expert. Cultural
expert. Environment
expert. Technological
expert. Political
expert. Economic
Sunday, May 13, 2007
&wegoGlobal 8:24 PM
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CULTURAL.post1
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, culture is being defined as the “the customary beliefs, of a racial,
religious, or social group; and also the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a place or time”,
and globalisation is being defined as “to be made global”. Some argue that Globalisation will lead to the uniformity of the
world, with the different unique cultures being eradicated and being replaced with the general accepted notion of culture.
However, Globalization has its advantages too. It promotes integration and the removal not only of cultural barriers but
of many of the negative dimensions of culture.
A very good example of cultural globalisation would be the food we eat of course. In the past Fusion food is the new “in” thing
and they are appearing all over the market. People fork out large sums of money to dine in high-class, chi-chi restaurants,
to sample the newest fusion dish. Also, in the modern civilisation, people are able to savour authentic Chinese herbal soup
in the comfort of their London apartment, eat Chapatti in downtown New York, and even appreciate exquisite French cuisine
in their neighbourhood cafes.
Music and the arts are also another very good example of cultural globalisation. There are many different musical genres,
ranging from pop to jazz, classical pieces to the sounds of the disco jive and from traditional folk songs to the blues.
Music has no boundaries; it is able to appeal to people of all races, religion, nationality and even ages. Recently,
there has also been the revival of the oldies, where artists rearrange older pieces of music, to appeal to the younger
and newer crowd. The arts are also another form of cultural globalisation. Art pieces, despite their origins, provoke
people to think beyond their limitations, and explore the aesthetic side of the world. The use of light, colours, sounds,
and with bold strokes thrown in, creates another dimension, the unknown dimension.
In the following posts, I will be highlighting some articles and interesting things that I have come across in my research
on Cultural Globalisation. Until then! :D
culturalexpert.valerie(:
CULTURAL.post2
Music & Globalization
Music has been around through the ages. The Ancient Egyptians had their lyres and flutes, and the Chinese had their
guzheng and their pipas. Music just has this magical ability to evoke a myriad of feelings, bringing back past memories,
and even creating new ones. There are also many different genres of music, appealing to people of all countries. Music
knows no boundaries, and its impacts cannot be quantified.
The role that music plays in the world today is one that is vital in the process of globalization. The music industry is
such a highly profitable, money spinning venture that it is no surprise that it is monopolised by a few large firms.
The chart above shows the market share of the 4 major record companies in the year, 2005, according to a survey by Nielsen SoundScan.
The music business profits from ‘other people’s loss of identity, they are sold a culture and heritage’. This statement
very true, due to the monopolization of the music industry by the four recording giants, they are able to dictate the
variety of musical genres that are sold in their stores. They are able to make, or break an artist, and his or her
musical career. They are also able to determine which music is distributed and where, thus able to control the music
that the consumers are exposed to.
Through this processes music will lose the uniqueness that it once had, leading to a “cultural grey out.”, “due to
the widespread distribution of “industrialized” music” Music will lose its identity, and cultural characteristics,
and should this go on, a “global consumer monoculture” will occur.
Global monoculture is already apparent in many areas across the globe. The music industry is turning away more
traditional music, in favour of the pop/rock culture. The traditional music market has then been branded as being
‘out-dated’ and ‘old-fashion’.
Nawal Hassan, a Egyptian artisan activist, “This is an issue of identity. All our civilizations has ceased to be
spiritual. Our civilization has become commercial.” (Barlow 2001)
Therefore, in conclusion, the effects of globalization on the music industry are very evident and if this carries
on, we could be facing a global monoculture in the very near future and experience the overall loss of identity music.
YAAY! My third post!(: today, I will be touching on how the entertainment industry have contributed to globalization.
How the use of media, especially the television reinforces it, and some of the negative impacts that it brings to society.
The power of the media conglomerates and the ubiquity of entertainment programming has made such a huge impact on our
world today, that it has been deemed as the most rational target for allegations of cultural imperialism.
Anti-globalism activists assert that American entertainment creates negative impacts on society as a whole by highlighting
Western notions of beauty, individualism, and sexuality. And there’s no doubt that American television programs are part
and parcel of life for viewers all over the globe. In the modern world television access is widespread, even if receivers
are not present in every household. A television set—often a satellite system powered by a gasoline generator—may serve
two or three dozen viewers, each paying a small fee. By the 1980s video-viewing parlors could be found everywhere in many
regions of the globe.
Hollywood has had a similar influence; just take a look at all the Britney and Christina Aguilera clones and all the Paris
Hilton wannabes. This is how much the entertainment industry affects the world, especially the younger generation who
gets their idea of ‘cool’ and ‘hip’ from their favorite stars, and idols. Remember the F4 wave a few years back? Male
fans and non-fans alike started keeping their hair long, and adopted the ‘floppy-haired look’, that the singers from
the boy band had.
Recently, there have been a significant number of tabloid covers detailing how far some actresses seem to willing to
venture in order to lose weight in the 21st century. Actresses Keira Knightly, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie and Mary-Kate
Oslen are some examples. Many young girls look up to these Hollywood icons as role models, and may start to have to
perception that being skinny is beautiful, but this is definitely not the case.
Here are some pictures of people suffering from eating disorders. Indeed, they are skinny, but this is definitely not my idea of beauty.
Going by the current statistics, 3 people died today from an eating disorder. People’s perception of beauty is what they
see through the media, the television, on magazines, and this notion is unhealthy, and may lead to disastrous consequences.
Therefore in conclusion, I would like to add that even though the entertainment and media industry can be used a a form of
means of communication or broadcasting of talent, contributing to the GLOBALISATION process, it also brings about many
social ills. As a teenager myself, I feel that if we get too carried away in following our 'idols' we may eventually
fall prey to it.
ARTICLE:
Modes of dress can disguise an array of cultural diversity behind a facade of uniformity. The man's business suit, with coloured tie and buttoned shirt, has become “universal” in the sense that it is worn just about everywhere, although variations have appeared in countries that are cautious about adopting global popular culture. Iranian parliamentarians, for example, wear the “Western” suit but forgo the tie, while Saudi diplomats alternate “traditional” Bedouin robes with tailored business suits, depending upon the occasion. In the early years of the 21st century, North Korea and Afghanistan were among the few societies holding out against these globalizing trends.
The emergence of women's “power suits” in the 1980s signified another form of global conformity. Stylized trouser-suits, with silk scarves and colorful blouses (analogues of the male business suit), are now worldwide symbols of modernity, independence, and competence. Moreover, the export of used clothing from Western countries to developing nations has accelerated the adoption of Western-style dress by people of all socioeconomic levels around the world.
