Reflect on the causes of global warming, its consequences, the solutions and the problems that hinder the solutions attempted.

According to the research done by the weekly journal “Science”, the average global temperature has risen by 0.2 degree Celsius—100 times higher than is normal for such a short time scale, and 2005 is on course for being the hottest year on record. Beyond description, global warming is the most challenging environmental problem facing the mankind right now. Global warming is mainly caused by the emission of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide and methane by human activities. CO2 level began to soar with the industrial revolution, when coal started to be burnt in large quantities. They have surged in recent decades as more countries become industrialized like China and as more cars emerge on the road, emitting tones of greenhouse gases every moment. Those who are skeptical about this man-made global warming are arguing that the heating up of the Earth is merely another natural climate cycle that we have live through. They then cite natural activities that also produce carbon dioxide such as volcanic eruption. However, we are not living in a place where volcanic eruptions occur everywhere and every moment. It is more convincing to say that Man’s activities give rise to global warming because we discharge greenhouse gases every moment at every place.

Global warming causes extensive environmental problems such as climate change. As witnessed by the world, the frequencies of occurrence of hurricane across the globe has increased and the peak intensity of hurricanes may increase 5-10 per cent, and precipitation rates may increase by 20-30 per cent, as a result of global warming. Wherever hurricane goes, it brings about destruction and deaths. Hurricane Katrina that visited USA last year is an excellent example in explaining the consequences of global warming. In addition, countries like Australia is experiencing more frequent forest fires due to abnormally longer drought than before. Cases of diseases such as malaria and asthma are also on the rise due to rising temperatures and dust storms. As temperature rises, malaria is becoming more common in the traditionally cool mountains of Africa, Asia and Latin America where 10 per cent of the world’s people live. Beijing is being engulfed in the most intensive dust storms in the year. Global warming is partly to be blamed besides deforestation activities at the outskirt of the cities. In fact, consequences of global warming are not exhaustible. It is a problem that requires global effort to tackle.

We do see some efforts in tackling the problem of global warming as countries realize the dire consequences of rising temperature. For example, we do see annual conferences be held to discuss environmental issues, especially global warming. The United Nation has derived Kyoto Protocol for countries to follow to cut down on their emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. However, many critics argue that little result has been yielded by these efforts. True enough, countries seem to be engaging in the meetings, but once they are off the discussion table, everything is back to normal. Fossil fuel continue to be burnt in great quantities, deforestation continue to occur at an alarmingly large scale. Promises are usually not kept. Worse still, some nations tend to use the opportunities to forge economic ties with one another instead of talking about environmental issues. There is a great hindrance to the success of efforts to solve global warming—national interest. British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair said that the Kyoto Protocol on climate change cannot work in its current form and US and emerging economies must work together to cut greenhouse gas emissions. His words carry a great deal of truth. USA is one of the major producers of carbon dioxide. It refuses to ratify the treaty. Mr. Bush refused to sign the protocol because he believes the treaty ‘s binding targeting are too costly for the US economy. Also, like what Mr. Blair pointed out, the Kyoto Protocol is itself flawed as it excludes China and India, the two major producers of heat-trapping gases. What is point when small nations attempting hard to hold back their gases while the big nations continue to discharge indiscriminately? However, one piece of good news is that though China is not a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, it has, on its own accord, ratified the treaty and, more importantly, taken steps to reduce emissions by as much as 17 per cent since 1997, as reported by the US Natural Resources Defense Council. Moreover, we also have global agreements that offer carrots in the form of foreign aid and “technology transfer” to involve poorer nations in the war against global warming problem. However, often, these assistances only serve to help to keep those corrupted leaders in power, who have little interest in promoting the well being of their societies. There are many obstructions to the successful execution of measure to tackle global warming problems right now.

