STOP POLLUTION!

ION

Do you know that Singaporeans throw away 2.8 million tons of rubbish in 1999?
If this amount of rubbish is stacked up to a man height of 1.7 meters it would occupy up to 350 football fields!
Every day a Singaporean discards 1.1 kilograms of rubbish.

Incineration is one of the methods in dealing with solid waste, let us discuss more about incineration.

In Singapore, we have four incineration plants. They are in Ulu Pandan, Tuas, Senoko and Tuas South. These incineration plants generate energy from the heat that is produced in the process of burning the rubbish.

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- Tuas South Incineration Plant.

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Incineration is a good way of disposing rubbish as it can recover scrap metal for recycling.
One incineration plant has enough energy to power two hosing estates and recover 28,800 tonnes of scrap metal for recycling.
Although, burning reduces the waste by 90%, but there is also another 10% of ashes that need to be disposed in landfills. In addition, a lot of energy is needed to burn the waste. Hence, the better way to reduce land pollution is still through the 3Rs, reduce, reuse and recycle.

By : Hsien Hoon [:

Noise Pollution can affect our hearing and bring us hearing problems too.

Other than those measures that i had mentioned in the earlier post that can reduce noise pollution, there are some other ways too. For example,

ear protectors and noise shields must be provided to the employees in working environments to prevent their hearing being damaged.

install noise barriers where there are noisy equipments

In Singapore, many shops in the malls or neighbourhood blast out their music loudly, either competing for business or attract/entertain customers. However, the shop owners didn't realise that this can also be a form of noise pollution when the music volume is too loud and customers might have an unpleasant shopping experience.

Some kopitiams can also be found in the neighbourhood and even during mid-night, there can still be some noise. As these kopitiams are open-air area, any noise made can be heard by residents clearly at night. These noises can certainly affect them from resting. Gangsters and uncles might also sprout vulgarities and screaming/shouting when they are watching football match together from the television in the kopitiams. All these can greatly affect all the residents!

So, the government should also do something or enforce some laws to stop people from making too much noises during late at night because they can certainly affect residents!

Done by: XiXi =P

Noise Pollution can affect our hearing.

This picture depicts how the great volume of noise affect us and stress us.

Noise Pollution occurs when unwanted sounds intrude our daily life. For example,

constant whirring of computers and air conditioners

sound of busy traffic

running car engine

sounds make by noisy instruments

screaming and shouting of human

When all these noises mounds up, they will turn in noise polltuion and cause negative impacts on the public. For example,

affecting human health

causing stress on people

hearing loss on people

affecting the performance made by employees and students

Many people tend to ignore the consequences of noise pollution as they do not see it as a threat to them. However, noise pollution can still affect our daily lives greatly and we should do something to avoid it.

Done by: XiXi xP

Singapore is an island, a city state. It has a total land area of 650 square kilometres and a population of 4.1 million. With limited land and a high population density, it has to meet the challenge of building a comprehensive, efficient and yet environmentally acceptable land transport system.

Things had been done to their utmost to minimize the adverse impacts of an ever expanding transport network.

In highly urbanized Singapore, noise pollution from road traffic and MRT/LRT trains receives much attention. With further urbanization and the widening of expressways, noise levels have been gradually rising in some areas, especially those along existing expressways.
New buildings are required to fronting expressways, major arterial roads and MRT tracks to be set back from these thoroughfares so as to minimize the impact on residents.

In addition, Singapore have set noise emission standards for vehicles, and are using low-noise porous asphalt to pave our expressways. We have adopted noise-damped rail tracks and wheels for MRT trains. The LRT trains have rubber wheels, and we make them run on concrete tracks to keep the noise level down.

done by zhiling

Noise is a disturbance to the human environment that is escalating at such a high rate that it will become a major threat to the quality of human lives. In the past thirty years, noise in all areas, especially in urban areas, have been increasing rapidly. There are numerous effects on the human environment due to the increase in noise pollution.

Here are some facts on Noise

Noise or sound is measured in decibels, dB. The basic instrument used for the measuring of noise is the sound level meter.

