The offical publication of ECO Singapore http://www.eco-singapore.org
COVER STORY
Sustainable Buildings - Our Buildings are Involved Too! Sustainability involves employing more efficient and flexible methods to meet present needs... Sustainable solutions should be long-term, current and relevant to meet the ever-changing needs of society.
FEATURING
- Kicking Our Addiction to Oil - The Problem With Carbon
Interviews
- -
Recycle with Altvater Jakob: If not Now, then When? Go Veggie: Vegetarian Society of Singapore
5th Issue January - March 2007
CONTENTS News
Starting An Ecological Lifestyle: News From The World Over Hazy Days In 2006 Clean And Green Week 2006 Bayer Youth Environmental Envoy 2006
Feature
Kicking Our Addiction To Oil Sustainable Lifestyle Our Buildings Are Involved Too! The Problem With Carbon
VOLUNTEER EDITOR Ng Pak Shun
01 03 06 08
10 14 17
Interviews
Recycle With Altvater Jakob: If not Now, then When? Go Veggie: Vegetarian Society Of Singapore
Lifestyle
Be The Leader Of The Pack Scoring Green Goals Movie Review: An Inconvenient Truth Hazy October: Photo Memories Professor Tommy Koh: His 10 Wishes Relating To The Environment Youth For The Environment - Do We Care? Air Travel, Pollution And You Wave Commuting Woes Goodbye With The Bicycle Lodging Service A New Culture Of Dining Out
KNOWLEDGE CAPSULE Questions & Answers
19 24
28 30 32 34
VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITERS Charmaine Chang Cheong Jiawen Diana Koh Felix Siew Firdaus Salim Hannah Leong Janice Ng Jefferson Tan Jolene Lin Justine Chan Kenneth Ng Lee Xixun LJ Jang Pramodh Rai R. Meenakshi Sundaram Steve Peters Tan Pei Jie Teo Shu Li VOLUNTEER DESIGNER Han
35 36 38 41 42
44
Foreword...
The last quarter of 2006 witnessed a welcoming increase in concern about the environment in Singapore and the world, especially with regard to environmental sustainability. The Stern Review, a UK report on the economic effect of climate change and global warming, reminded world governments of the dire need to tackle environmental problems immediately. The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Nairobi focused on creating capacity for developing countries to adapt to clean technology, as well as developing a workplan on appropriate actions and reviews of the Kyoto Protocol. In Singapore, the October haze brought the key nexus between environment and economics to the national consciousness. The President’s Award for the Environment was given for the first time to individuals with excellent environmental track records, while top government officials graced various Clean and Green Week activities to highlight the great national emphasis on environmental protection and conservation. Policy-related conferences further elevated the topic of environment to security and economic concerns crucial to Singapore’s survival in the 21st century. What do all these national and international developments mean to us readers? Does it mean that individual efforts to create and maintain a sustainable lifestyle now have negligible influence on the environment? NO! In fact, as wise consumers and responsible citizens, we must continue to exercise our informed voice and financial muscles to demand for environmentally friendly products and services. In all our choices of “Clothes, Food, Housing, Transportation,” we must live a sustainable lifestyle of recycling and using renewable resources, so that the world can continue to sustain us and our future generations. Let this issue give you some good ideas on a sustainable lifestyle! Pak Shun Managing Editor
VOLUNTEER Copy editor Balasingam-Chow Yu Hui
EXPRESS! Newsletter is published 4 times a year by the Environment Challenge Organisation (Singapore), or ECO for short, a non-profit youth organisation registered under the Singapore Registrar of Societies. INQBUZZ 113 Somerset Road National Youth Centre #01-02 Singapore 238165 Tel: 9147 4541 / 9147 4542 Fax: 6738 1693 Website: www.eco-singapore.org Email: news@eco-singapore.org The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore). No responsibility is accepted by the organisation or its volunteers for the accuracy of any statement, opinion, or advice contained in the text or advertisements. All materials appearing in EXPRESS! are the exclusive copyright property of the ECO. No part of EXPRESS! may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore).
starting an ecological lifestlye:
News from the world
By Justine Chan
An ecological lifestyle
has been encouraged the world over for people to play their part in protecting our environment. However, due to cultural differences, the ways different societies lead an ecological lifestyle differ greatly.
Europe: Eco-friendly energy
First and foremost, we shall look at Europe, in particular the United Kingdom. Residents in the UK are encouraged to use electricity from a green energy supplier, for example Ecotricity, the world’s first green energy company. Aside from generating electricity from renewable sources, Ecotricity spends money every year to invest in these renewable energy sources. In 2006 alone, it invested 7 million pounds into wind energy resources. Wind energy is an especially valuable source of renewable energy as it is a form of deep green energy. Pale green energy or conventional energy requires some form of combustion and hence emission of greenhouse gases. Deep green energy, on the other hand, technically involves zero emission of greenhouse gases. Asides from wind energy, another example of deep green energy would be biogas (methane generated from human and animal waste). As defined above, use of deep green energy sources will greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as every unit of green electricity produced directly replaces a unit of electricity traditionally produced by polluting sources, such as combusting non-replaceable fossil fuels. This will in turn help the increasingly essential crusade against the detrimental effects of climate change. Pale green energy or conventional energy requires some form of combustion and hence emission of greenhouse gases. Deep green energy, on the other hand, technically involves zero emission of greenhouse gases.
Express! 01
Next, we move on to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Most of the residents in Amsterdam own bicycles, and use it as their main mode of transportation, instead of fuel-guzzling cars. Through this environmental-friendly mode of transportation, greenhouse gas emission will also be reduced as bicycles run entirely on human strength instead of petroleum. Many amenities in Amsterdam are also catered to this ecological mode of transport; for example, parking garages for bicycles are constructed next to train stations. By making it not only financially sensible but also convenient, such facilities give residents incentives to own bicycles instead of cars.
Starting An Ecological Lifestyle: News From The World Over
Australia: Eco-friendly houses
Americas: Eco-friendly fuel and clothes
In the Americas, an ecological transport medium also exists, but differs greatly from the simple bicycle. Instead, some cars in America run on bio-diesel. Biodiesel is a clean alternative pale green fuel produced from biological sources. It can be used in diesel engines with little modifications. Most importantly, biodiesel is biodegradable and nontoxic. On January 2004, Volkswagen and Archer Daniels Midland Company announced the creation of a joint research agreement aimed at further developing and utilizing Biodiesel fuels for the automotive industry. Drivers can top up their cars at 100% Bio-diesel fuel stations in states like Maui and Maryland. Alternatively, drivers can buy an engine converion kit that will convert the diesel car to run on store-bought vegetable oil. On a different note, the Americans are at the forefront of another vastly different way of embracing an ecological lifestyle – fashion. Companies like Clothing of an American Mind and American Apparel use 100% organic cotton in the production of their clothing. Such cotton is pesticide, herbicide and chemical-free and is more environmentally-friendly than normal processed and bleached cotton. Toxic pesticides and herbicides used in farming procedures end up in nearby water sources (groundwater or rivers), hence polluting it and killing many aquatic animals. It also contaminates water sources, making it unsafe for consumption. Therefore, a reduction in pesticides and herbicides will bring about a cleaner environment. A reduction in pesticides and herbicides will bring about a cleaner environment. Express! 02
Last but not least, let us look at environmental initiatives Down Under. An ecological lifestyle is encouraged in Australian websites (http://www.ecolife.net.au), where many innovative tips are being dished out. For example, nylon-netting bags are wrapped around scraps of soap to create a homemade loofahlike bath scrub. Tips like these help residents reuse products and cut down on waste production. Other measures being taken by Australians in environmental sustainability are more tangible. Sustainable buildings are a real option for Australians, with companies like Sustainable Projects offering ecofriendly housing, offices and even real estate. A great real-life example of sustainable housing in action would be the house of Sustainable Project Managing Director, Michael Mobbs, who has been living since 1996 in a 19th century Sydney terrace that provides all its own water and energy. Sustainable housing has many added ecological features, including water tanks for water storage and solar panels for electricity generation. The developers of sustainable housing have capitalized on these features and the subsequent costsavings they bring about to sell the housing as affordable long-term living. Such housing attracts many buyers, especially senior citizens concerned about long-term monthly upkeep fees. Although such innovative methods of leading an ecological lifestyle are in place and many incentives have been provided to encourage people to lead such lifestyles, some still refuse to make the switch mainly due to inconvenience and a lack of public awareness. Hopefully this mindset will slowly change with a new generation of environmentally aware youth. Bibliography
http://www.ecotricity.co.uk. http://www.ecolifeblog.com/progressive-europe/ http://biodieselblog.com/2004/03/vw-biodieselresearch-project.shtml http://www.ecolife.net.au/SiteResources/Data/ Templates/1sub1.asp?DocID=627&v1ID=&RevID http://www.cotam.org/
HAZY DAYS IN 2006 By Kenneth Ng
Forests burning in Indonesia again brought the haze to Singapore
this year, which affected Singaporeans greatly. As with the 1997 haze, which was the last time the haze was so severe, this year’s haze also resulted in significant economic loss and could damage Singapore’s reputation to investors in the long term. In September, some haze was already present in the Singapore skies. For fifteen days, the daily overall Pollutants Standard Index (PSI) readings for Singapore were in the lower end of the moderate range of 51-100. Then on 2 October, the situation worsened with the overall PSI reading for the day hitting 73. For the next few days, readings were mostly in the moderate range, although at a slightly lower level than that for 2 October.
How PSI readings are calculated
PSI stands for Pollutants Standard Index. The scale goes from 0 to 500. There are five sub-indexes of major pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and PM 10 (particulate matter of 10 microns or less in diameter). The boundaries used in defining the indices are as follows. PSI value
24-h SO2 (µg/m3)
1-h NO2 (µg/m3)
8-h O3 (µg/m3)
8-h CO (mg/m3)
24-h PM10 (µg/m3)
50 100 200 300 400 500
80 365 800 1600 2100 2620
* * 1 130 2 260 3 000 3 750
118 157 235 785* 980* 1180*
5 10 17 34 46 57.5
50 150 350 420 500 600
*When 8-h ozone concentration exceeds 785µg/m3, the PSI sub-index is calculated using the 1-h ozone concentration
The overall PSI index is reported as the highest of the five sub-indexes. If the sub-index for PM10 is the highest, then the overall PSI index would be that value. (www.nea.gov.sg) Express! 03
On 7 October, the haze was at its most severe. At 8am, the overall PSI reading for Singapore reached the 100 mark and entered unhealthy levels for the first time this year. At 10am, the reading had risen to 130. It subsided to 80 at 4pm before climbing rapidly to 150 at 9pm. For the rest of October, daily overall readings were mostly in the moderate range, with the exception of two other days when the readings were in the unhealthy range of 101-200. In short, October 2006 was characterised by hazy conditions throughout the month, with occasional periods of severe haze, though there was a five-day respite from 24-28 October. In addition, the western region of Singapore was most severely affected, usually recording the highest readings. On 16 October, the PSI reading reached another high. In the morning, the PSI reading, taken at 3-hour intervals, was in the 80’s and climbed into the unhealthy level at 2pm before peaking at 130 between 4pm and 5pm. The severe haze conditions then persisted well into the night. For seven consecutive hours between 2pm and 9pm, the 3-hour PSI readings remained in the unhealthy levels.
HAZY DAYS IN 2006
On 17, 19 and 20 October, the haze was still quite severe. On these days, the PSI readings went up periodically into the unhealthy range and visibility was sometimes just 1 to 2km. The quality of air was supposed to improve in midOctober when the monsoon rains were supposed to arrive. However, due to a mild El Niño effect, the rains were delayed, only arriving in late October. The El Niño effect caused the weather in the southeast Asian region to be drier and hence forest fires become harder to extinguish. This phenomenon was also responsible for the 1997 haze when the PSI readings went up to as high as 226. In addition, southeasterly winds blowing haze towards Singapore, and the burning of peat land (which is difficult to extinguish and hence continue burning for a long time) also prolonged the hazy season. A timely respite from the haze came on 24 October, incidentally also the day of Hari Raya Puasa. The air was clear and fresh as Muslims celebrated the occasion and the festive spirits were not dampened. The respite was brought about by rains which doused fires in Indonesia and cleared the air. With more rainfall, the respite lasted for another four more days with the PSI hitting a low of 11 at 2pm on 26 October. Rain continued in early November, but a slight haze remained due to unfavourable wind directions. For the month of October, the haze took a heavy toll on the health of Singaporeans. Attendance figures at polyclinics islandwide increased, despite the National Healthcare Group reporting that the number of people complaining of the same ailments had decreased from the same period last year. Asthma cases increased by 12%, as haze makes asthma patients more susceptible to attacks (dust particles irritate airways, causing them to constrict). The haze also caused sore throats and teary eyes, symptoms of throat and eye irritations. Health problems were more prevalent in the western region in particular. The number of patients with respiratory problems and asthma attacks increased in Jurong and Bukit Batok polyclinics by 20%.
A sustained period of haze every year could hurt Singapore’s reputation of being a clean and green city and hence dull its competitive edge. Singaporeans’ lifestyles were also affected, with people generally staying indoors, cooping themselves up. People exercised less outdoors, schools restricted outdoor activities, the Singapore Sports Schools’ swimming team had to stop swimming in the outdoor pool when the haze reached unhealthy levels, and child-care centers put a stop to outdoor activities. However, the greatest impact of the haze was on Singapore’s economy and its reputation. Academics and experts said that a sustained period of haze every year could hurt Singapore’s repu;…;;;tation of being a clean and green city and hence dull its competitive edge. Highly mobile foreign talent is needed to fuel economy, but could be less attracted to Singapore because of the haze. According to Michael Richardson, a visiting senior research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore’s standards on vehicle and industrial pollution have helped the island top surveys that measure the quality of life in Asia. In addition, he noted, “For countries that want to attract foreign talent, a secure environment is not enough, but also a good quality of life.” Hence, continued problems of haze could affect Singapore’s economy in the future.
Express! 04
Nevertheless, not all was terrible during this period. For some, business improved. Best Denki, the electronic store, sold $350,000 worth of air purifiers and related items in four days, a 300% increase in sales. Fitness clubs also benefited with an increase in the use of gym facilities. VCD and DVD sales also went up. The haze is likely to be dangerous to Singapore’s economy especially if the problem recurs yearly. With the up and coming Integrated Resorts, the return of the haze in the future could damage our efforts to attract tourists. “Our IRs will not look as good as they should be,” as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong put it. Moreover, long-term exposure to haze can increase the risk of heart attacks, heart failure, lung cancer and strokes. most Singaporeans also surely do not like to be cooped up in their houses. Therefore, it is encouraging that real action is being taken. Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei have offered to participate in Jakarta’s adopt-a-district proposal where countries adopt a fire-prone area in Indonesia and help put out fires when they come. Singapore and Indonesia have also each pledged US$50,000 to a new haze fund. Other possible solutions have also been suggested, one of which is for Indonesia to move its burning season to February when the northeast monsoon winds blow instead, as suggested by Professor Azizan Abu Samah of Universiti Malaya. During the 10th Asean Ministerial Meeting On The Environment, countries approved an action plan suggested by Indonesia. This plan will be tabled in December at the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit. Hopefully, governments from the different countries will be able to solve the problem of haze and prevent this phenomenon from being a long-term problem for the region.
