E-Magazine (Group 4)

PROGRESS AT WHAT COST? GREEN TO GREY . The Real Cost of Our Shrinking Forests THE URBAN OVEN Why Our Cities Are Burning Up. BUY, CONSUME, REPEAT The Psychology of Modern Excess. BUILDING BETTER Can Concrete and Nature Coexist?Table of Contents Green to Grey Behind the Mind of Consumption The Rise of Modern Consumption Building Better Cities A City on The Move The Heat of Growth 2Creates overall visual style, fonts, colors, andpagelayouts. in S t o e urces andembeds a ractivevideos, udio, andimage galleries. Editor-in-Chief ArtDirector CopyEditor ManagingEditor MultimediaEditor DigitalProducer AbigailMikaLo EricaWong ChangKaiJun Keith GraceSu LingSwenEn Leads project vision Coordinates meetings Gives final approval. t M im anages group eline O T r r g acksdeadlines subm anizes final ission. Proofreads all text Ensures perfect academic citations. Builds clickable m b e uttons, navigation pag nus, andinternal elinks. 3Dear reader, Itis time thatwe take accountability for our actions and startmaking a change before it is too late. This isn’t just a reminder but an urge from us, the young people and the next generation who will face the consequences if we, as a society, choose to close a blind eye on the cries of Mother Nature. From this magazine, we hope to enlighten the people that we should not take what we have now for granted and if we do not make a change, the little that we have leftwillalsobe takenfromus. WHAT HAS OUR WORLD BECOME? My team and I have pondered upon so many thoughts of how Mother Earth ended up the way she is now. The freshairwebreathe ineveryday,has turnedtosmokeandwhatusedtobe trees that we see from our windows have turned to buildings. The very thing thatkeepsus alive isvanishingrightbefore our eyes andit seems thatthere are manywhodonot realise it. The world is so fascinated with the idea of a futuristic society but forget the price for ittohappen.Ourmagazine discusses notjust aboutthe impact behind our actions butthe reasons behind it as well.We believe with each planning to makeamoreadvancedsociety,the conditionofour environmentmustbe taken intoconsideration.As there isnopointinbuildingafuturewithnoone tolive it. Love, AbigailandmembersofGroup4 4Green to Grey of seeing luscious green leaves, you see grey concrete walls towering you. As the years passed, green spaces has become the sacrificial lamb, in the context of development and progress. Living trees and plants have been rapidly replaced with lifeless roads and buildings. I magine waking up one day and looking out the window, instead By: Ling Swen En 5When green disappears Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land leading to permanent land-use change (Nunez, 2025). protector, blocking flash More Than Just Trees floods and keeping the soil locked in place. Like humans, animals also have shelters, the trees are their houses, food resources and breeding grounds. Trees aren’t just plants they are natural infrastructure. When green spaces disappears, these natural benefit disappears with it. Green spaces aren’t just for beautifying cities, it plays an indispensable role in supporting life. Trees act as a natural air purifier, filtering harmful substances in the air and absorbing excessive carbon dioxide, improving the quality of air that we breath in (The Nature Most deforestation occurs for the purpose of agriculture and urban growth. Meanwhile, green spaces like parks and gardens which are filled with vegetation are rapidly decreasing to make room for houses, roads and other infrastructure. As the world’s population grows and cities expands, the need for land also increases drastically. In order to accommodate the overwhelming demand for more land, nature pays the price. In 2025, 10.6 million acres of pristine rainforests was lost, equivalent of losing 11 soccer fields per minute (World Wildlife Fund, 2026). Conservancy, 2025). Besides that, the trees provide natural shade, keeping us cool and protecting us from the heat. Trees also act as a From Forest to Concrete Jungle The loss of trees goes far beyond the trees themselves. Every patch of green matters in one way or another. For the wildlife, stripping away greenery meant depriving them of their homes, trapping them in isolated zones divided by concrete highways. Without forests to anchor the of natural disasters. (Pachamama Alliance, 2026). Aside from that, loss of green spaces increases surrounding temperatures triggering an urban heat island effect, turning our cities into literal ovens. It can also damage our health, as excessive pollutants linger in the air. Development isn't necessarily bad, but unchecked development can create environmental costs. So, how much green are we willing to lose before we realise what it was giving us? soil, heavy rain can easily trigger a domino effect Can We Build Without Destroying? Development does not have to mean having to choose between modern cities and nature. As our knowledge and technology advances, there are alternative ways to develop while still maintaining the environment. Green roofs, vertical gardens and sustainable buildings are some of the innovations that bring nature back into densely developed areas. These ground breaking innovations help balance rapid development and environmental demands. The goal is not to stop development. It is to develop simply one filled with taller buildings and wider roads. It is a city where people can grow, technology can advance and nature still has room to breathe. responsibly. A truly modern city is not Ready to explore? Tap the tree! 6We built the cities. We covered them in concrete. And now, the heat is staying. The Heat of Growth Cities are often defined as symbols of progress. Tall buildings, busy roads, infrastructure and crowded neighbourhoods make life more convenient, busier, advanced and create chances for millions of people. However, the growth and development of cities also come with environmental consequences that is obvious and may be easy to overlook which is urban heat. In urban areas, temperatures can be noticeably higher than in nearby rural places and this phenomenon is known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. One of the major reason cities become hotter is the replacement of forests and greenery with