This instrument is designed to respond in approximately the same way as the human ear and gives objective assessment of sound pressure level.
Typical sound levels measured in the surrounding are as follows:
library - 35 dB
office - 60- 65
normal traffic noise 70 - 80 dB
Airport (plane take off) - 120 dB

Subjected to 45 decibels of noise, the average person cannot sleep. At 120 decibels the ear registers pain, but hearing damage begins at a much lower level, about 85 decibels. The duration of the exposure is also important.

When there is large exposure to noise, including excessively amplified music, it results in hearing loss, lack of sleep, irritability, heartburn, indigestion, ulcers, high blood pressure, and possibly heart disease. In addition, noise-induced stress creates severe tension in daily living and contributes to mental illness.

by zhiling :D

How serious can Noise Pollution be? Noise Pollution is becoming an unpleasant fact of life and it affects our quality of life. Noise causes discomfort and has a negative impact on our health. Scientists have also found out that long-term exposure to Noise Pollution can result in negative consequences. Firstly, it can damage our hearing or cause a loss of hearing. It may also increase our heart rate, anxiety and stress level which may lead to related health problems such as high blood pressure. Thirdly, Noise Pollution can result in poor performance in school or at work as our ability to concentrate is affected.

By: Mei Xian

What has been the result of Noise Pollution? Let’s discuss on two of the causes that can be found in our country! Firstly, traffic can be a common cause of Noise Pollution, especially in cities. Cars on a busy road can produce about 60 to 90 decibels of noise. Besides cars, other types of vehicles can also cause Noise Pollution. An aircraft taking off produces noise of about 120 decibels while an MRT train entering a tunnel can produce noise of about 90 decibels.
Secondly, noise from drilling, piling, knocking and the use of heavy machinery during construction work all contribute to Noise Pollution. Other human activities, such as people talking loudly to one another, and events, such as concerts, are also some common causes of Noise Pollution.

By: Mei Xian

Our group has faced alot of difficulties. As our subject teachers have given us different projects, we not only have to meet up and discuss for this project, but also for the other projects. Hence, we do not have much time for each project.

In addition, our group leader is a Student Councillor. She usually have SC meetings after school, thus we really do not have much time to have discussions after school.

During the June holidays, we have supplementary lessons, some of us have Advanced Elective Module(AEM), which last for about the whole day for the whole week, and some of our group members are going overseas .
From all these problems, we can see that time management is very important. We hope that we can manage our time properly and complete our projects in time.

By : Hsien Hoon (:

PICTURES ON NOISE POLLUTION!

Some measures can be carried out to reduce the negative impacts caused by noise pollution.

NATIONAL EFFORTS

Enforcing laws and regulations

Government can enforce laws to control the noise volume created by vehicles, factories and construction sites. Police will then deal with the unwanted noise cause in residental areas when these noise have affected the residents.

Noise reduction methods

In Singapore, sound barriers are found along the sides of busy roads to prevent the noises from affecting the residental areas. Trees, shrubs and tall wooden fences are located at these places for this purpose. Walls of buildings can also be made of sound-proofing material to prevent sound from penetrating into the buildings. Muffler can also be installed on noisy equipments to aborb the sounds produced.

Individual efforts

Everyone should play a part to minimise the noise volume created by speaking softer instead of shouting to keep the environment a more plesant place for people to live in. At home, we should not do noisy activities such as playing instruments loudly as this can affect the neighbours. Soud-proofing devices should be installed in rooms if instruments are played.

With all these methods, i believe that Singaporeans can make Singapore a better environment to live in. However, we need the co-operation of everyone to make this plan successful. Saving the environment needs the effort of everyone!xD

Done by: Xi Xi =p

Sources of land pollution in Sinagpore:
1. Littering
2.Illegal dumping of domestic waste
3.Poor waste management from construction sites and industrial estates

Littering

"No Littering" signs can be found all over Singapore, however there are still a minority of Singaporeans who do not follow the law and remain indifferent to the warnings being issued to them.

Hence, there is a need to promote Singaporeans to be responsible for their actions and help to maintain Singapore's reputation of being clean and green.

Illegal dumping of domestic waste

Homes and offices also have a big impact on the amount of rubbish as people leave behind and throw away packaging materials, plastic bottles, unfinished food. Piles of dirty and rotting materials may attract rodents and insects that may carry organisms dangerous to our health.
Therefore other physical solutions have to be employed in Singapore to alleviate the problem of illegal dumping.

