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Culture Versus Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Culture Versus Environment - Essay Example Ceremonies intended to mollify a large number of divine beings thought to control different pa...

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Indonesia the problem of trans boundary haze

Indonesia the problem of trans boundary haze Introduction Sustainability of environment becomes an embedded eco-political concern of development strategy in todays globalized world. In spite of encouraging economic growth, Transboundary haze pollution (THP) is incurring a serious menace to environment in South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Smoke haze resulted from land and forest fires frequently stemming from Indonesia, the largest country of this region, as a consequence of illegal logging, traditional agricultural actions and some adverse climate conditions like El Nino South Oscillation (ENSO) have imposed immense socio-economic and environmental costs for the whole region. Along with the constant threat of climate change and degradation of biodiversity, the direct measurable impacts comprise huge monetary loss especially for health damage, tourism losses, and industrial production losses. Singapore being the neighboring country of Indonesia also suffers a lot with the corollary. The people outcry always pressurizes the government to upho ld the countrys self-interest by mitigating the economic losses while inducing further stress to Indonesia. At the same time government also has to be diplomatic in its intra-regional approach of dealing with the issue. It is a difficult proposition and the question is how best Singapore can strategize its policy to extract best solution of this persisting hazard. Key Issue: From Singapores perspective, the THP is an outcome of environmental externality. Whole state of affairs is a bit complex since under the regional or bilateral framework, Singapore has very little to do to resolve the problem by itself. Sandler (1997) argues that haze free environment in ASEAN region is non-excludable and non-rivalrous aggregative type of public good whose total benefit is the totting up of individual efforts. Such an international public goods gives room for strategic actions by countries concerned that would result into sub-optimal outcomes. Sandler concludes that such strategic approach thus can create a Prisoners Dilemma if the costs offset the benefits. In this context, Lin and Rajan (2001) expressed their concern on failure of such multilateral solution due to conflicting preferences and priorities between countries for reducing these forms of pollution. Therefore, a bilateral approach towards ecological and eco-political strategic options rather than multilater al approach should be more effective for this THP. However, in terms of taking correct strategy, Singapore seems to be into a Prisoners Dilemma like situation, which is the key issue to be addressed for dealing with this long-lasting problem. Why this issue is the most important: ASEANs regional efforts to resolve THP has been facing stiff challenges due to lack of bindings and cooperation from all parties. Florano (2004-05) states that both 1995 ASEAN Cooperation Plan on Transboundary Pollution and RHAP of 1997 was ineffective due to its ASEAN ways emphasis on volunteerism. Jayachandaran (2005) refers that, Indonesia-the host of THP, has been so reluctant to implement the agreements due to its internal socio-political dynamics. Tan (2005) also argues that Indonesias mindset of non-ratification of ATHP has been disrupting effective regional cooperation from ASEAN countries in this issue. Tacconi et.al.,(2008), in addition to these, points on the lacking of international monitoring, compliance and inspection in ATHP. At such a dismal situation, Singapore irrespective of other affected countries has to decide its own strategies based on overall pay-off while coming out the disastrous situation with time. Solutions: Option-1. Induce more pressure on Indonesia: There is a group of analyst who think that impose bi-lateral pressure on Indonesia to act positively towards the problem. This is more a political approach. They argue for constant raising of this issue during bilateral meetings with Indonesian counterparts, which would work while reminding them about the adverse effect of this inaction would impact the bilateral relations. In fact, this is also supported by some evidences in recent past. Former foreign ministry official of Singapore Gerald Giam states that, Recommended Policy Actions: a. Trade barriers: Singapore has huge formal and informal cross-border trade with Indonesia. In fact, Indonesia is Singapores 4th largest trading partner in 2009 with total trade amounting to S$58.5 billion, up from S$75.1 billion in 2008 (source: IE Singapores StatLink, 2010). Singapore imports palm oil and rubber from Indonesia, while Indonesia hugely depends on Singapore for many manufacturing, electronics goods and services. Figure shows a significant trade advantage (measured in net export) in favor of Singapore. There are also many Singapore-based MNC in Indonesia. So any sorts of trade barrier could create some pressure on Indonesia at this moment. Singapore-Indonesia bilateral trade (S$ Thousands):Â   