Question: What effects has commercialization had on sports?

Yichang’s Passage

Sports have evolved a lot along the course of history. At first, it was a way of people exercising the essential skills of survival. Then, it became a stage for people to showcase their physical superiority. Not long ago, it was a way of entertainment for people to keep fit and have fun. However, recently, with the great leap in communication technologies and globalization, sports are being adulterated with other factors like money. It is literally being commercialized. The effects of the commercialization on sports are two-sided. However, the trend of commercialization of sports is inevitable and inexorable, given the global environment nowadays.

Commercialization can help a sport to survive and progress. With the effect of commercialization, athletes are paid for playing a sport. It is extremely important for some niche sports which need athlete to fully dedicate themselves into training and sports which involve very expensive equipments as people no longer afford to play those sports just for fun. For example, Formula One, or F1 in short, is a very extreme example of sports commercialization. If you go to watch F1, you will see numerous advertisements painted on cars and walls of tracks. The entry tickets are also expensive. However, it is easily justified, given the particular characteristics of that sport. F1 features athletes, or drivers, to compete in the cutting-edge racing cars which can easily cost millions of dollars. A qualified driver needs to undergo a professional and comprehensive training. Moreover, the relating costs of F1, such as transportation and maintenance, are also tremendous. It is impossible for sports like F1 to survive if they are not commercialized. Commercialization can also popularize a sport. Through the broadcast of sport matches and many promotional events, more people get to touch a sport they did not hear of or were not familiar with before. They stand to get involved into the sport if they find the sports interesting or they are fascinated by the charismatic stars of the sport. With the growing number of followers, a sport is set to progress and prosper. For example, China once was an infertile land for basketball. After China’s superstar Yao Ming landed NBA, then NBA commissioner David Stern found it an excellent chance to open up Chinese market and popularize NBA, or more broadly speaking, basketball in China. Stern used commercial tactics like signing broadcasting contract with CCTV5, China’s national sports channel and opening franchises in China to sell official NBA products. He also invited Yao to endorse NBA in China. These tactics proved to be a success. Now, NBA has a strong foundation of followers in China, ranging from teenagers to the middle-aged, from men to women, and more and more people are now playing basketball as a regular sport. Thus, we can conclude that commercialization does sometimes play a positive role in sports.

However, commercialization is a two-edged sword for sports. Too much commercialization or inappropriate use of commercialization can stain sports. Commercialization holds a risk of people being so indulged in money that they flout the basic principle of sports which is fairness. As sports gambling becomes more and more popular, people seek to make money from sports in a cheating manner. They bribe athletes or judges to rig the match in favor of themselves so that they can make a tremendous amount of money from it. It is extremely harmful to sports as it will make people lose interest and faith in sports. Moreover, athletes driven by the lure of money may relentlessly push themselves without caring about their own health and it may cause tragedies of disability or even death of athletes which is certainly not the intention of sports. Thus, we should deal with commercialization carefully as it can easily make tremendous harm to sports and in fact it has already done as shown above.

ZiRong’s Essay: “Hosting major sporting events creates more problems than benefits.” Do you agree? (2005)

Thesis statement:

I agree that hosting major sporting events creates more problems than benefits as the problems generated outweigh the benefits from hosting these events.

Argument 1:

One of the problems that host countries encounter after hosting a major sporting event is the stadiums and facilities left unused after the sporting events have ended. Countries spent millions of money to build stadiums infrastructure needed for major sporting events like the Olympics to have these stadiums and infrastructure left mostly empty or under-utilised after the Olympics ended. These Olympic venues fall into disrepair, covered with graffiti and weeds, abandoned. The 2004 Summer Games in Athens is a good example of building facilities needed for the Olympics to have them abandoned with no use. The cost of building the facilities was 4.5 billion Euros, which is an estimated amount of 6.7 billion Singapore Dollars, and an equivalent to 6.7 billion Singapore Dollars lost and wasted. This shows how unprofitable it is to host such major sporting events.

Argument 2:

Hosting major sporting events can also create negative publicity for a country. Once a country is chosen to host a major sporting event, all attention will be focused on them and negative aspects of the country, the process of preparing for the event will be scrutinised, as seen in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. With the Commonwealth Games looming around the corner, venues were incomplete, the theme song for the Games was incomplete, and the transportation, catering, cleaning, sanitation and hygiene of the Games Village were a concern. All of these portray Delhi in a bad light, showing their inability with managing such a major event as well as the poor state of the city, which will in turn cause tourists to turn away from going to Delhi. Such risks of being portrayed negatively in a problem for the countries hosting major sporting events.