concrete, asphalt and buildings. We live in cities, we use roads and buildings. Roads and rooftops absorb a large amount of sunlight during the daytime and slowly release the stored heat later during the night. Tall buildings can also reduce the movement of air, causing the warm air to remain trapped between streets. According to the article ， urban surfaces such as roads, buildings can absorb and retain heat, while dense city structures can limit cooling airflow (U.S. EPA, 2026). The loss of greenery make the situation worse. Trees and greenery are not simply attractive decorations in a city, they are part of our city’s natural cooling agent. Trees provide shade, plants release water into the air through transpiration, lowering temperatures. When forest trees are removed to make space for new construction, cities lose its natural cooling agent. This means that two neighbourhoods with similar buildings can still feel very different if one has green spaces with more trees. Human activities also contribute to urban heat. Our transport system, factories, buildings, air-conditioning units release heat into the environment. As populations climb, more people use vehicles and electricity daily, increasing the amount of heat produced. During extremely hot weather, greater use of airconditioning can create a cycle, where people try escaping the heat indoors while creating more heat outside. Urban heat can affect our daily life as well as our health. Extreme heat may cause outdoor activities to be uncomfortable. Raising the risk of heat exhaustion and other illness. Older adults, children and outdoor workers can be especially vulnerable. The articles stated that heat islands can increase energy demand for cooling and lead to air-quality consequences (U.S. EPA, 2026). Although heat is a challenge, cities are not powerless against it. By planting more trees, protecting green spaces, creating green roofs and using materials that reflect more sunlight can lower the heat. Designing urban cities, with buildings and streets that allow better airflow can make urban spaces more comfortable. Ultimately, urban growth does not have to mean endless heat. A city can continue to grow and develop while making room for nature. The challenge is to think beyond concrete, buildings and recognise that trees and open spaces are essential parts of a healthy city environment for us. If we build cities with cooling in mind today, future generations could inherit urban areas that are not only larger and busier, but also greener and comfortable. What urban heat is really costing us? 🔥Click the alphabet “HEAT” , Play & Explore the Interactive Urban Heat Zone By: EricaWong Xin Hui 7Building Better Cities: Urban development in infrastructure means to improve the essential system or physical things. It is a fundamental system for a city to run on. For example, utilities, transportation systems, communication networks, and others. It can be divided into three parts which are hard infrastructure, soft infrastructure, and green infrastructure. There are many benefits of urban development in infrastructure. First, it can create jobs for people and increase the income of workers. During the construction period, it needs employees to work, these are direct jobs while indirect jobs are local businesses and suppliers. This can improve our national economy and attract investment. Next, it can promote efficiency and reduce air pollution in cities simultaneously. Energyefficient utilities can satisfy the growing population and lower heat effect. Lastly, it provides a liveable space and is comfortable for citizens. A well-planned environment can promote daily life quality and reduce pollution. In conclusion, urban development in infrastructure can provide convenience for every person. A strong infrastructure not only builds a good environment but also ensures services equality. So, we must always treasure this and make good use of them. Therefore, we can progress and make our country become better. 1 2 3 How Infrastructure Development Shapes Urban Development [Click the number 2 and 3 to explore] By: Grace Su Sing Yi First and foremost, hard infrastructure is the physical connection between places that carry information, people, energy, or materials. (Chandra Asri Group Editorial Team, 2025) One of the hard infrastructures is a decentralized electrical grid. The traditional power of centralized power may be dangerous and unstable. In extreme weather, it is vulnerable to power outages on a large-scale. So, this can be planned in the form of microgrids to prevent this situation. It is a type of renewable energy grid locally. During an emergency situation, it can disconnect to the main power supply and work in independence. However, it must be driven by soft infrastructure and it is flexible compared to traditional forms. Besides that, soft infrastructure means the core institute framework including social, economic, and political systems. (Chandra Asri Group Editorial Team, 2025) It can provide specialized services such as education and healthcare. At the same time, it also is an enabler of hard infrastructure. Public education is the main example of soft infrastructure for education. It is not the same as physical things, it includes service and institutions like teachers or school. It can help us to improve our skills and make people become more capable and smarter to support personal growth. Last but not least, green infrastructure is through any direct or indirect methods to improve the natural environment. (European Commission, n.d.) One of the examples of green infrastructure is rain gardens. It is a garden that can allow stormwater flowing downward to recharged groundwater. It can reduce risk of flood and maintain ground stability and also help to reduce water pollution through water filtration systems. It also brings many benefits to humans. It can help to improve air quality through green plants to reduce some carbons and provide cooling for us. (Jesse, 2025) 8OONN TTHHEE MMOOVVEE Every city has its transformation of mobility. Without the development of public transportation, cities would be always struggling to develop as well as keeping pace with the advancement of the era. From walking to horse-drawn carriages and the appearance of buses, light