Can technology and collaboration solve our global waste woes?

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In a bid to make burning waste more sustainable, modern incinerators are often designed as waste-to-energy facilities, where they can recover energy from the combustion of waste to generate electricity.....Experts also argue that this method disincentivises recycling and more sustainable waste management solutions. Ultimately, incineration is not compatible with a circular economy

innovations include the use of artificial intelligence to enhance waste sorting – for instance, using robotics and machine learning to better identify and separate materials while recovering those that can be recycled. It can do this faster and more accurately than traditional manual sorting

Biotechnological waste treatment methods, such as composting and anaerobic digestion, help to break down organic waste like food scraps and agricultural residues into by-products such as biogas, which is an energy source.

Another crucial aspect of waste management, particularly since so much of it crosses borders, is international cooperation that governs the movement of waste, develops solutions and transfers technology.

Ultimately, any holistic waste management strategy must tackle the problem at its source – the production of waste as a result of over-consumption. Many governments have programmes to encourage people to reduce their consumption, recycle and reuse.

individuals can do their part by modifying their habits to tackle the root cause of waste...Humanity will be better off by reducing the per capita consumption in every country, especially high-income nations

Singapore: 

reduce packaging waste in online shopping – from doing without packing tape to avoid tainting the recyclability of a box, to shredding used cardboard as filler instead of using fresh materials

Efforts to help lift recycling rates are under way. An example is the upcoming beverage container return scheme, where consumers will pay an extra 10 cents for bottled and canned drinks ranging from 150ml to 3 litres, but will receive a full refund on the deposit when they return the empty containers at designated return points in places like supermarkets and community clubs.

Qn: To what extent are science and technology able to solve the problem of waste disposal? (Cam. 2024)

GE2025: Calls for universal minimum wage more political than practical, says PAP’s Jeffrey Siow

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Instead of a universal minimum wage, the PAP Government’s approach is much more precise and aimed at sectors where workers need to be uplifted

the PWM sets wage ladders for certain sectors, such as security, cleaning and landscape among others, to keep wage growth sustainable.

Progressive Wage Model (PWM) has worked as it is a collaborative effort that involves the tripartite partners: employers, unions and the Government.

PWM has ensured that a range of workers today – including security officers, lift maintenance and landscape workers – all have their own base wages, and also a salary ladder they can climb as they upgrade themselves.

If the bar is set below the current market wage, then there is no actual impact and is “just a political announcement”. But if it is higher than the market wage, it would force wages at the bottom up, and there would be additional costs that businesses would have to bear.

PWM has ensured that a range of workers today – including security officers, lift maintenance and landscape workers – all have their own base wages, and also a salary ladder they can climb as they upgrade themselves.

Qn: How realistic is it for countries to implement a national minimum wage for all their workers? (Cam. 2023)

Plastics are greener than they seem

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Read more HERE for Singapore's context on disposal of plastics...

For qns on plastics and the environment....

Qn: To what extent are science and technology able to solve the problem of waste disposal? (Cam. 2024)

Singapore’s former president Halimah to file police report after deepfake video of her is circulated

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a deepfake video of herself allegedly making negative statements about the Government.... the video, which she called “completely false”, had even managed to capture her voice.

Qn: To what extent should we be concerned with AI developments today? (VJC Prelim 2024)

The White Lotus 3 star Aimee Lou Wood criticises SNL for ‘mean’ sketch

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The whole conversation is just about my teeth, and it makes me a bit sad because I’m not getting to talk about my work....If it was a man, would we be talking about it this much?

Qn: To what extent are people judged more by their physical appearance than by their abilities? (Cam. 2017)

Video games bring 21st-century twists to age-old debates about the ethics of media

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The advent of television led to it being criticised as the “idiot box” that would lower educational standards.

One of the earliest criticisms of new media came from Plato’s description of Socrates expressing concern that writing would cause one’s internal capacity for memory and thought to deteriorate, as one comes to rely on written records.

Unlike passive media consumption, gaming demands engagement. Players make decisions and navigate complex environments. This level of immersion creates a fundamentally different relationship between the medium and its audience

45 per cent of Singapore respondents reported playing video games for over an hour a day in the past six months.

The interactive gameplay means that games are not linear narratives like films or novels, as they allow players to become protagonists and make decisions, altering the narrative and world around them

rise in video games that get players to reflect on difficult themes.

