Taking this module was meaningful for me in my university life.Though I initially feel that it is a waste of my time taking this module, I soon find that it taught quite about academic writing.
The thing I like most about this module is blogging. I feel that it is a great best way to track of our progress.We can also used the feedback given to improve our writing skills and look back on our past mistake in the previous posts.In addition, the writing skills will definitely be applicable in my field of study, real estate. I believed that with better writing skills would enable me to present my ideas better. Being specific or concise comes to
my mind first when I tried to recall what I have learnt from Brad. In real estate report, being specific helps to avoid ambiguity in the information or data being conveyed.
We have been practicing our writing on different drafts for the essay
and through these writing and commenting, I found my weakness was lack
of good grammar and understanding of sentence structure.
Even though ES1102 module has ended, I believe my learning has not.With
continuous positive attitude towards academic writing , I hoped that my writing skills will be more refined in the future.
Hope the best for you guys' final exams! =)
ES1102 Journey
Thursday, 14 November 2013
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Critical Reflection 1: Essay Process
In the initial stage of writing this essay, I had a natural tendency of writing about things related to environment degradation much due to Chandra's influence and thoughts of linking globalization to global warming and deforestation. However, globalization
is a very broad and complicated topic linking many spheres of disciplines like arts,sciences and economics together. Hence, much effort is being utilized to find specific local events or phenomenon connected with both environment and globalization. Initially, I had the notion of writing about disposable chopsticks and deforestation as I remember Brad talking about cutting down of tropical trees to supply Japan with chopsticks.
However, as I continued to brainstorm and research on this topic, I found insufficient data from the local databases and government websites regarding disposable chopsticks. Thus, I tried to be flexible and search for a new idea by widening my scope Thus, I saw an "easy way out" in form of rising food wastage as it was recently being reported by the local media and there are sufficient interest and data by the government agencies like National Environment Agency in this matter.
From this case, I have learn to be more flexible in choosing topics for writing be it for a report and group project.Rather than harping on a topic that you think you are good at, you could widen your horizon and looked for a new topic to write on that is more manageable.
However, as I continued to brainstorm and research on this topic, I found insufficient data from the local databases and government websites regarding disposable chopsticks. Thus, I tried to be flexible and search for a new idea by widening my scope Thus, I saw an "easy way out" in form of rising food wastage as it was recently being reported by the local media and there are sufficient interest and data by the government agencies like National Environment Agency in this matter.
From this case, I have learn to be more flexible in choosing topics for writing be it for a report and group project.Rather than harping on a topic that you think you are good at, you could widen your horizon and looked for a new topic to write on that is more manageable.
Sunday, 3 November 2013
Essay Final Draft
Globalization
has brought about excessive consumption via increasing transactions of goods
and services globally (Chanda, 2007). With rising affluence, the global demand
for food has increased in developed countries. As a result, the food wastage in
developed nations has also been escalated. Singapore is no exception to this
trend. According to a report by National Environment
Agency in 2013, the amount of food waste in Singapore hit a record high
last year as 703,200 tonnes was generated which was a 26 per cent spike from
the 558,900 tonnes produced in 2007. However, the
recycling rate for food waste had dropped from 16% in 2010 to 12% in 2012.
Thus, more efforts must be taken to reverse this adverse trend of increasing
food waste.
Unfortunately, there is a growing
priority for physical appearance among consumers. For example, food shoppers will
tend to only buy fruits and vegetable that look appealing or prefect. There is even legislation in the
European Union which prohibits the sale of out-of-shape produce. Though the
European Union lifted the ban on some 26 types of fruits in 2009, it still remains
on ten types of fruits and vegetables (Mardell, 2008). The effect of this mindset
is especially prominent among local supermarkets which place more emphasis on
good quality items that look nice on display so as to attract buyers. Once
the food product show the slightest flaws in physical appearance or are
considered unmarketable by supermarket staff, they will be disposed by the
local supermarkets (Low & Aw, 2009).
