The Academia of Atypixality

My Alterego...

2008-05-11T00:42:00.000-07:00

In real life, I am not this enthusiastic about blogging about news. I like blogging about school and emo stuff. Haha. Random. xD

Therefore, you should got to http://atypixality.blogspot.com

Yeah...

China: The Coughing Dragon?

2007-08-30T02:53:00.000-07:00

China: The Coughing Dragon?
“Money is the root of all evil.” China probably best exemplifies this corruption and slavery to pollution and food contamination, china has risked all those for money and an overheating economy.
It must be noted that slavery is rampant in many developing countries. But corruption and a penchant for sky-high profit margins exacerbate the situation. China aspires to be a first-world country. But judging by the current situation, she’s far from it. U.S. has hit back on China’s practices. Yet it cruel irony, it has been a culprit of Black slavery too. This shows that in some people’s pursuit for wealth, they are willing to disregard humanity, ethics, and the sanctity of life, which disgusts me to no end. It also shows how lucky I am, compared to those slaves in China.
We can compare slavery in China to maid abuse in Singapore, which many in Singapore are guilty. Low pay and long working hours are shared characteristics. However, what sets maid abuse from slavery is that maids have a shelter and reasonable amenities, bearing exceptional cases. Slaves have no rights and no pay.
And no escape.
So much for the grim realities of life.

I feel that the Chinese government has not done much to improve the dire circumstances. Whether it is reducing pollution or stopping corruption, it has failed miserably. What can it do? Firstly, increase the government pay. Like Singapore, increasing civil pay will reduce corruption, bribery and embezzlement. Is this not a more effective way than just meting out harsh fines and death by firing squad. Secondly, internal squabbling must stop to get things done. Red tape, a. It is a reasonable and feasible plan. Singapore is more than enough proof for this.
As detractors say, the only good things that come out from China is cheap goods. At the cost of quality and safety. I can understand (note: understand not empathize) the plight of these Chinese businessman. In the competitive Chinese market, businessmen who want to win construction bids, sell the cheapest cars have to buy slaves, no matter how cheap labour is. Slaves are free labour. Besides utilizing slaves, they sacrifice quality for price. For example, China cars like Geely failed European crash standards, attaining a measly 1-star out of a possible 5. We owe our cheap LCD TVs and cars to slaves.

Companies that want to have nary a chance of success are turning to slave workers who work long hours with little or no pay. However, this is little reason to buy slaves and thereby, violating the sanctity of human rights. In cruel irony, we owe our cheap household appliances and goods to slave workers. The $300 you just forked out for that coveted pair of shoes may just be the “cost” of a slave which helped make them, for that is the average price of a human life in the booming global slave trade.
I despise slave drivers, and I hope everyone does. It would be a moral disaster if you do not. Thus, I unabashedly say that slave drivers are no better than murderers. Their actions separate families, and effectively destroy the once-hopeful future of a child. This child may be an Einstein, but they have destroyed him. I also admit that I will misunderstand slave drivers because I am prejudiced against them. This prejudice arose because I have yet to relate with someone compassionate for slave drivers.

The next time you buy a “Made-in-China” product, you are not only risking your safety to save a few bucks, you are also releasing more carbon dioxide and inadvertently supporting slavery.
That being said, the world bust be an ardent supporter of slavery. Therefore, I urge you to think twice before buying that cheap China-made Essence of Chicken from the supermarket next time.

UNSW: The Aftermath

2007-08-30T02:52:00.000-07:00

On May 24 this year, UNSWAsia shocked the academic world by announcing that is was leaving the Singapore education scene, barely three months after the first lessons had started. It was expected to have 15,000 students by 2020, but its first enrolment was only 148. It was a huge blow to Singapore’s ambitions of becoming a world-class education hub with UNSW the most prolific of the foreign institutions here. Clearly, it was a change of leadership which incited the closure, with someone with a nose for bottom line at is helm.

UNSWAsia’s spokesman argued that the school was unsustainable. Ironically, James Cook University and Insead started out with only 50 students and have tided through the early storm. From this, we know that behind every successful business is a plan of calculated risk. As the old adage goes, ”Nothing venture, nothing gained”.

This can be applied to our daily life. Firstly, if you want to be an entrepreneur, one must surely take calculated risks. We should not give up and close our business after three months in the red, but rather focus on one’s strengths and seek ways to improve equity. Secondly, in whatever we do, we should take the road least traveled by, for the grass may be greener there. Suppose you are a handphone manufacturer. Would you venture into Africa or Japan? Instincts say Japan but the opportunist will know that Africa has a larger market as Japan’s mobile penetration rate is too high.

