SIE2016 Effective Communication
Thursday 3 December 2015
TEAM BELD: Proposal for Improvement of Train Breakdown Travel Contingency Plans
The follow post contains content extracted from a proposal project which written in a group. The other group members consist of Eunice Siow, Darrell Lin and Benjamin Heng.
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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land)
Singapore Institute of Technology
10 Dover Drive
Singapore 138683
20 October 2015
CHEW Men Leong
Chief Executive
Land Transport Authority
1 Hampshire Road
Singapore 219428
Dear Mr Chew,
Re: Proposal for Improvement of Train breakdown Contingency plans
Enclosed for your kind consideration is the following proposal for the improvement of train breakdown contingency plans in Singapore. This report has been prepared with the intention of establishing a system to address the affected commuters’ needs during a train breakdown.
The report consists of the rationale behind the proposed solutions, along with a detailed summary of all related primary and secondary research. As public commuters ourselves, we have provided information on the flaws of the current contingency plans and an analysis on how the relevant agencies might improve on them.
We would like to express our gratitude to you for taking the time to read through our proposal. Your consideration to our suggestions in making public commute a more pleasant journey is greatly appreciated.
Yours Sincerely,
Darrell Lin (Team Representative)
TEAM BELD: Proposal for Improvement of Train Breakdown Travel Contingency Plans
The follow post contains content extracted from a proposal project which written in a group. The other group members consist of Eunice Siow, Darrell Lin and Benjamin Heng.
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Executive Summary
According to LTA, more than 2.5 million people use the MRT daily in Singapore to get to their destinations. Over the past few years, train breakdowns have increased significantly. Our group has come to an agreement that from the commuters’ perspective, train breakdowns are highly probable due to the increasing population growth in Singapore which leads to a higher usage of the public transport. Our group is keen in looking into the current travel contingency plans that the various agencies have implemented, to improve on them so as to give commuters a better commuting experience. The current travel contingency plans have room for improvement. Our team conducted a survey, targeted at commuters of different age groups, to find out if they are satisfied with the current travel contingency plans. The survey results has shown that commuters are displeased with the travel contingency plans in place. It has also shown that commuters are unaware of the current travel contingency plans. The thrust of this proposal is to suggest the implementation of new bus routes that follow the train routes and also implementing bicycles rentals at MRT stations. These solutions aim to aid in crowd control, provide alternative transport means, and get commuters to their destinations in the event of a train breakdown.
Wednesday 2 December 2015
TEAM BELD: Proposal for Improvement of Train Breakdown Travel Contingency Plans
The follow post contains content extracted from a proposal project which written in a group. The other group members consist of Eunice Siow, Darrell Lin and Benjamin Heng.
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Personal Statement
As a student who relies heavily on public transport and commutes to school via train every day, I have encountered train disruptions several times. It is understandable that disruptions due to the wear and tear of the railway parts are unavoidable as the trains have been running more frequent services in the recent years. This project will allow me to suggest new strategies and improvements to the current travel contingency plans from the commuters’ perspective.
Sunday 29 November 2015
Reader's Response (Draft 4)
In the article
"Pharmaceutical Disposal", Burch (2015) discussed the rising concern
of water pollution in United States due to the improper ways of drug disposal.
In addition, Burch also mentioned the act of "flushing unwanted or unused
medications" as a factor due to common practices and absence of drug
filtration in "wastewater treatment plants". Although the effect on
humans is unclear, the negative effect on "fish and aquatic life" has
been proven. However, the severity of the issue is still uncertain due to the
lack of regulations and/or policies in place. The author states that the
problem of “flushing drugs” might be resolved by providing "access to safe
and convenient pharmaceutical disposal options".
I agree with the author
that improper disposal of pharmaceutical products is indeed a rising concern as
a factor of water contamination. However, the author focused on it as a key
issue and did not explore other contributing factors. I believe that there are
contaminants from other sources which would require more recognition.
