Sustainable Project Management Methods and Techniques for Sustainable Games Development Essay Example for Free

Sustainable Project Management Methods and Techniques for Sustainable Games Development Essay If organizations want to incorporate sustainability into their strategy and culture, sustainability principles need to be integrated in projects and project management. The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on the importance of considering sustainability in projects and evaluate appropriate methods and techniques for embedding sustainability principles in project management. This essay is organized in four main parts. The importance of considering sustainability in project is critically analyzed in the next part. Methods and Techniques for the integration of sustainability in project management are evaluated on the third part of the essay. This will involve practical examples from the workplace and case studies focused on new media projects, in particular, the development of games and applications. Concluding remarks are presented in the last part of the essay. 2. The importance of sustainability in project management The debate about the importance of considering sustainability in project management cannot be appropriately discussed without understanding the need for corporate sustainability and its drivers. Project management is intrinsically embedded in the business environment and we cannot to evaluate the significance of sustainable projects management without analyzing the importance on embedding sustainability into business. Both go hand in hand. Sustainability in business aims to achieve long term financial success while contributing to economic and social growth, and reducing its impact in the environment. Corporate sustainability includes three dimensions of needs, known as the â€Å"triple bottom line†; economic prosperity; social equity and quality of life; ecological resource preservation. Corporate sustainability can be defined as â€Å" a business approach that creates long-term shareholder value by embracing opportunities and managing risks derived from economic, environmental and social developments† ( Dow Jones Sustainability indexes, 2011). While the issue of sustainable business, often referred under the â€Å"green† umbrella, has been the object of abundant literature, there has been little emphasis on understanding how the principles of sustainability apply to project and project management until recently. Taking into account the pivotal role of projects in the shaping of products and services within organization, it is surprising that these to concepts- sustainability and project management- have not had more relevance in the discussion of corporate sustainability. As Maltzman and Shirley rightly question in their introduction to Green Project Management (2011, p. xxi): â€Å"Projects are where business ideas become reality, after all. Projects, by definition, use resources. Shouldn’t projects, therefore, be a key are of any focus on green business? † The business case of sustainability has the same multifaceted approach as its definition. The main drivers of green business and projects fall in the 3 main areas considered in the â€Å"triple bottom line approach- social, environmental and financial- plus an added area of legislative drivers. In the following four sub-segments we will analyzed these drivers of from a business and a project management point of view. 2. 1Environmental drivers The environmental sphere of business is related to the management of resources required to produce a product or a service. The two main environmental drivers for organizations are to decrease the impact in the environment generated by harmful waste and to achieve a better use of resources. Sustainable waste management can bring financial benefits to business by reducing the cost of dealing with the impact of the damage to the environment degradation; with regards to resource use, the focus is on efficiency. The less materials they are use, the greater the positive environmental impact. This also applies to human resources and time management. Minimizing waste has also positive financial effects because it drives costs down. Efficient use of resources and time is a vital part of project management, it has been suggested (Maltzman, Shirley 2011) that the discipline of project management always has been concerned on how to efficiently use resources even if that concern did not come from a sustainability background. Good project managers will always try to reduce cost and use resources in the most efficient manner. The only thing that is missing is to add that environmental layer to it. As Gill Friend clearly outline on his book The Truth About Green Business (2009) that sustainable business are not just about the environment, it presents a whole new way of seeing business and it brings a new range of direct opportunities to make money. There is an increasing social interest on sustainability; therefore, there is an increasing demand on products and services that take sustainability into account. 2. 