Nowadays, our earth is full of the garbage. The production of garbage such as medical wastes, electrical wastes, hazardous wastes and others is greatly increasing with the progressing of countries. The phenomenon have caused impacts on environment as well as human beings. The quality of human lives as highly associated with nature has downgraded too. In response to these effects, many countries have started to concentrate on this issue and negotiate for appropriate solutions. For example, they have come out with the idea of land-filling and the incineration for waste disposal problems. However, the methods mentioned above are not considered the best solution due to the side effects they have caused such as air and land pollution. A later idea with effective system which called zero waste has been implemented and has resolved the previous problems.
Zero waste is a mean of designing and managing products and process to reduce the volume as well as toxicity of waste materials, conserve all resources, and not burn or bury(“Zero Waste International Alliance”, n.d.). In Malaysia, the waste disposal problems have become seriously. It is totally not the responsibility of government, the public plays a very important role too and they should involve themselves and corporate with government in solving these problems.
First, recycling is one of the common solution. Most of the wastes such as the aluminum cans, papers and glass bottles are recyclable. People should start fostering a good habit of recycling in their houses and within their residential area. Learning how to reduce, reuse and recycle the waste materials is beneficial in decreasing the accumulated household wastes. The recyclable rubbish can be arranged into different groups such as the batteries, papers, glass and others.
Besides, government also play a very important role in solving the waste disposal problems. As we know, recycle bins are rarely found in Malaysia and this has indirectly caused Malaysians lack sense of environmental protection. In order to improve this condition, government should put more efforts such as increasing the number of recycle bins in public places. This will encourage people to recycle and it also brings convenience for people in doing this good deed. Moreover, government can enhance the sense of responsibility among people by educating and making the plans of recycling acceptable. Government should active in organizing more related campaign as a way of educating. For example, the recycling campaign called “Thank You Recycle” was held in March, 2007. This campaign was very successful and during this campaign more than 300,000 waste materials are collected(“CSR Action”, 2007). Furthermore, government should punish the factories which produce the large amount of the wastes. Enforcement of law regulations is always considered an effective way for example, penalties are given to those factories that produce large-scale wastes. In minimizing such losses, the manufacturers will definitely alter their ways of operating.
Besides, there is an increasing accumulation of both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes produced by factories due to industrialization. The zero waste system is an ideal way and should be adopted in the operating of industries. The manufacturers are encouraged to design the products which are environmental friendly and bring the waste amount to the zero waste level. For instances, organic farming avoid the using of synthetic chemical fertilizers but instead environmental-friendly substances such as renewable resources and green manures. These renewable and recyclable materials help in alleviation of environment pollutions.
In conclusion, every individual must bear in mind that their lives are closely related to and heavily dependent on environment. The waste disposal problems bring nothing but suffers to them and even their generation. Therefore, every people and manufacturers must corporate with the government in solving these problems. Zero waste system is considered the best way, at least for now, should be encouraged and widely implemented. Let’s save our earth by reducing, reusing and recycling.
References
Zero Waste International Alliance. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2008, from http://www.californiagreensolutions.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=58
CSR Action. (2007, March). Retrieved October 26, 2008, from http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/csr/news/0706131800%20.html
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Portfolio 4
The main difficulty I have in my engineering classes is writing lab reports, particularly completing it within the given time frame. Most of the time, I could not finish my lab report in time. Basically the lab session takes about three hours long that includes experiment conducting and lab reports completion. However, I am unable to come out with the reports on time as I was stuck in the writing part. I was forced to forsake my lunch in order to finish my lab report and then I had to rush to my following tutorial classes. If I have the good skills in writing and summarizing, I can finish my lab report as fast as I can. It will save a lot of time.
Writing a good lab report requires both the engineering knowledge and English skills. It is not enough to have knowledge in our own modules or courses taken, good English writing is fundamental requirement in doing well in lab reports. I have difficulty in summarizing the concepts and physics laws as to avoid plagiarism. I find that it is difficult for me to use the short sentences to summarize the physics laws. The sentences which I used are incoherent. Besides, we have the discussion session with the lab assistant while doing the lab. We also need to summarize our discussions. I find that I cannot summarize all the main points and translate mathematic formulas into English. For example, after the discussion on “the principle of conservation of momentum”, I cannot really describe all of the conditions well. Although the tutor has physics background, he would still feel that the points do not flow. Lastly, I have difficulty in writing the conclusion because it needs to conclude all of the previous sections which I have done. Most of the time, my conclusion is irrelevant to the previous parts.