Some military fashions reflect a similar sense of convergence. Rebel fighters, such as those in Central Africa, South America, or the Balkans, seemed to take their style cue from the guerrilla garb worn by movie star Sylvester Stallone in his trilogy of Rambo films. In the 1990s the United States military introduced battle helmets that resembled those worn by the German infantry during World War II. Many older Americans were offended by the association with Nazism, but younger Americans and Europeans made no such connections. In 2001, a similar helmet style was worn by elite Chinese troops marching in a parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
Chinese fashion underwent sweeping change after the death in 1976 of Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong and the resultant economic liberalization. Western suits or casual wear became the norm. The androgynous gray or blue Mao suit essentially disappeared in the 1980s, worn only by communist patriarch Deng Xiaoping and a handful of aging leaders who dressed in the uniform of the Cultural Revolution until their deaths in the 1990s—by which time Mao suits were being sold in Hong Kong and Shanghai boutiques as high-priced nostalgia wear, saturated with postmodern irony.
REFLECTIONS:
Like the article put it, in this post, I would like to talk about how “modes of dress(ing) can disguise an array of cultural diversity behind a facade of uniformity.” I also want to touch on how I feel globalization have affected people’s lifestyle, the way we dress, the clothes we buy, the shops we patronize. Also, how this ‘globalizing’ effect will affect us in a negative light, making our lives increasingly monotonous.
A good example of the globalization in the fashion industry is the man's business suit, completed with a tie and buttoned shirt. It has already become globalized in the sense that people all over the world are wearing this power suit. Professionals, and the common guy on the street, the business suit is a very common sight.
Another reason for this phenomenon is the ‘idol worship’ culture that today’s teens’ have. These celebrities set the trends and soon enough their fans will follow. Take ‘bling’ for example. For those who are clueless to what ‘bling’ means, it is basically a hip-hop slang term which refers to elaborate jewelry and other accessories. It also refers to a lifestyle that encompasses excessive spending and ostentation.
Bling Bling
The bling previously was a specific hip-hop discourse which leapt into non-hip-hip aesthetics, probably due to the American cultural imperialisation, or rather the ‘monkey-see monkey do’ theory that teenagers copy their style from the constant media parade of rappers and hip-hop artistes, ala Usher, P. Diddy, and many more. Another trend is the trucker caps.
As a cultural object, the Von Dutch trucker cap raises an interesting question about that well-worn cultural-studies paradigm of incorporation (that an everyday product is decontextualised through bricolage by a small group of underground insiders, and then loses this subversive meaning when large commercial interests catch on and mass-market it). Sure, you could argue that trucker caps were once worn as practical headgear by working-class truck drivers, and are now overpriced decorations for the likes of Paris Hilton and Pharrell Williams.
I feel that a style moulds your identity, and by blindly following trends, we are losing this sense of identity. And soon, everyone will look like the stranger beside them on the train. Clothing embodies how we feel and what aspect of us we want to portray, for others to see.
In addition, the mass production of goods especially so in third world countries, where the labor costs are lower, results in an inflation of goods at very low prices. Thus also a factor that leads to the globalization process. As depicted in the cartoon below, the irony of banning 3rd world worker abuse and the lowering of clothes prices at the same time is not possible as the reduction of clothes’ prices are a result of the mass production lines of these third world countries. Taking a look at the tag on your shirt, there’s a very high possibility that it was manufactured there. The following are some cartoons, related the topic of clothes that I felt were pretty interesting. Enjoy! Signing Off,
Food is the oldest global carrier of culture. In fact, food has always been a driving force for globalization.
This is especially so during the earlier stages of European trade and colonial expansion.
Chocolate, in ancient times, was a drink so sacred that only persons of the most exalted rank could partake of it -
such is the magnificent origin of the common cocoa and chocolate. Chocolate, the drink prepared from the seeds of a
cacao bean pod, was the national drink of the Aztecs. When Cortez conquered Mexico in 1519, chocolate soon became a
favourite drink with the Spaniards, and as a result it was introduced into Spain and eventually, in the 17th century,
to the rest of Europe.
Our average daily diet has changed radically since then, with nations converging on a diet with high meat, dairy and
sugar content. Together with the rising of multi-national food conglomerates, and their increasing influence, the new
“global diet” can actually increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.
Thanks to the appearance of cheap fast-food, convenience food that can be taken ‘on-the-go’ and also the monopolization
of the food industry, the homogenization of human diet appears to be inevitable. "Western food corporations such as;
McDonald's, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), and Coca-Cola are usually the ones blamed for these dietary trends. "
McDonald’s which began as the brainchild of brothers Dick and Mac McDonald, started from a humble hot dog stand called
the Airdome in California. It has since
become “a symbol of globalism for obvious reasons: on an average day in 2001, the company served nearly 45 million customers
at more than 25,000 restaurants in 120 countries.”
Even in France where food is regarded as the heart of French culture, McDonalds is apparently quite successful. This is thanks
to the adjustment of their meals to suit local tastes, and more importantly their time-saving meals, which can be taken on the go.
Like their counterparts in the other countries around the world, the French are increasingly pressed for time and the haute,
long lunches are mostly a thing of the past.
We are what we eat, and when our diet changes, perceptions of national
identity and ethnicity are indirectly affected. Critics claim that fast food is taking over unique and original cuisines by
driving a homogenization of world dietary preferences, and also the varieties available. However, a study of cultural trends
at the local level has shown that the globalization of fast food can influence public conduct. These fast-food chains have
initiated practices that changed some consumer behaviors and preferences.
A good example is the breaking down of
etiquette barriers in Japan where eating with the hands was once considered uncouth, but is now generally accepted. This
is also apparent in Hong Kong where queuing has become a hallmark of Hong Kong's culture, with the credit going to McDonald's.
The introduction of fast food has been especially influential on children; this is so as many of the advertisements are
targeted to appeal to this age group. At McDonalds, there’s even a cartoon character; the Ronald McDonald, and even games
created to appeal to these kids. This makes fast food a dominant force for dietary and social change, as younger consumers
are exposed to the freedom to choose what they want to eat, which may be different from what they are experiencing at home.
Source: http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/2/1/11 Statistics from country after country show increasing prevalence of obesity, with extreme prevalence in some areas. A cascade of diseases follows from overnutrition, inactivity, and obesity, including major killers such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. These chronic diseases were once the worry of the developed world but are now a chief health concern in developing countries. Figure 1 shows the alarming increases in diabetes expected in developed vs. developing countries.
Figure 1
One can be numb to obesity statistics, but it is difficult to ignore 88% of adults of Kosrae, one of four districts in Micronesia, being overweight and 53% being obese. Such tragedies are magnified if we ignore their lessons. Cassels offers an excellent analysis of the Kosrae experience, noting that "...the recent development of a wage-based economy has upset traditional eating habits and made them dependent on imported food from developed countries. Whereas previously individuals relied heavily on local foods such as fresh tuna, increasingly men and women use cash to buy nutrient poor packaged food." A major shift occurred in 1993 when the Federated States of Micronesia sold fishing rights to Japan.
Globalization changes many features of modern life, including diets. As trade changes, diets can become more secure (hunger becomes less of a problem), but the cheapening of calories, the reliance on imported food, and the influence of food marketing drive up consumption and drive down nutrient density. Obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases are not far behind. Fully 11% of global trade is in food. Its impact is so profound that it has changed the relationship between income and fat consumption. Whereas fat intake was once higher in those with higher incomes, the reverse is now true.
