Health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Health policy - Essay Example The funds will be used to develop an advanced genetic sequencing technology (Burton, 1). 70 million dollars, will be used by the national cancer institute, to develop a genome marker that will help in much more precise cancer treatment. Further 5million dollars will be allocated to the health record information management that will ensure that the data collected is stored safely and accessible to researchers. The physicians will also have access to the information to aid them in the management of patients. This initiative, will go long way in reducing the cost patient’s incur while undergoing treatment when empirical treatment is used. This too will prevent the patients from having to take a number of medication therapies that are not helpful to their conditions. I agree with the policy and the article since it will be of much help to the patients and the physicians as a whole. It will provide a guideline on the modality of treatment hence saving on time used to figure out the best method of treatment for a particular ailment Burton, Thomas M. "Obama to seek $215 million for precion-medicne." Wall Street Jounal (2015): 1. Document, Retrieved from

UK Businesses Going Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

UK Businesses Going Abroad - Essay Example This also has various tax implications. In UK, the double taxation hit has come about due to the fact that the foreign income dividends have been abolished. By going abroad, companies like SmithKline Beecham, BAT industries, Glaxo Wellcome, RTZ as well as Reckitt and Colman, have managed to accommodate the principles of geographical diversification as a bid towards cushioning the blow of double taxation that has been proposed by the Chancellor of Exchequers. (Ahmad, 1997) There are numerous ethical issues that come up in this regard. To begin with, there has been a sharp increase in the number of companies that have chosen to pay their dividends as "Fids". This cost the UK economy and UK businesses over 400 million due to the fact that most of these UK businesses were moving abroad. Other issues include an analysis of whether or not it is ethical to make use of the various facilities in terms of fiscal, policy and financial mechanisms that are made available to developing countries. (Ahmad, 1997) Developing countries are in need of aids that will further the cause of economic progress. Therefore, the tax implications for these countries are favourable. Yet, the economics of these countries can accommodate only a certain percentage of businesses as far as the enjoinment of these benefits is concerned. In this regard, when a UK business moves to one of these countries, it is technically eating into this share that could otherwise have been enjoyed by the national businesses. This is an ethical issue that has been explained by cynics and economic scholars as making use of the next best opportunity. (Ahmad, 1997) International Marketing The arena of international marketing has become a field on its own that has revolutionised the arena of geographic diversification. UK businesses have taken the step towards international diversification due to make better use of opportunities that lie in the avenues of international marketing on today's world. This involves reaching out to developing countries like India, the Far East countries and other developed nations like US as well. While the developing countries have increasing levels of disposable income due to a growth in economies, the UK businesses are aiming at these countries. The UK businesses take to more developed countries like USA and Australia due to consistency as far as standards in management and marketing are concerned. Also, culturally the UK businesses are closer to the culture followed in USA and Australia more than other countries. In this regard, it is imperative to loosely define international marketing before moving on. International marketing is that sphere of activities that is aimed at introducing a product in a country or group of countries with the aim of creating sales and some amount of awareness regarding the brand. Customer satisfaction in today's world has come to occupy a place of vital importance. The phrase, "customer is king", is not just a phrase anymore. It is symbolic of the changing times where consumer courts are waiting to help citizens assert their rights. In this context, a traditional industry like banking has followed the trend and pulled up its socks. The characteristic laid back attitude of the banking industry has been long replaced by

Agricultural Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Agricultural Pollution - Essay Example Heedless to the consequences of the over production and sole dedication to the corn production, the ground has been deprived of the nutrients it should have to nurture other plants, the water has been polluted with the many chemical dosing of pesticides and fertilizers for corn production, and production of toxic wastes as by-products of corn production and manufacture. Also, over eating of corn for steers, calves and other animals are causing health problems such as mad cow disease thereby affecting human consumers of these meats (Codesmity,2007). Corn derived food products such as corn sweeteners and syrups are causing obesity to the human population. Overwhelming production of corn results to environmental and agricultural pollution and general health