Singapores Data 2008 2009 Imports 24,827,467 20,659,212 Exports 50,299,127 37,857,815 Total Trade 75,126,594 58,517,027 Source: IE Singapores StatLink b. Squeeze Other Development Projects: Singapore supports Indonesia to establish most competitive industrial zone at Batam, Bintan and Karimun free trade zone (BBK-FTZ)where they can develop electronic, shipbuilding and network storage and server industry which would bring huge economic boost for those region of Indonesia. So reducing the scale of investment or technological support would extend the pressure over Indonesia. c. Regional organization against Indonesian imputes approach: For mounting the pressure on Indonesia, Singapore government can act to form a group of sufferer incorporating the other countries like Malaysia, Brunei or Thailand and place their issue to International court for Environmental disputes. Malaysia already has taken necessary preparation to do that. This would be very unfortunate for this regional integrity, however, suffering countries the suffering countries could but think about that. Analysis of outcomes: Reacting towards the public outcry, Singapore government may have to go for such kind of compulsive policy as long as it works for a while. They can expect timely and effective actions taken by Indonesian government for rebuilding investors confidence in Indonesia, Indonesias international eminence and ASEANs integrity would not be affected. However, in the longer run, this pressurize policy would result instability in regional unity and integration. The concept and objective of ASEAN would be hampered as well. On the other hand, this policy would not be able to bring any instant solution to the problem. Option- 2. Intensify Cooperation to Indonesia with region-specific bilateral projects against THP: In a prisoners dilemma, the cooperation strategy often maximize the pay-off for both the parties. Though the THP is the externality resulted from Indonesia, but to get some positive implication of this problem, all concerned parties should effectively act and help each other in an integrated manner so that the degree of hazard comes down with time. After Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution (MSC) in November 2006, 35 fire-prone districts in 8 provinces have been identified into Indonesias Plan of Actions for immediate consideration. Indonesia has invited ASEAN countries to work together to develop its capability to tackle land and forest fires in those fire-prone areas. Singapore already has responded positively to extend its cooperation to Indonesias State Ministry of Environment (KLH) to implement the plans for managing land and forest fires at Jambi Province. Recommended Policy Actions: a. Extend technical and financial supports: The US$1 million Jambi province project seems to be a success so far. Recent study reveals that the number of hot spots explored from forest fires has reduced by one-fifth in last few years. So following the experience of this success, Singapore can extend its cooperation with technology and finance for some other regions that directly cause problem to them. b.More support areas: Some proactive prevention monitoring and approach can be initiated with best possible art-of-states. These may include: Socialization Workshop for farmers on Sustainable Farming (i.e. Cultivating crops without resorting to burning) Developing the Capacity of the locals in understanding and interpreting the Satellite images and hotspot information Developing local land-use map Installing Geographical Information System to facilitate the monitoring of fire and haze and assess accordingly Developing air and weather monitoring stations Enhance fire fighting and suppression Capacities of local people. c. Better monitoring and Positive feedbacks: The outcome of the above collaboration projects should be monitored in regular basis and the success part should be broadcast to others so that it would give positive signs to other nations to come forward resolving the long-lasting problem. Analysis of the outcomes: Certainly these collaboration projects would result more financial cost for Singapore. However, welfare should be ascertaining with the implication of comparative advantage frameworks. In fact, factors should be deployed according to the comparative advantages each country has. For instance, Singapore could provide technical and financial support with expertise in managing the environmental pollution wide-spreading, while Indonesia would provide with some cheaper labor and other infrastructures. Singapore can extend its support to some region especially the Sumatra that creates more problems to it. Again, more technology transfer would also ensure more earnings and ultimately a quicker recovery of the dire situation. Choosing the Option: Considering the following three factors Environmental Sustainability Short run Cost-Long run benefit Marginal cost of combating (for both Indonesia and Singapore) I would like to suggest implementing option-2 [cooperation] for Singapore government to combat against the adverse effect of THP since it will ensure betterment of environmental sustainability in this region with some long-term aggregated benefits for all using the comparative advantages of minimized cost.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