2Social drivers The management of corporate social sustainability is more widely known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Two Tomorrowsâ„ ¢ (2009) explains that CSR is about â€Å"how businesses align their values and behaviour with the expectations and needs of stakeholders not just customers and investors, but also employees, suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society as a whole. â€Å" There are many business benefits that can be achieved by taking an ethical and socially responsible approach within the organization. It could help increase brand reputation and value within its stakeholders. Intensive research over 3 year covering 300 firms (Hillman, Kleim, 2001) concluded that investing in stakeholder management may be complementary to shareholder value creation and may indeed provide a basis for competitive advantage as important resources and capabilities may be created that differentiate a firm from competitors. As Maltzman and Shirley (2011, p. 3-25) explain that corporate social responsibility is an integral part of project management. Project managers are at the forefront of business activities and at the leading edge of change within organizations so â€Å"who better to emphasize CSR, particularly if it isn’t in the corporations DNA? †. 2. 3Economic drivers When we talk about economic sustainability we are not only talking about financial capital or tangible capital; economic sustainability it also takes into account intangible capital such as reputation. Tangible effects could be the cost reduction achieved through improved environmental, health and safety performance or revenue increases due to a raise on sales caused by the market opportunities for sustainable products and services. Intangible effects referred to in the figure below (Salzmann et. al. ) as value constructs, do no improve the revenue per se, but they do have significant positive effects that can, indeed, be utilize to achieve financial gains to organizations. The same principles can be applied to project management. Figure 1: Systemization of value drivers and value constructs (Salzmann et al. 2. 4Legal drivers From the facts presented in the previous sections, one might conclude that they create a sufficient business case for sustainability on their own accord. However legislation is still one of the key drivers for organizations to incorporate green business practices. While some voices have raise the financial burden that following this legislations can bring to c ompanies, numerous studies (Greenstone, List and Syverson, 2010; Goodstein, 1994; Jaffe et al. , 1995; Meyer, 1995) have found these economic effects are limited in scope and duration and are fewer in number than previously believed. Moreover it has been empirically demonstrated (Meyer, 1995) that complying with legislations contributes to cost savings by avoiding the financial penalties for not complying and, in some case, by achieving incentives. Regulation can fuel innovation that improve productivity, increase efficiency, and provide substantial cost savings 3. Sustainable game development projects In this section we will evaluate different methods and techniques that help project managers to incorporate sustainability in their projects. Practical examples and tools will be provided focused in the area of games software development. I have chosen this industry not only because we can supplement the research with useful personal work experience, but more importantly because a lot of the discussion on sustainable project manager has been centred in the type of project and we believe that sustainability considerations can and must be embedded in the PM cycle of any project. 3. 1Methods for sustainable project management 3. 1. 1Lean games development: an Agile approach As we have seen in previous section, sustainability principles talk about reducing waste and increasing resource efficiency and understanding stakeholders to drive value. Poppendieck explains (2003) how lean thinking is based on a deep understanding on what it adds value to the project and to the customer, the importance of rapid flow and using the teams capabilities to their best potential, in other words lean thinking is all about sustainability. While lean thinking has its origin in manufacturing, it also can be applied to other industries. In the world of software development, that includes games software, Agile methodologies provide a new framework for the application of lean thinking to software development projects. Lightweight software development methods started to appear in the mid-1970s as a reaction to the inefficiency of the traditional methodology in software development. These are now typically referred to as agile methodologies, after the Agile Manifesto was published in 2001. There are many correspondences between Lean thinking and Agile. David Harvey concludes his essay Lean, Agile by saying : â€Å"the insight of agile, in getting back to fundamentals of how we can work together to deliver things of human as well as commercial value, is compelling; the thrill of lean lies in the discovery that we are not alone. Understanding lean principles and applying agile methodologies will help project managers to incorporate sustainability to software and games development projects. 3. 1. 2Life cycle thinking: It is not over until long after is over Essential to successfully relate sustainability to project management is to understand the cradle to crate philosophy, and to apply sustainability to project life cycle, from the project beginning through closure and beyond. The project life cycle of sustainability should include another phase after the project completion. It can be defined as the complete cycle of a project that includes not only the beginning of the project through to implementation, but also beyond the defined parameters of the projects (Maltzman, Shirley 2011). Dick and Naumann (2010) proposed a definition of green software development that applies the principles of life cycle thinking and that can be also applied to Games Development (GD): â€Å"Green and Sustainable Software Engineering is the art of developing green and sustainable software with a green and sustainable software engineering process.

