Renewable Energies

Hi Everyone,

In the wake of the Lynas controversial rare earth project at Pahang, let us evacuate the various renewable energies and the pros and cons of each of them.

Renewable energies comes from natural sources and can be reused. It includes hydroelectric, wind, solar and also nuclear.

Hydroelectric

The main source of hydro electricity is water. Water is present in over 70% of the Earth. Hydroelectricity is generated by huge amounts of water located at a very high terrain such as waterfalls and dams. Huge amounts of water streaming down a waterfall will generate a high amount of kinetic energy which in turn generates enough power for electricity.

Currently, hydropower powers over 24% of the electricity in the world and supply more than 1 billion people with power. It is one of the largest renewable energy source in the world.

To know more about how hydroelectric works, please visit How Hydropower Plants Works¹ website powered by HowStuffWorks.com.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectricity:²

Advantages

Constant electricity production
Clean source of energy
Cost less then fossil fuel
Recreational activities

Disadvantages

Expensive to built and needs to be high quality
People need to move out of the valley when a dam is built
May cause serious geological damage

Wind

Wind can be converted into energy through the use of windmills for mechanical power, wind turbines for electricity and wind pumps for water pumping or drainage. A large wind farm may consists of hundreds of wind turbines that are connected to the power network.³

 A wind turbine operating at a wind farm normally generates 65% to 80% of the time. The wind speed may not be at optimum levels. The capacity factor is about 30% to 35%.<sup>4

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of wind energy:4,5</sup>

Advantages

Free and renewable resource
Less expensive to construct
No air or water pollution

^{Disadvantages}  

Noise generated by the wind turbines (rotors)
Negative impact on wildbirds and bats
The glistening blades of windmills are an eyesore
Wind blows intermittently
Good wind sites are loacated in remote locations

Solar

Sun is present everyday in our lives, more so in countries nearer to the Equator. It is also present in Australia during summer.

Leveraging on the presence of sun, it can be used as a source of clean and renewable energy. It is also used in devices such as a calculator.

There are two ways to capture solar energy that is passive and active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distributable solar energy⁶. Active solar technologies use photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar include orienting buildings to the Sun and designing speaces that circulate air. 

Solar energy uses include water heating system, electric vehicles, electricity, running satellites that orbit the earth, power convertors for electric motor drives and for emergency lighting^7,8.

Malaysia is also going to have its solar power plant that is going to be located at Putrajaya. It is an initiative by Tenaga Nasional (TNB)⁹.

Below are the advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages

Solar energy is free
Good for sunny countries especially in areas that have no easy way to get electricity
Efficient energy

Disadvantages

There must be presence of light to generate solar energy
Expensive to build solar stations
Not reliable in a climate that is not sunny

Nuclear

Nuclear through the process of nuclear fission can be used to generate electricity as well. Nuclear power plants has provided about 6% of the world's energy and 13% to 14% of the world's electricity. Among the countries using nuclear energy are the U.S, France and Japan¹⁰. 

It is widely debated that nuclear energy is good. On one hand, nuclear can be a clean energy resource but on the other hand, if safety measures are not implemented thoroughly, it may cause harmful radiation to be released.

The most talked about nuclear disaster were Chernobyl (Russia) and the recent Fukushima nuclear reactors in Japan which was damaged during a tsunami last year. It also prompted the unhappy reaction of residents over the proposed Lynas rare earth project in Pahang, Malaysia.

Advantages^10,12,13

No emission of any poisonous gases
Generates a high amountt of electricity energy in a single power plant
Readily available

Disadvantages


Safety of nuclear reactors are top priority
It may be used to produce nuclear weapons
Health risks and environmental damage


Here are also some myths and facts about nuclear energy from Nuclear Energy Institute:
Myths and Facts About Nuclear Energy

In a nutsheel, each renewable energy has its pros and cons. Which one is the best one of all?

Nuclear energy may have its advantages but many are still sceptical about it. 

The highest risk would be nuclear energy as well. The source of energy that has the lowest risk would be solar and wind. 

Hydroelectric and solar energy are a better renewable energy sources in most parts of Asia because of the climate and weather. Wind energy is used more in western countries and Australia. 

For me, it should be hydroelectric and wind energy. These sources are the cleanest of all. There may be an issue regarding the issue of building a hydroelectric dam as it can damage the environment and wildlife but it is also a source of energy that is low risk.  We can say the same for wind but it may not run at full capacity at all times. Wind energy is not suitable for countries like Malaysia because there isn't enough wind here to generate the electricity.