Global warming is the most challenging environmental issue that needs to be addressed promptly. It is not wise to risk our future for momentary materialistic gain because it is not worth it! I think the UN need to revise the Kyoto Protocol to involve emerging economies like India and China. Also, it is also the time for US to join the global effort. It should be taking the lead in tackling this problem, considering the influence it has across the globe. It should be an example for others to follow. As the name suggest, “global” effort is essential in tackling the problem of global warming.


Articles of reference
1) “Cold comfort for poor countries” straits times 4/11/05
2) “Global warming’s ill winds” straits times 1/10/05
3) “Kyoto climate pact ‘not working” straits times 31/10/05
4) “Kyoto Protocol: It’s time US joined global effort” straits times 11/07/05

A Nation of Irrational and Diffident Youngsters

The recent demonstrations and riots that are happening in France sound an alarm bell for many European nations. The large-scale violence clearly shows that democracy may not be an excellent means to prosperity. Sometimes, it may hinder the successful development of a society. The French Prime Minister, Mr. Dominique de Villepin proposed a law, the First Employment Contract (CPE), which allows employers to end job contracts for under-26s at any time during a two-year probation period. It is a part of series of measures designed to boost the employability of youths in the French suburbs. The government claims that it will encourage employers to hire young people. However, students and young workers protest that the newly passed law will erode job stability in France, where more than 20% of 18-25-year-olds are unemployed—more than twice the national average and will make them to be discarded at will.

In my opinion, the law is a necessity in revitalizing France’s lackluster economy, which grows at a feeble rate of 1.6 percent annually. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, workers in France spent only about 1431 hours on their job every year, the lowest among 26 advanced nations. Other advanced nations are far ahead of it. For example, the United States is about 27 percent higher than France with 1822 hours. This somehow shows that French workers are not passionate about their job. This indifferent attitude towards work is, by large, due to the Labour Code in France that makes layoff costly. Once one gets a job, it is difficult for the company to dismiss him or her for the law tends to stand by the side of the employers. Employers do not have to fear for retrenchment. The need to put in effort in their work, and to upgrade one’s skills to stay competitive is negligible. This poses a serious problem for the companies and as a result, many private companies in France are cautious about hiring, as it is hard to fire even when workers are not proven to be worth keeping. They want achievement and development, not unnecessary burden. This is widely regarded as a cause for high unemployment rate among the youngsters. Thus, this new law is necessary. When companies are allow to fire workers, they will not have much misgivings as to whether they have made a wise hiring. They thus would tend to be more generous when deciding the number of workers to recruit. In addition, it signifies that need to stay completive and enthusiastic about one’s job. Understandably, this law is meant to send a positive signal to the younger generation that they must put in effort in their work and stay competitive or they will be eliminated. It is meant to stimulate and propel youngsters in the nation to strive for their future and stay ahead of their competitors. It conveys a meaningful message that they should not rely too much on welfare system. The system whereby people only take without give will not move far. Unfortunately, the law is misunderstood as an evil move to make them the “Kleenex generation”, to be discarded at will. The violence clear reveals the selfishness and lacking of foresightedness in the younger generation in France. They refuse to depend on their own ability to secure their jobs. It is understandable that as long as one is competent, he or she will not be “discarded”. This is the reality of the world. Before the landing of Man on the Australia Island, Dudu birds were abundant because they have no natural predators and food was in plenty. They were well taken care of by the nature. However, when Man came, Man’s hunting activities and the predators that Man brought in such as dogs soon wiped them out. The same situation is looming in France, where people are well shielded by benefits and protections of the generous welfare state and are unwilling to take care of themselves. In fact, this is a major problem in many Western nations, such as Italy and Britain. This could be a reason why France and Italy were overtaken by China in terms of economic progress and development.

The series of demonstrations also shows that French people have little confidence to thrive on their own. This is a serious problem for the nations. Also, France is going ageing at an alarming rate. According to OECD, in 2005, France’s labour force was 2.7 times as large as its 65-and-over population; by 2020, it would only be twice as large. That means that the size of its workforce will dwindle and there will be a sharp increase in people who will be taking benefits out of the welfare system without having to contribute. That is why it is urgent to increase its employment rate and to boost the competitiveness of its people to compensate for the inevitable loss. This law can do the magic but unfortunately, its people do not understand.


