Sunday, July 22, 2007
Topic: Environment (Group Summary)
Environmental Problems
Land Pollution
- Littering
- Usage of pesticides/herbicides
- Improper disposal of waste materials
- Increasing urbanisation
- Increasing mechanisation
- Increasing agriculture activities
Water Pollution
- Industrial Discharge
- Eutrophication
- Oil spillage
Air Pollution
- Usage of CFCs
- Smoking
- Burning of Fossil Fuels
Aftermath of Environmental Problems
- Soil contamination
- Poisoning of ecosystyems
- Changes in global temperature
- Extreme Weather Patterns
- Increase in sea levels
- Increase in pests and diseases
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
8:24 pm
Have you ever thought of living on the earth with loads of rubbish around? Have you ever thought of living on the earth with limited amount of oxygen and worried about when we'll die? Have you ever thought of living on the earth with the humid weather and many people with skin cancer as the sun is too hot because of the depleted ozone layer?
Actually, the mankind is the main cause of the environmental problems. Its purly because that they are the one who created the pollutions and thus, lead to what we called, the environmental problems.
There are 3 kinds of main pollutions that lead to the environmental problems. They are land,water and air pollution.
LAND POLLUTION
Land pollution is often a consequence of increasing urbanisation and industrialisation. Man’s increasing demands on the environment and the resources it holds are putting our country under pressure.
The advent of the Industrial Revolution saw the beginning of this pressure and, although the emphasis may have changed, it still continues.
There are a series of events which all impinged on the countryside destroying habitats
1.INCREASED MECHANISATION
2.INCREASED URBANISATION
3.INCREASED AGRICULTURAL LAND AND FIELD SIZE
AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is a chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth's ecosystems. Worldwide air pollution is responsible for large numbers of deaths and cases of respiratory diseases.
WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution is a large set of adverse effects upon water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater caused by human activities.Water is only called polluted when it is not able to be used for what one wants it to be used for. Water pollution has many causes and characteristics. Increases in nutrient loading may lead to eutrophication. Organic wastes such as sewage impose high oxygen demands on the receiving water leading to oxygen depletion with potentially severe impacts on the whole eco-system. Industries discharge a variety of pollutants in their wastewater including metals, organic toxins, oils, nutrients, and solids. Discharges can also have thermal effects, especially those from power stations, and these too reduce the available oxygen. Silt-bearing runoff from many activities including construction sites, deforestation and agriculture can inhibit the penetration of sunlight through the water column, restricting photosynthesis and causing blanketing of the lake or river bed, in turn damaging ecological systems.
The effects on human health:
Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries. Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance.
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
12:44 am
Saturday, July 21, 2007
we're losing our home!!!
It is the common understanding of natural environment that underlies environmentalism—a broad political, social, and philosophical movement that advocates various actions and policies in the interest of protecting what nature remains in the natural environment, or restoring or expanding the role of nature in this environment. While true wilderness is increasingly rare, wild nature (e.g., unmanaged forests, uncultivated grasslands, wildlife, wildflowers) can be found in many locations previously inhabited by humans.
Goals commonly expressed by environmentalists include reduction and clean up of man-made pollution, with future goals of zero pollution; reducing societal consumption of non-renewable fuels; development of alternative, green, low-carbon or renewable energy sources; conservation and sustainable use of scarce resources such as water, land, and air; protection of representative or unique or pristine ecosystems; preservation and expansion of threatened or endangered species or ecosystems from extinction; the establishment of natureand biosphere reserves under various types of protection; and, most generally, the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems upon which all human and other life on earth depends.
More recently, there has been a strong concern about climate change such as global warming caused by anthropogenic releases of greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide, and their interactions with humans and the natural environment. Efforts here have focused on the mitigation of greenhouse gases that are causing climatic changes (e.g. through the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol), and on developing adaptative strategiesto assist species, ecosystems, humans, regions and nations in adjusting to the Effects of global warming.
A more profound challenge, however, is to identify the natural environmental dynamics in contrast to environmental changes not within natural variances. A common solution is to adapt a static view neglecting natural variances to exist. Methodologically this view could be defended when looking at processes which change slowly and short time series, while the problem arrives when fast processes turns essential in the object of the study.