One hopes there is still time for countries to see this coming and take preventive action, but history offers a depressing picture. Smoking is a key example. It took America decades to mobilize after the catastrophic consequences of smoking were clear, but when it did, American tobacco companies exploited overseas markets, particularly in the developing world. The tobacco industry in countries like China saw the potential as well and hence smoking rates, like rates of obesity, have been skyrocketing in China and in countries such as Indonesia, Botswana, and Uruguay. By the year 2025 the number of smokers worldwide is expected to increase by 45% and by 2030 the deaths attributed to smoking will increase from 4 to 10 million. The epidemic simply migrates from one part of the world to another.
Must development and obesity be close kin? Thus far the answer is yes. With development comes:
highly processed, energy-dense food from multinational companies that cheapens calories;
growth opportunities for the food industry to market foods and beverages with highest profits margins in developing countries;
less physical labor needed to raise and secure food; and
the rise of service-based economies and technological advances that further erode physical activity.
Only fundamental changes in thinking can uncouple this relationship. A first step is to understand what truly causes obesity.
It is de rigueur to say a combination of genetics, environment, and psychosocial factors is at work, but this describes almost all human conditions and becomes a paralyzing excuse for inaction. Genetic differences between groups may set upper and lower limits on obesity,
but whether an obesity crisis unfolds is clearly the impact of environment. To define the key environmental contributors offers up possibilities for prevention.
A number of specific actions are possible. The underlying principle is to change conditions such that healthy choices become the default.
Among them are:
Support local farmers and promote the consumption of local foods.
Regulate the marketing of unhealthy food, particularly to children. This is justified by a large body of evidence.
Teach media literacy to buffer individuals against food marketing.
Discourage consumption of categories of foods known to contribute to poor diet and obesity, beginning where the science is strongest – soft drinks.
Focus on food norms that emphasize food quality and nutrient density over quantity and price.
Monitor and modify economic conditions that support (if not subsidize) unhealthy over healthy foods and create conditions where healthy foods are the logical economic choice.
Protect opportunities and incentives for physical activity.
Response:
It is indeed true that global development is the main cause for the high rates of obesity. Relating back to Singapore, globalisation has caused the emergence of food restaurants and food products from all over the world. All types of food, such as western,
japanese, korean, thailand food can all be easily found in Singapore. Most food companies are not concerned whether the food is healthy for the consumers, but rather, on whether is it profitable business. Competition with other companies has driven companies to produce cheaper food,
but at the same time, food of lower nutritient. Thus, with such affordable and delicious food at hand, surely most are unable to resist the temptation.
It is possible to solve this problem of obesity if we start early. Singapore has already introduced the "healthier choice" symbol to identify food that meet the nutritional standards set by the Singapore National Heart Association. The objective of the Healthier Choice Label Programme
is to highlight healthier selections for each food category.
By doing so it can help to guide the public to choosing more nutritious food and raise awareness of the healthier food choices. Thus, the public will be given the opportunity to choose the healthier food.
Also, in 1992, Singapore has implemented the Trim and Fit club (TAF) in schools to o promote a healthy lifestyle through proper diet and regular exercise. This can also encourage young kids to start a healthy lifestyle at an early stage, rather than to realise their problems at a later age, where it would be much tougher for them to handle.
Still, alot more has to be done to tackle the issue of obesity. Parents play an important role in controlling their children's eating habits, and this can set a starting point for their future lifestyle, and for our future generation.
environmentalexpert.Lin Wan Shi
ENVIRONMENTAL.post2
Source of article: http://www.aidsinfonet.org/factsheet_detail.php?fsnumber=101WHAT DOES "AIDS" MEAN?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome:
Acquired means you can get infected with it;
Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the body's system that fights diseases.
Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.
AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If you get infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection. It will make "antibodies," special molecules to fight HIV.
A blood test for HIV looks for these antibodies. If you have them in your blood, it means that you have HIV infection. People who have the HIV antibodies are called "HIV-Positive."
Being HIV-positive, or having HIV disease, is not the same as having AIDS. Many people are HIV-positive but don't get sick for many years. As HIV disease continues, it slowly wears down the immune system. Viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria that usually don't cause any problems can make you very sick if your immune system is damaged. These are called "opportunistic infections." See Fact Sheet 500 for an overview of opportunistic infections.
Response:
AIDS is indeed a major health problem that we need to fight against globally. There is no known cure currenlty in the world today, although there are drugs that slow down the reaction of HIV virus and the damage to your system.
HIV-infected individuals are not only affected in terms of physical health, but also their emotional health. They are often rejected and discriminated by the others. Thus, many global organisations stepped out and provide help to the HIV-infected individuals, and to encourage them to face and overcome their problems.
For example, the Red ribbon project was created in 1991 to provide pychological support to HIV-infected individuals and create awareness to the public. It is used internationally as the symbol of solidarity of people livingwith HIV/AIDS. It represents support for those affected by HIV and AIDS and is worn in remembrance for those who have died and demonstrates respect for those who have been bereaved.
There are also 3 main global organisation which aims to research on HIV and provide support HIV-infected individuals, namely the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organization (WHO).
For example, the UNAIDS' mission is to lead, strengthen and support an expanded response to HIV and AIDS that includes preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support to those already living with the virus, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV and alleviating the impact of the epidemic.
In conclusion, HIV/AIDS is a deadly disease which can infect anyone in the world regardless of race or religion. It leads not only to health, but also social problems of people. Thus, since there are no cures to this disease, I believe that the world should work together and give help and support to infected individuals.
http://www.saynotogmos.org/images/biobeans.gifResponse:
This cartoon portrays the reality producers of genetically modified (GM) food are not honest with their food labels and will hide as much information from the consumers as they can.
This is due to the fact that there might be potential health risks in GM food and consumers may avoid buying their food products if they know that there are GM contents in it. Although there might not be any immediate effects on consumers, long term effects are unknown. There has been inadequate testing to ensure that extracting genes that perform an apparently useful function as part of that plant or animal is going to have the same effects if inserted into a totally unrelated species.
Thus, the Genetically Engineered Food Right To Know Act Of 2003 and the Genetically Engineered Food Safety Act Of 2003 was established to protect the interests of the consumers. It ensures that the food companies label all food that contains GE material and that all food are screened by Food and Drug administration (FDA) to make sure that they are safe for human consumption.
Supporters of this technology see GM food as a solution to food insecurity as the population increases. However, food shortage is mainly due to political and economic problems, and poor nations will still experience food shortages and hunger. This also leads to the issue of whether we actually need GM food.
With the widespread usage of GM food in the world today, I feel that it is alright to use GM food. However, they should reduce the amount of GM material used in food products so as to safeguard against any potential health risks in the future.
Tobacco and smoking have a number of negative effects:
- Tobacco smoking kills
- Tobacco exacerbates poverty
- Tobacco contributes to world hunger by diverting prime land away from food production
- Tobacco production damages the environment
- Tobacco reduces economic productivity
- While the Tobacco industry may employ people, this can be considered an example of “wasted labor”, capital and resources.
As stated in http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/campaign/global/,
“As tobacco use declines in the United States, the tobacco industry has aimed its deadly products and deceptive marketing at the rest of the world. The result: Five million people will die worldwide this year because of tobacco. Unless urgent action is taken, tobacco will kill 10 million people a year by 2020, 70 percent of them in developing countries.”
