Mood: buzzed
Listening to: fan spinning


ESSAY D:


Given the limited land available in Singapore, is it wise to set aside some areas as nature reserves?

Nature itself is a very important part of the world, let alone Singapore. I agree that it is wise to set aside some areas as nature reserves because land is very limited. Yes, it is neccecary to use some of these areas for the country's needs- Housing, Infrastructure, Industry, But we cannot say that these things come above nature- Nature too is a very important part of the ecosystem we live in. To get a full perspective of the issue, let us look at both of these sides, Natural, and Man made, one by one. Let us start off with the natural world. Nature is a very important aspect in our world. It has been present since the world was created, and it has been growing ever since, changing and molding the landscape. It has also given, and taken life from its inhabitants who reside in its magnificent body. It constitutes a big part of the ecosystem, and enables the world to achieve a natural, blissful equilibrium, which we can live in safely. Although nature has been known to show it's dark side once in a while, it provides us with sustenance, shelter, and comfort. It is, indeed, one of the most magnificent spectacles this world has ever beheld, and the very thing that keeps our world alive and going.

The urban jungle is of a somewhat different nature. Although it is similar to the natural world in the sense that it keeps the world alive and going, it is somewhat, a nemesis to its organic cousin. The urban jungle is human society's incredible creation- a machine with no limits and boundaries, which is growing and growing second by second. Every day, new trees are planted in the form of buildings. It's roots take the shape of electrical pipes and waterways. Its canopy is made up of the steel-and-glass material that blankets the city, and its lifeblood is the people who enjoy its benefits. The urban jungle keeps the economy and the business deals flowing. It brings in wealth and power to the human being. Similar to nature, it provides us with sustenance, shelter and comfort. This is indeed another amazing thing in our world- and it also keeps the world in itself alive and going.

However, it is argued that the urban jungle cannot live with the other natural world by its side. People do say that Singapore needs new land and new space for housing, for living, for keeping the people safe and sound. People also say that it is unwise to keep areas for nature to grow and prosper because our economy is the very thing that keeps the country from collapsing- and allows it to grow. It is indeed very necessary in this context to reserve a substantial amount of land for the urban jungle. Although there are methods of saving space- these methods can only allow us to expand on one plot of land only to a certain extent. There must come a time when we must use what little land reserve we have to build some more buildings to keep the urban jungle alive, and it's inhabitants thriving. Singapore is a small country, but it is growing slowly, but surely. In time, it will be inevitable that we have to use some of this land that the natural world has occupied to keep our country alive and running.

But still, what use is the man-made world when man himself cannot survive? It has been speculated as well that nature will play a very big part in deciding our future, and our children's future. The man made world has proven to be a menace at the same time. It has injected pollution into the natural world, causing millions of acres of fertile land to be either converted to man-made areas or destroyed permanently. It has caused much suffering to the natural world and it's inhabitants, and it is slowly poisoning even the urban jungle itself. It is said and proven that there are many things that are going to happen in the future if we do not start finding better ways of running the urban machine. Global warming, Flash floods, Freak weather- these are only but a few things that will come our way if we do not take nature into consideration. These things can lead to global catastrophe- leaving both natural and man-made jungles uninhabited, and utterly devastated into nothing. Some people have taken heed to the signs and are trying to stop the urban jungle from growing, but others do not want this to happen, and are looking down upon this effort. Films like "The day after tomorrow" and "The inconvenient truth" have shown us how much devastation can result if we do not do something now to contain the damage that is already done.

So if we look at this situation in the eyes of a common man, we can do two things- Either continue building on nature for Singapore's well being in terms of industry, economy and providing for it's people, or leave nature itself in peace, and source for other ways to expand the urban jungle. However, a third thing can be done in this situation-, which is to balance building the urban and natural jungles side by side. The new technology that we are developing can slowly help to make our urban machine less eco-hostile and more eco-friendly. We can also use this technology to help restore parts of the world which have fallen prey to our past, rash actions. At the same time, we can set aside certain areas of land to allow nature to take it's course and allow it to grow, rather than to continue building on it. The economy will have to take the strain of the effort, but it is worthwhile. Singapore's land is limited indeed, but we cannot take nature away from our country. Nature plays a very important part in keeping our world, and us intact. Nature and Urban aspects of our Singapore can live side by side each other to keep our nation a growing- yet ecologically friendly. Balance is the key in this world of ours- one cannot exist without the other.

In conclusion, it is necessary to set aside some places for nature reserves, but it is also necessary to allow Singapore to use land for it's own development.