Neopets, a virtual pet game with an audience that primarily consisted of children during its heyday, faced criticism over how it embedded extensive advertising and marketing into its gameplay through “immersive advertising”. The game sparked debates about ethical marketing to minors in interactive spaces where the line between content and commerce blurs.

For social media qns....

Qn: ‘Online advertisements use increasingly sophisticated methods to target consumers.’ To what extent does this bring more harm than good? (Cam. 2024)

Why you should think twice before using ‘thx’ and ‘k’ in your texts

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it became clear that those tiny shortcuts – sometimes hailed as a hallmark of efficient communication – undermine relationships instead of simplifying them.

whenever a texter chops words down to their bare consonants, recipients sense a lack of effort, which causes them to disengage

feeling a little put off by half-spelt words, and that sense of disappointment chipped away at how authentic the interaction felt.

whether the swift efficiency of abbreviations might actually short-circuit the delicate dance of courtship and intimacy.

We want to be clear: We’re not campaigning to ban “lol”. Our research suggests that a few scattered abbreviations don’t necessarily torpedo a friendship. Nor does every one of the many messages sent to many people every day warrant the full spelling-out treatment.

When we type “plz” a dozen times in a conversation, we risk broadcasting that the other person isn’t worth the extra letters.

Qns:

1. 'The quality of written language is being destroyed by social media.’ What is your view? (Cam. 2017)

2.  ‘The quality of human interaction is diminished by modern communication devices.’ How far do you agree? (Cam. 2023)

3. To what extent has technology had a negative impact on the skill levels of people? (2010)

Maybe we are just not good at thinking any more

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If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren’t broad enough to sustain you.

Actively initiating a search for information on the web may not weaken your reasoning skills. But passively scrolling TikTok or the social platform X weakens everything from your ability to process verbal information to your working memory to your ability to focus. You might as well take a sledgehammer to your skull.

Reading a book puts you inside another person’s mind in a way that a Facebook post just doesn’t. Writing is the discipline that teaches you to take a jumble of thoughts and cohere them into a compelling point of view.

What happens when people lose the ability to reason or render good judgments? Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy.

Qns:

1. Only educated people should have the right to vote in elections. What is your view? (Cam. 2009)

2. To what extent has technology had a negative impact on the skill levels of people? (Cam. 2010)

Virtual romance, real money: Why some S’poreans spend 4 figures for love in Deepspace

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For social media qns...

Qn: ‘Online advertisements use increasingly sophisticated methods to target consumers.’ To what extent does this bring more harm than good? (Cam. 2024)

Think before you jump on the viral Ghibli AI trend

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Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki .... was shown a piece of AI-generated animation....He watched it, stony-faced, then quietly said he found it to be “an insult to life itself”. 

When we use GenAI platforms unthinkingly in the context of the arts, we shift focus to the result, rather than the process of creation. And something vital gets lost. ...While (GenAI is) exciting, it strips away the human aspects of creation – the struggles, learning and self-reflection. The value of art lies in the process, not just the result.

The ingestion of books by generative AI means the authors’ writing styles, honed through years of practice and experimentation, can potentially be replicated by GenAI users via casual prompts....whose styles have been easily replicated without permission. 

those whose livelihoods have been severely affected because companies can now choose to use AI instead of turning to human artists to create images or graphics

artists have always looked to those before them for inspiration. In many cultures, artistic learning often begins with imitation – copying a teacher’s work is just part of how skills are passed on.

For qns on impact of AI and tech on the arts....

Qn: Consider the view that advancements in science and technology have made us more powerful but less human. [NYJC Prelim 2024]

Game Of Thrones author George R.R. Martin meets genetically engineered dire wolf pups

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The celebrated author then looked forward to future news of de-extinction with the help of genetic engineering. “Still to come, the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, and… yes... the dodo.”

Qn: How far is science fiction becoming fact? (Cam. 2017)

Ex-NMP Calvin Cheng’s remarks on activists ‘completely insensitive and unacceptable’: PM Wong

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Reminiscent of Amy Cheong, where a post online can land one in hot water....

“I would like to sponsor them to relocate to Gaza, expenses paid by me. But only if they never come back … I am offering business class to the leaders. And to their 928 followers, can buy them some walking shoes each. Take a slow hike,” he wrote then on Facebook. [source: HERE]

Can humour be discussed here?