The website also includes a Global Death Clock indicating the estimated of the number of deaths caused by tobacco smoke in the world.
It is necessary to get the global world involved in reducing the use of tobacco products. Usage of visual/graphic images one of ways to discourage people from smoking. Singapore was the first Asian country to opt the use of visually graphic means to control the spread of tobacco use.
"They do work, and that is why tobacco companies fear pictorial warnings," said Mary Assunta of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SATCA).”
"It has been proved in Canada that pictorial warnings work. These graphics will also hit people who are illiterate or cannot read the language the warning appears in… After all, they say that a picture is worth more than a thousand words."http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_%20Asia/EI05Ae02.htmlAlso, recently this year, Singapore has also introduced anti-smoking television messages and posters all over Singapore. However, after the feedback that younger children are terrified by the message, it has been rescheduled to only air the message after 8pm where lesser children will be likely to watch television. The message says, “Smoking causes oral cancer. Quitting is hard, but not quitting is harder.”
There are also other anti-smoking campaigns in other countries which date back as far as in the 1970s.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/visualculture/antismoking.html
American Lung Association, We all share the same air, 1977
World Health Organization, Man Made Killer, 1980s
Centers for Disease control (U.S) “Don’t be a butthead”, 1998
Besides anti-smoking posters, other solutions such as the nicorette gum, patch, inhaler and Microtab are also introduced to help smokers who are withdrawal symptoms to cope.
For example,the Nicorette Inhaler tackles the habit of smoking, as well as the physical addiction to nicotine. When you puff on the mouthpiece, the cartridge releases nicotine to help relieve your craving. Because it's designed to be held like a cigarette, your hands are kept busy too.
http://www.nicorette.co.nz/?cid=Inhaler
In conclusion, I feel that tobacco smoking is one of the major health and social problem in society. It not only causes health risks to the smokers, it also put those second hand smokers at risk. Inability to control smoking habits may also lead to financial, family and social problems. Thus, it is part of the country’s responsibility to deter smokers from smoking, and encouraging them to quit. There are many ways to go about doing it, whether visionary or providing alternatives to smoking, and each of the methods are effective in their own way.
environmentalexpert.Lin Wan Shi
ENVIRONMENTAL.post5
An Inconvenient Truth explores data and predictions regarding climate change, interspersed with personal events from the life of Al Gore. Through a Keynote presentation that he has presented worldwide, Gore reviews the scientific evidence for global warming, discusses the politics and economics of global warming, and describes the consequences he believes global climate change will produce if the amount of human-generated greenhouse gases is not significantly reduced in the very near future.
The film includes many segments intended to refute critics who say that global warming is insignificant or unproven. For example, Gore discusses the risk of the collapse of a major ice sheet in Greenland or in West Antarctica, either of which could raise global sea levels by approximately 20 feet (6m), flooding coastal areas and producing 100 million refugees. Meltwater from Greenland, because of its lower salinity, could halt the Gulf Stream current and quickly trigger dramatic local cooling in Northern Europe.
In an effort to explain the global warming phenomenon, the film examines annual temperature and CO2 levels for the past 600,000 years in Antarctic ice core samples. An analogy to Hurricane Katrina is used for those familiar with the 30-ft to 45-ft (9 to 14m) waves that destroyed almost a million homes in coastal Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
The documentary ends with Gore noting that if appropriate action is taken soon, the effects of global warming can be successfully reversed by releasing less carbon dioxide and growing more plants or trees. Gore calls upon viewers to learn how they can help in this initiative.
Gore's book of the same title was published concurrently with the theatrical release of the documentary. The book contains additional, detailed information, scientific analysis, and Gore's commentary on the issues presented in the documentary. A 2007 documentary entitled An Update with Former Vice President Al Gore features Gore discussing additional information that came to light after the film was completed, such as Hurricane Katrina.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_inconvenient_truthResponse:
I think this movie reflects the truth behind global warming in the world today. Global warming is a serious environmental problem that we are facing and global actions need to be taken to overcome it.
The causes of global warming are mainly the rise in industrialization and modernization. Green house emissions from power plants, cars, trucks, airplanes, buildings, and deforestation all contributed to the problem of global warming.
Global warming can lead to heat waves, floods, storms, fires and droughts which will cause increased death, disease and other harm. Global warming is also expected to lead to more deaths due to malnutrition, diseases that cause diarrhea, cardio-respiratory diseases related to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, and wider distribution of diseases carried by insects, rodents, etc. The problem is so serious that by 2020, 75-250 million people in Africa will be exposed to water scarcity due to climate change.
The Kyoto protocol was set up to assign limitations for greenhouse gases emissions. It was signed by 141 nations, including all European and all other developed industrial nations except the US and Australia. US, the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, refused to ratify the protocol as it may affect their country’s economy.
There are also alternatives to fossil fuels, such as solar, wind, water and nuclear power. All these alternatives could be used without polluting the environment. However, their availability are subject to change by weather conditions and may also require large area of large. Nuclear power is so far the best alternative as it is readily available in all weather conditions and requires the least space. However, nuclear power plants may lead to accidents (E.g. Chernobyl incident) which will cause death and health problems to the people.
There are also things that we can do as an individual or as a nation, such as the 3Rs – reuse, reduce and recycle. Some examples of this are paying for your own plastic bags so as to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags, taking public transport, reusing plastic and glass bottles, and etc.
Let’s all do our part, whether big or small, in changing the world that we are living in for the better today!
Sources: http://usliberals.about.com/od/environmentalconcerns/p/KyotoProtocol.htm environmentalexpert.Lin Wan Shi
TECHNOLOGY.post1
Technology. Globalisation. Technology has always affected the progress of a country, and
globalisation ensures that newer, more improved technology is able to reach countries all over the world.
There are many aspects of technology - computers, programmes, software, hardware - which reach people worldwide due to globalisation.
But perhaps the one aspect of technology which people come into contact with most commonly would be the internet.
The internet has allowed people from opposite sides of the world to communicate,
much like the Machine plates in E.M. Forster's The Machine Stops.
The internet is constantly being upgraded and improved
however,Web 2.0 has been on the rise for quite some time already.
Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second-generation of Web based communities and
hosted services — such as social networking sites, wikis and folksonomies —
that facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. The social impact of
components of Web 2.0 varies from country to country and through the various ages
of people. Several components of Web 2.0 includes Blogger, LiveJournal, Wordpress,
YouTube, Wikipedia and anything else which looks appealing and futuristic. And
perhaps the most talked about nowadays would be the weblogs, wherein everyone and
anyone are able to exerising their freedom of speech and expression using websites like
Blogger, LiveJournal, Wordpress, just to name a few. Another highly conversational topic
would also be YouTube, in which anyone could post up their own videos to broadcast to
the world, exercising, yet again, their freedom of expression.