Siddhartha Essay -- essays research papers

In the days of Siddhartha, there were different ways of achieving the Enlightenment. Learning about the Enlightenment couldn’t be taught with words, but can be taught mentally, and individually. Siddhartha went on a voyage to achieve enlightenment and finally learned about it. It all takes place in ancient India where he lived with his father who is a Brahmin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Siddhartha was a handsome man who lived with his father in ancient India. Everyone in the village wants Siddhartha to become a Brahmin like his father. Govinda, who is Siddhartha’s best friend, together they perform all the rituals of religion and does all the rituals which bring him peace and happiness. Siddhartha doesn’t want to become like his father, he feels that his father and the elders of the village have not achieved enlightenment and he feels if he keeps living with his father, he will never learn. Siddhartha longs for something more, that the elders haven’t done. Siddhartha and Govinda want answers for the achievement of the enlightenment. One day, Samanas passed through the town begging for food. Samanas believed enlightenment can be reached through asceticism. Siddhartha believes that the Samanas can provide him with some answers. Siddhartha then joins the Samanas even though his father doesn’t want him to join. Govinda als o wants to find a path to enlightenment, and he joins Siddhartha in his new life. Siddhartha adjusts quickly to the ways of the Samanas. The Samanas have be...

Disaster Management Cycle

Disaster Preparedness and Management Assignment No. 1 [pic] Submitted to: Sir Muhammad Akmal Khan Submitted by: Tayyab Hasnain Janjua Reg # 14DD-410004 D. DRM Second Quarter Fall 2010 Disaster Management Cycle Disaster Risk Management includes sum total of all activities, programmes and measures which can be taken up before, during and after a disaster with the purpose to avoid a disaster, reduce its impact or recover from its losses. The three key stages of activities that are taken up within disaster risk management are as follows [pic] INITIATIVES TAKEN [pic] Figure 1. Three phases of disaster management cycle 1. Pre Disaster Phase Before a disaster (pre-disaster). Pre-disaster activities those which are taken to reduce human and property losses caused by a potential hazard. For example, carrying out awareness campaigns, strengthening the existing weak structures, preparation of the disaster management plans at household and community level, etc. Such risk reduction measures taken under this stage are termed as mitigation and preparedness activities. 2. During disaster Phase During a disaster (disaster occurrence). These include initiatives taken to ensure that the needs and provisions of victims are met and suffering is minimized. Activities taken under this stage are called emergency response activities. 3. Post disaster Phase After a disaster (post-disaster). There are initiatives taken in response to a disaster with a purpose to achieve early recovery and rehabilitation of affected communities, immediately after a disaster strikes. These are called as response and recovery activities. Explanation The Disaster risk management cycle diagram (DRMC) highlights the range of initiatives which normally occur during both the Emergency response and Recovery stages of a disaster. Some of these cut across both stages (such things as coordination and the provision of ongoing assistance); whilst other activities are unique to each stage (e. g. Early Warning and Evacuation during Emergency Response; and Reconstruction and Economic and 48 Social Recovery as part of Recovery). The DRMC also highlights the role of the media, where there is a strong relationship between this and funding opportunities. This diagram works best for relatively sudden-onset disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, bushfires, tsunamis, cyclones etc, but is less reflective of slow-onset disasters, such as drought, where there is no obviously recognizable single event which triggers the movement into the Emergency Response stage. According to Warfield (2008) disaster management aims to reduce, or avoid the potential losses from hazards, assure prompt and appropriate assistance to victims of disaster, and achieve rapid and effective recovery. The disaster management cycle illustrates the ongoing process by which governments, businesses, and civil society plan for and reduce the impact of disasters, react during and immediately following a disaster, and take steps to recover after a disaster has occurred. Appropriate actions at all points in the cycle lead to greater preparedness, better warnings, reduced vulnerability or the prevention of disasters during the next iteration of the cycle. The complete disaster management cycle includes the shaping of public policies and plans that either modify the causes of disasters or mitigate their effects on people, property, and infrastructure. The mitigation and preparedness phases occur as disaster management improvements are made in anticipation of a disaster event. Developmental considerations play a key role in contributing