Turning rubbish into electricity: Indonesia to build huge incinerators to shrink landfill needs

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In some way, you can burn the problem. But the key is to burn it in the right way. The smart way

The WTE (waste-to-energy) facility is said to be able to transfer the heat from the garbage-burning to boil water and turn it into steam in special pipes to spin a turbine to generate electricity.

However, concerns remain about potential health risks from emissions despite modern incinerator technology. Thus, incinerators might not be welcomed by all, though the modern ones have devices to convert pollutant gases into less harmful ones in closed systems with air controls. In many countries, communities near incinerators often worry about respiratory diseases and cancer risks as emissions from these plants cannot be 100 per cent contained.

Toxic and acidic liquid could form when rainwater passes through waste and seeps into soil and groundwater, a particularly dangerous issue as most Indonesians still rely on pumped-up groundwater for their supply of clean water, including for drinking

Decomposing waste also releases methane and hydrogen sulphide, causing foul smells and sometimes respiratory irritation. Methane is highly flammable and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, worsening climate change.

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

Please keep religion out of partisan politics

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Qn: How far should religion influence political decisions? (Cam. 2009)

Pentagon’s Pete Hegseth declares war on US media, but new rules could backfire

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And history offers a cautionary lesson. The 2025 Pentagon rules almost immediately draw parallels with the 1971 Pentagon Papers controversy, when the Nixon administration tried to prevent newspapers from publishing classified documents that showed the government had misled the public about the Vietnam War. 

Mr Hegseth is claiming that all journalism that is not authorised by the Pentagon poses a threat. He is relying on the premise that investigative journalism itself is a threat to national security

There is a long history of officials in the United States claiming that they seek to protect national security, when in reality, they seek to protect their own reputations and to protect against their incompetence and misconduct being exposed

the public loses access to information it has a right to know, along with the right to ask questions of those entrusted with spending nearly US$1 trillion (S$1.3 trillion) from taxes and managing three million employees.”

Qn: Is regulation of the press desirable? (Cam. 2017)

AI-fasting – Just what the doctor ordered

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This challenges the belief that while AI tools erode the abilities of novices, they do not affect those already skilled.

How many of us can still find our way without relying on the Global Positioning System (GPS)? How often do we rely on predictive text or writing tools instead of shaping our own sentences and ideas?

Over time, such habits can also chip away at deeper skills like writing and critical thinking, as we grow accustomed to bite-size information and automated assistance.

Commercial planes can technically fly themselves from take-off to landing, yet pilots still train rigorously and are required to fly parts of the journey manually – because in an emergency, only a skilled human can take control with confidence.

If we outsource too much, we risk losing not just practical skills (“knowing how”) but also deeper abilities like critical thinking, judgment and even moral reasoning.

ChatGPT users have diminished brain engagement and activity, with potential impact on cognitive development, critical thinking and intellectual independence. This suggests that “AI-fasting” may be necessary to prevent cognitive deskilling – especially among students, where overuse could stunt intellectual growth.

The same goes for moral decision-making. We can use tools to nudge us towards safer or more efficient behaviour, but genuine ethical choices often require weighing values, emotions and consequences. Over time, if we let machines decide for us, we risk losing our moral compass....Simple nudges, like speed cameras or energy-saving devices, may help with routine choices, but true ethical dilemmas demand reasoning that no algorithm can replace.

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

Parents, don’t let the manosphere raise your child

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WHO warns about surge in spread of drug-resistant superbugs

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Qn: Consider the view that science solves all problems. (JPJC Prelim 2025)

As cashless-only stores continue to pop up across Singapore, some teens and seniors feel left out

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Qn: ‘Smart cities will only bring us more problems than benefits.’ Discuss. (SAJC Prelim 2025)

AI v Hollywood: One battle after another to save the human performance

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Qns:

1. To what extent is artificial intelligence replacing the role of humans? (Cam. 2019)

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

Malaysia’s politics shaken and stirred by alcohol controversies

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Qn: 'The world today is too easily offended.’ How far do you agree?

Prime Video scrubs guns from James Bond artwork, and 007 fans are shaken

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Relate to issues on woke culture and media censorship...

Qn: 'The world today is too easily offended.’ How far do you agree?

NUS implements full work-from-office policy for all full-time staff

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based on Ministry of Manpower data, close to 70 per cent of companies in Singapore did not offer telework arrangements in 2023.

Other companies in Singapore and abroad have in the past year required staff to return to the office or spend more days there, citing benefits such as creativity, collaboration and workplace culture

Technology firm Grab told its employees in October 2024 that they would need to work five days a week in the office from December that year, to facilitate more collaboration and interactions in the office.

In Singapore, the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests were launched in April 2024 to set out how employees can request such arrangements, and how employers can consider them

Qn: Consider the view that most work these days could, and should, be done from home. (Cam. 2010)

The Straits Times updates the language it uses to describe disability

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For issues on how the media influence our attitudes and mindset...

Malaysia fans fear Asian Cup blow as Fifa probe casts doubt on naturalised players

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Qn: 'Individuals achieve sporting success, not nations.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2020)

Hollywood performers union condemns AI-generated ‘actress’ Tilly Norwood

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Qn: To what extent is artificial intelligence replacing the role of humans? (Cam. 2019)