In the article "Why the climate fight needs engineers", Shah (2015) mentioned that a new programme for engineers has been set in motion in Singapore. It will allow professionals to upgrade their skills and knowledge in their field of expertise and increase the job opportunities for engineers in the long run. This is to address issues that will be caused by the change in climate in the near future and to prepare Singapore for it. Extreme weather fluctuations and fast city development made the government saw the need to achieve a new sustainable city and economic system through engineering. The writer quoted that engineering solutions to sustainability will be important for Singapore to make it's green growth vision and the dream of becoming the world's first digital city come true. Hence in order to put forth the plans, engineers must not only do well in their field but must also be prepared to counter the challenges they might face in the future. I agree with the article, however, there is a lack of analysis on the factors concerning the use of engineering solutions to tackle climate change.
For the first factor in the article, Shah (2015) stated that carbon emissions from Singapore were relatively high based on per capita and if solutions to reduce carbon dioxide were developed, they could be shared with other countries. However, the topic was lightly touched upon without analysing further on the impacts it might had. "Urban areas tend to be warmer due buildings and other infrastructure that retain or produce heat which can also lead to heat stress as well as greater use of air-conditioning, increasing Singapore’s energy demands." (NCCS, 2015). The above statement was quoted to support the writer's article in explaining on the high carbon emissions per capita. "On the one hand, replacing this addiction with carbon dioxide-free renewable energies, and energy efficiency will be long, expensive and difficult." (Kazmerski, 2014). In order to cut down on the gas emissions, coming up with innovations to resolve this issue will prove to be challenging as the time and cost factors will also have to be taken into considerations.
For the second factor, the writer did not explain further on the nation's quest to finding other alternatives to power lifts in HDBs, smart meters, and water efficient appliances, among others. It was being vaguely mentioned with no analysis or examples. "Exploring the feasibility of using solar energy to provide power in local conditions, HDB is conducting test beds in 30 precincts over a five-year period to explore the feasibility of using solar energy." (NCCS, 2013). This example was used to support government's efforts in trying different alternatives to produce energy. It showed that the research on alternative energy sources had already started and put into plan.
In conclusion, Shah's article was able to inform us about the changes that might take place in the near future even if it could be lacking on the analysis and supporting details. Even though the programme for engineers was still in the initial stage, professionals had already welcomed and approved of the course. This will be a good direction for Singapore to head towards as steps were taken by the government to research on other energy sources and some had already been put forth.
References
Kazmerski, L. (2014, March). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Volume 31, Pages 792-834. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032113008460
NCCS Website. (2013, July 4). National Climate Change Secretariat. Retrieved from https://www.nccs.gov.sg/climate-change-and-singapore/domestic-actions/reducing-emissions/power-generation
NCCS Website. (2015, February 5). National Climate Change Secretariat. Retrieved from https://www.nccs.gov.sg/climate-change-and-singapore/national-circumstances/impact-climate-change-singapore
