Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Is Green Building make workers happier?

There several surveys done to determine " Is Green Building is a Happy Building?".

The study explored ventilation systems and the occupants’ level of control over the system in 12 case study buildings (six in the UK and six in India). These buildings could be classified into six categories, according to whether they were air-conditioned or ventilated naturally with central or local control.

Of the 12 buildings the study looked at, an office building in India with an advanced natural ventilation system had the lowest energy consumption, with a UK office building that uses central air-conditioning ranking the highest. No surprises there.

But the finding that should put a smile on everyone’s face is that the researchers found no correlation between high energy use and employee satisfaction- in fact, in both countries, buildings that combined air conditioning with local ventilation control reported higher satisfaction than centrally controlled systems. What’s more, researchers found that seasonal ailments in the UK were lowest in naturally ventilated buildings and in mixed mode buildings in India.


Conclusion:

Different happiness factor for different peoples:-

Employer - Lower Electricity Bill, High Profit

Employee - Comfort Office, high level of individualized control, work satisfaction, safety and health friendly.


Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Earth Hour 2010


Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.



Official Event at Johor


Monday, March 22, 2010

Coca-Cola labur RM1 bilion di Malaysia dan reputasi kilang Coca Cola di negara lain




Respon to :UTUSAN: Coca-Cola labur RM1 bilion di Malaysia

Kilang seluas 123,024 meter persegi milik Coca-Cola Bottlers (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. ini akan dibina di atas tanah yang dibeli daripada TH Properties yang juga pemaju kawasan berkenaan.

Kilang baru ini dijangka memulakan operasinya sebelum penghujung 2011.

''Salah satu ciri menarik dalam pembangunan kilang ini, ia dilakukan secara pembinaan berteraskan konsep hijau, di mana mengikut piawaian pensijilan Kepimpinan Reka Bentuk Alam Sekitar dan Tenaga tahap perak (Silver LEED)," kata Najib.

____________________________________________________


Antara yang menarik, kilang ini dikatakan akan dibina memenuhi kriteria Silver LEED ( LEED adalah penganugerahan bangunan hijau, so nanti ada le plag ni depan kilang tu.)

Terdapat 4 tahap pencapaian dalam sistem LEED, , masing-masing dengan markah berbeza berdasarkan kriteria yang sama.




Mungkin ini disebabkan Syarikat Coca-Cola mempunyai reputasi yang buruk terhadap alam sekitar, maka syarikat ini berharap imej buruk tersebut akan dapat dibaiki dengan pembinaan kilang yang lebih mesra alam berdasarkan LEED.

Kenapa bukan GBI? Memang biasanya syarikat antarabangsa lebih tertarik dengan LEED berbanding GBI. Apatah lagi GBI masih baru dan hanya terbahagi kepada 2 kategori ( Residential and Non-Residential) serta cabaran mendapatkan BEI 150 (kWh/m2/year).

Antaranya konflik syarikat ini dengan komuniti adalah dalam perjuangan mereka untuk mendapatkan sumber air. Jawapan kepada kekurangan air bukanlah dengan membina lebih banyak empangan kerana empangan boleh menyebabkan kesan negatif kepada alam sekitar.


Perjuangan untuk mempertahankan alam sekitar terhadap Coca-Cola di India seharusnya menjadi amaran kepada kita. Amalan Syarikat Coca-Cola di beberapa negeri di India telah mengakibatkan kesukaran kepada komuniti, ia termasuklah kekurangan air yang serius, pencemaran, masalah kesihatan, kelaparan dan kehilangan pendapatan daripada pertanian.

Rekod buruk Coca-Cola tidak terhad kepada India sahaja, ia juga berdepan dengan dakwaan pencabulan hak asasi manusia, pencabulan terhadap buruh dan pencabulan terhadap buruh kontrak di Colombia, Turki, Pakistan, China, Afrika Selatan, dan Guatemala.

click >> Detail of Campaign to Hold Coca-Cola Accountable (India)

http://www.indiaresource.org/campaigns/coke/2004/Brochure.pdf



Beberapa NGO juga telah menyatakan bantahan terhadap kilang Coca Cola seperti CAP ( Pulau Pinang ). Bantahan juga adalah disebabkan penglibatan Coca Cola sebagai penyumbang bantuan ekonomi terhadap kerajaan Zionist Israel dan penglibatan TH Properties (Tabung Haji) sebagai pemaju kawasan kilang baru tersebut.


Selain daripada itu, isi kandungan minuman Coca Cola juga dikatakan berbahaya dan beracun. Malah institusi pengajian di India telah mengharamkan penjualan minuman ini di kampus-kampus. Coca Cola juga diminta mendedahkan dan melabelkan isi kandungan di mahkamah, bagaimanapun pihak Coca Cola menolak dengan mengatakan itu sebagai Commercial Confidential.



Monday, March 15, 2010

Video Resume - Becoming Popular

A video resume is a short video created by a candidate for employment that describes the individual's skills and qualifications and is typically used to supplement a traditional resume.



It is not new, it were first introduced in the 1980s for use and distribution via VHS tape, but the idea never took off beyond the video taping of interviews. However, with the modern capabilities of transmitting streaming video via the internet, video resumes have taken on new popularity. With the rise in video-hosting sites like YouTube and broadband Internet usage, video resumes are becoming more popular.



Video overlay is a new trend in video resumes. With this technology, applicants can present themselves in a brief introduction video that is layered in front of their resume. Some example of video overlay technique use for video resume :-

http://www.executivepreview.com/0609/allison_bailey/sample.html


This is example from youtube for overlay technique with can be apply to video resume.