Blog review Term 3

Article 5
Title: Rise in number of Abortions, teen cases also up

Along the years, Singapore has had a falling trend of abortion and underage sex cases since 2000. But this trend reversed last year, with an increase in such cases. I feel that this is a worrying trend and issue as it involves two very controversial issues. It also concerns the affected teenagers and their future.
Firstly, I will talk about the impacts of underage pregnancy. The young couples are most likely still in school and not working, much less earning money. As such if they do not receive support from their parents, many difficulties will be faced bringing up the child. Their lives will also be very much interrupted by the arrival of the baby. They have to sacrifice personal time, for example time to go out with friends, and maybe study time in order to make time to look after the baby. The baby may also affect the couple’s relationship, making the raising of the child even more difficult. Sometimes, the father may be irresponsible, and leave the pregnant mother to cope on her own. Both the previous situations will affect the child during the growing up process, as well as the mental health of the mother. Ultimately, all these factors lead to the most difficult decision – whether or not to abort the baby. Usually the one who will suffer most will be the mother. Imagine the intense pressure on the poor young mother! With both the vicious comments made by others and the decisions she has to make, it is really very stressful.
A recent survey showed that the numbers of abortions are going up. But what I am concerned, and personally a little appalled by is that there is a small number of women who see abortion as an “okay” means of getting out of that sticky situation that is underage pregnancy. If a woman or girl really cannot cope or survive if she kept the baby, or if they had any other GOOD reason, then maybe abortion would be the only way out. But if there are people who go around with the impression that if they get into this situation, “then just abort lorh.”, then I think something really has to be done. Abortion is like taking a human life, depriving someone with potential to live his RIGHT and CHANCE to live. It’s almost legalized murder. If they go around having sex and that they can just abort the baby if they get pregnant, then its like saying “I’m doing this for fun or curiosity, and if something happens lets solve it by killing someone! There’s really nothing to it!”

Even though sex education is already embedded into school curriculums, teenagers are still going to want to try it out. It’s most likely done on a moment of instinct and lust, till the extent that consequences are forgotten. As such there is really no way to prevent such things from happening, unless we reprogram the human mind. Perhaps funds and counseling programs could be set up for young mothers and parents. The most we can do to improve the situation now is not to prevent it, but to help the affected people.




Article 6
Title: Life after Live Earth

Live Earth, a series of worldwide concert held on 7th July 2007. it was supposed to promote environmental awareness, but has it done the environment more harm? The amount of litter left behind after the concert was overwhelming, and the amount of electricity used for the shows, as well as maintain twenty four hours of air-con, lights and television for viewers all around the world. Its total carbon footprint, including the artists and spectators' travel and energy consumption, was likely to have been at least 31,500 tonnes, said John Buckley of Carbonfootprint.com - more than 3,000 times the average Briton's annual footprint. So was it really worth it?

What I feel, is that the concert had probably attracted viewers for the wrong reason. Most viewers watched the concert only for the performances, hardly for its underlying message. Many youngsters watched Live Earth to see idols perform, but went it came down to the environmental message, hardly any of them probably took it seriously.

Also, I feel that when talking about the problems of climate change and what contributes to it, we should not talk and slander events such as this. We should look at the bigger picture, not just point out the folly of a single event. We should spend our time on ways to improve the situation, not criticize what others have done to worsen it. We should appeal to the younger generation, our future, but also make sure that the message gets to them crystal clear.

As quoted by Bryan Walsh in Time, "It's time to get past the obsession over carbon footprint size and offsets, over who's an eco-hypocrite and who is truly green. We need to use energy far more wisely, both individually and internationally, but with hundreds of millions in the developing world getting richer and producing more carbon every day, the threat of climate change is far, far bigger than our personal conservation habits. It will require technological change and painful political choices such as carbon taxes, gas taxes and mandatory greenhouse gas emissions caps. That means, especially for the young, the un-rock star act of voting."