A reader sponsored chapter Chapter 597 brought to you by June and Ninja. Also I have copied Ninja’s letter that received positive response from Singapore government. We would like to thank the readers below for visiting our website and putting up with the ads.
Kevin
Arashi
ton
hunny
Gentlemen’s laugh
My name is Ninja. I am a student of ” ” College. I am also a supporter of Greenpeace. I would like to bring to your attention the incredibly important issue of the Amazon Dam project. The Brazilian government is trying to carry out an Amazon Dam project. However, since they have faced great opposition from Greenpeace and probably other groups, and some other factors, the project has not started.
Singapore is a country that is known as the Garden City. I am very proud of that. We are also progressively using renewable, environmentally-friendly technology, and are strict with companies with regards to properly disposing the waste, and not polluting. This is all something that is worth being proud about.
But precisely because we are so environmentally-friendly and focused, we should make a public stand on the world stage regarding the Amazon Dam. This is neither a local nor regional matter, but a matter that will affect the entire world. When the river is dammed, part of the rainforest will be flooded. Trees, like normal plants, cannot survive with excess water. The building of the dam will definitely negatively affect the rainforest and its trees. When the largest rainforest in the world has its area reduced, this will mean the global carbon sink will also reduce. And what happens next is something everyone knows. More carbon dioxide will be released into the atmosphere, and so on. Temperatures will rise at a higher rate, as will sea level, both of which will greatly affect Singapore!
I know that we are a country, so involving ourselves in the matters of other countries is a sensitive subject. But, I have an idea. Singapore has green technology, why not broker a deal with Brazil, for them to instead built solar panels and wind turbines? Both of these can be built in the city areas and provide more jobs for locals. We share our knowledge of technology with them, they can sell energy to us, and also allow us ti conduct more research on green technology. It is a deal that will benefit both sides greatly, whereas the Amazon Dam would cause more destruction and negative effects on the environment.
Another suggestion might be to inform the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) about this matter, and let them release a statement about it. I also suggest informing the International Olympic Committee(IOC) of this matter. Brazil cannot be allowed to reap the benefits of hosting the Olympics if it doesn’t stand by the IOC’s stance on sustainability, and stop all effort on trying to build the Amazon Dam. I, myself, will certainly attempt to contact the abovemorganisstions, but having our country do it is also a good thing. I do believe it will also increase Singapore’s favourability in the world’s eyes. We are not fighting for ourselves, but for the world, when we oppose the Amazon Dam. Please, I beseech you, use our country’s green reputation for the sake of the betterment of the world.
Thank you very much,
Ninja
Solar farm in the middle of the jungle? Wind farm in a forest? Good luck.
Wait till Ninja goes into his national service phase, he’ll see how much wind and sunlight can get through a jungle in Brunei.
“Green” technology is all the media rage these days but it’s not Godly-level technology, it simply can’t be used on a large scale and in certain areas.
Hell, IIRC even his Singapore uses natural gas fired power plants as the primary power source, despite all the talk about top of the line solar technology (much less wind).
hi!Well, i like hearing opposition’s viewpoints, totally brings out ye olde debater in me. ahaha—! also, i’m a girl. You don’t seem to be supporting them building the dam, but you’re very cynical about whether the petition will succeed. is that right for me to say? did you sign the petition?
well, greenpeace doesn’t only do petitions. they go to companies, and all. petitioning is only the first step, and it was successful in discouraging the government to put the works on the dam off. but the government doesn’t have to stop trying until the constitution rules that that land belongs to the munduruku people. for me, personally, if the brazilian government refuses to listen, i’m going to borrow my parents’ money, go there, and i will stand at the spot where they want to build the dam. i will not allow them to build it, because there’s no need to. I’m a Muslim, I’m not afraid of death, but i will fight for what is right. And if I die fighting for the Amazon, hey, I’m fighting for Allah’s natural creations, I’ll get rewards for that in the Hereafter. Ah, but I’m talking about death, but i honestly don’t think it’ll come to that.
What talks in this world? Money. And as a Muslim, I have the great privilege of being able to convince other Muslim leaders, and how many Muslim-led countries, do you know? Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, and so on. And how many of those are incredibly rich? quite a number, too. Brazil’s currency isn’t that high, I could carry out a fundraiser in Singapore, and do plan to, in order to fight for the Amazon, and it would be pretty successful, because Singapore youth are willing to take action for the environment. I’ve emailed Siemens, requesting that they not involve themselves with this dam, and also, as an industry leader, to pressure other companies not to get involve in the dam project. I’ve emailed both the Siemens in Singapore(which is hired for some projects by the Singapore government), and also the international Siemens. So you say it won’t work?