degradation for both humans and animals. There are many corn derived products that dominates the market today. Products with corn ingredients such as corn starch, corn oil, lecithin, corn flour, citric acid, glycirides, Chicken nugge ts, margarine, salad dressing, cosmetics, toothpaste, mustard, corn syrup, sweeteners, linoleum, fiberglass and many more are used in the daily activities of man (Collins, D., 2006). USA has wide and dedicated farmlands for corns alone. Farms found such as in Iowa, where around 2 million farms are found are said to produce around 2 bushels of corn yield per acre. Hybrid corns are even developed and promoted which multiplied production to around 200 bushels per acre. Further, the government issued farm bills that subsidized corn farms has further encouraged more American farmers to produce corns alone forgetting all the other crops (Pollan, Michael, 2006, p 32). Corn manufacturers have also widened their research and development to process corn into various products, thus, there are many produced products in the market that includes corn as main ingredient. It is no harm to plant and manufacture corn as indeed there are many products that can be derived from the production of corn. H owever, with the intensified dedication of farmlands to the production of corn has made the balance of nature become skewed. Overwhelming the lands with one crop has degraded the soil due to the lack of nutrients that the single crop production has caused. By nature, corn is a greedy plant as described by both agriculturists and farmers. Planting corns requires intensive need for nitrogen fertilizers as compared with other crops. In fact, an island size â€Å"dead zone† has been created in the Mexico Gulf due to the accumulated nitrogen run-off from the corn fields into the water. It also requires more pesticides to drive out pests and have them grow to their desired output (Penguin Group USA, 2013). Due to this chemical application, air and water are inclined to be polluted with chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides. Water is then contaminated affecting nearby areas relying on the body of water for their daily use. In addition, massive corn production has forced many man ufacturers to include corn ingredients in almost all products thereby making these goods cheaper against the others. Thus, these food products, mostly composed of sweeteners are more easily consumed by the public causing obesity to almost majority of the population. Ergo, the massive and intensified corn production due to the single crop production of corn in many parts of the USA, agricultural pollution and soil degradation is indeed inevitable affecting the general health. There is no harm in corn production, but too much dedication of single handed crop production of this plant is not healthy. Soil needs to be planted with various crops in order to gain diverse nutrients necessary for the soil condition. Waters need to be free from pollutants derived from fertilizers

Benefits of Activity Based Costing Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Activity Based Costing Essay In order to make a profit on production, the firm would have to charge a price that is greater than the cost of production. Generally, the cost of production is understood to be the cost of producing a good plus the cost of transportation to the consumer. In order to stay in business, and therefore, to avoid losses at all possible costs – the firm must cover all costs related to the production of the good and include all costs to deliver the same to the consumer at a price that is higher than the cost of production. The operating or overheard expenses of an enterprise are generated by its activities to perform its business and/or manufacturing processes successfully. As its name implies, activity based costing relates the costs facing the enterprise to its various activities. By so doing, this system of costing provides pretty accurate information about costs, allowing businesses to effectively manage their overhead expenses in order to increase their revenues (Cooper, 1988). It is but commonsensical that companies may work on cutting their costs once they know what is driving these costs. By improving their processes in order to cut costs, businesses may realize greater profits than before. What is more, by identifying high costing activities needed to produce certain goods or serve certain customers, companies may decide to focus instead on low costing products or customers by reducing their production of or service to high costing products or customers. In this way, they may shift their focus to products or customers that are more profitable to produce or to serve. Thus, management experts cite the following benefits of activity based costing as opposed to traditional methods of costing: Identifying the most and least profitable customers, products and channels. Determine the true contributors to— and detractors from—financial performance. Accurately predict costs, profits and resource requirements associated with changes in production volumes, organizational structure and resource costs. Easily identify the root causes of poor financial performance. Track costs of activities and work processes. Equip managers with cost intelligence to drive improvements. Facilitate better Marketing Mix. Enhance the bargaining power with the customer. Achieve better Positioning of products. (â€Å"Activity Based Costing,† 2008). Businesses that benefit the most from