Article 5 (Teenager Issues)
http://enewslink.asia1.com.sg/brsweb/read_1.brsw?this=result&QDT=1&QFLST=HD%3AHG%3APD&DB=ST%3ABT%4007-07&QSTR=game+card&DTSTR=%28%28PD+%3E=+20070607%29+and+%28PD+%3C=+20070807%29%29&PSZ=10&MAXL=200&SUMY=2&HLT=0&LSTN=0&ID=000035863@ST07
This article clearly reflected the impact of computer gaming on teenagers. The secondary 4 student, Syafiq, committed crimes in order to buy gaming accessories for his online games. This news had definitely raised a greater awareness in the general public of the impact of computer gaming on teenagers. Computer gaming has indeed affected many teenagers in terms of their actions as well as behaviours. Some crimes are actually committed due to this behaviour change in students, such in the case of Syafiq as well as many cases in other countries.
I believe that the issue mentioned in this article applies to all teenagers, including me who had enjoyed computer gaming. All of us need to realise the negative consequences of computer gaming and let this incident be a lesson for all of us. Self-control is needed greatly for all those who are addicted to computer games. I believe that academic should be of top importance as it will play a major role deciding the future for many people. One should make sure that computer gaming does not take away your time for homework as well as revision, and mostly important your interest for academic subjects. We should be aware of other hindrances that could affect us in terms of academics.
Singapore can both benefit and suffer due to computer gaming. With computer gaming, students will lose interest in studies and other activities such as Co-Curriculum Activities, resulting in some students not meeting the requirements for further degrees and as well as for job application, therefore Singapore may lose out in academic standards and employee literacy to other countries. Furthermore, crimes such as Syafiq’s case may reappear in Singapore, affecting Singapore’s peace and order. However, Singapore’s computer professionals would increase a lot in future because many teenagers are very interested in computer engineering which is a growing market for many countries.
I do understand that computer games are addictive, entertaining, appealing to many teenagers. Games are usually a sort of relief and entertainment to counter the boring effects of studying and doing homework. Games also provides challenges to players, beating those challenges will provide joy and boost in terms of self-confidence, being defeated by other players or the computer will activate a desire of winning. Both results in addiction and probably the reasons why Syafiq is addicted to computer games. Computer games also provide a virtue world that separates a lot from the reality, and main the cause to why Syafiq will feel thrilled at the theft instead of getting frightened.
I know that my views about this article are greatly affected by my own view and opinions about this world. For me, I feel that academic achievements are the most important while other things are less important. Other people might have different views, putting friendship as the most important. They would have different perspective to this article. Also, everyone has different goals in life and this article will hence mean different to everyone.
Article 6 (Educational Issues)
http://enewslink.asia1.com.sg/brsweb/read_5.brsw?this=result&QDT=1&QFLST=HD%3AHG%3APD&DB=BT%3AST%4007-07&QSTR=%28%28Education%29%29.HG.&DTSTR=%28%28PD+%3E=+20070307%29+and+%28PD+%3C=+20070807%29%29&PSZ=10&MAXL=200&SUMY=1&HLT=0&LSTN=0&ID=000035050@ST07
The article reflects about the trend of bullying in Singapore. As mentioned in the article, 1 out of 5 children is subjected to bullying. As a result of bullying, many victims cannot concentrate in classes. In serious cases, victims have problems sleeping and even skip school. Bullying cases usually remained unresolved because the victims dare not speak up to adults. Besides, resolving bullying cases, it is also important to understand the reason behind the bullies’ behaviour in order to end bullying completely.
I feel the issue greatly applies to all victims as well as bullies, which include me as well. I do think that I am still a victim however sometimes I becomes a bully. In the past, I was bullied badly by verbal bullying. It was very difficult to ignore the harsh comments by them. I would usually be hurt by the fiery sword of verbal bullying. Now, I am more used to verbal bullying and less affected by it. However, I still get angry easily due to verbal bullying and stress and pressure of school work. It is difficult to control my anger and venting of anger on other people or things was often a result of stocking of anger and frustration.
I feel that Ministry of Education should take of this matter seriously. 20% of children are bullied by others is a worrying trend. Schools should take note of this worrying trend and make necessary moves to terminate all bullying. Survey can be conducted in schools to find out about bullying and counselling should be conducted regularly on bullies as well as victim. Talks should also be conducted in schools. It is very good to have a Tinkle hotline to help students with their troubles
Let us analyse two reasons why bullying still continues on.
