Critical Reflection draft 2

At the beginning of this course, I came to the class with the mentality that I would just try my best to pass the course. I expected the lesson to be mundane and we would be doing grammar practices every lesson. However, during the first lesson, we had an ice-breaking session which was quite unexpected to me. In Brad's class, we were also expected to post all of our assignments on our personal blog. The blog served as a platform for us to evaluate each other's work and gave us the chance to interact with one another. I valued this opportunity and find that it really helped me in accessing my weaknesses and improving on them.

One of the most important academic skill I picked up in this course is the correct usage of grammar, mainly on sentence structures. Errors in sentence structures are common in my writings yet I have never realised them! Being aware of problems now, I would take extra caution to avoid such mistakes while writing chemistry lab reports. I am sure that writing skills are also important in other areas outside the field of chemistry such as in resume writing and these skills will benefit myself in the future.
Through ES1102, I appreciate the fact that essay writing is not about putting in all the content that you know but more of focusing on the right ideas and organising them. In this way, our ideas can be conveyed clearly to our audience.

Despite learning a lot from this course, I feel that I have not mastered the correct way of citing and referencing sources. I made such mistakes for several drafts of my essay but still could not get it right. However, in academic writings, citations and references are extremely important.  I need to read up more on the APA style and other academic reports in order to fill up this gap of mine.

Having the oral presentation in this module has given me the opportunity to experience how it would be like in the working life and in higher levels of university life. Presentations are inevitable in these aspects of life and though I am still afraid of presenting in front of people, I have decided that I need to step out of my comfort zone and embrace every opportunity out there to practice on my presentation skills. I have to be more confident, and need to be louder and clearer for my presentations in future. With more practice, I am sure I can manage it.

Through ES1102, I have learnt skills that would benefit myself in the future. I feel that I have gained as much as I had put in. It is really fortunate for me to be part of this class where lessons are made enjoyable because of the teacher and classmates.

Reflection on Presentation

I think that presentation should be included in ES1102.

Personally, I feel that having this presentation in ES1102 has given me an opportunity to share my ideas with the class. It is also a good learning experience as I can step out of my comfort zone and be exposed to comments from teachers and friends. Having presentation component in ES1102 also serves as a practice for the graded oral presentation in ES1541. In this way, ES1102 students will have an advantage over the others. Furthermore,  presentation skills are essential for our future career too.

Through this presentation practice and from those feedbacks I received, I realised several shortcomings in presentations. It has helped me to realise my weaknesses and how I could deal with them in future. 

Therefore, a presentation component in ES1102 is essential. 

Essay FINAL

Economic Development in China has led to its Air Pollution

Goldin (2009) pointed out in his TED talk that collapse in biodiversity, climate change, financial crisis and inequality are some problems caused by globalisation. Among these, we have witnessed air pollution becoming more evident. A main cause of air pollution is the increase in excessive greenhouse gases largely contributed by industries. Air pollution is a serious problem in China, and it is heavily tied to globalisation. Globalisation involves the movement of ideas, cultures and people across the world. Since the 1970s, China has been experiencing rapid expansion and urbanization. This was due to the low cost of production in China, which works as an incentive for many foreign companies to set up their factories there. Many job opportunities were given to the Chinese locals and more knowledge and skills could be acquired from the foreigners, aiding in China’s economic expansion. However, Zhang (2012) noted that China’s aim to improve the gross domestic product (GDP) at any cost has created environmental problems. In my opinion, air pollution has plagued China ever since its growth and the country has been implementing solutions to mitigate this long-term problem. However, it will take a long time, and no one can be sure if this air pollution problem can be improved completely.

From 1991 to 2010, industrial waste gas emission in China was increasing at 43.1 billion cubic metres annually (Cui & Shi, 2012). Increases in health problems are mostly attributed to the air condition. Small particulates can permanently stay in the lungs and aggravate many respiratory illnesses and heart problems (Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, n.d.). According to a World Health Organization report, 40 percent of the 7 million people in the world who died from air pollution in 2012 lived around China (Chen &  Bennett, 2014). Being one of the worst polluted countries and not doing anything to reduce air pollution, could also result in China suffering from economic problems. In 2008, China’s economic losses due to pollution and environmental degradation accounted for 10.51 percent of gross national income (Zhang, 2012). To deal with all these ongoing problems, China has implemented several solutions to reduce the impacts of air pollution.