It is reasonable that UNSWAsia should not close down so early. Success does not come by easily. Insead, a thriving business school bears testament to this. I write this as a student, and I can easily get into the shoes of the affected students-how they feel, etc. However, it might be noteworthy that in our fluctuating business world, the first sign of failure is probably the best time to exit, as seen by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, SARS and WTC.

However, the vice-chancellor of UNSW has had experience in the business and financial world, as a former CEO of John Fairfax Holdings, Australia’s media giant. I have neither but can understand the predicament UNSWAsia is in. With tens of millions of dollars in reserve, the whole UNSW will go down under (pun unintended) a huge pile of loans if UNSWAsia fails. I see it as a move to preserve the Sydney campus, to save UNSW. I am inclined to also believe that they are trying to preserve the prestige and legacy of UNSW, just like nothing beats studying Oxford/Cambridge in London.
Truly, I am quite annoyed that UNSWAsia should close down after just 3 months. Fortunately, it did not leave students in the lurch, unlike Froebel Academy, and arranged for scholarships for affected students. However, an academic institution is not-for-profit and lack of sustainability does not justify its closure. As much as I want to comment more, I am not an economist and will probably not see things as clearly from the economic perspective. Therefore, I might misunderstand their true intentions.
Hopefully, this incident will not affect Singapore’s status and dream to be the education hub of Asia.

Blog Response: Educational/Societal Issues

2007-05-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Corruption.

If you have been reading the local papers, you would have known that corruption is prevalent in developing countries like Philippines and Indonesia. It matters because Singapore is intimately linked with other countries, economically, socially and politically. Examples include our 'hinterland' Malaysia. Why does corruption exist? Greed, one of the seven deadly sins, is the main factor. Corruption can happen in any society, in any scale and this can affect me, you and society as a whole.

If you think our government is 'clean', I beseech you to think again. You would think that Singapore is a democracy, right? If you consider another perspective, corruption can indeed happen, albeit in a more subtle manner. For example, the dominant party in Singapore has been gerrymandering all these years, changing electoral boundaries to shape the results. The same governmental panel then decides who is eligible as a presidential candidate. There are probably legitimate reasons for their actions, but whatever the case, it shows the political apathy the people have. The consequence? Corruption left unchecked and out of control.

Corruption can be considered from several perspectives, especially in Indonesia. One, the people. People in corruption-tainted societies think that corruption is somewhat "good". Who would not like free cash just for putting up a party's flag outside your house? What about free Shirts, pens, hand phones, groceries? The people virtually do not need to spend a single cent on necessities during elections.
Two, the officials. These officials see vote-buying as nothing wrong, and these views are also supported by the people, if a survey by Newsweek is anything to go by. They count on vote-buying as "one of the methods to garner support", while the people's political apathy encourages this illicit act.

I somehow feel sorry for the officials. I do think that if they had the choice, they do not want to spend large sums of money each term to buy votes. Their actions are a result of intense political bickering. Newly-formed parties by businessmen with pockets lined with dirty money are a factor. These fly-by-night parties rise to power rapidly because of money. And to curb rallying support for opposition parties, the incumbent often engages in this type of money politics. The blame should not be put solely on parties though, society is also to blame. A lower-developing economy is more susceptible to corruption than a rich and prosperous one.

Although Singapore is relatively corruption-free compared to to the lelong style vote-buying in other countries, we must always be aware of societal issues. Singaporeans are a generally rational lot, and do not succumb easily to vote-buying unlike the political apathetic Indonesians. Nonetheless, it is worthy to note that corruption do exist in Singapore, in a subtle, warped democratic process. We, as Singaporeans, should vote wisely at every election, lest our every election becomes a political 'party'(pun unintended), run by money politics.

My Letter Got Published!!!

2007-05-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

News Article 4: Educational/Societal Issues

2007-05-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

MANILA, May 15 (Reuters) - Two teachers counting votes in the Philippines' violence-marred congressional elections were killed on Tuesday when armed men stormed a schoolhouse where the ballots were being tallied and set it on fire, police said.

The elections to the 275-member House of Representatives, half the 24-seat Senate and about 18,000 local government posts were held on Monday and counting was carried out overnight, in some places by candlelight.

Early exit polls showed the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was faring worse than expected in the Senate elections.

A poll by the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) showed the opposition leading in eight of the 12 Senate seats with the administration leading in two and independents in two. Opinion polls before the election had showed the opposition likely to take six seats and the administration four.

Other exit polls also showed the government faring poorly.

No exit polls for the House of Representatives were immediately available and official results will not be completed for at least a month. Arroyo's allies are expected to sweep the House and the local government elections.

About 125 people have been killed in campaign violence and during polling on Monday, although the body count is well below the 189 killed at the last election, in 2004.

Police said five gunmen stormed a schoolhouse where votes were being counted early on Tuesday, poured gasoline on ballot papers and set them on fire.

