Critical Reflection

Throughout the three months in this course, I have gotten to write a variety of essays such as reader response and problem solution. The biggest problem I have for essay writing is the forming of proper and correct sentence structures. I would sometimes use the wrong word for a sentence or miss the link between sentences and thus, affecting the flow of my essay.  Also, I have reduced the use of repetitive words in my writing. One new essay writing technique that I have learned is Critical Essay Solution, which requires us to focus on one issue and evaluate the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of the present solutions. From there, it helps us to think more critically rather than accepting everything that is given to us. Furthermore, I have also learned about the appropriate and inappropriate words to use. In the coming three years of my study, English will definitely play an important role. Hence, there are many ways for me to improve my English. For instance, reading published articles will certainly lead to an improvement in my report writing skills while reading textbooks will expand my pool of vocabulary. 

Essay (Final Draft)

Globalisation can be defined as the increasing cross-border interaction and integration of various aspects of human activity. Based on this view of globalisation, identify one problematic area of the phenomenon and discuss its influence on contemporary society. What actual or possible means are there to ameliorate the issue you have highlighted?

International trade has been one of the highlights of globalisation which causes rapid manufacturing, trading and consuming of material goods in undetermined amounts. However, along with the growth is the destruction of the environment (Huwart & Verdier, 2013). For example, trading has increased transportation that requires the burning of fossil fuels to function. This in turn leads to a higher production of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a commonly observed greenhouse gas (GHG). The excess CO₂ trap heat and increase the temperature of the Earth, causing the greenhouse effect which results in climate change (EPA, 2013). In addition, globalisation has also encouraged deforestation which is another cause of climate change. Clearing of forests and logging decrease the amount of trees available to convert CO₂ into oxygen (O₂). As a result, the amount of CO₂ will not decrease in the atmosphere (Huwart & Verdier, 2013). Furthermore, driven by the profits, many have also participated in illegal logging and in turn, causes the reduction of even more forests. This creates a serious threat to the world’s forests and promotes climate change (Greenpeace, 2013). Therefore, some solutions have been proposed to reduce the damage to the environment.  

With the growth of global trade, transportation will definitely increase and the burning of fossil fuels for vehicles will be a main source of CO₂ production. Therefore, one solution to counteract this problem is the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy. The sources of such energy are wind, water and sunlight that occur naturally without human intervention. In addition, they do not emit CO₂ into the atmosphere upon use. Examples of these energy usages are the progressively popular small wind turbines that generate 75kW or less to supplement electricity needs. On the other hand, the solar power systems have a wide variety of approaches, from maximising the usage of sunlight for heating and lighting to the usage of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells to produce electricity. Furthermore, smaller PV solar cells are cost-effective and can be used for farming equipment like water pumps (Wolfe & et al, 2011).

Conversely, there is still a minor problem present. For instance, a large amount of aluminium is needed for PV’s panel frames (Matson, 2013). In addition, there are also other factors that have to be considered such as sufficient wind (Wolfe & et al, 2011). Therefore, further research and improvement has to be undertaken to better utilise the renewable energy. However, the use of such energy is definitely a feasible method as the growth of global trade will increase transportation which will cause more burning of fossil fuels. Therefore, usage of renewable energy would be an effective alternative to help reduce the production of CO₂ and decrease the greenhouse effect.

Globalisation has also encouraged deforestation for agricultural activities and logging which involves cutting down of trees to provide wood to manufacture products such as furniture and papers (Conserve Energy Future, 2013). However, more than half of the logging activities that have occurred in exposed forest regions located within Southeast Asia and Central Africa are deemed to be illegal. This is due to poor governance and corruption and the incompetence of governments to stop importation of illegally logged products (Greenpeace, 2013). Therefore, one solution proposed for this problem is the Sustainable Forestry Initiative ® (SFI) program. This program aims to raise awareness of illegal logging through regulation, certification and partnerships.  In addition, SFI-certified forests which are mainly found in the United States and Canada have minimum risk of illegal logging activities (SFI, 2013). Hence, this shows that the SFI-certified forests may be a feasible solution to reduce illegal logging. With the decrease in illegal logging, lesser forests will be cleared and this can help to decelerate climate change.

In conclusion, globalisation has indeed boosted the economic growth with trade. However, alongside it are the negative impacts such as environmental damage. Nevertheless, the proposed solutions from different organisations have definitely helped to reduce the environmental damage due to globalisation and delayed the process of climate change.

