E N V I R O N M E N T
TICCK -> SPECTRAL -> HDTCS -> TEEEL
CLIMATE CHANGE
[Causes] Pollution problems: (mainly caused by human activities – deforestation, industrialization…)
Global: 2018, according to WHO: 9 out of 10 ppl breathe air containing high levels of pollutants, air pollution accounts for ~7mil. deaths
globally per yr (2.2 mil. in Western Pacific Region alone)
VN: The economic loss due to ambient air pollution each year is equivalent to 5% of the country’s GDP; VN ranked 4th in the number of
pollution-linked deaths in the Western Pacific, with 50,232 deaths caused by air pollution (2017 report by Global Alliance on Health and
Pollution)
[Effects] Global warming: NOAA’s 2020 Annual Climate Report: the combined land & ocean temp has increased at an ave. rate of 0.08°C per decade
since 1880; NASA: 9 of the 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the past decade.
More frequent extreme weather events: SG: more flash floods, heavy rainfall; forest fires, heat waves; desertification
Rising sea level & melting of polar ice caps -> flooding of low-lying coastal areas: (WWF) Arctic sea ice is melting at a rate of almost 13% per decade,
if emissions continue to rise unchecked, the Artic could be ice-free in the summer by 2040; (IPCC) Sea levels could rise by as much as 1.1 meters by
2100; (NASA) Maldives (lowest-lying nation in the world): More than 80% of the country’s land area lies at less than 1m above sea level, which could
become uninhabitable by 2050.
Loss of habitat: (INPE research) With the current rate of global warming, if total deforestation in the Amazon exceeds 20-25%, btwn 50-60% of
Amazon rainforest could become a dry savanna in 20 or 30 years
Loss of biodiversity: (World Wildlife Fund) Around 70 species go extinct every day, and a large part has to do with human behaviour & our actions
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Eg. Wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal energy
Iceland: Geothermal power facilities currently generate 25% of the country's total electricity production.
Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy, contributing over 16% of world electricity production. Problems: geopolitical strife (eg.
Mekong River water dispute)
CONSUMERISM
[Cause] Advertisements -> persuade consumers to buy more products by appealing to their social, emotional, envir. needs; Tech gadgets: new
models, technology released each yr -> dissatisfaction w/ the ‘old’
[Effect] Fast fashion, ‘throwaway culture’: For some, consumption ability is reflective of one’s social status. Our consumerist society today overconsumes and produces in excess short-lived or disposable items over goods that are durable
It has been estimated that if everyone on earth consumed the same amt as the ave. US citizen, 4 planet earths would be needed to sustain the
current global population.
->Envir. impacts: Envir. cost of producing a t-shirt & a pair of jeans in terms of CO2 emissions is 2.6kg & 11.5kg; (IPCC) The fashion industry produces
10% of global CO2 emissions & uses ~ 1.5 tri. litres of water each yr; Water pollution
->Global inequality: In 2005, 59% of the world resources were consumed by the wealthiest 10% of the population, while poorest 10% = 0.5% of
resource utilization.
Excessive extraction of resource/materials from earth -> depletion of finite common-pool resources
Greenwashing – companies are misleading the public about how environmentally friendly they truly are.
Demand for energy increases -> demand for oil increases
Issue: Major oil companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP and Total now spend abt $195m a year on branding campaigns that on the surface
seem to support action against climate change. But in reality, they are actually lobbying against, imposing policies and regulations, and heavily
investing in the fossil fuel business.
WASTE PROBLEM
CNBC International:
More than 2 billion tonnes of global waste is generated yearly (12% of which is plastic waste). By 2050, it’s expected to increase to 3.4 bil.
tonnes.
33% of global waste end up directly at open dumps
Tuas South Incineration Plant – largest waste incineration facility in Singapore (waste-to-energy plant)
SG: Semakau Landfill – all the waste is incinerated here, electricity generated in the process
Despite the high rates of recycling among developed nations, high-income countries generate 34% of global waste. Conversely, abt 5% of
the world’s waste come from low-income countries. Notably, US, Canada and Bermuda, all high-income nations in NAmerica, generate one
of the highest average amount of waste per capita. However, the trend is expected to reverse in the next few decades as low-income
countries experience economic growth & a population boom.