Two teachers who had taken refuge in a toilet were trapped by the flames and died, they said. The schoolhouse was in the town of Batangas, about 90 km (55 miles) south of Manila.

"The Philippines is at a crossroads as we wait for the proclamation of winners," Arroyo said in a statement after casting her ballot in the town of Lubao, north of Manila.

"There was intense rivalry during the campaign, but we should have a good heart, win or lose."

At least 75 percent of the country's 45 million voters cast their votes in Monday's election and an army of school teachers counted ballots manually overnight. In some parts of Manila, and on the southern island of Mindanao, power failures meant counting had to be done by candlelight.

The votes will be tallied at municipal, provincial and national levels over the next few weeks. Initial results for local posts could start trickling in on Thursday but for the senate, final results could take from three weeks to about a month.

News Article 4: Educational/Societal Issues

2007-05-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

On Monday, May 14, millions of registered Filipino voters troop to various poll precincts across the Philippines to cast their ballots for favored candidates for national and local government posts.

At stake for this Philippine electoral contest are key positions in the upper and lower legislative houses, the governorships of the provinces, and mayoralties, as well as council chairs in the thousands of towns and cities of the archipelago.

As the country holds another so-called democratic process in selecting leaders, the majority of the Filipino masses are hoping that the outcome of the elections will pave the way for a better, corruption- and graft-free government that will truly serve the needs of an impoverished nation.

The Filipino nation hungers for real change and a better future for generations to come. Tired of toiling under one of the most futile and corrupt political systems in Asia, Filipinos are in desperate search for dedicated and selfless people who are not interested in lining their pockets with filthy lucre and are genuinely devoted to uplifting the Philippines from the centuries-old blight of poverty.

But as Philippine elections come, this May poll is no different from all the previous dirty and bloody electoral contests that have been the thorns that hinder the development and total reformation of the country. Held every three years, expensive Philippine elections, aside from being characteristically bloody, drain the coffers of the nation and leave most winning candidates with little choice but to dip into taxpayers' money in order to recoup their enormous expenses during the costly campaigning periods.

To cite just how eccentric and anomalous the current state of politics in the Philippines, it is now an open secret that this election is mainly the continuing battle between the camp of the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration and the opposition supporters who are sympathetic to the ousted and jailed former president, Joseph Estrada.

In 2002, Estrada was thrown out of Malacanang Palace, the seat of the most powerful executive office in the Philippines, due to massive gambling allegations brought against him by his enemies in the Senate and Congress.

Catapulted to power by Estrada's ouster, President Arroyo, the second woman to lead the Philippines after Cory Aquino, lost no time in building her power base to ensure that she would not meet the same fate as Estrada.

Winning the 2004 presidential elections under the most questionable circumstances, Arroyo was threatened with impeachment due to evidence that she cheated then popular rival Fernando Poe.

The wily president saved her position by calling on the support of thousands of town and city mayors, who came to the palace to express their unwavering support of the beleaguered Arroyo.

Nowadays, most of the presidential efforts are geared toward political preservation, and not for the general welfare of the country. Last year, Arroyo and her allies in Congress launched a failed bid to change the political system of the Philippine from the presidential into a parliamentary government.

While proponents argue that a unicameral system is best for the country, most Filipinos view it is just another machination by Arroyo in order to extend her tenure in Malacanang and ensure that her political enemies are eased out of the corridors of power.

This election, then, is a make-or-break effort by the administration camp to eventually change the form of the Philippine government. The president is hoping that majority of her allies in the Unity Party will get most of the seats in the Philippine legislative councils. Once the Senate and Congress are filled with Arroyo supporters after May 14, Filipinos can expect that the controversial charter change will be finally pushed through.

Blog Response: Political Issue

2007-05-11T01:28:00.001-07:00

A company cannot make it big if it allows only local investments. It is akin to warfare, an army of infantrymen cannot win a war without air and sea forces for support.
Ethnicity is integral in our globalized world, where the Prophet Muhammad cartoons goes to show our weak racial tolerance and sensitivity. We should not ‘color’ different communities. Stereotypes are a catalyst for conflicts. I, as part of this broader community, can also play a part in stamping out racial discrimination.

Suppose you became an entrepreneur. Do you award a tender to an overseas Indian company or a local firm? Your choice and rationale reflects the role of race in your decision-making.
If you chose the local company because you dislike Indian companies, then your sphere of thinking has been inadvertently corrupted by discrimination and stereotype.

