children involved whether they wished to take part in the exercise. This is important because nobody should be coerced into taking part in any study. Moreover, the researchers involved made sure that the advertisements that were used in the study were sourced from children and family programming. This is important because it ensured that the adverts did not contain any explicit contents. Question 4 Â   Â   Â   Â  The type of experiment contained in the research summary is a quasi-experiment. This is because all the independent variables used in the experiment like the age of the children, their gender and body mass index are things that already exist in the sample population. Unlike in a true experiment where people are assigned to different condition, all the children involved in the study were assigned to the same conditions. Question 5 Â   Â   Â   Â  Some of the variables that the experimenters considered were the weight of the children, exposure to TV food adverts, different types of foods and the amount of foods consumed by each child. The independent variable used in the experiment is the amount of food given to the children and the food adverts they were exposed to. The dependent variables that were used in this research were the effect of food adverts on the amount of food consumed by each child and relationship between the weight of a child and his/her ability to recognize food adverts. Question 6 Â   Â   Â   Â  The main reason why the researchers used commercials of non- food product was to see whether the children would remember the adverts that they had seen in general. The main role of non-food commercials was to test whether they would attract the attention of the children the same way with food adverts. Question 7 Â   Â   Â   Â  The conclusion at the end of the research summary suggests that there is a correlation between viewing TV and childhood obesity. This means that there exists a relationship between viewing too much TV and increased food intake. However, it is worthy noting that the relationship between the two is mutual or complementary. Question 8 Â   Â   Â   Â  There are two things that i would do differently if I were conducting this experiment. To begin with, I take into consideration the rate of physical activity in every child. This is because they extra calories consumed by each child could be used due to physical activity therefore reducing the probability of obesity. Secondly, I would consider factors that may lead to excessive viewing of TV like limited parental involvement and lenient parental rules. Reference Halford, J. C. G., Gillespie, J., Brown, V., Pontin, E. E., & Dovey, T. M. Effect of television advertisements for foods on food consumption in children, 2004. Print Source document

Green Roof

Many people don’t know what green roof is. So, what it is? A green roof is not a surface painted green, it is a living surface of plants growing in a soil layer on top of the roof. A thinner or thicker soil layer is spread over the roof membrane itself, sometimes with a protective root barrier, often with a drainage layer underneath. On the substrate, draught-tolerant species of plants are grown. Roof vegetation like this one doesn’t at all damage the waterproofing membrane of the roof. In fact it protects it from the uv-light which does damage the membrane over time.There are two types of green roofs: extensive and intensive. There are some differences of its. An extensive roof has very thin soil layers, draught tolerant plants and requires little or almost no maintenance. The limitation here is in the choice of plants. Extensive roof can be established on a very thin layer of soil. An intensive roof garden has much thicker soil layers, and can look like an ordinary ga rden, with trees and shrubs. Intensive roofs are more park-like with easy access and may include anything from kitchen herbs to shrubs and small trees.This of course needs as much maintenance as a garden does, and can only be constructed on a roof that can bear heavy loads. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Green_roof) It doesn’t matter what type roof is, but construction is a similar. Construction includes drainage materials, plant materials and establishment methods. For each green roof project, different site conditions and your aims and motives will govern the choice of materials and establishment methods. Therefore, if you are planning to build a green roof, consider the following two sections carefully.There are some roof sections which are important. First is a waterproofing. The membrane is made waterproof, and it will stay waterproof unless it gets physically damaged or aged. What ages a bitumen membrane is mainly uv-light and temperature extremes. Unless the roof memb rane is damaged while laying the green roof, the soil and vegetation cover protects the membrane from these types of injuries later. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=32&sub=19) Second section is root barrier. The asphalt waterproofing itself is not classified as root resistant and had to be reinforced with a root barrier.This barrier consists of rubberized asphalt enforced with polyester and treated eight a root-repelling agent. There are also synthetic waterproofing membranes (like PVC liners) available that are root resistant and do not require an additional root barrier. Different countries have different building practices and rules for green roofs – and many countries have no rules at all yet. In Germany, for example, a root barrier is always laid under a green roof. This is to ensure that no roots can damage the waterproofing.A root barrier is sometimes incorporated in the drainage layer. It can be chemical and poisonous to plants, or it can be a thin copper sheet, or r ubber sealed so as to