Weblogs are generally well accepted nowadays, and are popular amongst teenagers, especially
in Singapore. These weblogs are the diaries of the present and they are also used to
communicate ideas to other people. However, people should not forget that a weblog
can be publicly viewed and is not private. Some people seem to think that they can
publicly write all their views and express themselves so openly. Perhaps they should
remember that some of their views are not widely accepted and because it can be publicly
accessed. In the past two years alone, there have been quite a number of controversies
surrounding the freedom of expression especially through the use of blogging. This would
include the prosecution of 2 bloggers in Singapore for their racist comments in their
weblogs. The weblog exists for the freedom of speech, however, it is against the law
to discriminate against those of other races and to write with such racist remarks
would be abusing a person’s right to their freedom of speech.
The other example to show the social impact of Web 2.0 is YouTube. Like weblogs,
YouTube is yet another medium for people to exercise their freedom of expression.
Many people often use it as a form of entertainment and, like weblogs, this medium
can also be abused. Just recently, there were reports about a student, from Virginia
Tech who had murdered thirty odd people, video-taped it and placed it on YouTube.
Least to say, the social impacts of Web 2.0 can either be very positive, when used
to best of intentions or very negative when they are abused to the point where it
is against the law and against human moral values.
technologicalexpert.Samantha
TECHNOLOGY.post2
In recent years, instant messaging has been on the rise, not only because of its
speed in allowing communication, but also as a form of entertainment. In fact, instant
messaging has become a commodity, not only among techno geeks, but also among teenagers,
and even the older generations are picking up on the hype. Through instant messaging,
people from all over the world can communicate, it would not matter that families are
on holiday in the US or in Australia, given the a computer with internet connection,
they could still keep in touch with one another. Least to say, it is very convenient,
and also it has a very appealing interface, with simple and easy to understand functions,
and thus there are an increasing percentage of people in the world using instant messaging.
Instant messaging, like any other modern communication tool, has enabled the world to
become smaller, the people closer. One of the most popular instant messaging clients
would be MSN Messenger. MSN Messenger is a freeware instant messaging client that was
developed and distributed by Microsoft between 1999 and 2005 aimed towards home users.
Amongst its users it is often affectionately referred to as "MSN”. The business-oriented
client for Windows, which also uses Microsoft's .NET Messenger Service, is called Windows
Messenger. It is possible for virtually any computer with an Internet connection, Windows
XP and Internet Explorer to connect to the Messenger Service by using MSN Web Messenger,
or one of the unofficial equivalents. MSN Messenger was renamed Windows Live Messenger
in February 2006 as part of Microsoft's Windows Live series of online services and software.
I, myself, am using Windows Live Messenger, and though I feel that it is the safest instant
messaging clients around as it would require people to actually know each other for them to
be added to one’s contact list, it can also be very harmful for the computer as viruses can
be passed through MSN, without a person’s knowledge. However, I do believe that I was one of
the most ingenious inventions since electronic mail, for those with Broadband, instant messaging
is the most inexpensive way to communicate with people all over the world.
technologicalexpert.Samantha
TECHNOLOGY.post3
No doubt in a person’s entire lifetime, they would have played some form of game which included
their eyes being glued to the screen, often grunting if people disturb them and start shouting
at the screen for no apparent reason. And no, I am not talking about watching a soccer game.
What am I talking about then?
Gaming. For some people, it is a form of entertainment, for others it is their life. Children
as young as 6 years old hooked on a computer screen attempting to understand simple computer
games or the Microsoft games like Solitaire. Pre-adolescents squealing at the screens point
out to their parents how cute Neopets are. Teens no longer bothering with such “kiddy” games
rather progressing to the more addictive games, such as Maple Story, Warcraft, Diablo, FEAR,
Guild Wars etcetera. And the timeline does not stop there, people of all ages are still
continuing to play all these games, from the basic Microsoft games to all the other addictive
games, including Role-Playing Games online. (Perhaps, sometimes even resorting to Neopets
when they are bored, but they probably will not admit it.)
People from all over the world play these kinds of games, and even interact with people
outside their own country through these games. Not to say that this is bad, though this
does prove that many people are addicted to these games. Playing games may be relaxing
once in a while, however, addictive gaming is also bad for health. Game addicts have been
known to lose sleep just to carry on playing their games; they forget to eat although
occasionally, they do get off their seats to go to the toilet. Some game addicts are so addicted
to the game that they start to think that the world in the game is real, that they really
do exist in their games. Although this is rather extreme, it is a real possibility.
When gamers are not allowed to play their games, they start showing withdrawal symptoms,
just like when you take away drugs away from drug addicts. This is a perfect example of
man being technology’s slaves.
Technology has progressed to such a state where it could possibly fulfill all of man’s needs
without man even needing to move from his seat. Man no longer needs to go outside to play a game,
he could do it right in front of his computer screen. He no longer requires to walk to talk to
someone, he could always do so at his computer terminal. The only thing which a computer falls
short of doing would be to be able to feed man, but I’m sure that will be sorted out in the future.
But truly, is this the future that mankind wants? Man is a social creature, he requires the
company of people, not the imprints of one. How ironic isn’t it; how man created technology
to serve him, so that he would not have to do it himself, and in doing so have more time to
spend with people, and yet here we are, in a state of much higher technology than what our
ancestors had in the past, but our relationships with each other seem to be deteriorating
as our technology advances.
technologicalexpert.Samantha
TECHNOLOGY.post4
Genetic engineering became one of man’s main obsessions in the late 20th century, the thought
of being able to create life, or modify the basic unit of life. With the discovery of the
genome and DNA, a whole new field of science was left exposed. In recent years, genetic engineering
has sparked interest in cloning and modifying food among others. It is not only one country which
uses thee tactics to gain media attention, it happens world wide, countries all trying to outdo
each other in this new field of genetic science.
Scientists have cloned sheep, dogs, cats and as of yet, cloning of humans remains taboo, though
the subject has been the topic of debates for a long time already, had it been not for bioethics,
I highly suspect scientists would have tried to clone humans long ago. Human cloning is the creation
of a genetically identical copy of a human, by growing cloned tissue from that individual. The term
is generally used to refer to artificial human cloning.
Human cloning is amongst the most controversial forms of the practice. There have been numerous
demands for all progress in the human cloning field to be stopped. One of the most ethically
questionable problems with human cloning is farming of organs from clones. For example, many
believe it is unethical to use a human clone to save the life of another. In this scenario, the
cloned human would be euthanized so that the vital organs could be harvested. This process of
renewing the body's organs would potentially increase the life expectancy of a human by 50 years.
Some people have considered the idea of growing organs separately from a human organism - in doing this,
a new organ supply could be established without the moral implications of harvesting them from human organisms.
Although the practice of cloning organisms has been widespread for several thousands of years in
the form of horticultural cloning, the recent technological advancements that have allowed for
cloning of animals have been highly controversial. Many religious groups oppose all forms of cloning,
including the potentially life-saving cloning of individual organs. Concerns also exist regarding the
protection of the identity of the individual and the right to protect one's genetic identity. If science
were to be able to clone a person entirely, then who is to say one is not the other, if so, this leads
to a case of identity theft; people’s identity is lost. If science were to replicate them identically
then what would be the point of people having their own identity and self?
