Friday 29 November 2019

Critical reflection on SIE 2016 Effective Communications


Through the Effective Communications module I have undertaken in the past 13 weeks, I have to comment that it has been both fruitful and taxing.  As mentioned previously, my initial aim for this module was to improve my presentation skills and professional image.  Instead, I had discovered that my underlying weakness was actually writing (clarity/sentence structure). This has definitely come as a shocker to me where I was never explicitly evaluated.
Fortunately, the course has provided ample opportunity to practice my writing skills and this ranges from formal writing to technical essay. These assignments have certainly built my writing confidence and will be beneficial in time to come. In addition, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Brad’s unstinting support. Upon each assignment, he would patiently address each individual‘s strengths/weaknesses and explained how progression could be made. This was indeed one of the key takeaways as I am a firm believer that “By seeking blundering, we learn”.
Having comprehensive writing also correlates to verbal communication. In the module of learning, the class was often tasked to do mock and ‘tabletop’ presentations.  After each session, I am always intrigued by the constructive feedbacks that were given by my peers and professor.  During my final presentation I was being critiqued on “hand in the pocket too often” and “repetitive transition words”.  Only through these evaluations, it enforces me to be more self-aware in the future and to deter such mentioned involuntary weaknesses.

The SIE2016 presentation showcase has given me an eye-opening experience, where it was a spectacular show being put up. However, there was this particular presenter in team PEWS that I felt was in the limelight. The gentleman was clear and concise, most importantly engaging. He uses a lot of impactful visuals along with smooth transitions, which clearly illustrated his point. One of the most important factors which I had observed is that he was using basic terminology to explain the entire technical project. He was able to display his compassion, where even a profession from another field could understand. 
In a nutshell, this presentation showcase was certainly an insightful event.
Sadly, effective communication has always been overlooked especially in the information age. Hoping in the near future, it will be one of a progressive module that is made mandatory in every single semester. It will be great knowing the future of our generation is honed with successful communicators.

Saturday 9 November 2019

Annotated Summary

Stephen, N., Di Silvio, L., & Dunsford, I. (2018, August). Bringing cultured meat to market: Technical, socio-political, and regulatory challenges in cellular agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6078906/#bib59

This article has aimed to review the technical, potential benefits and social challenges of cultured meat. As explained from the article, cultured meat is at its early stage of development which tissue cells taken from living animals are engineered in an effort to produce alternative protein source for food consumption.  

The technical challenges of producing cultured meat is a tedious process where these extracted animal cells can only be grown in its habitat environment, which laboratory have to replicate or stimulate the “in-vivo environment”.

The article also further illustrated on the benefits of cultured meat, as it could potentially reduce carbon footprint and land consumption that are associated with conventional livestock production. In addition, the article also mentioned that cultured meat are possibly less prone to biological risk and disease through standardised as its versatility to tailor production through cellular engineering that generally improves nutrition, health and wellbeing.

The author also mentioned that the main social challenges related to cultured meat have always been ethics and consumer acceptance. A diversity of public opinions was collated in United States and nearly two thirds of respondents said they would try cultured meat and only one third would eat it regularly (). As evident from the article, a Dutch study also suggested that more participants are willingly to support cultured meat when they are properly introduced.

This article is insightful where it provides an overview essence of cultured meat. That being said, Singapore is currently experiencing land scarcity and heavy food imports, where food sustainability is often overlooked. Thus, our research team (FoodTech) are determined to introduce cultured meat to the population of students in Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and advocate the acceptance of future food.








Thursday 31 October 2019

Draft #2 Technical Report: Increasing Awareness of Cultured Meat as a Sustainable Food Alternative for Singapore

1. Introduction
1.1. Background information
Food sustainability is more than just the food itself; it takes into account several factors that describe the term, food sustainability. Food sustainability looks into the production, distribution, packaging and consumption of food (Ackers, 2019). For instance, having sustainable farming practices, a low environmental impact, and protecting public health are all essential factors that determine food sustainability. These factors ensure that the amount of farm produce is either consistent or increasing. These also ensure that natural resources are neither wasted nor damaged, and that is it healthy and safe for consumption, which means that there are no hazardous pesticides and chemicals, non-essential antibiotics or growth promotion supplements (Ackers, 2019). 