MH:D
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:32 pm
LAND POLLUTION!
-is the adding of substance(pollutants) which have harmful or unpleasnant effects into the enviroment
-the pollutants have damaging effects on people, animals, plants, buildings or machines
-pollution may be due to natural or human activities
How land is polluted?
-a large amount of waste is produced everyday
-excessive amount of waste pollutes the land
-land is also polluted when waste is not disposed of properly
-sometime wasre is disposed on roadsides as litter
-at other times, it is left in great heaps at public places not designated as rubbish dumps
-a lot of time and effort is required to clean the land
-improper disposal of waste occurs on mining sites where heaps of waste materials are left behind after the minerals have been extracted
PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES
-pesticides are used by farmers to kill insects and other animals that may eat their crops or spread diseases
-herbicides are used to kill weeds that compete with the crops for water and nutrient in the soil
-unfortunately, pesticides and herbicides can pollute the land when they are washed into the soil
EFFECTS OF LAND POLLUTION
-negative effect on public health
- waste that is carelessly thrown away can be smelly, unhygenic or even dangerous
- attract pests such as flies and rats
-poisoning of plants and animals
- pesticides and herbicides are toxic
- they may be washed into the soil and consume by the earthworms
- the earthworms accumulate toxic and chemical in their body
- when they are eaten by bigger animals, the chemical pass to the predators, causing side effects
-Soil contamination
- it can affects plant growth
- groundwater, rivers and streams can be affected
- chemical may seep into groundwater and pollutes it.
samantha
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:21 pm
Protect the Earth!
The earth seen from space is a single pearl of blue and green, floating against a dark and cold universe. Such a vision of our planet and ourselves unifies us. To care for nature and endangered species. To be concerned about global warming and forest fires that cause transboundary pollution. To protest against dams that block up reivers, and large companies that dislodge local peoples from their traditional ways of life.
These are archetypal concerns of the environmentalist. They transcend the limits of place and time. To care about the environment is to look beyond borders. Environmentalists, like time travellers, also look beyond the present, to care about events that might affect future generations. But what about us? Everything we do - driving, writing on paper - is destroying a little bit of the environment!
Now, the earth is angry! Natural disasters, the sudden loss of diversity, climate changes and global warming, it's all taking its toll on the humanity. This is a serious problem!
Rapid changes in global temperature
The levels of carbon dioxide were currently at their highest levels in the past 450, 000 years. Increased greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect is feared to contribute to an overall warming of the Earth's climate, leading to global warming. Some regions may experience cooling, or wetter weather, while the temperature of the planet on average would rise.
Extreme Weather Patterns
The warming of the climate will lead to more extreme weather patterns such as more hurricanes and drought; longer spells of dry heat and intense rain; Northern Europe could be sevrely affected with colder weather if climate change continues, as the arctic begins to melt and sned fresher waters further south, keeping countries such as Britain warmer than expected; In South Asia, the Himalayan glaciers could retreat causing water scarcity in the long run.
Ecosystem Impacts
With global warming on the increase and species' habitats on the decrease, the chances for various ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many studies have pointed out the rates of extinction of animal and plant species, and the temperature changes around the world since the industrail revolution, have been significantly different to normal expectations.
Rising Sea Levels
Water expands when heated, and sea levels are expected to rise due to climate change. Rising sea levels will also results as the plar caps begin to melt. Rising sea levels is already affecting many small islands.
Increase in Pests and Disease
An increase in pests and disease is also feared. The is an alarming increase in outbreaks and epidemics of diseases throughout the land and ocean based wildlife due to climate changes. Climate change is disrupting natural ecosystems in a way that is making life better for infectious diseases. IF some of this does get worse, it is likely that the poorest regions and people are likely to suffer the most, as they would have the least resources in hand to deal with the effects.
Most people think environmental effrots take too much trouble. Others are indifferent to the need to save the environment. But amid to despiar, there is one hope. Technology would be the key. We are living in a technology age, we can utilise the resources and teh knowledge we have to save the environment. If everyone is willing to put in more effort to preserve what we have now, we will not only ensure the surviail of our future generations, but also protect the wonders Nature has given us.