In 2019, the Philippines sent back containers of waste to Canada & SKorea, while waste from Spain & Australia that were sent to Malaysia
were similarly rejected.
Each person generates nearly 2 pounds of trash daily, so changing the throwaway culture will have a direct impact on how the world looks
like for future generations.
RECYCLING & THE PLASTIC PROBLEM
Deutsche Welle (DW) international broadcaster:
The shift towards an eco-friendly world
Germany is considered the world champion when it comes to recycling
Each yr 17 bil. pounds of plastic enters our ocean
Though some companies markets their products like they’re made from marine litter such as ghost gear (discarded fishing nets), in reality
there is very little ghost gear in these products / Many companies advertise that their products are made from ocean plastic, but most do
not certify this step of production, so we don’t know if it’s actual ocean plastic (esp bcs recycling ocean plastic is difficult, expensive and
only works as a last resort -- even a tiny amt of sand, seaweed or shells can make plastic non-recyclable)
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In Germany, uncontaminated waste with a recycling value gets systematically collected
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Reverse vending machines in countries like Germany and Singapore – users can get a reward for a certain number of empty drink containers
deposited
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Even considering the collection, washing and transport that refillables require, each single-use bottle can have more than double the carbon
footprint of a refillable one, over its lifetime
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Microplastic
MIT Technology Review:
Right now, only about 15% of all plastics worldwide are collected for recycling each year. Researchers have been trying since the 1990s to
find new ways to break down plastics in the hopes of recycling more of them. Oil & gas are relatively cheap -> cheaper to make plastic from
oil & gas rather than from recycled materials. Because single-use plastics are largely derived from petroleum, by 2050 plastics might
account for 20% of the world’s annual oil consumption. However, reducing our dependence on plastics, and finding ways to reuse the
plastic that’s already out in the world, could greatly reduce emissions. eg. A French company named Carbios uses enzymes to recycle singleuse plastics.
Stanford:
Previous studies done by Stanford researchers revealed that mealworms are not only able to eat various forms of plastic, including
styrofoam, they can consume potentially toxic plastic additives in polystyrene with no ill effects
MEAT & GLOBAL WARMING
Deutsche Welle (DW) international broadcaster:
The nutritional value of meat substitutes can be similar or even better than real meat. For example, plant-based meat has less cholesterol
than real meat.
FAST FASHION & A ‘BUY AND THROW AWAY’ SOCIETY
Main cause of fast fashion: overconsumption -> overproduction
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions
Deutsche Welle (DW) international broadcaster:
An estimated 93 million tonnes of clothes go to landfill or are burned every year
60% of PET (a type of plastic) production go to textiles, while only 30% go to water bottles
Experts say that polyester fabrics can shed 700,000 microplastic fibers with every wash, which end up in the ocean and also in our food
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, 20,000 litres of water is required to produce 1 kilo of cotton, which is enough for one T-shirt
and a pair of jeans. That’s enough water for one person to drink at least eight cups per day for almost four years.
A circular economy is "a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and
recycling existing materials and products as long as possible". It decouples economic activity from the consumption of finite resources.
Global fast fashion companies like H&M and Zara have come out with eco-collections that claim to reduce the harms involved. They also say
that they’re moving their whole brands in a more sustainable direction. Customers can bring used clothes to any stores and they will be
resold as second-hand clothing. However, in reality over half of donated clothing is sold overseas, while the rest is turned into industrial
material, burned, or goes to landfill.
POLLUTION PROBLEMS
Water:
Deutsche Welle (DW) international broadcaster:
Oil can suffocate and intoxicate fish and birds. And even if they survive, their offspring might not -> Bilge water can cause tremendous
damage to marine life.
Ships use bilge pumps to illegally dump toxic waste in the ocean. Ironically, bilge pumps are designed to prevent oil pollution by collecting
oil from the ocean and dump it into a safe space. However, radar imaging satellites have the potential to detect ships responsible for bilge
dumping.