Counter-argument 1:

However, hosting a major sporting event does not entail disadvantages only. An advantage of hosting major sporting events is the economic benefits. Major sporting events allow host countries to make new investments and increase development of different sectors within the country. As can be seen in Brazil, the 2014 World Cup allowed Brazil to invest in other sectors such as transport to allow its economy to grow. Expanded airports and improved transport systems are just some of the improvements that was achieved due to the opportunities created when preparing for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Therefore, hosting major sporting events do allow host countries and cities to benefit.

Sridha’s Essay: “Modern Technology Owes Ecology an Apology”. To what extent is modern technology responsible for our environmental problems?

Thesis:
I agree to a large extent that technology is responsible for our environmental problems. In our everyday lives, we encounter new types of technology that have been innovated to enhance our lives. But we have to realise that the same technology which makes our life easy, also compromises the state of our environment in many ways.

Paragraph 1:
The nuclear sector has experienced rapid growth over the past few decades. Billions of dollars have been invested to pursue research regarding nuclear energy and potential ways to extract energy. The new inventions that have surfaced in this industry have added on to the world’s supply of clean energy. But however, the nuclear industry poses as a hazard as well. Every process has its output and similarly, the cultivation of nuclear energy also has its own waste products which should be disposed in a proper way. But however, the firms which aid the cultivation of nuclear energy on behalf of the government fail to practice safe methods of disposal. As a result of the harmful seeds the firms sow, the inhabitants of earth have to reap the fruits sown by facing the consequences and negative effects. Numerous firms dispose their wastes by burying them underground. Research has shown that burying chemical wastes underground can pave the way for man-made earthquakes. When chemically polluted waste products are injected underground, the underground pore pressure increases, hence weakening nearby faults. If the pressure hits the limit, the tectonic stress will be released in the form of an earthquake. As we can see, the popular belief that earthquakes are only caused by geographic reasons has been proven false. We humans are capable of causing distress to our own mankind through our own actions.

 Paragraph 2:
Technology has permitted many firms to expand their factors of production. Factories are built in huge numbers to satisfy the increasing needs of the human race. These factories are equipped with much technological advancements which enhance the efficiency of production methods. But however, there is a negative side to this factor again. The machineries operated in the factories release toxic gases and this adds on to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect propels the earth closer towards global warming by raising the planet’s temperature. Although we humans reap the fruits of the technological booms, we also have to remember that at the end of the day, we are at the receiving end of the negative impacts as well. But many a time, the advantages of technological advancements inhibit our potential of weighing the pros and cons in such a way that we tend to be oblivious to the disadvantages. This is what has been preventing us from realizing the dire consequences we may have to face if we do not decrease the detrimental effects of technology on ecology.

Counter – Argument:
Although technology has had some major negative impacts on the environment, it also has its own ways of slowing down earth’s journey to doom. Several firms have been investing money for the research on ‘greener technology’. Green technology refers to technology that reduces harmful emissions and functions in an advantageous way to the environment. Many innovations have been targeted at decreasing the negative impacts in the environment. They serve the same purposes as normal technology but the only difference is that they do not compromise the importance on ecology. Some examples include the hybrid cars designed by Toyota to reduce fume exhausts which in turn, will decrease pollution. Besides, other sources of energy are being used to generate energy for earth and they have minimal damage on the environment. This shows that although technology has its own negative impacts, it also helps us to fight the battle of rising global temperature. But however, we have to compare the extent to which technology helps safeguard the environment.

Raudhah’s Essay – ‘Sports is ultimately about the desire to win at all cost’. Discuss.

Thesis Statement: Sports is ultimately about the desire to win at all cost

Content Paragraphs:

Athletes play sports because of their passion and love for the sport. They train hard for months, for years even, so as to perform well for the upcoming competition. The trainings are physically and mentally tough, but what keeps them going is their motivation. Their motivation to win. Speed skater Dan Jansen is an example of an athlete that persevered through it all, including his sister’s death. He continued with the game that very afternoon of his sister’s death and finally attained his gold medal 10 years after his debut, the medal that he has been longing for. This goes to show that with all the sacrifices made by the athletes, they feel that all the more important for them to win to make the sacrifices worth it. Thus, they desire to win at all cost.