Solar is the alternative choice being that it may take a long time to generate enough power. It is great for countries that have sunny weather all year round such as Malaysia and Indonesia. 

Nuclear power is clean but the radiation it emits may cause health risks even though the amount of radiation is very small. Safety also remains the top concern for nuclear power reactors for it may be harmful when the radiation is releaded. There is research that shows nuclear power plants are safe though¹¹.

Discussions and more detailed research can also be done to have a better understanding of all these source of energies. It may be further discussed in different posts in the future. This is only a summary of the sources of renewable energy. There can be different opinions on all these as well.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

¹Bonsor, Kevin.  "How Hydropower Plants Work"  06 September 2001.  HowStuffWorks.com, http://www.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/hydropower-plant.htm   
Accessed: 31 March 2012.

² What are the advantages and disadvantages of hydro-electric power - Answers.com, Wiki Answers, http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_hydro-electric_power, 
Accessed: 1st April 2012 

³ Wind power - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power, 
Accessed: 1st April 2012 

⁴ National Energy Education Development Project: Energy Infobooks - Secondary, http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/SecInfo/WindS.pdf
 Accessed: 7th April 2012 

⁵ Wind Energy Bascis, Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS, http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/index.cfm
 Accessed: 7th April 2012

⁶ Solar Energy- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy
 Accessed: 7th April 2012

⁷ Energy Resources: Solar, www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm
 Accessed: 7th April 2012

⁸ Solar | Department of Energy:, http://energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-sources/renewable-energy/solar
 Accessed: 7th April 2012

⁹ The Star Online: Malaysia's first solar power plant:, http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/2/23/business/8114613&sec=business
 Accessed: 7th April 2012

¹⁰ Nuclear Power- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
 Accessed: 8th April 2012

¹¹ Nuclear Energy Institute - Myths and Facts About Nuclear Energy, http://www.nei.org/newsandevents/nei-backgrounders/myths--facts-about-nuclear-energy
 Accessed: 8th April 2012

¹² Benefits of Nuclear Power, http://www.benefitsofnuclearpower.com/
 Accessed: 8th April 2012

¹³ Pros and cons of nuclear power | Time for change, http://timeforchange.org/pros-and-cons-of-nuclear-power-and-sustainability
 Accessed: 8th April 2012

United Nation(s)

Hi All,

God made us equal. He made different tribes and nations, each with distinctive elements. He made us all different from one another.

Most countries nowadays consist of multiple nations or has a multi-cultural society such as Malaysia, Singapore, U.S, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Thailand and China. Malaysia has Malays, Chinese and Indians being the major races and our aboriginies (Orang Asli) in parts of Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak. In Sabah and Sarawak, there are more than 10 ethnic groups ranging from Kadazan, Bajau to Murut. There are ex-patriates in our country too.

Chinese are also very adaptable people. I can see Chinese in all the countries that I've visited so far namely Australia, Thailand and Indonesia and others such as UK, US and European countries. The presence of the Chinese community is all there. They are not only in China but all over the world.

Unity and harmony are perhaps the terms that we heard often in multi-cultural societies. All people from all walks of life live in unity among each other. An example is Australia whereby there is little discrimination to those from other races. I have an Australian friend, Michael who likes Chinese food. International students at Australian universities mixed well with Australians and other countries. There are Asian colleagues who are performing well together with their Australian colleagues. Everyone is living peacefully and harmoniously with one another. We are comfortable with one another.

In a multi-cultural society, we can experience different cultures and lifestyle. We will develop tolerance, respect and unity towards each other. We should not look down on others or show discrimination towards others. We contributed to the country with one another. When we live in a multi-cultural society, we should not be bias toward one another and yet in some countries, there are still people who do not get it. It may not be the case of being bias but the circumstances that we are in and the experiences that we have gained made us to feel that way. It happens commonly among a race. Of course, not everyone are like that but some are.

We love to savour the wonderful variety of food around us. We actually embrace some of these foods. We like Tony Roma's, McDonalds, KFC, Nando's to name a few. We have Japanese, Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Taiwanese, Swedish and German food in shopping centres. People from other countries like to eat roti canai, nasi lemak, various kinds of laksa, rojak, dim sum, curry mee, mangosteen, and others. Some of them can take durians too. There are Malaysian restaurants in Australia and UK.

However, godly people should not hold judgement against others. We should be neutral to them. We are called to love one another just as God loved us.