The first solution is to cut down dependence on coal. According to Chew (2013), the construction of new coal-fired plants is prohibited and replaced by 18 synthetic natural gas (SNG) plants. This can reduce air pollution since burning of coal contributes to harmful air particulates. However, this is a short-term solution. Although switching to SNG plants can help to reduce particulate air pollution, the process of mining coal and converting it to natural gas can yield 36 percent to 82 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than burning coal directly (Chew, 2013). Shutting down the coal-fired plants is also not sufficient to mitigate this pollution problem because emissions from vehicles, shipyards and aircrafts also contribute to air pollution, in Shanghai especially, after Shanghai became an international transport hub.

A second solution was implemented by Hanergy, the largest non-state-owned enterprise of clean energy power generation in China, which focuses on hydropower and solar power as alternatives (Dinell, n.d.). The ShangHai Tower, upon completion in 2014, will serve to reduce energy usage as wind turbines are built at the top of the tower and electricity generated will run the exterior light. We can see that with clean energy power generation, industries have alternative sources to run the plants instead of using coal. Less coal will be burnt, giving rise to a cleaner Shanghai. However, there are limitations to this implementation. Other sources of energy like hydropower and solar power require much capital to operate. It also takes a long time to start these operations, which is not effective to solve the imminent air pollution problem in Shanghai.

In conclusion, globalisation drives rapid expansion and industrialisation in China, sacrificing the environment at the same time. However, efforts have been made by China over the years to solve this issue. They have been targeting the root of the problem by controlling the greenhouse gases emission from factories. Apart from that, China can also look out for other sources of greenhouse gases emission, and implement some regulations to control them. On top of solving the root of the problem, China can also deal with the health impacts experienced by the people living in the area. The government can give out free face mask to the citizens and also allow a regular health check at a lower price. Though it will take a long time, China can only aim to reduce air pollution. It will be hard to eliminate this problem entirely as air pollution is happening at a faster rate than their actions to deal with the problem.

(781 words)

References

Chen, C. & Bennett, S.  (2014, March 26). China Smog at Center of Air Pollution Deaths Cited by WHO. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-25/tainted-air-kills-more-than-aids-diabetes-who-report-shows.html

Cui, L & Shi, J. (2012, October 25). Urbanisation and its environmental effects in Shanghai, China. Urban Climate 2, 1–15.

Chew, K. (2013, November 14). China’s Solution for Combating Air Pollution? Convert Coal to Synthetic Natural Gas. Enn.com. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.enn.com/environmental_policy/article/46681

Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (n.d.). Air Pollutants and Our Health. Sbcapcd.org. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.sbcapcd.org/sbc/pollut.htm

Dinell, S. (n.d.). Pollution. Bizjournalism.org. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://china2012.bizjournalism.org/?page_id=229

Zhang, J.J. (2012, September). Delivering Environmentally Sustainable Economic Growth: The Case of China. Asiasociety.org. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://asiasociety.org/files/pdf/Delivering_Environmentally_Sustainable_Economic_Growth_Case_China.pdf

Essay Draft 3

Economic Development in China has led to its air pollution

Goldin (2009) pointed out in his TED talk that collapse in biodiversity, climate change, financial crisis and inequality are some problems caused by globalisation. Among these, we have witnessed climate change becoming more evident. Climate changes are directly linked to increase in global greenhouse gases which are mostly contributed by industries. Air pollution is a serious problem in China, and it is heavily tied to globalisation. Globalisation involves the movement of ideas, cultures and people across the world. Since the 1970s, China has been experiencing rapid expansion and urbanization. This was due to the low cost of production in China, which works as an incentive for many foreign companies to set up their factories there. Many job opportunities were given to the Chinese locals and more knowledge and skills could be acquired from the foreigners, aiding in China’s economic expansion. Zhang (2012) noted that China’s aim to improve the gross domestic product (GDP) at any cost has created environmental problems. In my opinion, air pollution has plagued China ever since its growth and it is a long-term problem. China has been implementing solutions that could possibly mitigate the problems. However, it will take a long time and no one can be sure if this air pollution problem can be improved completely.

