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Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Hydropower, Oil Palm, And Sustainability, Fernando Salud '17
Hydropower, Oil Palm, And Sustainability, Fernando Salud '17
EnviroLab Asia
This reflection touches on the writer’s experiences during the EnviroLab Asia Clinic trip in early 2016 to Borneo, Malaysia and Singapore. The reflection involves two events: a visit to a blockade protesting the construction of a hydroelectric dam and a meeting with the sustainability department of Wilmar, one of the world’s leading palm oil producers. The first event comments on the tension between the need for renewable energy and the destruction of the natural environment and communities due to the particular energy generation technology chosen. This event highlighted the importance of understanding the societal constraints a technology is being installed …
Just Research, Ki’Amber Thompson '18
Just Research, Ki’Amber Thompson '18
EnviroLab Asia
The trip to Malaysia Borneo was an eye-opening experience that reinforced the need for researchers to listen to the indigenous peoples and to integrate their knowledge and understanding of place into any scientific, political, or policy analyses designed to restore the impact of deforestation and dam projects in the region.
Beyond Textbooks And Statistics, Jahnavi Kocha '19
Beyond Textbooks And Statistics, Jahnavi Kocha '19
EnviroLab Asia
This essay reflects the author’s discovery of what makes studying a subject worth it. The clinic trip to Borneo brought textbooks to life and also enabled us to see beyond the numbers to a more human experience. As someone who grew up in a business family and with a certain mindset, Jahnavi the global and cultural perspectives that make studying the environment more tangible. A small surprise follows the short prose piece.
What Does “Sustainable Development” Mean?, Grace Stewart '17
What Does “Sustainable Development” Mean?, Grace Stewart '17
EnviroLab Asia
A recurring theme throughout the EnviroLab Asia clinic trip to Singapore and Malaysian Borneo was the concept of "sustainable development." In this essay, I explore my own thoughts and concerns regarding this phrase, such as the tension that exists between "sustainability" (the maintenance of resources) and the conventional concept of "development" (which consumes resources and can often wreak environmental destruction). I reflect on this tension within the context of environmental issues faced by the Dayak people in Sarawak--the building of the Baram Dam, and the prevalence of oil palm plantations.