However, there are athletes that participated for the experience. Swimmer Eric Moussambani from Equitorial Guinea gained entry to the 2000 Summer Olympic Games with no elaborate training facilities back home, but he competed in the qualifying race. He lost miserably but fans all around the world were in awe at his perseverance. Athletes like Eric, value the journey taken to get to the very sport or position they are in. They take the mistakes and experience as a lesson learnt and improve themselves.

In spite of that, some athletes just have a very strong desire to win. Take Lance Armstrong as an example. He is regarded as the top cyclist and he is known worldwide. His desire to perform better and win the race led him into doing doping. He wanted to have a more enhance performance that can make it easier for him to win the race. He does it despite knowing that is a violation of the rules. Many other athletes had also resorted to this act. This shows that they are willing to take the risk at a chance of winning the competition. This shows that they have a strong desire to win at all cost.

Fong Ling’s Essay: ‘Going green is but the privilege of the rich.’ How true is this?

Thesis statement: Going green encompasses more than just making the effort to choose an alternative energy source, it also includes an alternative lifestyle and habits, which are more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Going green is more than just an investment of money, but also an investment of time and effort; it is not a privilege to the rich but a responsibility of everyone.

Green energy is expensive and only a few people can afford such an alternative source of power — ‘a few’ being the rich. Renewable energy is the harvesting energy from natural sources, which will never deplete; these include solar power, wind power and hydroelectricity. However, the efficiency of renewable energy is incomparable to that of the good old fossil fuels people have been accustomed to use. There have been great amounts of studies done to maximize the amount of energy generated, and fine-tune the equipments, but renewable energy is still far from ‘perfect’. The research and technology behind green energy is what attaches the huge price tag beside it. In Britain electricity from wind farms can go as far as to costs twice as much as that from traditional sources; solar power is even more dear. Energy-saving appliances also cost a pinch more than regular household appliances. The rich have the benefit of a wider range of options with the capital they have, and only they are entitled to the option of a pricey alternative energy source. Going green requires excessive amounts of ‘greens’.

However, caring for the environment can be as simple as a change of lifestyle or habit, and anyone is capable of doing so. The famous 3-Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is the jingle to going green. A simple separation of the trash dividing organic waste and recyclables, revamping old furniture to give them a second-life, these little actions are also a means of going green. If villages in Africa are joining in the recycling movements, who else cannot do the same? Money need not be the only thing invested in saving the Earth, time and effort is. Sitting in front of your laptop for a few more seconds to change your printer settings to double-sided printing — it is that simple. A few clicks can also help to save the environment.

In that case, going green should not be seen as a prerogative of the rich; since everyone is capable of saving the Earth, it should instead be the responsibility of all to contribute to this cause. The Earth is dying, and it is the fault of Man’s selfish needs for convenience and development. It is the moral obligation of Man to help the earth since we are the perpetrators of its demise. If you are to flick any switch, you are to be indebted to the Earth, you are to pay back to the Earth for that fuel, not just the electrical bills to the government. We know why, we know how and we have the capabilities to help save this planet. The Earth is going down and we are going down with it. If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

Beverley’s paragraphs

QUESTION: “Hosting major sporting events creates more problems than benefits.” Do you agree?

Thesis statement: Hosting major international sporting events such as the Olympics or the World Cup creates more problems than benefits due to the small amount of the population that these major sporting events benefit and the numerous undesirable side effects major sporting events cause, especially for developing nations.

Content paragraph 1: Hosting a major sporting event requires a lot of specialized infrastructure as well as a lot of funding. Many nations that host such major sporting events do not have such infrastructure, and having to build such infrastructure as large stadiums means that the cost is even greater for these countries. Moreover, the stadiums end up becoming white elephants after the sporting event, hence the large amounts of money spent on building them is as good as wasted. Take for example Brasil, host of the 2014 football World Cup. The country spent around 4 billion dollars, most of which comprised of public taxpayer money, to build stadiums and improve infrastructure to accommodate the large crowds who would come to watch the football. A year on, 6 out of 12 of the new state-of-the-art stadiums are in financial difficulty and local Brasillian governments are struggling to find uses for them. There are no benefits whatsoever for the local people, who also have to pay additional money to watch their local teams play at these large, often-empty stadiums. High running costs also leech off public money, and as a result the public debt worsens. The money that was used to build all these infrastructure could have been spent on, say, improving the Brasillian education system or healthcare system, which was the cause of protests leading up to the World Cup in 2014. These all serve to illustrate the point that there are so many problems that stem from hosting of a major sporting event like the World Cup, especially for the country’s citizens.