How does this section of Romeo and Juliet Essay

The characters are utilised by Shakespeare to highlight a sense of loss and desperation. The â€Å"Captain† who is a neutral figure, expresses a sense of remorse and sadness when he sees Romeo and Juliet’s dead bodies as a â€Å"pitiful site†, also illuminating a sense of universal suffering. Juliet’s â€Å"newly dead† body is used so that the agony and pain of her death is felt again universally. Romeo and Juliet are described as â€Å"piteous woes† which portrays them as one and as abstractions of sadness which emphasises the loss and despair of a romantic pair. The words â€Å"trembles, sighs and weeps† are listed characteristics of suffering used to highlight a sense of loss and nervousness. The shock and astonishment of Romeo and Juliet’s death is highlighted by the repetition of â€Å"dead† showing how unexpected this tragedy really was. Tybalt’s death is exaggerated when Romeo and Juliet’s marriage day is described as â€Å"Tybalt’s doomesday† increasing the magnitude of desperation and sadness. Shakespeare illuminates a paradox of joy and sadness between â€Å"Tybalt’s untimely death† and the â€Å"new-made bride groom† creating a contrast of joy and misery. There is a cruel irony when Juliet’s â€Å"borrowed grave† became her actual death bed. When this great tragedy was described as an â€Å"accident† it conveys the image of this great tragic love story as a minor and petty incident. Shakespeare uses the language of an important character to highlight a lack of gravitas and feeling in the text. Shakespeare uses â€Å"flowers† which represent nature, good health, love and positivity as a conventional image to highlight what this tragedy is all about. The last line describes everyone as being â€Å"punished† which again shows universal suffering. Shakespeare focuses the blame and responsibility on many people to emphasise the complexity of this tragedy. When the captain of the watch â€Å"holds him in safety† there is an air of suspicion that suggests that there will be blame given. The â€Å"mattock and spade† are both physical emblems of the Friars responsibility, showing the explicit direct blame and responsibility, of the Friar. The fact that the families are unaware adds a sense of mystery and shows more clearly the rushed fickle and spontaneous nature of the marriage. When Montague asks â€Å"What further woe conspires against mine age?† it shows bad luck, dual responsibility and the loss of youth and innocence. Shakespeare plays upon a maternal instinct when Juliet is described as a â€Å"daughter† for the first time, which is much less formal and emotional, conveying a real image of suffering and grieving. Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliet’s â€Å"st’len marriage day† to portray a sense of immorality and negativity. When â€Å"Juliet pined† it reminds us of the rushed and hasty marriage. When Juliet is described as â€Å"doing violence to her self†, it presents to us a literal reading of suicide, but also lays a wider and inferred blame on Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare describes the nurse as â€Å"privy† to show the nurses responsibility in keeping secret. Shakespeare highlights a sense of resolution and end to trouble by conveying subtle hints through the use of his characters. There is a healing of a rift when Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliet’s death to present a positive image of the families which is shown when Capulet says â€Å"O brother Montague† Which is used as a positive image of new unity and a bond between the two families. The statue in â€Å"pure gold† emphasises the preciousness and importance of this tragedy. Montague compliments the Capulet’s when he says â€Å"true and faithful Juliet† showing that despite all the sorrow and grief there is still a sense of positivity. The resolution is tarnished by the fact that it is still â€Å"glooming† but it still gives us a sense of peace and when the â€Å"Prince† who is neutral repeats this again which portrays a universal sense of suffering. The â€Å"sun† represents images of positivity and despite a sense of sadness and sorrow there is still a sense of calm and new peace. There is a sense of union and bonding when Balthasar says to the Prince â€Å"to the same place, to this same monument† showing the older generations past conflict and Balthasar represents youth and innocence so he also represents the ability to change attitudes and stop the rivalry and stubbornness that has become so ingrained. In this section Shakespeare uses tragic aspects to highlight tragedy towards the end. The Princes advice is to have â€Å"patience† and slow down which is an ironic reminder that Romeo and Juliet’s fatal flaw was that they rushed in to their love and marriage. Friar advised Romeo and Juliet to slow down and â€Å"bear this work of heaven with patience† but they still remained rushed which is Shakespeare’s way of reminding us of Romeo’s hubris. The Friar wants his â€Å"old† life to be sacrificed emphasising even more the loss of youth, innocence and change. There is a hint that the two families have not learnt anything from this great tragedy when Montague says â€Å"I can give thee more† which shows that the two families are still competitive and are both desperate to prove themselves better. There is an implication that they are still interested in materialism when the â€Å"statue† will be raised in pure gold which is another superficial attempt to show the power and wealth of the families. When this tragedy is described as a â€Å"story† it undermines the sense of real suffering and denigrates Romeo and Juliet’s love.

