Principles of sustainable design

From wikipedia...

While the practical application varies among disciplines, some common principles are as follows:

• Low-impact materials: choose non-toxic, sustainably-produced or recycled materials which require little energy to process
• Energy efficiency: use manufacturing processes and produce products which require less energy
• Quality and durability: longer-lasting and better-functioning
  products will have to be replaced less frequently, reducing the impacts
  of producing replacements
• Design for reuse and recycling: "Products, processes, and systems
  should be designed for performance in a commercial 'afterlife'."^[3]
• Biomimicry:
  "redesigning industrial systems on biological lines ... enabling the
  constant reuse of materials in continuous closed cycles..."^[4]
• Service substitution: shifting the mode of consumption from
  personal ownership of products to provision of services which provide
  similar functions, e.g. from a private automobile to a carsharing service. Such a system promotes minimal resource use per unit of consumption (e.g., per trip driven).^[5]
• Standardization and modularity: standard, modular parts allow
  products to be repaired rather than replaced and promote
  interoperability so that systems can be upgraded incrementally rather
  than wholly scrapped and replaced.

Well, my student is doing a Final year project relating Modularity design design fr maintenance. So I guess I do give some value to the sustainable design movement.



In the marketing world service substitution above is pretty widespread in Europe. They have car sharing service, handbag sharing, well it's not sharing per say, rather you get to use a lot of expensive high quality handbags while only paying for the fraction of the cost. You get to own those handbags for some time maybe to attend a dinner or some party, but after you're done you'll just returned it for others to use. They also do this with super cars like Lamborghini Porsche, etc.. The burden of ownership is transferred and many more people get to enjoy the luxury of what the best things in life bring.

Filling up E-Science Fund. Pretty darn hard.

I was asked to do research as part of my job as a lecturer here in UTeM.



E-Science Fund need to be filled in real time web based application. But it was so slow. The page loads slowly taking its own sweet time, you have to update each time you put an item in the answer box, and to worse thing is if you are idle for maybe 5 minutes, you'll be out of the system and your data will not be saved automatically.



Everything is slow in here. They should repair the system or else no one will want to waste their time filling it up. The time should be spend doing research not filling up form after form be it soft copy online.



I did the short term grant from UTeM itself last time and it was not this bad.

how students can improve their personal life

My article at articlesbase.com, http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/how-students-can-improve-their-personal-life-116277.html

Students can improve their personal life by finding answers that help
them to study at their best. The steps to improve your personal life
include putting your goals in perspective. Once you have your goals in
perspective you can move to set a time management outline that works
for you.

To set a time management you want to consider the side of brain you use
mostly. For right-brain persons you may benefit from knowing your
values, doing less, slowing down, remember faces, focusing on outcomes,
buying less and forgetting about time.

The goal of time management is to help you get deal with important
obligations first, so that you clear up time to enjoy life. You want to
learn how to manage, since it helps you to become a productive student.

When you write a time schedule, be sure to include your individual
styles. Most people who use the right brain often will fear time
schedules and management plans. Set those fears down, since time
schedules will only augment your life.

Right brain souls often benefit by drawing up mind maps. Instead of the
common to do lists that left-brain people adhere to, create maps on 3x5
cards. You can focus on sorting, editing, and ranking your cards later.
Once you finish drawing your mind maps on the cards, choose the card
that stands out in your mind the most. Keep in mind that time is not
something we have control over. Rather time is mystifying puzzle that
takes control of you. When considering times you have to stay alert to
seconds per day, minutes, the hours per day and the days themselves. In
addition, you have 365 ½ days to calculate. To get started with your
time schedule use your cards to consider your values.

How to consider values:

Values should include your principals, ethnics, morals, standards,
ideals and so on. You want to look at a broad picture in your mind by
drawing up your mind maps. Rather than view your life in segments, go
for the whole show. When you think of time, rather than picture at
robotic system, think of time as a “thought-provoking” tool that boosts
energy and gives you the challenge of making time your friend. As you
start to write, think of contributions you intend to deliver in your
plans throughout your lifetime.

How to reduce your time to gain time:

You can reduce your time by targeting activities that lead you nowhere.
For instance, if you spend 10 hours each day viewing television, find
another activity that offers you rewards. Cut back the time you spend
watching television to five, until you get use to the changes and
gradually work down to 1 or 2 hours of television each day. You want to
make sure you have your homework finished before turning on the
stations.

We live in a face-paced world. Most of us rush each day to accomplish
something. Instead of rushing, try slowing down. Take your time to
complete your duties.

When you take your time, you will find that the load gets lighter. Do
the most important tasks first and leave the simple tasks for later.
You will find yourself clearing up time if you follow this outline.