Water pollution caused by fast fashion: Water that is left over from the dyeing process is often dumped and channeled into streams or rivers. The
whole dyeing process uses enough water to fill two million Olympic-sized swimming pools every year.
Light:
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Excessive exposure to artificial light can adversely impact our health. While light, in general, can suppress the production of melatonin (the
hormone affecting our sleep-wake cycle) blue light from screens and LEDs can do so more strongly.
Artificial light can also do harm to animals
Land:
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Industrial leakage -> contaminated soil
Eg. According to official sources in China, nearly one-fifth of the agricultural land is contaminated
Increasing disappearance of fertile land
Deforestation & illegal logging
Does awareness of environmental issues translate into political or individual action?
Is it possible to protect the environment when many countries require increasing amounts of energy to progress?
Agree:
One example of green technology used in many countries nowadays is waste-to-energy plants. From Germany to Vietnam, household
garbage is used as a fuel for generating power in place of coal, oil and natural gas.
Electric vehicles, such as Tesla’s cars, which reduce the dependency on petroleum. In 2021, electric car sales were 6.6 million worldwide.
In land-scarce tropical countries like Singapore, solar panels are installed on rooftops to leverage abundant solar power and maximise the
use of space, thereby increasing energy efficiency.
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To tackle the lack of funds to implement green technology, some developing countries have collaborated to establish large-scale regional
electricity markets, such as the ASEAN power grid.
In Alberta, Canada, the government recently expanded restrictions on all new coal exploration and development activities on the eastern
slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
The Mekong River Commission between Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, established to ensure equitable utilisation and sustainable
development of the Mekong River.
Another example is the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda that guides the fair allocation of natural resources and ensures
that these will remain available and accessible for future generations.
Disagree:
Fossil fuels have been powering economies for over 150 years, and currently supply about 80 per cent of the world’s energy.
India, for example, hopes to transition to renewable energy as its economy grows, but the investment needed to meet its renewable energy
goals is equivalent to over ten times the country’s annual spending on health and education.
Fossil fuels are the cheapest and most reliable source of energy. It is therefore unsurprising that poor and middle-income countries already
account for just over half of total carbon emissions, according to a World Bank report.
‘Greed is the greatest cause of environmental problems in the world today.’ Do you agree?
Is it futile to try and save the environment? / ‘Environmental protection is a lost cause.’ Is this a fair comment? / Is it true that environmental
problems we face are unsolvable? / ‘Too little, too late.’ Is this a fair comment on environmental conservation efforts? / ‘All talk and no action.’ Is
this a fair assessment of effort to protect the envir today?
Agree:
International (legally non-binding) agreements: Kyoto Protocol (1997), Montreal Protocol (1987) and Copenhagen Summit (2009) (in the
past), ASEAN agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (2002), United Nations Framework on Climate Change, UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals by 2030 which emphasises goals such as climate action, clean energy and sustainability
Politicians often play the environment card (US – Joe Biden’s presidential campaign was centered around climate change)
Fridays for Future – a youth-led and organised global climate strike that was started in 2018 by Greta Thunberg
Extinction Rebellion – global environmental movement whose main aim is to reduce carbon emissions
SG’s Green Plan by 2030, green buildings in Singapore (Changi Airport) and Plant-A-Tree-Programme
Individual: ‘A Litter A Day’ movement started by Ms Elisa Ng in 2013
Community groups: SG Haze Rescue - a community of Singaporeans sharing resources to help individuals and families to overcome hazy
periods
International group: World Wildlife Fund, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)
Malaysia recently announced its plan to use black soldier fly larvae in organic waste treatment
Lynn Tan (SG) - founder of The Powder Shampoo: water-free powder shampoo
Disagree:
Nestle had ‘ambitions’ for its packaging to be 100% recyclable by 2025 but has set no clear targets
Temporary, one-off events such as Earth Hour (people around the world switch off lights for an hour)
Despite international protocols and agreements, major producers of carbon emissions like America, China and India would not like to
compromise their economic devt and competitiveness. They are also not legally binding -> cannot be enforced
‘The environment is the cause of our woes today.’ Discuss.