Angela
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
8:38 pm
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The ever arising global environmental problems have taken centrestage into today's society. The need to preserve the environment has widely been raised to prevent the world from suffering from a castastrophe. The United States and the other countries of the developed world are largely responsible for our current situation. We and the other countries of the world have to channel our technological resources toward creating a global economy that is environmentally sustainable for generations to come. Like never before in human history, the environmental crisis requires that people everywhere work together for the good of our common earth.
With the survival of the planet at stake, global environmental problems outweigh national interests and must rank as the top priority on our national agenda. We carry the responsiblity of channeling our technology resources towards creating a global economy that will eventual sustain for generations to come.
However, not everyone concur to the decision of prioritising the need to protect our Mother earth. In the fiercely competitive global market, the health of our nation’s economy must assume top priority. To be able to gain a foothold in today's economy, environmental plans will only derial the economy. The answer to environmental
problems does not lie in strengthening the role of international organizations in our lives. It will be foolish to hamstring one's economy with environmental restriction while other developing countries will seize the chance of emerging into the global market.
Hence, we have to stand up for what's right for us in order to live the best days of our lives. Like never before in human history, the environmental crisis
requires that people everywhere work together for the good of our common earth. Pollution caused in developing countries notably china have endanger the future of the next generation or so. The only way to curb this disaster is to make sure the world act as one and work towards solutions to reduce global warming. Government of different countries also must shoulder the responsibility to ensure enviromental plans can be implemented.
Alfone a.k.a David Villa
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:31 pm
Hello mates! Please blog about the topic under ENVIRONMENT by this Saturday (21st July) 10pm. Thank you.
Angela
Labels: Environment
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:30 pm
A newspaper article from The Straits Times(Insights) on Family - Homosexuality.
Click on the picture for larger view.
Angela.
Labels: Family
Y 07S10-GRP02
7:29 pm
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Uniquely, Singapore.
- As Singapore is a small and relatively modern island made out of mainly Chinese, Malays, Indians and Europeans, the culture of Singapore expresses the diversity of the population as the various ethnic groups continue to celebrate their own cultures while they intermingle with one another.
- However, Singapore has achieved a significant degree of cultural diffusion with its unique combination of these ethnic groups, and has given Singapore a rich mixture of diversity for its young age.
- Singapore has several distinct ethnic neighborhoods, including Little India, Chinatown and Kampong Glam, formed by the Raffles Plan of Singapore in the early 19th century to segregate the new immigrants into specific areas.
- Although the population are no longer segregated in distribution, mainly due to the policies of the Housing Development Board and the ruling People's Action Party, these ethnic neighborhoods retain unique elements of their specific culture.
- The usage of such neighborhoods is mostly commercial or for cottage industry specific to the culture of its ethnic neighborhood, and no longer plays a large part in housing the population, although it was once used for that purpose. Hence, these neighborhoods have patronage of all races who wish to either eat or buy something specific to that culture.
- The policies of the Housing Development Board are designed to encourage a mix of all races within each housing district, with a quota system in place to achieve a minimum of minorities in each block.
- This effect can be observed in all parts of the country; for example a store devoted to selling Malay food might be right next to stores selling Chinese or Indian goods. The aim is to foster social cohesion and national loyalty, which Lee Kuan Yew felt was crucial for sustaining Singapore after independence when he was Prime Minister. There is a weighty emphasis on racial harmony and subsequent case study of historical events, such as the 1964 Race Riots.
Meihui.
Labels: Culture
Y 07S10-GRP02
8:30 pm
There are many culture in singapore because of the different religion and races of the people. More than 40% of Singaporeans practice Buddhism. About 15% practice Christianity (mostly Chinese and Indians), and 15% profess no religion. Muslims (mostly Malays) account for 14%. Smaller minorities practice Taoism, Sikhism, Hinduism, the Baha'i faith, and others.
Singapore is a mixture of an indigenous Malay population with a third generation Chinese majority, as well as Indian and Arab immigrants with some intermarriages. There also exist significant Eurasian and Peranakan (known also as 'Straits Chinese') communities. Singapore has also achieved a significant degree of cultural diffusion. One example is in Singaporean cuisine.Since the 1990s, the government has been striving to promote Singapore as a centre for arts and culture, and to transform the country into a cosmopolitan 'gateway between the East and West'. The highlight of these efforts was the construction of Esplanade.