To tackle these problems, I need to use conjunctions to make the ideas flow freely. For examples, I must use the conjunctions to connect the two fragmented parts. Supporting details must be used directly to explain the concepts and ideas. Besides, I need to do more exercise of summary and try not to put unnecessary information in my conclusion. Redundant and irrelevant information will make the essays choppy.
In conclusion, I will keep reading the examples of lab reports on the ITSELF and try to improve my writing skills. Besides, physics lab report is done in a group of two, I will ask for suggestions from my partner and seek advice from the lab assistant.
Writing a good lab report requires both the engineering knowledge and English skills. It is not enough to have knowledge in our own modules or courses taken, good English writing is fundamental requirement in doing well in lab reports. I have difficulty in summarizing the concepts and physics laws as to avoid plagiarism. I find that it is difficult for me to use the short sentences to summarize the physics laws. The sentences which I used are incoherent. Besides, we have the discussion session with the lab assistant while doing the lab. We also need to summarize our discussions. I find that I cannot summarize all the main points and translate mathematic formulas into English. For example, after the discussion on “the principle of conservation of momentum”, I cannot really describe all of the conditions well. Although the tutor has physics background, he would still feel that the points do not flow. Lastly, I have difficulty in writing the conclusion because it needs to conclude all of the previous sections which I have done. Most of the time, my conclusion is irrelevant to the previous parts.
To tackle these problems, I need to use conjunctions to make the ideas flow freely. For examples, I must use the conjunctions to connect the two fragmented parts. Supporting details must be used directly to explain the concepts and ideas. Besides, I need to do more exercise of summary and try not to put unnecessary information in my conclusion. Redundant and irrelevant information will make the essays choppy.
In conclusion, I will keep reading the examples of lab reports on the ITSELF and try to improve my writing skills. Besides, physics lab report is done in a group of two, I will ask for suggestions from my partner and seek advice from the lab assistant.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Portfolio 3
Source: The following passage is excerpted from online article written by Matthew Hick. The title of the article is "Renewable Energy Tax Credits." The Web site address is http://renewableenergy-today.com/Renewable-Energy/Renewable-Energy-Tax-Credits.html.
It’s certainly no secret: the cost of renewable energy production and its implementation can be extremely high. This is the very reason why tax credits are often used to enable renewable energy sources to compete with fossil fuels.
With rising oil and natural gas prices, the war in Iraq and environmental problems centering on global warming and air pollution, our nation is concerned about their energy security and environmental issues. The United States is recognizing the need and power of renewable energy and is supporting its development through federal income tax credits and incentives.
President George Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law on August 8, 2005. It took over four years for Congress to pass after reviewing several different versions. It extended tax credits for wind and biomass energies for two more years and included additional tax credits for solar, geothermal and ocean energy.
Solar tax credits apply to residential and business users. This tax credit would pertain to eligible equipment installed between 1/1/06 and 12/31/08. The equipment installed would include those solar systems that generate electricity, heat and cool or provide hot water to structures. It must also be operational in the first year the credit is taken and the taxpayer must be the original user. The credit is 30% with a $2,000 cap for each unit for residential taxpayers and it is 30% with a no business cap specified for corporate users. After 12/31/08 the corporate tax credit will return to 10%.
The geothermal corporate credit remains at 10% with no maximum stated. This credit does not apply to geothermal heat pumps and is limited to geothermal energy equipment that produces, uses or distributes energy derived from geothermal deposits. A personal tax credit of 10% with a $300 maximum can be taken for geothermal heat pumps.
The federal government also included production tax credits for renewable energies. These credits allow companies to invest in renewable technologies and write the investment off against other investments. This was a major push of support for renewable energy technologies. The credit was extended until December 31, 2008. The credits are 1.9 cents per kWh for wind, geothermal, closed-loop biomass and 1.0 cent per kWh for hydroelectric power, landfill gas, municipal solid waste and open-loop biomass. These pertain to the first ten years of operation.
Similar to production tax credits, there were also provisions for renewable energy production “incentives” (REPI) for state and local governments, as well as, nonprofit electrical cooperatives. The enacted law included new qualifying energy generation facilities for solar, wind, biomass (excluding municipal solid waste combustion) landfill gas and certain types of dry steam geothermal energy. It was extended through fiscal year 2016 and also included ocean and wave energy.
These credits will be applied to any amount that remains after any other state or utility incentives have been taken. There are numerous states that do offer incentives also. Some new state incentives include a California state rebate program for photovoltaics, an Illinois state grant program for wind energy, a New Jersey state rebate program for geothermal heat pumps and a Pennsylvania property tax assessment for wind energy. These are just a few of the many state incentives that exist.