activity based costing are those with high manufacturing operating expenses or overhead costs. These costs may result from a diverse range or products, intensity of capital, or vertically integrated system of manufacturing. Activity based costing may help such businesses not only to understand but also to control their operating expenses so as to increase their revenues (O’Guin, 1991, p. 76). Organizations with large marketing, sales or distribution costs may also reap great benefits from activity based costing. As mentioned previously, this method of costing identifies those customers that are most profitable from those that are least profitable. This provides insight to management on how to improve operations. With activity based costing, such businesses may be able to answer questions such as: â€Å"What discounts are appropriate for large orders? What size accounts should salespersons no longer call on? How effective is advertising to different markets? † (O’Guin, p. 76). Firms that are experiencing sluggish or low profitability on increasing sales may be suffering from growth that is unmanaged. It may very well be that these businesses are selling products at losses to a number of customers. The accounting system of accurately measuring costs, that is, activity based costing, would allow these firms to determine which of their customers and products are generating revenues and which are not (O’Guin, p. 76). O’Guin describes another benefit of the activity based costing system thus: Even with a diverse product line or customer base and very high profitability, a company lacking an ABC system is surprisingly vulnerable. Product profitability probably varies widely across the company. Highly profitable products present an irresistible target to new market entrants. Management should know which products are reaping enormous margins, so they can erect barriers to entry. (p. 76). Also according to O’Guin, the activity based costing system provides not only strategic but also tactical benefits to businesses that implement it. Whereas benefits that are strategic in nature may be realized only once in a blue moon, for the simple reason that organizations cannot be expected to change their pricing, business operations, distribution or manufacturing processes each year – tactical benefits may be realized constantly. Indeed, activity based costing could help businesses not only with reduction of overhead costs, but also just-in-time support, improvement of quality, decisions about design, and investment in capital. Thus, businesses that implement the activity based costing system may improve their profitability on an ongoing basis (O’Guin, p. 76). In the twenty first century, companies that have a competitive edge are those that maintain flexibility, a trend that has been recognized as a critical factor for success since the 1990s. Life cycles of products have been shortened and focus on the customer has become increasingly important. As economies of scale virtually disappear, manufacturing plants that are successful are those that are able to quickly introduce innovative products and economically produce small quantities. Activity based costing system can help businesses tremendously to achieve these goals. What is more, this system of costing could assist businesses of the twenty first century to achieve their goal to increase employee motivation. With the activity based costing system in place, employees increase their understanding of business activities and therefore their involvement in business operations. So, for example, whenever they see a mound of papers they would see overhead costs, leading them to the following questions: Why do we have so many bills? Why are there so many process involved in our purchase orders (O’Guin, p. 76)? Thus, the activity based costing system encourages businesses to push their rates of cost drivers down. This helps in the reduction of time to setup, streamlines buying, in addition to time taken to development a product. When costs are attached to each of these processes or activities, management may not only measure but also plan improvement (O’Guin, p. 76). As mentioned before, some of these improvements may entail reducing production of goods or service to customers that cost more to produce or service than the others. Hence, the activity based costing system may also lead the business that implements it to improve upon its marketing mix or positioning of its products. If products and customers that cost more than the others are required by the company to produce or serve in the same quantity as before, however, activity based costing system helps the organization to improve its processes in order to decrease its costs without reducing the quantity to produce or serve. After all, it is only possible to improve inefficient processes. Because activity based costing allows the company to weigh the costs of activities against their benefits, firms that use it are in a great position to increase the efficiency of all of their processes so as to gain competitive advantages. References Activity Based Costing. (2008). Value Based Management. Retrieved Jan 27, 2009, from http://www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_abc. html. Cooper, R. (1988, Summer). The Rise of Activity-Based Costing – Part One: What is an Activity-Based Cost System? Journal of Cost Management, pp. 45-54. O’Guin, M. C. (1991). The Complete Guide to Activity-based Costing. Chicago, IL: CCH Tax and Accounting.

