How much do we spend to save? Calculating the embodied carbon costs of retrofit

The drive to reduce carbon emissions from domestic housing has led to a recent shift of focus from new-­‐build to retrofit. However there are two significant differences. Firstly more work is needed to retrofit existing housing to the same energy efficiency standards as new-­‐build. Secondly the remaining length of service life is potentially shorter. This implies that the capital expenditure – both financial and carbon -­‐ of retrofit may be disproportionate to the savings gained over the remaining life. However the Government’s definition of low and zero carbon continues to exclude the capital (embodied) carbon costs of construction, which has resulted in a lack of data for comparison. The paper addresses this gap by reporting the embodied carbon costs of retrofitting four individual pilot properties in Rampton Drift, part of an Eco-­‐Town Demonstrator Project in Cambridgeshire. Through collecting details of the materials used and their journeys from manufacturer to site, the paper conducts a ‘cradle-­‐to-­‐gate’ life cycle carbon assessment for each property. The embodied carbon figures are calculated using a software tool being developed by the Centre for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge. The key aims are to assess the real embodied carbon costs of retrofit of domestic properties, and to test the new tool; it is hoped that the methodology, the tool and the specific findings will be transferable to other projects. Initial changes in operational energy as a result of the retrofit works will be reported and compared with the embodied carbon costs when presenting this paper.

Recovery of Sleep or Recovery of Self? A Grounded Theory Study of Residents’ Decision Making Regarding How to Spend Their Nonclinical Postcall Time

Purpose: As resident work hours policies evolve, residents’ off-duty time remains poorly understood. Despite assumptions about how residents should be using their postcall, off-duty time, there is little research on how residents actually use this time and the reasoning underpinning their activities. This study sought to understand residents’ nonclinical postcall activities when they leave the hospital, their decision-making processes, and their perspectives on the relationship between these activities and their well-being or recovery.

Method: The study took place at a Liaison Committee on Medical Education–accredited Canadian medical school from 2012 to 2014. The authors recruited a purposive and convenience sample of postgraduate year 1–5 residents from six surgical and nonsurgical specialties at three hospitals affiliated with the medical school. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, semistructured interviews were conducted, audio-taped, transcribed, anonymized, and combined with field notes. The authors analyzed interview transcripts using constant comparative analysis and performed post hoc member checking.

Results: Twenty-four residents participated. Residents characterized their predominant approach to postcall decision making as one of making trade-offs between multiple, competing, seemingly incompatible, but equally valuable, activities. Participants exhibited two different trade-off orientations: being oriented toward maintaining a normal life or toward mitigating fatigue.

Conclusions: The authors’ findings on residents’ trade-off orientations suggest a dual recovery model with postcall trade-offs motivated by the recovery of sleep or of self. This model challenges the dominant viewpoint in the current duty hours literature and suggests that the duty hours discussion must be broadened to include other recovery processes.

How much can we spend on education?

Includes bibliography

Where to spend the holidays : favourite resorts in North & Central Wales, the English Lake District, Scotland & Ireland.

Includes index.

Where shall I spend my holidays? : some aids to a decision (topographical, antiquarian, literary) /

Books and maps in the Central Public Library relating to holiday resorts within the British Isles.

Sparing to spend, or, The Loftons and Pinkertons /

Mode of access: Internet.

How to spend your money

"First published, 1931."

How consumers spend their money.

Mode of access: Internet.

Sparing to spend; or, The Loftons and Pinkertons.

Mode of access: Internet.

Strategy formation for indirect spend

The aim of this thesis was to examine the strategy formation in indirect procurement. Current literature in purchasing strategy has mainly focused on direct procurement whereas the strategy formation in indirect procurement has gained much less attention. Nevertheless, the weak economic times have been pushing companies to find savings from other places as well. The theoretical part of the thesis focused on three main subjects; indirect procurement, purchasing strategy and category management. This thesis was a case study, which initiative arose from the company’s need to develop their indirect procurement. The objectives of the empirical part were to identify current state of the indirect procurement and solve biggest issues. The analysis was based on multiple managerial interviews and a spend analysis from ten different countries. Based on these analyses and the theoretical findings a framework and recommendations for the case company was made.