After attending the lecture on 30th January 2009, following are the summary of what the three speakers had presented during the speech.
Speaker 1: Professor Andrew Palmer spoke on the topic of Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage technology and Politics. From the statistic shown by Prof. Palmer, it revealed that Carbon dioxide is increasing rapidly and one way to response to climate change is to capture and store carbon dioxide from fossil fuel so that it is not dumped into the atmosphere. He also suggested on how to capture carbon dioxide that diffuse into the ocean. Furthermore, in his speech, he had also mentioned on how everyone can play their parts in tackling climate change. For instance, individuals can give up owning cars and do not buy bottled water.
Speaker 2: Dr. Benjamin Sovacool spoke on the topic of Using STS to address energy (and Technological) Problems. In his speech, he covered cases: 1-Renewable Power and 2 - Electric Vehicles. For case 1- Renewable Power, it is about the use of renewable energy such as solar energy and wind energy. However, these alternative energy sources cannot be tapped easily because of constraints such as the market failures and barriers, political and regulatory obstacles. For case 2 - Electric Vehicles, there are also constraints such as the technical challenges and economic challenges to overcome. Although there are challenges encountered, yet STS methods provide a useful lens to evaluate these technologies.
Speaker 3: Dr Rajasekhar Bala spoke on the topic of Climate change: Assessment and Mitigation. In his speech, he mentioned on why the earth’s atmosphere is becoming warmer, effects of global warming, approaches and difficulties encountered while tackling global warming. The earth’s atmosphere is becoming warmer because of human activities such as the increase in population, increase in consumer’s product. It is because of these activities that cause the rise in the average global surface temperature, which then causes the change in rainfall patterns and sea level rises. Therefore, there is a need to deal with Climate change. One of the ways is to slow the rate of climate change by increasing energy efficiency and rely more on renewable energy resources and reduce greenhouse gas emission. However, there are difficulties encountered while dealing with climate change such as changes can disrupt economies and lifestyles. Dr. Bala also mentioned a few solutions to global warming such as storing carbon dioxide by planting trees and switch to renewable energy resource.
After hearing what all the three speakers had said about the climate change, I find that it is interesting to note that carbon dioxide is the main causes of climate change. It make me wondered are there any other gases that can also cause climate change.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Second Post
(a)"How can policies of your governemnt either contribute or help to reduce the problem of global warming?"
In the recent years, due to the unpredictable climate change, global warming has been becoming more of a concern in most of the countries. Therefore, the government, including Singapore has been introducing policies to tackle this problem. These policies introduce by the governemnt help to reduce the probelm of global warming in two ways: reducing air pollution and reduce deforestation.
Firstly, the government has been setting up several Electronics Road Pric (ERPs) in several parts of Singapore. This does not only helps in reducing traffic congestion, it also encourages the people to use the public transport. Therefore, it can helps in reducing the number of crs travelling on the road, which then reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. This can helps to cut down on the amount of air pollution. Furthermore, the Resident Committe(RCs) has also been conducting annual planting of trees event, where the MPs of that district will also participate in. These events not only helps in fostering a stronger bond between the residents and the MPs, it also helps in the removal of carbon dioxide since plants give off oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide.
Secondly, the government has also installed new rubbish chute in the HDB flat. These rubbish chute are used only for items that are recyclable. Not only in HDB falt, there are also rubbish bins with different types of label such as "Paper", "Plastic" and "Metal" placed on shopping malls for the shoppers to throw their rubbish into the respective bins. Furthermore, the National Environment Agency has also been airing a programme on the television. This programme is meant to educate or remind the people on the various ways of saving the environment. hence, it encourages the people to constantly practise the 3Rs: Recycle, reuse and reduce. In this way, it can reduce the amount of trees being cut down.
However, not only is the government introducing policies to reduce the problem of global warming, organizations are also playing their parts. For instance, the NTUC Fairprice introduced a policy that states that every shoppers need to bring their own bag on every wednesday. Else tehy will have to donate some amount of money for each plastic bag that they need. Even schools are also adopting this policy, such as at the NUS Co-op. And the money collected will goes to charity. Thus this is like using one stone to kill two birds. It helps to save the environment and also those unfortunates.
In conclusion, to reduce global warming, it does not depends only on one person's effort, but it is curcial for evry person to play their parts. If each person conrtibutes a little, they will have a more conducive and better environemnt to live in. Else, the one who is going to suffer at the end will also be them; the human beings.
In the recent years, due to the unpredictable climate change, global warming has been becoming more of a concern in most of the countries. Therefore, the government, including Singapore has been introducing policies to tackle this problem. These policies introduce by the governemnt help to reduce the probelm of global warming in two ways: reducing air pollution and reduce deforestation.