Poor waste management from construction sites and industrial estates.

This factor also causes major pollution. Construction firms burn their waste on-site instead of bringing the rubbish to the proper grounds for disposal.
In doing so, the building contractors hope to save money and time. These errant contractors run the risk of losing their license if they are caught.

done by:ZhiLing

Other than land pollution, noise pollution is also another type of polltuion that we will be focusing on. Many people may not pay much attention to noise polltuion compared to the other types of polltuion as it does not seem to affect out daily activites. However, when unwanted noises are added into our environment, they can affect our quality of life.

Noise pollution can be commonly be seen in Singapore. As Singapore is considered as a small country, there is a limited number of roads avaliable for transportation and this results in traffic congestion. When there is a traffic jam, cars tend to "honk" and create unnecessary noises and they can be very noisy. Industrial activities also create unwanted noises into the surrounding and the residents living near factories can be greatly affected when these unwanted noises are produced daily. Residents living near construction sites will also get affected when the machines such as cranes work daily. All these noises created are affecting us and their can cause harm to our health too. When people talk loudly, they tend to affect the surrounding too.

Human activites are the main cause of such noise pollution so we should be doing something to minimise these pollution to maintain the standard of our living.

Done by: Xi Xi xD

Pollution has caused many negative impacts on our environment. Let us focus on the problems mainly caused by land and noise pollution.

Land Pollution
Poisoning of animals
The pesticides use on farm not only affect the pests, actually the chemical also affect useful organisms such as earthworms, which help to fertilise the soil. When these earthworms are eaten by other animals, the toxic chemicals from the pesticides stored in the earthworms are passed on to the other animals. Pesticides that enter the soil not only contaminate the land, but may also pollute the groundwater.
Health problems
Waste that is disposed improperly can be unhygienic and also dangerous to human beings as it attracts pests, which carry germs and spread diseases. Moreover, farmers who are exposed to large amounts of pesticides have a higher chance to develop cancer and liver failure, compared to other people.

Noise Pollution
Noise causes discomfort and has a negative impact on our health. Long-term exposure to noise pollution can damage our hearing or even cause a loss of hearing. It will also increase our heart rate, anxiety and stress level, which may eventually lead to related health problems such as high blood pressure. Noise pollution will also lead to poor performance in school or at work as it affects our ability to concentrate.

By : Hsien Hoon

Our Government can protect the environment in many ways too. I will introduce to you the various national efforts in reducing pollution.

Enforcing Laws and Regulations
Many countries are enforcing laws to control the amount of pollutants emitted by industries, and to ensure that companies treat their waste before disposing them.

Using Advanced Technology
Using advanced technology to treat waste and remove pollutants can help to reduce the impacts of pollution to the environment. Developed countries have invested in building sewage treatment plants to treat waste before it is released into water bodies.
Developing Proper Waste Disposal Methods
Landfills, where huge pits are dug in the ground for the disposal of solid waste. Waste is dumped into these pits and covered with a layer of soil. It is then left to rot or decompose underground.
Incineration is another method of dealing with solid waste. Waste is being burned at high temperature. This reduces the volume of waste by as much as 90 percent.

Educating the Public
An effective way to reduce pollution is to encourage people and industries to produce less waste. Through public education programmes, people are informed about the harmful effects of excessive waste on the environment. Citizens are also given suggestions on how to reduce land pollution through the 3Rs, reduce, reuse and recycle.

By: Mei Xian

The problem of pollution can never be wiped out completely. In fact, the problem is likely to increase with population and industrial growth. Measures should be adopted to prevent pollution from getting out of control.
Let’s see what we can do as an individual! We have an important part to play in reducing the amount of waste produced and protecting the environment. We should always live a lifestyle with these three principles. Go “Green”, be informed and get involved. Going “Green”, includes purchasing environmentally friendly products or “green products”, such as rechargeable batteries with lower mercury content or products made of recycled materials, will also reduce the amount of waste produced.
As an individual, we should always make an effort to environment and various environmental problems present in the world so that we can do our part to help. That is being informed. We may choose to be directly involved in some environmental conservation plans, or be indirectly involved by not supporting activities or buying products that works against environmental conservation.
To be an effective helper in conserving the environment, we should always do our part for the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling waste. This is getting involved. Waste can be reduced if we do not buy things or use things that will be thrown away after one use. When we go shopping, we can also bring along our own bags to carry the things we need to buy instead of using plastic bags that are non-biodegradable. Before throwing things away, we should also consider on how each item can be reused. Discarding materials that can be recycled into recycling bins can also help reduce waste. Recycling involves making new things out of used materials.