Counter-argument/rebuttal: Of course, hosting a major sporting event does not only cause problems for the host nation; they do bring certain benefits with them. Back to the example about Brasil – to host the World Cup, they had to clean up the cities and “favelas” (Brasillian slums). Favela clean-ups resulted in arrests of gang leaders and corrupted police, meaning that the slums are safer to live in. Brasil is also hosting the Summer Olympics in 2016, and the people in charge of organizing the Olympics have stated plans to use the World Cup stadiums for Olympic sports. However, it is unlikely that simply hosting a one-off event like the Olympics will offset the costs incurred by hosting both that as well as the World Cup – In China, even though the Bird’s Nest stadium used in the 2008 Olympics attracts tourists and boosts the tourism economy, the high running costs outweigh the revenue gained and hence is not beneficial for the country in general. In the slums, new gangs and even more corrupted policemen are going to reappear; the cleaning-up has been said to be simply a “front” put up by Brasil so that tourists do not get a bad impression of the country. Hence, we can see that hosting a major sporting event has numerous problems that outweigh the benefits of hosting it, which are few and far between.

Content paragraph 2: In general, hosting a major sporting event also needs a great deal of public effort. In Singapore, which is hosting the 2015 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), members of the public were encouraged to help make plush toys of the mascots to be presented to the winners of the sporting events. The time and opportunity costs incurred by people making these plush toys could have been better spent elsewhere, for instance on volunteer work or even with their families. The public spirit generated by activities such as these in the build-up to a major sporting event is also considerably little especially since little teamwork is required. Hence, there are more problems than benefits created by the hosting of a major sporting event.

Russel’s Article

How far is recycling the answer to the problem of waste? (2004)

Thesis: Waste is essentially garbage, produced in our homes, from industrial sources and practically anywhere throughout the Earth. People in today’s society have been brainwashed by the fact that recycling is one of the best solutions to tackle the problem of waste. Yes, it is indeed a way to solve the problem of waste, by reusing stuff that initially had to be thrown away, for a better cause. However, people might not even consider the fact that they may actually harm the environment by recycling if they do not think before recycling their items that may be toxic in the first place. Because of this, recycling is not the best solution to the problem of waste as it only partially solves the problem.

Paragraph 1,why recycling is not the best solution: It is extremely normal to see people recycling waste such as old cardboard boxes in today’s society. We dump the waste in the rubbish bin downstairs, and a garbage truck would come in a week or two to clear the waste, and send them for disposal or recycling if possible. We then feel as though we have done a good deed, by recycling our old cardboard boxes and solving the problem of waste and “protecting the environment”. Although it may seem fine, we do not think of what we are dumping into the bins in attempt the recycle the waste. So, what is the point of recycling the packaging if the products we have purchased are actually toxic and are harmful to the environment in the first place? We may be recycling old cardboard boxes that was packed with detergent which contains chemicals that when we wash down the drain, would flow to the reservoirs and eventually the oceans. People actually feel that it is completely fine to dump anything into the environment as long as they recycle the packaging it came along with. That is as good as saying “Let’s poison all the fish and marine life with these toxic chemicals and recycle the boxes or packaging so that we can solve the problem of waste and protect the environment!” The items that we recycle may actually bring more harm than good, thus recycling will not take as far in the solution to the problem of waste.

Paragraph 2,how should we actually tackle the problem?:Recycling is actually a method to eliminate the guilt consumers feel when flushing down the toxic products they use into the waters. They use these toxic products in their everyday life, such as washing their body with soap and applying products in their houses. Recycling is then presented to them to make them feel good as they destroy the environment with these products with every step they take. Therefore, the actual solution and answer to the problem of waste, is to reduce the amount of toxic products we purchase in the first place. In Singapore, we have been taught about the 3R’s to protect the environment, mainly:Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. It is only logical that if we reduce our own consumption, we would then reuse and recycle lesser. Obviously, to solve the problem of waste, we have to reduce our consumption of toxic products, and increase our usage of eco-friendly products for the same cause. By leading a healthy lifestyle like this, we end up with less excess packaging, such as cans containing soda, and boxes containing detergent, both chemically toxic products. We should instead look at the labels of the products before purchase, looking out for words such as “eco-friendly” or “non-toxic”. This method of reducing our consumption of toxic products and targeting the root cause of the problem is definitely a more effective method to solve the problem of waste.