Current Ethical Issues Essay Example for Free

Current Ethical Issues Essay The Baderman Island Resort first opened in 2004 and is managed by the Boardman Management Group. Baderman Island features three different hotels and caters to both business and pleasure. The food is amazing and the 24 hour room service is even better. Along with housing and dinning Baderman Island offers plenty of activities to keep families busy having fun or to help the stressed businessman relax. On the Baderman Island Resort you will get to choose from three different hotels that are need specific. The first would be the Baderman Main Hotel. Here you can find good food and great lodging for you and your family. The Tenney hotel caters to more grown up tastes and is suited for romantic get-a-ways for you and your special someone. The last hotel is the Melancon Convention Center and Hotel which is more business orientated with a conference room that can hold up to 300 people. You can find packaging rates and catering options on the website. Each of the hotels feature large luxurious rooms and beds along with internet hookups, a wall safe, 24 hour room service, a mini-bar, and on- site managers available to help you with any of your needs. Along with great lodging Baderman Island Resort has five restaurants for you to choose from. If you are in the mood for something light you can check out the Baderman Island Cafà © or the Beverly Cafà ©. For something more filling check out the Morgan Bistro, the Kayfe, and the Tenney @ Night. All of the dinning at Baderman Island is freshly prepared and reasonably priced. Baderman Island is managed by the Boardman Management Group which has been in operation since 1994. The mission of the Boardman Management Group is â€Å"Founded in 1994, Boardman Management Group is dedicated to managing leisure and convention focused resorts that provide a unique and quality experience to guests and visitors. The Board of Directors and operational leaders in the organization, empowers its staff to offer unsurpassed quality of customer service, through individual acts of random kindness and specialty  services.† (Boardman Management Group, 2012). The responsibilities of the Boardman Management Group within the Baderman Island Resort are regulatory, finance and accounting, legal, marketing, IT services, and the entire human resources department. The organizational flow of Baderman Island is rather simple and easy to follow. You have your board of directors, chairperson of the board, your CEO, and your director of human resources management. Under the CEO is the Boardman Management Group and the vice president of guest services. The Boardman Management Group is responsible for regulatory, finance and accounting, legal, marketing, IT services. The vice president of guest services is responsible for the GM hotel, GM convention, GM food services, GM merchandise, and GM recreational. Under the GM support services there is security, logistics, engineering, emergency services, and guest relations. The employee services of the Baderman Island Resort feature an employee log in section of the website where employees can view memos and policy updates regarding the resort. Employees also have access to an employee only blog where they can post comments and suggest ideas; any HR issues should not be posted on the blog. Employees also have access to the different organization management charts for each division of the hotel. By having access to these charts employees can look up who their boss is and also follow up the management chain. One of the biggest moral and ethical issues facing the Baderman Island Resort is their destruction of the local forests and wildlife. Baderman Island Resort spans out over 1800 acres with 750 acres being fully developed. Baderman Island also has plans to develop the remaining acres by building a casino and expanding their botanical garden. If Baderman Island Resort wasn’t an island the destruction of habitats wouldn’t be such an ethical issue. Baderman is pushing wildlife out of the way to make room for the resort and eventually the wildlife will have nowhere to go. Another moral and ethical issue surrounding Baderman Island Resort is that of these customer service and well-being. There is the constant worry of  guests wandering off the trails and getting lost and hurt. Also there doesn’t seem to be any emergency health care located on the island. What is the plan if a guest is critically injured and needs medical help? Along with health and safety Baderman needs to work on their customer service for their international customers. Baderman has made mention that they are in the process of hiring more employees that can speak different languages in order to lessen the language barrier. Does this mean that Baderman will be laying off employees that don’t speak multiple languages to keep payroll from going over budget? Baderman Island Resort is a true paradise and a wonderful place to go to relax. There are a few issues that need to be addressed if Baderman is to be 100% successful in their industry. References * Baderman Island. (2012). Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/BadermanIsland/internet/index.asp * Boardman Management Group. (2012). Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/BoardmanManagementGroup/internet/index.asp * Trevino, L., Nelson, K. (2011). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

The History Of The Electoral College Politics Essay