  ³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34 NIV)

Please respect and tolerate each other's culture and religion. Please do not discriminate against each other. Please be fair to one another. Please be neutral with one another. Please do not be bias toward one another. Let us display that God's love is unconditional. Let us live with one another peacefully and harmoniously.

Make that CHANGE!
 
I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have
Been any clearer


Man in the Mirror lyrics by Loglar.com

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Say No to Corruption!

Hi Everyone,

What do Somalia, Haiti, Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia share in common? Corruption cases.


Government leaders and politicians are meant to serve the people and the country. Instead, we heard of cases whereby these people misused their power and involved in corruption, graft and bribery.


Millions of money were lost when it could be used for better purposes such as education, transporation, economy and others. There were corruption cases in Malaysia and it costs us a lot of money. Costs of the Port Klang Free Trade Zone (PKFZ) escalated more than 50%. Our government bought a pc and a printer for more than RM10,000. Help could not reach certain countries during disasters such as Myanmar because the leaders chose to take the opportunity to take the supplies for themselves instead of distributing it to the people in need.

Here are several things that could be done with the money wasted:

• Eradication of poverty
• Education
• Infrastructure especially for rural areas (electricity, clean water supply, internet, agriculture)
• Transportation
• Environment
• Judiciary 

Reasons for corruption......


Greed is one of the main reasons for this. Politicians want to gain power and some at the expense of the people. They need to realise that what they are doing is wrong. They are selected to serve the people and yet they are involved in all these activities. They do not keep promises made during election. They do things for all the wrong reasons. 

 

There are some who just wanted to lead the government so that they can gain control and power. Some of them can oppress people and make the people suffer. Some of them can claim that there will be change, but we can be shortchanged.

Qualities of goverment leaders

A political leader must have integrity, looks to the interest of the community and the heart to serve the community. They should think in the best interest of the people. He or she should always look to the future and think of implementing policies that benefits the community and the people. This can be in terms of economy, education, transporation, green lungs, tourism, sports, techonology, infrastructure and anything else. Our leaders should encourage unity among all people regardless of social status. 

He or she also needs to ensure fairness and partiality in judiaciary processes, election processes and other processes to people from all walks of life. Everything that displays transparency must be practiced. All forms of morally wrong acts must be condemned in any way. 

He or she should know what the community needs. He or she should aim for harmonious and peaceful neighbourhoods. The needs of the poor should be looked upon as well with high importance. When all these are done, the government leader will gain respect from the people. Satisfaction on the government among everyone will be higher. 


We can learn from countries such as New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Sweden,  Singapore, Norway, Netherlands and  Australia. These countries are placed in the top 8 of the Corruption Perception Index 2011 by Transparency International. These 8 countries are the cleanest countries in the world. These countries have least amount of corruptions in the world. How do they do it? How can they achieve these rankings?

A little progress for Malaysia

As a developing country, a lot of things are still need to be done to progress. Our main priority is to revamp our education system, to eradicate poverty and to improve our infrastructures such as transportation, environment, roads, electricity, water and broadband connectivity (in rural areas) among others.

The transportation system here needs to be improved as well. Some of us such as myself can only go to a lrt station about 10 minutes away. We still need to drive to take public transport. Now, the government through Prasarana, the public transportation arm is improving the system by builidng the MRT and extending Sri Petaling and Kelana Jaya lines.

We have raised the importance of knowing English as well through initiatives to teach Science and Maths in English and increased learning hours for English. There is progress in Malaysia but there are still plenty to improve. We can also encourage reading English books.

Things have been done and changed for the better. Our judiciary processes have improved last year. Please read these articles in Malaysian Today and The Sun. We have successfully reduced the backlog of cases in the judiciary system. Processes have been improved. We have improved the waiting time and the efficiency of the immigration system as well when applying for passports. Processes have been improved too.

Is It Enough?

These are still not enough. We still have a long way to go. We still have leaders who do not have these qualities. We still have quite a number of corruption cases. There is still division among them. Some of them are still not up to par. Some of them do not think of the future and they think for the short term. Certain things are still not there yet at the moment.

Conclusion

SAY NO TO CORRUPTION! SAY NO TO GREED!  

Please think of the community and the people. Please think of the future. Please change for the better.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

English Is Vital

Hi Everyone,

We have come to the point of time where English is a global language used in most countries in the world today. All walks of life are embracing English as the medium of communication and some have already done it way back. It is the global language used for job interviews as well. Most of the jobs require us to have a good command of English.