You had a bad experience with certain state-backed companies. This is understandable as their states seek to protect their companies, leaving you with the back end of the deal. However, the last thing you want your company to dabble in is the dizzy world of politics.
Maybank discriminate against ethnic minorities, stating that firms on its panel of solicitors must have a minimum of three partners, at least one of whom must be Malay with a minimum stake of 50 per cent in the firm. Not surprisingly, when it is owned by government fund manager PNB1. One must know that since Malaysia’s independence, Malays have benefited widely through government jobs, contracts, housing and other privileges aimed at “boosting their corporate ownership”.
The line of reasoning is flawed. Welfarism degrades society. Malaysia should know that the whole world outside is not going to pander to the every need of Malaysian Malays. They just need to look at their southern neighbour for concrete proof – Singapore.
Singapore has always embraced meritocracy as a key pillar of social, economic and political stability. In a short span of 40 years, she has trumped her neighbours. Is this by any means a fluke?

Allow me to step into a Malaysian politician’s shoes.
“The Malays are the social fabric of our society, we should help them! We should never let them drop below the poverty line!” says one.
“First, implement policies that increases Malay stake in all companies that want to list on the KLSE2!” says another.
The Malays are like an aboriginal group, being outplayed, outwit and outclassed by all the economic biggies, political bullies and social advocators. In effect, getting overpowered by a small yet seemingly all-powerful minority groups like Chinese.
As a state bank, being pro-bumi will allow you to help your own ethnic race and lift it to greater heights. The crux of the problem is corporate involvement in politics, which is unacceptable.

Okay, I admit it. I am Singaporean. I will never know Malaysia’s agenda for giving bumiputera privileges. But I believe in practicality and there is absolutely no reason why Malaysia or any country for that matter should implement such an ethnically-discriminating policy.

(499 words)

1PNB - Permodalan Nasional Bhd
2KLSE – Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange

News Article 3 - Political Issue

2007-05-11T00:21:00.000-07:00

Malaysia's biggest bank should not discriminate
Govt urges Maybank to give work to non-bumiputera firms
KUALA LUMPUR — The government has
urged Malaysia’s biggest bank not to discriminate
against ethnic minorities following
an uproar over the bank’s plans to
give benefits to law firms that are substantially
owned by ethnic Malays.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak
said Malayan Banking Bhd, or Maybank,
should not merely help companies that are
owned by bumiputeras — a Malay phrase
meaning “sons of the soil” that refers to the
ethnic Malay Muslim majority, Bernama
news agency reported yesterday.
“The government’s policy is that we
want to encourage (government-linked companies)
to give work to both bumiputera
and non-bumiputera firms,” Mr Najib was
quoted as telling Malaysian reporters on
Tuesday during a visit to the United States.
Newspapers and lawyers have reported
that Maybank recently sent letters requiring
firms on its panel of solicitors to
have a minimum of three partners, at least
one of whom must be a Malay with a minimum
stake of 50 per cent in the firm.
Opposition politicians, lawyers and ethnic
Chinese business leaders have condemned
the plan. Maybank has denied trying
to discriminate against minorities, but
pledged to conduct “the necessary review
(of the plan) with due consideration to the
feedback received”.
Mr Najib stopped short of saying that
Maybank — which is controlled by government
fund manager Permodalan Nasional
Bhd — should completely scrap the plan.
“We don’t want this to be an issue,”
Bernama quoted him as saying. “They know
what the government policy is. They should
understand that. At times you need to give
work to bumiputera companies. In some
cases, you will require non-bumiputera companies
so they can help out.”
The issue highlights sensitivities over
decades-old affirmative-action policies that
benefit Malays — who comprise nearly
60 per cent of Malaysia’s 26 million people
— through government jobs, contracts,
housing and other privileges aimed at boosting
their corporate ownership. — AP

My Online Letter To Straits Times Forum...

2007-04-11T04:06:00.000-07:00

Let's recycle batteries too

I APPLAUD the recent success of the Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) campaign launched by the National Environmental Agency.

While there are a thousand and one things we can do for the environment, I would like to suggest recycling another commonly-used item: Batteries.

Batteries may cause a multitude of environmental and health problems, even more harmful than plastic bags.

These include polluting aquifers as the heavy metals vaporise into the air when burned and exposing the environment to lead and strong corrosive acid.

These problems are not to be scoffed at, especially with the huge number of batteries used per year. Moreover, with Singaporeans' (and the world) penchant for all things tech, the problems posed by batteries are real.

In 1996, the Battery Act was signed into US law to address two fundamental issues according to the Environmental Protection Agency: To phase out the use of mercury in batteries and to provide proper collection/recycling amenities for the disposal of batteries.

Last year, GP Batteries came down to my school, selling rechargeable batteries and giving away new batteries in exchange for old ones.

I feel that this is a good effort on its part and I hope that this can be extended to the wider community, with battery-recycling bins in major supermarkets.