Food sustainability greatly impacts Singapore, as 90% of Singapore’s food supply is imported from other countries (Siau, 2019). Today, Singapore imports food from 170 countries, which is an increase from 160 countries in 2007. For instance, 35% of chicken, 17% of fish, 93% of duck and 76% of eggs in Singapore come from Malaysia. Brazil also supplies 47% of Singapore’s imported chicken, 30% of imported pork, and 53% of imported beef. 

While Singapore’s food security remains secure at the present moment, there is a need to implement new strategies. According to Siau (2019), Associate Professor Christopher Vas from Murdoch University commented that the global market continues to change and Singapore’s relationship with other countries might become weak, which could challenge our food supply. Incidents in the past have also shown that the food that Singapore imports may not always be the safest for consumption. Siau(2019) stated in 2014, that the cost of eggs increased when Malaysian farms were prohibited from supplying eggs to Singapore as their eggs were found to contain a bacterium called Salmonella Enteritidis, which results in food poisoning. Recently, rotten-meat was found in Brazil in March, when its police discovered that health inspectors had been bribed by major meatpackers to keep rotten meat on the market (Siau, 2019). These two incidents are crucial to take note of as a significant portion of eggs in Singapore are imported from Malaysia, while Brazil supplies Singapore with a significant amount of chicken, pork and beef.

In order for Singapore to ensure its food security in the midst of a global changing market, new food technologies and methods like cultured meat must be utilized. Singapore should also begin introducing cultured meat in universities to raise awareness of sustainable food alternatives. Ewing-Chow (2019) defined cultured meat as “livestock agriculture’s lab-based response to the vertical farming movement”. 

1.2. Problem Statement
Mahmud(2019) noted that Singapore is to reach the target of producing 30% of its nutritional needs locally by 2030, a figure set by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). However, Singapore imports up to 90% of food globally. This shows that Singapore has a high dependency on global food imports. Much effort is required to reduce the statistic by introducing alternative food options and raising awareness on these food options that are available or to be introduced. The goal is for SFA to set its focus on a specific target audience, using Singapore Institute of Technology as a trial, to raise awareness on alternative food options such as cultured meat to the students and staff from the institute. A collaboration between SFA and SIT@Dover (Food Technology) to the campus.

1.3. Purpose Statement
This report aims to convince Mr Lim Chuan Poh, chairman of Singapore Food Agency, to come into a collaboration with SIT@Dover, in implementing the research and sale of cultured meat. We aim to increase food sustainability awareness within the campus and nurture the younger generation of Singapore into the acceptance of future food.

2. Proposed solutions
In order to boost awareness for cultured meat, more opportunity should be generated for students and staff from the institute to consume food items with cultured meat.  
In SIT@Dover, there are limited food options available. Often students can be found studying till late at night, estimated to be around 9-10pm, as observed by our team members. This is when both canteens in the institute would close operations for the day.
2.1. Promote awareness by setting up booths
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) should create more awareness through various means of publicity efforts.  Although cultured meat made its debut over the news, many individuals are still unaware of its existence as inferred from our surveyors’ statistic (Figure xx).
The team’s proposed solution is to elevate awareness of cultured meat through “targeted advertising” instead of generalizing publicity which may be more effective. As such, booths can be set up occasionally in SIT@Dover, which welcomes all individuals within the campus to get their first-hand experience in tasting cultured meats.
“Millennials are more open to new and innovative concepts, indicative of wider exposure to foreign cultures and products from an early age compared to their senior peers.” (Felgate, 2016). These prove the effectiveness in promoting awareness within university SIT@Dover, where younger generations can be nurtured and literate on the future of food sustainability, which eventually could be publicized through word of mouth.

2.2.  Launch vending machine with cultured meat food options
Singapore is quick to jump on the trend of offering 24-hours food service by vending machine (Russell, 2018). Vending machines could offer a wide range of food options which includes sandwiches, pizzas, salads and even fresh food item such as salmon (Tan, 2019). This service could also be extended to offer food options with cultured meat.  