The debate of teaching Maths and Science in English got heated up in Malaysia. Some of us may not realise the importance of it until our child(ren) go(es) to college and university. The medium of instruction for these subjects are taught in English especially true for most private colleges such as Taylor's College, Sunway College and Inti College.

Pre-university courses such as South Australian Matriculation (SAM), Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT), A-Levels, American Degree Program (ADP), Canadian Pre-U (CPU), use syllabuses from Australia, UK and the US respectively. Therefore, all the scientific and mathematical terms are in English instead of Malay. There are no issues  for us who has a good command of English. However, it may be tougher for those who have a weaker command of English.

These are some differences in the terms:

Displacement (sesaran)

Mass (jisim)

Weight (berat)

Force (daya)

Fraction (pecahan)

Differentiation (pembezaaan)

Function (literally translated to Fungsi)

Progression (janjang)

Sistem Percernaan (Digestion system)

Squared (kuasa dua)

To the power of (kuasa)

Binary (asas dua)

Hexadecimal (asas enam belas)

The terms may have been originated from other languages and yet most are already translated to English.

I am in the IT industry and I have also studied Bachelor of Computing. All the materials that I used during my studies are in English. Resources of books are simply better with this language. Here are some differences in terms:

Software (perisian)

Mouse (tetikus)

Keyboard (tetikus)

The net (jaringan)

Hacking (penghadaman)

Virus (virus)

Click (klik)

Password (kata laluan)

Information Technology (teknologi maklumat)

Hard disk (pemacu keras)

Compact disc CD: cakera padat

Download (muat turun)

Reformat (memformat)

IT resources such as programming (coding) examples, web design and others are widely available in our second language (English as Second Language). Wikipedia does have it in Bahasa Malaysia and other languages but it started off with English.

Banking and accounting industries also uses English most of the time. Resources are all in English. Meetings are conducted using it too. We can understand better if we have a good command in it.

Knowing English does not mean we are less Malaysians. In fact, Chinese in China including senior citizens took the opportunity to learn English when they hosted the Beijing Olympics 4 years ago. It means that we are adaptable and able to converse well in the language. It would be easier for us to communicate with tourists. It is used commercially, bricks and mortar world (physical shops) and online. Having a good command of English lets us communicate with people locally and globally. It is an advantage to us to know multiple languages. We are able to communicate with people anywhere and anytime. It does not make us less Malaysians. A lot of us can communicate with each other using Malay, English, Chinese dialects and Tamil. People from all walks of life are learning different languages now. More and more people are taking up Mandarin including people from US and UK. China is booming now.

Therefore, it is good to know English and other languages as well. It does not make us anything less. There should be no debate at all regarding this. We need to do something to improve our command of English, especially for those who do not have a strong background in the language.

Teaching in Science and Maths is one of the ways. It would be easier to transition to college and university in the future. More English lessons (grammar and others) are another way too. Reading English newspapers such as The Star, New Straits Times and The Sun and books is good as well.

In a nutshell, having a good command of English doesn't make us less of anything. It is essential for us to have a good command of English because it is one of the most widely used language in the world. It is also good for us to know more than 1 language as well. We may need to use it to communicate with other people while travelling or work if given the opportunities.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Changes made to blog (HTML5 & CSS3)

Hi All,

Please be noted that I'll be making changes to this blog in terms of template and layout. New features may be introduced as well using HTML5 and CSS3. Therefore, you may see certain things are still in development. Thank you.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

I am a Nobody but a Nobody can be a Somebody. Somebody can be a Nobody or remain as Somebody

Hi Everyone,

We are Nobodies in the world that we live in. We are just ordinary citizens. However, we can choose to make a difference in our lives and in the world. We can be Somebodies.

Regardless of our status and beliefs, we can be someone who can make a difference in the society whether it is at home, at work, at our country or at other countries as well. As Christians, we are called to serve God wholeheartedly. Atheists or freethinkers by conscience also know that helping others is good.

Being a Somebody does not mean that we are to be recognised by others. Sometimes, our service to the community or to the church are not recognised, meaning our work are actually in the background. We are not in the limelight. 