From 1991 to 2010, industrial waste gas emission in China has been increasing at 43.1 billion cubic metres annually (Cui and Shi, 2012). Increase in health problems is mostly attributed to the air condition. Small particulates can permanently stay in the lungs and aggravate many respiratory illnesses. It also leads to a higher incidence of heart problems. (Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, n.d.) According to a World Health Organization report, 40 percent of the 7 million people in the world who died from air pollution in 2012 lived around China. (Chen and Bennett, 2014) Being one of the worst polluted countries and not doing anything to reduce air pollution, could also result in China suffering from economic problems. In 2008, China’s economic losses due to pollution and environmental degradation accounted for 10.51 percent of gross national income. (Zhang, 2012) To deal with all these ongoing problems, China has implemented several solutions to reduce the impacts of air pollution.

The first solution is to cut down dependence on coal. According to Kristina Chew (2013), the construction of new coal-fired plants is prohibited and replaced by 18 synthetic natural gas (SNG) plants. This can reduce air pollution since burning of coal contributes to harmful air particulates. However, this is a short-term solution. Although switching to SNG plants can help to reduce particulate air pollution, the process of mining coal and converting it to natural gas can yield 36 percent to 82 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than burning coal directly (Kristina Chew, 2013). Shutting down the coal-fired plants is also not sufficient to mitigate this pollution problem because emission from vehicles, shipyards and aircrafts also contributes to air pollution in Shanghai especially after Shanghai became an international transport hub.

A second solution was implemented by Hanergy, the largest non-state-owned enterprise of clean energy power generation in China, which focuses on hydropower and solar power as alternatives (Dinell, n.d.). The ShangHai Tower, upon completion in 2014, will serve to reduce energy usage as wind turbines are built at the top of the tower and electricity generated will run the exterior light. We can see that with clean energy power generation, industries have alternative sources to run the plants instead of using coal. Less coal will be burnt, giving rise to a cleaner Shanghai. However, there are limitations to this implementation. Other sources of energy like hydropower and solar power requires much capital to operate. It also takes a long time to start these operations, which is not effective to solve the imminent air pollution problem in Shanghai.

In conclusion, globalisation drives rapid expansion and industrialisation in China, sacrificing the environment at the same time. However, efforts have been made by China over the years to solve this issue. They have been targeting the root of the problem by controlling the greenhouse gases emission from factories. Apart from that, China can also look out for other sources of greenhouse gases emission, and implement some regulations to control them. On top of solving the root of the problem, China can also deal with the health impacts experienced by the people living in the area. The government can give out free face mask to the citizens and also allow a regular health check at a lower price. Though it will take a long time, China can only aim to reduce air pollution. It will be hard to eliminate this problem entirely as air pollution is happening at a faster rate than their actions to deal with the problem.

(779 words)

References

Caroline Chen & Simeon Bennett (2014, March 26). China Smog at Center of Air Pollution Deaths Cited by WHO. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-25/tainted-air-kills-more-than-aids-diabetes-who-report-shows.html

Cui. L & Shi.J (2012, October 25). Urbanisation and its environmental effects in Shanghai, China. Urban Climate 2, 1–15.

Kristina Chew (2013, November 14). China’s Solution for Combating Air Pollution? Convert Coal to Synthetic Natural Gas. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.enn.com/environmental_policy/article/46681

Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (n.d.). Air Pollutants and Our Health. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.sbcapcd.org/sbc/pollut.htm

Sarah Dinell (n.d.). Pollution. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://china2012.bizjournalism.org/?page_id=229

Zhang Jun Jie (2012, September). Delivering Environmentally Sustainable Economic Growth: The Case of China. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://a siasociety.org/files/pdf/Delivering_Environmentally_Sustainable_Economic_Growth_Case_China.pdf

Reader Response Final- edited

According to Kraidy (2002)'s “Globalisation of Culture Through the Media”, the mass media’s influence on the globalisation of culture has been constantly debated. According to the “magic bullet” theory, mass media is widely believed to impact audiences. However, scholars doubt how heavily international media can influence globalisation. Cultural Imperialism is characterized by an unequal distribution of news, mainly controlled by the Western countries. Garcia-Candini (1995) argues that interaction between local and global cultures resulted in hybridisation. Kraidy (2002) eventually concludes that hybridisation has existed since long ago. It is further driven by the media and has led to the shift from cultural imperialism to globalisation.

