Technology and Our Relationships

Who Should Provide Children´s Care?

More People Living Alone Can Be Harmful to Society?

Where Children Should Learn to Recycle?

Global Warming and Climate Change

Oil companies want to build pipelines to carry oil from refineries to seaports for transport overseas. Environmentalists say these pipelines are dangerous for the environment and should not be built.

Discuss both these positions and give your own opinion.

One question that is causing discussion recently between the environmentalists and the oil companies has been the pipelines that these oil companies are aiming to construct in order to transport oil from refineries to seaports to be exported afterward, which they claim to be threatening to the environment.

The oil companies defend these constructions arguing that pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to transport oil and gas, being also competitive to the export market. Thus, it would not be possible to supply the whole world´s demand for fuel by using only rail or road. Another arguments are that the project is part of the economic growth of the country and having the infrastructure built will also help with emissions reductions, because there will be less trucks on the roads.

On the other hand, there are strong arguments from the environmentalists. Firstly, it has been proven that these pipelines frequently have leaks, consequently polluting rivers, killing plants and wildlife that harms the ecosystem. Moreover, if the land is disrupted it will not be the same even for 100 years and if there is a leak on this land it will take thousands of years until this land is productive again. The consequence would be having a whole town without proper water and with an area of unproductive land.

My conclusion is, although there are reasonable grounds to build the pipelines, the risks involved when is being transported if leaks are too high and outweigh the benefits of speed and cost, becoming unfeasible. 

Social media is becoming an increasingly large part of people’s lives.

What are the effects of the trend?

Do you believe this is a positive or negative trend for society?

It is undoubtedly that social media is becoming more and more present in our lives changing the way we relate and communicate with each other. Although it might has some drawback to it, I believe that it is a beneficial trend to our society.

The first reason why social media is being positive is that it is helping people to find jobs quicker, easier and internationally. Social media websites such as Linkedin are useful, especially when you are new to another country. The new employer will be able to see your curriculum with references, photos, videos and get in touch with your previous employers.  Besides, you can find connections in common which can recommend you. With this trend, it is likely that most of the candidates will be choose with a few filters.

In addition, social media has also been helping people to keep personal relationships that otherwise might be lost. For example, it is very straightforward now to keep in contact with your colleagues from college, MBA and other courses, colleagues who moved to other cities, who are from other countries. Also relatives who you do not see often. It is possible to follow their lives by seeing pictures on Facebook. Some people get so used to be in touch through the media that forget about the real life, but that is only a minor issue.

In conclusion, social media has therefore having a largely positive effect on our society and it depends of each one of us to be aware on how to use it.