Problem-Solution essay draft 4

Globalisation is a current, ever-changing phenomenon that describes the economic and social integration of economies globally. The benefits Singaporeans reap from globalisation are clear, such as the higher standard of living (Thangavelu, 2010) and easier access of information due to the advancement in mass media. For example, information are readily available just a click away on the computer. However, in his TED talk (2009), Goldin raised four major problems globalisation has caused: the collapse in biodiversity, climate change, financial crisis and inequality. The most pressing problem is climate change, a global concern which dire effects are immediate. Many countries have realised the need to take actions to slow down the rate of climate change and Singapore is no exception. Singapore’s Government has implemented certain policies in respond to the awareness. Although such policies dobring about improvements, such improvements are expected to decrease as time passes. To ensure sustainable improvements, additional measures should to be implemented.

Climate change refers to a change in global climate patterns. One apparent result of globalisation is the stark increase in coal usage. As developing countries undergo industrialisation, rapid consumption of coal occurs to fuel industrialisation, and more carbon dioxide are produced (Zolfagharifard, 2014). Carbon emissions have increased from 25 billion metric tons to 32 billion in 5 years (Terberg, 2013). The high level of carbon emission traps the heat from the sun within Earth's atmosphere(Kriby, 2013), resulting in an increase in global average temperature. This can be seen when the annual mean surface temperature globally has increased by 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1984 (National Climate Change Secretariat, 2013). The mean sea level in Straits of Singapore has risen 3mm per year over the past 15 years. This poses an immediate threat for low-lying nations like Singapore, where 30% of the land lies less than 5m above sea level.

As climate change worsen, food security has also become a problem within Singapore since Singapore is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in global food supply and food pricing.
 

Singapore’s government have chosen to engage Singaporeans on a household level as they recognise the importance of gathering support from Singaporeans to effectively slow down climate change without draining nation’s resources. An example includes the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) policy, introduced in September 2011. It is a specification which contains a number of performance requirements for an energy-using device, limiting the maximum amount of energy that may be consumed by that device in performing a specified task. This would therefore limit households in Singapore to only purchase devices that are under the maximum amount of energy that may be consumed by that device when performing a task. The energy performance standards will be further tightened in 2013 to help consumers avoid being locked into high energy consumption and energy costs.

After the implementation of the above stated measure, market data showed that households, manufacturers and suppliers have responded positively to MEPS. According to the National Environment Agency, the fraction of energy-efficient house air-conditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryer sold have steadily increased over the years. In 2011, about 80% of purchases of air-conditioners and 85% of refrigerators were from the top two highest efficient categories.

However, every strategy has limitations. Appliances that are energetically efficient tend to be more costly compared to the non-energetically efficient ones. Although there was a marked increase in the purchase of such appliances, the increase is expected to reduce when the majority of the well-to-do Singaporeans have already converted to the energy efficient appliances. In addition, pricey appliances, such as the air-conditioners and refrigerators, are items that people do not change frequently , and the above policies are only applicable to new buyers. 

In order to maximise the effectiveness of the above strategy, the government may choose to implement a law where every household has to have their high-energy consuming appliances switched to more energy-efficient ones. Singapore's government should provide a list of appliances that they deem to be considered high-energy consuming. Also, to be reasonable, sufficient time has to be provided for Singaporeans to switch over to more energy-efficient appliances. In order to solve the problem of affordability and to ensure that the above suggested new legislation is implementable, subsidies proportional to their income level can be provided to lower income families. The wide influence of mass media can be used to explain to Singaporeans the rationale behind the importance in seeking their cooperation. Advertisements and short films can be broadcast on national channels to raise the awareness and seek to seek cooperation from Singaporeans.

In conclusion, the high level of the carbon emission resulted in climate change that has affected Singapore adversely. The main solution adopted by Singapore's Government is to reduce carbon emission on a household level. Measures such as Minimum Energy Performance Standard is  adopted, however, more can be done by the government to ensure that the results are sustainable.

(800 words)

 

References

Fekete. J.[e11] (2014). Canada's Arctic ice caps melting rapidly since 2005, according to documents. Retrieved from: http://o.canada.com/news/national/canadas-arctic-ice-caps-melting-rapidly-since-2005-according-to-documents/

Goldin, I. (2009). Navigating our Global Future [Video file]. Retrievedfrom: http://www.ted.com/talks/ian_goldin_navigating_our_global_future?language=en

Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. (2011). Minimum Energy Standard Performance Standards. Retrieved from: http://app.mewr.gov.sg/data/ImgCont/1386/3.%20Factsheet%20-%20Minimum%20Energy%20Performance%20Standards%20%5Bweb%5D.pdf

National Climate Change Secretariat Prime Minster's Office Singapore. (2013). Household. Retrieved from: http://app.nccs.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=171&secid=193

National Climate Change Secretariat Prime Minsters' Office Singapore. (2013). Impact of Climate Change on Singapore. Retrieved from: https://app.nccs.gov.sg/(X(1)S(zfbtkw55cjagmjejoqtnycz5))/page.aspx?pageid=160&secid=157&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 

National Environment Agency. (2013). Mandatory Energy Management Practices. Retrieved from: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/energy-efficiency/industry-sector

National Environment Agency. (2013). Tightening and Extending Minimum Energy Performance Standards. Retrieved from: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/newsroom/parliament/budget-debate1/budget-debate-2012/meps

Wikipedia. (2013). Minimum energy performance standard. Retrievedfrom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_Energy_Performance_Standard