In
addition, there is also wastage of food arising from inventory mismanagement
and lack of properly-trained staff. For example, if an unskilled cook produces
a badly prepared dish which cannot be served, the dish will be just being
discarded. While proper inventory management could reduce costs for businesses,
most food establishments adopt a common practice of having 10 to 20 per cent
additional stock (Low & Aw, 2009). Thus, there is often over-stocking of
food among food retailers when there is low demand from the consumers.
Though
the food waste from the supermarkets and food retailers can be reused as
compost, the economic feasibility of this method is debatable as the
expenditure of producing a tonne of compost from
food waste is more than that of incinerating the waste (Tan, 2013). However,
there are still many alternative methods of recycling such waste. One solution
is to make food using recycled food waste. For example, the Agri-Food and Veterinary
Authority (AVA) produces a snack using recycled soya bean pulp during their
research in recycling food waste (Sim, 2013). Though this idea may sound
controversial, it can inspire food businesses to convert cost-incurring food
wastage into revenue-generating products. Nonetheless, some people will be
disgusted at the idea of eating food that is produced from waste. However, Singaporeans
will accept such food in the long run just like they accept Newater, drinkable water
processed from waste water.
In
addition, the government could mandate that the food businesses to have their
staff go through proper skill training in food-preparing and inventory
management. Though this may increase the cost of operation for the firms in the
short term, it can save costs for them in the long term via better utilisation
of food stock. Alternatively, food businesses with excess supply of food stock
due to under-whelming demand can donate their food product to charities like
“Food from the Heart”.
Though
the effectiveness of these solutions will be hard to gauge as habits do not
change overnight, it will still be prudent for food businesses to try reducing their food wastage as it can help them cut losses and reinforce their image as eco-friendly
retailers.The problem of rising food wastage is not just a local issue but also a global phenomenon Thus, there is also a need to focus more effort on encouraging the
international food industry to adopt the right attitude of recycling or
reducing food waste as changing socioeconomic landscape of the world and
worsening global environmental condition due to global warming will affect the worldwide
future food security adversely.
References
Chanda, N. (2007). The double edge of globalization. YaleGlobal. Retrieved
October 10, 2013 from http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/double-edge-globalization
Low.K
& Aw.M.( 2010, March
19). The food waste recycling dilemma.Food
Waste Republic Retrieved October 10, 2013 from http://foodwasterepublic.com/category/blog/2010/03/the-food-waste-recycling-dilemma/
Mardell, M.(2008). EU slices up
'ugly fruit' rules.BBC Retrieved
October 10, 2013 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7723808.stm
National
Environment Agency. (2013). Waste
Statistics and Recycling Rate for 2012.Retrieved
October 10, 2013 from http://app2.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/waste-management/waste-statistics-and-overall-recycling
Sim. W. (2013, July 11). Recycling solution to food waste in Singapore, Minister Khaw cites 'Okara floss' as an example of a practical solution to issue. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 10, 2013 from http://articles.stclassifieds.sg/entertainment-food-and-beverage/recycling-solution-to-food-waste-in-singapore-minister-khaw-cites-okara-floss-as-an-example-of-a-practical-solution-to-issue/a/127872
Tan, R. (2013, Aug 13).So much food waste, so little recycling in Singapore.The Straits Times. Retrieved October 10, 2013 from http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.sg/2013/08/so-much-food-waste-so-little-recycling.html#.Ul90oxD670Y
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Essay Draft 2
Globalization
has brought about excessive consumption via increasing transactions of goods
and services globally (Chanda, 2007). With rising affluence, the global demand
for food has increased in developed countries. As a result, the food wastage in
developed nations has also been escalated. Singapore is no exception to this
trend. According to a report by National Environment
Agency in 2013, the amount of food waste in Singapore hit a record high
last year as 703,200 tonnes was generated which saw a 26 per cent spike from
the 558,900 tonnes produced in 2007. However, the recycling rate for food waste had dropped from 16% in
2010 to 12% in 2012. Thus, more efforts must be taken to reverse this adverse
trend of increasing food waste.
