Thursday 14 May 2009

Presentation Day and Visit to International Market Place

We've presented some key environmental issues in our respective countries. I was presenting on the Sea East Asia Haze that hit the Malaysia and neighbouring countries almost every year since the 1980s due to forest burning for land clearing in Sumatera. I've included the effects, challenges and latest measures that have just been taken by the ASEAN countries to counter measures the problem.

For the other participants, most of them presented on water based issues such as water contamination and water management in Fiji, coral reef depletion and endangered water species in Malaysia and Fiji, water wastage in Malaysia, environmental friendly polymer technology for testing water, as well as cyanide fishing in Borneo. Other presentation which is quite new to most of the participants is the "Global Dimming" which was caused by the airlines industry. It is claimed to having the same impact as global warming where it increases the temperature on earth. Other topics include the landslide issue in Bukit Antarabangsa, rat invasion in Fiji which threaten the endangered birds, environment from the perpestive of Islam, urban heat island, bird conservation in Fiji and several others. At the end of each presentation we have an intensive discussions from the scientific, political, economy and social perspectives which only open up other question and lead again to another questions. So, we were left with questions looming inside our head which we called as the open loop. After all "Sometimes the questions are more powerful than the answers (Scott)".

At the end of the presentation session, we were divided into groups and asked to categorised each person based on their issues and backgrounds into categories namely the energy, water, air, land and biology. Then we were asked to linked them between those categories which are related to them only to find out it is hard to define and basically it is interelated. Thus, it proved that diversity is important in a team and we need other people from a diverse background to find the best solution, "Wisdom outside of us is greater than the wisdom inside of us".

After the session ended, we headed for Waikiki town centre and went to the International Market Place. Some of the pictures was grabbed from Jonathan and Clara. Thank you. Enjoy the pictures.




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