Chin Han Ping
E-PORTFOLIO
Bhutan virtual site visit
Questions:
1. What are 5 things that you learned from the ‘Bhutan virtual site visit’?
a) 72% of Bhutan are greenery.
After watching the video, I learned that Bhutan is a country that values nature so much that they are the greenest country in the whole world with 72% of their land being green. The people in Bhutan focuses on maintaining the environment better than anyone else. When a forest is destroyed by wildlife, the people in Bhutan will make sure to replant as soon as possible.
b) The main religion in Bhutan is Buddhism.
The official religion in Bhutan is Vajrayana Buddhism, which is practiced by 75% of the population. Bhutan is a Buddhist country by constitution and Buddhism plays a vital role in the country. Buddhism is the cultural heritage of Bhutan and its people's identity as well. The people in Bhutan practice Mahayana, a branch from Buddhism that focuses on philosophy in everyday life. Bhutan also makes sure that their culture of Mahayana is practiced across the nation and passed on from generation to generation.
c) Archery is the national sport of Bhutan.
The national sport of Bhutan is archery and has a rich culture behind it. Archery is most commonly played by men as it serves as a symbol of manhood once they play archery. Archery in Bhutan is a way of socialization, communication, and development of relations between people.
d) Bhutan has only one international airport.
The only international airport in Bhutan is located in Paro, and is considered as one of the most dangerous airports in the world, with only 15 certified pilots allowed to land due to its location in a deep valley at an elevation of 2,200 meters! Hence there's not many travelers there!
e) Bhutan protects its virtually untouched environment by implementing a few policies.
Tourists have to join a tour in order to visit Bhutan. Bhutan also has a policy of protecting trees and logging of green trees is not allowed. If in any case a forest fire occurs and damages the trees, they will be replanted.
2. From your virtual experience and research, how can we improve our country in the sense of zero-carbon-country as inspired from the Bhutan visit and TED Talks
To become a zero-carbon country, firstly, we must spread awareness among our people. Individual NGO’s, and volunteering youths should run campaigns and educate ordinary citizens about the benefits of going carbon neutral and inform the alternatives we have to carbon releasing products. Recycling is also another green initiative that Malaysia could improve to reach a carbon zero country. As of 2019, the recycling percentage in Malaysia is only 17.5%, compared to 34% in the USA and some European countries even reached 60%. We need to keep the use of plastic to the minimal as now we use it on a daily basis.
Most cars in Malaysia still rely on non-renewable resources, namely petroleum and diesel. Malaysia should invest in electrical vehicles more by installing vehicle charging stations at rest stops, malls, parking lots, or anywhere that people commonly go to. The Malaysian government can provide tax incentives to electric car companies such as Tesla and BYD to make electric cars more affordable to the general public. Electrical vehicles will help our CO2 emission to drop tremendously.