Unfortunately, there
is a growing mindset of “cosmetics perfectionism” among consumers. For example,
food shoppers will tend to only buy fruits and vegetable that look appealing or
prefect. There is even legislation
in the European Union which prohibits the sale of out-of-shape produce. Though
the European Union lifted the ban on some 26 types of fruits in 2009, it still remains
on ten types of fruits and vegetables (Mardell, 2008). The effect of this mindset
is especially prominent among local supermarkets which place more emphasis on
good quality items that look nice on display so as to attract buyers. Once the food product show the slightest
flaws in physical appearance or are considered unmarketable by supermarket
staff, they will be disposed by the local supermarkets (Aw & Low, 2009).
In addition,
there is also wastage of food arising from inventory mismanagement and lack of
properly-trained staff. For example, if an unskilled cook produced a badly prepared
dish which cannot be served, the dish will be just being discarded. While
proper inventory management could reduce costs for businesses, most food
establishments adopt a common practice of having 10 to 20 per cent additional
stock (Aw & Low, 2009). Thus, there is often over-stocking of food among
food retailers when there is low demand from the consumers.
Though the
food waste from the supermarkets and food retailers can be reused as compost,
their economic feasibility is debatable as the expenditure of producing a tonne of compost from food waste is more than that
of incinerating the waste (Tan, 2013). However, there are still many
alternative methods of recycling such waste. One solution is to make food using
recycled food waste. For example, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority
(AVA) produces a snack using recycled soya bean pulp during their research in
recycling food waste (Sim, 2013). Though this idea may sound controversial, it
can inspire food businesses to convert cost-incurring food wastage into
revenue-generating products. Nonetheless, some people will be disgusted at the
idea of eating food that is produced from waste. However, Singaporeans will
accept such food in the long run just like they accept Newater, drinkable water
processed from waste water.
In addition,
the government could mandate that the food businesses to have their staff go
through proper skill training in food-preparing and inventory management.
Though this may increase the cost of operation for the firms in the short term,
it can save costs for them in the long term via better utilization of food
stock. Alternatively, food businesses with excess supply of food stock due to
under-whelming demand can donate their food product to charities like “Food from
the Heart”.
Though the
effectiveness of this solution will be hard to gauge as habits do not change
overnight, it will still be prudent for food businesses to embrace this policy
as it can help them cut losses and reinforce their image as enivironment-friendly
retailers. Moreover, Singapore, being a land-scare city island, does not have the
capacity to produce large amount of food to meet its own needs. Thus, more
significant effort must be focused on encouraging the local food industry to
adopt the right attitude of recycling or reducing food waste as changing
socioeconomic landscape of the world and worsening environmental condition due
to global warming will affect the future food security adversely.
References
Aw,M & Low,K.( 2010, March 19). The Food Waste Recycling Dilemma. Retrieved October 10, 2013 from http://foodwasterepublic.com/category/blog/2010/03/the-food-waste-recycling-dilemma/
Aw,M & Low,K.( 2010, March 19). The Food Waste Recycling Dilemma. Retrieved October 10, 2013 from http://foodwasterepublic.com/category/blog/2010/03/the-food-waste-recycling-dilemma/
Chanda, N. (2007). The Double Edge of Globalization. YaleGlobal. Retrieved October 10, 2013 from http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/double-edge-globalization
Mardell, M.(2008).
EU slices up 'ugly fruit' rules. Retrieved
October 10, 2013 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7723808.stm
National
Environment Agency. (2013). Waste Statistics and Recycling Rate for
2012.Retrieved October 10,
2013 from http://app2.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/waste-management/waste-statistics-and-overall-recycling
Sim. W. (2013, July 11). Recycling solution to food waste in Singapore, Minister Khaw cites 'Okara floss' as an example of a practical solution to issue. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 10, 2013 from http://articles.stclassifieds.sg/entertainment-food-and-beverage/recycling-solution-to-food-waste-in-singapore-minister-khaw-cites-okara-floss-as-an-example-of-a-practical-solution-to-issue/a/127872
Tan,
R. (2013, Aug 13). So much food waste,
so little recycling in Singapore.The Straits Times. Retrieved
October 10, 2013 from
http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.sg/2013/08/so-much-food-waste-so-little-recycling.html#.Ul90oxD670Y
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Essay Drat #1
Globalization
brought about excessive consumption via increasing transactions of goods and
services globally (Chanda, 2007). With rising affluence, the global demand for food
has increased in developed countries. Singapore is no exception to this trend. According
to a report by National Environment Agency (NEA), the
amount of food waste in Singapore hit a record high last year as 703,200 tonnes
was generated which saw a 26 per cent spike from the 558,900 tonnes produced in
2007. However, the
recycling rate for food waste has dropped from 16% in 2010 to 12% in 2012.