Articles of reference

-“The Politics of Make-Believe” Newsweek international, 03/04/2006
-“Violence flares at French rallies” BBC NEWS, 13/04/2006
-“Riots erupt after French protests” BBC NEWS, 13/04/2006

Do you think science and technology has done more good than bad?

The tremendous progress in science and technology has improved our lives drastically. People nowadays are able to enjoy high accessibility of information. Also, science and technology contributes to increasing level of interaction between people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, leading to people’s being more understanding towards each other. Moreover, our health has seen unprecedented improvements because of advancement in science and technology, which, in addition, plays an indispensable role in combating various environmental problems. It is certain that science and technology has done more good than bad.

Let’s start by taking a closer look at our daily lives. Science and technology has made our lives much easier. True enough, with the invention of various machineries such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners, we are happily freed from various drudgeries of having to accomplish chores directly with our bare hands. In factories, machines usually handle laborious works. Workers’ lives are thus made much easier and more comfortable. As a result, we are left with more leisure time to enjoy life and more time to pursue other goals and achievements in life. With improvement in science and technology, our lives have become more meaningful and comfortable than before.

Moreover, with the advancement in information technology, people are enabled to access greater sources of useful information to improve their lives. With computers, radios, televisions and other information dissemination devices, various data can be shared, such as teaching materials as well as knowledge in different fields. This helps increase our educational levels as we learn more things. Also, our understanding of events happening in the world is enhanced simply because there is a reservoir of relevant information available to us. Our frame of reference has also been significantly increased. We are readily informed about changes that are occurring around our world, enabling us to make more appropriate and beneficial decisions in lives. For example, many people in rural India experienced improving livelihood due to availability of Internet services. Farmers are allowed to follow news, check on the weather conditions and make spot market offers on their produce, thus reducing cost. Moreover, farmers are able to learn soil-testing techniques and other expert knowledge that helps increases productivity. As a result, earnings of rural farmers have increased greatly. Science and technology have enabled many farmers to become educated and their standard of living to be improved drastically.

Critics argue that technology makes people less gregarious as they interact less and tend to spend a lot of time on net, chatting with visual friends, immersing oneself in visual world, and reducing the need to physically interact with people around him. Their assumption is that human beings are after all gregarious in nature and anything that alters this nature is bad. They are right in the sense that nowadays, people spend a great deal of times on Internet. This is indeed a shortcoming of computer technology as the time one spends with family members and friends is likely to be compromised. However, people who are obsessed with the Internet are really the minority. In addition, one cannot deny the fact that via the Internet, one is able to meet even more people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. He is also able to understand others better, leading to better interaction between people. Also, Internet helps to strengthen bond between people who are separated by long distance. With the availability of video telephones, people are able to communicate face to face despite the fact that they are distant from one another. Relationships can be continued and connections are prevented from being lost. With advancement in technology, barriers between places are simply reduced to checkpoints at the airports or ports. With inventions of powerboats and airplanes, traveling has been made easier and again, people are enabled to interact with people from outside their own communities. Our gregariousness is even further manifested and enhanced. Thus, I believe that science and technology has done more good than bad.


In addition, science and technology have been bringing about unprecedented improvements to our healthcare system. The high standard of medical care system and sophisticated healthcare facilities enable us to enjoy good health and longevity. Also, they play a vital role in combating tough diseases like cancers. The availability of various forms of therapies, together with sophisticated medical instruments and devices, patients’ survival rate has been enhanced dramatically. Operations are conducted in a more effective and safer way, reducing patients’ sufferings. Currently, scientists from all around the world are focusing on stem cell research. Stem cell has been broadly regarded as a potential cure for diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. It can also be developed into various organs for transplantation to save lives. If not for the improvements in science and technology, this asset of Man would not have been discovered. In Singapore, scientists have developed safer and improved method to coax adult stem cells found in fornix to grow into sheets of eye tissue that can be implanted back to the patients’ eyes to treat many eye diseases. The role of science and technology is indispensable in the exploration of frontiers in the medical field. For example, with invented electron microscope in 1930s, bacteria that cause smallpox, malaria and polio were identified and hence, leading to the development of vaccines of these diseases, saving lives of many people. Science and technology have done us great good.