Kraidy (2002) states that the mass media simply intensify the hybridity of local and global cultures, but did not result in a complete homogenisation. I agree with his views. Mass media is defined as any form of communication that reaches a large audience. It includes television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and so forth (Cliffsnotes, 2013). According to Kaul (2011), electronic media enabled increased interconnectedness across vast distances and a temporal flexibility in social interaction. Mass media like radio and television in the 20th century have allowed even more exposure to news and cultures from around the world.

One major effect of mass media in Singapore is on the local production of music. Music can represent global cultures, yet retain a local identity. According to Firouzeh (2004), music is an impact of cultural imperialism as US influential power across the globe caused our planet to be wired. However, Dick Lee, a Singapore songwriter, has proven this wrong. Music can be a hybridisation of local and global cultures. His music was described as blending of pop funk beats, a feature of western music, together with Asian instruments. (Watanabe, 1992) Through mass media, more musicians can be exposed to the myriad of music cultures existing in the world. Global music can be incorporated into local productions, allowing hybridisation of music. Hybridity of local and global cultures has been observed in food and language since a long time ago. But mass media intensified the existing hybridisation by providing the platform which brings further hybridisation of music.

References

Cliffsnotes. (2007). The Role and Influence of Mass Media. Retrieved from: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/contemporary-mass-media/the-role-and-influence-of-mass-media

Nahavandi Firouzeh. (2004). Globalisation and Homogenisation of Culture:

The Role of Mass Medias in Developing Countries. Human Ecology Special Issue No. 12: 235-239. Retrieved from: http://www.krepublishers.com/06-Special%20Volume-Journal/JHE-00-Special%20Volumes/JHE-12-Soc-Respons-Life-Sci-Web/JHE-SI-12-28-235-239-Firouzeh-N/JHE-SI-12-28-235-239-Firouzeh-N-Text.pdf

Teresa Watanabe. (1992, May 12). In the East, Pop Audience Gets Icons of Its Own. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/1992-05-19/news/wr-315_1_pop-culture

Vineet Kaul. (2011). Globalisation and Media. J Mass Communicat Journalism 1:105. Retrieved from: http://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/globalisation-and-media-2165-7912.1000105.pdf

Essay draft 2

Is Globalisation responsible for the collapse of diversity?

Goldin (2009) pointed out in his TED talk that collapse in biodiversity, climate change, financial crisis and inequality are some problems caused by globalisation.

Today, as compared to a few decades ago, we have witnessed the collapse of biodiversity becoming more evident. According to the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (March, 2005), there is substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, with 10-30% of the mammal, bird and amphibian species threatened with extinction due to human actions. One cause that is heavily tied to this problem is the rapid globalisation in the world. Globalisation brings about further development of human activities which includes the increase in industrial areas being built. Therefore, I agree that globalisation has led to the collapse of diversity through human activities. However, mankind has been aware of this problem and are doing their best to alleviate this problem. Governments worldwide were committed to the Millennium Development Goals of ensuring environmental sustainability by achieving a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level.

Due to industrialisation, pollution has become one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. This is particularly observed in ShangHai, China. Since 1970s, ShangHai has been experiencing rapid expansion and urbanization. This was due to the low cost of production in ShangHai, which works as an incentive for many foreigners to set up their companies there. Many job opportunities were given to the Chinese local and more knowledge and skills could be acquired from the foreign companies. As a result of its rapid expansion, ShangHai is also known for its bad pollution. From 1991 to 2010, industrial waste gas emission has been increasing at 43.1 billion cubic metres annually (Cui and Shi, 2012). Besides human beings, marine animals and plants are also vulnerable to air pollution. There were researchers who concluded that China's plants and food crops are affected by toxic air (Discovery News, 2012). With all these ongoing problems, China has implemented several solutions to reduce the loss of biodiversity due to industrialisation.