I hope that the NEA will consider my suggestions and perhaps work with battery manufacturers in the proper recycling of batteries.

Brian Ho Tze Yew

News Article 2 - Environmental Issue

2007-03-01T00:14:00.000-08:00

Who's Lying? A Simple Tale of Unbiased Global Warming Facts -
by Ed Ward

Who's Lying? A Simple Tale of Unbiased Global Warming Facts - Goldilocks Meets Lost in Space: "The Three Mysterious CO2 Planets" (Many embedded reference links in this article here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EdWard-MD/message/2)
The climate involves many facets of complex science and those wishing to mislead for blood moneys are more than happy to make it even more technical if it supports their uncaring, greedy and biased objectives. The objective of this article is to find the unbiased truth in a format that most can understand. No one knows every minuscule aspect of what produces our climate, but the major reactants are known. Almost all of the references are from studies that are unrelated to Earth's industrial global warming and are almost universally accepted.While researching our solar systems three CO2 planets' atmospheres and temperatures, Johnson's "Goldilocks and the Three Planets" popped up. This short, entertaining, and informative article is highly recommended for a brief overall view of the climates of Venus, Earth, and Mars, the Greenhouse effect, and the CO2 cycle (including volcanic action for the "no SUVs" history majors). It's amusing title seemed unique until it was Googled and 73 other references popped up. One of which was an informative 10 minute video with a slightly different perspective.It is extremely important to note that the Greenhouse Effect of CO2 on Venus and Marsare virtually undisputed. The CO2 molecule is a greenhouse gas because of its dipolar characteristics which absorb and radiate the infrared energy (1/3 the wavelength of a microwave). The effects of infrared energy on dipolar molecules are also virtually undisputed. Apparently, no 'scientist' was able to gain personal blood or grant money for disputing these facts. The current atmosphere of Venus is about 96% CO2 at 90 times the density of Earth's (93 million miles from the sun) atmosphere which is about 100 times the density of Mars' atmosphere. Venus (67 million miles from the sun) has an average temperature of 855 F, while Mercury's (36 million miles from the sun with virtually no atmosphere) temperature ranges from -300 F to 870 F. Venus is hotter than Mercury in spite of being almost twice the distance from the sun which should make Venus (if it had no atmosphere) about 200 F cooler than Mercury. The current thin atmosphere of Mars (142 million miles from the sun) contains 95% CO2 with less than 1% of the atmospheric pressure of Earth. The temperature range is from a high of 98 F to a low of -190 F. This sparse compaction of the greenhouse gas CO2 by Mars' weak gravitational force is only enough to raise the surface temperature by 9 F."The Discovery of the Greenhouse Effect" (1820) on Earth (93 million miles from the sun) is also virtually undisputed. Without the greenhouse effect of the gases of our current atmosphere, Earth would be a very inhospitable planet and about 90 F cooler(also a good article for basic climate information). CO2 is a proven planet warmer. CO2 has increased from less than .03% (280 ppm) to .04% (390 ppm) in the last two decades without any signs of decreasing. Earth is rapidly approaching ½ the CO2 effects of Mars which is responsible for at least 9 F without the effects of other greenhouse gases - water vapor, methane, N2O, various hydrocarbons - all of which add their warming effects. Once, like Venus, these compounds reach a concentration where more heat is retained than removed, as is the current situation, a runaway greenhouse effect is started. There is one proven way this effect has stopped of its own accord - the melting of all of the ice on the planet. Will it be enough to prevent the formation of another Venus? The facts say that Earth will start finding out by the year 2040.While it is believed that Venus and Earth started as very similar planets, Venus suffered a "runaway" greenhouse effect. This event occurred sometime between four billion years ago when the sun was 30 to 40% cooler (this process continues daily at an imperceptible level - to such a small degree that it might take a century to notice a measurable change in the massive amounts of energy released) and now. The slightly smaller gravitational force and closer proximity to the sun explains why Venus would runaway prior to Earth. An average surface temperature of 80 F is believed to be the temperature range at which the runaway effect would start on Earth. The basic properties of the gaseous components of the atmosphere are fairly standard science and are further illustrated by the current temperatures/climates/atmospheres of Venus and Mars. The blanket analogy for greenhouse effect is an excellent one. If one compares the amounts/density of greenhouse gases to the thread count of a blanket/sheet, the effects are very similar and more easily understood. Mars' blanket has a thread count of one with minimal greenhouse effect, while the Venus' blanket has a thread count 9,ooo and retains 99.9% of the heat that reaches its surface. Currently, Earth is in between those two climates. One day, hopefully millions of years from now as the sun continues its normal star progression, Earth will become Venus long before the sun reaches a red giant phase. However, basic chemistry and physics clearly show that mankind's actions may drastically shorten the length of time for that to happen.In the billions of years it took for life to develop on Earth, complete/incomplete meltdowns of Earth's ice sheets has happened several times, without a runaway greenhouse occurring. So far, the article has only dealt with the 'positive feedback' loops of global warming. There are many 'negative feedback' loops that exist in nature to cool the earth, but history has shown that the negative feedback loops will not be significant enough to stop the complete meltdown of all natural ice sheets on Earth under the circumstances that existed in the past or in the present. Second verse, same as the first... but a little different. So far the article has not included is the destruction of rain forests by the shifting of weather patterns, the acidity of the oceans decreasing the removal of CO2 in our normal carbon cycle, and the 900 billion tons of CO2 (90 times the amount of yearly CO2 production - as well as tons of methane) awaiting dispersal from it's resting place in the