The first reason is because of the fear of the victim towards the bullies. Although, some people might have felt bullying is not a serious matter, the suffering of victims is a lot. The victims will feel despair especially bullying cases usually involves several people, not just one. The victims do not dare to fight back and other students are also afraid to help. The victims also feel that telling teacher will only solve the bullying problems temporarily, they are afraid that the bullies will take revenge, which will mean a bigger nightmare.
The second reason is because of the bullies themselves. Bullies are likely to have family problems or immense stress from someone more powerful than they are. Therefore they will stock up a lot of fear, anxiety and anger. Bullying other people will provide a temporary release of those emotions since stocking of those emotions drive a lot of negative thoughts and sometimes despair.
I could only figure out two reasons, there could be many other reasons of cause and continuity of bullying. I look at bullying mainly from my own perspective and hence unaware of other people’s thoughts and feeling towards bullying.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Social Issues: Microsoft chipping in
Website: http://enewslink.asia1.com.sg/brsweb/read_6.brsw?this=result&QDT=1&QFLST=HD%3AHG%3APD&DB=BT%3AST%4006-07&QSTR=SPD&DTSTR=%28%28PD+%3E=+20061217%29+and+%28PD+%3C=+20070519%29%29&PSZ=10&MAXL=200&SUMY=1&HLT=0&LSTN=0&ID=000014430@ST07
My reflections
This act of Microsoft chipping in is indeed highly valuable. Many people have very little compassion for the disabled and never do they care able how the disabled can live by their own earning. The disabled cannot handle many jobs in this world. Therefore their chance of getting a job is significantly little compared to the normal people. Even if the disabled has a job, the income will be very low; he may be constantly jeered by his colleagues of his disabilities. This chipping in of Microsoft will enable many disabled to gain a new hope and earn a living, and even create a trend for other companies to aid the disabled as well. Personally, I want to praise Microsoft for the chip in.
Many physically disabled may be either caused by birth defects or accidents. Sometimes, they feel useless about themselves because of their inabilities to earn a living for themselves. Now those disabled can be more optimistic about their lives and can now be trained in IT and work in IT industries. The IT courses will provide the disabled with skills and a job to be able to earn a living. Many disabled may even get a pay rise from this chip in of Microsoft.
Microsoft can also benefit from this act. The company may receive a strong workforce from the disabled. In this case, both parties, the disabled and Microsoft will benefit. The training courses may also be a great way to test the disabled-friendly features in Windows Vista. The disabled taking the IT courses will be able to feedback and give suggestions on the Windows Vista computers so that Microsoft will able to further understand the needs of the disabled and able to further improve the disabled-friendly features in Windows.
Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) will be overjoyed because their IT training courses are now funded and the number of disabled who can be trained rose 10 times than before. SPD can now afford to put more resources in to other training. SPD can even reach out to those who have visual and hearing disabilities as well.
The government can be relieved over the fact that disabled can earn a living and get a good job. The employment rate of the disabled will thus increase as well. More disabled people are now able to work in IT industries which are always active and not outdated. It will mean that the disabled will not only have a good job but a secure one as well.
Since I am not disabled, I cannot fully understand the pain and the troubles that those disabled have to go through in their everyday life. Therefore I may not express the pain and frustration of the disabled fully in my analysis of the disabled.
This article really brings me to realize that I have little compassion for the disabled and that I should change for the better. I hope others who visit my blog will realize this fact as well.
My reflections
This act of Microsoft chipping in is indeed highly valuable. Many people have very little compassion for the disabled and never do they care able how the disabled can live by their own earning. The disabled cannot handle many jobs in this world. Therefore their chance of getting a job is significantly little compared to the normal people. Even if the disabled has a job, the income will be very low; he may be constantly jeered by his colleagues of his disabilities. This chipping in of Microsoft will enable many disabled to gain a new hope and earn a living, and even create a trend for other companies to aid the disabled as well. Personally, I want to praise Microsoft for the chip in.
Many physically disabled may be either caused by birth defects or accidents. Sometimes, they feel useless about themselves because of their inabilities to earn a living for themselves. Now those disabled can be more optimistic about their lives and can now be trained in IT and work in IT industries. The IT courses will provide the disabled with skills and a job to be able to earn a living. Many disabled may even get a pay rise from this chip in of Microsoft.
Microsoft can also benefit from this act. The company may receive a strong workforce from the disabled. In this case, both parties, the disabled and Microsoft will benefit. The training courses may also be a great way to test the disabled-friendly features in Windows Vista. The disabled taking the IT courses will be able to feedback and give suggestions on the Windows Vista computers so that Microsoft will able to further understand the needs of the disabled and able to further improve the disabled-friendly features in Windows.
Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) will be overjoyed because their IT training courses are now funded and the number of disabled who can be trained rose 10 times than before. SPD can now afford to put more resources in to other training. SPD can even reach out to those who have visual and hearing disabilities as well.
The government can be relieved over the fact that disabled can earn a living and get a good job. The employment rate of the disabled will thus increase as well. More disabled people are now able to work in IT industries which are always active and not outdated. It will mean that the disabled will not only have a good job but a secure one as well.
Since I am not disabled, I cannot fully understand the pain and the troubles that those disabled have to go through in their everyday life. Therefore I may not express the pain and frustration of the disabled fully in my analysis of the disabled.
This article really brings me to realize that I have little compassion for the disabled and that I should change for the better. I hope others who visit my blog will realize this fact as well.
Issues regarding teenagers: Voodoo dolls
Website: http://enewslink.asia1.com.sg/brsweb/read_3.brsw?this=result&QDT=1&QFLST=HD%3AHG%3APD&DB=BT%3AST%4006-07&QSTR=voodoo+dolls&DTSTR=%28%28PD+%3E=+20061217%29+and+%28PD+%3C=+20070519%29%29&PSZ=10&MAXL=200&SUMY=1&HLT=0&LSTN=0&ID=000018630@ST07
My reflections
Similar to Sarah-Lee, I do not approve of the dolls because I also believe that voodoo dolls are associated with black magic. To me, buying voodoo dolls is quite a waste of money if one intends to purchase at least two voodoo products. The voodoo products are quite expensive with each one at least five dollars. Using a mere five dollars, one can afford one or even two proper meals in Singapore. Using five dollars, one can donate the money to charities. Five dollars can go a long way to give someone a meal or even save people’s life, so why for should we waste our money on several voodoo dolls. Can voodoo dolls give someone a meal or save people’s life? That will definitely be a question I will like to ask all teenagers purchasing voodoo dolls.
During teenage years, one will start to grow up and be independent of his or her parents. Teenagers like to seek for new and interesting things to fulfill their desires. Friends now will play a great role in his or her life. Many teenagers also love to follow current trends, and there are many examples which can prove my point. Buying, listening to popular music and following idols are just a few of the examples. Buying of voodoo dolls may be caused by seeing many classmates or friends having and taking pride in their voodoo dolls. Another reason is that voodoo dolls are appealing to the eyes, which causes many teenagers find them cute and purchase them. The third reason is that teenagers may be suffering from immense stress and problems with their studies, finance and their love affairs. Therefore they want to buy voodoo dolls to reassure themselves that they will be blessed in their studies, finance and their love affairs.
Some parents will not care whether their children are buying voodoo dolls. Well others however, do care about it. Some parents may agree that the voodoo products are very costly and therefore should not be bought. Others parents who are Christians or Catholics may think that voodoo dolls are black magic and buying them will go against their religion.
This issue mainly illustrated the point that teenagers like to fulfill their own desires and they like to follow trends. In the future, many teenagers from now will become adults. They may develop the habit of following the trends, not working hard and wasting money on unnecessary things, which in turns may cause the country to be less competitive among other countries and lose out, and even deplete the country’s economical resources. This will be a great cause of concern for the modern government.
Of course, I may not know some emotions and thoughts of teenagers and parents, therefore my analysis of the situation may not be complete.
Reading this article actually raised some awareness of my own flaws, such as spending a lot of money on food. I will certainly try to correct those flaws as soon as possible.
My reflections
Similar to Sarah-Lee, I do not approve of the dolls because I also believe that voodoo dolls are associated with black magic. To me, buying voodoo dolls is quite a waste of money if one intends to purchase at least two voodoo products. The voodoo products are quite expensive with each one at least five dollars. Using a mere five dollars, one can afford one or even two proper meals in Singapore. Using five dollars, one can donate the money to charities. Five dollars can go a long way to give someone a meal or even save people’s life, so why for should we waste our money on several voodoo dolls. Can voodoo dolls give someone a meal or save people’s life? That will definitely be a question I will like to ask all teenagers purchasing voodoo dolls.
