Environment

Another General Paper essay which I had gotten a 30/50 for.Again,I really don't know I did it.Hey I'm not like hoping to vie for attention or positive response or whatever but seriously,it's annoying.The essays that I do properly,I fail and those that I bullshit through I usually do relatively well.Oh well.Maybe I should just bullshit instead of doing properly next time.

Examine the claim that the world is too dependent on oil.

In this modern age of rapid growth and advancements worldwide, we use more and more essential resources such as oil in order to drive our economies. Indeed, oil is one of, if not, the biggest single source of the world’s energy for industrialization and even in daily activities. As such, there is an ever increasing dependence on oil worldwide despite the surging global oil prices.

Many countries worldwide depend heavily on oil for its industries to run smoothly, as well as for the country to function as a whole. The United States of America is one country which is heavily dependent on oil. According to statistics, the oil consumption of the country account for 11 percent of world oil production. Moreover, with globalization and rapid economic and technological developments, USA faces competition for the scarce oil resources by emerging markets like China and India. Therefore, this suggests that rapid economic growth equates to higher consumption of oil. This also implies that without this precious source of energy, all activities would come to a standstill. Industrial activities, especially those in heavy industries like petrochemical and steel, would slow down, communication would be hampered and cars and public transport like buses would not be able to operate. This would then result in the country incurring huge economic and welfare losses all because they are overly reliant on oil to drive activities within the country.

Oil is also an essential energy source in the production of food to meet the needs of citizens within the country as well as to provide food supplies for the poor. The systems that produce the world's food supply are heavily dependent on oil to function efficiently. Enormous quantities of oil are used as raw materials and energy in the manufacturing of fertilisers and pesticides, In addition, oil is crucial in the construction and the repair of equipment and infrastructure needed to facilitate this industry, including farm equipment, processing facilities, storage, ships, trucks and roads. The industrial food supply system is one of the biggest consumers of oil. Furthermore, with worldwide population growth, food production also increases in order to meet the increasing demand for food. Moreover, developing countries such as Zimbabwe and Somalia in Africa are experiencing population growth and food shortages and hence, more food must be produced in order to feed the masses and hopefully eradicate poverty. Hence, we see how food manufacturers are so dependent on oil in order to turn the wheels of their commercial activities.

Apart from the commercial and industrial sector, oil plays a crucial role in our everyday lives providing us with comfort and meeting almost all our needs. Oil is used to generate electricity which in turn allows our air-conditioners, televisions, heaters and refrigerators to function well. In addition, many of the products we consumed are made from oil-based petrochemicals such as pens, make-up, clothing and even the medicine and pills we take. Without oil, we would then be unable to enjoy these things and this highlights how even ordinary people are dependent on oil in our daily living.

Indeed, much of the world’s activities, whether commercial or domestic, are highly reliant on oil. However, we should not be too hasty to claim that the whole world is overly and too dependent on oil since there are instances where oil is not the main driver of activities.

There are people in the world who are able to lead their lives well without or with minimal oil usage. These people include those belonging to the Amazonian tribes, the Bushmen in southern Africa and the Maasai in East Africa. These groups of people lead primitive lives and are mainly hunters and gatherers who have practically no need for oil.Besides,they are mostly unaffected by globalization and therefore, continue on with their own lives without having to be hit by the global surge in oil prices or the increasing dependence on oil by other nations.

Lastly, in recent years, there have been new developments in seeking out alternative sources of energy. These alternative sources include biofuels, nuclear energy and natural gas. In parts of South America, sugarcane has been used to power cars for over a large distance. Also, there has been hybrid cars invented which tap on solar energy from the sun to operate. Thus, we can see that the world is trying to break away from the overdependence on oil as the sole energy source and constantly finding new means to drive our activities.

There are certainty limitations to the alternative sources of energy that Man has discovered. For example, harnessing nuclear energy is challenging as it is highly dangerous. Moreover, conducting research and development (R&D) into nuclear involves a large capital sum. Up to now, scientists have not yet found a complete substitute for oil and thus, oil will still remain the main source of energy that the world depends on. However, we should still take an optimistic stand and hope that in future, with more R&D and innovation, we will be able to find perfect substitutes for oil and so the world would not have to rely greatly on oil and risk it being depleted.

Globalisation

This was a General Paper essay which I got a 35/50 for it.It was surprising because I did it in a rush and I had thought it was slipshod work for my expectations.

Despite the connectivity that modern technology has given us, people are now more isolated than they have ever been. Do you agree?

The rapid advancement and spread of technology in the world is an effect of globalization which has resulted in forging a sense of interconnectedness and increasing accessibility between people and countries. However, ironically, people now appear to be more distant from each other and less interdependent as compared to the past.