Firstly, the government has been setting up several Electronics Road Pric (ERPs) in several parts of Singapore. This does not only helps in reducing traffic congestion, it also encourages the people to use the public transport. Therefore, it can helps in reducing the number of crs travelling on the road, which then reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. This can helps to cut down on the amount of air pollution. Furthermore, the Resident Committe(RCs) has also been conducting annual planting of trees event, where the MPs of that district will also participate in. These events not only helps in fostering a stronger bond between the residents and the MPs, it also helps in the removal of carbon dioxide since plants give off oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide.
Secondly, the government has also installed new rubbish chute in the HDB flat. These rubbish chute are used only for items that are recyclable. Not only in HDB falt, there are also rubbish bins with different types of label such as "Paper", "Plastic" and "Metal" placed on shopping malls for the shoppers to throw their rubbish into the respective bins. Furthermore, the National Environment Agency has also been airing a programme on the television. This programme is meant to educate or remind the people on the various ways of saving the environment. hence, it encourages the people to constantly practise the 3Rs: Recycle, reuse and reduce. In this way, it can reduce the amount of trees being cut down.
However, not only is the government introducing policies to reduce the problem of global warming, organizations are also playing their parts. For instance, the NTUC Fairprice introduced a policy that states that every shoppers need to bring their own bag on every wednesday. Else tehy will have to donate some amount of money for each plastic bag that they need. Even schools are also adopting this policy, such as at the NUS Co-op. And the money collected will goes to charity. Thus this is like using one stone to kill two birds. It helps to save the environment and also those unfortunates.
In conclusion, to reduce global warming, it does not depends only on one person's effort, but it is curcial for evry person to play their parts. If each person conrtibutes a little, they will have a more conducive and better environemnt to live in. Else, the one who is going to suffer at the end will also be them; the human beings.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
"The Expanding World of Engineers"
After having read the article, " The Expanding World of Engineers" by Professor Ramakrishna, I feel that indeed an engineer's training enables them to systematically analyze complex information and apply it to solve problems. But how do these trainings helps them to do so?
In my opinion, I think that it is the cirriculum that they undergo during their tertiary education that enable them to do so. Firstly, as an electrical and electronics engineer graduate from one of the tertiary institution, there were plenty of projects which helps me to develop systematic thinking to solve problems. I was taught the step-by-step approach on solving problems. For instance, when writing a C++ program, we need to understand, analyze, develop an alogorithm first, instead of going straight into writing the program because it will be easier to troubleshoot if there is any error.
Secondly, the industrial attachemnt programme, which is a two-month training programme in one of the companies that they were attached to, enable them to further practise those approaches that they were taught.
Thirdly, every engineer graduates have to be involve in the final-year project, where they were given minimum guidance by their mentors or supervisor. They will be involved in the whole process, from brainstorming to designing to developing and testing of the product(s). In the process, they actually got to learnt to be resourceful, that is they have to know where to source for and buy the components. Hence, the final-year project is a good opportunity for them to show off what they have learnt throughout their years of education in that institution.
To conclude, with such a well-structured cirriculum provided, they are equipped with the necessary qualities and knowledge that is required in the industries. Thus, it is no doubt that engineers are highly needed in the various sectors, including the banking sector and biomedical sector.
In my opinion, I think that it is the cirriculum that they undergo during their tertiary education that enable them to do so. Firstly, as an electrical and electronics engineer graduate from one of the tertiary institution, there were plenty of projects which helps me to develop systematic thinking to solve problems. I was taught the step-by-step approach on solving problems. For instance, when writing a C++ program, we need to understand, analyze, develop an alogorithm first, instead of going straight into writing the program because it will be easier to troubleshoot if there is any error.
Secondly, the industrial attachemnt programme, which is a two-month training programme in one of the companies that they were attached to, enable them to further practise those approaches that they were taught.
Thirdly, every engineer graduates have to be involve in the final-year project, where they were given minimum guidance by their mentors or supervisor. They will be involved in the whole process, from brainstorming to designing to developing and testing of the product(s). In the process, they actually got to learnt to be resourceful, that is they have to know where to source for and buy the components. Hence, the final-year project is a good opportunity for them to show off what they have learnt throughout their years of education in that institution.
To conclude, with such a well-structured cirriculum provided, they are equipped with the necessary qualities and knowledge that is required in the industries. Thus, it is no doubt that engineers are highly needed in the various sectors, including the banking sector and biomedical sector.
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