WASTING BRING PROBLEMS

Our next experience on 14th September 2009 is about ELECTRICITY that is being used for good (e.g.our comfort) and bad (e.g. due to wastage) around UBD. I was instructed by Dr. Irene to survey around Faculty of Business, Economics and Policy Studies (FBEPS). I was joined by my partner in mission Asri Hj Mohamed, he is also instructed to survey the same faculty with me.

Let me explain first about wastage, wastage means the act of wasting something or the state of being wasted; it is not only on electricity but others too like water, foods, money and many more. In our country the usage of electricity per capita is the third highest after Japan in this region and the second highest around ASEAN country after Singapore.

Let’s get back to our mission… we started our mission from the entrance of the faculty; firstly we found that the florescent lamp is switch on even though it was a very blazing day. Secondly the halls, almost every lamp in the halls is switch on, even though there is a notice to remind to switch off the lights when not in use. Thirdly the rooms, it is like a habit to abandon the rooms with the air condition and lights switch on, even some of the lecturer rooms are doing the same things (maybe to provide a place for the penguin from the polar to come due to global warming) and the wire extension is a mess, this can invite a danger like a blaze of fire that can occur if the wire or extension is faulty. Fourthly the common-room, this room provides a comfort like Television, DVD, water heater and an oven, all of it is switch off and being plug off from the wall, finally we found a good example of good electricity usages.

All of the above wastage mention can bring problems such as give burden to the government to pay the bill for fruitless usages of electricity, it is not worthed. The government pays a lot of money on electricity.

Last but not least, we as a concern people can make a little change, a little change but can make a very big differences... Brunei Darussalam has already started a project the largest photovoltaic solar power plant of its kind in Southeast Asia and expected to be commissoned in 2010. The project is seen as a major step to promote the development of renewable energy in the country. At least Brunei is trying to reduce greenhouse effects which cause climatic changes.

IT’S NOTHING LIKE HOME

Because of on Monday 7th September 2009 is a public holiday for Brunei Darussalam, we were given instruction for our week 5 experience on BEACA by our lecturer, Dr Irene, to watch a documentary ‘HOME’ on its official web site http://www.home-2009.com/us/index.html. Even though we have a hard time to download this movie but it worthwhile to watch this documentary.


The story begins with the voice of a women call on ‘listen to me, please!’. She call on begging everyone to listen to her because she trying to warn you about the destruction of planet earth. Then she explains the first appearance of planet earth which is 4 billion years old and how planet earth works with the element and we human start to live on earth only 200,000 years ago. Do you imagine that we only live in a tiny matter of time on earth? I don’t do math but 4 billion minus 200,000 is not even a quarter of million. Our population is increased by three times in 1950, the world is over populated and getting tight.


On earth, present day, do you heard about global warming? The North Pole loses 30% of its surface in the past 30 years. Some theory said the Arctic will melt down in the year 2030 and some said 2050. And when this occurs the sea level will increase in 7 meters and many countries will get effect. The reason? Industrialization, deforestation, and pollution have greatly increased atmospheric concentrations of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide and all greenhouse gases that help trap heat near Earth's surface. Human is trying to change the nature of earth. Humans are pouring carbon dioxide into the atmosphere much faster than plants and ocean can absorb it. All of these when overbalance will destroy the earth.


Imagine this, in industrial, they need 100 litres of water just to produce 1 kilogram of potatoes, 4000 litres of water to produce rice, 1300 litres of water to produce 1 kilogram of beef? In living community, they need 800-1000 litres of water were consumed per person per day in Las Vegas. What a wastage... there is approximately 5,000 people a day die because of dirty drinking water and another 1 billion people have no access to safe drinking water. And the funny thing is, over 50% of grain traded around the world is used for animal feed and biofuels. Are you kidding...? Nearly 1 billion people are going hungry every day.It is time the world takes an action.



Some countries are already taken an action to avoid this destruction. It’s up to us to write down what happen next.