Either the Amazon isn’t going to be built, or I’m going to die fighting for it. ‘Cause I fight in the way of Allah swt.
wow, you sure don’t believe in technology, which is weird in the technological age. You didn’t read the letter properly, did you? I suggested they build solar panels and wind turbines in the cities, which brazil has, you know? i am not stupid enough to tell them to build solar panels and wind turbines in the Amazon jungle. I don’t want them to touch it at all. And there is absolutely no need to.
The reasons why green technology is not widely-used despite being an important acknowledged technology are for several reasons.
1) there is no urgent need yet since there is still oil and such
2)governments are not thoroughly funding the research of it, though the Singapore government is progressing
even if it can’t be used on large-scale, there is this wondrous thing called research, have you heard of it?
used in certain areas? have you heard of import, export and globalisation? a computer built in singapore can be imported to south africa. transport technology is able to transport energy. singapore itself buys energy from other countries.
yes, singapore uses natural gas, they can’t immediately cut off natural gas, there are things called politics and such, you know. but we are progressively going towards green technology.
Yes, i’ve prepared all counterarguments, so please go ahead and give me more of your arguments. Allah willing, I won’t lose.
They could possibly have finance problems…and the shoe term interests may greatly surpass the long term benefits. If more experts were to talk about it they may be able to find an ideal solution.
Short term*
Yeah, South America, which includes Brazil, have been having problems since the oil and debt crisis, let’s be honest. It has also helped in increasing corruption. Well, that’s why I suggested that the Singapore government work together with Brazil.If Singapore started buying from Brazil,Brazil would definitely benefit a lot.
I’m less skeptical of “technology” in general than over inflated claims of the efficiency of such “technology” from newspapers and media. A lot of times, the person writing is a literature major and don’t know a thing about the topic, so he/she/it will write it like it’s something out from Star Trek when the tech simply *CANNOT* do what he claims it does. And not to mention ideological bias where the writer has an ideological interest in the technology working in a lot of impossible ways *because he wants it to work that way*!
I’ve encountered a lot of these cases in the scientific field, both in physics and in biology which I later specialized. Writers making super claims that don’t work in reality. Solar is one of them. IIRC, the working efficiency of a photovoltic cell is about 10%-15% (the “literature” says ~20% but that is like the Ferrari of all cells, not normal working cells, and you pay for that quality) and works on something like 4 kilowatt hours per meter squared per day.
An example comparison from wiki would be your Senoko power plant at 3300 megawatts (3300 joules per second). To match that, you would need (back of envelop calculations, take with an error factor) 2,970,000,000 meters squared of solar panels to get the efficiency of one power plant. That is 2,970 square kilometers. Or a single photovoltic farm 4 times the size of your country. And that is only *ONE* power plant. The efficiency simply isn’t there.
Ninja, you’re very young. You never lived in a time where “ideology” caused the death of millions. Yes, millions of people died just because people wanted to create an “ideal” world. Some of which can be laid at the “Worker’s Paradise” that the Communists wanted to build. Others at the “Return to rural roots” living of Pol Pot in Cambodia (like Mao). All these have one thing in common. Impractical goals and when they failed, all the “ideologues” all blamed “Western Imperialistic sabotage” and nothing to do with them knowing nuts all about reality and unrealistic goals.
As the old saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
I’d also argue that your theology and usage of Allah is also warped but that is another topic and is more suitable for discussion with your iman than me. Just pointing out that just because you personally support a cause does not mean Allah supports a cause. He’s your god not your rubber stamp. You might want to ask him about it before using his name.
And BTW, the “Singapore Government” isn’t going to be selling green tech to Brazil. For a simple reason. “Governments” don’t manufacture or produce anything. They just exist to slap out laws.
There is no “Singapore Government Factory” producing phtovoltic cells, they don’t do manufacturing. It is *private companies* that produce these things and unless the private companies want to sell to Brazil, you’re not going to get any cells going in that direction. Maybe you should look for a company that does manufacture photovoltic cells and petition them instead?…. like….Siemens? lol.
Still can’t solve the inefficiency problem though.
all right, then, let’s get going! -ninja rolls up lseeves and rubs hands together excitedly-
mm, yeah, definitely cynical, but it’s due to your experience in the field, and i definitely respect your experience.
The efficiency of solar energy has indeed been put across as one of the ‘difficulties’ of this matter. However, it is still entirely possible to set up a research group of some kind involving universities in the world, to try and improve this. Like i said, the reason it’s not developing as fast as it should, though revolutionary technology it is, is due to there being a lack of sponsors and governments not feeling the urgency. I also suspect there might be some politics to it.-looks at oil, natural gas and coal large companies-…yup, politics. An important factor that, for some reason, people tend to overlook. why?
