some people have been asking me about the practicum so far, but i haven't found the time to think about it. currently living each day as it goes by - observing my Cooperating Teachers (CTs), co-teaching and trying to get to know the students, by face and name.
i'll write more when i've the time... though things are bound to get worse. already i have to meet up with my NIE folks to prepare our social studies assignment!
anyhow, today was pretty eventful - had the chance to visit the UPRIP - or ulu pandan refuse incineration plant. never got to visit these places while i was a student, so the present generation is quite fortunate. i hope the class(es) learnt something from the trip, not only so that they can do something for their podcast, but to understand how Singapore manages its solid waste given its lack of space.
if any of the young ones are reading this... let me share with you my learning points.
1. the refuse plant quite smelly... (yeah i know the person who brought us on the tour said it wasn't =) and you know, i appreciate the workers for what they do, as these people are exposed to a certain amount of harmful substances throughout their shift...
2. from an economic point of view, i can now understand why the government is keen to privatise gencos (power generation companies) with one of the first plants going to Keppel Corp. the waste management facility is also a money-making facility and rightly so, as it generates power whilst reducing waste.
3. but i am also reminded of the hazardous materials that are left after the incineration process. in the module "global environmental issues"... following the laws of conservation of energy and matter... we aren't actually 'reducing' waste, we are merely converting them to other forms of energy (which is fairly useful) as well as simply rearranging matter. the second point is not so useful - while we reduce the quantity of trash... where has the "matter" gone to?
4. related to point 3... at least our unburnable waste (yeah there's such things... ash is considered left over trash) is sent to pulau semakau to make up the landfill. really hope that 'impermeable membrane' does not fail, or else our seawater-->water supply will be seriously contaminated.
at least we get to build casinos, resorts and golf courses on the reclaimed land! genius ain't it?
having that said... is it good to generate trash? should we generate less trash? i'm doing my part by creating an ecosystem in my home. a humble compost heap... heheh... i'll show the photos when i get my camera. (not for the fainthearted)
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