The El Niño effect
Winds usually blow strongly from east to west along the equator in the Pacific. As a result, surface water from the eastern part of the Pacific is pushed to the western part. In the eastern part, deeper and colder water replaces the water that has been pushed away. Consequently, water temperature is normally about 30°C in the western Pacific and 22°C in the eastern Pacific. When the El Niño effect is present, the winds are generally weaker. Less warm water gets pushed from east to west, so less cold water replaces it. The eastern Pacific then becomes warmer, which causes the winds to become weaker, which in turn causes the ocean to be even warmer. This is a vicious cycle. The El Niño effect can cause heavy rainfall in southeastern US and the normally arid coast of South America, and droughts in Indonesia and Australia. The unusually warm waters in the eastern Pacific cause increased rainfall over the eastern Pacific region. On the other hand, cooler-than-normal temperatures in the western Pacific result in less rainfall over this side. In particular, the El Niño effect has a strong effect on Indonesia’s rainfall. The phenomenon is estimated to occur once about every two to seven years and last for about a year each time. It starts at the end of a year and its effects are strongest around August to October the following year.
Express! 05
clean and green week 2006 By Tan Pei Jie
Humans have been living on this planet for a long time.
As we constantly seek to further improve our lives and make the world a more comfortable place to live in, many of us have failed to notice the toll of our actions on the environment. It is only recently that we realize what an integral role the environment plays in our pursuit for a better life ahead, after warning signs from Mother Earth, such as depleting oil resources, global warming and even haze and pollution. Right here in Singapore, Singaporeans young and old have now become more aware about the fact that we all need to play our parts to ensure that future generations will be able to continue living on this Earth. What more can we do but to first start going green and leading more sustainable lifestyles! While everyone has a part to play in making the right choices for environmental sustainability, us youth need to first embrace the responsibility of caring for the environment. As the next generation stepping up to take over the country’s reins, we need to make decisions that help protect the environment. Hence, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has actively promoted the national goal of nurturing young Singaporeans to take positive actions for the environment, a focus reflected on this year’s 17th Clean and Green Week---‘Youth for the Environment’.
Clean and Green Week
NEA launched the 17th Clean and Green Week at Republic Polytechnic (RP) on Sunday, 5th November, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the guest-of-honour. For the very first time, RP participated as one of the coorganizers of Clean and Green Week. More than 1,000 students gave their all in a wide variety of fun activities designed to encourage more youth activism in the environment and cultivate greater environmental consciousness in the public. While everyone has a part to play in making the right choices for environmental sustainability, us youth need to first embrace the responsibility of caring for the environment.
As youth Eco-representatives in charge of distributing flyers to promote the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” (see page 30 for the movie review), my friends and I were given the opportunity to participate in the eye-opening and exciting event. It certainly taught us how we could work towards leading a sustainable lifestyle even in the comforts of our homes and schools!
“Clean and Green Bazaar” Competition 2006
Environmental protection can and should be integrated as part of youth learning objectives. In this aspect, to let RP students obtain first-hand experience at environmental entrepreneurship, a ‘Clean and Green Bazaar’ school-wide competition was organized by Bazaar Interest Group, an RP enterprise group. 8 participating teams set up stalls selling key chains, food, etc. and pitted their entrepreneurial skills against each other. Amidst the colourful designs of their stalls that caught the eyes of several interested members of the public, shouts and cries of ‘Lei-Long, Lei-Long!’ and ‘CHEAP BUY!’ could be heard every now and then as students tried to lure customers to their stalls. To adhere to the adopted theme for the competition: ‘Clean and Green’, products sold were mostly made from scrap or recycled materials. Nevertheless, these did not diminish their attractiveness! Although it seemed a tough experience for the teams as they competed for the attractive prizes and profits, the bazaar was no doubt an interesting experience for them. The excitement and camaraderie through the event are certainly worth all the perspiration and hard work. After all, it’s all in the name of the environment!
Express! 06
Eco-City Exhibit
It would certainly be a bonus to lead a more sustainable lifestyle in a self-sustainable environment. The Eco-city exhibit proposes this idea by portraying the integration of green features and technologies in our homes, schools and cities. Although merely an exhibit, this concept got us thinking about the possibility of having zero production of waste material. The exhibit featured a city that generated its own electricity from the sun to power electrical appliances like the solar clothes dryer; and even purified and collected its own water.
Happy Toilets
Pretty Dustbins
Another exhibit reminded us that appreciating and loving the environment can come hand in hand with creativity and beautiful art work. Look at the striking and attractive designs of these pretty dustbins, made of environmentallyfriendly materials!
RP Green Booth
The RP Green Booth was another effort by the students to spread environmental awareness. It showcased green characteristics of RP and environmental projects completed by RP students. As a co-organizer, RP itself clinched the prestigious Green Mark Award (Platinum). One of its main environmental-friendly features is the Thermal Energy Storage System, which helps to reduce the amount of energy consumed on campus. The lush greenery and ponds with surrounding landscape provides RP staff and students with a pleasing and cooling environment in which to work and study, one that we thoroughly enjoyed and found it rare to experience in tropical Singapore. One of the highlights of the Green Booth was the RP 10,000 Plastic Bottles Challenge. According to Derek Ho, chairman of the Clean and Green Week Launch committee, the project hoped to reach out to youth living in today’s ‘throw-away culture’ and drive home the point that we can do many better things to curb potentially wasteful behaviour. After all, approximately 4,000 litterbugs had been caught in the first nine months of this year in Singapore, with more than half being youth. Led by 10 students and staff of the Chiron Club from the School of Applied Science, these bottles were collected from 6th to 31st October, and the collection even exceeded the target at a staggering final tally of 10,305 bottles.
Installation Art-Piece
Just as we were talking about litterbugs and plastic bottles, something caught our attention: thousands of plastic bottles were “littered” across the south court yard behind the glass panels of the exhibit hall. Fortunately, these bottles were intentionally placed to make an attentiongrabbing and thought-provoking installation art-piece. This extraordinary sight was a group effort by 5 students from RP’s School of Technology for the Arts (STA) and 2 RP staff, Luke Chen and Shaun Soh, as they used 2,000 bottles from the 10,000 Plastic Bottles Challenge to create the art-piece.
Another booth that interested us was that of the Restroom Association (Singapore). The Restroom Association launched its Happy Toilet School Education (HTSE) Programme for schools in July 2005. Currently 94 Primary and Secondary schools are participating in this programme to keep their toilets hygienic. Toilets are one of the areas that we cannot do without. By practicing good toilet etiquette and social responsibility in toilets, we will be able to ensure that these commonlyvisited places are clean. The programme adopts creative hands-on activities that allow students to decorate and ‘own’ their school toilets. By making the effort to beautify the toilet environment, students are encouraged to keep something that they had spent so much effort on in good condition. With the raise in cleanliness standards within educational institutions, public health is indirectly benefited as well.
Green Air Conditioners
Apart from toilets, air-conditioners are also a must-have in Singapore today. Without this “cooling agent”, we would be “roasting” in the hot tropical weather. Ironically, airconditioners emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide, one of the main causes of global warming. With climate change identified as one of the major themes at the 17th Clean and Green Week, organizations like Daikin were present at the booth exhibits to showcase current energy conserving air-conditioners. Nevertheless, we still feel that reducing the use of air conditioners would be the most effective way to combat climate change. The only problem is…would we want to do that in hot Singapore?
Climatic Instruments
Apart from learning more about what we can do to lead sustainable lifestyles, the visit also allowed us to see for ourselves what we used to learn in our geography classes. The Meteorological Services Division of the NEA showcased several climatic instruments, such as the rain gauge. The workings of these instruments seemed clearer now as we were given a detailed explanation of its operation by the booth tenders.
Pledging to Do Our Part
After the enriching experience, we ended off the day by pledging to do our part for the environment right from home. Simply by changing the water of potted plants daily and reducing the use of plastic bags, you can help to keep the environment clean and be friendly to it too. So don’t wait, start now! We still feel that reducing the use of air conditioners would be the most effective way to combat climate change. The only problem is…would we want to do that in hot Singapore?
Express! 07
bayer young
environmental envoy 2006 By Hannah Leong
Does the name “Bayer” sound
familiar to you? How about “Aspirin”? Aspirin®, a registered trademark of Bayer in Germany and more than 80 countries, was first developed by a young chemist in 1899. This info tidbit aside, Bayer is a global research-based enterprise with core competencies in health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. It accords equal importance to the economy, environment and social commitment in all of its activities. Also, it exemplifies how German companies – through product development and responsible manufacturing processes – contribute to sustainable development. The Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (BYEE) Programme is an example of its commitment. This is one of the projects that Bayer and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have embarked on to provide environmental education programmes for young people. The envoys were selected based on their environmental projects, which they had presented in their home countries. Introduced originally in Thailand, it subsequently
included Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Venezuela and Viet Nam. In 2006, 48 envoys, or BYEEs, from 16 countries spent a week in Leverkusen, Germany, at the invitation of Bayer, to learn more about the development of and prospects for environmental protection and sustainable development. Four of us had been selected as BYEEs from Singapore, and this was our first time traveling to Germany. It was certainly an exciting and enriching opportunity for us to see a new country, meet new friends, and learn about environmental protection, all in one trip. We met like-minded youths from all over the world and built up an international network of friends with whom we could share experiences and knowledge in environmentalism. Through our discussions with these envoys, we gained new perspectives in dealing with global environmental issues. One impression that became clear to us was that Singapore is very different from most of the other countries represented. Our basic environmental standards have already been met, such as water supply, public health and sanitation, and air and water quality. Thus, we shifted our focus towards optimising our environmental efforts, such as waste minimisation, recycling, and zero landfill, and raising public awareness and community involvement. However, in many of the other countries, the environmental infrastructure and laws have not been set up clearly or enforced yet, and they have to deal with more basic environmental problems. They are rich in land and biodiversity, but face many challenges in protecting and preserving their natural resources. Developing cities also face problems such as health and sanitation, air pollution, and waste disposal. Many envoys from these areas expressed their concerns through their projects, which focused on the natural environment and community awareness and education programmes. Express! 08
Community involvement is practised clearly, with recycling bins at every corner, and citizens dumping their bulky items at recycling centres and using their own grocery shopping bags. Germany is one of the leading countries in technology and environmental awareness. We attended talks by representatives of UNEP, Bayer, and the State Environmental Protection Agency, and visited many environmental sites, such as water and wastewater treatment facilities, recycling plants, and air and water monitoring stations. Through these, we experienced environmental protection as practiced by the people, government and industry of Germany. Community involvement is practised clearly, with recycling bins at every corner, and citizens dumping their bulky items at recycling centres and using their own grocery shopping bags. Government and industry support is also widespread, creating an organised system for the manag ement of resources such as land, water, and waste. Continuous monitoring of these resources ensures that environmental standards are met. After acquiring an abundance of knowledge through the talks, site visits, and interactions in our weeklong study tour, we returned to Singapore re-energised to continue our environmental efforts here. Personally, having been inspired by the Germans’ initiative and knowing that the goal of making recycling a habit among students is achievable, I am more resolved than ever to work towards implementing a recycling drive on campus. However, just as it took many years for the people of Germany to adapt to this new way of life, I expect that students will take time to change their mindsets towards recycling as well. This project is something I have just started, and this trip has given me a much-needed boost in my efforts, as indeed it has also done for the environmental projects carried out by other BYEEs.
From left: Yee Kai Ling, Hannah Leong, Yeo Suat Hui Jamie, Ng Jia Wei
Personally, having been inspired by the Germans’ initiative and knowing that the goal of making recycling a habit among students is achievable, I am more resolved than ever to work towards implementing a recycling drive on campus.
Express! 09
kicking our
addiction to oil
For the longest time,
the world’s energy needs have been met by the seemingly endless supply of oil. Our modern civilisation is an energy-guzzling one, because we use (and waste) copious amounts of energy in every aspect of economic life. This relentless use of energy has also made us hopelessly reliant on oil. Now that the supply of oil is drying out, how do we deal with our addiction to the “black gold”? One way of reducing the “cold turkey” pain is, of course, to seek fuel source diversity. In other words, we reduce our reliance on oil by using other energy sources. China, one of the world’s largest energy users whose energy demand will only rise with its fast-paced economic growth, is increasingly turning to coal to supply its energy needs. However, the irony of this retreat to the choice of fuel of the late 18th century industrial revolution has not been lost on some. The air pollution and adverse health effects from coal burning, together with the dire safety records of illegal coalmines in far-flung provinces, are some of the more problematic aspects of increasing use of coal as a fuel source. Nuclear power is another viable alternative. However, concerns abound about the proper disposal of radioactive waste, as well as human health and safety. Three Mile Island and Chernobyl still linger in the popular imagination as stark examples of the possible catastrophic effects of a nuclear accident. While many reports demonstrate that the risk of another Chernobyl is minute, many people still perceive nuclear reactors as highly dangerous. They believe that a precautionary approach should be taken towards an event that may have a low likelihood of occurrence, but which will have major negative consequences should it ever happen.
Renewable Energy
By Jolene Lin
Gaining more serious attention these days is renewable energy. A string of devastating hurricanes, sky-high oil prices and political instability in the Middle East have caused people to take another look at renewable energy. It’s not just another look – the share prices of renewable energy companies have risen, investment funds that don’t traditionally invest in such “risky” businesses are setting up renewable energy portfolios, and governments are also revisiting their renewable energy policies. This can only be a good thing, especially as there are promising factors that this is the start of a long-term trend and fundamental shift in favour of renewables. Some of these are:
Express! 10
1. Fundamental oil-supply constraint: Back in the 1970s, the energy crisis then was caused primarily by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), an international organization of eleven oilproducing countries which wield the power to set global oil prices. By limiting sharply the number of barrels in the market, oil prices soared correspondingly. Today, in contrast, the high oil prices are not the result of artificial supply constraints by powerful oil-producing countries, but are a real reflection of our dwindling supply of oil. The oil reserves are running short, the number of barrels that are being produced each day is declining, and we are therefore forced to pay more for oil. 2. Global warming: It is an unequivocal truth that climate change is one of the greatest threats we face this century. And a large amount of greenhouse gases, the primary cause of global warming, are produced by the burning of fossil fuels (including oil, natural gas and coal) in electricity generation. The fight against climate change cannot succeed without reducing the amount and rate at which we burn fossil fuels. As part of the global effort to address global warming, renewables are being promoted as cleaner fuel alternatives that produce a lot less greenhouse gas emissions. 3. Cost of renewables has fallen significantly: Since the 1970s, research and development in renewable energy technologies has advanced significantly, such that the cost of producing renewable energy has become economically viable. Solar photovoltaics, for example, have dropped 80% in manufacturing costs since 1990. 4. Energy security: The need for countries to secure reliable supplies of energy, or energy security, has become an important issue on the international political agenda. Energy security is achieved by diversifying a country’s energy sources and reducing the reliance on any one primary energy source. Renenewable energy is yet another fuel source to be developed in the quest for energy security.
5. Falling Energy Return on Investment (EROI): EROI refers to the amount of energy required to produce energy. For example, a coal mine’s, EROI is calculated by dividing the useful energy in the coal that the mine produces by the total energy needed to dig the coal and prepare it for burning – including the energy used to power the equipment and machinery used to dig, crush and sort the coal, etc. The EROI for conventional oil has been falling for decades. As we exhaust more oil and gas reserves, and are forced to drill for smaller and deeper pools of oil in more extreme environments, as well as turn to alternatives like nuclear energy, we are spending more energy to get energy. This is unfortunately an unsustainable practice. When an ever-increasing proportion of an economy’s wealth is used to find and produce energy, less wealth is available for everything else, such as building infrastructure and providing education. By taking into consideration the falling EROI of conventional energy sources, renewables become an attractive alternative option. These factors converge to create an ideal opportunity for us to take serious steps to “mainstream” the use of renewables and reduce our reliance on environmentally less superior fuel options. There are a number of things we can do, and it probably makes the most sense to start at home. What then can we do in Singapore to promote greater use of renewables so as to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle? Before we can answer this question, we need to understand Singapore’s energy situation and its position in relation to renewables.