I’m young, yes. But I am an Arts student, studying both geography and history, and am proud of it! and in truth, it matters not my age if i have knowledge. Those ideal and ideologies you talk about…they are a mask for corruption, let us not sugarcoat it. It is not about dreams, it is about cruelty and heartlessness. Impractical goals? More like, inefficiency, corruption and stupidity.
I know that the british deciding to give up singapore when the japanese came to our borders through malaysia ws a bad decision, for the japanesd had been suffering then, too, after crossing through malaysia. but it was fated, and so singapore fell to japan and entered the dark times. so many people,especially the chineses, died, due to british unwillingmess to fight.
I studied/study the cold war, the united nations, the global economy and religious fundamentalism in school. I know all these issues, I am literally being taught about them in school. I have enough knowledge about the proxy wars fought by the US and USSR during the Cold War, about the futility of the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and so on. I know the UN’s crippling weakness of a veto in the security council, i know about the oil crisis and the debt crisis, and about the causes and effects of religious fundamentalism, mainly in the Middle East and Asia.
I might be young, Owl, but I am, Allah willing, not stupid. And nor am I an idealist. It is difficult to stay an idealist when you see how the US and USSR act like selfish little children who refuse to work together for the betterment of the world after World War 2. When you know much of the suffering in the world during the Cold War was carried out due to proxy wars of those very same two countries. Of how, while the USA fought in the futile Vietnam War, they did effectively nothing when Cambodia was taken over by a dictator, and its citizens massacred in the millions.
An idealist? ahaha! The world is not perfect, and being an idealist is going to make it so very hard to succeed, Owl. No, I’m a realist, though I suppose my optimism makes it seem like I’m an idealist, I understand.
Hm—! about my religion—! Well, I mean, I am fighting this hard for the Amazon River and Rainforest because it is one of Allah swt’s natural creations, something that has, unfortunately, become incredibly scarce in our world today. Yet, technology in this era has rendered needing to destroy any sort of forest or natural creation, unnecessary. I hope you can at least acknowledge that I’m trying really hard for the Amazon. If you can’t, well…lol, it doesn’t really matter, as long as Allah swt recognises my efforts. If I wasn’t assured that I am fighting for a worthy cause, one I would go to nearly all means to see come through, do you think I’d be this intense and passionate about this? Let me tell you, I am not someone who would randomly go to people to ask them to sign a petition. I wouldn’t ask someone to sign a petition to save a river in China, because China’s government is communist, and they are a strong, still corrupted, government. To fight against them means to risk my life, there is a small chance it will succeed, and I could also be thought to be breaching China’s sovereignty should I call upon the government to act.
But the Amazon River and Rainforest. This is a matter of global warming and climate change. Flooding a part of the Amazon rainforest, which would result in trees that are hundreds of years old dying, means that there will be less of a carbon sink, and more carbon dioxide going into the air. You’re a smart person, Owl, so I’m sure you knows what happens next. Temperature and sea levels will both rise, at an even faster rate.I don’t want to live in a world where people of the world will stand at the sidelines and do nothing as they watch the world deteriorate, watch the temperatures increase at a faster rate and watch the sea levels rise even higher and eventually swallow up low lying areas like Bangladesh, and eventually, Singapore.
So I have made an ultimatum in my heart, either Brazil stops building that thoroughly unnecessary dam, or I go to Brazil, stand at the area where they intend to build that dam, and have no fear concerning what happens next, Allah willing, even if it means death.
No, who said the Singapore Government was going to sell green technology? I suggested to the Singapore Government to advise Brazil against going forward with the dam, and to offer to broker a deal with them with other companies to build solar power and wind turbines instead. Either I’m very vague, which I will apologise, should it be so, or you didn’t read my email to the government properly, Owl. Exactly, companies like Siemens should be encouraging the Brazilian government to use solar power or wind turbines, not using their excellent technology to build a wholly unneeded dam.
Well, like I said, inefficiency problem can be solved with communication technology, and having companies and universities work together. It’s not about what’s the problem, it’s about what you are going to do about it, and how to solve it.
Ninja, the inefficiency problem isn’t about “corruption” or “politics”, it’s simply physics. That is one of the problems about why I said about people overclaiming about things that physics cannot back up.
And also demonstrates the same problem I said about “ideologues” blaming everything but their solution. You said it’s all about other people’s faults when it simply boils down to the fact that the proposed solution *DOES NOT* have the capability or capacity to produce the energy required, even if you had the most incorrupt government in the galaxy. Because physics don’t give a damn about your politics. It just says “Nope, no, not going to happen”.