avoid seams. If your motive for having a green roof is sustainability and ecological consciousness, it’s a good idea to ask your contractor about the method. In Sweden, the usual practice is that under extensive roof vegetation (2 – 5 cm soil), where only sedums and moss can survive, an extra root barrier is not considered necessary, since the sedums used have weak roots, and moss has no roots at all.When the soil layer is thicker, and therefore can hold more water, other plants grow there, and there is a risk of getting weeds with more penetrative roots. Second layer is insulation. Insulation boards can be made from extruded polystyrene which has high water resistance and compressive strength. The main difference from the old roof is that the insulation layer must be places above the waterproofing membrane, but on the new roofs insulation must be located below the waterproofing. Second, but not less important, is drainage.The main reason for usin g a drainage layer is that if a lot of water drains off along the surface of the soil, this will cause erosion. The second reason, is that for roofs which are almost flat, too much water would remain on the roof, forming puddles. Especially sedum vegetation is adapted to dry conditions, and tends to rot if submerged. Besides, too much water available can lead to unwanted plants establishing on the roof. Another function of the drainage materials that are often used is to store some amount of water.This effect becomes more and more important the drier the conditions on the roof are, due to climate, a steeper slope or other conditions on the roof. Drainage materials used in green roofs include natural materials, recycled materials and manufactured drainage mats. (â€Å"Green roof systems† Susan K. Weiler, Katrin Scolz-Barth) And finally, the top layer is growing medium with plants. The growing medium provides nutrients and structure for the roots to anchor in. the proprietary m ixes of the manufacturer consist of a lightweight aggregate, expanded shale, and some compost.The organic components make up about three to six percent of the shallow planting areas. The mix for deeper planting areas has slightly more organics. This mix is also heavier and allows a higher water-holding capacity in order to support the larger plants of these areas. In conclusion, one has to realize that there is no cookie cutter approach when it comes to the design of a green roof section. Though certain layers are always present – waterproofing, root barrier, insulation, protection layer, drainage layer, growing medium – their actual composition varies widely responding to a particular situation. â€Å"Green roof – a case study† Christian Werthmann) Green roofs have many advantages. One is a cooling effect. It is very useful effect for individual houses at summer time. A black bitumen roof easily reaches temperatures of 80 ° Celsius in the summer. When a soil layer and the shading plants protect the roof, the surface temperature usually doesn’t rise above the surrounding air temperature. A study conducted by Environment Canada found a 26% reduction in summer cooling needs and a 26% reduction in winter heat losses when a green roof is used.In addition to this, the plants and soil evaporate water, creating a cooling effect, and a moister air, more comfortable to breathe. Cooling effect is useful at summer, but at winter there is another green roof feature – insulation. The soil layer provides an additional insulation. In warmer climates a green roof especially the versions with thicker soil layer, can make a difference in the heating required in the building. Life expectancy of the root membrane is also important. The waterproofing of the roof, for example bitumen, has a normal life expectancy of 25 years.After that it needs replacing. The reasons are that the uv-light from the sun makes the surface brittle, and then t he expansion and shrinking caused by the fluctuations in temperature, together with the loss of elasticity, causes cracks to form in the membrane. The high temperatures in themselves, above 60 ° Celsius, age the membrane. The green roof protects the waterproofing from both the uv-light and the temperature extremes, increasing the life expectancy of the membrane to at least 60 years. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=28&sub=19)One of the most important effects of green roofs in the cities is their potential for retaining and delaying rainwater during storms. The gutters and sewers in the city have to be big enough to cope with the amounts of water that falls during extreme storm events. As more and more surfaces in the built up areas are made hard and impermeable, less water can percolate naturally into the soil. This means that the sewers and treatment plants get higher and higher loads. For the water treatment plant this can be a great problem, since they take care of sewage as we ll as rainwater.If the sewage gets very diluted by a heavy rain, the sensitive chemical and microbiological processes are disturbed. Getting the balance back costs time and money, and in the meantime, sewage is less completely cleaned. Also, the treatment plants cannot store unlimited amounts of water, so during extreme rains, they are forced to let completely untreated water to the natural waters. The more rain water that is taken care of locally, the less often we will have to face these polluting events. (http://progressivetimes. wordpress. om/2010/10/04/one-roof-two-roofs-green-roofs-blue-roofs/) There are some effects which are interesting. The heat island effect. This is the effect that makes cities reach a higher average temperature than the countryside around them. The large amount of stone, asphalt and concrete in the towns and cities that absorb the heat from the sun in the daytime, and release it at night. An additional cause is the lack of trees and other vegetation. The night time temperature rises, and in the summer people suffers from sleeplessness. The cost of air condition goes up.Green roofs can protect from noise and electromagnetic radiation. Thick layers and plants can reduce noise in the outdoor environment and green roofs can reduce the electromagnetic radiation that enters a building to a great extent. