Someone we have always forgotten

THIS ENTRY IS COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT TO EG1471.

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Had a strong desire to write this entry during church service last Sunday. How many times have I forgotten about Him, our almighty God.

Going to university is not stressful until I realise there is not sufficient amount in my bank account for fees deduction; it is more stressful thinking this is going to be real hard and I have to put in more effort in order to perform. Always I worry about my family, my future, my friends, everybody's well-being. The more I worry, the more paranoid I become. I started feeling down, feeling helpless, thinking God is so unfair to me (or to everyone as well?), thinking my life is so misearable...

Christina (my poly classmate) once told me, "When you are worrying, you are telling God that you can handle the situation and He can put a stop to all that He is doing for you."

How true! My faith and trust in God is just too little. To think He plans everything in the best way it can be. For every event happens for a purpose. There must be a lesson to learn or a message to pick up.

It is easier to say than do, especially to a pessimist like me who does nothing but worry. I will walk my life with more courage, with more love, with more understanding, with God.

Difficulties I Face in Writing

It is always been my dream to be able to speak and write English well. Due to the learning environment I was exposed to in Primary and Secondary education, I hardly use English in my daily conversations with people.

One of the difficulties I have in writing is vocabulary. I seem to have limited word bank in my brain. Most of the time, I find it difficult to come up with new words in my writing. Instead, I keep having to repeat the same words.

The only way to improve my vocabulary is by reading. Thus, I have subscribed to Time Magazine and Fortune last year. Each week, I force myself to read up the magazines and jot down any unfamiliar words. In the evening, I will look up the dictionary and check for their meanings. Also, I try to infuse these words into my writing and conversation. Hopefully by using them frequent enough, my vocabulary can be improved.

Although the module EG1471 has came to an end, the journey in English learning has just started for me. Thank you Miss Dara for your devotion in making the learning process a fun yet effective one. Also, thank you my fellow classmates for the memorable days you had brought to me. Let's keep on exploring and learning English, and not forgetting to make our Earth a better place to live on.

Wisdom vs Intelligence

Wisdom and intelligence are knowledge that is different in the methods of acquisition and the possible impacts they may have on leaders. Wisdom is a type of knowledge involving social and interpersonal aspects which intelligence is of a non-social type of knowledge. Wisdom and intelligence, which makes a better leader?

Firstly, wisdom is gained through continuous learning process whereas intelligence is knowledge that one is born with. Highly intelligence child is called “gifted” child. He usually performs better than others in early stages of the learning process. Gradually, he may lack of the drive to learn and the hunger for more knowledge and skills. As this intelligent child grows up and becomes leader, he has an inability to educate his followers with the knowledge he has gained. On the other hand, leader who has wisdom will actively search for more knowledge, more wisdom. He tends to constantly feed his people with new skills he has recently picked up. Thus, wisdom, rather than intelligence makes a leader a better motivator because he is continuously encouraging his people to move forward in learning process.

Secondly, wisdom makes a leader analyses information based on concrete facts while intelligence makes use of emotional feelings. Intelligent leader tends to ‘go with the feelings’ in decision makings. With the knowledge he is born with, intuitive feelings seem to lead him to good decisions during his childhood. His lack of personal experiences in adulthood results in his inability to convince his followers of his actions and decisions. However, leader who constantly seeks for wisdom is one who has gone through the ups and downs in his learning experiences. This leader is capable in differentiating the good from the bad. Thus, wisdom leader leads his people to a better tomorrow but intelligent leader gives uncertain future.

In addition, leader with wisdom makes quality decisions under pressure whereas leader with intelligence only get panicky in crises. Due to the lack of life experiences in encountering crises, intelligence-only leader is more likely to be anxious and frightened facing difficult situations. Instead of striving to come up with practical solutions, he is unable to calm his mind and control his fear. This is usually the situation when leader not only make bad decisions, but also incur more fear in his people. Unlike intelligence-only leader, a wisdom leader who has gone through the emotional-training stage is calmer and is better in handling chaotic situations. His continuous learning exposes his to more adversities in each stage of life. This encounter serves as training for his mental and emotional to be well controlled and regulated and hence able to weigh the options before making any decisions. In short, wisdom leader is able to give directions to his followers at all times while intelligent leader is more likely to worsen the situation in a crisis.

Wisdom and intelligence have different methods of acquisition. Therefore, they result in an impact that affects every human being in the world, especially the leaders. One with intelligence can be a leader, but one with wisdom will be a great leader.

Zero Waste Scheme: A better choice for a better tomorrow

Zero waste scheme and incineration are two different waste disposal methods widely adopted worldwide, including Malaysia.

Incineration disposes of waste by means of burning. Trash collected from residential areas and industrial districts are dumped into incinerators and burned. This is an easy yet efficient way of elimination waste as there is no need for segregation of waste types and properties. However, incineration process produces toxic by-products such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide gases. These air pollutants are released to the atmosphere which further worsens the air quality. Also, incineration requires energy resources such as fuel and electricity to heat up the furnace to as high as 1200°C. A large amount of natural resources are wasted each year to dispose of the waste generated by society daily.

