In the lecture the first speaker talks about one of the priorities changes in the world the climate change. He mentions that there is an increase of carbon dioxide being emitted to the atmosphere each year with the next year higher than the previous year with the coal consumption increasing.
He talked about how to response to climate change and the actions to be taken. The responses are by switching to alternative energy which does not produce carbon dioxide and also fuel efficiency and conservation. Actions that can be taken are to capture and store carbon dioxide below 2750m under sea water, increase taxes and reduce emission of carbon dioxide. With every individual saving electric, use public transport instead of personal transports and other more, it can contribute to the big picture of reducing the effect of global warming.
Lastly he mention that reducing solar input to the earth, by building mirror in the space or putting sulphur into the atmosphere to reflect more sun light back to space. This can be done by a few countries like China, Russian and American. But because of political will, none of this has been done.
The second speaker talks about science and technology studies (STS) on how technologies are being change due to culture, social and political.
By culture, last time people are not acceptance of everything but now people are looking at social consideration defining technology. By social, peoples view to choose to keep for example even a product is better than another product but is not like by the people, it will be deserted. By political, flawed expectations, variable incentives, varying standards and underfunded R&D
He then touches on public apathy and misunderstanding, consumption and abundance, psychological resistance, aesthetic and environmental concerns that affects the technologies in many ways. By this reason, he showed us that we chosen the technologies that are harmful to the environment. He also makes clear to us that technologies also changes by the challenges of technical, economic, political, social and cultural.
In his conclusion, how STS methods provide a useful lens to evaluate new technologies.
In the closing stages of the lecture, the last speaker also touches on climate change but more in detail of the causes, consequences and examples of reducing the effect of global warming.
He talked about the gases which are emitted by greenhouse effect which rise the temperature of the earth. He shown us the evidence that global warming is really happening and the scientific prediction consensus about future global temperature changes.
He listed and explained the consequences of global warming like extinctions, intense storms and hurricanes, rising sea levels and more. He also showed us the difficulties in dealing with climate change. He lastly talked about how an individual and government can do about global warming. An individual can save electric, use public transport, reduce wasted and more. Government can increase carbon taxes, subsidize energy efficient technologies; regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant and more.
The common message brought across to me is human beings are a very big factor to the issue of global warming. Even with solution presented to us, we still walk the path to destruction and death. We the human being now must change, if not now than when our earth can be save so that we can be save. It is everyone affects that counts.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Global Warming
Global warming means the slow increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans which may permanently change the Earth’s climate. Increase of Earth’s atmosphere due to carbon dioxide created by human activates, will cause more of the Sun’s radiation to trap on Earth which is the factor of global warming.
With the changing of Earth’s climate, bigger and more frequent storms have occur, fasten the melting of ice in the two polar of the Earth which will rise the oceans level, which lead to floods and country land to be cover up by sea water forever, increase in temperature which causes larger scale of forest fire. These are few examples only.
The main causes of global warming are human. Carbon dioxide is produce by burning of fossil fuels which it’s emitted from cars, airplanes, building structure, power plants and many more.
In Singapore, the government sector has organized campaign to help reduce the effect of global warming. The smoking campaign, by banning smoking in most area in Singapore, one person smokes creates a little carbon dioxide but when millions of people smoke creates a big cloud of carbon dioxide. The recycle, reduce and reduce campaign, when everyone do this, it will help reduce the burning of waste that’s create carbon dioxide. In Singapore, the governments use the waste to build lands in Singapore at Semakau. The government has build more public transport to the people, so to reduce the vehicle on the road that create carbon dioxide.
An individual can help to decrease the effect of global warming, by the means of decreasing the amount of electricity usage or use other source of power like solar, wind and water energy. Cut down the amounts of cars in a country, create more public transport, and increase taxes of car. Reduce burning of waste, recycle the waste. More solution can be thought of, is whether we have the heart to do it. The solution is just within our hands, we just need the determination to make it happen. We need to save the Earth so to save our life and our next generation.
With the changing of Earth’s climate, bigger and more frequent storms have occur, fasten the melting of ice in the two polar of the Earth which will rise the oceans level, which lead to floods and country land to be cover up by sea water forever, increase in temperature which causes larger scale of forest fire. These are few examples only.
The main causes of global warming are human. Carbon dioxide is produce by burning of fossil fuels which it’s emitted from cars, airplanes, building structure, power plants and many more.
In Singapore, the government sector has organized campaign to help reduce the effect of global warming. The smoking campaign, by banning smoking in most area in Singapore, one person smokes creates a little carbon dioxide but when millions of people smoke creates a big cloud of carbon dioxide. The recycle, reduce and reduce campaign, when everyone do this, it will help reduce the burning of waste that’s create carbon dioxide. In Singapore, the governments use the waste to build lands in Singapore at Semakau. The government has build more public transport to the people, so to reduce the vehicle on the road that create carbon dioxide.
An individual can help to decrease the effect of global warming, by the means of decreasing the amount of electricity usage or use other source of power like solar, wind and water energy. Cut down the amounts of cars in a country, create more public transport, and increase taxes of car. Reduce burning of waste, recycle the waste. More solution can be thought of, is whether we have the heart to do it. The solution is just within our hands, we just need the determination to make it happen. We need to save the Earth so to save our life and our next generation.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The expanding world of engineers
In today’s context, engineers contribute greatly to the economic as they are highly demand by the world. In the olden days, engineers are only demand by construction, manufacturing and quality control sectors but now they are also highly demand in other sector likes health care which to design and manage health care systems, in banks to design security systems, also securities fund managers and investment firms in making decisions, and also other several more sectors.
Tertiary education plays a very important role in providing the education to meet today’s demands. Engineers are train to systematically analyze complex information, apply a holistic attitude in designing solutions and to be more flexible. Engineers are not only educated with only engineering related course but also is educated with other courses like science, business management and other courses. This prepares the engineers to comprehend today’s needs and also providing more working opportunities to engineers so to survive and thrive in this competitive society.
Globalization continues to fuel the need to process more information at an even faster pace and to make decisions within shorter time frames. As a result, technologies become more advance. Hence, engineers need to keep up to date with the technologies, not only that but also to replace the technologies with newer technologies as to survive in this society.
The society needs a workforce which does not fear technology but to embrace and thrive on it. This is where the engineers come into pictures due to the engineers are train to systematically analyze complex information and apply a holistic attitude in designing solutions. This is where engineers are highly sought by all working sectors.
Engineers not only duel with commercial products but also using the knowledge and creativities to solve environment and natural factors.
In conclusion, today’s engineers have become more complex in accomplish various task and becoming more than an engineer.
Tertiary education plays a very important role in providing the education to meet today’s demands. Engineers are train to systematically analyze complex information, apply a holistic attitude in designing solutions and to be more flexible. Engineers are not only educated with only engineering related course but also is educated with other courses like science, business management and other courses. This prepares the engineers to comprehend today’s needs and also providing more working opportunities to engineers so to survive and thrive in this competitive society.
Globalization continues to fuel the need to process more information at an even faster pace and to make decisions within shorter time frames. As a result, technologies become more advance. Hence, engineers need to keep up to date with the technologies, not only that but also to replace the technologies with newer technologies as to survive in this society.
The society needs a workforce which does not fear technology but to embrace and thrive on it. This is where the engineers come into pictures due to the engineers are train to systematically analyze complex information and apply a holistic attitude in designing solutions. This is where engineers are highly sought by all working sectors.
Engineers not only duel with commercial products but also using the knowledge and creativities to solve environment and natural factors.
In conclusion, today’s engineers have become more complex in accomplish various task and becoming more than an engineer.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)