Thus, more efforts must be taken to reverse this adverse trend of increasing
food waste.
Unfortunately, there
is growing mindset of “cosmetics perfectionism” among consumers. For example,
food shoppers will tend to only buy fruits and vegetable that look nice or
prefect. There is even legislation
in the European Union which prohibits the sale of misshapen produce. Though the
European Union lifted the ban on some 26 types of fruits in 2009, it still remains
on ten types of fruits and vegetables (Mardell, 2008). This mindset is more
rampant among supermarkets which place more emphasis on good quality items that
look nice on display. Once
fresh produce show the slightest defects or are deemed unsellable by supermarket
staff, they will be discarded (Low & Aw, 2009).
Moreover,
there is also wastage of food arising from inventory mismanagement and lack of
properly-trained staff. For example, if an unskilled cook produced a badly
prepared dish which cannot be used, the dish will be just being discarded. While
proper inventory management could reduce costs for businesses, most food
establishments adopt a standard practice of having 10 to 20 per cent buffer
stock (Low & Aw, 2009). Thus, there is often over-buying of food stock among
food retailers when there is low demand from the consumers.
Though the
food waste from the supermarkets and food retailers can be reused as compost,
their economic viability is questionable as the cost making
a tonne of compost from food waste costs more than just incinerating it (Tan,
2013). However, there are still many alternative methods of recycling such
waste. One solution is to make food from the waste. For example, the
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) came up with a snack by recycling soya
bean pulp, or Okara in Japanese (Sim, 2013). Though this idea may sound
controversial, it can inspire food businesses to convert cost-incurring food wastage
into revenue-generating avenues. Nonetheless, some people will be disgusted at
the idea of eating food that is produced from waste. However, people will
accept such food in the long run just like they accept Newater, drinkable water
processed from waste paper.
In addition,
the government can mandate that the food businesses need to send their staff go for proper skill-training in food-preparing and inventory management. Though
this may increase the cost of operation for the firms in the short term, it can
save costs for them in the long term via better utilization of food stock. Alternatively,
food businesses with excess supply of food stock due to under-whelming demand
can donate their food product to charities like “Food FromThe Heart”.
Though the effectiveness of this solution will be hard to gauge as people's habits do not change overnight, it will still be prudent for food businesses to embrace this policy as it can help them cut losses and reinforce their image as eco-friendly retailers.Moreover, Singapore,
being a land-scare city island, does not the capacity to produce large amount
of food to meet its own needs. Thus, more significant effort must be focused on
adopting the right attitude of recycling or reducing food waste as changing socioeconomic
landscape of the world and worsening environmental condition due to global
warming will affect the future food supply adversely.
References
Chanda, N. (2007). The
Double Edge of Globalization. YaleGlobal. Retrieved
from http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/double-edge-globalization
National Environment Agency. (2013). Waste Statistics and Recycling Rate for 2012.Retrieved from http://app2.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/waste-management/waste-statistics-and-overall-recycling
Tan, R. (2013, Aug 13). So much food waste, so little recycling in Singapore.The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.sg/2013/08/so-much-food-waste-so-little-recycling.html#.UlVq3BD670Y
Mardell, M. (2008). EU slices up 'ugly fruit' rules. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7723808.stm
Low.K &
Aw.M.( 2010, March 19). The
Food Waste Recycling Dilemma. Retrieved from: http://foodwasterepublic.com/category/blog/2010/03/the-food-waste-recycling-dilemma/
Sim. W. (2013, July 11). Recycling solution to food waste in Singapore, Minister Khaw cites 'Okara floss' as an example of a practical solution to issue. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://articles.stclassifieds.sg/entertainment-food-and-beverage/recycling-solution-to-food-waste-in-singapore-minister-khaw-cites-okara-floss-as-an-example-of-a-practical-solution-to-issue/a/127872
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