By: Mei Xian

Land Pollution, besides being an eyesore to people, can be unhygienic and even dangerous to human beings. Waste attracts pests such as flies and rats which carry germs and spread diseases. In addition, farmers who are exposed to large amounts of pesticides risk developing cancer and liver failure.

How about all the animals? They are negatively affected by the actions of humans too. When pesticides are used on farms, besides affecting pests, the chemicals also affect useful organisms such as earthworms, which help to fertilise the soil. When the earthworms are eaten by birds, the toxic chemicals from the pesticides stored in their bodies are passed on to the birds . This may affect their reproductive systems. The birds may lay eggs with thin shells that are fragile and break easily, killing the nestling inside. Eventually, this could lead to the extinction of some species of birds.

By: Mei Xian

So, what is Land pollution all about? How does it occurs?

Land Pollution is the result of improper disposal of waste and excessive use of chemicals in farms. Land Pollution is now so serious that it is a great concern for many countries.

Let me tell you the two different causes of Land Pollution in our world today. Firstly, we have Improper Disposal of Waste. It is caused by the increasing population around the world that leads to a higher demand of goods and services. Hence more waste is being produced. Faced with a rapid increase in waste, countries have difficulty finding suitable places to dispose off the waste. In countries where there is insufficient control over the proper disposal of waste, great heaps of rubbish are either left in public places or at illegal dumping grounds. Improper disposal of waste also occurs at mining sites, where waste materials are usually left behind on the land after the minerals have been mined or extracted.

Secondly, the result of land pollution can also be due to the excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Many farmers use chemical fertilisers and pesticides on their farms to improve soil fertility and to kill or drive away pests that eats the crops or spread diseases. However, the land is polluted when these chemicals are washed into the soil. As pests usually develop a resistance to pesticidess used. This worsens the problem of soil contamination.

By: Mei Xian

Pollution is the introduction of substances intot the envirnoment such that it results in unpleasant or damaging effects to the things around us.
It may be due to natural events such as forest fires, however, the main cause of pollution is due to human activities. It contributes to the largest amount of harmful substances or pollutants being introduced into the surroundings.

Pollution are often found in waste. Waste are usually generated by households and industries.
When waste is not disposed of properly, it results in pollution. It is also shown that one type of pollution can often lead to other types of pollution. Hence, we cannot be ignorant of the effects that pollution has brought about to planet Earth. The Earth is our only home and all of us should play a part to help conserve and protect the Earth so that it can be safe place for us to live in.

We are mainly focussing on 2 types of pollution. They are: Land and Noise pollution.
We are going to discuss on its effects it brought to our country, Singapore.
Hopefully through this project, it can help raise our awarness to pollution that is occurring to Singapore and taking measures to reduce it.

Done by : ZhiLing

We are starting this blog for our geography project. We have to work on environmental problems to help our Earth. One of the criteria for this project is to make a blog and update it frequently. We are organised in a group of four persons and we will do our best to keep this blog updated with our latest discussion.

Mainly, we will talk about pollution. It has adversely affected our environment, including Singapore. Pollution is counted as one of the major environmental problems. Although it cannot be curbed completely, but there are still some ways to reduce it from affecting out Earth. We will be talk about how pollution affects Singapore.

We will be discussing about the causes of pollution, consequences os pollution and what can we do to reduce the negative impacts caused by it. We will be focusing on land pollution and noise pollution, which can be commonly found in all parts of Singapore.

We will update this blog frequently to post more about what we had discussed and how far we have progress for this project. Hope that you guys can give us your full support. Thank You!xD

-By: Xi Xi ^^