The first solution is to cut down dependence on coal. According to Environment News Network (2013), the construction of new coal-fired plants is prohibited and replaced by 18 synthetic natural gas (SNG) plants. Reducing the number of coal-fired plants can reduce air pollution since burning of coal contributes to harmful air particulates. However, this is a short-term solution. Moreover, although SNG can help to reduce particulate air pollution, the process of mining coal and converting it to natural gas can yield 36 percent to 82 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than burning coal directly (Environment News Network, 2013). Shutting down the coal-fired plants is also not sufficient to mitigate this pollution problem because emission from vehicles, shipyards and aircrafts also contributes to air pollution in Shanghai especially after Shanghai became an international transport hub.

A second solution was implemented by Hanergy, the largest non-state-owned enterprise of clean energy power generation in China, which focuses on hydropower and solar power as alternatives (The Chinese Dream, n.d.). The ShangHai Tower, upon completion in 2014, will serve to reduce energy usage as wind turbines are built at the top of the tower and electricity generated will run the exterior light. We can see that with clean energy power generation, industries have alternative sources to run the plants instead of using coal. Less coal will be burnt, giving rise to a cleaner Shanghai. However, there are limitations to this implementation. Other sources of energy like hydropower and solar power requires much capital to operate. It also takes a long time to start these operations, which is not effective to solve the imminent air pollution problem in Shanghai.

The loss of biodiversity in China is largely attributed to air and water pollution. The Chinese government has been targeting the root of the problem by controlling air pollution. However, air pollution still exists today and this means that the loss of biodiversity is still not controlled. On top of solving the root of the problem, the Chinese can also preserve some of the rare plant species by planting them indoors, but continue to provide the same living conditions needed. With less exposure to toxic air, the plants will be healthier. Preventing the loss of biodiversity requires time and many solutions.

In conclusion, globalisation drives rapid expansion and industrialisation in China, sacrificing biodiversity at the same time. However, efforts have been made by mankind over the years to solve this issue. Unfortunately, loss of biodiversity due to air pollution is happening at a faster rate than our actions to deal with the problems. Although it is really hard to stop the loss of biodiversity, we can still try to slow down the pace of losing them.

(797 words)

References

Biodiversity.sg (2014).  Anthropic Impacts And Biodiversity. Retrieved from http://www.biodiversity.sg/biodiversity-information/view-slideshow/anthropic-impacts-and-biodiversity/pollution-and-biodiversity/

Discovery News (2013). China’s Urban Air Kills Rural Plants. Retrieved from: http://news.discovery.com/earth/plants/china-urban-air-kills-rurual-plants-130118.htm

Environmental News Network (2013). China’s Solution for Combating Air Pollution? Convert Coal to Synthetic Natural Gas. Retrieved from: http://www.enn.com/environmental_policy/article/46681

Global issues (2014). Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctions#OtherRelatedGlobalIssuesandCauses

Global times (2013). Shanghai publishes clean air action plan. Retrieved from:  http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/818788.shtml#.UxiaCPmSxps

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT (2014). Mission 2015: Biodiversity. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2015/2015/solutions_for_industrial_pollution.html

The Chinese Dream (n.d.). Pollution. Retrieved from: http://china2012.bizjournalism.org/?page_id=229

Cui and Shi (25 October 2012). Urbanisation and its environmental effects in Shanghai, China. Elsevier. Retrieved from

http://www.iufn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cui-2012-Urbanization-and-its-environmental-effects-in-Shanghai.pdf

Essay Draft 1

Is mankind responsible for the collapse of biodiversity?

Today, as compared to a few decades ago, we have witnessed the collapse of biodiversity becoming more evident. According to the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (March 2005), there is a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, with some 10-30% of the mammal, bird and amphibian species threatened with extinction, due to human actions. One cause that is heavily tied to this problem is the rapid globalisation in the world. Rapid globalisation involves the movement of people across countries and as a result, it makes the world more integrated through the spread of ideas and cultures. Globalisation brings about further development of human activities such as the increase in number of industrialised area built, which resulted in a loss of biodiversity. I agree that globalisation has led to the collapse of diversity. However, mankind has been aware of this problem and are doing their best to alleviate this problem. Governments worldwide were committed to the Millennium Development Goals of ensuring environmental sustainability Environmental Sustainability by achieving a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level to mitigate poverty and benefit all lives on Earth.