The History Of The Electoral College Politics Essay The Electoral College is a body of electors chosen by the political parties in each state to elect the President of the U.S .The Electoral College was created because the Framers were wary of giving the people the power to directly elect the President. They felt the people were not educated enough to elect the national leader. The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote. The presidential election became a collection of state elections, which would result in a national candidate. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, which are divided up between the states according the number of representatives in the House, plus 2 votes for each of the Senate members. The political parties pick electors for each state. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Article Two of the Constitution states, Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the States may be entitled in the Congress. (U.S. Constitution,art.2,sec. 2.) Although ballots list the names of the presidential candidates, citizens do not vote for the President directly. People are voting for an elector in the college who, in turn, will vote on the states behalf. These electors votes will decide who the President is, and not necessarily the popular vote. These presidential electors in turn cast electoral votes for the Presidential Candidate. The winner take all system, also known as the plurality voting system, awards all of the Electoral College votes to the winning presidential candidate from each state. In this voting system the single winner is the person with the most votes, there is no requirement that the winner gain an absolute majority of votes. The winner will take all the votes and the loser will get none. For example, all 55 of Californias Electoral votes go to the winner of the popular vote in the state election, even if the margin of victory is only 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent. The Electoral College system plays a role in how Presidential Candidates campaign by making the candidates focuses all their attention on getting electoral votes. Parties focus on the electors because they have to convince the electors to vote for them not so much as the people themselves The parties also concentrate on large states that have more electoral votes than the small states. Big states with the most electoral votes are the key to winning the election so they concentrate their power in them. Most commonly, Presidential candidates also heavily concentrate their attention on a handful of closely divided battleground states, or swing states. These states dont have a lot of electoral votes but still will decide the outcome of the race because they do not favor a particular political party or change their preference each election. In these states, campaigning will have the most impact since a small change in popular votes could result in a big win in electoral votes. Consequently, other states considered either safe or hopelessly lost and are largely ignored in the campaign. In the elections, small states and swing states are overrepresented in the Electoral College while leaving the rest of the nations voters on the sidelines. The Electoral College hinders 3rd party candidates because the 3rd party is over shadowed by the majority vote, so 3rd parties almost never get electoral votes. Winner take all minimizes the influence of third parties. However, this can also deny fair representation to positive 3rd parties. For example if a 3rd party gets 25% of the votes in one state those votes does not matter because of the winner take all majority of the Electoral College. The power of a 3rd party is in spoiling an election by taking votes from one of the major parties that is most like it. To avoid this, major parties may take up causes and ideas from the 3rd party to keep them from becoming too popular. Although, 62% of people said they would change the electoral college system, over the past 200 years over 700 proposals have been introduced in Congress to reform or eliminate the Electoral College, (Office of the Federal Register, Electoral College: Frequently Asked Questions. Archives) but very little has been done to change it. The Electoral College has not been abolished because the small states and swing states would have to give up power and be equal to everyone else. The House of Representatives passed an amendment in 1969, backed by President Richard Nixon, to directly elect the president (niemanwatchdog.org Is it time to do away with the undemocratic Electoral-College system?) But the amendment was blocked in the Senate, in part by Southern senators who opposed any changes they saw as weakening states rights. The Electoral College system can end up putting in office someone who lost the popular vote, which is contrary to democracy. For example the Presidential election in 2000, George Bush won the electoral votes and Al Gore won the popular vote. (Oyez) The fairest solution is to have a Presidential election solely on a popular vote. This will solve the disconnect of the American people and election process. Candidates would need to care about voters across the nation, not just undecided voters in a handful of swing states and the large states. Almost all Americans think that democracy is One Person, One Vote, and all votes are count equally, but The Electoral College violates that fundamental American principle. Some people do not participate in elections because they know that their vote will not matter in the Presidential elections. One Person One Vote means that each person has an equal amount of representation in government. Government should be for the people, not the electors deciding the fate of the country (Annenberg Classroom). Every vote, by everyone, would be relevant and equal in Presidential elections. The election should change from a winner take all system to a proportional system. The winner does not need to reach a majority, just a plurality. The candidates with the most overall percent of votes will win. This will give a stronger chance for 3rd party groups in the elections, by still having their votes count and not be outshined by the two major parties. Another improvement is the use of ranked base voting where voters order the candidates from least preferred to most preferred. To be practical, the top three choices could be chosen. The election is decided by picking everyones top choice and removing the candidate with the least votes. This process is repeated so that candidate is removed and the top preferences are only counted for each elimination round. This allows a voter to pick the candidate they want the most for their top choice followed by a slightly lesser desired candidate. And the third choice could be a main party safety candidate. This allows for a 3rd party candidate to come in and not