Also, if technology does eventually allow for successful cloning of humans, prejudice may develop against
clones, as if they were a lower form of human being. Such discrimination could force clones into a kind of
slavery or caste system. The possible social implications of an artificial human production scheme were
famously explored in the movie The Island where people were genetically cloned and their clones were kept
in a facility, only to be killed when the original people have no use of them anymore.
Technology is a tool used by man for his own purposes. To genetically engineer animals and humans is
not the fault of technology, it is the fault of man. But it is still curious the reason as to why man
would want to use technology in such a way which causes himself to lose connection as to who he really
is, and what being him entails.
technologicalexpert.Samantha
TECHNOLOGY.post5
I, Robot is set in a future Earth (2035 A.D.) where robots are common assistants and workers for their
human owners, this is the story of "robotophobic" Chicago Police Detective Del Spooner's investigation
into the murder of Dr. Alfred Lanning, who works at U.S. Robotics, in which a robot, Sonny, appears to
be implicated, even though that would mean the robot had violated the Three Laws of Robotics, which is
apparently impossible. It seems impossible because if robots can break those laws, there would be nothing
to stop them from taking over the world, as humans have grown to become completely dependent upon their
robots. Or maybe they already have…? Aiding Spooner in his investigation is a psychologist, Dr. Susan
Calvin, who specializes in the psyches of robots.
This movie is based on Isaac Asimov’s science-fiction tale of I, Robot. This somewhat prophetic story
depicts a world where man is dependant on machines. Man programmed the machines to take care of them,
to be their companions and be there for anymore possible uses of them. Let us relate it back to the
present day world, shall we. Man has become self obsessed with technological progress, however, with
all this technology going around how can we be sure that our initial cause of technological advancement
still holds true: that we built on technology to serve us, and not the other way around? Has it become
possible that we cannot live without our precious technology?
In I, Robot, Robots take the metaphor of technology by probing the possibilities of man’s alter ego,
though not necessarily darker, side of the human nature. They represent the super-human, that can perform
more than a human can but still resemble what a human is, for example in I, Robot where all the models of
the robots have a human-like body, with all the appropriate features like 2 arms and 2 legs, an upper and
lower body and even the facial features of humans. The robots could even talk like humans, with differentiations
in the pitch of voice, for example, the worker robots which took care of the people’s daily needs had lower
pitch voices, to resemble ‘males’, and yet the security and overall controller of the robots had a higher
pitched voice, to represent female.
The later half of the twentieth century saw Science-Fiction exploring the humanity of mechanical objects,
robots and androids. Books or movies began to portray machines having a mind of their own, to even feel emotions.
In I, Robot, Sunny can think and make decisions for himself, he is able to understand self-preservation and
has a mind not to blindly follow orders which man issues him. Even in other movies, take for example, in
Artificial Intelligence, David can feel pain and sadness and love; the androids in Blade Runner bleed,
breathe and eventually die after 4 years. This brings about the question that perhaps they are more ‘human’
than humans are? Humans hardwire our basic moral values into pieces of machinery, so they have no choice
but to obey them, and yet it has always been humans who go against the rules who choose to ignore their
feelings and be able to commit murder in cold blood, in this manner, are pieces of machinery more humane than we are?
Finally this brings about the question: is this the future we want? To be so cold and unfeeling that our own
creations become superior to us, to the point where we become slaves to our own creations? Technological
globalisation has affected us in more ways than one, it has allowed us to become hooked on technology with
us unable to live without it, and still we overlook this problem and continue to research for some way to
make advances in technology. Are we ultimately advancing to our doom, to the point where machines take over
the world and people are no more than slaves? Or are we already there?
technologicalexpert.Samantha
POLITICAL.post1
With globalization on the rise, it is inevitable that almost everyone in a country will be affected
by the media such as via television programmes, international magazines, and probably most importantly, the Internet.
This may influence the people’s mindsets which may possibly affect the political aspect of the country
as especially with technological advances, state sovereignty is compromised.
Countries which used to isolate themselves from the world were not able to keep up with the rest of the
world and were usually forced by others to open up and allow for trading between them and other countries.
A good example of this in history would be Japan. Japan closed itself to the world, and did not trade with
any other countries. However, with the industrial revolution in the West, and with the rise of technological
advances and globalization, Japan was forced to open up for trade. With this, the Japan’s government finally
gave in to the United States threat. This is an example of the past showing state sovereignty being compromised.
However, in the modern society, the extent of state sovereignty being compromised is to a much lesser extent,
and other countries though possible, cannot interfere with another’s affairs as much. They at most can only
influence the other countries but cannot control or threaten them to get a desired reaction. With globalization
on the rise, there will also be multi-national businesses all over the world such as Macdonald’s and KFC.
State governments will have to take these companies into considerations when planning for their economy.
By allowing these worldwide popular companies to operate in their country, the country’s economy will boost due
to the high popularity and patronization of the companies.
In conclusion, with globalization on the rise, it is inevitable that state sovereignty will be compromised.
Also governments will have to take into considerations of multi-national businesses, if not the country’s
economy will suffer due to most multi-national businesses such as Macdonald’s being highly popular and will
contribute to a considerable amount of the economy’s growth rate.
politicalexpert.Jun Xiang
POLITICAL.post2
Article
April 11, 2006, 1:11 p.m.
Football Killing FieldsOutrage and disbelief as world soccer body condemns Israel, not Hamas.
By Tom Gross
Israel is used to being singled out for unjust criticism and subjected to startling double standards by the United Nations,
the European Union, much of the Western media and numerous academic bodies. But now FIFA, the supposedly nonpolitical organization
that governs the world's most popular sport, soccer, is getting in on the act as well.
FIFA has condemned Israel for an air
strike on an empty soccer field in the Gaza Strip that was used for training exercises by Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
This strike did not cause any injuries. But at the same time FIFA has refused to condemn a Palestinian rocket attack on an Israeli soccer
field last week which did cause injuries.
With the soccer World Cup, which takes place only once every four years, just weeks away, it is a time of mounting emotion for the hundreds of
millions of people across the globe who passionately follow the game.
As FIFA meets in the next few days to decide what action to take against Israel, the double standards involved could not be more obvious.
Up to now FIFA, which sees itself as a purely sporting body, has gone out of its way to avoid politics, and has refrained from criticizing even the
most appalling human-rights abuses connected to soccer players and stadiums.
My Thoughts:
With globalization, the sport of soccer has become rapidly publicized
throughout the world especially via the media. In this case, it is due to this global sport where accidents happen and even politics come into play.
Also, with globalization, ideas and opinions are also spread quickly throughout the world.
Via the media, Israel is portrayed as being a ‘bad’ country. Possibly due to this globalization which causes information and opinions travel fast,
the portrayal of Israel is now widespread globally. United Nations, European Union, and much of the Western media and numerous academic bodies have been
bias against Israel and were practising double standards. Even FIFA, which is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), which is supposedly non-political,
was also involved in this controversial incident. FIFA which is supposed to act in a neutral and very objective manner actually practised double standards
and treated Palestine better than Israel by not condemning Palestine and putting all the blame on Israel only although both parties are in the wrong.