A clean and green modern world is an attainable goal. Do you agree? / Examine the view that environmental conservation is a desirable but
unrealistic goal.
Is it true that our environmental problems are so incredibly huge and complex that it is impossible for an individual to make a difference?
How far is modern consumerism a threat to the environment? / ‘Modern living comes at the expense of the envir.’ To what extent is this true?
‘Poverty is the greatest enemy of the environment.’ Is this true?
‘Businesses should be concerned with environmental protection.’ How realistic is this position?
Corporate social responsibility - a business model by which companies make a concerted effort to operate in ways that enhance rather than degrade
society and the environment.
Agree:
Impossible for businesses to operate while protecting the envir. – environmental exploitation is inevitable
Disagree:
IKEA was considered a beacon of sustainability before June 2020 when it became linked with illegal logging in Ukraine
BP oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico – heavily fined by the Environment Protection Agency (US)
Many grocery stalls in SG removed products from their shelves produced by companies responsible for the Indonesia Haze
Volkswagen admitted to using highly sophisticated software to alter vehicle performance and cheat on emissions test
‘Man’s interest in the environment is purely selfish.’ Discuss. -Discuss the view that all countries have an equal responsibility to save the environment.
The growth of eco-tourism is a threat to the environment. Discuss
Your society – SG & VN?
THE AGED
US: (poll by AARP) 78% of older adult workers say they’ve seen or have experienced age discrimination in the workplace, 49.3% of older adults, aged
55 and above, that are in the job market are long-term unemployed
THE DISABLED
YOUNG PPL ISSUES
PREJUDICE & DISCRIMINATION
(Report by ILO) ~470 mil. of the world's working age ppl have some form of disability. Over 60% of people with disabilities are of working age,
however, they experience an unemployment rate 80-100% higher than average non-disabled workers. In Europe, 52% of all people with severe
disabilities do not participate in the labour force.
EX-CONVICTS
(2019 CNA article) interviews with former offenders, criminal lawyers and human resources experts showed that the indelible records of someone
with a criminal past in cyberspace could have wide-ranging consequences, from employment prospects being affected, tarnished reputations, to their
loved ones being harassed.
GENDER EQUALITY
Women: (UNICEF) Worldwide, nearly 1 in 4 girls btwn the ages of 15-19 are neither employed nor in education or training, compared to 1 in 10 boys.
1 in 20 girls btwn the ages of 15-19 (~13 mil) hv experienced forced sex.
LGBTQ+: SG: Criminalising sex between consenting male adults (legal for women), with up to 2 years of jail, caning and fines.
Paternity leave for men
RACE & RELIGION
SG: ‘Chinese privilege’ and the call-out culture; In 2021, out of an average of 379 workplace discrimination complaints, 60% were nationality-based.
VN: Malnutrition rates among ethnic minority children are double those of the majority. Just 13% of Hmong and Dao children attend upper secondary
school, versus 65% of Kinh and Hoa.
INCOME EQUALITY
2021 World Inequality Report: The richest 10% of the global population owns 76% of all wealth (valuable assets), while the poorest half owns just 2%.
VN: Concerns abt disparities btwn the rich & poor are greater when a person believes that the disparities are driven by illegitimate practices.
(Corruption); In 2020, the income of the highest-income group was 8 times higher than that of the lowest-income group.
ACADEMIC PRESSURE
Pressure from parents/teachers, academic rat race -> mental problems (depression), suicide
South Korea: ‘Hell Joseon’ Societal pressure, competition and family expectation weigh heavily on young adults. The suicide rate in South Korea is one
of the highest in the world. (2019 survey published in Hankyoreh newspaper) 83.1% of young women and 78.4% of young men consider Korea “hell”,
29.8% of young women and 34.1% of young men consider themselves “losers.”
SG: (2019 OECD study) 3 in 4 Singapore students fear failure, higher than global average