ice that is melting.There is nothing we can do to control the solar cycle (although there is ample evidence our government is trying with chemtrails), animal production of methane, and thephysics of water vapor. But, there are existing easy methods of dealing with CO2production and more difficult methods for dealing with methane production from refuse.Complete melting of all natural ice on the planet will result in 200 to 300 feet of sea level rise based on previous occurrences. When this happens (some have evidence of its occurrence prior to 2040 and being beyond the point of no return - the most accurate assessment of our current situation, although it is slightly optimistic in this reporter's opinion), there will certainly be some 'negative feedback' loops placed on global warming. The surface area of more reflective water will be dramatically increased - although this will be counteracted by the loss of more reflective ice sheets. Millions of coastal area inhabitants will be displaced or killed like the residents of New Orleans that were murdered by covering up the rising sea levels of global warming. Fertile farm lands will be drastically reduced by rising tides. Starvation will assure that there are far fewer sapiens to worry about or to pollute the environment. Salt water will contaminate many of our water sources that are not already drained, polluted by radiation or toxic chemicals (the reason 'the shrub' bought Paraguay - third largest aquifer and possibly the only large clean water source left - one can live without oil or gold, but you cannot live without water - How much will it be worth?) . We will not have to drive nearly as far to get to the beach. Hydro power sources will be much more available and there will be far fewer people requiring energy by the time they can be built. There is no doubt that some on the global warming issue have finances influencing their actions. There is no doubt that most (all this reporter has seen) of the global warming 'debunkers' have financial reasons for their actions. However, there is a vast difference between supporting science facts for the continuance of all of mankind, and ignoring/hiding/distraction of science facts for the destruction of mankind for the sake of blood money. Just as there is a vast difference between creating a study to evaluate the facts and come to a conclusion (IPCC - click play - 2,500 expert reviewers, 800 authors, 450 lead authors, 130 nations), creating a conclusion for the cherry picking of any evidence to support that conclusion (ExxonMobil), or deliberately censoring all information in scientific articles contrary to massive profits (the shrub).Anyone in the past that has denied greenhouse effects, or the fact this planet is warming - the solar cycle still accounts for about ½ the temperature rise since 1900, it fails to explain a rise of 0.4 C since 1980 (It's the heat being retained that is causing the temperature rise), or has taken money to prove a conclusion with some facts rather than taking all the facts to form a conclusion, should at the very least be read with skepticism of their motives. The Richard Lindzen crews. The honorable scientist Lindzen has stated that global warming activists deserve a special place in hell. This reporter believes Lindzen and his "serial murder corporations" deserves a special place in three hells - a tobacco hell, an asbestos hell, and a CO2 hell - as well as a well-deserved trial and place in a prison cell for fraudulent contributions of bastardizing science that has resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands.The Kyoto pact - A Slight Division of NWO Agendas for Cash and Power. While 'the shrub' denies and classifies (at least until very recently denying, but probably still classifying the real facts) global warming for expansion of corporate and personal greed in his NWO agenda of the ineffectual buying and selling of pollution credits. The UN uses global warming for its NWO agenda of 'savior' for gaining control of countries with its trivial reductions of CO2 decades from now. Both of these scenarios promote the continuance of the problem rather than a complete shift from the problem - an oil driven economy with corporate and government control. Current hydrocarbon conversion to electricity wastes between 30 and 60% of the potential energy with the majority wasting as much as the process converts. Transfer of electricity over a great distance further degrades the conversion effectiveness. Even without further development of alternate energy sources there are currently more than adequate ways to completely change our delivery of needed energy without 'living in a cave' as the debunkers like promote. These current technologies are not cost effective because this government has supported the creation of massive profit corporations, instead of supplementing self sustaining individual energy creation and usage and alternate existing transportation. Personnel solar, wind and water energy converters and vehicles get no subsidies, credits, or adoption by this government. Instead, the government prefers to subsidize the corporations and let alternate energy die on the vine. Tesla Motors already has an impressive electric performance roadster with plans to produce a vehicle more along the lines of a transportation car. GM and Toyota had electric cars and NiMh- Lithium batteries that were allowed to die on the vine. If any of these already existing technologies had been given a chance to compete with the destructive forms of hydrocarbon energy usage by subsidy, incentives, or taxing, they would have the volumes of production required to lower the manufacturing costs to where they would be directly competitive with our existing vehicles - similar to the reduced costs of computers and calculators. The technologies are already here. They just need to be granted the opportunity to compete instead of insuring the current corporation-government symbiosis - all without losing any of our energy requirements.Billions of dollars have been spent on nuclear reactors which currently already have millions of tons of radioactive waste contaminating water, air and earth without any way of getting rid of them. Our current cancer rate may be as high as 10 times the pre-1950 rates. Billions of dollars have been spent on harvesting a hot fusion reaction - because it's a way to get funding for nuclear weapons' advancements without the pesky truth. Virtually nothing has been spent on zero point energy, Aquygen, or cold fusion, except to denounce it by this government, despite continued advancements and partial technology working models.

