Global Affairs: When green protesters hurt their own cause

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Note how GretaThunberg followers are resorting to protests and even some violence to pressure the govt and business community to adopt measures to save the planet:
The people behind this mass act of disobedience, which was repeated in smaller versions in many other capitals, call themselves the Extinction Rebellion, a pressure group established last year with the explicit aim of disrupting public life in order to force governments to face up to the risk of an ecological disaster.

Greta Thunberg's (in)famous battle cry: "How dare you?! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words," a visibly angry Greta scolded world leaders assembled in the United Nations building in New York recently.

it's easy for Britain to be at the forefront of such pledges, since it has almost no manufacturing sector and its services-led economy relies on other countries to produce the energy-intensive goods it consumes.

in reality, many of those who back environmentalist movements in Europe are middle-aged and middle-class white men and women, people who don't have to worry about their next meal, and have plenty of time to go on demonstrations.

Even if all airline flights stopped completely and continued to be banned until the end of this century, the rise in temperatures by the year 2100 would decline by only a projected 0.5 deg C. And even if most current cars were to be replaced by electric models, carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions would go down by a mere half a percentage point.

The salvation lies not in reversing the industrial revolution and returning humanity to the 18th century, but in technological innovation. As fuel cell technology scientist Don Huberts aptly remarked a few decades ago, "the Stone Age did not end because the world ran out of stones", but because humans evolved to use other implements and commodities. The same is already happening today, as fossil fuels are being replaced by cleaner technologies.

Qns: 

1. Assess the view that attempts to control climate change can never be truly effective. (Cam. 2017)
2. ‘The real heroes of environmentalism are rebels.’ Discuss. (ACJC Prelim 2019)

The propaganda behind Kim's ride up a sacred mountain

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To go horse-riding on Mount Baekdu adds another layer of meaning. The highest peak in the North is held sacred by many Koreans as it is believed to be the nation's birthplace....The Kims have "sought to cement family ties to Baekdu and piggyback on its mythology for generations"...With the visit... Kim Jong Un is seeking to shore up the propaganda around his leadership and his 'right' to rule

Qn: ‘Myths and legends are purely for children’s entertainment.’ What is your view? (MI Prelim 2019)

Just a gentle nudge to show kindness LivingWell

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For qns on social graciousness and kindness.....relate to SAJC/NJC Prelim 2019 AQs

The gender pay gap must go

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Pretty much all women in Singapore take certain things for granted: freedom of movement, the right to an education and a passport, and easy access to open a bank account and start a company. These are givens. Where we were born became a large part of our destiny.

Qn: 'Geography is destiny.’ Discuss. (NJC Prelim 2019)

Jennifer Aniston breaks Instagram with her Friends reunion debut post

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Jennifer Aniston (American actress famous for her role in the comedy sitcom "Friends") on social media:

"What you resist, persists. It's something that is a part of our world now and it's not going away."

This quote can be used as an effective BANG for qns on technology, social media and globalization, where any denial or resistance to it is futile...
E.g. technology is here to stay, whether we like it or not. It is an inexorable/inescapable wave sweeping towards us; we either learn to stay afloat and swim with it, embrace it, learn to ride this wave OR be swept away/inundated by it, leaving us gasping for breath... go down with it, drown in it......

Ex-CJ Chan Sek Keong: 377A’s original aim outdated, so reading of law may have to change

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This section in the Penal Code criminalises acts of gross indecency between homosexual or bisexual males (a), but not similar acts between bisexual or straight males and females (b), or between females, whether homosexual or bisexual or straight (c). Class(a) males are treated unequally under S377A since Class(b) males and Class(c) females commit no such offence when they commit similar acts

S377A was enacted in 1938 to deal with male prostitution and associated activities linked with male homosexual conduct that was rife then and not because such conduct was unacceptable in Singapore society then.

For qns on equality, inclusive society and prejudice/discrimination

World-record marathoner Eliud Kipchoge is an inspiring mix of heart and science

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Note the inspirational/motivational function of sports for society as a whole, which is not confined to endeavours in sports alone but all other fields....Having a Gold Medalist like Joseph Schooling does not just serve as an inspiration for local athletes, but everyone in Singapore, in our own realm -- that small as we are as a little red dot, we are capable of punching above our weight and achieve the unimaginable!

At lunch the other day with a couple of athletes, I mentioned that I saw them as rebels. Because every morning they mount a daily resistance against what people think they can't do. To break a record, or athletically roam further than they once did, is nothing but a revolt against limits.

Michael Phelps once wrote that "so many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can't be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You plan. You reach". But to travel like he did, and Kipchoge has, where no one has ventured before, to think that big, requires a certain audacity.

He can tell them about humility (he cleans toilets when it's his turn at training camps). He can drive them with his persistence. He can remind them there is so much further they can go, that they have not yet closed in on their potential or touched the brilliant borders of their limits.

Note also the impact of technology on sport, how it can aid sport, but too much of it can also take the shine away from sport and compromise sport's ability to inspire and awe the admirers....consider how an F1 racer managed to break a record...would we be awed by man's ability to stretch the limits of his physical body? or would this magic be dimmed by our knowledge of the fact that the real star here is the technology behind the race car? Likewise, would we still admire Kipchoge as much if we know that he managed to accomplish his feat largely with the help of the specially-designed shoes that gives an overall improved efficiency of over 4 percent?

He knows this because it is what he did on Saturday. Aided, yes, but even as this might have resembled an expensive science experiment, Kipchoge himself couldn't be programmed. He's just a human, who had to run and hurt and endure. Who had to conquer. Not just a clock, but first himself.

Qn: 'Technology and sport should not mix.' Discuss.