Thus i can conculde that singapore is actually a very open country to have so many culture to come up as one. Singaporeans are very fornuate as we can actually learn alot more other culture other than our own.
GLADYS(:
Labels: Culture
Y 07S10-GRP02
7:56 pm
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Topic: Culture - Singapore
Singapore Culture
Singapore is a multi-racial society where people live harmoniously and interact amongst the different races. This pattern of the current Singapore stems from the inherent cultural diversity of the island. The immigrants of the past have given the place a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European influences.
The areas for different races that were designated to them by Sir Stamford Raffles still remain. The old streets of Chinatown can still be seen; the Muslim characteristics are still conspicious in Arab Street; and Little India along Serangoon Road still has its distinct ambience. Moreover, there are still marks of the British colonial influence in the Neo-Classical buildings around Singapore.
Each racial group in Singapore has its own distinctive religion and there are colourful festivals of special significance all year round. In Singapore, food is readily and widely available. There are a wide variety of cuisines to offer.
Religion in Singapore
Chinese - Followers of Buddhism, Taoism, Shenism, Christians, Catholics and some considered as 'free-thinkers'.
Malays - Muslims.
Indians - Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.
Religion tolerance is essential in Singapore. Religions often cross racial boundaries and some even merge in unusual ways in this mordern country. Religion is still an integral part of the cosmopolitan Singapore. Many of its buildings are religions, be it old temples, modern churches, or exotic mosques. An understanding of these buildings do play a part in contributing to the appreciation of their art.
Languague in Singapore
There are four official languages in Singapore; Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. English is the most commonly-used language and it is also the language which different ethnic groups uses to communicate with each other. Students are taught in English at school, however still learning their Mother Tongue language to make sure they do not lose contact with their own cultural traditions.
- Angela
Labels: Culture
Y 07S10-GRP02
11:05 am
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Hi group members. This week's topic is on Culture (general). Please have all your entries in by Thursday, 26 April 2007, 8pm. Thank you.
- Angela.
Labels: Culture
Y 07S10-GRP02
10:30 pm
Topic: ‘This house believes that divorce is a social ill.’ Do you agree?
Reasons for Divorce:
• Not suitable for each other.
• Arguments and disagreements.
• Fewer children to sustain marriage.
• Violence in the family.
• Better Education
• Values, Attitude and Behavior changes.
• Finance and high expectations.
Consequences for Divorce:
• Emotional baggage (both parents and children).
• Uncertainty and confusion of situation (children).
• Inability for the new environment (children).
• Development of psychological barrier towards marriage.
• Negative impact on work productivity.
Labels: Divorce
Y 07S10-GRP02
12:02 pm
Thursday, April 19, 2007
To me divorce is a social ill. Nowadays,there are alot of young married couple divorcing. To divorce seemed to be a childish act. Alot of consideration shall be made before their marriage. Couples should actually try their best to make their marriage a sweet and lasting one.
REASONS FOR DIVORCE:
-Many young couples took the decision to get married and after their marriage, they found out that they are not unsuitable for each other. Thus,this resulted in divorce.
-The adults are very busy with their work.They would feel very tired and stressed once they reached home. A little disagreement between couples could spark off a great agruement. As this continued, it will lead to divorce too.
-Couples don't give birth to children as much as before. Thus there is no children to help to hold the marriage.
-Another point is family problems. Some wife will get abuse by her husband due to some problem. To add on to the above point, i think that it is necessary for the wife to divorce with her husband if she gets abused.
To conclude my above points,i think that divorce cases is increasing due to the arising family problems.Couples do not have enough time for one another to maintain their relationship.This will cause the couples to drift away from one another.
-GLADYS
Labels: Divorce
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:49 pm
'This house believes that divorce is a social ill.' Do you agree?
I agree that divorce is a social illness. Young married couple, especially in developed countries, are breaking up under the strain of making a living in the fast-paced abd high-cost city. Divorce rates across the world have risen sharply in the recent years with greater exposure to Western values. Most countries are actually witnessing changing attitudes towards the once-taboo topic of divorce.