As for the Cold War et al, you studied it. It’s a lot different *living* through it. And one thing you have to learn. They were “true believers”. They were not “corrupt” in the sense of hording, but took all those actions believing they were right, which is the worst kind of self delusion to fall into. It’s the western media that blames their “corruption” for failure of their system because there was too much acrimony and things devolved into personal attacks but the reality was that their system which they believed in was flawed in the first place.
This is similar to what you are demonstrating, that any action of the “proposed solution” falling short isn’t due to your ideology of environmental consciousness not meeting up to the reality that the solutions can’t keep up with demand but “politics” and “corruption” and “western imperialistic interference” (ok, not the last one, but it is there to demonstrate how people have historically blamed others rather than their own solution).
To give an example from nature. Do you know the efficiency of conversion of trees for sunlight to energy is only about 10%? Photovoltic cells already exceed that. The conversion rating is even higher than that of nature. That’s not due to “corruption”.
Look at it from another point of view.
Do you know that fossil fuels are one of the most compact form of energy storage in existence? That tank of petrol in your car is only exceeded in energy storage by nuclear power? That is the reason why a lot of alternate solutions fall short. You’re pitting it up against the world’s 2nd best. That “quality” is hard to beat, it’s like trying to propose someone to go against an Olympic silver medalist. The list of viable candidates is very low.
Practically, the only 3 options I can think of for the energy range of the dam are either nuclear, fossil fuel or hydroelectric.
You don’t want hydroelectric, the “green” ideology does not like nuclear, so you left them only one option: fossil fuels. Don’t blame them, you are the one who gave them the only option to go back to fossil fuels. Ironic isn’t it.
And even more ironic, the lakes formed by dams are extremely good carbon sinks, they can sequester more CO2 than an equivalent amount of forest.
This is where a lot of “green” organizations do their maths “wrongly” or slant the results. The “after” consequences are taken by them as a clean slate or barren land where there is absolutely nothing there. This is false. The new environment will generate its own environmental habitat with it’s own unique characteristics and flora and fauna. In fact, I know of some dams that are “protected areas” due to them being the breeding habitat of endangered species! (IIRC the black billed gull in New Zealand is one of them).
I’m less anti-tech than the fact that you must match the solution to the problem, and in this case, solar and wind simply are not the solution. An ideal case would actually be nuclear, since you’re not willing to accept hydro-electric as a solution. Or go back to fossil fuels.
BTW idealist and ideologues are 2 different things.
obviously idealist and ideologies are different things.
well, i read all that. so the main problem you have is that there is no viable alternative solution to the hydroelectric dam.
do you know that they are not making the dams out of necessity? they are using the energy obtained from making the dams(which they already have built quite a number of) to sell. this is not the first dam they’re building, but it is the first dam that severely impacts an important rainforest. therefore, you can stand by and watch the temperature and sea level of the world rise, it’s up to you.
me? I’m going to fight to not live in a world where the temperature and sea level rises at an even faster rate than it currently is now, due to the destruction of part of the rainforest.
It’s possible that the temperature rise is a temporary thing. I also did basic astronomy as part of my short term physics course in Uni and we have just entered into a time of high sunspot activity. Historically, this has caused the global temperatures to rise for 0.6 degrees before dropping again and a lot of people don’t factor this into their models. The cycle takes about 10 years.
Very rare to get an env science major who also does astronomy, so it’s not surprising that the correlation is often missed.
Oh as for selling energy…
You do realize ALL energy produced is for sale? Look at your house’s power bill next month. That’s “selling energy”. Does that mean your house does not need it? No. Just because it is “sold” does not mean it is not necessary.
Moot point though, the dam project is not going forward (and has not been since April), what you have left is actually a land grab/claim by the Munduruku people. That is the real issue here, aboriginal land rights. The dam is actually a secondary issue, along with the illegal gold mining intrusions. If it didn’t pass their land, they won’t even raise a squeak over it.
It’s all about the land to them. Not the environment.
hm—! well, yeah, i certainly see that you don’t want to support the cause. it matters not to me. I’m not arguing about this with a person who clearly is just arguing, and not interested in the cause.
i mentioned the selling energy part because others have had the misconceotion that brazil’s government was building the dams for the use of its own people, when in truth, they are exporting quite a bit of it.
that’s where you’re wrong about the dam. yes, the brazilian constitution has told the brazilian government to stop work on the dam, but so long as the munduruku people do not have that land demarcated as their own, the brazilian government can keep trying to build a dam in that area.
sure, you can say it’s about the land to them. but this issue is a multi-faceted issue, and when the munduruku get the rights to the land, it means the environment of the Amazon will be saved, and i’m fighting for the environment.