Vending machines provide a convenient way to obtain food which would allow users to enjoy cultured meat. Since vending machines are operational all day, with the increase of the vending machines in the institute, students and staff would not need to worry over the limited food options. 

2.3.  Introduce cultured meat in the form of a project
Singapore should look to other countries for inspiration and adopt their innovative solutions.  For example, a Japanese start-up company based in Tokyo is trying to spread the awareness of lab-grown meat to school kids, by providing them with a custom made box to grow meat (Lutze, 2019). The box is roughly the size of a microwave, and the idea is for animal cells to be added to a sugary protein-filled liquid, resulting in the growth of little to lumps of meat.

Singapore can adopt this method by giving students and staff the opportunity to participate in this project, and give incentives to participants so as to make the project more appealing. The project can also be used as a platform to educate students and staff by inviting leading experts to share their experience and knowledge in cultured meat. This would make the project more meaningful as the participants are able to gain some knowledge about cultured meat, along with the unique experience of making meat. 

3. Benefits of proposed solutions
  • Nutritional value of food may be a concern to many individuals. Cultured meat is able to be engineered to cater to certain nutrition outcomes by altering the cellular profile of nutrients. For instance, cultured meat could be grown to contain more protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids as compared to traditional meat. Thus this makes it possible to eliminate saturated fat, which potentially reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
  • Using vending machines as a trial with cultured meat in it is a low-cost and innovative way according to Shen (2019).  Besides being budget-friendly, it also provides convenience for when collecting data from consumers. Based on an article from IOT News Asia, it is mentioned vending machines allows ‘retailers’ to gather critical information that could provide “valuable insights” on consumers’ data. 
  • In the long run, if Singapore faces a sudden change in its food imports and cultured meat is already introduced to the wider population of Singapore, then Singapore Food Agency will have had a contribution in ensuring food security since there are alternative food such as cultured meat.

4. Limitations of proposed solutions
Despite the advantages these solutions could bring, their limitations should be considered. 

4.1. Disadvantage of vending machine business
Despite the numerous benefits vending machine business would benefit our proposed solution, there are a few concerns that were discussed by Gaille (2017) as while.  There is a possibility that there would be a lack of sales, resulting in a higher possibility for food to be stored to get stale. The vending machine also comes with high initial cost as vending machine air conditioning system to ensure the quality of the food. 

4.2. The cost involved with cultured meat
While cultured meat has its obvious benefits, there is still a major constraint in terms of the cost of producing cultured meat. In fact, certain reports have estimated that it would require 5  to 10 years for cultured meat to be accessible on a commercial scale (Begum, 2019).  Currently, cultured meat is expensive due to the pricey culture media needed to feed the cells. According to Begum (2019), Dr Ng stated that the price of 1kg of cultured meat was US$2.4 million, and the price reduced to US$5,000 in 2017. While this shows a reduction in the price of cultured meat, it is still expensive.  Dr Ng also mentioned that existing research on lab-grown meat is still in development, and only minced meat and fillings are likely to be available by 2030. This means that more complex meat such as a slice of beef steak or chicken fillet, would require more technology to produce the texture and taste that consumers desire, as mentioned by Dr Ng. The use of additional technology would in turn increase the cost of cultured meat.


References:
Ackers, K., Gruchy, H. de, Thomas, H., Worsley, S., & Nolet, S. (2019, September 12). What Does Food Sustainability Really Mean? Retrieved October 28, 2019, from https://www.ecoandbeyond.co/articles/food-sustainability/

Mahmud, A. (2019, March 7). Singapore aims to produce 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030, up from less than 10%. CNA. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-produce-30-own-food-up-from-10-nutritional-needs-11320426

Begum, S. (2019, March 27). Future food: Growing meat in lab to help meet supply needs. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/future-food-growing-meat-in-lab-to-help-meet-supply-needs

Begum, S. (2019, March 28). Food of the future: Beefing up efforts to grow meat in labs. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/beefing-up-efforts-to-grow-meat-in-labs

Ewing-Chow, D. (2019, June 20). Is Cultured Meat The Answer To The World's Meat Problem? Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2019/06/20/is-cultured-meat-the-answer-to-the-worlds-meat-problem/#712e37ea4468.