Singapore’s Energy Situation
Singapore does not enjoy abundant natural resources and faces many geographical limitations. Therefore, we are not in a good position to harness renewable energy sources, such as wind, water or geothermal, to meet our energy needs. Presently, Singapore is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to meet its energy needs. In 2003, 60.8% of electricity generation in Singapore was fuelled by piped natural gas while 34.6% was fuelled by oil. (www.iea.org/ statistics) Soaring oil prices and the significant knock-on effects on the economy, amongst other factors, have pushed Singapore towards reducing its reliance on oil. The electricity generation sector was encouraged to convert to greater use of natural gas. Another factor pushing towards greater use of natural gas in power generation is the ongoing deregulation or liberalisation of the energy sector in Singapore. These efforts have introduced competition amongst the electricity generation companies (“gencos”). In order to stay competitive in the face of high oil prices, the gencos turned to natural gas as an oil substitute. By late 2005, about 80% of Singapore’s energy was produced from piped natural gas from Malaysia and Indonesia. Express! 11
Kicking Our Addiction To Oil
In 2004, when the gas supply from the Natuna gas fields in Indonesia failed, concerns arose with regard to the security of our energy supplies. In addition, a technical malfunction at the Jurong receiving point of the piped gas resulted in a serious power blackout throughout Singapore. It was then that serious thought was given to the possibility of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) into Singapore and the government commissioned a feasibility study into this energy source. Recently, Singapore announced its decision to import LNG from 2012, making Singapore the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. This measure is being taken to cut Singapore’s over-reliance on piped natural gas from Malaysia and Indonesia and to meet the rising domestic demand for electricity. Renewable energy, in contrast, currently plays a very minor role in meeting Singapore’s energy needs. In 2003, renewable energy comprised 0.6% of Singapore’s Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) (www.iea.org/statistics).
In Singapore’s case, given its limited capacity to harness renewable energies, it appears that the policy direction is not towards developing a domestic renewable energy market per se, but towards aiding the development of renewable energies elsewhere in the region.
Singapore’s Position on Renewable Energy
In recent months, there has been a surge of interest in renewable energies in Singapore. This surge of interest in renewable energies coincides with the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol in Singapore. As Singapore is now formally a participant in the key multilateral regime to tackle climate change, it has to concertedly address climate change issues such as energy efficiency, reducing its carbon dioxide emissions (amongst the other greenhouse gases), etc. As renewable energies present energy efficiency and carbon mitigation opportunities, they are naturally considered an essential component of a country’s climate change strategy. In Singapore’s case, given its limited capacity to harness renewable energies, it appears that the policy direction is not towards developing a domestic renewable energy market per se, but towards aiding the development of renewable energies elsewhere in the region. In this regard, Singapore has plans to make itself a regional centre for backing renewable energy projects and to become an environmental financing hub for the Asian region in general.
By expressing a demand for renewable energy, we will be actively removing one of the key arguments that is frequently advanced in response to queries about the lack of renewable energy options – “There is no demand. Consumers will not pay more for their electricity”. Nonetheless, Singapore can do more to encourage greater use of renewables. Solar energy (both thermal and photo voltaics) is widely viewed to be a viable option. A number of test beds for solar photo-voltaics has been set up in public buildings and private residences. (See related article on Our Buildings are Involved Too!) Perhaps the time has come for us to move from the experimental stage to widespread use. The public sector can lead the way by encouraging greater use of solar power in public buildings. The private sector, on the other hand, should take the initiative to increase its use of “green energy” which, in the long term, can provide significant cost savings. Another viable renewable energy is biomass. Next year, the first bio-methanisation and renewable energy plant will be established in Singapore. It will also be the first of its kind in Asia. IUT Global will specialise in recovering and converting food and other organic waste into biogas and compost materials. The biogas, which will include methane, will be used to generate electricity. According to an estimate by the National Environment Agency, IUT Global’s plant has the potential to increase Singapore’s food waste recycling rate from the current 6% to about 25%. This means that, potentially, the facility may also help Singapore achieve its food waste recycling target of 30% by 2012. (See related article on Be The Leader of the Pack.) What then can we do to support and encourage the embryonic growth in renewables in Singapore?
Requesting for Green Energy
As consumers, we can begin by requesting for “green energy” to be made available to us. By expressing a demand for renewable energy, we will be actively removing one of the key arguments that is frequently advanced in response to queries about the lack of renewable energy options – “There is no demand. Consumers will not pay more for their electricity”. That may be true. However, the lack of demand may actually stem from the lack of awareness rather than apathy about where our energy comes from. There certainly are socially and environmentally conscious individuals and businesses out there who will consider paying a little more for their electricity if it contributes towards a better living environment for us and future generations. (See related article on A New Culture of Dining Out.)
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In the United States and Europe, it is common for electricity providers to give their customers the option to purchase “green energy”, which will usually be bought from smaller-scale renewable energy generation companies. Alternatively, if the electricity provider in that region is not able to provide renewable energy for a variety of reasons, it may provide customers with the option of purchasing “green credits”. The amount of money collected from the sale and purchase of “green credits” will then be used to support environmental projects to “offset” the environmental impact of using conventional energy. These options are not closed to Singapore. And consumer demand may be the trigger that businesses need to jump on the renewables bandwagon.
Installing renewable energy facilities
Conclusion
Ending our addiction to oil is one thing. Doing it the right way is another altogether. One way of getting it right is to use more renewable energy. The arguments against renewable energy thus far have been limited to lack of consumer demand and high production costs. However, production costs have fallen and continue to fall with each technological breakthrough. On the other hand, consumer demand has to be created. In many developed countries, consumer demand for renewables has been instrumental in its successful implementation. It’s time for you to take that step forward – speak up for renewable energy at any opportunity and share what you know. Finally, exercise your vote. Your consumer dollar can do wonders for the environment – or not.
The Midas touch of Hollywood has even rendered renewables cool and fashionable. Celebrities like Daryl Hannah, Willie Nelson and Mandy Moore have vouched their enduring love for bio-fuel. According to Bloomberg news, Ms. Moore “had her car adapted to run on pure vegetable oil or the filtered leftovers from restaurant deep fryers”. While it might be a tad difficult to modify our engines for some veggie-fixation in Singapore, we can still do our part to promote renewables. Using solar thermal energy in our homes is one easy step to take. If you are fixing your water tank or moving into a new home, why not consider installing a solar thermal facility, which is just as effective in providing our home with hot water? In the long run, we will also save on our electricity bills. The workplace or school is another place where we spend a large amount of time. If you belong to an environmental society at school or environmental audit committee at work, why not make it a point to discuss the possibilities of converting to green energy? Photovoltaic systems have been installed at the Singapore German School, Singapore Polytechnic and the Biopolis building in One North, for example. We should strive towards having solar power become standard features in new buildings, and you can do your part to start or be part of such initiatives wherever you are. Express! 13
sustainable lifestyle -
our buildings are involved too! By LJ Jang
I believe I’m just another average person on Earth,
guilty of contributing to global warming by engaging in energy-guzzling activities that are part of our typical urban lifestyle. Can you imagine living without electricity? No more hot showers, no more laptops, no more mobile phones, no more quality of life!!! Feeling frantic yet? Don’t panic, a sustainable lifestyle is not about getting us to give up electricity and adopting the hermit’s way of living in pre-electricity times. It needs not be so painful. Not until we totally exhaust all of earth’s non-renewable resources. That is the bad news. The good news is that we have alternatives! With knowledge of current efforts that promote a sustainable lifestyle, as well as an awakened environmental conscience, we are in a good position to demand sustainable behaviour and practices in all aspects of our lives. Before I attended the Green Building Technologies Conference (organized by Building and Construction Authority (BCA), in partnership with UK Trade & Investment and the National University of Singapore) from 1 to 2 November, and the Seminar on Buildable Technology on 8 November, I thought that most of what I could do only involved personal practices in recycling and buying environmentally friendly products. Now I know how we can contribute further to a greener environment - simply by staying in a thoughtfully designed “Sustainable Building”. Sounds too good to be true? Hmm… let’s find out more…
Green Building Technologies Conference
The Green Building Technologies Conference suggests that sustainable buildings incorporate modern technology with environmentally friendly objectives to curb the detrimental effects of climate change. Wouldn’t it be lovely to live and work in a space that is socially interactive, aesthetically and appealing, productivity and enhancing, energy/water-efficient to reduce carbon dioxide emission?
Various professionals, such as architects, water/wastewater engineers, urban planners, are working towards sustainable buildings and cities. The Hammarby Model in Stockholm, Sweden (www.hammarbysjostad.se) is a sincere example of such ongoing efforts.
Hammarby Model in Stockholm, Sweden
Efforts closer to home include the upcoming Dongtan Eco City in China, an island north of Shanghai. Like much of the world, China is becoming more urban, with an expected urban population of 1.12 billion by 2050. After having seen many natural environments being transformed suddenly into cold concrete jungles, it is not uncommon to view urbanization projects with a skeptical eye. However, after it is accepted that urbanization is inevitable as society progresses, a controlled system of expansion is definitely more appreciated than random urban sprawling. It is almost like making the best out of the worst circumstances. Further to that notion, since non-use of nature is not an option, we must make concerted efforts to redeem Man’s previous indiscriminate use of the environment with proper planning and utilisation of our Earth’s resources. (www.lib.duke.edu/forest/Events/lecture1999.html)
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I would say, sustainability involves employing more efficient and flexible methods to meet present needs. Using resources more efficiently now would mean leaving more resources for the generations to come. Sustainable solutions should be long-term, current and relevant to meet the everchanging needs of society. Today, a typical definition of sustainability is “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (www.afsc. org/trade-matters/learn-about/ glossary.htm) I would like to offer my perspective on the word that you read so many times in this article. I would say, sustainability involves employing more efficient and flexible methods to meet present needs. Using resources more efficiently now would mean leaving more resources for the generations to come. Sustainable solutions should be longterm, current and relevant to meet the ever-changing needs of society. Many conventional energyconsuming practices are becoming obsolete, as they are cost-inefficient, environmentally degrading, and socially unacceptable. Take, for example, cars that drink petrol like alcoholics, and pout smoke like the chimneys around chain-smokers. These petrol-powered cars need to be replaced with other vehicles that use more environmentally friendly alternative energy sources. If we are unwilling to first consider, then accept, and finally implement sustainable practices now, then perhaps our future generations will be phased out too.
Construction benefits include (i) ease of design, installation and replacement; (ii) less weight; (iii) better finishing quality; (iv) environmental sustainability; (v) space saving flexibility; and (vi) design and detailing possibilities. Of course, nothing is perfect and some reservations exist with regard to further implementation of dry walls beyond office/ commercial use in residential buildings. Not surprisingly, the inertia to change arises as people with low risk-index enjoy the comfort of familiarity. Also, people still have psychological barriers to dry walls: feelings of insecurity when Butterworth 33 the walls sound hollow and, related to that, doubts of strength and soundproofing performance. It is hard to accept that scientific tests on acoustic properties and strength that have proved that dry walls are able to match, and even surpass, masonry walls. Nevertheless, industry professionals are working relentlessly to enhance the appeal of dry walls to society, e.g. additional lining to increase impact toughness and acoustic qualities, and introduction of water and mold resistance. Some dry walls systems in residential projects in Singapore include – Savannah CondoPark, The Pier @ Robertson, Costarina, Butterworth 33, Residences @ Evelyn, City Lights, City Square Residences, The Sail @ Marina Bay, St Regis Residences & Hotel, Parc Emily Residences, and Central. I hope to see more establishments added to this list.
Sustainable Alternatives: Government Initiatives
The Singapore government is also starting to drive initiatives to promote sustainable buildings. The Building and Construction Agency has a current sustainability strategy that revolves around a few Green schemes – Green Mark Buildings Scheme, Green Plot Ratio, Green Index, etc.
If we are unwilling to first consider, then accept, and finally implement sustainable practices now, then perhaps our future generations will be phased out too.
Sustainable Alternatives: Dry Walls
Keep an open mind to sustainable alternatives. For example, as part of building technology involving precast and pre-fabricated materials, dry walls are gainfully employed in new buildings.
St Regis Residences & Hotel
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Sustainable Lifestyle Our Buildings Are Involved Too!
To be considered as a Green Mark building, much thought has to be given to (i) energy efficiency, (ii) water efficiency, (iii) site/project management, and (iv) indoor environmental quality. It is definitely promising to know that Singapore is currently home to 33
Green Mark buildings, and even more encouraging, BCA plans to have 500 buildings all around Singapore by 2015. Green Mark Platinum winners include the National Library building, Nanyang Polytechnic, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Republic Polytechnic. (www.bca.gov.sg/greenmark/green_mark_buildings. html). Other government agencies and private companies are also hot on the sustainable building trail - with rooftop greenery projects, waste wood re-use, natural solutions, solar-energy harvesting and more. In cooperation with Tanglin Core Development, the National Parks Board created Singapore’s first green pitch roof at the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Green Pavilion. Several HDB multi-storey carparks have also incorporated rooftop gardens. LHT, a Singaporean company that manufactures technical wood doors with half-hour fire ratings, uses waste wood in its production. Vertical greening is also employed to “cool” buildings and provide a sound barrier, whilst improving air quality and visual enjoyment. A recent example of the implementation of this kind of building structure was at the “Singapore 2006” World Bank - IMF temporary building structures Photovoltaics (PV) R&D has been underway since 2002, at BCA’s Construction Industry Training Institute. In contrast to our frequent complaints of hot weather, surprisingly, Singapore’s solar reservoir is undermined by our overcast skies. It is unfortunate that the benefits of solar cells have yet to prove themselves economically viable, with only 10-15% module efficiency and more than 25 years of payback period expected. Nevertheless, Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic (BIPV) technology is being investigated to harness solar power on a concerted effort to reap economies of scale, with solar cells integrated as part of the building design. With continued R&D efforts to reduce costs and improve efficiency of PV technology, the solar-powered future is hopefully near. According to Russell Cole, Associate Director of ARUP (a global firm of designers, engineers, planners and business consultants), buildings contribute a substantial amount of CO2 emissions in the world. Just count the number of buildings in Singapore, and simple arithmetic will tell us that a reduction in building emissions can have a substantial effect in alleviating the effects of global warming. Nevertheless, this goal is a huge trial for all developed cities, as Herculean efforts are required to greatly improve existing buildings’ performance. To compensate, cities must begin by constructing new buildings that performs at a very high standard by adopting a sustainable approach from the start.
National Library Building
Express! 16
Clarke Quay
How would you reward these efforts that help you contribute to sustainability? This is a world of simple economics Supply and Demand. A sustainable approach to highperformance buildings includes thinking about the following aspects: (i) Reduction in energy consumed over a building’s life (Embedded energy, Energy in use, and Energy in demolishing); (ii) Environmental impact of materials and techniques used in construction; (iii) Environmental impact during usage; and (iv) Ability to recycle materials and building fabric; (v) Energy cost/environmental impact of people using the building (including proximity to public transport). Architecture designs (façades, sunshades, etc.) are another way to promote sustainable living by minimizing uncomfortable heat trapped in buildings, which can reduce reliance on air-conditioning for cooling. There are a few practical examples in Singapore - Atrium@ Orchard at Dhoby Ghaut, One George Street, the National Library building, and Clarke Quay. Personally, I am most impressed by the amount of thought and studies that went into the revamping of Clarke Quay. By subscribing to a mix of natural and forced ventilation, and maximizing daylight, it has been able to eliminate the use of air-conditioning and reduce electrical consumption and CO2 emissions. By achieving natural comfort in such a hot and humid country as Singapore, where airconditioning is accepted as a device, the white canopy at Clarke Quay is greatly appreciated. I hope you feel the same way too. Now that you have learned more about practical examples of sustainable efforts, how would you reward these efforts that help you contribute to sustainability? This is a world of simple economics - Supply and Demand. How much are you willing to fork out for sustainable design technology? We, as a united society, can create the Supply of sustainable design technology by Demanding high-quality sustainable buildings. The Earth-ball is in your court. Keep it bouncing… forever.
the problem
with carbon ...