Technological advancements do not benefit everyone in the world as the benefits do not reach the rural areas in some countries. For example in Africa, when asked about the most serious problem in their country, an overwhelming margin of 92% identified HIV/Aids as their most serious problem. This clearly shows that developments in the medical fields like medical treatments and equipment do not reach these areas and many people in Africa are still suffering and dying from Aids. This leaves them cut off from the rest of the world as people in more developed countries are becoming better off while these people are left in poor health and living conditions. In addition, even though Nokia Siemens Networks is working with mobile-phone service providers in Africa to provide rural villages with low-cost communication services, most of these service providers in Africa are reluctant to expand their services to rural areas, claiming that it was to costly. Moreover, in areas where there are mobile networks, the prices of mobile services are high and hence many people are unable to afford them. Thus we see that people in rural villages do not benefit from the gains from modern technology and hence, millions of them remain unconnected from the rest of the world.

The new modes of communication limit social interaction and affect interpersonal skills. These modes of communication include mobile phones, email and instant messaging, all arising from increased globalization. Statistics have shown that 4 out of 5 households in Singapore have internet access and 8 out of 10 Singaporeans own a mobile phone or a PDA. Although this may seem to increase interconnectivity between people, it actually isolates them instead because most people find it more convenient to communicate through these means, especially with the increasingly hectic lifestyles people lead which makes it difficult for people to meet up with each other. As such, people become so accustomed to such communication means that relationships become superficial and impersonal. Also, with all these modern means of communication such as email and web cameras, many people find it more worthwhile to run their businesses from home and most of their discussions with other potential partners may be done via instant messaging or email. This would also limit communication. In Singapore, 60% of teenagers felt that it was easier to communicate with people through instant messaging or text messages as they felt that it reduces any possible awkward silences between face-to-face conversations. However, it would then limit interaction between people as people are confined to the comforts of their home or offices and this could result in difficulty in expressing oneself eloquently. This would then cause them to be lacking in self-confidence would further discourage them from participating in social activities and hence, distant themselves from others.

In the service sector, attempts to increase the level of convenience for consumers only serve to reduce interaction between people and the public. We see more Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and AXS machines, not only in urban areas but also in our neighborhoods. There is also Internet Banking services by banks like DBS and other customer services. Moreover, there are increasing number of shopping websites springing up on the internet such as eBay, Amazon and the emergence of ‘shopping blogs’. Although all these may make things more convenient for consumers, in addition to limiting opportunities for interaction between people, it also reduces people to the confines of their homes or area and hence, they become unwilling to step out of their comfort zone as these services are within easy reach. This could result in isolation arising from the preference to stay within their area and hence, could prevent them from frequenting the urban areas.

However although technology has resulted in the hindrance of social interaction, we should still acknowledge that it has provided people with the means to remain connected with each other, especially their friends and family who are overseas. Means of communication such as email, web-cameras and long-distance call services serves to help them to keep in touch with each other. This would then prevent friends and families from being completely separated and cut off from each other even though they might be spread out across the world.

People may also argue that technology in the form of the mass media has also enables information to be rapidly disseminated, allowing quick and easy accessibility to information and news. This allows people to stay connected to and not be left in ignorance of world affairs. For example, news networks such as the BBC and the New York Times have set up websites to put up their news reports. News is also rapidly transmitted via satellites and hence, news from countries as far away as America can reach us in Asia and vice versa in a shorter amount of time. As such, this increased accessibility brought about by modern technology helps to bridge the distance between nations and people, enabling them to be able to be more concerned and interested in the affairs of other nations other than their own.

In conclusion, globalization has brought about convenience and accessibility in communication which promotes interconnectedness between people, however, we cannot avoid the fact that people now are still isolated and disconnected from others and the rest of the world, especially those in the rural parts of the world. Even in developed countries, the accessibility brought about by modern technology has increased convenience and thus kept people confined to their own comfort zones and reduce their movements to urban areas where there is the highest level of interaction between people. Therefore, ironic as it sounds, people are now less dependent on each other due to increased connectivity brought about by modern technology.

Carpe Diem-Seize the Day

I can't really remember where the inspiration for this came from.But the last two paragraphs sort of conveyed my thoughts on a certain unresolved issue which I can't explicitly name until now.

I wanna be an escapist,
To be encapsulated in my own utopia,
Away from the sinister snares of reality,
To concentrate on what I wanna pursue and how to achieve it.
I wanna remain in that cell of mine and not come out.

Carpe Diem.Seize the day.
Learn everything I can and want.
Be the best I can ever be.
Be a winner at all costs.
Until the day the cat is let out of the bag
And the burden shall be lifted.

The truth will set you free
The truth will set me free.
The truth will set us free.
Free from the grasps of delusions
Constructed to divert our attention from reality,
Blind us,cloud our reasoning.

But alas,things shall never be the same again.
Even till then,
I will stand by the truth
Whichever one is.
For now,
I cannot be absolutely certain of the truth
For conflicts exist in the pursuits of it.
But I'll wait.
Wait till that very day,
Wait in eager anticipation
When we will all receive the revelations that we need.