Gaille, B. (2017, January 17). 10 Vending Machine Business Pros and Cons. [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://brandongaille.com/10-vending-machine-business-pros-and-cons/

Hultin, G. (2017, July 28). Lab-Grown Meat: Exploring Potential Benefits and Challenges of Cellular Agriculture. Retrieved from https://foodandnutrition.org/march-april-2017/lab-grown-meat-exploring-potential-benefits-challenges-cellular-agriculture/

Lutze, T. (2018, June 19). School kids in Japan are learning to grow meat in machines. Retrieved October 31, 2019, from https://www.newideafood.com.au/school-kids-in-japan-are-learning-to-grow-meat-in-machines.

Melanie Felgate. (2019, January 24). Millennials are the most experimental consumers, with seniors least likely to try new products. . Retrieved from https://www.globaldata.com/millennials-are-tbe 


Siau, M. E. (2017, May 26). The Big Read: Far from people's minds, but food security a looming issue. Retrieved October 28, 2019, from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/big-read-far-peoples-minds-food-security-looming-issue.

Shen, X.S. (2019, June 30). Vending Machine Business in Singapore. [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://everydayinvestinginyou.com/2019/06/30/vending-machine-business-in-singapore/

Ushering in the New Age of Vending Machines – SmartRetail, Shaking up Singapore’s Retail Scene. (2018, January 9). IOT News Asia. Retrieved from https://iotnews.asia/623/brilliant-machines/ushering-new-age-vending-machines-smartretail-shaking-singapores-retail-scene/

Monday 28 October 2019

Draft #1 Technical Report: Increasing Awareness of Cultured Meat as a Sustainable Food Alternative For Singapore

1. Introduction
1.1. Background information
Food sustainability is more than just the food itself, it takes into account several factors that describe the term, food sustainability. Food sustainability looks into the production, distribution, packaging and consumption of food. For instance, having sustainable farming practices, a low environmental impact, and protecting public health are all essential factors that determine food sustainability. These factors ensure that the amount of farm produce is either consistent or increasing. These also ensure that natural resources are neither wasted nor damaged, and that is it healthy and safe for consumption, which means that there are no hazardous pesticides and chemicals, non-essential antibiotics or growth promotion supplements (Kylie Ackers, 2019). 

Food sustainability greatly impacts Singapore, as 90% of Singapore’s food supply is imported from other countries. Today, Singapore imports food from 170 countries, which is an increase from 160 countries in 2007. For instance, 35% of chicken, 17% of fish, 93% of duck and 76% of eggs in Singapore come from Malaysia. Brazil also supplies 47% of Singapore’s imported chicken, 30% of imported pork, and 53% of imported beef (Today Online, 2019). 

While Singapore’s food security remains secure at the present moment, there is a need to implement new strategies. The global market continues to change and Singapore’s relationship with other countries might become weak, which could challenge our food supply. Incidents in the past have also shown that the food that Singapore imports may not always be the safest for consumption. For example, in 2014, the cost of egg increased when Malaysian farms were prohibited from supplying eggs to Singapore as their eggs were found to contain a bacterium called Salmonella Enteritidis, which results in food poisoning. Recently, rotten-meat was found in Brazil in March, when its police discovered that health inspectors had been bribed by major meatpackers to keep rotten meat on the market. These two incidents are crucial to take note of as a significant portion of eggs in Singapore are imported from Malaysia prior to the incident, while Brazil supplies Singapore with a significant amount of chicken, pork and beef (Today Online, 2019).

In order for Singapore to ensure its food security in the future, in the midst of a global changing market, new food technologies and methods like cultured meat must be utilized, and Singapore should also begin introducing cultured meat in universities to raise awareness of such meats. 

1.2. Problem Statement
Singapore is to reach the target of producing 30% of food locally by 2030, a figure set by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). However, Singapore imports up to 90% of food globally. This shows that Singapore has a high dependency on global food imports. Much effort is required to reduce the statistic by introducing alternative food options and raising awareness on these food options that are available or to be introduced. The goal is for SFA to set its focus on a specific target audience, using Singapore Institute of Technology as a trial, to raise awareness on alternative food options such as cultured meat to the students and staff from the institute. A collaboration between SFA and SIT@Dover (Food Technology) to the campus.