By Steve Peters*
COP 11 and COP/MOP 1 President Stéphane Dion, Environment Minister, Canada, was embraced by UNFCCC Acting Executive Secretary Richard Kinley after the COP and COP/MOP completed their work
The world is abuzz
with the need to reverse the effects of human-caused climate change. Whether global warming is a long term phenomenon or a short term fad is not really important; Humanity has been overusing the world’s resources and overstressing the world’s environment. To address this problem, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 as an agreement, made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to provide a commercial mechanism that values this environmental damage and provides financial incentives to reduce it. Companies can “offset” the effects of their greenhouse gas emissions by buying carbon credits from other parties with excess carbon emission allowances. The concept of emissions trading was a landmark idea, and the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol was thus considered a high point in global environmental stewardship. Sadly, things have gone downhill from there. A number of factors have come together to stifle the implementation of the Protocol. The most glaring one is that the international registry required to track emissions reduction has not yet been set up. It is important in recording and verifying the amounts of emissions produced by companies and countries each year as well as the transfers of emissions allowances between buyers and sellers in the carbon market. Without this central registry, the carbon market participants undertake huge risks of market irregularity and possibly market collapse.
Currently, carbon traders have accepted this limitation by trading in national carbon markets, but this arrangement is not desirable in promoting global prudence in carbon usage. Second, while companies are buying and selling “carbon credits” with UNFCCC and host country approval, financial markets are very nervous with emissions trading because the calculation of emissions reductions rests with governments and not the market. Therefore, the carbon market can be subjected to sudden shocks when the government and/or regulatory bodies so decide to unilaterally change the way they calculate emissions reductions. Such a possibility worries investors a lot. In fact, one company has recently hit the wall due to a change in the “certified emissions reductions” (CER) methodology by the UNFCCC. This company was listed in the stock market based on its carbon revenues from a particular project. However, the UNFCCC decided to change the approved CER methodology, which drastically lowered its reported revenues. Third, the Protocol currently covers emissions reduced till the end of 2012 only. After that, ratifying countries are not bound by any clear agreement to extend their commitment to emissions reduction. A number of negative outcomes may result. First, the price of CER may decrease drastically beyond 2012, making any further reduction in carbon emissions less worthwhile than before. Second, the UN may decide not to issue any more carbon credits for projects undertaken before 2012 and thus halt their progress in reducing carbon emissions.
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the problem with carbon
Based on the above reasons, many are skeptical of the Protocol. This skepticism has extended to financiers making uninformed comments at international conferences. A recent comment by an international banker that his bank is “only interested in deals over US$50 million” was met with an audible sigh from the audience. (Most emissions reduction projects are between US$1 and 10 million.)
Young Maiko girl from Kyoto stands in front of a hot air balloon marking the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. © Greenpeace / Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert
Greenpeace youth (JAGs) construct a platform for planet Earth on stones showing the flags of the countries participating in the Kyoto Protocol. © Greenpeace / Marcus Gloger/Joker
In addition, when the United States, Australia and other doubters decided to pull out, the first nail was hammered into the environmental coffin. By starting the Asia Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate with India, China, South Korea and Japan, the United States and Australia started a new, voluntary and non-binding emissions arrangement that aims to encourage the development and sharing of more efficient energy technologies. However, without internationally binding mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions for these 6 nations that together produce nearly 50% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, this deal will have a limited effect in forestalling carbon emissions. For a developer who oversees projects with positive carbon impacts, he is most concerned with who can provide the best financial solution for his project. From our experience, very few firms can provide reliable assistance to these project developers (e.g. Asia Carbon Exchange, EcoSecurities, The Renewable Energy Exchange and Carbon Bridge).
A worker looks at a Greenpeace activist holding a sign supporting the Kyoto protocol at a demonstration in a Beijing park, near the Forbidden City. © Greenpeace / Natalie Behring
While many firms want to invest in the carbon market, their expectations are sometimes at odds with the available projects. Like the banker mentioned above, many carbon fund managers and venture capitalists want to “own the space”. It is reminiscent of the dot-com boom. It shows a lack of understanding of the business fundamentals and development of a sustainable market place for carbon emissions. Until this mismatch of projects, fund ing and management is resolved, the carbon market will struggle to establish its credibility. It is quite sad as an enormous number of very profitable projects can be undertaken with great business potential for investors. As one of my good friends admits readily, “I am a carbon skeptic.” Let’s hope we can change his mind before we cross beyond the threshold of sustainability in our usage of resources in the world. Richard Branson, the Virgin Group billionaire, has bought into the idea. Maybe my friend will too…
*
The writer is a professional engineer and Chief Executive of Waste to Energy Pte Ltd - developer of anaerobic waste treatment plants. All views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Waste to Energy Pte Ltd.
Delegates at the UN Climate Change Conference in Montreal, Canada today get a first hand view of carbon dioxide emissions coming from Thailand’s Mae Moh coal power plant, the largest and most notorious of its kind in Southeast Asia. Greenpeace activists transmitted to the conference live images of the coal plant as a laser projector beamed messages such as “CLIMATE CHANGE STARTS HERE” and “COAL KILLS” in front of the power plant. © Greenpeace / Vinai Dithajohn
A recent comment by an international banker that his bank is “only interested in deals over US$50 million” was met with an audible sigh from the audience. (Most emissions reduction projects are between US$1 and 10 million.) Express! 18
recycle with altvater jakob -
“if not now, then when?”
By Jefferson Tan
When I received
this interview assignment, the first question that came to my mind was, “How in the world did they get their name?” Granted that it was a rather superficial thought, but don’t you want to know too? Armed with an arsenal of questions and my trusty pen, I began my investigation.
INTRODUCTION
“We are a company involved in the disposal of general municipal and industrial waste, in addition to providing recycling services to the community at large,” Christina, Manager for Business Development at Altvater Jakob, kindly explained about her company. “We are the 2nd largest public waste management company in Singapore, processing more than 30,000 ton of rubbish per month.” That makes up to an astonishing 714 cars in weight of rubbish being processed daily by the company! We later arrived at the office of Harald Kloeden, Managing Director of Altvater Jakob in Singapore. After our introductions, I immediately sprang the first question that came to mind, “How did your company, Altvater Jakob, get its name?” According to Mr Kloeden, Altvater Jakob is actually part of a German company, SULO, the second largest company in Germany and fifth largest in Europe. The history of SULO, which stands for “Streuber und Lohmann”, extends back to 1892, when the company was founded by a locksmith, F. Streuber, and his partner Lohmann. Their niche at that time was in manufacturing metals and plastics. It was only in 1963 that Altvater Jakob (“Old Father Jakob” in German) was acquired by SULO and started to provide services such as disposal logistics on top of its production business.
RECYCLING IN THE EAST AND WEST
In Mr Kloeden’s native country, Germany, very high standards are enforced in the field of environmental control. The German Green Party, Die Grünen, which remains one of the most politically successful green parties in the world, first suggested and implemented many environmentally friendly changes more than 20 years ago. Amongst these are carbon dioxide emission regulations, nuclear energy policies, the Green Dot system and many more. But most importantly, Germany has established a serious and mandatory recycling scheme.
Mr Kloeden, Managing Director of Altvater Jakob, with the company logo
“There is an ingrained mindset amongst the German people to recycle,” said Mr Kloeden. “It has become a duty for all of us.” Opponents of the Green system lambaste the strain of recycling on the ailing German economy, especially with the severe taxes and levies imposed on waste management and fuel. Even a Packaging Ordinance has been passed to mandate recycling for returnables of beverage packaging such as bottles and cans. “Yes, we have to spend some money, but you get to save the environment for the future, for our children’s future. This is a common understanding between us all.” A refund on bottles and cans encourages Germans to return them for recycling
Express! 19
recycle with altvater jakob “if not now, then when?”
Recycling isn’t just an act of ‘reducing garbage’, it is a way of life for all Germans, young and old Indeed, the common understanding among the Germans has led to the success of these environmentaly friendly programs initiated by the Government. Mr Kloeden fondly reminisced about trips to recycling areas in Germany. Though these designated areas were often a short drive away, they became integral social events. Often the act of recycling and sorting materials became a form of enjoyment, especially for children. As this generation grew, these habits were carried on to their own children, thus becoming a norm in Germany. Recycling isn’t just an act of ‘reducing garbage’, it is a way of life for all Germans, young and old. In addition, composting is commonly practiced in Germany. Though not suitable for warm and humid Singapore, composting helps remove the biological municipal waste produced on a daily basis, turning it into fertilizer often used in household gardens. This is helpful considering that about 50% of waste produced in Germany is biological, and incineration fees are about 5 times more than those in Singapore. This balanced structure of incentives and deterrence has led to the establishment of the environmentally friendly system now seen in Germany. After hearing so much about what countries such as Germany have been doing to maintain a clean environment, I asked Mr Kloeden what is felt about Singapore in this area. He replied, “If you compare Singapore to the rest of Asia, I must say that Singapore is a lot further ahead.” Indeed, many examples of environmental problems in Asia come to mind readily, from the Philippines’ Pasig River, which is considered dead by many ecologists due to the severe pollution of its waters, to Hong Kong’s infamous smog, which made international news with the respiratory problems encountered by marathon runners, to Indonesia’s annual forest fires, which led to haze throughout South-east Asia. These are just some of the issues facing our region. With regard to recycling however, the local recycling rate has picked up from 39%, as mentioned in the ASEAN State of the Environment Report in 2000, to 49% of the total waste output in 2005, according to the National Environment Agency. Although these figures may seem respectable against those like 15% in Bangkok or less than 1 % in neighbouring Malaysia (in 2000), we still fall short when measuring against many Asian counterparts in the recycling arena, such as 45% in South Korea in the same year (2000). Table showing some of the solid wastes produced and their corresponding recycling rates in 2005. Waste Disposed of (ton)
Food waste
495,000
36,500
531,500
7
Paper/ Cardboard
558,100
540,500
1,098,600
49
Plastics
588,800
86,000
674,800
13
Ironcontaining metals
69,200
749,100
818,300
92
216, 400
8,800
225,200
4
Glass Total **
What is Altvater Jakob?
Altvater Jakob is the 2nd largest waste management company in Singapore. It is a subsidiary of a German company, SULO. It is engaged in general waste disposal and recycling services, trading of mobile garbage bins and trading of recyclables especially waste papers.
How does SMART work?
1. Students collect recyclables from their home. 2. These items are classified and placed accordingly in the recycling bins found in schools. 3. The recyclables collected from the schools and the weight of the recyclables are estimated and recorded at Altvater Jakob’s Sorting Plant. 4. At the end of each month, points are allocated to schools for the different types of material which are found in the bins. 5. These points are accumulated and exchange for attractive merchandise such as laminators and digital cameras.
Point system for different materials and weights
Waste Type
Others*
Total Waste Recycled (ton)
Bitesize Bits
Total Waste Recycling Rate (%) Output (ton)
58,800
3,800
62,600
6
2,548,800
2,469,400
5,018,200
49
*Stones, ceramics and rubber **Including waste not shown above Adapted from NEA website, http://www.nea.gov.sg/
Local recycling rate has picked up from 39%… in 2000, to 49% in 2005 Express! 20
With his wealth of experience in Germany, and working for a waste management company like Altvater Jakob, I inquired about what Mr Kloeden thought we could possibly learn or adapt from our Western counterparts. One way, he said, was to tighten regulations on environmental control. Incineration fees could be raised, as waste management companies are unable to develop their recycling technologies further simply because of a lack of funding, which comes chiefly from what we, the consumers, pay them. He also mentioned ongoing talks with NEA on battery recycling, a frontier not widely explored by local waste management companies due to the high shipping cost per shipment (US $1,400) for processing in foreign countries.
This symbiotic relation between consumer and service provider can only be developed with increased cooperation between both sides (consumers and waste management companies)
For Mr Kloeden, another way to encourage more recycling is to collect the recyclables separately. This is an acceptable practice, which could be easily enforced through education by schools and grassroots organisations. Altvater Jakob currently provides drop-off points where such items can be collected and recycled or reused, joining organizations like the Red Cross and Salvation Army which already do so. Yellow bags, used to collect light recyclables, can be issued to every household, especially if everyone becomes involved in recycling. Not only is this easily achievable, it would also increase the value of the plastics/ materials collected, thus allowing greater profit for the waste management companies, thereby potentially decreasing waste management levies. However, this symbiotic relation between consumer and service provider can only be developed with increased cooperation between both sides.
MAKING RECYCLING A PART OF YOUR DAILY LIFE
Looking at how Mr Kloeden has worked and lived for many years in Germany, one would expect him to bring some of his past practices to Singapore. As I looked further around his office, and having known about his green habits, I asked him about his workbag, made entirely of recycled materials. He immediately brought it out, allowing me to take a good look at this one-of-a-kind piece. While I was staring in awe at the workmanship, Christina pointed out another unique piece – a clock made entirely of cardboard. As I looked at both pieces, these items pointed out that individual advocates of environmentalism would not only have to be vocal about their work, but must also be supportive of the endeavours of other green comrades. After picking up so much about recycling, I asked both Mr Kloeden and Christina what kind of green habits they practice on a daily basis, to which he replied in jest, “Wow, do you have enough time?” He and his family take many Express! 21
small steps on a daily basis at home like reducing water consumption, depositing recyclables into designated boxes for plastics, glass etc. which he brings for classification at the Sorting Plant, and many more. So much so that he practically recycles everything! His example has led many of his colleagues, like Christina, to begin on their own recycling journey. She brings recyclables from home to the office, and deposits them in recycling bins, which are provided by the company for employees. Mr Kloeden also explained how Altvater Jakob has been working with IUT Global since 2005 to convert food waste to fertilizers. The bio-digester, a one - of-a-kind plant in Singapore, uses microorganisms to break down food substances into energy, biogas and simpler substances, which are later sold as fertilizers. This is a big project as estimates in 2005 suggest that only 7% of food waste is recycled, wasting thousands of kilograms on a monthly basis. “The food waste we gather from the food and beverage industry undergoes composting at the food digestion plant,” Mr Kloeden added, “and the balance of about 30-40% of dry waste can then be recycled at our sorting plant.” Not only does this mean almost 100% recycling of food material, it works in-line with the Government’s goal for ‘Zero-landfill’ under the Green Plan 2012.
recycle with altvater jakob “if not now, then when?”
If the system is indeed so effective, why not implement it in the heartlands? “It would be good of course, but there are some problems,” remarked Mr Kloeden. It would be difficult to collect these food wastes from the HDB flats because the warm humid weather in Singapore promotes microbial growth and decomposition, making wastes turn rancid easily. The foul smell, of course, is a problem that some residents might be against. Collecting these wastes would be a challenge for small manpower waste management companies due to the sheer number of locations they would have to travel on a daily basis. In addition, many owners might find it a hassle to separate wastes and deposit them into the different bins, and therefore simply empty everything into the chute, making it difficult to recover recyclable wastes. Hence, the system cannot be made accessible in the heartlands at the moment.