On the other hand, we sometimes do find flaws in scientific researches. There are scientists who are so enchanted with finding cures for some diseases that they breach ethical regulations and even go to the extent of committing crimes, harming others’ lives. For example, in Singapore, an independent panel has found that the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) director Dr. Simon Shorvon committed serous ethical breaches by treating patients like experimental subjects without rights. He administered unauthorized drugs to 127 Parkinson’s patients without their consent or their doctors’ knowledge and jeopardized their safety and well-being. His act was broadly condemned in Singapore. The doctor was severely obsessed with looking for cures for the disease that he overlooked the ethical regulations and disregarded others’ lives. The power of science and technology has tempted many great scientists to go extreme and challenge laws. This is negative impact of science and technology. However, we must not be so hasty to conclude that science and technology is harmful. Considering the huge number of people who have benefited from improvement in science and technology, their good impacts certainly outweigh the bad ones.

What is more, we have been hearing criticisms from environmentalists that science and technology have devastated the Earth. Well, it is true that they gave rise to invention of machineries that produce lots of pollutants, such as carbon dioxide. However, no one can predicted that the industrial revolution in many countries between 18th and 19th century would have such a great impact on global temperature and environment. No one then was able to discover that the manufacturing of early refrigerators would deplete the ozone layer. Only when sophisticated technologies were invented were we able to detect and realize the impacts our actions had on the environments. Critics may argue that the utilization of science and technology in tackling environmental problems is not an indication to their contribution to human kind because they are just solving problems created by them. However, they fail to realize that without science and technology, our Earth may be destroyed to a greater extent. We are dependent on science and technology to solve majority of environmental problems, like oil spillage and global warming. To treat sewage, we need sewage treatment plants. To make reforestation more effective, we need better seeds of trees that can grow faster to protect soils. Global warming is the greatest challenge of this century. Again, without technology, it will not be tackled successfully. Burning of fuel is inevitable in all societies, as all nations need economic developments to enhance standard of living of their people and to make countries economically powerful. Thus we need science and technology to come out with more efficient fuel so that the harm done to the environment is minimized or even nil. The development of bio-fuels, a kind of fuel that is produced from organic products and combusts more efficiently and produces less carbon dioxide, would be a good example to prove science and technology’s contribution to Man. May nations are switching to bio-fuels. For example, the Brazilian government encourages wide use of ethanol produced from sugarcane—a traditional crop in the country—as fuel to replace gasoline. Brazil is therefore able to replace half of the gasoline used by automobiles in the countries. The same in occurring in China, USA, Germany, Austria and many other countries in response to oil shortage problems and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emission. It is estimated that without too much effort, producing ethanol from just Brazil and India would reduce the burning of gasoline fuel by 10%. With advancement in science and technology, global warming problem is alleviated without having the nation’s economic development compromised. This would not have been possible without science and technology. Thus, I strongly believe that science and technology has done more good than bad.

Science and technology has improved our lives tremendously. It makes our life more colorful and meaningful. It makes people more informed and educated and improves people’s health. Moreover, it plays an indispensable role in tackling some of the thorniest environmental problems. Although it creates problems along its progressive path, its benefits tend to outweigh its negative impacts. Thus, I strongly believe that science and technology has done more good than bad.


Articles of Reference

--“Internet reaching the remote and poor.” Straits Times, 23/11/2005

--“Cultivating a scientific culture.” Straits Times, 22/09/2005

--“What is the role of science in developing countries.” AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE

--“The next petroleum” Newsweek International, 08/08/2005

--“$10m research was unethical and uncivilised” Straits Times, 13/05/2005