1.3. Purpose Statement
This report aims to convince Mr Lim Chuan Poh, chairman of Singapore Food Agency, to come into a collaboration with SIT@Dover, in implementing the research and sale of cultured meat. We aim to increase food sustainability awareness within the campus and nurture the younger generation of Singapore into the acceptance of future food.

References:
Ackers, K., Gruchy, H. de, Thomas, H., Worsley, S., & Nolet, S. (2019, September 12). What Does Food Sustainability Really Mean? Retrieved October 28, 2019, from https://www.ecoandbeyond.co/articles/food-sustainability/

Aqil Haziq (2019, October 28). Singapore aims to produce 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030, up from less than 10%. CNA. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-produce-30-own-food-up-from-10-nutritional-needs-11320426

Begum, S. (2019, October 18). Future food: Growing meat in lab to help meet supply needs. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/future-food-growing-meat-in-lab-to-help-meet-supply-needs

Begum, S. (2019, October 22). Food of the future: Beefing up efforts to grow meat in labs. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/beefing-up-efforts-to-grow-meat-in-labs

Choy, K. (2017, May 26). The Big Read: Far from people's minds, but food security a looming issue. Retrieved October 28, 2019, from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/big-read-far-peoples-minds-food-security-looming-issue

Tuesday 15 October 2019

Draft #3: Summary Reader Response: New paths for the roads of tomorrow


New path to the road of tomorrow

In the blogpost “New paths for the road of tomorrow”, Decaux (2017), mentioned several technological enhancements on road infrastructure. ‘Asphalt’ is conventionally used as road pavement and it is portrayed by the author to be neither durable nor cost efficient, which also promotes the formation of “heat islands”.
He elaborated on various sustainable projects that could curb with the replacement of Asphalt. For instance, Decaux cited the first trail of “solar roadway”, which was implemented in France (2016). In that case, renewable energy is harnessed as thermal conductance, eliminating snow during winter, facilitating a smooth and safer traffic. The final example was introduced by the author, which integrates automatic light sensors that are placed within close proximity of approaching vehicles. This saves energy while serving its intended purpose.

While it may seem that a revolutionary change of road infrastructure is a necessity, the author has failed to prove the sustainability and cost effectiveness of the mentioned ideologies. In a recent article by Mike Colargrossi (2019), the author exclaimed that the ‘trial’ was a catastrophe where France is situated in a region and sunlight is limited. Besides, the panels were also found to be deteriorating at an alarming rate, where it comes loose and breaks into pieces. “First solar roadway in France turned out to be a total disaster”. This shows an evident sign of poor sustainability within a mere three years of implementation.

In the blogpost, Decaux (2017) mentioned that ‘recycled plastics’ are much beneficial than the conventional asphalt paving. However, this was never the case as evidenced in one of Adelante’s (2018) article, where Bitumen is a plastic compound needed through combustion which is a desired byproduct for road construction. The compound is also found to be hazardous to both the marine ecosystem & human health. Furthermore, through the process of combustive recycling contributes to air pollution, which in turns affects the food-chain like a vicious cycle. The source has indeed aroused skeptics to the reality of our future road.

Despite the controversy, Asphalt is still proven to be widely used and was found to be road safe & cost-effective. This was mentioned in Asphalt Pavement Alliance (2010), where the source cited that Asphalt is equipped with friction course that prevents water retention which deters skiing and accidents. In addition, the author also mentioned the recycling of asphalt pavements saves the American taxpayer $1.8 billion per year, where Asphalt requires low maintenance due to its perpetual structure that remains intact indefinitely, while only the top layers periodically remove & replaced.

In conclusion, being innovative and radical in a sustainability context is extremely critical in these Information age. However, Decaux has outweighed the pros of implementing conceptual technologies on road infrastructure and overlooked on the great expense that may incur on an entire nation’s economy. Staying resilience and having the ability to leverage “already in place” infrastructure might be a much more pragmatic strategy to apprehend. Thus, reduces the needs for demolition and construction costs.


