summer could kill - the guardian
2019 was the second hottest year on record with 48 degrees. i am listening and watching to the guardian video on inequality and climate apartheid in india on my iphone while writing this note - the past five years had been the hottest in 150 years, and it brings nothing but excruciating pain and discomfort to those living at margin, struggling to get by. to address inequality, one need to acknowledge the grim economic and political situation in the country. despite modi's citizenship law, the gap between the rich and poor, environmental issues etc, i find hope in india's younger generation
https://www.france24.com/en/20200127-385-mile-human-chain-indians-line-up-to-protest-citizenship-law
global warming and climate change is inseparable from carbon dioxide and methane emission, green house effect from human activities. i applaud the move by the guardian to stop advertising fossil fuel companies in its outlet by making small contribution in support of their plight against climate change. it is difficult to completely give up fossil fuel, for germany it is 18 years and 44 billions. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/climate/germany-coal-climate-change.html i don't know if it is worth it? i still drive 130 km to and from work everyday, burning fuels equivalent to almost 750 km every week. i tried public transportation from erl to putra lrt and buses - it adds another one and half hour to work, from 45 to 60 minutes one way by driving. i would walk or cycle if i could, just like during my student days but i can't afford living nearby. of all places i lived before, boston/cambridge was not a nice place for cyclists - london has better road but US' complicated, designed not to be understood hospital fees and insurance payment are some of the factors that worried me the most during my time over there https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/us/hospitals-lawsuits-medical-debt.html i did not have much choice. the public transportation was unreliable or risked myself late to appointments and classes.
america obsession with fossil fuel and motor industries kill the public transportation in the country. in 2018 i attended a transportation conference at school and listened to prof. daniel sperling of uc davis and institute of transportation studies where he brought up the idea of three revolutions in transportation - hailing services by driverless electric car. it may be a brilliant idea for 5g or in an urban setting but not when it risks security, using too much energy and require unnecessary technological infrastructure unless the entire city was built on vibranium heaven. i don't want to be negative and discouraging, but what is wrong with lng or bio fuel public buses and trams. the future of transportation does not have to be flying cars but enough with safer, cleaner, efficient and inclusive to people from walks of life.
what choice do we have as commuters in malaysia? i can't wait for the mrt2 and ecrl to complete. i wish the gombak terminal will be extended to my school, so i can sleep all the way from putrajaya without having to miss the stop because it will be the last one. i am thankful that i don't have to ride a motorcycle - it may be faster but it doesn't shield one from heat and rain. plus, i got to listen to coldplay while slightly moving in a traffic jam.
climate change poses unprecedented challenge to humanities and the threat to environmental sustainability, with no one will be spared out of misery. while i spend time working on engineering process for tissue regenerative template in laboratory, climate change risk of sabotaging my entire work in microscopic scale with high humidity, temperature higher than the melting point (20oC) and intermittent flows of electricity. my entire collection of cancer cells had been dead due to evaporation of liquid nitrogen that went faster than usual. there was no use of using the -80 freezer because sometimes we had blackout on weekend for more than 10 hours.
when i spoke to my mentor in the US before the christmas, i told him that i will do my best with my best abilities and trainings to stay afloat in academia. for that too, i initiated a study on iium urban heat island effect as part of the university's climate action plan which i will share soon. it didn't get any reaction or response from the "above" despite huge sponsorship and promotion on SDG efforts.
i never thought that 2020 will be boring, insecure (look out at fb offline tracking policy), orwellian and without a mom. teaching saves me. i am thankful to friends and family who always helping me with my studies and enriching me with knowledge and wisdom. maybe i will never get back into the lab, i am ok where i am today.