Due to industrialisation, pollution has become one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. This is particularly observed in Shanghai, China. Since 1970s, Shanghai has been experiencing rapid expansion and urbanization. This was due to the low cost of production in Shanghai, which works as an incentive for many foreigners to set up their companies there. Many job opportunities were given to the Chinese local and more knowledge and skills could be acquired from the foreign companies. As a result of its rapid expansion, shanghai is also known for its bad pollution. From 1991 to 2010, industrial waste gas emission has been increasing at 43.1 billion cubic metres annually (Cui and Shi, 2012). Besides human being, marine animals and plants are also vulnerable to air pollution. There were researchers who concluded that China's plants and food crops are affected by toxic air (Discovery News, 2012). With all these ongoing problems, China has implemented several solutions to reduce the loss of biodiversity due to industrialisation.

The first solution is to cut down dependence on coal. According to Environment News Network (2013), the construction of new coal-fired plants is prohibited, and replaced by 18 synthetic natural gas (SNG) plants. Reducing the number of coal-fired plants can reduce air pollution since burning of coal contributes to harmful air particulates. However, this is a short-time solution. Moreover, although SNG can help to reduce particulate air pollution, the process of mining coal and converting it to natural gas can yield 36 percent to 82 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than burning coal directly (Enviroment News Network, 2013). Shutting down the coal-fired plants is also not sufficient enough to mitigate this pollution problem because emission from vehicles, shipyards and aircraft also contribute to air pollution in Shanghai especially after Shanghai became an international transport hub.

A second solution was implemented by Hanergy, the largest non-state-owned enterprise of clean energy power generation in China, which focuses on hydropower and solar power as alternatives (The Chinese Dream, ). The Shanghai Tower, upon completion in 2014, will serve to reduce energy usage as wind turbines are built at the top of the tower and electricity generated will run the exterior light. We can see that with clean energy power generation, industries have alternative sources to run the plants instead of using coal. Less coal would be burnt, giving rise to a cleaner Shanghai. However, there are limitations to this implementation. Other sources of energy like hydropower and solar power requires much capital to operate. It also takes a long time to start these operations, which is not effective to solve the imminent air pollution problem in Shanghai.

The loss of biodiversity in China is largely attributed to air and water pollution. The Chinese government has been targeting the root of the problem by controlling air pollution. However, air pollution still exists till now and this means that the loss of biodiversity is still not controlled. On top of solving the root of the problem, the Chinese can also preserve some of the rare plant species by planting them indoors, but continue to provide the same conditions needed. With less exposure to toxic air, the plants will be healthier. Preventing the loss of biodiversity  requires a lot of time and combination of many solutions.

In conclusion, globalisation drives rapid expansion and industrialisation in China, sacrificing Biodiversity at the same time. However, mankind has been responsible for their actions and has made the effort to solve the problem.  Unfortunately, loss of biodiversity due to air pollution is happening at a faster rate than our actions to deal with the problems. Therefore, it is really hard to stop the loss of biodiversity but what we can do, is to slow down the pace of losing our biodiversity.

References

Biodiversity.sg (2014).  Anthropic Impacts And Biodiversity. Retrieved from http://www.biodiversity.sg/biodiversity-information/view-slideshow/anthropic-impacts-and-biodiversity/pollution-and-biodiversity/

Discovery News (2013). China’s Urban Air Kills Rural Plants. Retrieved from: http://news.discovery.com/earth/plants/china-urban-air-kills-rurual-plants-130118.htm

Environmental News Network (2013). China’s Solution for Combating Air Pollution? Convert Coal to Synthetic Natural Gas. Retrieved from: http://www.enn.com/environmental_policy/article/46681

Global issues (2014). Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctions#OtherRelatedGlobalIssuesandCauses

Global times (2013). Shanghai publishes clean air action plan. Retrieved from:  http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/818788.shtml#.UxiaCPmSxps

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT (2014). Mission 2015: Biodiversity. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2015/2015/solutions_for_industrial_pollution.html

The Chinese Dream (n.d.). Pollution. Retrieved from: http://china2012.bizjournalism.org/?page_id=229

Cui and Shi (25 October 2012). Urbanisation and its environmental effects in Shanghai, China. Elsevier. Retrieved from

http://www.iufn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cui-2012-Urbanization-and-its-environmental-effects-in-Shanghai.pdf

Research Essay.