References:

Adelante, R. (2018, September 19). Can Plastic Roads Pave the Way to Sustainable Future? Retrieved from 

Asphalt Pavement Alliance. (2010, September). The Role of Asphalt in Livable Communities Retrieved from http://www.asphaltroads.org/assets/_control/content/files/livablecommunities_whitepaper_september2010.pdf

Colagrossi, M. (2019, August 21). France's failed solar roadway. Retrieved from https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/france-solar-road?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

JC Decaux. (2017, October 23). New paths for the roads of tomorrow. Retrieved from https://www.jcdecaux.com/mobility-trends/new-paths-roads-tomorrow


Monday 7 October 2019

Draft #2: Summary Reader Response: New paths for the roads of tomorrow


New path to the road of tomorrow
In the article “New paths for the road of tomorrow” (2017), JCDecaux mentioned several technological enhancements on road infrastructure. ‘Asphalt’ is conventionally used on roads pavement, where it is portrayed to be neither durable nor cost-efficient and contributes greatly to the formation of “heat island”.
The author is certain that “recycled materials” are much beneficial than the latter. For instance, he explained that 1.3 million cigarettes butts were implemented in the mixture with asphalt, which minimises the surface temperature and waste management. Decaux also further elaborated on the first trail of “solar roadway”, implemented in France (2016); renewable energy is harnessed as thermal conductance, eliminating snow during winter, facilitating a smooth and safer traffic. Lastly, “Smart highway” introduced by the author, integrates automatic light sensors that are placed within close proximity of approaching vehicles. This saves energy while serving its intended purpose.

While it may seem that a revolutionary change of road infrastructure is a necessity, the author has failed to prove pragmatic sustainability of the mentioned ideology, where asphalt is still widely used despite the controversial. In a recent article by Mike Colargrossi (2019), “First solar roadway in France turned out to be a total disaster”. In the source, the author exclaimed that the ‘trial’ was a catastrophe where France is situated in a region and sunlight is limited. Besides, the panels were also found to be deteriorating at an alarming rate, where it comes loose and breaks into pieces. This shows an evident sign of poor sustainability within a mere three years of implementation.

In the article, Decaux (2017) also mentioned that ‘recycled plastics’ are much more beneficial than conventional asphalt paving. Nonetheless, this was never the case as evidenced in one of Rachelle Adelante’s (2018) article; Bitumen is a plastic compound needed through combustion which is a desired byproduct for road construction. “Bitumen is a crude oil compound found to be harmful to the marine ecosystem & human health.” Furthermore, the process of combustive recycling contributes to air pollution, which in turns affects the food-chain like a vicious cycle. The source has indeed aroused skeptics of the reality of our future road.

Contradictory, asphalt was found to be road safe & cost-effective. This was mentioned in Asphalt Pavement Alliance (2010). It’s unique “open-graded friction course” which prevents water retention that deters skiing and accidents. Asphalt’s ‘perpetual pavements’ means structure remains intact indefinitely while top layers periodically remove & replaced for maintenance, which is extremely cost-effective.
“It is estimated that recycling of asphalt pavements saves the American taxpayer $1.8 billion per year. It also saves hundreds of acres of landfill space each year.”  

In conclusion, being innovative and radical in a sustainability context is extremely critical in this Information age. However, this also comes at the great expense of an entire nation’s economy. Staying resilience and having the ability to leverage “already in place” infrastructure might be an uprising strategy for the government to apprehend. Thus, this reduces the need for demolition and construction costs.




Reference:
JC Decaux. (2017, October 23). New paths for the roads of tomorrow. Retrieved from https://www.jcdecaux.com/mobility-trends/new-paths-roads-tomorrow

Colagrossi, M. (2019, August 21). France's failed solar roadway . Retrieved from https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/france-solar-road?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1
Adelante, R. (2018, September 19). Can Plastic Roads Pave the Way to Sustainable Future? Retrieved from https://medium.com/green-zine/can-plastic-roads-pave-the-way-to-sustainable-future-260b4909f02f.
Asphalt Pavement Alliance. (2010, September). The Role of Asphalt in Livable Communities Retrieved from http://www.asphaltroads.org/assets/_control/content/files/livablecommunities_whitepaper_september2010.pdf.