The same problem with separation is encountered even for light recyclables, like glass or plastics. To combat this problem, Altvater Jakob has developed programs to engage the community. For example, the recently launched RC REITS programme (Residents’ Committee Recycling Exchange IniTiative) targets those living in the heartlands. Residents are able to exchange their recyclables for foodstuff, and their respective RCs will receive a REIT certificate (for every 600 kg of recyclables) that is exchangeable for electronic goods. In addition, Altvater Jakob initiated recycling schemes in private housing estates Express! 22
as early as 1998 when the company first started operations in Singapore. In the districts managed by Altvater Jakob, recycling services have now expanded to include more than 100 private estates. These programs, it hopes, can encourage members of the public to take some time to sort out their garbage, making it a routine part of their daily lives. Moreover, Mr Kloeden, who believes firmly that recycling ideals should be developed from young, has started the highly successful SMART (Students Must Always Recycle Trash), a point-based loyalty system within the constituencies they manage. More than 80% of schools within the Pasir Ris, Tampines and Bedok sectors are actively involved in the program. Altvater Jakob provides schools with the basic infrastructure like recycling bins, and conducts tours to the Sorting Plant for the students. Its efforts, however, do not stop there. At the recent Recycling Day 2006 in Tampines, It sponsored and worked with our very own ECO Singapore in a fund-raiser aimed at promoting the message to recycle and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. It even played host to students of the German European School Association of Singapore, increasing their awareness of the necessity of recycling in modern society. The organisation is indeed committed to teaching the students how to take ownership of the environment from a young age. and why they need to do so. (See report on Recycling Day 2006 at the end of this article.)
Young or old, residents of Geylang Serai are strong supporters of recycling
The industry, nevertheless, still faces some problems with respect to waste recycling. The ubiquitous ‘karang guni’ (rag-and-bone) man is one of the obstacles these companies face. As reported by The Straits Times, there have been complaints by waste companies detailing how the they ransacked recycling bins, procuring the materials deposited by residents, and later selling them. “People have to understand that there has to be an investment return for these initiatives to carry on,” commented Mr Kloeden, and it seems like the ‘karang guni’ men are just the tip of the iceberg. “People living in the heartlands are just not utilising the recycling bins,” he carried on. “the returns we get from these bins are marginal.” Residents still find it troublesome and inconvenient to deposit the recyclables into depositories spread throughout the estate. This, Mr Kloeden says, is a challenge. Moreover, many still perceive cardboard and paper as the only ‘valuable goods’, neglecting light recyclables like glass and plastics, leading to much of the latter being dumped into rubbish chutes. Perhaps a result of the ‘karang guni’ era, the industry is nevertheless trying its best to help the public overcome the lack of recycling knowledge in the community. Nonetheless, it seems like some of Altvater Jakob’s efforts have begun to pay off. Mr Kloeden and Christina recall the heartwarming moment when students and teachers at Meridian Primary School proactively organised a public outreach program on recycling, engaging parents, grassroots and the community at large. The result was an overwhelming 3,000 kg of recyclables collected in just four hours. In addition, the company’s first private estate program at Parc Oasis also received a lot of enthusiasm from the residents, amassing more than 600 kg of recyclables in just a few hours. As Mr Kloeden noted, much of the success comes from youth, who have, with their fervour, encouraged their parents and the people around them to become more hands-on with recycling in Singapore. After a long but enlightening interview, when asked what else he had for the youth of Singapore, Mr Kloeden had this to add, “Recycle! If not now then when?” Rather catchy if you ask me.
AFTERTHOUGHTS
I never did realise how important this whole recycling business was. It’s quite ironic considering I’m writing for an environmentally friendly magazine. Nevertheless, Mr Kloeden and Christina made recycling seem not only as something that can be easily accomplished by everyone, but also a potentially fun social activity. Mr Kloeden’s sharing of his experiences in Germany and opinions on the recycling scene in Singapore were refreshing and, most importantly, helpful in gauging the progress we’re making as a nation. To quote him, “In order to have a successful recycling program… it is important to introduce a sustainable recycling collection method that caters to the recycling needs of the residents by making it convenient for them to recycle as well as to maintain an economic viability for the appointed recycling company.” Surely, we as a nation can work together with recycling companies like Altvater Jakob for mutual benefits.
Bitesize Bits
There are generally two types of recycling bags Yellow: light recyclables such as plastic bottles, glass bottles, aluminum and metal cans as well as old clothing. Blue: newspapers/ paper In general the bins work in the same way except glass now goes into the red bins.
Don’t dump your recyclables wrongly! Sembwaste? Altvater Jakob? Colex? 800 Super? Confused about these waste management companies? Fear not, follow these 3 steps to find out which company manages your district. 1. Go to the official website of the National Environment Agency (www.nea.gov.sg)
Pictures courtesy of Altvater Jakob
2. Move your cursor to “Environmental Information” and click on “Solid Waste Management”. 3. Scroll down the page to the “Public Waste Collection Scheme” section to view the map of Singapore detailing which of the four public waste collectors are providing services in your sector! Here are some of the districts and their corresponding companies Jurong – Colex Clementi – Sembwaste Tanglin – Bukit Merah – Altvater Jakob Ang Mo Kio – Toa Payoh – 800 Super Express! 23
Go veggie: VEGETARIAN SOCIETY OF SINGAPORE
By R. Meenakshi Sundaram
Did you know that people have won Olympic Gold medals, such as Carl Lewis in track and field, bodybuilding championships, and ultramarathons on veg diets?
“Nothing will benefit
human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet,” said Sir Albert Einstein. Do you know that the food you eat affects not only you but also the precious environment around you? Vegetarians are considered to be very good environmentalists. “If anyone wants to save this planet all they have to do is just stop eating meat. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty” said Paul McCartney, the famous English artist. Does the switch to vegetarianism mean a switch to “sustainable living”? To find out more about vegetarianism, environment, and the vegetarian society we met up with Mr. George Jacobs, a member of the Vegetarian Society of Singapore (vss).
Vegetarianism and environment seems to be two different unrelated things. How do you think being a “veggie” will help in protecting our environment?
The key to understanding the vegetarianism-environment link is that eating meat is a very wasteful way to get our food. Wasteful in many ways: • We have to feed our fellow animals lots of plant food for every kg of their flesh that we eat. A recent piece the in Straits Times estimated at least 11 calories of plant food fed to other animals for every 1-calorie of meat for human animals. All this extra food means more forests cleared (sometimes burned) and more water and other resources consumed. • After our fellow animals eat all that plant food, a huge amount of waste comes out the other end of these other animals, much more waste than humans produce (which makes sense since there’s only 6.5 billion of us but we eat about 50 billion land animals a year). All this waste means more pollution, and what most people don’t know is that other animals, such as cows, produce methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. • Our health is affected from too much protein, saturated fat, and cholesterol. • The lives of our fellow animals, who like us think, feel and have personalities, are warped into short, hellish nightmares.
Many people hold the view that eating meat will help develop one’s body and muscles and that vegetarians are weak and frail since the vegan foods lack in protein. What are your comments on this?
Fact is that people suffer from too much not too little protein. Did you know that people have won Olympic Gold medals, such as Carl Lewis in track and field, bodybuilding championships, and ultra-marathons on veg diets? Here at home, the national record holder in the marathon, now a teacher at Hwa Chong Institution, is a vegetarian. Scientific bodies, such as the American Dietetic Association (http://www.eatright.org/Public/ GovernmentAffairs/17084.cfm), have gone on record stating that vegetarian, even vegan, diets can be perfectly adequate, even beneficial.
Who is a vegetarian? Do milk, egg, mushroom, honey etc. come under the category of meat products?
There are many definitions of veg. The main definition answers No to the question: Did your food have a face? Thus, dairy, egg, and honey are vegetarian. However, for ethical and health reasons, some vegetarians also avoid any products that come from our fellow animals, even if the animals are not directly killed in the process of acquiring the milk, eggs, etc. The sad truth is that today most of the dairy products and eggs we use come from the same factory farm system that so cruelly mistreats the animals who are raised so that we can eat their flesh. Whether to eat or not to eat foods such as mushrooms, garlic and onion, is a separate matter, distinct from issues of vegetarianism. Also, VSS’s main message is just to eat less meat. We don’t try to get involved in competitions to see who can be Singapore’s purest vegetarian. After all, some animals are probably killed even in the production of most of the plant foods we eat. For instance, the tractors used to plant and harvest crops probably crush some insects and maybe even larger animals, such as mice, as they travel through the fields.
Express! 24
Should children compulsorily be brought up as vegetarians without allowing them to taste meat? Or should they be given a choice of their own?
Taking into consideration the fact that we Singaporeans alone consume 40,000 kg of pork, 37,000 kg of beef, 210,000 kg of chicken, and 272,000 kg of fish per day do you think it’s a bit difficult to promote vegetarianism at this point of time?
There are countervailing trends. On one hand, in many countries, the number of vegetarians seems to be increasing, especially among young people. Plus, some people are becoming “flexitarians”, people who are veg except on special occasions, and “meat reducers”, people cutting back on meat. Yet, at the same time, increasing wealth, plus the efficiency of large-scale factory farming, which treats the animals as objects, means that meat has become cheaper, along with our fellow animals’ lives.
Most meat eaters today can’t give up the so-called “wonderful” taste of animal flesh. What is your advice for these people?
Actually, the taste of most meat dishes comes from the spices, such as curry, ginger and garlic. People use these same spices to make veg versions of meat dishes such as bah ku teh and laksa. Plus, after a bit of an adjustment period, you might find your tastes changing. I grew up as a big fan of McDs, but now a raw fruit or veg salad, topped with nuts and seeds, is my favorite meal. Tastes can change. Finally, can’t we use the marvelous brains that are supposed to make us humans the world’s superior animal, to decide what’s right to eat? If a cannibal told you that human meat is really good, makes you strong, and gives you are great complexion, would you rush out and hire a hit man to get you some?
Most people consume meat in their early childhood without knowing their health and environmental effects. It is only in their teenage years that people learn of such effects. How do you recommend these people to make a successful transition to a vegan diet and “start a sustainable living”?
I know some parents who don’t let their children eat any meat, just like they don’t let them beat up their younger sibling or eat things from the garbage. Plus, millions of people in India are veg from birth. But, of course, we can’t control what people do (thankfully). People should be able to make their own choice when they are old enough to do so. For example, I used to have a colleague from India who was a 33rd generation vegetarian and very proud of it. But one of his two children decided to be a meat eater. My ex-colleague still loves his child (who is now an adult) and still hopes he will change back to being veg.
In today’s world amidst other deadly factors like over population, industrialization, deforestation, resource depletion etc., which affect our environment adversely, will the switch to a vegetarian diet help substantially in improving our environment?
You’re right – going veg is only part of the answer, although one pair of researchers at the University of Chicago estimated that going veg is as good for the environment as switching to a more fuel-efficient car: (http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~gidon/papers/nutri/nutri.html). What I especially like is that by eating a veg meal, I’m not just helping the environment, I may also be helping my health and contributing to the well being of the animals trapped in the factory farm system. It’s a bit like the issue of meat production and world hunger. As you know, hundreds of thousands of people die annually from the effects of malnutrition and hundreds of millions don’t have enough to eat. The inefficiency of meat production contributes to this, but it’s not the full answer. But hey, I like veg food; so, I’m not sacrificing. Eating veg is such an easy way to help the world. If I got on a plane and went to Africa to feed people, it would be a waste of money. If I got in a plane and flew to the Middle East to try to stop the wars there, it might well make things worse. If I flew to Sumatra to try to put out the fires, would it be effective? Compared to all that, eating veg is so simple, so convenient, so easy, and so tasty. Can’t we use the marvelous brains that are supposed to make us humans the world’s superior animal, to decide what’s right to eat?
I’ve heard all kinds of stories about how people made the switch, but first, let me say that you don’t need to go 100% veg or vegan to make a difference. Every veg meal we eat is a victory for the environment, a step towards sustainability. Some people switch overnight, cold turkey (maybe it should be called “happy turkey”). More often, people go gradually. First, I stopped eating meat at home; so, I became a flexitarian, only eating meat on special occasions, because I didn’t eat out much in those days. It took me at least a year, partly because I was doing it alone. So, finding support, someone who is already veg or who wants to join you in becoming veg, can help a lot. Express! 25
Go Veggie: Vegetarian Society Of Singapore
“Our task must be to free ourselves.. by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”
Humans have been hunting animals for food since pre-historic times. So why should we stop this practice all of a sudden? First, it’s actually a matter of debate how much meat our prehistoric ancestors ate. Some researchers believe that early humans were more often the hunted, rather than the hunters. These researchers believe that early humans were mostly vegetarians, who ate meat only occasionally, when they were able to kill another animal. Second, our situation is so very different from theirs.
If we stop consuming meat products, won’t it affect the balance in the ecosystem?
Actually, as discussed above, it’s the whole factory farm system that is throwing the ecosystem out of balance. But, yes, when we stop eating meat, it will require adjustments. For humans, it shouldn’t be too difficult. We’ll still be eating; so, the people who currently work in the meat industry can work in more humane areas of the food industry. Nonetheless, it will be tough for some. I’ve met someone whose family owns a chicken abattoir here. They want to stop, but they don’t know where they would find an equivalent income source. Of course, the big issue when meat-eating ends concerns what will happen to all of our fellow animals currently on factory farms. We will have to find some way of allowing them to live out the rest of their lives in peace, in conditions as close to natural as possible. For example, chickens have their beaks clipped so that they don’t peck each other to death in the extremely crowded conditions where each individual has only about one A4 piece of paper worth of space. Also, chickens are fed and bred to gain weight very quickly, such that their legs cannot support the weight of their bodies.
Do you foresee a 100% vegetarian world where there are no “slaughterhouses”?
I’m an optimist; so, yes, I see us humans moving forward in lots of ways, including treating our fellow animals much better. Einstein, who may have been veg for a short time near the end of his life, once said, “Our task must be to free Express! 26
ourselves.. by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” If we put on our rose-coloured glasses and look at the history of the last about 150 years, we see this widening circle of compassion that Einstein referred to. Slavery was abolished, women gained the right to vote, democracy is spreading, education is becoming much more available, and McDonald’s is almost everywhere (just want to see if you’re still paying attention). Four out of five aren’t bad, right? We’re seeing laws banning some of the more heinous factory farming practices, movements against wearing fur coats, cuts in the use of animal testing for cosmetics, and similar moves toward viewing other animals as the thinking, feeling fellow beings that they are. However, even as an optimist, I don’t think we’ll have a 100% veg world any time soon. The bright side of that is that I’ll be able to keep working with all the nice folks at VSS and related organizations, like Acres and ECO.
Famous vegetarians:
Carl Lewis, Richard Gere, Issac Newton, Bryan Adams, Paul Mccartney, Toby Maguire (spiderman), Leondra Da Vinci… It takes only 25 pounds of water to produce a pound of wheat and around 390 gallons to produce one pound of beef.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated,” said Mahatma Gandhi.
What is your stand on the other cruelty products such as leather belt, shoes, wool, silk, etc. and blood sports like cockfight, bull race etc.?
Yes, it makes sense that wearing other animals’ body parts as clothes, and enjoying the blood sports, especially when it means killing them, is all part of the same factory farm system and the same “other animals are just objects” mentality. Fortunately, it’s getting easier to find substitutes. For example, more and more shoes, even fairly high-end sports shoes, are being made with synthetic leather and other non-animal material. It’s all part of the big picture. Efforts to ban things like cockfighting complement efforts to eat less meat.
How does the Vegetarian Society of Singapore help in promoting vegetarianism and in environmental protection?
We include environmental concerns in our flyers, VCD, exhibition panels, and in the talks we do. Also, we encourage organic food, which, as you know, is better for the environment. For instance, we have organized a bus tour to local organic farms, organic shops, and organic restaurants, as well as a trip to an organic farm in Malaysia.
