1. Is it possible to make large cities more environmentally friendly?
With the dawn of a new era, making large cities environmentally friendly is not impossible especially with how technology is changing the course of life. From helping us with simple house chores like doing our laundry, washing the dishes, cleaning the house to more complex tasks like detecting the weather, building infrastructure, entertainment, and among others almost everything can be achieved and that includes creating an environmentally friendly society.
Primarily, keeping our environment clean and safe is a necessity for one to attain optimum quality of living. Cleanliness contributes to mankind's well-being, thus, by cleaning the surroundings and making sure that the occurrence of diseases is far from happening, then we can say that we are doing the first step to achieving our goal. Advancement in medical studies have also brought a more secure sense in dealing with diseases, moreover, safety must also be taken into account. Providing services to the public like increasing police visibility discourages criminals from committing crimes and as a result we can freely enjoy our society. Use of mobile phones and internet also allows for easier access to services that enhances sense of safety. And lastly, educating people on working together to keep and maintain this friendly environment calls for an assurance that this can last not only for a year or two but rather as long as time would permit.
Discipline and cooperation along with the latest in technology are primal tools that allows for accomplishing a safe and environmentally friendly society for individuals living in large cities.
2. Will society ever be free of gender bias?
Long before, men and women were divided by a huge wall that separates them from the society they live in. The female specie was considered, in almost all aspects, inferior to men and thus are only allowed to do so much. But from what is observed, in contemporary days, that situation is changing and evident to that are the expanding options women have not only in terms of their career but also their lifestyle.
Not so long ago and currently, there are several women who are very active in the fields of sports, politics, medicine, entertainment, and social service. Women like Queen Elizabeth, Oprah Winfrey, Maria Sharapova, Celine Dion and Angelina Jolie are prominent in different fields yet they have almost the same impact on the lives of many people - and that's women empowerment. Women these days feel more accepted, hence, there is a growing number of women in fields that used to be considered as 'man only jobs' like engineering, medicine, construction, and the like. Equally, the number of men working in fields that used to be just for women like; nursing, cooking, housekeeping, and etc is also rapidly increasing. The gaps between men and women are slowly closing in and evident to that, other than the points mentioned earlier, is the ability of women to own properties and exercise their rights, thus, men and women benefit equally and inequality is perpetuated.
In terms of economic, political, entertainment, and societal spheres many women are practicing their rights and society in general is realizing the value of women. Needless to say, with these changes and the empowerment these women feel within themselves, perhaps gender bias will soon be just a thing of the past.
3. Should democratic nations cut diplomatic relations with nondemocratic nations?
In a recent study that was conducted, it showed that there are lesser incidence of war or terrorism in democratic countries as compared with non-democratic countries. With this said, I believe that maintaining a diplomatic relations within countries, may it be democratic or non-democratic, would bring forth more benefit to society.
Firstly, although democracy may be taken differently depending on what people perceive it to be, still it plays an important role in making diplomats and other people in authority find alternative ways in dealing with crisis other than advocating a violent direct action. This is not to dismiss lightly the merits of foreign policies grounded in realities as well as aspirations but the adage “do no harm” also has merit. Through diplomatic approach there is more possibility to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of certain actions that will be taken by either government and it'll give realization of what drawbacks it would have on the people and the country in general. Take for example the situation of the world with North Korea, despite threats of use of nuclear weapon by North Korea yet diplomats from other nations dealt and spoke with North Korea official in a democratic approach. It may not have stopped North Korea from testing on nuclear weapons, however, it saved us from having another war which in return saved a lot of trouble - even lives.
A diplomatic relation with a nondemocratic country is a cause to applaud further peaceful progress toward democratic governance throughout the world.
4. Should drug companies provide medicines cheaply to developing countries?
"Health is wealth". Cliché as it may sound but it is true that the greatest wealth we can ever have is good health and what better way to achieve and maintain it is by taking some necessary actions like living a healthy life and of course taking medicines and supplements.
Studies show high mortality rates in both poor and developing countries because of their inability to provide safe living conditions, access to healthcare facilities and potable drugs. Expenditures on medicines can represent up to 66% of total health spending in developing countries and could be a major cause of household impoverishment, as 50-90% of such expenditures are out-of-pocket expenses. Today, over one-third of the world’s population and over one-half of the poorest in Asia and Africa still lack access to essential drugs. For the poor in developing countries, availability and affordability of essential medicines are both key problems, and the poorer people have the higher percentage of the population in developing nations. An estimated 95% of those suffering from this disease live in developing countries where the disease is showing no signs of abatement. With over half of such persons belonging to the most productive age of below 25 years, this disease is causing serious social and economic consequences.
Giving developing countries lower cost on medicine would surely help them not only attend to their health needs but also to other necessities they have to afford in order to live, thus, drug companies should provide cheaper medicines to them.
5. The pros and cons of TV license fees
Watching T.V., for most, is a part of their daily routine and because of such habit they get different information that help them with day to day life; such as knowing the weather forecast, what's going on in the society, about politics, and sports just to name a few. However, in some countries in the world there's this TV license fee and it does bring both benefits and drawbacks.
Firstly, TV license is essential to make sure that your purchase of the technology is legal and that it is valid. With the license fee, you are to fill out some forms and disclose some information like your place of residence, this way it gets easier to track down your item and detector vans ensure that no one is cheating. And secondly, with TV license fee, you get to watch a few number of channels that are commercial free. You can watch your favorite news program, sports channel, and others without being bothered by an irrelevant advert every ten minutes.
But with these benefits, also come along the drawbacks. First and foremost, this is more expensive since you have to pay an additional annual fee for this service. Now if you are willing to pay extra for these added features, then it might be good for you, but with the current economic downturn not many people are willing to pay extra. Also if you failed to pay the fee, you can still watch re-runs but you aren't allowed to watch live transmissions.
Altogether, TV licensing fee brings forth security yet at the same time it may also add burden to some televiewers.