From this incident, we can see that with globalization, the spread of ideas and opinions can be spread globally very quickly and in this case,
FIFA was also affected and influenced by the media and became bias against Israel. Politics involving Israel was certainly involved in this case, and
FIFA, a non-political group was also affected by it. This shows that globalization will inevitably affect politics but this relationship may not
necessarily result in a good outcome.
politicalexpert.Jun Xiang
POLITICAL.post3
From the above cartoon, we can actually see how globalization affects politics and vice versa.
Through the media and the Internet, everything is globalized quickly. People's viewpoints such as
that of that wars and killings are common in Baghdad are spread quickly and has influenced almost
everyone globally. Therefore, people's impresssion of Baghdad is that of a chaotic country full of
riots and fightings.
On the other hand, USA gives people the impression that it is an orderly and powerful country with
high security. Therefore for the Viriginia Tech incident, everyone was shocked.
With this type of mindset, people and governments may be biased against Baghdad due to people already
having an impression that they are a chaotic country. This shows how globalization can affect politics.
Vice versa, the possible manipulations by politicians can also affect the type of information which are being
portrayed of their country to the world. Politicians filter information and only choose information which are
either neutral or are beneficial to their party and only broadcasts these information.
politicalexpert.Jun Xiang
POLITICAL.post4
ARTICLE:
"The world is shrinking - interdependencies run rampant - so much so that I now call it an 'intimate' world" - Ted Stalets
I remember a few bomb shelters around my farming community in central Illinois in the 1950s. I also remember those school
"air raids" where a loud horn would blast and we gradeschool students would hide under our desks until we received the
"all clear". I guess you could say that even though I was a war baby, my whole life has been lived under the remote chance
of a war / terrorist act. We have had 2 world wars, and the saying during the cold war that lived on after for a few
decades was that there would be no World War 3 - because that would be the war to end all wars... Weapons of mass
destruction had gotten too powerful - so that global conflict would surely mean mutual anihilation.
Since the end of the cold war and the dismantling of the Berlin wall, we have witnessed the emergence of something
that could be called political globalization. The cold war can be regarded as the last great global clash between
the nation states of the USSR and the USA. The end of this cold war marked the end of an era when the ultimate threat
of war between states determined international relations. We have entered new territory - and are past the old paradigm
of war between nations.
September 11, 2001 demonstrated only too graphically that we live in an interdependent world, where a superpower
like the US cannot maintain security merely through the protection of its borders, and where nation states like
Lebanon can no longer control what happens within their borders.
Today nation states are still important, but they function in a world shaped less by military power than by complex
political processes involving international institutions, multinational corporations, citizens' groups and, indeed,
fundamentalists and terrorists--in short, global politics.
To me the emergence of a global politic is a "no brainer". Whether it might be lead from an organization like the
United Nations is anybody's guess. World law and world politics have both not kept up with world economics - which
to me is the main driver of political globalization.
With the advent of the Internet, we can communicate with people all across the globe - and hopefully discover that we
all want the same things - the people of the world want freedom to worship, freedom of want, freedom of expression...
Comments:
With globalization, international relations are affected not only by military power anymore, but rather politics.
An example would be the September 11, 2001 incident. Despite the United States being a superpower, with strong military
forces, it was not able to protect the Twin Towers from being hit by the two hijacked planes. With globalization, nation
states no longer function and operate in a world controlled by military power but rather by global politics. Politics
now plays a key role in the operation of the world especially after the rise of globalization. Terrorists and the United
States government were in this case the political key players.
Politics in the past was only mainly associated with governing of their own countries only. However, now with
globalization, one can see that politics has evolved into something global and there came about the term,
‘global politics’. Politics around the world now affect each other, especially with globalization. Happenings
in one part of the world are not only confined to that place and will affect all other places and also the way
politics are run within a country.
Another example would be that of Iraq attacking Iran. However, United States came in and tried to stop Iraq from
continuing their siege on Iran. In addition, the United States also accused Iraq of having weapons of mass
destruction and eventually attacked Iraq. This shows how politics between Iraq and Iran can even affect United States
which is nearly on the other half of the globe. Global politics have come into play in this case.
In conclusion, globalization and politics are interrelated and are inseparable. With globalization, it is inevitable
that global politics will also come into play.
politicalexpert.Jun Xiang
POLITICAL.post5
Article:Political manifestations of globalization
…………… Changes in political structure and practices resulting from economic globalization are only a partial explanation
of changes in world politics in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. International relations and world
politics in the second half of the twentieth century were strongly informed by another global factor - the Cold War
(i.e., the ideological struggle between the Western nations, the United States and its allies, and the Eastern Bloc,
the Soviet Union and China and their allies). The early and most intense years of the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s
coincided with the de-colonization of Asia and Africa and the creation of more than 70 new nation-states. Many of the
new nation-states of Africa and Asia had based their struggle for independence on the principles of freedom, justice
and liberty - principles espoused by both the Eastern and Western blocks. The economic, political, and ideological
competition between East and West had fertile ground in these newly independent nation-states. Although the "cold war"
never developed into a "hot war" of actual military conflict in Europe or North America, civil wars within and wars
between new nation-states in Africa and Asia were fueled and supported by Cold War tensions. Major conflicts in Korea,
Vietnam, Congo, Angola, Mozambique, and Somalia are examples of regional conflicts that were fueled by the Cold War.
To some experts, the demise of the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc a decade ago promised a new era of world peace
and increased openness. The processes of globalization accelerated as goods, ideas and people flowed more freely across
borders in the post-Cold War political environment. In place of policies of containment, the international community
fostered policies of openness to trade and based on the principles of democracy and rights.……………..
Comments:
With globalization, ‘goods, ideas and people flowed more freely across borders in the post-Cold War political environment’.
This shows that with globalization, state sovereignty is compromised. Governments now do not have absolute control over the
country as goods, opinions and people have freedom of coming and going out of a country. There is no restriction to these;
therefore the citizens of the country will be affected by others of other countries.
With the advent of the Internet and globalization, people are being affected by other people’s opinions. It is impossible
and not advisable for the government to do anything to stop this as any actions made by the government may cause the people
to continue their actions discreetly and start to be rebellious and riots may occur which is something the government wishes
least to happen.
From this, one can already see how state sovereignty can be compromised by globalization as now, a country’s ‘borders’ is
no longer the same as the past, which is judged by that of physical land area. With globalization, everything becomes
global including thinking and products, so in conclusion, one can say that globalization has a great impact on how politics
function as compared to the past and that globalization compromises state sovereignty.
politicalexpert.Jun Xiang
.intro
Well hello there! Welcome to our blog on Globalisation! We're from Group 1 of 2A06 from Temasek Academy and we're entirely pleased to have
visitors. Do look around and read the upcoming articles posted by our group members. Oh! And don't forget to leave a message!
Have a nice day!
The chart above shows the market share of the 4 major record companies in the year, 2005, according to a survey by Nielsen SoundScan.
Recently, there have been a significant number of tabloid covers detailing how far some actresses seem to willing to
venture in order to lose weight in the 21st century. Actresses Keira Knightly, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie and Mary-Kate
Oslen are some examples. Many young girls look up to these Hollywood icons as role models, and may start to have to
perception that being skinny is beautiful, but this is definitely not the case.