Is mankind responsible for the collapse of diversity?

Intro

In comparison to the time few decades ago, the collapse of biodiversity has become more evident.
According to  the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (March 2005), there is a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, with some 10-30% of the mammal, bird and amphibian species threatened with extinction, due to human actions. One cause that is heavily tied to this problem is the rapid globalisation in the world. Rapid globalisation involves the movement of people across countries and as a result, it makes the world more integrated through the spread of ideas and cultures. Globalisation brings about further development of human activities which resulted in a loss of biodiversity.

Governments were committed to the 2010 biodiversity target to achieve a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth. This target was incorporated under one of the Millennium Development Goals – Ensure Environmental Sustainability.

Thesis statement: Although mankind’s development is the main cause of the collapse of biodiversity, efforts were made to alleviate this problem worldwide.

Body 1

Problem:  Rate of deforestation increases for agriculture purpose

Solution:

·         -zero deforestation campaign by Brazil’s citizens

·         -expand the network of indigenous reserves and protected areas

·         -Strong enforcement of logging laws

Body 2:

Problem: Due to industrialisation, pollution has become one of the greatest threat to global biodiversity

Solution: Spatially and temporally concentrated pollution can be retracted effectively by anthropogenic efforts, and such methods are already in use in such projects as the U.S. Superfund, a program implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to contain hazardous pollution and restore polluted sites. 

References

Biodiversity.sg (2014).  Anthropic Impacts And Biodiversity. Retrieved from http://www.biodiversity.sg/biodiversity-information/view-slideshow/anthropic-impacts-and-biodiversity/pollution-and-biodiversity/

Global issues (2014). Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctions#OtherRelatedGlobalIssuesandCauses

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT (2014). Mission 2015: Biodiversity. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2015/2015/solutions_for_industrial_pollution.html

Union of Concerned Scientists (2011). Brazil’s success in reducing deforestation. Retrieved from http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/stop-deforestation/brazils-reduction-deforestation.html

Reader Response Draft 2

According to Kraidy (2002)'s “Globalisation of Culture Through the Media”, the mass media’s influence on the globalisation of culture has been constantly debated. According to the “magic bullet” theory, mass media is widely believed to impact audiences. However, scholars doubt how heavily international media can influence globalisation. Cultural Imperialism was caused by an unequal distribution of news, mainly focused on the Western countries. Garcia-Candini (1995) argues that interaction between local and global cultures resulted in hybridisation. Kraidy (2002) eventually concludes that hybridisation has existed long ago. It is further driven by the media and eventually led to the shift from cultural imperialism to globalisation.

Kraidy (2002) states that the mass media simply intensify the hybridity of local and global cultures, but did not result in a complete homogenisation. I agree with his views. Mass media is defined as any form of communication that reaches a large audience. It includes television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and so forth.(Cliffsnotes, 2013) According to Kaul (2011), electronic media enabled increased interconnectedness across vast distances and a temporal flexibility in social interaction. With mass media like radio and television in the 20^th century, it allowed more exposure to news and cultures from around the world. One major effect of mass media on Singapore is the local production of music. Music can represent global cultures, yet retain our local identity. Music has been criticised as a result of cultural homogenisation due to the power of American music in the world. However, Dick Lee, a Singapore songwriter, has proven this wrong. Music can be a hybridisation of local and global cultures. His music was described as blending pop funk beats with Asian instruments (Los Angeles Times, 1992). In his song, “Life in the Lion City”, Lee also mixed traditional instruments with synthesisers. Through mass media, more musicians can be exposed to the myriad of music cultures existing in the world. Global music can be incorporated into local productions, allowing hybridisation of music. Hybridity of local and global cultures has been observed in food and language since a long time. But mass media intensified the existing hybridisation by providing the platform which brings upon the hybridisation of music.

