Living Conditions in Kenya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Living Conditions in Kenya - Essay Example Social justice theory on the other hand develops the principles that govern the social order of a society. Social Justice refers to the ability that people have, for purposes of realizing their potentials, within the society in which they live (Clayton and Williams, 2004). On this basis, there is a need of establishing institutions that would help the society to lead a better and fulfilling life. The principles established by the theory of social justice are, personal and political liberties, equal opportunities, etc. This paper argues that the living conditions in Kenya are poor, and majority of people are unable to get better services because of inefficiency in the manner in which the national government distributes resources to the grassroots level. Before December 2007, Kenya was categorized as one of the success stories in Africa. This is because the country was experiencing a fledging democracy, and an unprecedented economic growth, which was characterized by a booming tourism industry (Williams, 2012). It is important to understand that the population of the country is approximated at 35.5 million people, with approximately 10 million people living in the urban areas (Oppong and Oppong, 2012). The capital city is in Nairobi, with over three million people residing in it. The 2007 elections in Kenya culminated into an electoral violence that was so severe and deadly. This violence shocked the entire world, and this is because Kenya has been regarded as a symbol of peace and stability within a region that was infested with civil wars and armed conflicts. Kenya faces a series of problems, such as corruption, HIV/AIDS, higher standards of living, poverty, malnutrition and hunger, a poor health sector, tribalism, and poor leader ship and governance (Oppong and Oppong, 2012). These mentioned problems are the main causes that make the living conditions in Kenya to be poor and substandard. For instance, it is

Sustainability and Renewable Technologies Essay

Sustainability and Renewable Technologies - Essay Example Trees use energy tapped from the sun to fix carbon in the wood in a natural way and therefore are sustainable so long as harvesting can be done without depleting the woodland resources. Due to its nature wood fuel is virtually carbon neutral as the carbon dioxide emitted from burning is balanced by the carbon absorbed by growing trees. Wood is also a clean and safe compared to other fossil fuels like oil which are harmful to the environment in case of spills. The wood fuel gas is almost smoke free and its ash content is less than 1% which can be reused for other purposes. It will also benefit the social welfare of the entire community in that use of wood would ensure proper management of woodlands and promote local trade. By creating a ready market for wood fuel many jobs would be created to manage and ensure sustainable practice in managing woodland. The main disadvantage of this technology is that it has higher initial capital cost than conventional heating systems but in the build ing’s life-cycle costs. 2.0 Solar Powered Lighting System Use of photovoltaic cells in the building is one of the ways the company could use renewable energy sources for its operation without leaving a carbon foot print. This is because solar power does not consume natural resources, are readily available and are naturally replenished. 2.1 How it works The building is laced with light sensitive cells called the photovoltaic cells that convert light from the sun into electricity. This electricity is then stored in a battery system that is used to power the lighting system and other appliances within the building. A sketch of the system is attached. 2.2 Advantages Using a solar powered lighting system in which solar power is used to generate the electricity for the building’s lighting ensures energy security by reducing dependency on fossil fuel or the national grid. As a result the company will enjoy price stability as photovoltaic cells are installed only once and have lifespan ranging from 20-30 years. With solar power there are no transmission costs as all the energy produced is consumed unlike other sources where the fuels have to be transported. It is therefore ideal even for places that cannot have access to the grid. Cost wise the solar panels are becoming cheaper and more efficient thus ensuring more value for money. It is also a very quite source of energy which is a great advantage of a service oriented company in which communication is key in its operation and a quiet working environment has a great impact. 2.3 Disadvantages Major disadvantage is the high cost of installation; it also requires a large area for installation. This can however be mitigated by incorporating a building design in which photovoltaic cells are positioned for optimal harvesting. The other disadvantage is that efficiency is dependant on the full exposure of the sun and may affect cloudy days. 3.0 Green Roof The company could consider using a green roof for the bu ilding. This is simply having a design that will ensure the entire roof of the proposed building would be covered in vegetation to form a sort of living roof. 3.1 How it works The roof is covered with vegetation that is grown over a waterproofing membrane. The membrane helps to prevent percolation of water and also root