During teenage years, one will start to grow up and be independent of his or her parents. Teenagers like to seek for new and interesting things to fulfill their desires. Friends now will play a great role in his or her life. Many teenagers also love to follow current trends, and there are many examples which can prove my point. Buying, listening to popular music and following idols are just a few of the examples. Buying of voodoo dolls may be caused by seeing many classmates or friends having and taking pride in their voodoo dolls. Another reason is that voodoo dolls are appealing to the eyes, which causes many teenagers find them cute and purchase them. The third reason is that teenagers may be suffering from immense stress and problems with their studies, finance and their love affairs. Therefore they want to buy voodoo dolls to reassure themselves that they will be blessed in their studies, finance and their love affairs.
Some parents will not care whether their children are buying voodoo dolls. Well others however, do care about it. Some parents may agree that the voodoo products are very costly and therefore should not be bought. Others parents who are Christians or Catholics may think that voodoo dolls are black magic and buying them will go against their religion.
This issue mainly illustrated the point that teenagers like to fulfill their own desires and they like to follow trends. In the future, many teenagers from now will become adults. They may develop the habit of following the trends, not working hard and wasting money on unnecessary things, which in turns may cause the country to be less competitive among other countries and lose out, and even deplete the country’s economical resources. This will be a great cause of concern for the modern government.
Of course, I may not know some emotions and thoughts of teenagers and parents, therefore my analysis of the situation may not be complete.
Reading this article actually raised some awareness of my own flaws, such as spending a lot of money on food. I will certainly try to correct those flaws as soon as possible.
Monday, February 19, 2007
New fund to help students pursue higher education(Educational)
Website: http://enewslink.asia1.com.sg/brsweb/read_4.brsw?this=result&QDT=1&QFLST=HD%3AHG%3APD&DB=ST%3ABT%4007-07&QSTR=%28%28Education%29%29.HG.&DTSTR=%28%28PD+%3E=+20070201%29+and+%28PD+%3C=+20070219%29%29&PSZ=10&MAXL=200&SUMY=2&HLT=0&LSTN=0&ID=000007764@ST07
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BUDGET 2007: WHAT'S IN THE PURSE
They may get up to $800 each in scheme to help cushion GST hike STUDENTS could take home up to $800 in the next two years in a bid to encourage more Singaporeans to pursue higher education.
The money can be used for tertiary-level studies or upgrading courses. Any unused fund by the time the student reaches 30 years of age will be deposited into his Central Provident Fund (CPF) retirement account.
The allocation for higher education is part of a Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) being created next year for every Singaporean aged seven to 20.
“We want as many Singaporeans as possible to obtain a post-secondary education,” said Education and Second Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
“This is absolutely essential in the new innovation-driven economy.” Every student in a secondary school or other institution will receive $200 or $400 next year and the same again in 2009. The amount will depend on the annual value of his family’s home.
Primary school pupils will get $100 or $200 but they will have more top-ups to look forward to in subsequent years if the Government has Budget surpluses to share. Students can use the money at publicly funded universities, polytechnics, Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts as well as arts and design school Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts. Adults wanting to undertake tertiary education can use the money to study at UniSIM, the open university that caters to older people seeking a degree, as well as courses accredited by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency.
The higher education account seems to be an extension of the 14-year-old Edusave programme.
This involves the Government depositing money into accounts set up for school-going children aged six to 16.
According to latest figures from the Ministry of Education website, primary school pupils get $170 a year and secondary school students $200. They can use these funds to pay for Enrichment courses at school.
Any funds left over in these Edusave accounts go to the student’s CPF account when he turns 21.
The education boost was welcomed by single parent T. Deva.
Mr Deva, 44, is divorced and supporting four daughters – one in primary school, two in secondary school and one in ITE – on his $1,050 monthly salary as an environment officer.
As he does not own his own home and lives in a two-room rental flat, his primary school daughter should receive $200 while the other three girls should each get $400 next year.
Mr Deva told The Straits Times: “With this financial help, hopefully my children will be more inspired to work hard, go to university and get a good job so they won’t have to struggle like I am struggling now to support them.” Primary school children who live in homes with annual values of more than $10,000 will get $100 while secondary school and older students in the same category will get $200.
The education top-ups over the next two years will cost $400 million and benefit around 650,000 children.
My personal response
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUDGET 2007: WHAT'S IN THE PURSE
They may get up to $800 each in scheme to help cushion GST hike STUDENTS could take home up to $800 in the next two years in a bid to encourage more Singaporeans to pursue higher education.
The money can be used for tertiary-level studies or upgrading courses. Any unused fund by the time the student reaches 30 years of age will be deposited into his Central Provident Fund (CPF) retirement account.
The allocation for higher education is part of a Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) being created next year for every Singaporean aged seven to 20.