Women increasingly have no qualms about walking out on a marriage, and this trend is especially evident in Shanghai. More than sixty per cent of the city's divorce proceedings in 2004 were initiated by the wife. This is more than double the national average of thirty per cent.
Reasons for divorce:
Money problems and unrealistic expectations
Women turn to divorce when they think their husbands gave failed to meet their expectations. which are getting higher and higher. Money disputes often spark rifts. Women are now getting more independent both financially and mentally. If their spouses cannot meet their expectations, they can just file for a divorce.
Better education
Divorce cases often happen when one feels that one's partner is not earning as much money as one with the qualification one's partner is holding, divorce would be brought up. The reason for this act is that one might feel that one's partner is unable to catch up with one and therefore, breaking up their once sweet love.
Fewer children to hold marriage together
According to psychologists, staying in an uhappy marriage is psychologically damaging. Staying for the children's sake is ultimately not in their interest or anyone else's. Some people feel that they would be better off living than staying in a marriage for the sake of their children.
Values, Attitude, Behaviour change
One may change one's values, attitude and behavior after years or even months after they got into their marriage lives. One's spouses might not be able to accept the sudden change in the others, and after suffering under it, one decides to bring up the matter of divorce.
Dual-income Family
Less time for each other and children. People nowadays are so focused on making money and going after their wants that they feel that work is more important than their families. When they spend lesser time with their families and more time on work, divorce might be a solution for them to be freed from the only 'tied-down' reason they have.
- Angela
Labels: Divorce
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:30 pm
Divorce has been a rampant plague in the society. The latest statistics is unbelievable!! The odds are that 1 out of every 2 marriages will fail! Many relationships these days in the world do not even enter a "marriage" state - people just live together until they get sick of each other.
The cost to society is enormous as the prevalence of a single parenthood will cause the children to experience emotional brunt of a divorce at such a tender age. They are unlikely to cope with the cold heart fact that they have to witness the separation of their loves ones. Over the years, it may develop a psychological barrier that will hinder the child of stepping into a love relationship with the other sex. Also, the pain and suffering inflicted continues long after a divorce is finalized.
Also, broken couples have to undergo a torrid period of time to pick themselves up after divorcing which may cause a significant impact on their work productivity. Emotionally and mentally, they might be too traumatized and they will start to produce sub-standard quality work. Hence it will affect the whole society as a whole. Therefore i strongly agree the fact that divorce is a social ill that will cause devastating effects to the society.
Alfone
Labels: Divorce
Y 07S10-GRP02
8:42 pm
Divorce has been a rampant plague in the society. The latest statistics is unbelievable!! The odds are that 1 out of every 2 marriages will fail! Many relationships these days in the world do not even enter a "marriage" state - people just live together until they get sick of each other.
The cost to society is enormous as the prevalence of a single parenthood will cause the children to experience emotional brunt of a divorce at such a tender age. They are unlikely to cope with the cold heart fact that they have to witness the separation of their loves ones. Over the years, it may develop a psychological barrier that will hinder the child of stepping into a love relationship with the other sex. Also, the pain and suffering inflicted continues long after a divorce is finalized.
Also, broken couples have to undergo a torrid period of time to pick themselves up after divorcing which may cause a significant impact on their work productivity. Emotionally and mentally, they might be too traumatized and they will start to produce sub-standard quality work. Hence it will affect the whole society as a whole. Therefore i strongly agree the fact that divorce is a social ill that will cause devastating effects to the society.
Labels: Divorce
Y 07S10-GRP02
8:42 pm
Divorce, a social ill?
Divorce, although is a personal matter between a couple, but the people around them will naturally be affected too. Especially their child/children. Indeed the parents will go through emotional problems, but they are after all adults and will be able to handle their problems with maturity and more logically. Whereas children will experience a larger emotional turmoil. The following are some perspectives on the view of children in a divorcing family.
- The child knows nothing will ever be the same again. His old life routine will have a big change, and he might have that mistake notion that the breakup is somehow his fault. He will then try to "be good", hoping that the effect put in will stop the (inevitable)seperation
- Afraid that either parent will abandon him. Losing one parent is already enough, the child will fear that he will also lose the other. The idea of being alone in the world is very frightening for a child.