Concern over Cambodia, Laos coal power deal

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Note the limitation of hydroelectric power, a form of renewable source of energy....The irony here is that the very problem hydroelectric power is trying solve (i.e. global warming and the consequent climate change) is hampered by the problem itself.....

But the dependency on hydropower makes the kingdom vulnerable to seasonal variations in water levels and climate change. This year, it was forced to ration daytime power supply after dry conditions hobbled the operation of its hydropower plants.

From the point of view of energy security, health, cost and minimising climate and other environmental risks, renewable energy is already a more attractive option than large-scale coal power plants delivering transboundary power."

Qn: Assess the view that attempts to control climate change can never be truly effective. (Cam. 2017)

Hatching plans to secure egg supplies

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Ukraine's distance from Singapore lends added security to supply, say some importers..Manager of Lam Leng Trading, Mr Elson Tan, 47, said: "We can get eggs from around the region, but if something were to happen regionally - a typhoon or bird flu or a drought - it'll affect all of us. So if we pick a source that is far away, there's less chance that we will be affected."...He recalled how bird flu in the early noughties had affected his business..."If you're not prepared and only reliant on one source, there's an immediate stop in supply. Your livelihood would be affected. We didn't have eggs for a week or more... it was very worrying,"

Note that it is not just food but also water....the Linggui Reservoir in Johor, from which we get imported water from Malaysia, has been at below 50% level in the past months due to dry weather in the region....and with global warming bringing more erratic weather, Singapore has to diversify our sources...even in Singapore itself, we have diversified into the 4 national taps: import from Malaysia; our own catchment reservoirs, NeWater, and desalination.....

Qn: To what extent is it important to ensure food and water security in your society? (TMJC Prelim 2019)

Singapore to ban ads of packaged drinks with very high sugar

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Singapore will become the first country in the world to ban advertisements of packaged drinks with very high sugar content, in its latest salvo in the war on diabetes.

Relate to CJC Prelim 2019 AQ

Qns:  
1. Consider the view that we do not take enough responsibility for our own well-being. (Cam. 2019)
2. How effectively is public health promoted and managed in your society? (Cam. 2015)

1.   3. The key to good health is lifestyle rather than medicine. How far do you agree? (Cam. 2010)

Minimum wage is like strong medicine, not a free lunch

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Other than the debate here on the minimum wage, which the Singapore govt does not seem to be in favour of (may make Singapore less competitive as it increases the wages that have to be paid out), note the figurative language used here, which can be useful for ur closing BANG for many qns, eg those that deal with the use of technology as a solution....:

It is more like a strong medicine with serious side effects. It should be prescribed with caution and under expert supervision - not mixed with sugar and downed in one gulp.

Alternative ones which I've shared with u before include:
=beautiful rose petals vs the prickly thorns beneath
=window/door that let in much-needed fresh air, but also dirt and dust along with it -- and maybe insects...
=like a fire that can destroy everything in its path, but also gives warmth and light if properly controlled
=like a beacon of light that guides us in the right direction by illuminating the path to follow, but whose light can be snuffed out any moment and plunge us into darkness
=like a beacon of light that can dispel darkness and show us the way, but over-fixation on it can produce a glare that blind us instead....

Thousands rush to climb Australia's Uluru ahead of ban

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Good example of how tourists are disrespectful of the culture of the locals....

For qns on pros and cons of tourism....

Climate Change and Poverty

Global warming and the resultant climate change is a global phenomenon, which means it does not matter where ur geographical location is....
Poverty used to be prevalent in countries located in landlocked regions (inaccessible from coast, hence difficult to trade)...but even those located near coast also have a headache with global warming today. Increased incidence of floods has caused sea-water to overflow onto land, contaminating fresh water supplies in rivers and lakes, agricultural land is also affected when salt-water from the sea seeped into the soil, adversely affecting the cultivation of crops. This has caused many people to resettle from the delta plains of the Mekong River, exacerbating poverty in the process....

Qns:
1. Does geography still determines a country's prospects in today's world? (HCI Prelim 2019)

2. 'People have only themselves to blame for their problems.' Discuss.

China turns up heat on NBA over pro-democracy tweet

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Also click here for follow-up article: NBA lambasted by China media as sponsors cut ties

a good recent example for qn below....

Qn: 'Sport and politics should always be kept separate.' Comment. (CJC Prelim 2019)

Why are Singaporeans a Third World people? Public figures react to Tommy Koh's comments

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Singapore a First World country with Third World people

"Many of our people don't give a damn for the environment when they should. Many of our people are selfish and unkind," -- Professor Tommy Koh

Examples of ungracious behaviour:

=poor treatment of foreign workers

=misuse of public property e.g. bike-sharing...shared bikes parked haphazardly in common areas, shoved into drains or even chained up for private use.

=not known for being gracious drivers 

=not clearing their trays at hawker centres

WHY we are ungracious:

=we have been socialised to be more focused on 'I, me and myself', and our own family, rather than the larger community and society

=bad behaviour could also be explained by unclear social norms.... the expectation of returning one's tray is not the same at every hawker centre.

=In a city, you begin to professionalise and monetise almost every role. Cleaning is a cleaner's job. I make a mess, somebody cleans it. I pay the guy to do it

=In order to protect themselves, Singaporeans have learnt to become more self-serving and less kind to others

Americans fret over social media control of news: Survey

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social media platforms have too much control over news they see, and many express concern that they get a less favourable "mix" of information as a result.

rising worries about how social media shapes the information people see online, and complaints from some - including US President Donald Trump - that platforms are biased.

social media sites often showed inaccurate or one-sided news, while 35 per cent said censorship is a big problem on these sites.

Qn: To what extent has social media influenced our perceptions of reality?