The United States government and the individual states are promoting renewable energy sources as an energy source to be encouraged. With all the incentives available, this may be one of the best times to make your air cleaner with a commitment toward this energy. With everyone’s support we can recharge renewable energy’s development.
Summary:
We cannot deny that the price of the renewable energy products is very costly. They need tax credits because they cannot compete with the fossil fuels on price. Because of the environmental problems and rising prices, people admit the need for green energy. The United States extended the tax credits for green energy to support the development of the renewable energy. All the original users can have these credits. Besides, the federal goverment also implements production tax credits and provides incentives for green energy products. These are the dominant supports for the development of renewable energy technologies. Many companies can invest in renewable technologies due to these credits. The USA encourages people to use green energy instead of the ongoing fossil fuels. We can enhance the green energy's development by everyone's effort and make them more user-friendly to the public (Matthew Hick, n.d.).
References
Matthew Hick. (n.d.). Renewable Energy Tax Credits. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from http://renewableenergy-today.com/Renewable-Energy/Renewable-Energy-Tax-Credits.html
It’s certainly no secret: the cost of renewable energy production and its implementation can be extremely high. This is the very reason why tax credits are often used to enable renewable energy sources to compete with fossil fuels.
With rising oil and natural gas prices, the war in Iraq and environmental problems centering on global warming and air pollution, our nation is concerned about their energy security and environmental issues. The United States is recognizing the need and power of renewable energy and is supporting its development through federal income tax credits and incentives.
President George Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law on August 8, 2005. It took over four years for Congress to pass after reviewing several different versions. It extended tax credits for wind and biomass energies for two more years and included additional tax credits for solar, geothermal and ocean energy.
Solar tax credits apply to residential and business users. This tax credit would pertain to eligible equipment installed between 1/1/06 and 12/31/08. The equipment installed would include those solar systems that generate electricity, heat and cool or provide hot water to structures. It must also be operational in the first year the credit is taken and the taxpayer must be the original user. The credit is 30% with a $2,000 cap for each unit for residential taxpayers and it is 30% with a no business cap specified for corporate users. After 12/31/08 the corporate tax credit will return to 10%.
The geothermal corporate credit remains at 10% with no maximum stated. This credit does not apply to geothermal heat pumps and is limited to geothermal energy equipment that produces, uses or distributes energy derived from geothermal deposits. A personal tax credit of 10% with a $300 maximum can be taken for geothermal heat pumps.
The federal government also included production tax credits for renewable energies. These credits allow companies to invest in renewable technologies and write the investment off against other investments. This was a major push of support for renewable energy technologies. The credit was extended until December 31, 2008. The credits are 1.9 cents per kWh for wind, geothermal, closed-loop biomass and 1.0 cent per kWh for hydroelectric power, landfill gas, municipal solid waste and open-loop biomass. These pertain to the first ten years of operation.
Similar to production tax credits, there were also provisions for renewable energy production “incentives” (REPI) for state and local governments, as well as, nonprofit electrical cooperatives. The enacted law included new qualifying energy generation facilities for solar, wind, biomass (excluding municipal solid waste combustion) landfill gas and certain types of dry steam geothermal energy. It was extended through fiscal year 2016 and also included ocean and wave energy.
These credits will be applied to any amount that remains after any other state or utility incentives have been taken. There are numerous states that do offer incentives also. Some new state incentives include a California state rebate program for photovoltaics, an Illinois state grant program for wind energy, a New Jersey state rebate program for geothermal heat pumps and a Pennsylvania property tax assessment for wind energy. These are just a few of the many state incentives that exist.
The United States government and the individual states are promoting renewable energy sources as an energy source to be encouraged. With all the incentives available, this may be one of the best times to make your air cleaner with a commitment toward this energy. With everyone’s support we can recharge renewable energy’s development.
Summary:
We cannot deny that the price of the renewable energy products is very costly. They need tax credits because they cannot compete with the fossil fuels on price. Because of the environmental problems and rising prices, people admit the need for green energy. The United States extended the tax credits for green energy to support the development of the renewable energy. All the original users can have these credits. Besides, the federal goverment also implements production tax credits and provides incentives for green energy products. These are the dominant supports for the development of renewable energy technologies. Many companies can invest in renewable technologies due to these credits. The USA encourages people to use green energy instead of the ongoing fossil fuels. We can enhance the green energy's development by everyone's effort and make them more user-friendly to the public (Matthew Hick, n.d.).
References
Matthew Hick. (n.d.). Renewable Energy Tax Credits. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from http://renewableenergy-today.com/Renewable-Energy/Renewable-Energy-Tax-Credits.html
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