rail transit (LRT), mass rapid transit (MRT) and other forms of rail, the revolution of transportation has always gone hand-in-hand with the cities we live in today and it has been a part of our daily life. It not only makes travelling easier, but also drives the expansion and connectivity of a city. By just tapping a card, with shorter time and lower cost, people can easily reach their destination. However, problems evolved along the path towards progress. One of the most visible examples in our life is car dependency. While each city is still putting effort on public transportation, the reality is many people still choose cars as their primary mode to travel. Antonina Joson (2026) states that the option of transportation for 77 percent of Malaysians are using private vehicles rather than public transportation. The over-convenience of cars provide people time-efficient and convenience. Individuals can reach their destination without any transfers, having multiple stops and walking under the terrible weather. But what seems like an individual choice carries consequences that everyone must suffer together. The cost of car dependency is always more than traffic congestion, green spaces in the future are destroyed by the emissions from cars and the development of each piece of land and forest. Eventually progress supposedly provides us greater choice of movement, but how much freedom do we still have when a city is built around a car ? AA CCIITTYY But perhaps the solution is not to continue to move faster, but to move in a different way. Rather than continuing to establish or build public transportation, walkable cities may be a good solution. It is a specially designed urban center which allows people to walk to shopping centers, workplaces and homes that reduces the use of cars. With walkable streets and pedestrian lanes, safe bicycle lanes and accessible public transport, people have more choices to choose their mode of travelling. Building walkable cities is more than just letting people rely less on their cars. It also improves the air quality as well as having healthier communities where disease like obesity can be reduced and in terms of socializing. A real moving forward city may not only be restricted to advanced or fast transportation, instead it is a city that allows people to walk, connect and live within their own community. Every city has its own story of movement, but the direction of moving is important. Perhaps the true progress is not about how advanced a city is, it is about finding a balance between development and its impact. The best journey of a city is where progress and sustainability can both move forward together. The Promise of Progress When Progress Lost its Way Where Progress Meets People 01 02 03 By: Chang Kai Jun 9The Rise Of Modern Consumptions Real Cost Behind Cheap Clothing Convenience at a cost A Full Plate Should Not Mean An Empty Future SMALL CHOICES. BIGGER IMPACT In conclusion, although modern consumption habits make everyday life more convenient, it has a hefty price on the environment that should not be taken lightly. Frequently purchasing clothes contributes to textile waste, pollution and the unnecessary use of resources. Similarly, excessive food consumption can lead to food wastage and increase in environmental pollution. Although we can’t solve this issue alone quickly, consumers can make more responsible choices by buying durable or second-hand items and buying locally produced food for the environment. By becoming more aware of the environment behind every product we consume, we can enjoy modern convenience while reducing unnecessary wastes. Modern consumption habits have changed drastically due to the advancement of technological development, social media has shaped modern consumption habits by promoting materialistic culture and trend, while also influencing food consumption through trends. People are always influenced by celebrities and Influencers through outfit of the day (OOTD) culture, lifestyle and products. It will create a desire for viewers to follow their lifestyles in order to stay in trends and maintain a fashionable image online. As social media promotes constant consumptions like showcasing hidden gem restaurants through advertisements and trends. Influencers may use their fame to create their own restaurants. As a result, modern consumption habits have evolved beyond clothing. These modern day consumption trends and a desire to keep up with other habits have been a big issue for the past few years. One major example is fast fashion. People buy new clothes more frequently than ever because of fast paced trends constantly appearing on social media and it’s often sold at a lower price with cheaper material used. OOTD culture encourages the consumers to have different outfits for different occasions instead of reusing their own clothes that they already own. Moreover, the low price of clothing actually quietly harms the environment. Production of textiles requires a large amount of resources, while usable clothes that became unwanted becomes textile waste and pollution. Therefore, the idea of ‘cheap clothes’ does harm to the environment and eventually becomes an environmental cost. In order to combat this issue, consumers can reduce this impact by buying high quality clothes that are durable, fixing old clothes and buying second-hand items because every item deserves a second life. Another modern consumption that is important is food consumption. According to UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, human waste over 1 billion meals in a day, while 783 million are affected by this. Food wastage can occur at many different stages, including restaurants, households and supermarkets. This occurs because people are greedy and often buy more food than they actually need. While supermarkets may discard expired products that are either close to their expiry dates or do not meet the appearance standards. Meat consumption is also an environmental issue, because livestock production requires a large amount of land, water and food. Moreover, imported food involves transportation costs more than locally produced food. Schools can address food wastage through campaigns and education to prevent further food wastage. By Lai Zhi Keith 10