to the mitigation and preparation of a community to effectively confront a disaster. As a disaster occurs, disaster management actors, in particular humanitarian organizations become involved in the immediate response and long-term recovery phases. The four disaster management phases illustrated here do not always, or even generally, occur in isolation or in this precise order. Often phases of the cycle overlap and the length of each phase greatly depends on the severity of the disaster. ? Mitigation – Minimizing the effects of disaster. Examples: building codes and zoning; vulnerability analyses; public education. ? Preparedness – Planning how to respond. Examples: preparedness plans; emergency exercises/training; warning systems. ? Response – Efforts to minimize the hazards created by a disaster. Examples: search and rescue; emergency relief. ? Recovery – Returning the community to normal. Examples: temporary housing; grants; medical care. To analyze the scope of disaster management in the revised context, it should be studied the cycle of the phenomenon (Figure 2). Disasters are as old as human history but the dramatic increase and the damage caused by them in the recent past have become a cause of national and international concern. Over the past decade, the number of natural and manmade disasters has climbed inexorably. From 1994 to 1998, reported disasters average was 428 per year but from 1999 to 2003, this figure went up to an average of 707 disaster events per year. Figure 3 presents the deadliest disasters of the decade (1992-2001). Figure 3. Reported Deaths from all Disasters: World Scenario (1992-2001) Drought and famine have proved to be the deadliest disasters globally (45%), followed by floods (16%), technological disaster (14%), earthquake (12%), windstorm (10%), extreme temperature and others (3%). Global economic loss related to disaster events average around US $880 billion per year (CBSE, 2006). Conclusions There has been a dramatic increase in disasters and the damages caused by them in the recent past. Over the past decade, the number of natural and manmade disasters has climbed inexorably. Accordingly to the statistics, the number of disasters per year increased with 60% in the period 1999-2001 in comparison with the previous period, 1994 -1998. The highest increase was in the countries of low human development, which registered an increase of 142%. In these countries, the responsible institutions should play an important role but, in general, the disaster management policy responses are influenced by methods and tools for cost-effective and sustainable interventions. There are no long-term, inclusive and coherent institutional arrangements to address disaster issues with a long term vision. Disasters are viewed in isolation from the processes of mainstream development and poverty alleviation planning. For example, disaster management, development planning and environmental management institutions operate in isolation and integrated planning between these sectors is almost lacking. Absence of a central authority for integrated disaster management and lack of coordination within and between disaster related organizations is responsible for effective and efficient disaster management. State-level disaster preparedness and mitigation measures are heavily tilted towards structural aspects and undermine nonstructural elements such as the knowledge and capacities of local people, and the related livelihood protection issues. In conclusion, with a greater capacity of the individual/community and environment to face the disasters, the impact of a hazard would be reduced. ———————– DURING 2

Is Australia a Racist Country

Racism is discrimination or abusive behaviour towards another race or religion. Australia is a very young multicultural country where at hand is strong evidence to suggest that Australia is racist, and in contrast there are many examples that support this questions that we humans beings can live in peace and harmony with all Australians. According to the ABCDiamond The proportion of the population of Australians born overseas is quoted â€Å"over one quarter of Australians were born overseas†. This means 25% of Australians are born overseas. Some possible causes of racism can be of an institutional racism, which means that a group of people have the same faith about a certain type of person. Racism can be from the past and what people of many different generations express to others about it which follows to be a stereo type of a group of people, such as Germany and the Jews. Many people may think because Hitler was German that all Germans were and always will be bad. At times we hear parents and grandparents being racist based on their opinions on world events such as September 11. This created hatred and anti-Muslim feelings in the general public. In Australia Muslim leaders spoke through the media condemning the attack as many Australians started to form racist opinions about all Middle Easterners. This is an example of indirect racism based on stereo typing. Sometimes racism may simply be caused by ignorance and judgment formed through a lack of knowledge and information. This