- After divorce, the child might have to move away. He naturally arelady has a sense of attachment towards the house, the school, his friends, his pets, his bed, his pillow etc etc etc. Yet he has to adapt to a new environment, which is understandable if he has negative emotions against adapting.
- Some parents might try to turn their child against the other spouse, and the child is now caught in the middle, unsure of what to do and what to say anymore.
All these have different impacts on different children. Some might grow up fearing commitment, for they do not want to end up like their parents. Children in a single parent family sometimes lack love and care from either one side of the parent or even both. That can result into improper upbringing. He can turn defiant and aggressive, or fall into depression. This can affect his academic performace, and if he will to eventually give up on his studies at a low education level and be stagnant there, he will definitely have problem finding jobs and feed himself in the future. If he finally decides to give up, he will become a burden to the society.
With divorce rates increasing in Singapore, it is considered as a norm to hear that certain parents are divorced. If 1 out of 5 divorce families have children that walks onto the wrong path, Singapore will be facing major trouble. Even if not, these children grow up to be emotionally scarred, and it will definitely affect their thinking or character in some manner. Therefore it is important for parents not to neglect their childrens' feelings.
I'M SOONG a:
Labels: Divorce
Y 07S10-GRP02
8:41 pm
Monday, April 16, 2007
"This house believes that divorce is a social ill." Do you agree?
Dear group mates, please blog about the above mentioned topic. Entries to be in by Thursday (19th April 2007) 10pm. I will do a blog summary before printing out. Entries that are late will not be included in the hard copy.
Labels: Divorce
Y 07S10-GRP02
6:44 pm
0 comments
0 comments
Topic: Birth Dearth (Group Summary)
Reasons for birth dearth:
1. Increasing singlehood.
2. Later marriages and family formation.6. 'Stop At Two' Campaign.
3. Desire for smaller families (common in developed countries)
4. Delayed childbearing.
5. High cost of living.
Consequences of birth dearth:
1. Increasing number of young working people supporting the elderly population.
2. Straining available resouces for health care and other social services.
3. Impending economic crisis.
4. National security risk.
5. Lack of natural resource (people).
6. Weaken Singapore's defence.
7. Competitions between Singaporeans and foreign talents.
Problems and solutions to birth dearth:
1. Longer maternity leave.
2. Work-life balance
3. Child care and infant care.
4. Financial support.
5. Baby bonus.
Labels: Birth Dearth
Y 07S10-GRP02
6:12 pm
Sunday, April 15, 2007
The Singapore Government is aware and concerned about the falling birth-rate, saying it aims to take a "holistic and coherent approach" that goes beyond financial measures to tackle the population challenges facing Singapore.
The declining birth-rate in Singapore reflects three key trends - increasing singlehood, later marriages and family formation, and desire for smaller families - that are common in developed countries.
Singapore is studying four main areas:
Maternity leave. Working mothers say that the existing eight weeks of paid statutory maternity leave is inadequate for them to recover, care for and bond with their new-born babies. The Government is looking into a longer maternity period, taking into account the costs on employers.
Work-life balance. Countries that have reversed their falling birth-rates have family-friendly practices in the workplace. The Government, in consultation with employers and employee representatives, is examining the scope for part-time and other flexible work arrangements that will allow parents to spend more time with their children. As former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has said, "I think it is total - money of course, is helpful to many people. It is a total environment for bringing up children. You have to make it easier for parents to bring up children."
Child care and infant care. Access to good and affordable child-care arrangements is important to parents. There is a reasonable subsidy for centre-based child care, but infant care is expensive.
Financial support. Marriage and parenthood are ultimately personal decisions, but financial measures such as grants and tax relief help. The Singapore Government is considering how to simplify and enhance existing tax measures, such as allowing certain measures to be claimed by husbands as well as by wives, and aligning the conditions for tax rebates with child-bearing patterns. Singapore is also introducing more flexibility in the use of the Baby Bonus.
Overcoming the "birth dearth" will take more than speeches and spending money on advertising - it will need new family-friendly policies and more money for families.