It is certainly true that
improper disposal of pharmaceutical products is one of the factors contributing
to water contamination, even in drinking supplies. However, the article
only considered "pharmaceutical disposal" by public and healthcare
facilities. It did not include those of industrial waste even though a
significant amount of waste enters the Great Lakes daily. For example,
Bienkowski and Environmental Health News (2013) reported that "More than
1,400 wastewater treatment plants in the United States and Canada discharge 4.8
billion gallons of treated effluent into the Great Lakes basin every day"
when they discussed about the findings of a study conducted by the
International Joint Commission. In addition to the figures reported, the
drug content from the waste will also accumulate in the water over time.
Therefore, there is a need to recognize industrial waste as one of the
contributing factors of water contamination.
In the article, adverse
effects on the aquatic life were also mentioned. According to Shah (2010),
toxicity research on wildlife is generally studied on aquatic species. However,
I feel that we should also explore the chain effect in the other areas. There
are no proper definitions as to which type of species or organisms in the
ecosystem would provide an accurate representation of wildlife, since all of
them have different behaviour patterns, anatomy etc. As mentioned by Kidd et
al. (2014), "small-scale studies focusing solely on direct effects are
likely to underestimate the true environmental impacts". Even though the
negative effects on the aquatic life are proven, I feel that it should only
serve as an indicator and reference while we continue to research the effects
on the ecosystem. The sole inclusion of the impact on aquatic life with no
elaboration does not reflect the severity and extent of the effects and does
not inform the community of it.
In the article, Burch
also mentioned that "a critical part of the solution is to STOP flushing
drugs" because it is a "highly prevalent and preventable source of
pharmaceutical pollution." There is no doubt that it is a valid point.
However, the proposed solution failed to consider involuntary factors such as
pollution due to excretion and usage of personal care products. Medicines taken
are not always metabolized fully and are usually excreted out of the human
body. In addition, topical medications and care products applied are also
introduced into the waste through bathing. Daughton and Ruhoy (2013) also
mentioned that "excretion via urine and fecal material" is the main
contributor of "Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)"
contamination found in the environment. Perhaps it would be more effective to
advisce pharmacists, and other relevant medical positions, on the reduction or
optimal prescribing of medicines to patients instead. There would be lesser
residual medications being excreted, which would then serve as a plausible
solution in reducing contamination via the involuntary secondary route. In addition,
an alternative solution would be to research on ways to improve our current
infrastructure. For example, researching on systems which will allow
wastewater treatment plants to remove unwanted pharmaceutical impurities, or
methods which will simplify the manufacturing process.
Legislation was mentioned
as a counter measure in the article. It is worth noting that even though the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates water pollutants
with The Clean Water Act (CWA), the list does not include medicinal products
(Cuevas, 2011). Perhaps improvements should be made to the regulation. Even
though pharmaceutical products serve as a remedy to illness, they can also
become an undesired toxin. In comparison to United States, there is stricter
control in Singapore. Pollution control is regulated under the authority of the
National Environmental Agency (NEA). Different factors are considered and
cross-referenced as a whole, for example, the control of soil pollution is
considered with the regulation of water pollution. In addition, NEA considers
pharmaceutical and pathogenic wastes under their "list of toxic industrial
wastes", along with many others.
In general, this article
served well as a general introduction to water pollution by pharmaceutical
factors. It included the main idea of contamination due to direct disposal,
though it lacked insight into other factors beside the given point. Although it
was sufficient to inform the public of the dangers by improper “pharmaceutical
disposal”, the page could be build up with information of other relevant
factors.