may be considered unjust and unfair because people are judging based on a stereotype. Professor of Geography from the University of Western Sydney says that â€Å"Australians arnt dealing with ‘cultural diversity’ properly and are being racist and disrespectful to those whom are from a completely different culture and the government need to do more to manage this issue. Another example of racism was when Dr Hanif was deported for suspected links to terrorism. Other stereotypical attitudes present amongst Australians include, Asians are bad drivers, Aboriginals are lazy and a burden on society, Middle easterners are fighters and the French are arrogant. The Cronulla riots of 2005, was an example of mob violence and interracial racism between the Lebanese and local Anglo youth to â€Å"reclaim the beach† and to move out of their suburbs. Another resent development is the racism towards Indian students studying in Australia. People assume that they are taking study places and jobs from Australian’s when they are often wealthy, self-supporting and not necessarily a true representation of all people from their country. They are often being targeted by groups within Australia for their display of wealth (I-pod etc) Racism will continue because of general comments by the public and the influences of the media. For example 9/11 has made our world a place of heightened security, awareness and nervousness particularly as we relate to members of different cultures . Sometimes discussions between people’s opinions can instill racism in younger generations. Media sources such as the news and the internet can be covering stories in ways that present bias towards a group or race and this can also cause racism. The government’s inactions to take a stand against racism may also contribute to racism continuing. Surely the government with its intake of migrants and refugees needs to take a greater look at how to encourage communities to live more harmoniously. One example, in which the Government does promote diversity and acceptance, is through an annual initiative called Harmony Day. On March 21st, 2010, schools, communities groups and organisations celebrated our cultural diversity to show that everyone belongs. Another community effort raising cultural awareness was the Indian concert by A.  R. Rahman which was organised as part of the Sydney Festival in Parramatta last year. The event was part of a wider initiative of the New South Wales Government to ease relations between the country’s significant Indian population and the wider Australian community. According to the Indian Local, (January 17th 2010) Cricketer Matthew Hayden interviewed members of the audience during breaks. â€Å"The thing to remember is that we are all the same inside,† said a young man he spoke to. This is a very important statement because it could actually be the key to preventing further racism. If all Australians could believe this way, we would live in a more peaceful society. Many would argue that Australia, with its large population of overseas born people is a non racist nation. We have suburbs in Sydney which delight all cultures and signify multiculturalism at its best. The Italian’s in Leichardt, Lebanese in Auburn/Bankstown, and Chinese in Cabramatta and Chinatown in the city. Governments and local councils might encourage festivals and awareness through entertainment and local media e. g. Chinese New Year festivals. This is a display which shows that Australian’s are indeed quite accepting of other races. Governing policies such as the Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act (1975) aim to ensure that â€Å"everyone is treated equally, regardless of their race, colour, descent or nationality or ethnic origin†. According to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship we are processing applications for asylum seekers from war torn countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The Asylum Seeker Assistance Program is a scheme that has been set up by the government to assist these people with income support, and advice as they wait to gain refugee status. This is an example of how the government is accepting and supportive of new migrants in our country. Similarly the Rudd government showed compassion to the Aborigines when we â€Å"Closed the Gap† in 2008 by apologizing publicly to the Aboriginals for mistreatment of them by our country. This public recognition of unfair and unjust treatment shows a willingness to be a non racist country in the eyes of many Australians. So, is Australia a racist country? It is evident that Australia’s growing population of migrants will continue. With this growth it is hard to predict that racism will cease. However, the need to reinforce that all humans have feelings and have rights will be the answer to stopping racism. We need help from the government, media and leaders in our society to breakdown institutional racism. We need to take a more collaborative approach as Australians and as members of the global community. Racism has no quick fix solution but with improvements in communication and understanding of each other as individuals we can create a more harmonious place to live.