SAMANTHA
;DDDDDDDD
Labels: Birth Dearth
Y 07S10-GRP02
1:47 pm
Saturday, April 14, 2007
“We need more babies!” These are words from Singapore’s former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
There is slight problem concerning the average number of children born to each woman of childbearing age. According to statistics for 2002, Singaporean women give birth to 1.37 babies in a lifetime, down from 1.87 in 1990. Since a replacement level of 2.3 is required to keep a country’s natural population stable, Goh Chok Tong has elevated baby-making to a national priority. If the fertility rate continues to decline, of course, an increasingly small number of young working people must support a growing elderly population, straining available resources for health care and other social services. Singapore is concerned about its fertility rate not only in terms of an impending economic crisis, but also in terms of a national security risk. In fact, Singapore recently introduced female soldiers as a way to fill minimum personnel quotas for its armed forces.
Policies to encourage people to have children must be targeted at a broader base of women than university graduates if Singapore is to stop the falling fertility. in 2001, , the government sought to create a "total environment conductive to raising a family" by removing obstacles such as the finanical costs of raising children and childcare arrangements.
In April 2001, the government implemented the Children Development Co-Savings Scheme to lighten the financial burden of raising children. The Baby Bonus is a two-tier
scheme, comprising a cash gift of S$500 per year for six years for a second live
birth and S$1000 a year for six years for the third live birth born on or after 1
April 2001. In addition, there is a co-saving scheme whereby the government will
match dollar for dollar the amount parents put into a Child Development Account,
subject to a maximum of $1000 per annum for the second birth and $2000 per
annum for the third birth. Thus the maximum amount given will be $9000 for a
second child and $18 thousand for a third child. The money in the CDA may be
used to pay fees at approved childcare centres under the Ministry of Community
Development and Sports and at registered kindergartens and special schools under
the Ministry of Education. It can be used for all children, and not just the second
and third children. Payment is automatic for children born in the country, parents
may apply for payment if the child is born abroad. The babies must be Singapore
citizens, born on or after 1 April 2001 and children must be live born issue of the
mother (adopted children and step-children not counted in the reckoning of birth
order).
Singapore’s procreation incentives appear to have had some effect in the
early days of its introduction. However, fertility begun to slide and has returned
to the level of the pre-policy period except in selected instances. First, while
fertility rates among the 30 and older age groups have risen, this is due to some
extent to delayed childbearing – the birth order of babies born to these mothers
have not risen. Second, while third and fourth order births have risen, this
occurred only among one community, the Malays. It is as yet too early to say
what the impact of the most recent procreation incentives introduced in 2001 will
be. Uncertainty about the economy and employment is unlikely to help in the
near future.
Alfone.
Labels: Birth Dearth
Y 07S10-GRP02
10:55 pm
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Birth Dearth.
Undeniably, the ever falling birth rate is a grave problem Singapore is facing now, in spite with all sorts of bold measures taken by the government to encourage married couples to conceive more children or to encourage couples to marry, to procreate. Procreation polices have not worked its magic, and the baby dearth had hit its bottom to 1.24 in 2004. Slightly increasing to 1.25 in 2005, it is still not sufficient for Singapore will require a total of 2.1 children per woman in order to replace our current population.
With a decreasing birth rate, there is certainly not enough human resource to cope with the demands of manpower around the island. National service wise, there are lesser men now to defend this small country, and soon, we might have to enlist women for NS. Also, the economy needs people to keep the cycle going. For Singapore is surviving on a knowledge-based economy (KBE), workers must take on the work scope of two-three people at once in order to protect their rice bowl, but that also increases their worth in the company. People that are less competent tend to lose out, and these are the lesser or uneducated people. Yet they are those who are more willing to procreate then the higher educated colleagues. Irony is in the fact that people who can afford a child, isn’t the one that are procreating. Those that cannot afford that many children are giving birth to way more then they can handle.
The lack of brain resource within our people will lead to an increase in immigrants coming to Singapore as foreign talents to assist us. This can actually cause displeasure within our own citizens as these foreign talents are mostly in the higher positions and our workers cannot stand the fact that we’ve to work under them. Unhappiness slowly building up in the bottom workers’ heart can actually lead to inefficiency in their performance, affecting the company’s overall production. In some cases, protests or petitions against their superiors can even be submitted to the highest level of management. That will affect our image to the universe adversely when words get out.
