Nachhaltigkeit lohnt sich auch finanziell

Nachhaltigkeit ist heute in aller Munde. Der Trend hat auch die Immobilienbranche erfasst, die in der Schweiz einen eigentlichen Minergie-Boom erlebt. Was aber ist Nachhaltiges Bauen, was eine Nachhaltige Immobilie? Zahlt sich Nachhaltigkeit finanziell aus? Und wie kann Nachhaltigkeit in der Praxis gemessen und bewertet werden

Imago relationis: Bonhoeffer's ethics and the decision of faith

“… in Prayer and Righteous Action” Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Spirituality and Ethic

No God on the horizon? Voegelin, Buber and Bonhoeffer & the moment of surrender

In a time when the faith and freedom of men and women in Europe are challenged by radical atheism and by the fanaticism of secularists, religious extremists and political fundamentalists, public discourse reconsiders the possibility that there is simply “no God on the horizon”. This paper is an attempt to meditate on the secularism rampant in Europe, and builds upon rational and religious insight into the moral potential and mystical dimension of human beings, who seek to resist the attempt of modern-day ideologies and of radical atheism to make history without God and to found it on the strength of man alone. Additionally, this study documents the religious-political commotion in the Netherlands, particularly the open confrontations about Islam by Geert Wilders, the leader of the Dutch Freedom party. By using terms such as “the multicultural nightmare,” “the mass immigration” and “the Islamization,” Wilders attempts to order society and history according to an “anti-Islam” principle and the struggle of races and/or religion. History has taught us that such principles can only lead to severe disorder and destruction. For those of us who like to conserve the divine ordering of human (political) life in the West, few thinkers of the Nazi period have surpassed Voegelin, Buber and Bonhoeffer in opposing the brutal dishonesty at the core of totalitarian movements. Their diagnosis of the “eclipse of reality,” the “eclipse of God,” and the disorder at the root of closed societies was matched by a common concern about the philosophical and theological resources for the rediscovery and defense of human civilization

The existential philosophy of Etty Hillesum: an analysis of her diaries and letters

In The Existential Philosophy of Etty Hillesum Meins G.S. Coetsier breaks new ground by demonstrating the Jewish existential nature of Etty Hillesum’s spiritual and cultural life in light of the writings of Martin Buber, Emmanuel Levinas and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Hillesum’s diaries and letters written between 1941 and 1943 illustrate her struggle to come to terms with her personal life in the context of the Second World War and the Shoah. By finding God under the rubble of the horrors, she rediscovers the divine presence between humankind, while taking up responsibility for the Other as a way to embrace justice and compassion. In a fascinating, accessible and thorough study, Coetsier dispels much of the confusion that assails readers when they are exposed to the bewildering range of Christian and Jewish influences and other cultural interpretations of her writings. The result is a convincing and profound picture of Etty Hillesum's path to spiritual freedom. In The Existential Philosophy of Etty Hillesum Meins G.S. Coetsier offers an account of Etty Hillesum's spiritual and cultural life in light of the writings of Martin Buber, Emmanuel Levinas and Dietrich Bonhoeffer

In-situ Investigation of the shear-induced alignment of Diblock Copolymer Melts using Rheo-SAXS, Rheo-Dielectric and FT-Rheology

In-situ flow alignment of self-assembled block copolymer melts have been investigated in detail under mechanical large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) utilizing new and unique Rheo-SAXS and Rheo-Dielectric techniques. Significant correlations between the non-linear mechanical and dielectric responses were detected which strongly depended on the shear-induced structural changes. Furthermore, a novel de-orientation process was observed which is also observed via FT-Rheology and Rheo-Dielectri

Reflection in thought and action: Maternal parenting reflectivity predicts mind-minded comments and interactive behavior

Recent research has identified mothers' mental reflective functioning and verbal mind-minded comments as important predictors of subsequent infant attachment security. In the present study, we examine associations between mothers' ( N = 95) parenting reflectivity expressed in an interview and observed parenting behavior, including verbal mind-minded comments and interactive behavior during interaction with their 7-month-old infants. Parenting reflectivity was coded from the Working Model of the Child Interview. Maternal behavior was assessed via observations of mother–infant interaction during free play and structured teaching tasks. Both maternal appropriate mind-minded comments as well as other indicators of maternal interactive behavior were coded. Parenting reflectivity was positively correlated with mind-minded comments and behavioral sensitivity. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that parenting reflectivity contributed to maternal behavior beyond the contributions of mothers' educational status and depression symptoms. Discussion emphasizes the importance of individual differences in parental capacity to accurately perceive and mentalize their infants' experience, and the consequences of these differences for caregiving behavior.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/60447/1/20184_ftp.pd

Abbau von Hemmnissen für Sanierungen von Liegenschaften institutioneller Investoren (HEMSAN)

Der vorliegende Bericht untersucht, welches die Hemmnisse und Anreize für institutionelle Investoren sind, um Investitionen in energetisch wirksame Erneuerungen von Renditeliegenschaften zu tätigen. Aufgrund einer ersten Analyse anhand von Literatur und Interviews kann davon ausgegangen werden, dass insbesondere eine mangelnde Rendite für die Eigentümer ein Problem sein kann. Dabei ist die Differenz zwischen Bestandes- und Marktmieten ein wichtiger Renditetreiber. Eine Auswertung zeigt, dass auch bei der Ermittlung der Rentabilität von Investitionen in die Energieeffizienz die Marktsituation entscheidend ist. Insbesondere bei Märkten mit hoher Nachfrage können Investitionen in die Energieeffizienz rentabel sein. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die Energiepreise gemäss den Interviews und dem Modell der Investitionsrechnung für die Sanierungsentscheide bei Renditeliegenschaften nicht relevant sind. Daraus leitet sich ab, dass bei der Ausarbeitung von Lösungsansätzen soweit möglich nach Marktsituation differenziert werden sollte, und dass Energiepreisänderungen, beispielsweise aufgrund einer CO$_2$-Abgabe, gemäss dem Modell kurzfristig wenig Einfluss auf die Rentabilität von energetisch wirksamen Erneuerungen haben

Engagement in Nachhaltigkeit macht sich bezahlt: Minergie als Investition in die Zukunft

Der Energieeffizienz wird am Schweizer Immobilienmarkt bis anhin zu wenig Beachtung geschenkt. Dabei ist der Markt bereit, einen Aufpreis für Minergie zu bezahlen. Erforderlich sind aber Bewertungs-Instrumente, die Nachhaltigkeits- Aspekte umfassend einbeziehen

The unrecognized future dimension of corporate sustainability assessment

Companies play a central role on the way towards sustainable development. Over the last years, many approaches have emerged that attempt to measure companies’ contribution to sustainable development, i.e. corporate sustainability. Our analysis of existing approaches reveals two major shortcomings. First, value creation as a core condition for sustainability as well as for further contributions to economic sustainability is often ignored in these assessments. Second, existing approaches fail to differentiate between the actual contribution of a firm to sustainability on one hand and the structural and managerial measures aimed at attaining this contribution on the other hand. We argue that the implementation of sustainability oriented organizational structures and managerial instruments alone does not necessarily guarantee sustainability performance. In response to these shortcomings we put forward a generic framework for corporate sustainability assessment. Besides the dimension of current sustainability performance we introduce the notion of future-orientation of management as the second – and so far unrecognized – dimension of corporate sustainability assessment