Meiji Period Essay Essay Example

Meiji Period Essay Essay Example Meiji Period Essay Essay Meiji Period Essay Essay Meiji means ‘the enlightened rule’ in Nipponese. In Japan the period from 1868 to 1912 is called ‘Meiji Era’ ? . ( Meiji Period ) . The name Meiji was chosen by the immature prince Mutsuhito. when he succeeded his male parent to the throne. During this period Japan emerged as a universe political and economic power. Japan underwent a surprising advancement from mediaeval society to of import and primary military power and economic power in Asia. During the Meiji period the emperor was merely 15 old ages old but he was fortunate to hold a group of first-class advisers who brought merger of eastern and western civilizations. They adapted western thoughts while retaining the importance of the E. During this period the authorities made all attempts to construct up its military strength and advancement economic position. The samurai warriors were the traditional military system in Japan. The samurai system was replaced by the indispensable military service. The ground forces was trained by the Prussian and Gallic teachers. In two major wars that is in Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95 against China and Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05 against Russia. the Nipponese ground forces proved its high quality. Japan has emerged as the strong new power in Asia after these two wars. The Government gave importance to the thoughts and involvements of husbandmans. samurai. merchandisers and former feudal estate proprietors. Foreign experts were employed in the Fieldss of defence. industry. agribusiness and transit and their methods and patterns were carefully considered and adopted. Political and societal reforms were given much importance during this period. Some of the reforms include declaration of spiritual freedom in 1873 ; the lunar calendar which was considered most of import by the Nipponese society was replaced by Gregorian calendar. debut of the revenue enhancement system. freedom of trade. and freedom of land acquisition and in 1890 first elections was held for DIET. Along with this instruction was besides given extreme importance and was made compulsory. The attending at schools stood at 98 per centum by the terminal of the Meiji period. The Meiji epoch was a stage of strong emotions and extremist reforms. The authorities intended to construct Japan as a democratic state. Many of the Nipponese bookmans were sent to western states to analyze linguistic communications and western scientific discipline to better the agricultural economic system of Tokugawa Japan in to developed industrial sector. By agencies of immense governmental investings. the communicating webs and transit were developed. The first telegraph line was established between Yokahoma and Tokyo in 1869. a horse-drawn ropeway system was introduced. national postal service was introduced in 1871the first steel span known as Azuma steel span was opened. in 1872. Meiji emperor opened the first train connexion between Tokyo and Yokahoma. The powerful and big concerns in Japan known as zaibatsu were supported by the authorities to develop and back up the industries and concerns. The period in 1880’s besides led to fiscal crisis due to immense outgos which led to the reform in the currency system and constitution of the Bank of Japan. The fabric industry became the largest industry and grew faster in Japan until World War II. In 1889 Japan established its first European manner fundamental law. The emperor was top of the navy. executive. ground forces and legislative power. During the Meiji period. Japan emerged as a major power and a developed state. Japan was changed wholly by the western rock edifices which include deparment shops. Bankss and authorities sites. The Meiji period led to the economic roar and standard military power. Mentions: 1. Meiji Period ( 1868-1912 ) . Japan cultural profile. October 5. 2006. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. culturalprofiles. net/japan/Directories/Japan_Cultural_Profile/-13234. hypertext markup language

Calculating How Many People Share Your Birthday

Calculating How Many People Share Your Birthday Birthdays are special days to each of us, but every so often we run into someone who shares our birthday. Its not an uncommon experience, but doesnt it make you wonder how many people do share your birthday? What Are the Odds? All things being equal, if your birthday is any day except February 29, the odds of you sharing your birthday with anyone should be approximately 1/365 in any population (0.274%). Since the world population as of this writing is estimated at 7 billion, you should share your birthday with over 19 million people around the world (19,178,082). If you are lucky enough to have been born on February 29, you should share your birthday with 1/1461 (because 366365365365 equals 1461) of the population (0.068%) and so worldwide, you should only share your birthday with a mere 4,791,239 people! Wait- I Should Share My Birthday? However, even though it would seem logical to think that the odds of being born on any given date are one in 365.25, birth rates arent driven by random forces. A lot of things affect when babies are born. In the American tradition, for example, a high percentage of marriages are scheduled for June: and so you might expect at least a small bubble of births to take place in February or March. Further, it seems likely that