To change this, firstly we’ve to build a health work-life balance. Secondly, we’ve to change the expectations that Singapore parents impose on themselves and their children. Child bearing should not been seen as an opportunity cost, for some mothers might have to put their careers on hold. We all know parents want their children to have the best and walk the easiest road for an ensured future, but just because the parents cannot or have a hard time crossing a certain hurdle in life, that should not restrict or scare them from conceiving babies. Some are good at studying, some at other areas, while some, are just contented being good people. As long as they have integrity, independent and resilient, what else more do you want? Sometimes, it is just the mentality that is in the way. Singaporeans will need to revise their thinking; if not boosting fertility will be in our top priority in a long run.
I'M MEIHUI.
Labels: Birth Dearth
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:41 pm
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
TOPIC: Birth dearth
After World War 2, Singapore faced a problem of increasing birth rate.Thus,the government came out with ideas to make a stop to this escalating problem.Example; Stop At Two,Three Or More If You Can Afford and etc.
When lesser babies are born per year, the social curve will not be balanced with the ageing population increasing while the birth rate decreasing.Hence,when the old passed away,Singapore's population will decrease.This will cause many internal problems in Singapore itself.
First,as singapore's only natural resource is only the people,our defence is heavily dependant on the people.With a declining brth rate, there will be fewer men available to be recruited in the Nation Service(NS). This will weaken Singapore's defence adversely.
Second,decreasing birth rate will result in ageing population.More resources will have to be used to take care of the senior citizens. Sinagpore will not produce enough talented people to sustain its development. Thus, more money will be invested on foreign talents which will lead to more unhapiness within Singapore as Singaporeans will think that the foreign talents are competing for jobs with them.
Thrid,policies like 'Graduate Mothers Scheme' were introduced to encourage graduates to have more children. This lead to unhappiness to the less-educated as they felt that they will be neglected under the policy. This scheme does not win support and thus being withdrew.
In conclusion,birth dearth is a very serious problem that Singapore is facing now.
With birth dearth,economy will weaken and society will decline.
GLADYS(:
Labels: Birth Dearth
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:25 pm
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Topic: Birth Dearth
Think! Remember the population bomb? The new problem that has surfaced is not about having too many people living in this planet anymore, on the contrary, it is about the declining birth rate that is occurring across the globe. Developed countries such as France, Japan and Singapore are experiencing especially low fertility rate.
Singapore's birth rate is still at record low even as bold measures were introduced by the government to encourage more births. Latest official figures show that Singapore's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in 2005 remained low at 1.25 children for each Singaporean woman. This new rate works out to just 37, 497 births, way below the 50,000 babies needed to replace the population.
Reasons contributing to the phenomenon:
'Stop at Two' campaigns
This campaign started out in 1969 to encourage couples not to have more than two children in their married life. Although the campaign ended in 1986, most couples still chose not to have more children or delay having them as the number of working women in Singapore has increased.
High cost of living
Couples fear of being unable to cope with the cost of raising children due to high standard of living and volatile global economy has dampened people's desire to have more children.
Remain single or Delay in marriages
Emancipation of women results in massive number of women receiving higher level of education, thus becoming financially-independent and intelluctually-empowered. Emancipation of women has also allowed women a myriad of choices in the way they lead their lives. There is greater emphasis given to individual fulfilment as opposed to familial obligation. Therefore, more women opt to remain single or have very few children, if any at all, so as to pursue other avenues of personal development or satisfication.
Today's world
While in affluent societies, children are no longer needed as insurance against destitution in old age, in poorer communites, access to free or highly-subsidised contraceptives as well as intermediate agricultural techonology and growing urbanisation have resulted in smaller families.
- Angela
Labels: Birth Dearth
Y 07S10-GRP02
9:46 pm
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Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Hello everyone! Finally done with the blog template. I hope Alfone and Chang Yu would not deem this blogskin as 'gayish'. Okay! So now this blog's just lack of our discussions! We will be back to blog soon! Group members, please be informed that our topic is Birth Dearth. Anyone can leave any comments pertaining to our entries. I am taking my leave now. Good Night!
Birth dearth: Falling fertility rates. A new threat to the planet.
- Angela
Labels: Birth Dearth
Y 07S10-GRP02
11:29 pm
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