Paragraph 3, CA and Rebuttal:Some people might say that recycling may actually be the best method to solve the problem of waste. For small countries such as Singapore itself, the method of recycling is extremely effective as a small country has limited land space, and by continuously reusing the boxes, we are able to reduce the amount of garbage and wastage, and reduce the depletion of natural sources in our homeland. However, Singapore is so small and insignificant if we look at it from a global scale. Solving and answering the problem of waste is a global effort, which takes the hard work of everyone. So what if Singapore is recycling and solving this problem effectively? Is the rest of the world doing the same as well? If the rest of he world is not able to protect the environment and provide an effective solution like Singapore can, the toxic products and chemicals that they have disposed would eventually land onto Singapore’s hands, causing it to suffer the same fate of the other countries.

Conclusion: Recycling is not the actual answer to the problem of waste. It is more about what products you have been consuming, and flushing these toxins back into the environment. If we all stop harming Mother Earth with the products we use for our household chores and daily usage, we will do much better than recycling a few bottles and cans containing CHEMICALS.

Jolene’s Essay : Does sport promote too much violence?

Thesis statement: Violence is behaviour involving physical force with the intention to hurt. Although certain sports are perceived to be violent, the intention of sports was never to promote violence, but to promote other values such as teamwork.

Basketball, volleyball, handball and hockey are just a few examples of the many sports which promote the importance of being a team player in sports. For example, in basketball, there are usually 5 players on a court at any point in time, and each of these players have a position. Point guards and shooting guards are just two of the five positions on a basketball team; point guards are usually the shortest members of the team, but they are best ball handlers in the team, shooting guards are the best shooters in the team, but not necessarily the best ball handlers. Basketball makes use of both the strengths and weaknesses of each member to come up with the best team dynamics possible during a match. Nobody is useless just because they are short or just because they are really bad at passing the ball, everyone in the team is key for the team to succeed and win.

However, it is debatable that some sports are very violent, such as boxing. In recent years, the world has been concerned about boxing and the influence watching such a violent sport live on television has on children. In fact, many people want boxing to be banned, for the fear that this sport will teach children to use their fists instead of using their wits when in trouble. But professional boxers we see on live television are consenting adults who know the risks they are taking when they play such a violent sport, they do wear padded gloves and mouthpieces during matches, and there are rules in place of prevent serious injury from occurring in the ring – boxers are not allowed to hit their opponents below the belt, hold, trip, kick, head-butt, wrestle, spit on or push their opponents. As violent as boxing can seem, there are such rules and regulations in place to prevent serious injury, and hence boxing does not have the intent to promote violent behaviour, because there is no intention to purposely hurt anyone during the game of boxing.

What about other sports which are deemed violent? Boxing is not the only sport to be thought of as violent, football is another sport which is considered violent – in fact football is considered to be a full-contact sport in certain places. A full-contact sport is a sport where significant impact force on the players, both accidental and deliberate, is allowed for within the rules of the game. Just recently, Jack Miller, the starting centre of the Michigan Wolverines, has announced that he is leaving the football team due to the fear of brain damage. When asked if he would like a future son to play football in the future, he said he was not sure; although football taught him a lot about life, it was not worth the serious injury playing the game could cause. But there is a new NFL policy now – a medical time-out can be called if a player seems disoriented during the game. Such policies help to mitigate situations where a player could have been potentially injured during a scrimmage for the ball. As such, are we right to say sports does have the intention of promoting violence? Additionally, football is another game which requires strong team dynamics – linemen help to block the shots, backs and receivers who are better at handling balls are those who are responsible for bringing the ball past the line of scrimmage during play. Without the linemen who would block passes? Without backs and receivers, who would bring the ball to the end zone? Playing sports can be seen as a display of violence at times, but teamwork is the real value of sports, and is what playing sports help to foster between individuals.

Nicole’s Essay – “Discuss the importance of competitive sport in the modern world”

Intro: Going on the basis that competitive sport refers to any sport in which a contest can be held between individuals or groups for awards or recognition, competitive sport is significant in the modern world. It plays a major role in 3 aspects: organizations, society as a whole, and individuals.

