I will touch a bit more on "Gun, Germs and Steel", a video adaptation shown to us by the prof.
Finishing the first episode of "Guns, Germs and Steel : Out of Eden", I find myself back at the drawing board when the question on why technology disparity widen and happens was thrown out into an open discussion in class. Many classmates came up with answers and one comment about the geographical location of civilisation and the resources available to them was a factor. He chose to focus on raw materials like ores but the video has brought in a wider perspective. It was illustrated that the difference in the productivity of local agricultural products and livestocks has huge part to play and the keyword here is surplus. Only when the basic needs are met, with a surplus of food then there will be availability of time and workforces to focus their need on other areas, to allow specialisation. This is further illustrated from examples in the modern world. Companies, corporations and even countries can afford to go into R & D only when they have surpluses and profits.
While geographical advantages seemed to disappear in the face of globalisation, where resources are no longer bound by geographical means, it might not necessarily be so. China, is well known for using its monopoly of rare earth as a political tool. When questioned about its attempt to devalue the RMB to secure an export advantages by the USA, huge amounts of rare earth setting for the USA were called back and held up at the port. Was it mere coincidence? Or was it yet another well planned threat?
I would also like to discuss the possibilities that the abundance of resources might not necessarily be favourable. When resources are abundant, people do not innovate to make the best use out of the resources as they saw no need to. Will humans tried ways and means to improve the effectiveness of engine if there's no red alert on oil supply? Next, we look at what is called the resource curse, most commonly referred as the oil curse for Middle Eastern countries. The oil curse happens for several reason, it might be the mismanagement of resources like the lack of innovation I mentioned. However, the strongest reason the oil curse occurs is that the lucrative petroleum industry drive up the real exchange rate, destroying the profitability of any other industry. Resources and funds are pumped into the petroleum industry for the high yield, other sectors have totally no hope of matching up in term of profitability. For countries that had been hit by other kind of resource curse, once the global industry moved away from that particular resources, the economy died off as there exists no other competitive industry.
The key message I got was "too much of anything is never good". Everything in the universe must have a balance. When we have too much money, we failed to see the real value of money and aspects of life which money cannot define. When we have too much resources, we do not innovate, we do explore other possibilities. When we have too much technologies, we failed to understand the marvel of human bodies, the beauty in the simplicity that life can offer.
Prof had mentioned in class how Singapore government had failed to incorporate the importance of green technology into our society. Why is it that we had such an abundance of sunshine that we failed to make full use of it. I had asked myself the same question a few years back during my stay at HQ transport in army. With such a huge plot of land, of parking space, there is endless sunlight shining on them. Why are they going to waste? Why is it that, Singapore, claiming to be a first world country is so reluctant to embrace these technology when the Europeans and Americans had long awakened, leading a green revolution that forces government and corporations to take a second look on their 'business as usual' mentality.
I strongly feel that the government, the public sector should be the one making a spearhead lead into these arenas. Tesla had managed to create a hybrid sedan that is capable of running on both electricity and gasoline that is suitable for daily usage. These electric vehicles are capable of going up to 200 miles per charge from charging stations that is sun-powered. The charging capability of a smallest charging station for household use can hold enough power for 26 miles per charge! It's time we start transforming our buses, SAF vehicles (non-outfield uses) and our taxis into electric vehicles, talk about the potential market behind this!
Further issues I hope to touch on some other time would be how the invention of lithium ion battery transform the renewable resources industry, how creating a better engine will not unhook our lust for oil, and how the Big 5 of the oil industry has won the battle against fuel cell in the early stages of cars, how their dominance impedes the technological advancement in renewable resources and ultimately how fuel cell is making a comeback.
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