Here are some pictures of people suffering from eating disorders. Indeed, they are skinny, but this is definitely not my idea of beauty.
Bling Bling
The bling previously was a specific hip-hop discourse which leapt into non-hip-hip aesthetics, probably due to the American cultural imperialisation, or rather the ‘monkey-see monkey do’ theory that teenagers copy their style from the constant media parade of rappers and hip-hop artistes, ala Usher, P. Diddy, and many more. Another trend is the trucker caps. 
The following are some cartoons, related the topic of clothes that I felt were pretty interesting. Enjoy! 
Signing Off,
Even in France where food is regarded as the heart of French culture, McDonalds is apparently quite successful. This is thanks
to the adjustment of their meals to suit local tastes, and more importantly their time-saving meals, which can be taken on the go.
Like their counterparts in the other countries around the world, the French are increasingly pressed for time and the haute,
long lunches are mostly a thing of the past. 
For example, the Red ribbon project was created in 1991 to provide pychological support to HIV-infected individuals and create awareness to the public. It is used internationally as the symbol of solidarity of people livingwith HIV/AIDS. It represents support for those affected by HIV and AIDS and is worn in remembrance for those who have died and demonstrates respect for those who have been bereaved. 
For example, the UNAIDS' mission is to lead, strengthen and support an expanded response to HIV and AIDS that includes preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support to those already living with the virus, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV and alleviating the impact of the epidemic.
http://www.saynotogmos.org/images/biobeans.gif
Response:
This cartoon portrays the reality producers of genetically modified (GM) food are not honest with their food labels and will hide as much information from the consumers as they can.
This is due to the fact that there might be potential health risks in GM food and consumers may avoid buying their food products if they know that there are GM contents in it. Although there might not be any immediate effects on consumers, long term effects are unknown. There has been inadequate testing to ensure that extracting genes that perform an apparently useful function as part of that plant or animal is going to have the same effects if inserted into a totally unrelated species.
Thus, the Genetically Engineered Food Right To Know Act Of 2003 and the Genetically Engineered Food Safety Act Of 2003 was established to protect the interests of the consumers. It ensures that the food companies label all food that contains GE material and that all food are screened by Food and Drug administration (FDA) to make sure that they are safe for human consumption.
Supporters of this technology see GM food as a solution to food insecurity as the population increases. However, food shortage is mainly due to political and economic problems, and poor nations will still experience food shortages and hunger. This also leads to the issue of whether we actually need GM food.
With the widespread usage of GM food in the world today, I feel that it is alright to use GM food. However, they should reduce the amount of GM material used in food products so as to safeguard against any potential health risks in the future.
Also, recently this year, Singapore has also introduced anti-smoking television messages and posters all over Singapore. However, after the feedback that younger children are terrified by the message, it has been rescheduled to only air the message after 8pm where lesser children will be likely to watch television. The message says, “Smoking causes oral cancer. Quitting is hard, but not quitting is harder.”
There are also other anti-smoking campaigns in other countries which date back as far as in the 1970s.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/visualculture/antismoking.html 
American Lung Association, We all share the same air, 1977 
World Health Organization, Man Made Killer, 1980s 
Centers for Disease control (U.S) “Don’t be a butthead”, 1998
Besides anti-smoking posters, other solutions such as the nicorette gum, patch, inhaler and Microtab are also introduced to help smokers who are withdrawal symptoms to cope.
For example,the Nicorette Inhaler tackles the habit of smoking, as well as the physical addiction to nicotine. When you puff on the mouthpiece, the cartridge releases nicotine to help relieve your craving. Because it's designed to be held like a cigarette, your hands are kept busy too.
http://www.nicorette.co.nz/?cid=Inhaler
An Inconvenient Truth explores data and predictions regarding climate change, interspersed with personal events from the life of Al Gore. Through a Keynote presentation that he has presented worldwide, Gore reviews the scientific evidence for global warming, discusses the politics and economics of global warming, and describes the consequences he believes global climate change will produce if the amount of human-generated greenhouse gases is not significantly reduced in the very near future.
The film includes many segments intended to refute critics who say that global warming is insignificant or unproven. For example, Gore discusses the risk of the collapse of a major ice sheet in Greenland or in West Antarctica, either of which could raise global sea levels by approximately 20 feet (6m), flooding coastal areas and producing 100 million refugees. Meltwater from Greenland, because of its lower salinity, could halt the Gulf Stream current and quickly trigger dramatic local cooling in Northern Europe.
In an effort to explain the global warming phenomenon, the film examines annual temperature and CO2 levels for the past 600,000 years in Antarctic ice core samples. An analogy to Hurricane Katrina is used for those familiar with the 30-ft to 45-ft (9 to 14m) waves that destroyed almost a million homes in coastal Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
The documentary ends with Gore noting that if appropriate action is taken soon, the effects of global warming can be successfully reversed by releasing less carbon dioxide and growing more plants or trees. Gore calls upon viewers to learn how they can help in this initiative.
Gore's book of the same title was published concurrently with the theatrical release of the documentary. The book contains additional, detailed information, scientific analysis, and Gore's commentary on the issues presented in the documentary. A 2007 documentary entitled An Update with Former Vice President Al Gore features Gore discussing additional information that came to light after the film was completed, such as Hurricane Katrina.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_inconvenient_truth
Response:
I think this movie reflects the truth behind global warming in the world today. Global warming is a serious environmental problem that we are facing and global actions need to be taken to overcome it.
The causes of global warming are mainly the rise in industrialization and modernization. Green house emissions from power plants, cars, trucks, airplanes, buildings, and deforestation all contributed to the problem of global warming.
Global warming can lead to heat waves, floods, storms, fires and droughts which will cause increased death, disease and other harm. Global warming is also expected to lead to more deaths due to malnutrition, diseases that cause diarrhea, cardio-respiratory diseases related to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, and wider distribution of diseases carried by insects, rodents, etc. The problem is so serious that by 2020, 75-250 million people in Africa will be exposed to water scarcity due to climate change.
The Kyoto protocol was set up to assign limitations for greenhouse gases emissions. It was signed by 141 nations, including all European and all other developed industrial nations except the US and Australia. US, the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, refused to ratify the protocol as it may affect their country’s economy.
There are also alternatives to fossil fuels, such as solar, wind, water and nuclear power. All these alternatives could be used without polluting the environment. However, their availability are subject to change by weather conditions and may also require large area of large. Nuclear power is so far the best alternative as it is readily available in all weather conditions and requires the least space. However, nuclear power plants may lead to accidents (E.g. Chernobyl incident) which will cause death and health problems to the people.
There are also things that we can do as an individual or as a nation, such as the 3Rs – reuse, reduce and recycle. Some examples of this are paying for your own plastic bags so as to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags, taking public transport, reusing plastic and glass bottles, and etc.
Let’s all do our part, whether big or small, in changing the world that we are living in for the better today!
Sources: http://usliberals.about.com/od/environmentalconcerns/p/KyotoProtocol.htm