On the other hand, the zero waste scheme adopts a slightly different strategy in handling waste. Most of the waste collected is recycled or reused for other purposes. Waste is separated into three main categories by end users. No extra cost is involved for the pre-processing work. Also, the zero waste generates less harmful by-products but more usable outputs such as organic fertilizers and pesticides. Moreover, resources are retained within the system and regenerated in new forms. We no longer require more energy resources for waste management.

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In my opinion, the zero scheme is a better choice of waste disposal method for my home country Malaysia. Malaysia has recently announced the sectors which use fuel and electricity as the main contributor to air pollution and climate change in Malaysia. By adopting the zero waste scheme, Malaysia can be made a greener country to stay in.

Approach to climate change - Malaysia & U.S.

According to the national policy, Malaysia adopts a “precautionary principle” policy that allows justified actions to mitigate climate change, even though there is presence of scientific uncertainties. The energy sector in Malaysia has been identified as the major contribution (within Malaysia) of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. One of the strategies adopted by the government is to make known hydro power and gas as the primary energy sources to reduce the heavy dependence on oil. Besides that, “Guidelines for energy efficiency in Buildings” has been introduced to set minimum standards for energy conservation in the design of new buildings. Lastly, campaigns and programmes are implemented by government agencies to promote energy efficiency, recycling and use of public transport.

On the other hand, the United States has adopted another approach to deal with climate change. George Bush has addressed a proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that does not compromise economic growth, which is to develop advanced clean energy technologies. Till date, the U.S. has funded $18 billion on research, development and promotion of clean and highly efficient energy technologies. The new generation of technology will run on sustainable bio-fuels like cellulosic ethanol, which is made from agricultural wastes. In addition, the U.S. is expected to operate the world’s first zero emissions coal-fired energy plant in near future.

Be it a developing or a developed country, we should all do our parts in fighting against global climate change. Together, we can make our Earth a better place to live.

Climate Change

Malaysia, a beautiful tropical country who is also well-endowed with natural resources in areas such as agriculture, forestry and minerals. With a total landmass of 329,847km², we have more than enough ground area for economic development and residential. In line with government's policy to preserve the nature and ecosystem, deforestation is managed at a sustainable rate. Inasmuch as the natural landscape is protected, potable water is easily available. Of all the extensive environment issues claimed by the scientist, we are down to one - atmosphere.

Since 1980, Malaysians have, through many ways, expressed their concerns about the deteriorating air quality. The haze episode in year 1997 was the worst ever experienced by Malaysia. Monitoring system (during the haze) showed that big fires in areas of Sumatra and Kalimantan had contributed to the sudden rise of suspended particulates in air. But can we conclude that we the local residents are innocent victims but not the culprit of this phenomena?

The main source of air pollution comes from industrial and developmnt activities. Different industries emit different pollutants into the air through flaring. This is especially serious in highly industrialized area such as Klang Valley. Secondly, with the increasing numbers of motor vehicle moving on the road, air quality is uncontrollably disturbed. Low cost Malaysia national cars are easily attainable and affordable by most families. On top of that, inefficient public transportation in suburb especially, has indirectly promoted car ownership by individuals. Last but not least, daily routine by each household contributes to the poor air quality unknowingly. CFC from coolant liquid in refrigerator is account for depletion of ozone layers. Open burning is widely practised by rural residents to get rid of household waste the easy way.

The various causes of air pollution has further added on to the Earth's poor air quality loading. Not only it affects the climate within Malaysia but a total climate change on earth. Occurence of acid rain is no stranger to us anymore. Agriculture is heavily affected due to infertility of soil (reducing pH by acid rain). Diminishing vegetation interrupts the food chain mechanism, causing the whole ecosystem to collapse. In time to come, human shall understand the meaning of "What goes around, comes around".

Anyway, Malaysia government is actively looking for workable solutions to mitigate the problem. United Nation conference has recently recognized the negative impact of coal on global warming. Together with the other 140 countries, hopefully we can put more focus on saving the earth whilst striving for economic growth.

My Life's Meaning

The one and only thing that matters to me is LOVE. Not only the romantic love between men and women, but, also the love for humanities.

How easily we are to buy into modern social values that are not conducive to one's happiness and development. Most of the people devote their lives in chasing the wrong things - big house, sports car and status. Money cannot heal a dying soul nor buy an experience that we have missed. So why not invest time on loving our family, friends and this beautiful nature?

In my opinion, family is my foundation, as the love and care that my family can give is supremely valuable. Unlike friends, family is there for me constantly. Being away from home all the time, I have learnt to cherish the precious time I have with my loved ones. I am so looking forward to my home trip during the coming Chinese New Year.

Have you "loved" your family today?