References:

1.      Conserve Energy Future. (2013). Deforestation: Compromises of a Growing World. Retrieved from http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-deforestation.php

2.      EPA. (2013). Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources.html

3.      Huwart, J.Y and Verdier, L (2013), “What is the impact of globalisation on the environment?” in Economic Globalisation: Origins and consequences, OECD Publishing. doi.org/10.1787/9789264111905-8-en

4.      Greenpeace. (2013) Illegal logging. Retrieved from http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/threats/illegal-logging/

5.      Matson J. (2013, October 1). Renewable Energy’s Hidden Costs. Scientific American™

6.      SFI. (2013). SFI: Taking Action Against Illegal Logging. Retrieved from http://www.sfiprogram.org/files/pdf/illegalloggingpdf/

7.      Wolfe, D., et al. (2011). Climate Change Facts Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 1-4. Retrieved from http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/climate_change/climate_farmenergy.pdf

Essay

Globalisation can be defined as the increasing cross-border interaction and integration of various aspects of human activity. Based on this view of globalisation, identify one problematic area of the phenomenon and discuss its influence on contemporary society. What actual or possible means are there to ameliorate the issue you have highlighted?

International trade has been one of the highlights of globalisation which causes rapid manufacturing, trading and consuming of material goods in an undetermined amounts. Alongside with the growth of global trade is the destruction of the environment (Huwart & Verdier, 2013). For example, trading has increased transportation which requires the burning of fossil fuels to function. This in turn leads to a higher production of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a commonly observed greenhouse gas (GHG). The excess CO₂ would trap heat and increase the temperature of the Earth, causing the greenhouse effect which results in climate change (EPA, 2013). In addition, globalisation has also encouraged deforestation which is another cause of climate change. Clearing of forests and logging decreased the amount of trees available to convert CO₂ into oxygen (O₂). As a result, the amount of CO₂ will not decrease in the atmosphere (Huwart & Verdier, 2013). Furthermore, driven by the profits, many had also participated in illegal logging and thus, resulting in the reduction of even more forests. This creates a serious threat to the world’s forest and promote climate change (Greenpeace, 2013). Therefore, a few solutions have been proposed to delay the process of environmental damage.

With the growth of global trade, transportation will definitely increase and the burning of fossil fuels for vehicles will be a main concern of CO₂ production. Therefore, one solution to counteract this problem is the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy. The sources of such energy are wind, water and sunlight that occur naturally without human intervention. In addition, they do not emit CO₂ into the atmosphere upon its use. Examples of these energy usages are the progressively popular small wind turbines that generate 75kW or less to supplement electricity needs. On the other hand, the solar power systems have a wide variety of approaches, from maximising the usage of sunlight for heating and lighting to the usage of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells to produce electricity. Furthermore, smaller PV solar cells are cost-effective and can be used for farming equipment like water pumps (Wolfe & et al, 2011).

Conversely, there is still a minor problem present. For instance, a large amount of aluminium is needed for PV’s panel frames (Matson, 2013). In addition, there are also other factors that have to be regarded such as sufficient wind (Wolfe & et al, 2011). Therefore, further research and improvement have to be undertaken to better utilise the renewable energy. However, the use of such energy is definitely a feasible method as the growth of global trade will increase transportation which will cause more burning of fossil fuels. Therefore, usage of renewable energy would be an effective alternative to help reduce the production of CO₂ and decrease the greenhouse effect.

Globalisation has also encouraged deforestation for agriculture activities and logging which involves cutting down of trees to provide wood to manufacture products such as furniture and papers (Conserve Energy Future, 2013). However, more than half of the logging activities that occurred in exposed forest regions located within Southeast Asia and Central Africa are deemed to be illegal. This is due to poor governance and corruption and the incompetence of government to stop importation of illegal logged products (Greenpeace, 2013). Therefore, one solution proposed for this problem is the Sustainable Forestry Initiative ® (SFI) program. This program aims to raise awareness of illegal logging through regulation, certification and partnerships.  In addition, SFI-certified forests which are mainly found in the United States and Canada have minimum risk of illegal logging activities (SFI, 2013). Hence, this shows that the SFI-certified forests may be able help to reduce illegal logging. With the decrease in illegal logging, lesser forests will be cleared and this can help to decelerate climate change.

In conclusion, globalisation has indeed boosted the economic with trades. However, alongside with it are the negative impacts such as environmental damages. Nevertheless, the proposed solutions from different organisations have definitely help to reduce the environmental damages of globalisation and delay the process of climate change.