Friday, January 10, 2020

A Reflective Observation on Global Warming

Elizabeth Kolbert’s chapter 2 entitled â€Å"A Warmer Sky† in her book â€Å"Field Notes From A Catastrophe† is basically about the discovery of global warming and the developments in its awareness. It also shows relevant data about certain factors that affect global warming.John Tyndall’s discovery of the ratio spectrophotometer in 1859 was the advent of the awareness in global warming.The function of the said device is to differentiate absorbance and transmittance of their radiation exhibited by the gases. Results of the tests showed that the gases commonly found in the air such as nitrogen and oxygen did not absorb nor transmit any radiation. However, other gases such as carbon dioxide and water absorbed visible and infrared radiation (p.36).With these results, Tyndall stumbled upon a baffling and shocking truth that will cause a worldwide sensation and concern in the following generations. Tyndall concluded that these gases contribute largely to the wa y the earth radiates and absorbs radiation from the sun. He thought of the atmosphere as a barrier that regulates the amount of radiation that enters the earth which affects its overall temperature. This notion was later known as the â€Å"natural greenhouse effect† (p.36).The sun, earth and many hot bodies emit radiation and the amount of radiation is directly proportional to its temperature. This is further explained by the Stefan-Boltzmann Law which sates that the temperature raised to the fourth power is directly proportional to the radiationemitted by the body. The role of the greenhouse gases is to absorb selectively the radiation from the sun and allow visible radiation to penetrate the atmosphere. The earth’s infrared radiation, on the other hand, is absorbed by the greenhouse gases and is emitted partially into space and partially back to earth.This phenomenon regulates the temperature on the surface of the earth. After Tyndall passed away from an overdose of a sleeping drug, Arrhenius continued what Tyndall left unfinished. Arrhenius studied the effects of altering carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and he found out that rising carbon dioxide levels will increase the earth’s temperature, hence, he coined the phrase â€Å"to live under a warmer sky† to the next generations (p.42)Interest in the climate change mellowed down after the death of Arrhenius. However, in the mid 1950’s, there was a rebirth in the awareness of global warming and this was due to Charles David Keeling, a chemist. The results of his research in the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere or the â€Å"Keeling Curve† showed that the carbon dioxide level increases as time increases.The results were devastating as years pass by. The Keeling curve also showed that the carbon dioxide level in 2005 was 375 parts per million and with this terrifying rate, it will increase to 500 parts per million by the middle of the century whi ch will greatly affect the temperature of the earth and will make us feel the full effects of global warming (p.44)Global warming threatens us to extinction. This is caused mainly by industrialization and we must stop, or if not, control the rise of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to save the future generations. Global warming will cause the polar and ice glaciers to melt that constitute to a rise in sea level. This rise will flood coastal regions and other land masses. There is also an expected change of rainfall patterns across the globe that will greatlyaffect food crops and will be a major setback in food production in many nations. With the increase in temperature, plants and animals will be forced to live in cooler areas and those who are unable to adapt will be doomed of extinction.   (Global Warming, Encarta)

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s Writing Essay - 1493 Words

Do you visualize a story when you are reading? Some readers view the story they are reading and some don’t. Some authors are good at using words that will make you visualize where your main character looks like or where the setting is. Take Edgar Allen Poe for example. He’s a creepy, twisted man so he wrote creepy, twisted stories. This could be because of his experiences throughout his life or that is just what he likes. ZZ Packer on the other hand writes normal stories. There is nothing dark or twisted about her. Each of these authors gives you a different visualization in each of their stories. Edgar Allan Poe had a difficult life. He was born in Boston and was the second son of Eliza and David Poe. He had a brother and a sister. Whenever Poe was 3 both of his parents had died, and â€Å"he was taken in by a wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances (poemuseum.org).† At the age of thirteen, Poe had written enough poetry to publish a book, but hi s headmaster was against this. â€Å"In 1826 Poe left Richmond to attend the University of Virginia, where he excelled in his classes while accumulating considerable debt (poemuseum.org).† He had a rough life and this could have been the reason for the style of his writings. When you think of Edgar Allan Poe you think of creepy, murderous stories and that’s just what he did. Poe’s style of writing is labeled as Gothic. In the short story, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the main character which we do not know the name of, lives withShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s Writing874 Words   |  4 PagesAlabama reading and writing was not the most popular thing to do, it was just one of those things that people detest. 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Poe never lived the happiest of lives, but his writing is extraordinary, both for its execution, and for the sheer elegance of the words which he found to write upon the pageRead MoreThe Father Of The Detective Story1593 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Father of the Detective Story†: How Edgar Allan Poe Developed and Influenced the Detective Fiction Genre Edgar Allan Poe has become a household name in the literary world. His unique writing style has earned him much-deserved respect and recognition. Poe s poetry and short story oeuvre follows a consistent, melancholy theme of death and darkness that has captured and haunted readers for years (Baym, et al. 683). Perhaps his most legendary contribution to literature is his creation of theRead MoreThe Oval Portrait By Edgar Allan Poe1490 Words   |  6 Pages Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories Edgar Allan Poe is a much known author. 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Dark andRead MoreBrianna Ruiz-Vannerson. Leonard Miller. Enc1102. Feb. 231548 Words   |  7 PagesMiller ENC1102 Feb. 23 2017 The Compelling Mind of Edgar Allan Poe Through: â€Å"Lenore† and â€Å"The Raven† Throughout the life of esteemed author Edgar Allan Poe, there have been many time that this extraordinary man’s life has been turned upside down with grief. His first encounter with this wretched demon was when he was no older than three years of age. The mother who birthed him dies and his father abandons them before her death (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe†). He then is separated from his brother and sisterRead MoreWhy Should We Care?1748 Words   |  7 PagesWhy Should We Care?: Edgar Allan Poe â€Å"Few creatures of the night have captured [reader’s] imagination[s] like [Edgar Allan Poe]† (â€Å"Vampires†). Poe has fascinated the literary world since he first became known for writing in 1829, when he was just twenty years old (Chronology†). While he is widely known for exploring the macabre, his work is controversial because of its psychologically disturbing nature. Edgar Allan Poe is worth examining as an author because his many contributions to the literary