steal votes away from a similar party. The system has been used in San Francisco since 2004. Its been proposed everywhere from Los Angeles to Modesto, but only the three Alameda County cities have signed on for it. (Williams, Lance California Watch) The Electoral College does not provide a straightforward process for selecting the President. Instead, it can be extraordinarily complex and has the potential to undo the peoples will at many points in the long journey from the selection of electors to counting their votes in Congress, (George Edwards). The government should be for the people and the Electoral College is not since it treats people unequally. Many American people want the Electoral College abolished, but so little has been done to improve the outdated system. It makes the candidates campaign unfairly, making them focusing on swing states and forgetting all other states. The winner takes all system over shadows 3rd parties giving them unfair representation in the elections. The US needs to elect Presidents by popular vote; it is fair to all people. One Person One Vote should be used to ensure equality in voting. The American people should be able to choose their leader as equals. Work Cited Bach, Stanley, and Jack Maskell . Overview of Electoral College Procedure and the Role of Congress . Library of Congress Congressional Research Service. electoralcollegehistory.com, November 17, 2000. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . BUSH v. GORE. Oyez. Oyez, n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . Bush v. Gore United States Supreme Court Oral Arguments. American Rhetoric. americanrhetoric, n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . Edwards III, George C., Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. Government in America People, Politics and Policy. AP 12. Illinois: Pearson Longman, 2006. Print. Edwards III, George C. (2011) (in English). Why the Electoral College is Bad for America (Second edition ed.). New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 1, 37, 61, 176-7, 193-4. ISBN 978-0-300-16649-1. . .Electoral College: Frequently Asked Questions. Archives: The Electoral College. Office of the Federal Register, 9/26/2012. Web. 26 Sep 2012. . . Electoral College (United States). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 18 September 2012 at 19:38.. Web. 26 Sep 2012. Fobes, Richard. VoteFair Ranking. votefair.org. N.p., 13 2012. Web. 13 Dec 2012. . Kimberling, William C.. The Electoral College . The Electoral College . N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . . Is it time to do away with the undemocratic Electoral-College system?. http://niemanwatchdog.org. N.p., 13 2012. Web. 13 Dec 2012. . Leip, David The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College System. The Electoral College. US Selection Atlas, n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. http://uselectionatlas.org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/electcollege_procon.php Neale, Thomas H. . The Electoral College: How it Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections . Library of Congress Congressional Research Service . electoralcollegehistory.com, July 21, 1999 . Web. . . . One Person, One Vote. Annenberg Classroom. Annenberg Classroom, 02 2001. Web. 13 Dec 2012. . One Person, One Vote. One Person, One Vote. Ciros Books, Inc., 2008. Web. 26 Sep 2012. . . Plurality voting system. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2 September 2012 at 21:36.. Web. 26 Sep 2012. U.S. Constitution,art.2,sec. 2. Williams, Lance. Ranked-choice voting complicates elections. californiawatch.org. California Watch, 13 2012. Web. 13 Dec 2012. .

Solar Access Laws :: Essays Papers

Solar Access Laws Brief History of Solar Access Ralph Knowles’ paper, â€Å"The Solar Envelope† further discusses the high priority given to structures that reflected the path of the sun in ancient civilizations. The Acoma Pueblo Settlement west of Albuquerque, New Mexico has been occupied by over one thousand years. In Acoma, buildings are arranged in rows oriented to the south at intervals down the hillside. The buildings collectively face south, toward warming rays of winter sun and away from heating east/west sun of summer. In the winter the low sun warms thick masonry walls that in turn warm interior rooms into the night. In the summer the sun passes overhead hitting (and reflecting off of) roofs and terraces. The Acoma houses are spaced to offer protection in summer by sharing sidewalls and so as not to shade one another in winter. Necessity of Solar Access Laws As societies have placed value on solar access for centuries, we are faced in a time of extreme exponential growth with the challenges of maintaining equal solar access for all. Equal Solar Access is important in two fundamental ways. The first is science based. Solar access saves energy. In 1988 the Tacoma Energy Office conducted the â€Å"Tacoma Solar Access and Economic Benefits Study† and found that solar lot orientation reduces energy use by between ten and twenty percent per single-family housing unit (Aalfs 1997). As in Acoma, the Tacoma energy office recognized the fundamental role the sun could play in efficient energy use and ultimately energy conservation. In Tacoma, energy savings were identified as the primary goal of solar access standards. In Tacoma they cited further that energy savings would be likely to go up in the future with the development of solar technologies and diminishing supplies of petroleum products. Individuals and businesses in both the private and public sectors must have equal opportunity to alternative energy systems that may use the infinite (at least until the sun super novas) supply of solar energy. It is necessary to maintain equal access for not only current energy savings but for alternative energy strategies in the future. Ultimately, the sun is integral to all life. Knowles states that it is the warmth, energy and rhythm of our lives. It â€Å"informs our perceptions of time and space and our scale in the universe.† Knowles goes as far as to say, â€Å"Without the assurance of solar access, we face uncertainty and disorientation.