References:
Bienkowski, B., &
Environmental Health News (2013, November 22). Only half of drugs removed by
sewage treatment. Scientific
American. Retrieved from:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-half-of-drugs-removed-by-sewage-treatment/
Burch, L.W. (2015, March
4). Pharmaceutical disposal. Citizens
Campaign for the Environment. Retrieved
from: http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pharmaceutical-disposal.asp
Cuevas, G. (2011,
February 8) From therapeutic drugs to toxic contaminants: Pharmaceutical
pollution in the water and strategies to regulate its impact. Columbia Journal of Environmental
Law. Retrieved from:
http://www.columbiaenvironmentallaw.org/articles/from-therapeutic-drugs-to-toxic-contaminants-pharmaceutical-pollution-in-the-water-and-strategies-to-regulate-its-impact
Daughton, C.G., &
Ruhoy, I.S. (2013, January 15) Lower-dose prescribing: Minimizing “side
effects” of pharmaceuticals on society and the environment. Science of The Total Environment,
443, p324–337. Retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969712013927
Kidd, K.A., Paterson,
M.J., Rennie, M.D., Podemski, C.L., Findlay, D.L., Blanchfield, P.J., &
Liber, K. (2014, October 13). Direct and indirect responses of a freshwater
food web to a potent synthetic oestrogen. Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society, B 2014 369 20130578; DOI:
10.1098/rstb.2013.0578. Retrieved from: http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/369/1656/20130578
National Environmental
Agency. (n.d.) The Schedule. Retrieved from:
http://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/anti-pollution-radiation-protection/soil-pollution/20100505422108755681.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Shah S. (2010, April 15)
As pharmaceutical use soars, drugs taint water and wildlife. Yale Environment 360. Retrieved from:
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_pharmaceutical_use_soars_drugs_taint_water_and_wildlife/2263/
Saturday 21 November 2015
Inspiration (Draft)
The common figure for
inspiration are often our mothers. The beautiful lady who went through pain to
bring you to this world and raised you, never complaining about the sacrifices
she had to make. However, I feel that someone who inspires you would make you
think “because of this person, I want to do/become ____” and for the feelings I
have towards my mother and family would be of emotions and filial piety.
The person who inspires
me is my karate sensei. He strive to pass on the knowledge and experience he
gained over the years, and the way of the art passed to him when he went over
to Japan to learn from the head of our style. Sensei not only taught us the
importance of traditional Japanese budo, but also patience, strength, perseverance
and other important virtues. Everyone is also a family, be it inside or outside
of the dojo.
Thirty years of
dedication to teaching the way of the art, and more than that towards learning.
Even at his age, he train every day without fail. Inspired by his devotion, I
want to become stronger, and be a better leader when I guide my juniors. As a
disciple of karate-do, I have gained numerous insights as well. It is not
something which is only applicable in martial art but towards our everyday
life. The courage and fearlessness I have gained allowed me to face the
encounters and predicament in life with fierce determination.
As mentioned by the late
Grandmaster Chojun Miyagi, founder of Goju-ryu, “The ultimate aim of karate-do
was to build character, conquer human misery, and find spiritual freedom.”
There is still a long
way to go.
This is just the start
of my learning journey.
Wednesday 18 November 2015
“The Role of Peer and Tutor Feedback."
It has been about two months since we
started SIE2016. Frankly speaking, at first I thought that it would be similar
to the “Report Writing and Presentation” elective which I had to undertake in
polytechnic a few years ago. However, it proved me wrong during the first few tutorial
classes. Unlike the writing modules I have taken in the past, the current class
incorporate the use of peer feedback. Although tutor feedback would serve as a
more effective guidance, I feel that the usage of peer evaluate allowed us to
receive a diverse opinions and suggestions. In addition, the system not only
place us to be responsible for our own writing and self-assessment, but also
the work of our peers. Furthermore, it allowed us to explore various writing
styles as everyone express their words differently.
While the module had added on to our
current workload, what I had presumed to be time-consuming had actually changed
part of my writing habit. I used to only check my writing during the process of
crafting my work, and submit it after just a quick look through of the final
piece. The frequent writing and evaluation caused me to be more meticulous in
my work now.
Besides improving our writing and critical
thinking skills, I feel that peer feedback and group assignments also enhanced
our social skills and the way we interact with others. Both factors not only
consider our learning process, but also gives us more opportunities to work as
a team instead.
Overall, the module allowed me to gain
different skills set which I can incorporate in other modules and outside of
academic. In fact, it has already been a help for the study journals and report
assignments we currently have for this trimester’s modules.
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