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Reader Response Draft 1.

According to Kraidy (2002)'s “Globalisation of Culture Through the Media”, the mass media’s influence on the globalisation of culture has been constantly debated. Just like a “magic bullet”, mass media is widely believed to impact audiences. However, scholars doubt how heavily international media can influence globalisation. Garcia-Candini (1995) argues that interaction between local and global cultures resulted in hybridisation. Kraidy (2002) eventually concludes that hybridisation has existed long ago. It is further driven by the media and eventually led to the shift from cultural imperialism to globalisation.

Kraidy (2002) states that the mass media simply intensify the hybridity of local and global cultures, but did not result in a complete homogenisation. I agree with his views. Media such as satellite television, the Internet, computers, mobile phones are often thought to be among the primary forces at work. According to Kaul (2011), electronic media enabled increased interconnectedness across vast distances and a temporal flexibility in social interaction.  Social media platform like Facebook and Twitter allows cultures from different parts of the world to be exchanged. Through interaction, cultures could be hybridised yet retain their original identities. One such example is music. It has been criticised that music is a result of cultural homogenisation due to the power of American music in the world. However, Dick Lee, a Singapore songwriter, has proven this wrong. Music can be a hybridisation of local and global cultures. His music was described as blending pop funk beats with Asian instruments (Los Angeles Times 1992). In his song, “Life in the Lion City”, Lee also mixed traditional instruments with synthesisers. By using mass media, more people are aware of the different cultures of music. Global music can thus incorporate into local productions, allowing hybridisation of music.

I also agree with Kraidy (2002) that hybridisation has existed since a long time through warfare, trade, migration, slavery. Hybridisation of cultures is evident in the use of language in Singapore. Since migration has been very common since early times of Singapore, it resulted in Singapore having many types of dialect groups and languages. The mixture of language formed is known as “Singlish”. It is a hybrid of several languages and is unique to Singaporeans. Therefore, I agree that hybridisation has existed since a long time ago but the effect has become more obvious only with the prevalence of the mass media.

Summary.

According to Kraidy (2002)'s “Globalisation of Culture Through the Media” ,the mass media’s influence on the globalisation of culture has been constantly debated. Just like a “magic bullet”, mass media is widely believed to impact audiences. However, scholars doubt how heavily international media can influence globalisation.  Garcia-Candini (1995) argues that interaction between local and global cultures resulted in hybridisation. Kraidy (2002) eventually concludes that hybridisation, as driven by the media, led to the globalisation of culture.

An Event that has shaped my life and the person I have become.

My job as a teacher assistant in a tuition centre has given me a new experience, and has forced me to step out of my comfort zone.

Being a shy person since young, I was terrified at the idea of teaching in front of a small group of class. However, as an employee, we are often left with no choice. Nevertheless, with more practice, I realised I was better at speaking out. This job has trained me to convey my thoughts and be a more confident person.

On top of being a teacher assistant, I had to handle some of the administration duties such as fees collection, picking up of calls and handling enquiries. These are skills beyond what I have learnt in school. I had to pick up everything from the start and being a muddle head, I took quite a while to master them. There were mistakes made along the way. But without them, I would not be able to pick up the administration skills and handle the duties with ease now.

My first job has shaped me to become a more confident person and improved my interaction with people. Without this job, I would not be the person I am now.

My English Language Learning Journey

My English Language Learning Journey

Learning a language is undeniably one of the first lesson of our life. For Coming from a mandarin-speaking family, I was introduced to English since a young age. Learning English at lower level was fun and easy thus everyone could pick up the language easily. However, as I advanced through the academic levels, English was becoming more than just a communication tool. It became harder to grasp as an examinable subject. Though I am not particularly fond of English, I have always tried my best to achieve my best results for any English examination. During my O-level examinations preparation, I realised that the study routine set by the teacher would not be sufficient in preparing me for the exam. Hence, I thought about how my friends and I could form a study group where we would research on possible oral topics and thereafter, test one another in preparation for a real oral examination. I was glad that I took the initiative to form a study group back then as it really helped all of us. I realised English language could be enjoyable in group work especially when we share and learn new things from one another. Hopefully Es1102 will allow everyone to learn more through interactions.