“We want as many Singaporeans as possible to obtain a post-secondary education,” said Education and Second Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
“This is absolutely essential in the new innovation-driven economy.” Every student in a secondary school or other institution will receive $200 or $400 next year and the same again in 2009. The amount will depend on the annual value of his family’s home.
Primary school pupils will get $100 or $200 but they will have more top-ups to look forward to in subsequent years if the Government has Budget surpluses to share. Students can use the money at publicly funded universities, polytechnics, Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts as well as arts and design school Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts. Adults wanting to undertake tertiary education can use the money to study at UniSIM, the open university that caters to older people seeking a degree, as well as courses accredited by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency.
The higher education account seems to be an extension of the 14-year-old Edusave programme.
This involves the Government depositing money into accounts set up for school-going children aged six to 16.
According to latest figures from the Ministry of Education website, primary school pupils get $170 a year and secondary school students $200. They can use these funds to pay for Enrichment courses at school.
Any funds left over in these Edusave accounts go to the student’s CPF account when he turns 21.
The education boost was welcomed by single parent T. Deva.
Mr Deva, 44, is divorced and supporting four daughters – one in primary school, two in secondary school and one in ITE – on his $1,050 monthly salary as an environment officer.
As he does not own his own home and lives in a two-room rental flat, his primary school daughter should receive $200 while the other three girls should each get $400 next year.
Mr Deva told The Straits Times: “With this financial help, hopefully my children will be more inspired to work hard, go to university and get a good job so they won’t have to struggle like I am struggling now to support them.” Primary school children who live in homes with annual values of more than $10,000 will get $100 while secondary school and older students in the same category will get $200.
The education top-ups over the next two years will cost $400 million and benefit around 650,000 children.
My personal response
I can safely say that Singapore government has made a wise decision in making this move of increase in Edusave. The increase in Edusave has brought one important message: Education is very important; there will be tremendous benefits for everyone.
Personally, I feel that increase in Edusave will mean that students will be inspired by the government’s effort and study hard. Students will also have the capability to participate in various enrichment activities which I personally acknowledge as extremely applicable to us as learners. Those students from poor families can now too achieve a higher education such as university education, find a suitable occupation and pursue his or her aims in life.
Imagine yourself as a student, who wants to have a university education but unable to afford it. You worry about your future, unable to achieve your maximum potential and can only find a low-class job or even be unemployed. Life suddenly becomes aimless, hopeless. Now with this new increase, you regain your aim, your hope. Ten years down the road, you have become a successful employer with a good job, a good salary and a good life, all because of the increase in Edusave.
Of course, a high literacy rate will result a high employment rate. A high employment rate will solve many future problems of Singapore. There will be a higher population of elderly people in the future. Government has to provide enough funds to ensure the welfare of these people. Ask yourself, where does the government gets their money from? The answer is tax. If the employment rate were to be low in the future, where will Singapore government get their money from? Without sufficient money to support the government, Singapore might tumble into a Dark Age and disintegrate, and people will just care about themselves, their own “survival”, values such as racial harmony that exist now will vanish. Such ugly situation can never exist with high employment rate.
To look on the bright side, Singapore can cope with the global increase of literacy rate, and have plentiful of human resources. Singapore will also be highly competitive globally in terms of 3 'E's, Education, Employment rate and Economics. With a high literacy rate, a result will be that education system can be perfected and students can study effectively. A high employment rate will bring about a better market for Singapore, which will bring a considerable amount of wealth to Singapore. Everyone will all be very happy.
From this article, I have learnt to analyze and effectively understand the importance of education and the efforts of the government in this area. Before reading this article, I have always treated learning programs such as Chinese speaking program as a silly and inefficient campaign, but now I truly appreciate the government’s effort in bring importance of education to students. Put myself in the shoes of an officer in the government, how joyful will they be when all students learn the importance of education. I have no idea...
Monday, February 5, 2007
Stricken Cargo Ship Poses Pollution Danger to Britain's Coastline (Environmental)
Stricken Cargo Ship Poses Pollution Danger to Britain's Coastline
Kate Ravilious in Scotland for National Geographic News
January 23, 2007
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070123-britain-oil.html
A pristine stretch of Britain's coastline is facing environmental disaster following the grounding of a cargo ship carrying oil and hazardous chemicals.
The MSC Napoli, a 68,000-ton (62,000-metric-ton) container ship, has already spilled 220 tons (200 metric tons) of light fuel oil from it's engine room, creating a five-mile-long (eight-kilometer-long) slick on the sea surface just off the southwest coast of the United Kingdom.