Monday 30 September 2019

Summary Reader Response Draft #1: New paths for the roads of tomorrow


New path to the road of tomorrow

In one of JCDecaux’s blog’s article, “New paths for the road of tomorrow” (2017), he mentioned several technological enhancements on road infrastructure. ‘Asphalt’ is conventionally used on roads pavement. These materials are neither durable nor cost-efficient; Increases surface temperature which requires a revolutionary change.  
The author is certain that “recycled materials” are much beneficial than the latter. For instance, he quoted 1.3 million cigarettes butts were implemented in the mixture with asphalt, which aid in the contribution of heat conductivity in “heat island” and waste management. Decaux also added that the first trail of “solar roadway” was implemented in France (2016); Renewable energy is harnessed to eliminate the need of snow excavator due to its heat conductivity properties, facilitating a smoother & safer traffic. In addition, “Smart highway” introduced in 2016, was proposed by the author that automatic light sensors are placed in close proximity of approaching vehicles. Thus, it saves energy while serving the intended purpose.

However despite the controversial uproar, a revolutionary of road infrastructure can be maddening and expensive to implement on a global scale. Furthermore, this has yet to be proven far from its sustainability in a conceptual stage. In a recent article by Mike Colargrossi (2019), “First solar roadway in France turned out to be a total disaster”. In the source, the author exclaimed that the ‘trial’ was a catastrophe where France is situated in a region where sunlight is limited. Besides, the panels were also found to be deteriorating at an alarming rate, where it comes loose and breaks into pieces. This shows an evident sign of poor sustainability within a mere three years of implementation.

In the article, Decaux (2017) also mentioned that ‘recycled plastics’ are much more beneficial than conventional Asphalt paving. Nonetheless, this was never the case as evidenced in one of Rachelle Adelante’s (2018) article; Bitumen is a plastic compound needed through combustion which is the desired byproduct for road construction. “Bitumen is a crude oil compound found to be harmful to the marine ecosystem & human health.” Furthermore, through the process of combustive recycling contributes to air pollution, which in turns affects the food-chain like a vicious cycle. The source has indeed aroused skeptics to the reality of our future road.

Contradictory, Asphalt was found to be road safe & cost-effective. This was mentioned in the Asphalt Pavement Alliance (2010). It’s unique “open-graded friction course” which prevents water retention that deters skiing and accidents. Asphalt’s ‘perpetual pavements’ means structure remains intact indefinitely while top layers periodically remove & replaced for maintenance, which is extremely cost-effective.
“It is estimated that recycling of asphalt pavements saves the American taxpayer $1.8 billion per year. It also saves hundreds of acres of landfill space each year.”  

In conclusion, being innovative and radical in a sustainability context is extremely critical in these Information ages. However, this also comes in the great expense of an entire nation’s economy. Staying resilience and having the ability to leverage “already in place” infrastructure might be an uprising strategies for the government to apprehend. Thus, this reduces the needs for demolition and construction costs.




References:

JC Decaux. (2017, October 23). New paths for the roads of tomorrow. Retrieved from https://www.jcdecaux.com/mobility-trends/new-paths-roads-tomorrow

Colagrossi, M. (2019, August 21). France's failed solar roadway. Retrieved from https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/france-solar-road?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

Adelante, R. (2018, September 19). Can Plastic Roads Pave the Way to Sustainable Future? Retrieved from https://medium.com/green-zine/can-plastic-roads-pave-the-way-to-sustainable-future-260b4909f02f.

Asphalt Pavement Alliance. (2010, September). The Role of Asphalt in Livable Communities Retrieved from http://www.asphaltroads.org/assets/_control/content/files/livablecommunities_whitepaper_september2010.pdf.

Critical reflection on SIE 2016 Effective Communications

Through the Effective Communications module I have undertaken in the past 13 weeks, I have to comment that it has been both fruitful and t...