How is the people’s response to the activities of the Vegetarian Society? Are they willing/interested in changing to a vegan diet?
One confusion we encounter is that many people think that if you’re a vegetarian, you must be a Buddhist or Hindu. Yes, there may be more vegetarians from those religions and some others, such as the Jain religion, but I’ve met vegetarians of all religions and atheist vegetarians as well. For instance, there’s a Catholic group in Singapore, called True Health, which includes vegetarianism among the practices it advocates. One of the things I like most about vegetarianism is that there are so many good reasons to go Express! 27
vegetarian. What I’d especially like to ask those people who are reading this interview is: in addition to eating less meat, please become involved with VSS (www.vegetarian-society.org) we really need more people power to spread our message further. Even people who aren’t 100% vegetarian are welcome to join the Society and participate in its activities. And, we got something to do for everyone, regardless of your talents or schedule.
Most vegans find it difficult to eat in restaurants since they primarily provide non-vegetarian foods? How does your society help these people?
When I eat at a restaurant, it’s usually a non-veg one. I find that most of them are willing and able to provide veg dishes. In fact, more and more of them seem to be offering veg options on their menus. The main thing that VSS does to help vegetarians and others find veg food is that our website has a list of over 300 veg outlets in Singapore. We also try to work with Health Promotion Board to make veg food healthier. Of course, it’s already very healthy for the animals who would otherwise be eaten if it weren’t for veg restaurants.
be the leader
of the pack
By Felix Siew
New solutions in business
While the speakers acknowledged that the use of such food packaging is a serious problem to tackle, there are solutions. For example, Grenidea Technologies Pte Ltd, a local start-up that sees itself as a sustainable material technologies company, has developed biodegradable food trays. The company uses the fibres of the oil palm, which is deemed to be waste after the extraction of palm oil, to make its food trays. This agrocomposite material developed from the agricultural biomass waste is known as AgroResin. This is an example of a business that is able to balance environmental concerns with its bottom line. And speakers at the forum urged that there should be more.
We see them in supermarkets, buy them home and casually throw
them out almost immediately. Yet who would have thought that the humble fruit tray could contribute to creating a sustainable future? These trays hold fruits, vegetables and other fresh foods like seafood or poultry in place, preventing them from being bruised. But once the product is removed and the food packaging discarded, these trays can end up causing much harm to the environment.
Waste to the environment
Traditionally made of non-biodegradable styrofoam or other types of plastics, such food packaging are non-recyclable and non-compostable. If such plastic products are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), they will produce toxic fumes when incinerated. In Singapore, most plastic products are currently not made of PVC, and incinerators in Singapore are fitted with cleaning equipment that clean the gas produced from the incineration process before release into the atmosphere. Nevertheless, the prevalence of such food packaging worldwide is astounding. Think of the plastic trays to hold biscuits within their packs, or the styrofoam boxes used to store burgers. In the United States, more than US$9 billion is spent on food service disposables each year. Over in Western Europe, in 2004, about 37% of all plastic usage goes into food packaging! These figures were cited by speakers during the Sustainable Materials Forum held at the Singapore Environment Institute on 17th November. Five guests were invited to speak about the use of sustainable materials in industry application such as food packaging, as well as to introduce trends and legislation from different countries and how they can be applied in Singapore. Express! 28
Pictures courtesy of Grenidea Technologies Pte Ltd
Therefore, companies should be proactive and not reactive, and find areas in the market to fill, to secure winwin deals. Food companies can seek out new partnerships with counterparts in the materials community like glass and steel manufacturers, and synergise their operations for profit and the environment.
How NEA is supporting Singaporeans in creating a more sustainable environment:
Therefore, companies should be proactive and not reactive, and find areas in the market to fill, to secure win-win deals.
Set up a voluntary programme between the government and corporations to agree on reducing packaging waste. This partnership offers greater flexibility for the industry to come up with cost effective and yet environmentallyfriendly solutions.
Since 2005 Belgian Delhaize supermarkets offer fresh produce in NatureWorks® PLA-packaging. Stickers and posters inform shoppers that the packaging can be composted. Photo: NatureWorks LLC
Lessons from legislature
Besides businesses, government agencies are also key behind initiatives to reduce waste. Many countries in the European Union are encouraging their citizens to separate organic waste from other materials before disposal, as well as to cut back on using plastic bags from supermarkets. Moreover, pressure is placed on producers of packaging to rethink the design to cut down waste, and have greater responsibility in the disposal. Many European countries are also advocating disposal of organic waste through composting. While composting would be quite difficult to adopt in land-scare Singapore, we are learning much from the European experience. For example, the NEArun Sarimbun Recycling Park hosts several composting plants. In 2005, 51% of Singapore’s horticultural waste was composted. A new company, IUT Global, is also building a plant, to be commissioned in 2007, which will be able to compost 300 tons of food waste a day.)
Situation in Singapore
According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), some headway has been achieved in the area of waste management. Since recycling has been introduced to the public and corporations in Singapore in the last few years, waste disposal has fallen from 7,600 tons per day in 2000 to 7,000 tons per day in 2005. Nevertheless, NEA wants to further reduce packaging waste. The agency revealed that packaging waste, comprising paper, plastics, metal and glass, constituted about 35%, by weight, of household waste each day. Hence, NEA is recommending a few policies to encourage Singaporean citizens and companies to cut back on waste packaging. But just how will Singaporeans take to these new measures? According to Dr Xu Yan, the Managing Director of Grenidea Technologies and one of the speakers at the forum, the outlook is rosy. Dr Xu, who had studied Singaporeans’ attitudes to a green lifestyle, is confident that while to many a green and sustainable lifestyle is still something very new, but after some explanation, they generally accept and feel that they want to be part of it. And Dr Xu stressed that it was particularly important to educate Singapore’s youths about the values of going green. “As they are young, they are like a blank piece of paper and can be educated easily. So by the time they grow up, these qualities will all be in-built,” she said. “After all, youth are the ones to influence society in the future.” So how do you plan to influence your future? Express! 29
This programme can first target food and beverage packaging. A similar covenant in Australia has proven successful in reducing food packaging waste. For example, instead of using plastic trays and wraps to hold frozen poultry, an Australian company redesigned the packaging to use permeable shrink bags. Over 3 million plastic trays can then be saved each year. Also, cardboard boxes used to transport yogurt tubs were also redesigned to remove board panels, thereby reducing 5,000 kg of cardboard monthly. In another Australian company, meat pies previously packed in polypropylene have been replaced with recyclable folding cartons. Local companies will do well to adopt these environmental-friendly ideas. For more information on these examples as well as the Australian National Packaging Covenant, visit (www.packcoun.com.au) The Innovation for Environmental Sustainability (IES) fund is already in place to encourage and assist Singapore-registered companies to take up innovative environmental projects. Visit (www.nea.gov.sg) for more details about the fund. permeable shrink bag
scoring green goals ... By Cheong Jiawen & Pramodh Rai
S u c h an effort is not only laudable but should also be consciously emulated by other major sporting events around the world.
The team of the OC 2006 FIFA World Cup Copyright: OC 2006 FIFA World Cup
The recent 2006
FIFA World Cup, held in Germany this past June, was so much more than just about groups of 11 men trying to put a ball past a goal-line and sending millions of fans into wild frenzy all over the world. As eyes were glued to the enchanting matches on the football pitches around the European nation, a huge environmental initiative that is probably the first of its kind was being enacted to achieve 5 noble goals for the environment. A unique collaboration was formed between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the organisers of the 2006 World Cup, and the German Federal Government, to make the World Cup a low pollution, eco-friendly competition. This gave birth to the initiative, Green GoalTM, which is especially welcome since major events such as the World Cup never fail to leave negative impacts o n t h e e n v i r o n m e n t . T h us, such an effort is not only laudable but should also be consciously emulated by other major sporting events around the world.
Climate-neutral World Cup Finals
Due to the gigantic scale of the event, energy requirements and traffic volumes at the 2006 FIFA World Cup throughout Germany would inexorably spike. Hence the first goal, meant to be scored for the environment, as well as the record books, was climate neutrality. To meet this ambitious aim, some 100,000 tons of greenhouse gases, emitted in Germany due to the World Cup, would be ’neutralised’ elsewhere. The Organising Committee (OC) and its partners decided to support climate protection projects in developing nations as a cost-effective way of promoting global climate protection as well as contributing to the drive for development. Hence, biogas facilities were chosen to be constructed in Tamil Nadu to offset emissions from the World Cup Finals. An estimated 500,000 euros were spent over several months, to provide several hundred families in the south Indian coastal region of Tamil Nadu with biogas cookers. Also, biogas generation facilities, houses and huts were built in the tsunami-devastated region. Thus, social redevelopment was promoted alongside climate protection. Other plans included ongoing measurements and documentation to determine the actual reduction in emissions from the use of biogas in place of conventional methods of energy generation.
Less refuse
It is of little surprise that the OC had also targeted generating less refuse as another environmental goal. A Bundesliga (German soccer league) match watched by 40,000 fans typically generates five to ten tonn of refuse, notwithstanding waste in the car parks, bus stops and around the stadium. Since the World Cup would draw vast numbers of fans, media personnel and advertisers, the amount of waste generated in the span of a World Cup Finals season would be nothing short of astounding. Express! 30
A hugely opportune and environmentally friendly effort involved turning match tickets into one- day travel cards that allowed fans to travel on local public transportation at no extra charge. Hence, the OC resolved to deal with refuse in two ways. Firstly, refuse was separated into biodegradable waste, plastic, glass, and paper. This segregation facilitated the production of fertilizers, bottles, paper and plastics from the recycled materials, saving primary raw material consumption. The second method of refuse handling was conscious recycling. Incidentally, this was the first World Cup Finals where, in a concerted effort, fans were given biodegradable paper cups and eating utensils, which were also actively collected after use for recycling.
Environmentally friendly way to get from Point A to B
More than 3.2 million spectators from Germany and abroad were projected to attend the 64 matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, together with approximately 15,000 journalists and some 1,500 FIFA officials and guests. Hence, improving and promoting environmentally friendly public transportation was one of the core goals of the OC, as an estimated 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions from the Finals was expected to be generated from transportation. A hugely opportune and environmentally friendly effort involved turning match tickets into one- day travel cards that allowed fans to travel on local public transportation at no extra charge. Also, the public transportation system was advertised widely - fans and journalists were given clear, comprehensive directions on using the different modes of public transport. They could even plan their likely route from the official World Cup website (www. FIFAworldcup.com). Encouragingly, preliminary results indicate that up to 70% of fans took public transport or used alternative modes such as cycling or walking to travel to and from matches.
Energy efficiency and environmentally friendly power generation:
Power and heat are quintessential to any major event, the World Cup inclusive. Hence, Green GoalTM developed a target of conserving energy based on modern technical and organisational measures to run the event efficiently and leave the least possible impact on the environment. Some of the power management measures implemented included using heat generated from ventilation and cooling equipment for heating purposes via heat exchangers, employing the latest generation of energy-saving lamps that use less power and last longer, and catering food cooked on gas. Power was also supplied from renewable sources, in which solar power played a key role. Furthermore, centralized control of the technical equipment allowed enhanced energy saving to occur, as precise adjustment of heating and ventilation facilities was made possible. Given that a reduction of just one
degree saves approximately 6% of power requirements, temperature regulation for different rooms and areas within the sporting arena made energy use efficient. Unfortunately, like all plans, the Green GoalTM was not foolproof.
Responsible water management
In terms of water usage, the largest volume of water was required to water the playing surface, followed by the sanitary installations including toilets, washbasins and showers. Water was also used in catering and cleaning. A conservative estimate of 42,000 cubic metres of water was required for the 64 matches. However higher usage was expected due to larger crowds, media presence, volunteers and catering personnel. Hence, Green GoalTM set a target of using clean drinking water sparingly and reducing consumption to the bare minimum. Where possible, rain and other naturally occurring sources of water were used as substitutes. Using water resources as moderately as possible was achieved in a number of ways. Taps with valves reduced water flow, with no noticeable reduction in water pressure, by up to 50%. Dry urinals were also used at several stadiums, while rainwater or water from nearby sources were used for the playing surfaces. These measures saved to 20% of water consumption. Overall, the 2006 FIFA World Cup made a huge and dedicated effort to be as environmentally friendly as possible. In many ways, it was a pioneer in terms of the focus on the environment, as such a deliberate attempt to minimise environmental impact was the first of its kind for a major sporting event. As a follow-up for possible improvements in the future, the findings of the effectiveness and limitations of Green GoalTM were collated and presented as part of a Legacy Report to a conference in Germany in November 2006. Unfortunately, like all plans, the Green GoalTM was not foolproof. People traveling from all over the world to Germany and back for this event inevitably caused a spike in air pollution due to increased air travel. Yet, this fact was not included in the calculation of the ‘100,000 ton’ figure for emissions that the Green Goal set out to ‘neutralise’. Therefore, the actual figure in emissions is likely to be more. Nonetheless, as this environmental effort was the first amongst all major sporting events, such shortfalls ought to be viewed as kinks to be worked out the next time. A noble initiative as the Green Goal TM should also be viewed as a model for future sporting events, as it promotes and inculcates environmentalism in sports fans and, with sufficient media coverage, the whole world. In conclusion, to 2006 FIFA World Cup Green GoalTM, “OLE OLE OLE!”
Express! 31
MOVIE REVIEW:
aN INCONVENTIENT TRUTH By Teo Shu Li
The documentary revolves around the reality of climate change, and provides a comprehensive view of its devastating effects and impact on wildlife and humans.
Probably one of the clearest evidence attesting
to the quality of the documentary is the statement from Pulitzer Prize winner Roger Ebert, “You owe it to yourself to see” An Inconvenient Truth. Rarely does such an eminent figure make such a statement without well founded facts, and having watched the film myself, I cannot help but agree wholeheartedly. To many documentary aficionados, An Inconvenient Truth would certainly be recognized immediately as being unique, albeit unconventional, in style. The documentary features former US vice-president Al Gore delivering a lecture that lasted just over an hour to a small audience. The centerpiece of the documentary is a slide show, coupled with sophisticated animation, by which director Davis Guggenheim declared himself “blown away”. The documentary revolves around the reality of climate change, and provides a comprehensive view of its devastating effects and impact on wildlife and humans. Gore also explores three main social causes of climate change, attempting to sway the opinions of viewers away from conventional societal viewpoints.
Arguably the most crucial and valuable segment of the documentary, Gore attempts to discredit three societal viewpoints with regard to climate change, all of which are ubiquitous amongst the various strata in society, be it eminent scientists or the poverty-stricken. In that segment, he attacks, with the help of strong evidence (a sample of 800 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, of which none disputed the scientific consensus that humans are responsible largely for climate change), the apparent scientific controversy about climate change, and the role of human society in causing it. In addition, Gore postulates that a choice between the environment and the economy is unnecessary; both can go hand in hand, and that human civilization is not helpless against climate change.
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“You owe it to yourself to see.”