The Napoli was sliced open on January 18 during a heavy storm, and initial efforts to tow the ship to Portland Harbor were stymied by severe structural damage.
So the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency decided to beach the ship in Lyme Bay, part a wildlife-rich area near Sidmouth in Devon. The ship's 26-man crew were removed to safety in a dramatic helicopter-rescue operation.
Now salvage crews are working around the clock to remove containers and pump oil off the ship.
The most pressing concern is the ship's 3,900-ton (3,500-metric-ton) store of heavy fuel oil, used to drive the boat.
"If this leaks out, then it will be a very serious incident," said Farooq Mulla, a spokesperson from the country's Environment Agency.
Wildlife at Risk
The area of coast where the Napoli has been beached has been designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).
The location's 95 miles (153 kilometers) of coastline have is home to rich and varied flora and fauna.
Oil reaching shore could threaten rare species such as the pink seafan (a coral) and specialized niche environments such as the maerl beds (areas of slow-growing red seaweeds). (Related: "Alaska Oil Spill Fuels Concerns Over Arctic Wildlife, Future Drilling" [March 20, 2006].)
More than a thousand birds—mostly guillemots and gulls—are already suffering from the effects of the oil spill, adds the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. And these numbers could dramatically increase if the heavy oil starts to leak, they add.
"This incident poses a genuine threat to the variety of life found in Lyme Bay," said Melissa Moore, policy officer with the Marine Conservation Society. "The effects of oil, chemicals, metals, and plastics could be sizable given the quantities and range of materials carried on the Napoli."
Marine biologist Robin Crump added that "heavy fuel oil has a smothering effect, killing creatures like limpets and barnacles." Crump was involved with the cleanup of the Sea Empress oil spill, which occurred near the coast of Wales in 1996.
The Environment Agency has been taking water and shellfish samples from the entire stretch of coast and will be monitoring the effects of the pollution carefully over the coming days and weeks.
If the heavy oil does leak then previous experience indicates that wildlife could be affected for a number of years.
"It depends on the type of oil and the weather conditions, but it will probably take between five and ten years to recover," Crump said.
Toxic Payload
In addition to the oil hazard, around 200 of the ship's 2,323 containers have fallen overboard.
About 160 of the containers are thought to contain hazardous substances such as pesticides and insecticides. Two of these, containing perfume and battery acid, were among those that plunged into the sea.
Droves of looters have taken advantage of the situation at Branscome beach, where most of the containers have washed up, by hauling away new motorbikes, car parts, clothing, and even diapers.
"This has increased the environmental damage by creating lots of litter and damage, making the clean-up operation much more difficult," said Sophia Exelby from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Complex Operation
Many experts also fear that poor weather will hamper the delicate heavy-oil recovery operation, which is expected to last around a week.
"The cold weather means that the oil has a treacle-like consistency and has to be warmed up before it can be pumped off," said Farooq Mulla, a spokesperson for the Environment Agency.
The long process of removing the ship's containers can't begin until all the oil has been pumped off the ship. Lifting the remaining containers and recovering those that have fallen to the bottom of the sea could take a year, experts warn.
So far the weather has remained calm, and an offshore breeze is helping to keep much of the debris away from the coastline. However, stronger winds are forecast for tomorrow, which may slow things down.
As a preventative measure, an inflated tube known as an oil-protection boom has been placed around the ship and across the entrance to the Exe estuary—an important shellfish ground and a designated special protection area due to its bird life.
But "placing a boom around the ship is a joke," said Crump, the marine biologist. "Unless the water is completely flat and calm, the oil will simply go underneath."
Ironically, bad weather could be helpful in limiting the damage to wildlife, Crump added.
"In stormy conditions the oil is pulverized by the waves and cleaned away naturally by the sea."
Poor History
Meanwhile, many experts are speculating over whether the Napoli, owned by Virgin Islands-based company Metvale Ltd., should even have been out at sea in the first place.
The ship previously ran aground in 2001 in the Strait of Malacca, an important shipping lane linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, news agencies report.
Then called the CMA-CGM Normandie, the ship underwent major repairs in Vietnam before being renamed.
It was last inspected by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in May 2005.
"The Marine Conservation Society supports the work of the Salvage Response Unit in preventing a catastrophe," said Moore, the society's policy officer, "but [the society] questions whether the ship was in a condition safe to go to sea."
My personal response
After reading through this article, I flipped through my science textbook and read about the effects of oil spill. From there, I realized how serious this accident would be. The oil spill alone will result in huge number of wildlife losses or even the extinction of some species of flora and fauna.