From: http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_ed_ward_070226_who_s_lying_3f_a_simpl.htm

News Article 1 - Environmental Issue

2007-03-01T00:11:00.000-08:00

New Evidence That Global Warming Fuels Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes
Science Daily — Atmospheric scientists have uncovered fresh evidence to support the hotly debated theory that global warming has contributed to the emergence of stronger hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.
New evidence supports the theory that global warming has contributed to stronger hurricanes. (Credit: NOAA)
The unsettling trend is confined to the Atlantic, however, and does not hold up in any of the world's other oceans, researchers have also found.
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported the finding in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The work should help resolve some of the controversy that has swirled around two prominent studies that drew connections last year between global warming and the onset of increasingly intense hurricanes.
"The debate is not about scientific methods, but instead centers around the quality of hurricane data," says lead author James Kossin, a research scientist at UW-Madison's Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. "So we thought, 'Lets take the first step toward resolving this debate.'"
The inconsistent nature of hurricane data has been a sore spot within the hurricane research community for decades. Before the advent of weather satellites, scientists were forced to rely on scattered ship reports and sailor logs to stay abreast of storm conditions. The advent of weather satellites during the 1960s dramatically improved the situation, but the technology has changed so rapidly that newer satellite records are barely consistent with older ones.
Kossin and his colleagues realized they needed to smooth out the data before exploring any interplay between warmer temperatures and hurricane activity. Working with an existing NCDC archive that holds global satellite information for the years 1983 through 2005, the researchers evened out the numbers by essentially simplifying newer satellite information to align it with older records.
"This new dataset is unlike anything that's been done before," says Kossin. "It's going to serve a purpose as being the only globally consistent dataset around. The caveat of course, is that it only goes back to 1983."
Even so, it's a good start. Once the NCDC researchers recalibrated the hurricane figures, Kossin took a fresh look at how the new numbers on hurricane strength correlate with records on warming ocean temperatures, a side effect of global warming.
What he found both supported and contradicted previous findings. "The data says that the Atlantic has been trending upwards in hurricane intensity quite a bit," says Kossin. "But the trends appear to be inflated or spurious everywhere else, meaning that we still can't make any global statements."
Sea-surface temperatures may be one reason why greenhouse gases are exacting a unique toll on the Atlantic Ocean, says Kossin. Hurricanes need temperatures of around 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) to gather steam. On average, the Atlantic's surface is slightly colder than that but other oceans, such as the Western Pacific, are naturally much warmer.
"The average conditions in the Atlantic at any given time are just on the cusp of what it takes for a hurricane to form," says Kossin. " So it might be that imposing only a small (man-made) change in conditions, creates a much better chance of having a hurricane."
The Atlantic is also unique in that all the physical variables that converge to form hurricanes -- including wind speeds, wind directions and temperatures -- mysteriously feed off each other in ways that only make conditions more ripe for a storm. But scientists don't really understand why, Kossin adds.
"While we can see a correlation between global warming and hurricane strength, we still need to understand exactly why the Atlantic is reacting to warmer temperatures in this way, and that is much more difficult to do," says Kossin. "We need to be creating models and simulations to understand what is really happening here. From here on, that is what we should be thinking about."
The work was funded by the National Science Foundation. Co-authors Daniel Vimont, a UW-Madison atmospheric scientist, Ken Knapp, a scientist at the NCDC, and Richard Murnane, a scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, also contributed to the study.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Wisconsin-Madison.

From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070228123140.htm

Blog Response: Environmental/Political Issues

2007-02-26T00:14:00.000-08:00

Recently, other than global warming, another new issue has cropped up that has a profound effect on the world. This is North Korea and the recent pact to freeze all nuclear activities.