Former vice president Al Gore in Paramount Classic’s An Inconvenient Truth - 2006
Also included in the lecture footage are half-dozen video footages that show snippets of Gore’s personal life, who ran for the 2000 US presidential elections with the promise of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol in the United States. Many remember him as the first U.S. presidential candidate to have won a plurality of the popular vote, but lost out in the Electoral College voting system. Following his defeat in the elections, Gore has become more determined in his pursuits to protect the environment. Showcased in the video snippets are Gore’s experiences in politics and environmental activism, with particular emphasis on his efforts in increasing awareness on the issue of climate change. Gore employs a large arsenal of evidence to convey his viewpoints and convince his viewers to accept the reality of and the effects of climate change. In my opinion, the documentary would certainly convince all b u t t h e m o s t hardcore skeptics. In many cases, comprehensive statistics and representative examples lend much credence to his claims. Gore elucidates the devastating effects of climate change to human civilization by claiming that if either the Greenland or West Antarctica ice caps were to melt completely, millions of people would be displaced, most notably in metropolises situated in coastal regions, for example Shanghai, Beijing, the Netherlands, Calcutta and Florida. He also postulates that new diseases and those diseases once under control may strike due to the resulting destruction and lack of sanitation, for example ebola, malaria, SARS and dengue fever. Computer animation is heavily employed to portray the numerous germane issues brought up in the documentary, such as the flooding of areas and the fluctuation of carbon dioxide levels. Animated clips, such as that of Mother Earth suffering from extreme weather, easily convince viewers of the importance of our role. Charts and graphs detailing the change that Earth has experienced in carbon dioxide and temperature levels throughout the millennia also add cogency to the content of Gore’s lecture.
However, given that scientists are still arguing about the cause of climate change, the documentary understands that compelling arguments exist for both sides of the issue, the implications of which would include dismantling Gore’s own stand on climate change. While Gore tries to pre-empt academic challenges to his argument by stating the support of how most Kilimanjaro, Africa Paramount Classic’s scientific research (a An Inconvenient Truth - 2006 sample of about 800 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles), any philosophy major would undoubtedly point out that its validity in showing scientific consensus is highly questionable. In addition, while Gore produces massive amounts of evidence to entrench his position and make his argument seem more convincing, for the majority of the populace, this would certainly serve to reduce their attention span. The occasional humour that Gore integrates into his lecture in various snippets might serve to improve the appeal of the documentary, but perhaps the impact is limited if you are looking for a fun-filled film. Nevertheless, “An Inconvenient Truth” provides excellent information and persuasion for viewers who have already been “converted” to the cause of environmental protection and conservation. For those who are not “converted” yet, the documentary will hopefully be the starting point of their journey to find out more about what ails the earth and why we must face up to the inconvenient truths of the environment by doing our bit now. On the whole, Gore’s film presents a powerful case for the detrimental effects of climate change, and shows viewers action that can be taken to resolve this brewing calamity. Have you watched it yet? Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa
Express! 33
A choice between the environment and the economy is unnecessary; both can go hand in hand, and that human civilization is not helpless against climate change.
hazy october:
photo-memories
By Janice Ng
Though the following
pictures are a nebulous depiction (literally and figuratively) of our latest shopping attraction, VivoCity, one thing is certain: Singaporeans from all walks of life flocked to visit this new state-ofthe-art mega-mall during its opening week. To check how Singaporeans coped with the October haze hovering over them, EXPRESS! paid VivoCity a visit on the eve of Hari Raya.
We may not have a hot spring in Singapore, but we have a pool that just might be as invigorating. This young chap came well-prepared with his swimming trunks. Is it an expression of excitement on his face, or a look of exasperation due to the hazy weather? It is up to you to decide.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This good proverb encourages our loved ones to stay at home during the hazy weather. Nevertheless, roaming around in air-conditioned and enclosed places is another way to prevent us from inhaling the toxic particles in the hazy atmosphere. However, staying indoors 24/7 is not a long-term solution. Let’s hope that the haze won’t come back soon.
Do you know what Singaporeans like to do during their free time? Here’s a group comparing how much thicker the haze at HarbourFront is compared to their neighbourhoods.
Express! 34
professor tommy koh:
his 10 wishes relating to the Environment By Lee Xixun & Jefferson Tan
Professor Tommy Koh is one of the
individuals in modern Singapore who has been able to shine both in the international and local scenes. His contributions include serving as our nation’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1968 to 1971 and again from 1974 to 1984 while being concurrently accredited as High Commissioner to Canada and Mexico during the respective periods. In recent years, Prof Koh has been appointed Ambassador-At-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is also the chairman of many prestigious organisations, such as the Institute of Policy Studies and the National Heritage Board. Despite his hectic work schedule, Prof Koh remains a staunch advocate for the environment. This includes being President of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, which sets regulations on deep seabed mining, the exploitation regime of marine resources, and protection of the marine environment. Recently, Prof Koh was one of the three winners of the inaugural President’s Award for the Environment. An award that replaces the two-year-old Singapore Green Plan 2012 Award from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the President’s Award for the Environment honours individuals with an excellent environmental track record, contributions to the environment and the adoption and promotion of good environmental practices both within and beyond themselves or their organisations. In this issue, we learn from the environmentallyconscious professor and ambassador his ten wishes for the environment, from his speech during the ceremony of the President’s Award for the Environment.
Singapore for motorists to own and operate hybrid cars and other fuel-efficient cars and unfashionable to drive gas guzzlers. I hope more Singaporeans will emulate the good example of Minister Yaacob Ibrahim who drives a hybrid car.
5.
I wish that we would take better care of our seas and oceans, for example, by reducing marine pollution from land-based sources and stopping the over-exploitation of the world’s fish stocks, some of which are in danger of extinction.
6.
I wish that Singapore will benchmark Japan’s energy efficiency which ranks No. 1 in the world. Energy efficiency is defined as the amount of energy used to produce $1 of GDP. One area in which Singapore can improve its energy efficiency is in our abuse of air-conditioning. A foreign friend, visiting Singapore for the first time, observed that Singapore has two seasons: summer outdoors and winter indoors.
7.
I wish that we will be more economical in our use of water. Let us all cooperate by, for example, not allowing the waiter in a restaurant from replenishing our glasses with water when we have had enough. I have noticed that, at present, at the end of a meal in a restaurant, typically the glasses are filled to the brim. So much clean water is thrown away every day in Singapore.
8.
I wish that Singaporeans will learn the good habit of turning off the lights in their rooms or offices when they go out for a meeting or for lunch. Our bad habit of leaving our lights on when we are not around is probably one of the reasons for our low energy efficiency.
I wish that more Singaporeans will learn to love our 1. I wish that the newly established Asia Pacific Water 9. beautiful trees, our nature reserves, our beaches and coral Forum, whose Governing Council I chair, will succeed in its goal of providing ”water for all”. At present, over 1 billion people in the world, including over 500 million in Asia, do not have access to clean water.
2.
I wish that Jack Sim, the founder of the World Toilet Organisation, will succeed in convening the inaugural World Sanitation Forum in Singapore. At present, it is estimated that over 2 billion people in the world do not have access to modern sanitation. There is a close nexus between water and sanitation.
3.
I wish that this year will be the last year in which forest fires will rage in Indonesia, thereby causing transboundary air pollution to Malaysia, Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia.
4.
I wish that the air quality in Singapore will become even better in the years to come, as a result of the increasing use of motor vehicles with non-polluting and low-polluting engines and the decreasing use of vehicles with high polluting engines. I wish that it will become fashionable in
reefs and the natural world. One of our biggest challenges is to reconcile the human enterprise and the natural world. We should take more seriously the threat and consequences of global warming.
10. I wish that Singapore will become a centre of research
and development and test-bedding of environmental technologies, products, services and a regional hub for the trading of such technology, products, services and of carbon credit under the Kyoto Protocol.
One area in which Singapore can improve its energy efficiency is in our abuse of air-conditioning. A foreign friend, visiting Singapore for the first time, observed that Singapore has two seasons: summer outdoors and winter indoors.
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youth for the environment -
Do we care?
“We do!”
The message was sent clearly by the presence of about 40 youths who turned out on a Saturday morning (4 November 2006) to attend the forum, “Youth and the Environment”. Jointly organized by Green Volunteers Network (GVN) and the National Library Board, the event was designed to spark a new wave of environmentalism amongst youth in Singapore. In the cool ambience of the National Library at Victoria Street, we listened to the opinions of a panel of five outspoken champions of the environment. Whilst many other youths were likely to have just gotten groggily out of bed, we were intently engaged in the eloquence with which our speakers spoke of the environment. The need to engage youths in acting for the environment was the raison d’etre of the forum. Hence, this was the core topic of nearly every panel member’s speech. Dr Geh Min, President of the Nature Society Singapore and the panel moderator, set the tone of the forum when she articulated. Just a look at the hazy weather outside the room, caused by recent Indonesian forest fires, would have easily validated her point. Unfortunately, the average Singaporean is far from being an environmental angel. Despite the fact that so many organizations exist locally to act for the benefit of the environment, as illustrated by Mr. Howard Shaw of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and Mr. Eugene
Environmentalism is possibly the biggest global responsibility of today and especially now, youths have to face up to the fact that Singapore also faces environmental challenges.
By Pramodh Rai
Ong from the National Environment Agency (NEA), the spirit of environmentalism is nonetheless not intrinsic amongst Singaporeans yet. As correctly pointed out by Dr Shawn Lum, Assistant Professor of Natural Sciences and Science Education at the National Institute of Education, the parks and nature reserves in Singapore are used more as venues for exercise than as areas for nature-lovers to appreciate the vast biological diversity within. Also the participation levels of students in green clubs of various schools are not very high. Nor is recycling or other basic acts of environmentalism an active part of Singaporeans’ routine. Indeed, as school teacher and GVN volunteer Ms. Mindy Neo said, “Being a volunteer is considered noble, not normal, and I have even heard the word ‘Greenie’ sometimes.” Nonetheless, the sky overhead is not as gloomy as it seems, at least where environmental protection in Singapore is concerned. As more youths become aware of the environment and the various challenges with which it grapples with daily, many are becoming actively involved in protecting and preserving it. So many adolescents from schools have approached NEA with ideas and projects meant to protect the environment that, as Mr. Ong revealed with a smile, the organization has set aside a day specifically to brief these passionate youths on NEA’s support mechanisms. Also, many non-governmental organizations and networks have sprung up to garner efforts of individuals so as to work collectively for the environment. Some of the more prominent ones mentioned in the forum include Blue Waters Volunteers and Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore).
Express! 36
Furthermore, about 160 schools have been taking part in the Schools’ Green Audit Awards. This recent effort by SEC and NEA aims to help students think about how to make their schools more environmentally friendly and then embark on their plans. The schools would then receive the Green Audit Awards based on the quality of improvement made towards environmentalism. As far as us youths are concerned, we are just beginning to rock the boat of environmentalism. According to Mr. Shaw, getting environmentalism instilled in our daily habits would take about 3 consecutive generations. Hence, it is important to ensure that not only do all of us in our youth ride on the tide of environmental awareness with the necessary actions, we should also subsequently allow our young ones to ride this wave as well into maintaining more positive interactions with Nature.
Hence, areas of improvement, volunteering opportunities and new ventures were also identified in the forum. Interestingly, Youth Habitat, a youth portal, (www.youthhabitat.sg), will be launched at the end of the year for all to take part in a lifestyle of environmental awareness and conservation. In the end, the 40 youths present took home new inspiration from our passionate speakers on how to network with environmental societies to share knowledge and expertise, as well as engage others in environmental conservation. I certainly hope that we can serve as catalysts for a more concerted effort in environmental awareness and conservation among all Singaporeans, young and old. So, are you on the path to a better environment yet?
As far as us youths are concerned, we are just beginning to rock the boat of environmentalism.
Express! 37
A ir travel,
pollution and you
By Kenneth Ng
The increasing demand for air travel means that airplanes are now the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions.
How can air travel be made cleaner?
If you do not already know,
travel is actually environmentally damaging due to emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants by the transportation medium. An area of special concern is that of pollution caused by airplanes. Just for knowledge on pollution levels, an estimate from Climate Care (www.climatecare.org) states that for a Singapore to Tokyo flight, the greenhouse effect of emissions per passenger is equivalent to 0.74 ton of carbon dioxide released at close to ground level; and for a Singapore to Los Angeles flight, it is about 2.21 ton. (The numbers take into account greater greenhouse effect high up in the atmosphere.) In contrast, 1kWh of electricity from a coal-powered station produces 966g of carbon dioxide, so if you treat yourself to a hour of air-conditioning and use 1.6kWh, this would be nothing in comparison to the environmental harm from flying. The environmental impact of air travel is expected to grow in this century. In fact, due to globalisation, growth of the tourism sector and the expansion of the low-cost-carrier market, the increasing demand for air travel means that airplanes are now the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions.
One way to make air travel cleaner for the environment is to pack more seats into airplanes. Some low-cost airlines are already doing to lower fares, and as a result air travel becomes more fuel efficient and hence more environmental-friendly. Airplanes can also be made more fuel-efficient. In general, new aircraft are 70% more fuel efficient than 40 years ago and 20% better than 10 years ago. In fact, the A380 and B787 are aiming for 3 litres per 100 passenger km, a fuel consumption target better than that for a car! (www.iata.org/whatwedo/environment/fuel_efficiency.htm) Additionally, very-short-distance flights of several hundred kilometres should be reduced as they use more energy per passenger km compared to mediumdistance flights of 2,000 to 3,500km. (Long-distance flights are less efficient than medium-distance flights of 2,000 to 3,500km because of extra fuel needed. However, such long-distance flights are difficult to be replaced, as other modes of transport take much longer in time to travel the same distance.) Energy used per passenger km for very-short-distance flights is higher than that of mediumdistance flights because a significant portion of fuel is used to help the aircraft take off and climb. In place of very-short-distance flights, alternative modes of transport could and should be developed.
Express! 38
What can you do?
Planes are the fastest and most convenient means of transportation for longer distances. In addition, they are probably the most viable mode of transportation if you have to get past mountains or cross oceans. The current traditional alternatives are also not exactly viable. Cars and trains will get us to Malaysia and Thailand, but such trips take quite long in comparison. Cruises can take you to Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and India, as well as nearby Malaysia and Thailand, but they are probably not the best option unless you have the time to enjoy cruise travel. As for destinations such as Australia and the US, trains and cruises are probably out of the question for most of us. Therefore, it is unreasonable to do away with air travel completely. However, there are small ways in which you can help. When flying, it would be helpful to fly with lowcost airlines that pack in more seats and are thus more fuel-efficient. You could also participate in projects to help reduce overall pollution levels in the environment. For example, you could plant trees, or buy carbon offsets. For example, British Airways now allows customers to conveniently pay for carbon offsets from Climate Care when they book their flights online. Therefore, you could choose airlines such as British Airways when you fly the next time. For those who are a bit more interested, you might even want to find out how much carbon dioxide emissions you cause at Climate Care and find out what you can do to neutralize your carbon dioxide contribution. The next solution, although not a reasonable one, would be to go to Malaysia or Indonesia for your holidays instead of Japan, Australia or the US. This way you may be able to avoid air travel and by traveling less, you also pollute less. You could perhaps, for a difference, explore more exotic places in Malaysia or Indonesia. In fact, not taking airplanes might be better for your health. For every four hours of flights, the amount of radiation a passenger receives is the equivalent of a chest X-ray. Such amounts of radiation might be unhealthy in the long run. For some evidence, the American Journal of Epidemiology found that pilots suffer higher incidence in a number of cancers than the general population, probably the result of long-term exposure to radiation.
Businessmen can also help by using video conferencing for meetings so that they do not have to travel. However, it does not seem like everyone is making use of such technology. Perhaps video conferencing is something that needs getting used to. Outside Singapore, trains may be a good alternative for very-short distance travel, as they require much less energy per passenger. Train rides may also be faster for short trips as they may take you close to your desired destination and most likely require shorter check-in times.
What can the government do?
The government can also step in to help. A green tax could be implemented to collect revenue and fund initiatives to reduce overall pollution levels. Such initiatives could include reforestation, starting wind power or solar energy projects to generate electricity and installing more efficient heating/cooling systems. The green tax could also reduce air travel, although the effect might be minor. Carbon trading could also be introduced at the national level, if such a scheme is not already in place. In carbon trading, the government sets a limit to how much aircraft and industries can pollute, and create pollution permits necessary for additional pollution. This scheme allows emissions to be reduced in easier ways and encourages airlines that pollute excessively to develop ways to reduce emissions. Airlines that pollute excessively and have no way of reducing their emissions in the short term have to buy permits from other industries that have reduced their pollution. Then, when the airlines have reduced their pollution, they can sell off the permits to improve their profit margin.