Oil has a lower density than water and hence it will easily spread over water bodies. Since the oil slick remains above water, it exists as a natural barrier for oxygen to be dissolved in the water. As all of us know, oxygen is vital for the survival for almost all living organisms on earth. Without oxygen, those sea creatures will just have to DIE.
To emphasis the seriousness of the oil spill, imagine yourself trapped in a room with no oxygen at all. You will first find yourself difficult to breathe, then immense pain will be felt in various part of your body, each second will seem to be very slow as you struggle to survive, life starts to drain away from you as your mind gets more blur and finally the heart stop pumping. That will happen to many of the poor sea creatures whose life is not destined to end yet.
Oil spill also affects the seabirds greatly. Those seagulls will not only be unable to catch food, some may never see another sunrise or sunset. Oil sticks to the feathers of the seabirds, clumping them together, and there goes the ability of flying and floating for those birds. They may even freeze to death.
Oil spill is just one factor. There also hazardous chemicals on the cargo ship that has fallen overboard. Some fish may accidentally swallow those chemicals and consumed by larger fishes, casing the whole food web to be heavily affected. Even us, humans will also be affected by consuming those fishes.
Many marine biologists and other people had put in great efforts in constructing a suitable environment for many of the rare species of flora and fauna. Today, all those works may be undone just by a single oil spill accident.
According to the articles, marine biologists and the environment agency has taken measures to recover the oil. One of the long-term consequences they feared will be that the wildlife will be affected for a number of years. To us, it may not mean a lot but for the sea creatures, yes it does.
I personally have sympathy for those unfortunate creatures. Those creatures may live for a longer time without the oil spill and now we humans, rob their life away. Although their life may not be worthy compared to ours but their life is also very precious. Sitting here just merely reflecting about this article is not enough. We should also learn to treat other animals with kindness and respect. Personally, I have something to confess, I usually bully cats by frightening them. But now, I realize that I am wrong and willing to change for the better.
Kate Ravilious in Scotland for National Geographic News
January 23, 2007
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070123-britain-oil.html
A pristine stretch of Britain's coastline is facing environmental disaster following the grounding of a cargo ship carrying oil and hazardous chemicals.
The MSC Napoli, a 68,000-ton (62,000-metric-ton) container ship, has already spilled 220 tons (200 metric tons) of light fuel oil from it's engine room, creating a five-mile-long (eight-kilometer-long) slick on the sea surface just off the southwest coast of the United Kingdom.
The Napoli was sliced open on January 18 during a heavy storm, and initial efforts to tow the ship to Portland Harbor were stymied by severe structural damage.
So the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency decided to beach the ship in Lyme Bay, part a wildlife-rich area near Sidmouth in Devon. The ship's 26-man crew were removed to safety in a dramatic helicopter-rescue operation.
Now salvage crews are working around the clock to remove containers and pump oil off the ship.
The most pressing concern is the ship's 3,900-ton (3,500-metric-ton) store of heavy fuel oil, used to drive the boat.
"If this leaks out, then it will be a very serious incident," said Farooq Mulla, a spokesperson from the country's Environment Agency.
Wildlife at Risk
The area of coast where the Napoli has been beached has been designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).
The location's 95 miles (153 kilometers) of coastline have is home to rich and varied flora and fauna.
Oil reaching shore could threaten rare species such as the pink seafan (a coral) and specialized niche environments such as the maerl beds (areas of slow-growing red seaweeds). (Related: "Alaska Oil Spill Fuels Concerns Over Arctic Wildlife, Future Drilling" [March 20, 2006].)
More than a thousand birds—mostly guillemots and gulls—are already suffering from the effects of the oil spill, adds the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. And these numbers could dramatically increase if the heavy oil starts to leak, they add.
"This incident poses a genuine threat to the variety of life found in Lyme Bay," said Melissa Moore, policy officer with the Marine Conservation Society. "The effects of oil, chemicals, metals, and plastics could be sizable given the quantities and range of materials carried on the Napoli."
Marine biologist Robin Crump added that "heavy fuel oil has a smothering effect, killing creatures like limpets and barnacles." Crump was involved with the cleanup of the Sea Empress oil spill, which occurred near the coast of Wales in 1996.
The Environment Agency has been taking water and shellfish samples from the entire stretch of coast and will be monitoring the effects of the pollution carefully over the coming days and weeks.
If the heavy oil does leak then previous experience indicates that wildlife could be affected for a number of years.