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=28&sub=19) The most important problem in big cities is pollution. Green roof vegetation, as well as other vegetation, use CO2 for their respiration, and therefore reduce the negative effects of pollution. Best are highly productive plants, which in a year can produce a lot of biomass.An extensive green roof does not produce very much, but intensive ones could. In this case, it might be a question of a small extra advantage, when large surfaces of the cities rooftops are used for vegetation. This is not a method that can be used as an only solution to the problems of pollution and global warming, but togeth er with all the other beneficial effects of green roofs, it is a small step in the right direction. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=28&sub=19) Green roofs also provide habitats for plants, insects, and animals that otherwise have limited natural space in cities.In modern city planning, â€Å"green corridors† are planned into the cities, where parks and waterways can connect the city with the surrounding countryside, and get humans in closer contact with nature. In the places where there isn’t enough ground space for green space, the green corridors, and the habitats for animals don’t have to be discontinued, if the flat roofs are used. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=28&sub=19) Thus green roof save materials, energy and money, produce less waste, can protect from negative cities impact and what is the most important – is environmental friendly. However, green roof has some disadvantages.Weight is problematical field. A thin extensive green roof of the t ype widely used weighs about 50 kg/m2 when saturated with water. Lighter versions are available, that uses rock wool as substrate instead of soil, which gives a weight of about 35 kg/m2. Compare that to tiles that weigh 33 – 37 kg /m2, depending on the type. If you live in a region where you can expect snow, then weight has to be reckoned as well. So some buildings, especially old buildings, cannot be retrofitted with certain kinds of green roof because of the weight load of the substrate and vegetation exceeds permitted static loading.Depending on what kind of green roof it is, the maintenance costs could be higher. Cost is the main reason why people didn’t want green roofs. Properly designed and -installed systems include root barriers. It is true that installing adequate waterproofing systems and root barriers automatically can increase the initial cost of the roof. A properly designed and installed green-roof system can cost 15 to 20 dollars per square foot as a to tal cost, not including the roof's waterproof layers.In Europe, a well-designed and professionally installed fully integrated green roof can cost anywhere between 100 to 200 euros per square meter, depending on the kind of roof, the building structure, and which plants are used. Despite of that, I think that green roofs have more advantages than disadvantages. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Green_roof) It is clear that living green roofs and landscapes over structure are not a panacea for ameliorating the negative environmental impacts resulting from increased development or the loss of open space.They cannot and will not replace our forests and prairies, will nor remediate the degradation of all stream corridors, and will not stop global warming by themselves. However, green roofs and landscapes over structure can act buffers to mitigate the impacts of unbridled and unplanned urban growth and development. Reducing building roofs generates less storm water runoff, reduces the heat gain that affects our indoor and outdoor environments, and mitigates the continued degradation of air and water quality. Green roofs provide additional usable, confortable open space. Green Roof Many people don’t know what green roof is. So, what it is? A green roof is not a surface painted green, it is a living surface of plants growing in a soil layer on top of the roof. A thinner or thicker soil layer is spread over the roof membrane itself, sometimes with a protective root barrier, often with a drainage layer underneath. On the substrate, draught-tolerant species of plants are grown. Roof vegetation like this one doesn’t at all damage the waterproofing membrane of the roof. In fact it protects it from the uv-light which does damage the membrane over time.There are two types of green roofs: extensive and intensive. There are some differences of its. An extensive roof has very thin soil layers, draught tolerant plants and requires little or almost no maintenance. The limitation here is in the choice of plants. Extensive roof can be established on a very thin layer of soil. An intensive roof garden has much thicker soil layers, and can look like an ordinary ga rden, with trees and shrubs. Intensive roofs are more park-like with easy access and may include anything from kitchen herbs to shrubs and small trees.This of course needs as much maintenance as a garden does, and can only be constructed on a roof that can bear heavy loads. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Green_roof) It doesn’t matter what type roof is, but construction is a similar. Construction includes drainage materials, plant materials and establishment methods. For each green roof project, different site conditions and your aims and motives will govern the choice of materials and establishment methods. Therefore, if you are planning to build a green roof, consider the following two sections carefully.There are some roof sections which are important. First is a waterproofing. The membrane is made waterproof, and it will stay waterproof unless it gets physically damaged or aged. What ages a bitumen membrane is mainly uv-light and temperature extremes. Unless the roof memb rane is damaged while laying the green roof, the soil and vegetation cover protects the membrane from these types of injuries later. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=32&sub=19) Second section is root barrier. The asphalt waterproofing itself is not classified as root resistant and had to be reinforced with a root barrier.This barrier consists of rubberized asphalt enforced with polyester and treated eight a root-repelling agent. There are also synthetic waterproofing membranes (like PVC liners) available that are root resistant and do not require an additional root barrier. Different countries have different building practices and rules for green roofs – and many countries have no rules at all yet. In Germany, for example, a root barrier is always laid under a green roof. This is to ensure that no roots can damage the waterproofing.A root barrier is sometimes incorporated in the drainage layer. It can be chemical and poisonous to plants, or it can be a thin copper sheet, or r ubber sealed so as to avoid seams. If your motive for having a green roof is sustainability and ecological consciousness, it’s a good idea to ask your contractor about the method. In Sweden, the usual practice is that under extensive roof vegetation (2 – 5 cm soil), where only sedums and moss can survive, an extra root barrier is not considered necessary, since the sedums used have weak roots, and moss has no roots at all.When the soil layer is thicker, and therefore can hold more water, other plants grow there, and there is a risk of getting weeds with more penetrative roots. Second layer is insulation. Insulation boards can be made from extruded polystyrene which has high water resistance and compressive strength. The main difference from the old roof is that the insulation layer must be places above the waterproofing membrane, but on the new roofs insulation must be located below the waterproofing. Second, but not less important, is drainage.The main reason for usin g a drainage layer is that if a lot of water drains off along the surface of the soil, this will cause erosion. The second reason, is that for roofs which are almost flat, too much water would remain on the roof, forming puddles. Especially sedum vegetation is adapted to dry conditions, and tends to rot if submerged. Besides, too much water available can lead to unwanted plants establishing on the roof. Another function of the drainage materials that are often used is to store some amount of water.This effect becomes more and more important the drier the conditions on the roof are, due to climate, a steeper slope or other conditions on the roof. Drainage materials used in green roofs include natural materials, recycled materials and manufactured drainage mats. (â€Å"Green roof systems† Susan K. Weiler, Katrin Scolz-Barth) And finally, the top layer is growing medium with plants. The growing medium provides nutrients and structure for the roots to anchor in. the proprietary m ixes of the manufacturer consist of a lightweight aggregate, expanded shale, and some compost.The organic components make up about three to six percent of the shallow planting areas. The mix for deeper planting areas has slightly more organics. This mix is also heavier and allows a higher water-holding capacity in order to support the larger plants of these areas. In conclusion, one has to realize that there is no cookie cutter approach when it comes to the design of a green roof section. Though certain layers are always present – waterproofing, root barrier, insulation, protection layer, drainage layer, growing medium – their actual composition varies widely responding to a particular situation. â€Å"Green roof – a case study† Christian Werthmann) Green roofs have many advantages. One is a cooling effect. It is very useful effect for individual houses at summer time. A black bitumen roof easily reaches temperatures of 80 ° Celsius in the summer. When a soil layer and the shading plants protect the roof, the surface temperature usually doesn’t rise above the surrounding air temperature. A study conducted by Environment Canada found a 26% reduction in summer cooling needs and a 26% reduction in winter heat losses when a green roof is used.In addition to this, the plants and soil evaporate water, creating a cooling effect, and a moister air, more comfortable to breathe. Cooling effect is useful at summer, but at winter there is another green roof feature – insulation. The soil layer provides an additional insulation. In warmer climates a green roof especially the versions with thicker soil layer, can make a difference in the heating required in the building. Life expectancy of the root membrane is also important. The waterproofing of the roof, for example bitumen, has a normal life expectancy of 25 years.After that it needs replacing. The reasons are that the uv-light from the sun makes the surface brittle, and then t he expansion and shrinking caused by the fluctuations in temperature, together with the loss of elasticity, causes cracks to form in the membrane. The high temperatures in themselves, above 60 ° Celsius, age the membrane. The green roof protects the waterproofing from both the uv-light and the temperature extremes, increasing the life expectancy of the membrane to at least 60 years. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=28&sub=19)One of the most important effects of green roofs in the cities is their potential for retaining and delaying rainwater during storms. The gutters and sewers in the city have to be big enough to cope with the amounts of water that falls during extreme storm events. As more and more surfaces in the built up areas are made hard and impermeable, less water can percolate naturally into the soil. This means that the sewers and treatment plants get higher and higher loads. For the water treatment plant this can be a great problem, since they take care of sewage as we ll as rainwater.If the sewage gets very diluted by a heavy rain, the sensitive chemical and microbiological processes are disturbed. Getting the balance back costs time and money, and in the meantime, sewage is less completely cleaned. Also, the treatment plants cannot store unlimited amounts of water, so during extreme rains, they are forced to let completely untreated water to the natural waters. The more rain water that is taken care of locally, the less often we will have to face these polluting events. (http://progressivetimes. wordpress. om/2010/10/04/one-roof-two-roofs-green-roofs-blue-roofs/) There are some effects which are interesting. The heat island effect. This is the effect that makes cities reach a higher average temperature than the countryside around them. The large amount of stone, asphalt and concrete in the towns and cities that absorb the heat from the sun in the daytime, and release it at night. An additional cause is the lack of trees and other vegetation. The night time temperature rises, and in the summer people suffers from sleeplessness. The cost of air condition goes up.Green roofs can protect from noise and electromagnetic radiation. Thick layers and plants can reduce noise in the outdoor environment and green roofs can reduce the electromagnetic radiation that enters a building to a great extent. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=28&sub=19) The most important problem in big cities is pollution. Green roof vegetation, as well as other vegetation, use CO2 for their respiration, and therefore reduce the negative effects of pollution. Best are highly productive plants, which in a year can produce a lot of biomass.An extensive green roof does not produce very much, but intensive ones could. In this case, it might be a question of a small extra advantage, when large surfaces of the cities rooftops are used for vegetation. This is not a method that can be used as an only solution to the problems of pollution and global warming, but togeth er with all the other beneficial effects of green roofs, it is a small step in the right direction. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=28&sub=19) Green roofs also provide habitats for plants, insects, and animals that otherwise have limited natural space in cities.In modern city planning, â€Å"green corridors† are planned into the cities, where parks and waterways can connect the city with the surrounding countryside, and get humans in closer contact with nature. In the places where there isn’t enough ground space for green space, the green corridors, and the habitats for animals don’t have to be discontinued, if the flat roofs are used. (http://www. greenroof. se/? pid=28&sub=19) Thus green roof save materials, energy and money, produce less waste, can protect from negative cities impact and what is the most important – is environmental friendly. However, green roof has some disadvantages.Weight is problematical field. A thin extensive green roof of the t ype widely used weighs about 50 kg/m2 when saturated with water. Lighter versions are available, that uses rock wool as substrate instead of soil, which gives a weight of about 35 kg/m2. Compare that to tiles that weigh 33 – 37 kg /m2, depending on the type. If you live in a region where you can expect snow, then weight has to be reckoned as well. So some buildings, especially old buildings, cannot be retrofitted with certain kinds of green roof because of the weight load of the substrate and vegetation exceeds permitted static loading.Depending on what kind of green roof it is, the maintenance costs could be higher. Cost is the main reason why people didn’t want green roofs. Properly designed and -installed systems include root barriers. It is true that installing adequate waterproofing systems and root barriers automatically can increase the initial cost of the roof. A properly designed and installed green-roof system can cost 15 to 20 dollars per square foot as a to tal cost, not including the roof's waterproof layers.In Europe, a well-designed and professionally installed fully integrated green roof can cost anywhere between 100 to 200 euros per square meter, depending on the kind of roof, the building structure, and which plants are used. Despite of that, I think that green roofs have more advantages than disadvantages. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Green_roof) It is clear that living green roofs and landscapes over structure are not a panacea for ameliorating the negative environmental impacts resulting from increased development or the loss of open space.They cannot and will not replace our forests and prairies, will nor remediate the degradation of all stream corridors, and will not stop global warming by themselves. However, green roofs and landscapes over structure can act buffers to mitigate the impacts of unbridled and unplanned urban growth and development. Reducing building roofs generates less storm water runoff, reduces the heat gain that affects our indoor and outdoor environments, and mitigates the continued degradation of air and water quality. Green roofs provide additional usable, confortable open space.