Be green. This is one of the hottest topics in discussion now. News and research on the depleting ozone layer and melting polar caps were reported by the media more frequently than before. The adverse effects of global warming are becoming more and more prominent, and have made many realized how “sick” our mother Earth is. Recently, Singapore had launched campaigns to raise awareness of the people in reducing the usage of plastic bags. We had the ‘Bring You Own Bag’ (BYOB) campaign on the first Wednesday of every month, where one is required to bring his own bag when buying goods. The major supermarkets and some other participating stores will not be providing plastic bags for free. If one needs a carrier, he will need to make a donation which will be used to fund environmental activities. NUS has also participated actively in caring for the environment, as seen from its recent measure not to provide plastic bags for free in bookstores, drink and fruit stalls.
Our research topic will be on the awareness and opinion of NUS students on the implementation of this measure in school campus. We will also examine the attitude of NUS students towards the campaign in reducing the use of plastic bags in school and in Singapore. The effectiveness of such campaigns and possible improvements shall also be researched. The general research question will be: Are NUS students aware and supportive of the BYOB campaign launched both in campus and in Singapore?
An attitudinal survey is necessary to investigate the opinion of the targeted population (NUS students) on the issue as there may be no prior studies been conducted on the topic. As this is a campaign implemented not too long ago, the small pool of secondary sources may not be able to fulfill the purpose and demand of the research topic. A survey allows one to obtain primary, untreated data on the issue, which can then be used for further analysis. It may be more useful than relying on secondary sources which have been analysed and hence subjected to inaccuracy and biasness.
An attitudinal survey is necessary to investigate the opinion of the targeted population (NUS students) on the issue as there may be no prior studies been conducted on the topic. As this is a campaign implemented not too long ago, the small pool of secondary sources may not be able to fulfill the purpose and demand of the research topic. A survey allows one to obtain primary, untreated data on the issue, which can then be used for further analysis. It may be more useful than relying on secondary sources which have been analysed and hence subjected to inaccuracy and biasness.
4 comments:
Hi Xuexin,
Even though I would say that most people know, or at least heard of, the "Bring Your Own Bag" Day, I myself am a victim of being ignorant since I seldom shop the supermarket (really!).
I am supportive since it is not tough to bring our own plastic bags. But on the other hand, at some point of time, wouldn't homes run out of plastic bags? Fortunately it's only on Wednesdays, so we can restock our bag supplies the rest of the week. Haha. But I guess there will be unhappy citizens out there who desperately needs a bag on a particular Wednesday, and thus is not too happy with this campaign.
However, I feel that there can be nothing done even if there are non-supportive opinions as this is the best, non-invasive way to start off saving our Earth. Thus this topic might not be totally appropriate in our context.
Hi Xuexin!
I think the research topic you suggested is quite good, and the results could help us advise the relevant bodies on whether or not to expand the BYOB campaign to all the shops in NUS. Relevant bodies may include NUSSU, OSA, canteen vendor committees etc.
In the survey, we could also ask the student for the reasons they are for/against the BYOB campaign. In this way, a more targeted improvement to the present BYOB campaign framework could be done.
-Jaymie
Hey Xuexin,
The active campaigns being done to try and help save our earth is certainly becoming more prevalent nowadays. Apart from NUS, IKEA too has adopted the no-plastic-bag policy. There are also campaigns such as Car-Free day, which is held on the 22nd of April every year, which encourages the reduction in vehicular emissions.
The survey you would like to conduct is certainly attainable and the results will definitely aid in informing the school population about the BYOB campaign.
Perhaps your survey could also recommend the use of alternative sources of carry bags to inform people of other forms of carriage. For instance, there are recyclable paper bags, baskets, eco-bag(it's a bag which can be folded so small, it'll fit into a handbag), foldable boxes, trolleys and even back packs. A couple of the alternatives listed above also have less impact on the person's hands and back as opposed to carrying plastic bags.
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