Competitive sports are able to be of different usage to companies. One of them would be as a source of income. There are numerous ways in which an organization is able to benefit financially from competitive sports. The most common method would be for the company to own either a team or several teams. For example, the National Football League (NFL) which is the top American Football league in the US reaps a hefty profit of €66bn in 2014. Over the past 3 decades, they had a total of 32 teams which have taken part in the Super Bowl. Another way would be to ensure that the team that any organization own, has a large and loyal fan base, in which the fans would then purchase any merchandise sporting the team’s name or logo. Other than means of financial gains, competitive sports are also able help organizations put across their intended message, like LiveStrong, which is led by cycling icon Lance Armstrong, or the Jimmy V Foundation. Through sports, these organizations have raised increasing amounts of funds for causes such as the development of cancer research. Hence, with a part to play in monetary aspects, as well as an alternative way to promote the message of a company, competitive sports have a substantial role in the business component of the modern world.

Not only are sports used as a source of entertainment, it also has the ability to unite people as sports are able to transcend all social, political and ethnic barriers. Almost every sport that exists involves interaction with other people, whether they are on your side or opponents. They are able to serve as a platform for meeting new people and fostering friendships as people of similar interests come together to achieve a common goal. With these benefits, sports were used as an intervention in international peace-building activities. Organized sport efforts in the Middle East have provided youth with positive and constructive experiences, creating peaceful and productive relations with neighbors. Thus sports are able to act as a mediator in society as well as globally, making it of great value.

Regardless of whether you are a participant or are just a spectator, competitive sports are able to instill values in us as well as inculcate habits that can be of great advantage. Apart from improving physical health, sports are able to teach us morality, integrity and ambition. It is even of greater importance now that our society is of one that takes things for granted and ill-natured. In Singapore, most Singaporeans rank academic or career success above sporting prowess, hence we commend those sporting representatives who have pursued their passions and proven that success in Singapore is not premised solely upon school-based endeavors. Singaporean athletes who compete in international meets are able to galvanize younger, aspiring athletes as role models for emulation. Last but not least, sports bring us hope. Looking at our personal favorite athlete will give us a sense of hope as we know that no matter the obstacles or difficulties we face in life, we are able to conquer them. Therefore, competitive sports are of importance as they are able to inculcate certain values in us as well as act as a beacon of hope to many in the modern world.

Hariharan’s Essay: (The Sea Has Become A Bottomless Rubbish Pit. Discuss)

Thesis: The sea has indeed become a bottomless rubbish pit

Perhaps we could interpret the question to understand that man is throwing all his rubbish into the sea.  The sea has become a convenient place for man to dump his rubbish. If we accept that most of our rubbish makes its way into our drains, rivers and canals, then we would accept that the assertion is true. Rubbish is finally dumped into the sea. In that sense, we have made the sea a bottomless rubbish pit.

It is astounding that just a few centuries ago; the sea was thought to be the ultimate obstacle. It was so vast and endless. It was assumed that nothing could harm the sea. Then, industrialization hit. Factories sprouted up all over the world. The industrial progress, coupled with the age of discovery, was rapid. The sea shrank so rapidly that we no longer see it as vast. At the same time, these industries began dumping their waste into the sea. This practice continues till today.

The real harm is when inorganic materials are being dumped into the sea. Seeing that such materials are harmful, no country wants to dump the waste on its own soil. Industrial toxic waste pose serious problem to health and can cause erosion of the environment. As a result, the sea seems like a convenient place for countries to dump their rubbish. There are certain parts of the sea that belong to everyone. When interpreted in a more convenient way, it can be observed that these parts belong to no one. As a result, these countries are at full liberty to dispose of their harmful wastes in the sea. Usually, what happens is that the countries dump their wastes near the shores of unsuspecting, friendly countries. For instance, the United Nations launched an investigation in December 2013 against forty countries who had knowingly dumped their waste in poor, rural countries such as Africa. These offending countries pretend to be ignorant of the harm that their waste is causing. They ignore the fact that the toxic waste poses the threat of cancer and radiation. In such cases, the offenders are caught and brought to justice. Most of the time, they get away scot-free.

The damage caused is often serious. Thousands of species of marine life have become extinct and the food chains of various species of marine life have become disrupted, causing the death and destruction of other marine life and to the birds too. In the case of inorganic waste, the damage is overly serious. These wastes are difficult to neutralise and breakdown into organic forms. Industrial waste consists of such inorganic material and it is sickening to note that people who depend on the sea for survival and a source of living are greatly affected. For instance, in South Africa, whole tribes have had to alter their lifestyles in order to survive. Many though have fled to the city where they seek to rebuild their lives. While some are successful in their endeavours, most of them fail.