References:

1.       Conserve Energy Future. (2013). Deforestation: Compromises of a Growing World. Retrieved from http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-deforestation.php

2.       EPA. (2013). Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources.html

3.       Huwart, J.Y and Verdier, L (2013), “What is the impact of globalisation on the environment?” in Economic Globalisation: Origins and consequences, OECD Publishing. doi.org/10.1787/9789264111905-8-en

4.       Greenpeace. (2013) Illegal logging. Retrieved from http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/threats/illegal-logging/

5.       Matson J. (2013, October 1). Renewable Energy’s Hidden Costs. Scientific American™

6.       SFI. (2013). SFI: Taking Action Against Illegal Logging. Retrieved from http://www.sfiprogram.org/files/pdf/illegalloggingpdf/

Wolfe, D., et al. (2011). Climate Change Facts Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 1-4. Retrieved from http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/climate_change/climate_farmenergy.pdf

Assessing Globalisation: Benefits and Drawbacks of Trade and Integration (Reader Response)

In Assessing globalisation: Benefits and Drawbacks of Trade and Integration, Kohut and Wike (2008) discussed the pros and cons of globalisation. The authors started off by stating the benefits of globalisation before proceeding to the drawbacks such as uneven benefits among the people - resulting in the widening income gap - the negative impact on the environment and the demise of their own cultures and traditions. In addition, the influx of immigrants is another rising problem due to globalisation. The authors then further explained the diverse opinions on globalisation and how the people are embracing it with the data collected through surveys from both the developing and developed countries.   

One issue stated by the authors that arises from globalisation is the influx of immigrants. In the article, when the people are questioned for their main reason to leave, most of them in 35 out of 36 countries quoted jobs, while a small part quoted education. This has been caused by the tremendous development of global trade over the years, causing people to move across borders to look for a better job.  However, the increase in immigrants may also be triggered by other reasons - such as a potential war outbreak. For example, the war in Iraq has resulted in the people migrating to a safer location and hence, leading to a rapid increase in immigrants in neighbouring countries like Jordan.

Although it is undeniable that the increase in immigrants has aided in the growth of the country’s economy, it has also increased the competition for jobs between the locals and immigrants. This has been one of the major threat felt by the people. This problem can be seen in Singapore. From a report in The Straits Times (2013), Worker’s Party (WP) stated that the influx of immigrants since 2005 due to the immigration policy has been the source of many problems. It also stated that the nation is slowly losing its own identity, another drawback that was mentioned in this article. Thus, this shows that the drawbacks are not solely on its own but can be one problem leading to another.

In a nutshell, I agree that the prominent drawbacks surfacing have to be taken into deep consideration so as to ensure that our future generations do not live in a polluted world with rising environmental problems, uneven benefits among the people and in a country that is occupied by immigrants and is slowing losing its own identity.  

Assessing Globalisation: Benefits and Drawbacks of Trade and Integration ( Final Draft)

According to Kohut (2008), people around the world have diversed opinions on globalisation. The support for globalisation ultimately depends on what it can bring to individuals and the countries. Globalisation has boosted economic growth and is welcomed in developing nations but losing support in the richer nations. Furthermore, people are starting to notice the drawbacks like uneven benefits among the people, resulting in the widening income gap. Also, the environment has been compromised, and more people are willing to forgo economic growth to reverse it. Other issues include the loss of native cultures and traditions. Many hold the United States responsible as its economy and culture have the most impact on globalisation. In addition, influx of immigrants is also seen as a problem. Although there are other reasons like potential war, majorities have chosen to leave to look for better job opportunities and education.   (144 words)

Assessing Globalisation: Benefits and Drawbacks of Trade and Integration

According to Kohut (2008), people around the world have diverse opinions on globalisation. The support for globalisation ultimately depends on what it can bring to individuals and the countries. Globalisation has boost economic growth through trades, investment and free enterprise. This is largely welcomed in developing nations but losing support in the richer nations such as America and Italy. In addition, people around the world have started to notice the drawbacks such as uneven benefits among the people, resulting in widening income gap. Also, the environment has been compromised, and more people are willing to forgo economic boost to reverse the situation. Other issues include the loss of native cultures and traditions. Many consider the United States as the cause for these concerns, as its economy and culture have the most impact on globalisation. In addition, influx of immigrants is also seen as a problem due to globalisation. Although the increase may be due to other reason such as potential war, most of them had moved to look for better job opportunity and education in the more developed countries. Increase in immigrants often results in anxiety and is seen as a big problem by the natives. 

My English Learning Journey

As I am from a Chinese speaking family, I was not exposed to English until the day I went to school. Thus, English has always been a challenge for me. As I grew older, I began to understand the importance of English. It is a common language that we have to use due to the multi-racial culture we have in Singapore. In school, we were given newspapers every Monday to read for 30 minutes. However, we would spend most of the time talking to our friends instead of reading. Throughout my four years of secondary school, English was the subject that I would score the lowest for. Thus, on the day when the O’level results were released, I was happy that I had managed to pass but sad at the same time as I did not do well. Hence, I chose to enter polytechnic to avoid general paper in junior college. However, after entering polytechnic, I realised that English is still an important part of my studies. We were required to write reports and essays and English does play an important role in helping us deliver the accurate information and data.