E-Post #2 - How Singapore take an active role in global warming

Global warming had always been a frequent issues raised by environmentalist worldwide. While countries are concentrating in their own growth, the environmental aspect is always neglected, as it was not an immediate threat. However the potential hazard due to the accumulative neglect has now make environmental friendly polices a consideration in economical growth.

Likewise in Singapore, she too has adopted a National Clean Energy Policy as a holistic approach to address several areas such as transportation, industrialization, R & D and other fields that would affect individual living lifestyle.

In Singapore, ownership of car is highly undermined by several government road tax policies through controlled high sales price of car and costly maintenance & traveling expenditure. The lifespan of cars in Singapore is limited to only 10 years with a mandatory requirement that all cars be fitted with catalytic converter. Leaded petrol is also illegal in Singapore, thus only the more expensive fuel are available. With all these means to discourage ownership of cars, government indirectly promote the more vastly use of public transport.
Alternatively, generous tax rebate and incentives are given to car owners of green car, which uses natural gases

Singapore government has also dedicated its fund in search of alternate energy sources beside fossil fuel in the coming future. They had placed much emphasis in area such as solar energy, fuel cells, bio cells and fuels, which are generally much cleaner and renewable, compared to the burning of fossil fuel. Better technology such as gas turbine and usage of natural gas has replaced the older pure burning fuel engines for better efficiency and greener emission of gas. Biomass, which was thrown to landfill initially, was also being used as alternative sources of burning energy, reducing the demand for fossil fuels.

Beside the government policy that directly affect the ground decision, some of the government groups here had also taken action to aid in Singapore pledge to reduce global warming.
The Building and Construction Authority Green Mark Scheme was launched in January 2005 as an initiative to move Singapore's construction industry towards more environment-friendly buildings.
The National Environment Agency has launched several nation wide campaigns to aid in a greener Singapore. In April 2008, a save energy campaign was launched to challenge household to cut energy consumption by 10%, and in April 2007, “Bring Your Own Plastic Bag” (BYOPD) campaign was launch to encourage the public to bring their own carriers while shopping, thus reducing the use of excessive plastic bag, one of the largely used un-biodegradable material.

While Singapore has been vastly promoting the recycling of material and waste, in my opinion, I felt that it was a failure so far. To promote a greener and cleaner Singapore, rubbish bins could be seen almost anywhere. Although this move has helped to keep Singapore clean so far, the trade off is that most Singaporeans are so pampered now to even take the slightest effort to separate recyclable item from non-recyclable item. Recycling bins are also abused to an extent that it was treated like a normal rubbish bin. Unlike recycling culture in other countries such as Taiwan, which fined household for not separating the waste and limiting the rubbish bin found, I felt that Singapore has a long way to go in this area.
Overall, the action of the Singapore Government had steered towards a culture of greener future, but it will still be some time before individual Singaporeans to take up an active role in these plans.

Sources:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/11329434/Singapores-National-Energy-Policy-Report-2008

E-Post #1 - Comment on how engineer is able to systematically analyze information and apply a holistic approach to design solution.

In this current state of rapid advancement in technological breakthrough in major field of industries, engineers are faced with the challenges to systematically analyze information and apply a holistic approach to design solution, so how is an engineer train to be equip this amazing skill?

In my opinion, I felt that one need to possess a burning passion to make things happen on the ground while faced with challenges and problems. Through tertiary education in Polytechnic and University, I as an engineering student am taught with the relevant knowledge to breakdown complicated info and try out several solutions in search for the most feasible one. Through project works, engineers-to-be are able to relate application to real life problems, grinding not only our critical thinking skill, but also bring out our character of persevering through many failed attempt in the methodology adopted to solve the problems. Internship and exchange programs let us have a better grasp of the reality of the outside workforce better. Though we can partially apply what we learnt, it is still the invaluable experience shared and “feeling” while doing hands on did we have a better understanding of the different systematic approach we could have to the challenges to come.

In the industry, engineers are sent to courses to better grasp the general approach to their projects in their relevant field of specialization, right from defining a problem, to the methodology and implementation of analysis, finally to sustaining and ever improving the implementation. In large organization or seminars, engineers from sisters companies get together to share their own ways to complex problems they faced and from these sessions did each individual tried to fuse together what they had learnt to get an improvised methodology.

Engineers have to be updated in current trend and always keep a look out for opportunities to venture to. In this competitive industries, not only did they faced with the challenges of implementing the best approach to solution, they also faced an invisible enemy “time”, where they have to come out with the best solution within their available shortest time to be on the same competing ground as their competitors.