The Advent Against Terror

This deal is significant because it marks the end of a tumultuous 3-year effort by US, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea to halt North Korea's nuclear programme. Moreover, just two months before, North Korea held its first nuclear test, shocking the world with this revelation. That marked the zenith of tension between Pyongyang and the rest of the world.
This should come as a relief yet surprise to every person, especially Pyongyang's direct neighbors.

Feeling Sorry for N. Korea

This deal is a win-win situation for both North Korea and the world. China had a great part to play in the success of the deal, acting as an intermediary for both parties, luring the defiant Koreans back to the negotiating table and softening the United States' tough stance on North Korea.
Honestly, I feel sorry for the North Koreans civilians. They are a widely discriminated lot, being collectively labelled as terrorists by US when ironically, most are starving and struggling to survive each day. To make matters worse, US stopped supplying food aid to North Korea, not knowing that the real sufferers are the citizens on the street as the Korean leaders can easily import food via their international underground links. President Kim do not care about the malnourished child on the street, so why should US deprive the ordinary Korean of much-needed food aid?

However, this anomaly was patched when the European Union and US recently blocked all exports of luxuries like abalone, seafood, electronic products to Korea to 'deprive' the Korean regime head honchos. This should be done earlier, rather than affect the poor and innocent Korean.

Pyongyang Down, Teheran Next?
The brokerage of the deal represents a milestone in nuclear disarmament. US has certainly learnt not to be too rash when she deals with North Korea, especially after attacking Iraq because of the presence of “weapons of mass destruction” which up to today have not been found.
Just a few months ago, Iran admitted its nuclear capability, but the US was careful not to attack the oil-rich Gulf state so readily.
Firstly, oil. Iran is the second largest producer of oil after Saudi Arabia, and any attack would certainly shake up the whole petroleum industry. With the US economy so sensitive to the price of oil, its economy will surely come to a standstill.
Secondly, Middle Eastern tension. The feud between Americans and Muslims in the Middle East has not subsided yet. If the US attacked Iran, Muslim countries will come out in full force against US. Unlike Iraq, Iran has an operationally-ready army with battle-hardened and tough generals at its helms.

Again, I am no political analyst but I can foresee that the US would no doubt think twice before attacking Iran lest the whole Middle East stops supplying it the elixir of life - oil.

(500 words)

Blog Response: Environmental Issues

2007-02-26T00:13:00.000-08:00

About Global Warming

There has been much concern about the worrying issue of global warming recently.
Global warming is the increase of earth's surface temperature due to increasing amounts of atmospheric greenhouse gases like methane or carbon dioxide. It is of great concern as it will lead to dire consequences like rising sea levels due to melting ice caps, among others. Global warming is an unfortunate byproduct of man's irresponsible actions. Therefore, I write this article to raise awareness of this pressing problem.

Different Perspectives, Different Approaches

Different factions of people in our society currently view global warming differently.
The first is the United States and President George Bush. He keeps on denying the effects of global warming which has already been proven “beyond doubt”.
On the other hand, there is the treehuggers' camp. They over exaggerate the implications and effects of global warming to “shock people, governments into taking more serious action”.

Taking Pity on Uncle Sam

There has already been clear scientific evidence to support global warming, yet Bush still denies it, as he has a vested interest in protecting his energy industry, which are the key drivers of US economy. While I am no economist, I fully understand Bush's plight. Bush knows that if he ratifies the Kyoto Protocol, it would severely hamper the growth of its gargantuan automobile and energy industry, with the likes of Ford, Exxon Mobil and Chevron. Add to it a ballooning US trade deficit of US$750 million and a competitive Chinese economy and now you understand the reasons for Bush's denial.

The Real Problem Is...

The threat of global warming is real yet nobody seems to be doing anything about it. The question is whether we should still worry about global warming, which will not really affect us until much later, or concentrate on finding a cure for more pressing problems like malaria or HIV/AIDS, which kill people to the tune of 10 million annually. There are also other problems in the developing world yet to be solved, even simple things like sanitation and water poses huge bureaucracy hurdles. If these simple things we cannot overcome, I guess governments should not be too ambitious to 'solve' global warming.

My view on the future is that we should strive to solve our present problems instead of worrying and pondering about future problems. Sometimes, solving our present problems may naturally lead to that future problem being solved. For example, developing countries like China are burning lots of coal for their energy needs. Rather than trying to clear the air up about global warming (pun unintended), we should nip the problem in its bud – persuade China to use more efficient and less pollutive fuels.
I will end off with a quote. “More time does not solve problems. Lack of time does.” Therefore, we should aim to give ourselves a specific deal line to eradicate all or most present problems, then finally lay the ultimatum to reduce global warming.

(479 words)