Here are some examples that we can be Somebody: 

1. Perform our best at work

  - IT Sector: Successful projects, webistes, perform our job well, meets the requirements of users

  - Doctors and Nurses: Serving the community by healing their illnesses, simple or more serious without giving a lot of thought on money

  - Cleaners: Keeping our country clean. Includes rubbish collectors and toilet cleaners

  - Governments: Serve the people well in terms of a country's economy, education, transportation, law and other matters

2. Environment / Mother Nature

  - Saving electricity by using energy saving light bulbs and energy efficient electrical items

  - Recycling, reducing water consumption

  - Buying hybrid / environmentally friendly cars

  - Participate in a tree planting exercise

3. Helping the community

  - Volunteer ourselves to serve in charity / medical organisations and associations such as Makna, old folks home, orphanges, the poor, HIV patients 

  - Gotong royong

As mentioned above, Somebody can be a Somebody or a Nobody. What does this mean is that we may not be appreciated for what we are doing or we choose not to use it to gain popularity or fame. We should remain anonymous when we help others. 

¹ “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

   ² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:1-3&version=NIV)

 

One example is Mother Teresa who helped the poor and the needy in South or East Asia1. She did it with humility and without attracting attention to her. She remained low profile until her later years where she has some criticisms. She was also awarded a Nobel Price back in 1979^1,2.

We do not need to tell the whole world that we have done something remarkable. We can do it in the background. We need to be humble and help the needy wholeheartedly instead of helping out of insincere intentions. We can also pray for them as well.

That's about it. Not sure if I am to discuss this again in the future.

¹ Mother Teresa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa
Accessed: 15th January 2012


² Mother Teresa - Biography
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-bio.html

Accessed: 15th January 2012

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Highlights of 2011 (My Perspective)

Hi Everyone,

Here are my highlights for the year:

Career

  - My 2nd job

  - My trip to Thailand (with my previous company for project)

    - Visited Chatuchak Weekend Market

    - Siam Paragon, Madame Tussauds, Siam Center

    - Experienced Thai Traditional Massage

    - Experienced Tony Roma's Bangkok

Christian Life

  - Served in the P.A Ministry this year (1st year)

    - I thank Eric, Tito, Peter and the other P.A system team members for their service and support (Yui Teng, Emily, June)

    - Managed the sound system on a wedding for the first time by myself (Dec 17th 2011)

  -  Served in Vacation Big Apple (VBS) Big Apple Adventure this year (Nov 28th to Dec 4th)

    - My class

    - I thank Chee Meng and Kevin for supporting Kitty and myself during our first time serving in VBS

    - I thank Chee Meng, Kevin and Kitty for their support and service

    - I thank the other VBS team members as well for serving

  - My parents accepted Christ in October

  - Young Adults Ministry (YAM)

 Life

  - Went to karaoke about 4 times this year (with YAM, twice with family and with my friends once)

    -  Had fun with King Wai, Joyce, Mung San and my other cell group friends

     - May have another one next year (end Jan or mid Feb)

- My sister and family came from Melbourne to KL for holidays (Dec 2011 to Jan 2012)

Movies 

  - Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

  - Captain America

  - Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon

  - The Adventures of Tintin

  - Kungfu Panda 2

  - The Smurfs

 

Music

  - Taylor Swift: Speak Now (bought this year)

    - ITunes
    - Amazon


  - Il Volo

  - Simple Plan feat. Natasha Bedingfield: Jet Lag



  - Jessie J: Price Tag



  - Lady Gaga: The Edge of Glory, You and I

News
 
  - Russel Brand and Katy Perry divorced after 14 months of marriage


  - Japanese Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Plant

    - Telegraph

    - Japanese disaster: Before and After

  - Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes protested against the airport tax hike by Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB)

  - Interlok novel deemed sensitive by Indian community (Form Five novel). It was replaced with Konserto Terakhir which I used in 2002.

  - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial

Radio

  - Red FM

  - Capital FM (The first radio channel for ladies)

Sports

  - Tiger Woods won his first golf event after returning empty for the past two years

  - Roger Federer won 4 championships in 2011

  - Datuk Nicol David and Datuk Lee Chong Wei still dominates the sport arena in 2011

Technology

  - IPhone 4S

  - HTC ChaCha, HTC Salsa

  - Motorola Droid RAZR , Motorola XOOM

  - Samsung

    - Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy Mini, Samsung Galaxy Y, Samsung Galaxy W

  - Blackberry Playbook

  - Tech 2011: Biggest News Stories of the Year

  - Astro Beyond HD with PVR and Astro on Demand

Televison

  - Terra Nova

  - Lives of Omission

  - Forensic Heroes III

  - Charlie's Angels (have not watched it yet though)

  - Glee: Season 3

  - Warehouse 13: Season 3

  - American Idol Season 11: Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler are the judges

Cheers,

Rogerkoo