people conceive children when theyre rested and relaxed. Theres even an old urban legend, debunked by a Duke University study reported on the Snopes.com site, that claimed that nine months after the 1965 New York City blackout, there was a dramatic increase in babies born nine months later. That turns out not to have been true, but it is interesting that people would perceive it to be true. Show Me the Numbers! In 2006, The New York Times published a simple table titled How Common is Your Birthday? The table provided data compiled by Amitabh Chandra of Harvard University, on how often babies are born in the United States on each day from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. According to Chandras table, including birth records between 1973 and 1999, babies are far more likely to be born in the summers, followed by fall, and then spring and winter. Sept. 16 was the most popular birthday, and the top ten most popular birthdays all fall in September. Not surprisingly, February 29th was the 366th most common day to be born on. Not counting that rare day, the 10 least popular days reported by Chandra to be born on fall on holidays: the 4th of July, late November (26, 27, 28, and 30, near Thanksgiving) and over Christmas (Dec. 24, 25, 26) and New Years (Dec. 29, Jan. 1, 2, and 3). That would seem to suggest that mothers have some say in when babies are born. New Data In 2017, Matt Stiles writing in the Daily Viz reported new data from United States births between for 1994-2014. The data was compiled from U.S. health records by the FiveThirtyEight statistics site- the original report is no longer on FiveThirtyEight. According to that set of data, the least popular birthdays are still around the holidays: July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. That data shows that those holidays even beat out February 29th, only the 347th least common day to be born on, which is pretty remarkable, statistically speaking. The most popular days to be born in the United States in this latest set of statistics? The top ten days fall in September: except for one, July 7th. If you were born in September, you were likely conceived over the Christmas holidays. What Does Science Say? Since the 1990s, several scientific studies have shown that there are, in fact, overall seasonal differences in conception rates. Birth rates in the northern hemisphere typically peak between March and May and are at their lowest between October to December. But scientists also point out that those numbers vary widely according to the age, education, and socioeconomic status and marital status of the parents. In addition, the health of a mother affects fertility and conception rates. Environmental stress does too:  conception rates plummet in war-torn regions and during famines. During very hot summers, conception rates are often suppressed. Sources Bobak, Martin, and Arjan Gjonca. The Seasonality of Live Birth Is Strongly Influenced by Socio-Demographic Factors. Human Reproduction 16.7 (2001): 1512-17. Print.Bronson, F. H. Seasonal Variation in Human Reproduction: Environmental Factors. The Quarterly Review of Biology 70.2 (1995): 141-64. Print.Chandra, Amitabh. How Common Is Your Birthday? The New York Times December 19, 2006. Print.Mikkelson, David Blackout Baby Boom. Snopes.com. Published July 31, 2009.  Stiles, Matt. How Common is Your Birthday? This Visualization Might Surprise You. Daily Viz September 17, 2017.

Negative impacts of mega-event tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Negative impacts of mega-event tourism - Essay Example The Olympic Games, United Nations conferences, cultural festivals that draw tourists from all over the world and international religious conferences are all examples of mega events. The high profile nature of the event, the involvement of a group of people with vested interests referred to as the key elites, the short duration of the event and the pressure of organizing and executing a large number of tasks on time, usually generate analysis of the cause-and-effects relationships based on economic benefits such as increase in tourism, development of infrastructure and other more intangible gains such as image building and boosting of national pride. Such economic and other benefits are more perceived and projected than based on any realistic assessment. In their haste to justify public expenditures for mega events, governments and organizers marshal evidence of economics and other benefits -- many of which it turns out are incalculable, or if calculable are best considered as estimat es only (Mules & McDonald, 1994; Crompton and McKay 1994:33). In the introduction to his paper Assessing the Impact of Mega Events: A Linkage Model, Harry H Hiller makes the phenomenon very clear: ‘Indeed in many cases, the contribution to economic growth becomes the dominant rationale for hosting the event. The economic justification is so compelling to key elites that other impacts are considered minor. Negative impacts are either ignored or hidden under the table (Hall & Hodges, 1996). Opponents are considered unpatriotic, naysayers, or prisoners of unacceptable ideologies.’ According to Hiller, this over emphasis on the obvious and immediate economic impact of the mega event itself has more often than not resulted in overlooking of other dimensions which may be part of a broader process with three kinds of linkages: forward linkages, backward linkages and parallel linkages. Forward linkages refer