A vehicle-free micronation [First draft]

In the article, (This Self-Proclaimed Micronation Has Plans for a Car-Free, Algae-Powered City, 2016) Adele Peters stated the idea of a soi-disant "micronation" located on a small piece of land between Croatia and Serbia, known as "Free Republic of Liberland", operating without automobiles and driven by algae had been idealised by a committee of libertarians. He also mentioned that, in order to tackle the issue of land scarcity, an architectural plan which involves the layering of the city's neighbourhood while the city expands had been established. 

The article explains the concept of algae powering the city by covering the bottom of each neighborhood platform with genetically altered algae, of which can be used to generate power. Also, in order to achieve the status of a vehicle-free city, as well as reduce pollution, buildings are positioned closely within transits to allow the accessibility of the different parts of the city by foot. To ensure the sustainability and operations of this green city, professionals were engaged to encourage business ventures through crowd-funding.

While there are both advantageous and disadvantageous implications from this idea of a green city, my opinion of this matter is generally positive and I strongly support the initiation of an environmentally friendly development as I believe that the innovative implementations involving algae power and vehicle-free accessibility will counter the global warming crisis.

Firstly, the concept of using algae as the main source of power is highly revolutionary and it can be used as a substitute for liquid fossil fuels or any other petroleum-based fuels. Due to its biodegradable nature and massive consumption of carbon dioxide, algae would be an environmentally friendly option as compared to different energy sources, such as fossil fuel. Research had shown that producing one gallon of oil from algae only requires 13 to 14 kilograms of carbon dioxide (Future of working, 2016), which would literally be killing two birds with one stone as it involves the production of a useful source of energy at the expense of a greenhouse gas that only worsens the condition of global warming. Not only that, this inherently renewable source of power can be produced on lands that have otherwise unfavorable conditions for other sort of agriculture, allowing ease and flexibility during production (RP Siegal, 2012).

Furthermore, Vít Jedlička, the self-proclaimed president of Liberland, had emphasized that the city's design will reduce any adverse environmental impacts by utilizing renewable energy. Aligning with the "going-green" city initiative, the author had also analyzed other eco-friendly options that the city design had adopted, that being the use of solar energy, and a system that converts organic waste to biogas for cooking. This interchangeability between different alternatives of clean energy will certainly be beneficial for the success of an algae-powered city as there will be flexibility and contingencies in case of a failure or depleting source of algae.  

Next, for the city to operate without any vehicles, it was deemed necessary by Raya Ani, director of RAW-NYC architecture firm, for buildings and amenities to be compact within the limited space of three square miles - the area that the country can offer. This will be a favorable and highly achievable implementation as a vehicle-less city would mean that there will be no main roads needed for automobiles, and therefore, the lack of roads will allow the infrastructures of the city to be clustered together, allowing convenience for the potential 400,000 citizens to access their destination by foot. Hence, not only does the absence of vehicle significantly reduces, or even negates, the amount of pollutants produced by the city, it also promotes travelling without vehicles as everything is just a stone throw away. 

In conclusion, Adele Peters had articulated the overall scheme, as well as benefits, for a "green micronation" in Liberland. His sources derived directly from the architectural expert, Raya Ani, whose company was responsible for the design of the multi-layered city mainly powered by algae. His analysis were clear and concise, explaining the concept of an algae-powered and vehicle-free urban development, and supporting it with the means of achieving such an establishment.

Summary & Thesis on the concept of an environmentally friendly Liberland

In the article, (This Self-Proclaimed Micronation Has Plans for a Car-Free, Algae-Powered City, 2016) Adele Peters stated the idea of a soi-disant "micronation" located on a small piece of land between Croatia and Serbia, known as "Free Republic of Liberland", operating without automobiles and driven by algae had been idealised by a committee of libertarians. He also mentioned that, in order to tackle the issue of land scarcity, an architectural plan which involves the layering of the city's neighbourhood while the city expands had been established. 

The article explains the concept of algae powering the city by covering the bottom of each neighborhood platform with genetically altered algae, of which can be used to generate power. Also, in order to achieve the status of a vehicle-free city, as well as reduce pollution, buildings are positioned closely within transits to allow the accessibility of the different parts of the city by foot. To ensure the sustainability and operations of this green city, professionals were engaged to encourage business ventures through crowd-funding.

While there are both advantageous and disadvantageous implications from this idea of a green city, my opinion of this matter is generally positive and I strongly support the initiation of an environmentally friendly development as I believe that the innovative implementations involving algae power and vehicle-free accessibility will counter the global warming crisis.

Descriptive Reflection: The Importance of English for Me

I had always been more of an English-speaking individual, be it within my family or with my peers. I did not excel very much in my mother tongue despite having many mandarin-speaking counterparts within my family members and peers. 

I remembered drafting an email to URA regarding an invalid summon on my car for being stationary at the roadside. I was, however, present in the vehicle waiting to pick someone up. From my past experiences with letter-writing and the proper formats, I managed to construct an intricate and formal appeal letter, which I emailed to URA.  A few days later, I received an email from URA, stating that the summon had been voided as my reasoning was valid. 

This was just one of the many examples cited to emphasize the importance of English. In this aspect, the past experience and ability to draft a proper, detailed email had assisted me from being fined a hefty sum of money. Many others might just pay for the fine, but I had decided to try my luck with an appeal email, which I was quite pleased about. 

Therefore, it was a pleasant experience and I felt fortunate for having the opportunity to have undertaken English as a mandatory language subject in my years of education, allowing me to draft a well-written appeal email. However, the process of improving the English language skills is never-ending, and there will always be more to learn, widening my knowledge on the language and its many subsidiary applications, such as report writing and critical reflection. 

The English language had definitely made a positive impact on me in life, whether it is being used for a simple conversation with others or drafting a letter or email for an appropriate situation.