"It depends on the type of oil and the weather conditions, but it will probably take between five and ten years to recover," Crump said.
Toxic Payload
In addition to the oil hazard, around 200 of the ship's 2,323 containers have fallen overboard.
About 160 of the containers are thought to contain hazardous substances such as pesticides and insecticides. Two of these, containing perfume and battery acid, were among those that plunged into the sea.
Droves of looters have taken advantage of the situation at Branscome beach, where most of the containers have washed up, by hauling away new motorbikes, car parts, clothing, and even diapers.
"This has increased the environmental damage by creating lots of litter and damage, making the clean-up operation much more difficult," said Sophia Exelby from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Complex Operation
Many experts also fear that poor weather will hamper the delicate heavy-oil recovery operation, which is expected to last around a week.
"The cold weather means that the oil has a treacle-like consistency and has to be warmed up before it can be pumped off," said Farooq Mulla, a spokesperson for the Environment Agency.
The long process of removing the ship's containers can't begin until all the oil has been pumped off the ship. Lifting the remaining containers and recovering those that have fallen to the bottom of the sea could take a year, experts warn.
So far the weather has remained calm, and an offshore breeze is helping to keep much of the debris away from the coastline. However, stronger winds are forecast for tomorrow, which may slow things down.
As a preventative measure, an inflated tube known as an oil-protection boom has been placed around the ship and across the entrance to the Exe estuary—an important shellfish ground and a designated special protection area due to its bird life.
But "placing a boom around the ship is a joke," said Crump, the marine biologist. "Unless the water is completely flat and calm, the oil will simply go underneath."
Ironically, bad weather could be helpful in limiting the damage to wildlife, Crump added.
"In stormy conditions the oil is pulverized by the waves and cleaned away naturally by the sea."
Poor History
Meanwhile, many experts are speculating over whether the Napoli, owned by Virgin Islands-based company Metvale Ltd., should even have been out at sea in the first place.
The ship previously ran aground in 2001 in the Strait of Malacca, an important shipping lane linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, news agencies report.
Then called the CMA-CGM Normandie, the ship underwent major repairs in Vietnam before being renamed.
It was last inspected by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in May 2005.
"The Marine Conservation Society supports the work of the Salvage Response Unit in preventing a catastrophe," said Moore, the society's policy officer, "but [the society] questions whether the ship was in a condition safe to go to sea."
My personal response
After reading through this article, I flipped through my science textbook and read about the effects of oil spill. From there, I realized how serious this accident would be. The oil spill alone will result in huge number of wildlife losses or even the extinction of some species of flora and fauna.
Oil has a lower density than water and hence it will easily spread over water bodies. Since the oil slick remains above water, it exists as a natural barrier for oxygen to be dissolved in the water. As all of us know, oxygen is vital for the survival for almost all living organisms on earth. Without oxygen, those sea creatures will just have to DIE.
To emphasis the seriousness of the oil spill, imagine yourself trapped in a room with no oxygen at all. You will first find yourself difficult to breathe, then immense pain will be felt in various part of your body, each second will seem to be very slow as you struggle to survive, life starts to drain away from you as your mind gets more blur and finally the heart stop pumping. That will happen to many of the poor sea creatures whose life is not destined to end yet.
Oil spill also affects the seabirds greatly. Those seagulls will not only be unable to catch food, some may never see another sunrise or sunset. Oil sticks to the feathers of the seabirds, clumping them together, and there goes the ability of flying and floating for those birds. They may even freeze to death.
Oil spill is just one factor. There also hazardous chemicals on the cargo ship that has fallen overboard. Some fish may accidentally swallow those chemicals and consumed by larger fishes, casing the whole food web to be heavily affected. Even us, humans will also be affected by consuming those fishes.
Many marine biologists and other people had put in great efforts in constructing a suitable environment for many of the rare species of flora and fauna. Today, all those works may be undone just by a single oil spill accident.
According to the articles, marine biologists and the environment agency has taken measures to recover the oil. One of the long-term consequences they feared will be that the wildlife will be affected for a number of years. To us, it may not mean a lot but for the sea creatures, yes it does.
I personally have sympathy for those unfortunate creatures. Those creatures may live for a longer time without the oil spill and now we humans, rob their life away. Although their life may not be worthy compared to ours but their life is also very precious. Sitting here just merely reflecting about this article is not enough. We should also learn to treat other animals with kindness and respect. Personally, I have something to confess, I usually bully cats by frightening them. But now, I realize that I am wrong and willing to change for the better.
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