Express! 39
Air Travel, Pollution And You
Richard Branson and his new airplane energy source
Reducing emissions from air travel may not be so easy for now, as kerosene is currently the only fuel that powers airplanes. Until fuel cells, electricity or solar power are developed and become viable alternatives, air travel will entail carbon dioxide emission. By the way, solar-power airplanes were invented in 1981, but probably because of economical reasons, they are not in use today. Nevertheless, developments in technology may help. On 21st September, British business mogul Richard Branson, the billionaire behind Virgin Atlantic Airways and the Virgin brand, announced that he was going to start building ethanol plants that produce fuel derived from organic waste. He hopes to replace “some or all” of the “700 million gallons of fuel a year between four airlines” with ethanol over the “next five to six years”. Other than reducing negative environmental impact, alternative energy sources are important because fossil fuels will not last forever and is a better long-term solution than relying solely on carbon offsets. However, experts say that we will have to wait a number of years before the technology to use organic waste becomes mature.
In conclusion, as traveling continues to increase, so will the harmful effects it brings about – unless we put in an effort to reduce pollution. Engine technology may improve and alternative energy sources may develop, but these are long-term solutions. In the short term, we should consider traveling less, taking alternative modes of transport and participating in carbon offset projects. Consider all these factors the next time you call your travel agent or book your vacations online!
You go to exotic destinations around the world instead of shopping at local shopping centers and take care to preserve the environment there at the same time.
If you want to go the extra mile beyond trying to reduce pollution…
When going on your holidays, you could practise ecotourism. Ecotourism is a form of sustainable tourism that allows us, the tourists, to reduce the negative impact of tourism on the environment. As the name implies, you go to exotic destinations around the world instead of shopping at local shopping centers and take care to preserve the environment there at the same time. You may even financially help the local people maintain their lifestyles. You could also practice sustainable travel practices. For example, you could take cleaner modes of transport, dispose of waste at the right place and support accommodations that are environmentally sensitive. Express! 40
wave commuting woes goodbye
with the bicycle lodging service By Firdaus Salim
“An environment drive should be fun”. The emphasis, he reminds us, should not only be about the bike, but more importantly about the lifestyle it generates.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could truly enjoy a morning without traffic jam,
work the guilt away from eating too much at last night’s dinner party, save the hassle of looking for a seat on an otherwise crowded MRT or bus all at the same time whilst conserving our environment. Think cycling. Well, a novel service called Bike Lodging is now provided by a local bike shop The Bike Boutique (http:// www.thebikeboutique.com), so that cycling to work has not only become a viable mode of transport, but also an appealing commuting option. For starters, the bike lodging service provides you with a safe, secure area within the shop to store your bike after an energising ride to work. You can also pick and choose from the many available shower rooms, dry yourself with a fresh towel provided by The Bike Boutique, proceed to your personal locker to take your work clothes out, head off to the office with a confident and satisfied gait whilst sipping a sports drink or fresh juice of your choice (from the shop’s juice bar). The pleasantries do not end there. Even your beloved bike receives an exclusive boutique treatment, as it is washed, de-greased and lubricated while you are away in the office. Laundry services are also available so you could literally tell your better half that all your clothes have been taken care of by a bike shop. For the budget conscious Singaporean in all of us, this service is priced affordably such that the cost of bike lodging falls within or below the cost of public transport, and definitely way below that of driving to work. This unique service, while available for now only at its main store at Tras Street, will be expanded to cover ten drop off points within Singapore in the next 6-12 months. Mr Alex Bok, managing director of The Bike Boutique, firmly believes that services such as their bike lodging package will provide the important first step towards creating a sustainable lifestyle amongst the denizens of urban Asia. Express! 41
Of the seven cities in the world with the worst air pollution levels, five are in Asia. Couple the drastic pollution levels with a burgeoning population and rapid urbanization, the picture in Asia does not look too smog-free. Therefore, a movement known as iwant2bike2work (http://www.iwant2bike2work.org) was started. This movement is the result of a successful collaboration between the commercial sector and the local public agencies here in Singapore. It aims to create a cleaner environment for all of us by advocating cycling as a sustainable form of transport in Singapore and, ultimately, Asia. The movement aspires to organise a major cycling event called R.I.D.E (Ride Instead Of Driving Everyone) yearly in every Asian city to create awareness. Mr Alex sums it up aptly when he said that “An environment drive should be fun”. The emphasis, he reminds us, should not only be about the bike, but more importantly about the lifestyle it generates. Cycling to work not only benefits the environment, it also does wonders for one’s health. With The Bike Boutique’s bike lodging service, we’re fast running out of reasons not to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.” Still not convinced? Well here’s a quick fact, your car burns fuel and emits about 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year, the only thing that you burn when you cycle are your calories!
A New Culture
of Dining out
By Charmaine Chang
We need environmentalfriendly restaurants, and fast!
Celebrity chefs
and gourmet restaurants are all the rage these days, and this trend definitely paves the way for consumers to look at the finer details of dining out. One of these finer details that a global citizen like all of us should be concerned about certainly involve being environmentalfriendly with regard to their eating habits, especially since dining out as an activity is set to become only more popular. We need environmentalfriendly restaurants, and fast! But what are environmental-friendly restaurants? Restaurants should be environmental-friendly not only with its food, but also with its infrastructure and interior design. Like any other environmental-friendly building, an environmental-friendly restaurant should incorporate daylight and intelligent lighting to enhance the indoor decor and save energy, solar panels to provide additional sources of energy, rainwater collection and recycling for toilet cleaning, and particularly for restaurants, appropriate waste disposal methods for grease.
Next, an environmental-friendly restaurant can benefit both the customer and the environment alike by offering a discount to customers who bring their own Tupperware boxes for takeaway orders. Admittedly, this scheme might not necessarily reduce costs for the restaurants. However, it not only helps to reduce the usage of takeaway packaging, but it could also serve as a marketing technique to build a loyal customer base if the idea is well-executed. Though this discount arrangement might be more feasible for smaller, ownerrun restaurants to implement, this process of customer education will certainly help the restaurant build a stronger relationship with its customers, especially with the environmentalconscious clientele. Restaurants could also charge customers for using recyclable takeaway packaging while simultaneously promoting the discount for bringing their own takeaway packaging. This could prove to be a good marketing stunt, as restaurants would have incentives to manufacture their own reusable takeaway packaging with their logos, and customers can purchase and use them on the spot. For example, the Starbucks coffee chain sells reusable plastic tumblers and thermos flasks in-store for profit-making, branding, and environment conservation, all at the same time. Express! 42
Customer education will certainly help the restaurant build a stronger relationship with its customers, especially with the environmental-conscious clientele. From a more wholesome perspective, an environmentally conscious restaurant should use sustainable agricultural products. This could be the reason why, so far, only vegetarian organic restaurants in big cities like New York and London have successfully managed to be full-fledged environmental-friendly restaurants - the demand amongst the health and environmentally conscious customers there is significant. Organic food not only does not make use of harmful pesticides, but organic farmers also make sure that the soil used for growing and harvesting crops is replenished, thereby preventing nutrient depletion. These restaurants also mostly use second-hand furnishings both for decoration and conservation purposes. In such an ambience, they do best with serving home-cooked style meals, and such an approach forms part of their marketing strategy. Unfortunately, it is difficult, if not impossible, for a restaurant aiming for your Michelin stars or longing for a superb dining review to be truly environmental-friendly … unless, of course, the reviewers understand the need for environmental-friendly dining establishments. However, in the mass market, what has been done in certain parts of the United States is certainly encouraging. Biodiesel, made from fryer oil and soy oil in restaurants that would otherwise be disposed, can be used to fuel diesel engines in buses, trucks and some cars. Biodiesel is not only better and cleaner for the environment because it produces less pollutants and carbon dioxide than diesel fuel made from petroleum, but it is also a good way of disposing the grease produced by restaurants. Restaurants do have to pay to make sure the fryer oil is disposed of appropriately. Nevertheless, apart from not contributing to the volume of waste generated and saving on the cost of disposal, using fryer oil as biodiesel is a good renewable form of energy. So, what can we as consumers do? Unfortunately, not too many restaurants in Singapore are truly environmental-friendly, save for the rare few organic / eco cafes. Nevertheless, just as we choose to bring your own shopping bag instead of using plastic bags from supermarkets, we can choose to bring your Tupperware boxes to hold your takeaway orders. At the same time, we can encourage restaurants to start considering environmental-friendly design, food packaging, as well as food sources. People always say “The Customer is King,” so we should use our influence as discerning “foodies” where it matters – for the environment.
Some tips on how to turn veggie oil into diesel fuel (Warning: do not try this at home!):
Step 1: Filter the ‘waiting to be disposed’ fryer oil / veggie oil from restaurants to remove food particles Step 2: Mix it with methanol and sodium hydroxide. Leave it to rest Step 3: The stuff that sinks to the bottom is glycerin (which is used to make soap). The stuff above is your biodiesel! Step 4: Make the necessary changes to the car / bus / truck engine so that it can run on biodiesel Step 5: Load it up with biodiesel Step 6: What comes out of the exhaust pipe is going to smell like French fries!
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KnowledgeCapsule By Cheong Jiawen and Pramodh Rai
How is the haze harmful to us?
What is the ozone layer? How does its depletion concern us?
The ozone layer, as the name suggests, is a layer of ozone that surrounds the Earth in the stratosphere, 40 km above sea level. It is formed when ultraviolet radiation from the sun strikes an oxygen molecule (O2), which causes it to transform into an ozone molecule (O3). Over many millions of years, enough ozone molecules accumulated in the stratosphere to form the ozone layer. The ozone layer is vitally important to us because it absorbs ultraviolet radiation, which is the component of sunlight that causes sunburns. Furthermore, high levels of ultraviolet radiation also cause mutations in organic DNA, leading to skin diseases such as cancers and tumours. Hence, the ozone layer helps protect us from this harmful radiation of the sun. Unfortunately, the ozone layer has been depleted considerably over the past 50 years, with the increased use of chemical substances such as CFCs in various industries and households. (CFCs are released from spray cans, refrigerators and air- conditioners.) This trend of increased CFC usage thus poses a severe health and environmental threat to all of us. Recent efforts have been made to replace CFCs with less harmful chemicals, and hopefully, this will help repair our planet’s natural sunscreen 40 km above our heads. The good news: due to worldwide efforts, CFCs have been gradually but actively phased out from products since 1992. The hole in the ozone layer exists, but with our conscious efforts hopefully it will not be getting bigger anytime soon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer http://www.epa.gov/ozone/
Why exactly are plastic bags bad for the environment?
The major raw material of plastic bags is petroleum. Unlike paper, petroleum is a non-renewable resource. Furthermore, most plastic bags are nonbiodegradable, which creates long lasting litter harmful to wildlife. For instance, numerous sea-turtles have died after eating plastic bags, which they mistake as their natural prey, the jelly-fish. Plastic bags will remain heavily utilised due to their durability and strength. Presently bio-degradable plastic bags are being developed, which will significantly reduce their detrimental effect on the environment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_bags http://news.nationalgeographic.com/kids/2004/04/pasticbags.html
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Haze is an atmospheric phenomenon where abnormally high concentrations of dust, smoke and other pollutant particulates obscure the clarity of the sky. Haze has become an annual problem for us in Singapore, a phenomenon caused by forest fires in Indonesia. Dust particles and contaminants in haze cause various respiratory problems for people, especially young children and the elderly, who typically have weaker immune systems. The high levels of dust and smoke irritate the airways in the throat, causing them to be inflamed and swollen. Besides posing a health threat, the haze has severe economic repercussions for the countries involved. The economic losses caused by the 1997 haze, some of which include disruption or cancellation of flights in various countries, poor agricultural production, reduction in tourism to affected countries, etc., are estimated to cost US$9.3 billion. The root cause of the haze -- forest burning in Indonesia -- also reflects a horrible environmental tragedy. Thousands of hectares of primary forests are burnt each year to create farmland. In 2006 alone, the fires destroyed 100 hectares of the Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau Province. In central Kalimantan, the Tanjung Putting National Park reported that the haze had adversely affected its population of orang utans. The amount of biological diversity lost forever is astounding and to some extent, cannot even be quantified, because its loss occurred even before human discovery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haze http://www.kjc.gov.my/htdocs3/english/education/ weather/haze02.html
How do fuel cells work?
A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. It converts the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water and, in the process, produces electricity. This devise is similar to a battery, except that the latter has all of its chemicals stored within the battery casing to be converted into electricity. This means that a battery eventually “goes dead” and you either throw it away (wastage of resources) or recharge it. However, hydrogen and oxygen are constantly fed into the fuel cell, and the “waste” water is continually extracted, so that it never goes ‘dead’. Fuel cells have great promise as an alternative energy source. It is “clean”, since its only by-product is water. Also, it is much more efficient than petrol-based combustion engine.
Why is recycling paper important?
Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil. http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/gather/links.htm
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-cell.htm
We have, undeniably, damaged our environment in many ways. How do we amend that?
Despite all the damage we have caused in the environment, most of it is reversible. We can restore habitats and return species to such locations. we can clean rivers, renovate buildings to meet green standards, replenish topsoil, replant forests, etc. However, these activities do not relieve the worst consequences of the damage. We still have to fix the source of these problems - our attitude towards the environment. A spirit of environmentalism would surely prevent or cure most of the above problems. Hence, we should change our attitude to one that is proenvironment so as to wholeheartedly work to reverse the damages to the environment. http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/gather/links.htm
This quote illustrates the power of individual efforts. ”Many people believe that we are facing an ecological disaster. Every day we hear horrific statistics: the process seems unstoppable. And the destruction recognizes no national frontiers. I know all this, yet I cannot really comprehend it. I have the simple thought that my day starts differently if, in the morning, the sun is shining and I can gaze upon a tree bursting with strength. It smiles at me and all at once I feel like smiling back.” - Arpad Göncz, the President of Hungary What if everyone in the world chipped in for the environment? The collective effort of every individual would result in an environment beneficial for us all.
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WE NEED YOU! Volunteering Opportunities at ECO:
We are looking for volunteers to become a part of our team in the following positions; Volunteer Marketing Officers Volunteer Human Resource Officers Volunteer Liaison Officers Volunteer Staff Writers Volunteer Forum Coordinators Volunteer Administrator Volunteer Web Designers Visit our website to find out more about us, and be sure to come down for our induction program before you start your volunteer journey with us at “Buzz the Bus”. This induction program is conducted monthly! The aim of this program is to align both our expectations of each other and be able to have a better experience together. Drop us an email at enquiry@eco-singapore.org
Environmental Events/Activities Coverage:
We are starting to cover local environmental activities in our publication so that more people can participate. If you have an event, please contact us one week in advance so we can try to schedule our volunteer journalists to cover it. Should you have your own write up, please feel free to email us for editorial arrangements. The publication team can be contacted at news@eco-singapore.org
Knowledge Capsule:
This column covers environmental issues in a “question & answer” format. Readers that write in can choose to disclose their names or stay anonymous. We will provide and include any pictures or illustrations if possible to make the column more informative. We will use “layman” instead of technical terms for readers to understand specific environmental issues better. If needed, we will include explanations for technical terms used. We will use games and interactive approaches to aid readers in remembering and understanding the issues raised in the questions. Drop your questions and feedback to news@eco-singapore.org Express! 46