Earth Hour Singapore 2009 . Man & the Environment . RE-Live 2009
Recycle and pass it forward ISSN 1793-7272
Printed on recycled paper
The official e-publication of ECO is also available at www.eco-singapore.org and www.myecoexpress.com
10th Issue June – august 2009 Not For Sale
Foreword
Writers Moses Lim is a 17-year old studying at Raffles Institution (Junior College), Singapore. With a passion for writing, he is part of a team of writers from Raffles Press who have agreed to write for ECOSingapore to air one’s views and opinions about issues regarding Youth and the Environment. Other than writing, he simply loves to play the guitar.
from the editor
“Where were you during Earth Hour? What did you do during Earth Hour?” To be honest, I’m not a big fan of these questions. Certainly, Earth Hour is a significant annual event that reminds everyone of the importance of protecting the planet we call home. Earth Hour provides a clear platform for environmental advocates, converts and pre-converts (I hope everyone becomes converted eventually) to interact with each other and actually do something within easy reach for the environment. And when everyone did his or her part, Earth Hour did lead to “phenomenal” energy savings around the world between 8:30pm and 9:30pm local time on 28 Mar 2009. However, what happened after the end of the 60 minutes? Non-essential lights
EXPRESS! is a lifestyle magazine published four times a year by the Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore) or ECO Singapore for short, the leading Non-Governmental Social Enterprise for youth under the Registrar of Societies Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore) 87 Beach Road #06-01 Chye Sing Building Singapore 189695 tel. 6333 5543 fax. 6333 5537
Express! 10th Issue
and electrical appliances were switched on again, and life went on as usual. If nonessential lights and electrical appliances could be switched off for an hour on 28 Mar 09, why couldn’t they be switched off for another hour on 29 Mar 09, or any day for that matter? What is stopping the world from fundamentally reviewing its energy use for non-essential purposes? A more relevant question to ask should be “What are you doing today to replicate what you did during Earth Hour?” I hope you can find some useful ideas from this issue, and not wait for 29 Mar 2010 to take another crack at environmental protection for 60 minutes.
Pak Shun, Editor
news@eco-singapore.org www.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, opninion, or advice contained in the text or advertisments. 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).
Sye Yuet loves shoes, bags and dresses but tries to reduce her consumptions without straws and plastic bags. She believes that small everyday actions will be the most effective “policy” available for the environment. She dreams of living in a city apartment with a mini garden of tropical flowers and big, green ferns. The dream will have to hold as she goes overseas to explore and learn how to create a greener and more sustainable City in the Garden. Heather is a 2nd year Geography major at the National University of Singapore. A freelance writer and researcher with a keen interest in the issues of food security, uneven development and social entrepreneurship, she is currently director of an anti-hunger initiative, Food for All, as well as a socially-oriented undergraduate research initiative, WeSearch! Julie Davies graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science and Diploma in Chinese in 2000. Julie’s career history has been varied and includes roles in sales, tourism media, industry lobbying and environmental consulting. She loves travelling and enjoys volunteering with NGOs that focus on the environment. Key interests include swimming, hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. Pak Shun is a civil servant who likes to write and comment on how others write! ;) He hopes to make a positive contribution to the environment by first understanding the latest discussions and arguments with regard to climate change and global warming, and then ensuring that others are aware of these issues as well.
Zhi Ying adores antihero fiction, writings of Vonnegut and Wilde, and political satire. She lives and breathes words and music, and firmly believes that art should be subversive, and that humour makes life, life. Happiness to her is a combination of: quaint cafés, love, contemporary art and literature, political writings, Basheer graphic bookstores, and music. She wants to create beautiful things in art and writing when she grows up- which her mother says is now. Zishen is an 18 year old science-stream student working laboriously for his A Levels at Raffles Institution Junior College, Singapore. He harbours a predilection for current affairs and is close to being a veritable political junkie. Other interests include moshing at live concerts, discovering new food, and real sports (that means no golf, bowling and the ilk). Yuhui works as an analyst by day, churning out reports and insights in digital marketing activities. He does his little bit to reduce his carbon footprint, like turning off one of the bathroom lights and blacking out his monitor if the computer hasn’t been used for a while. Brian is a freelance writer whose wealth of experience in writing includes poetry to advertising copy. Upon graduation from Hwa Chong Junior College, Brian was en route to pursue an engineering degree but he realized that his passion was writing. Since then, Brian has written for Le Standard and Mary Destiny Beauty Saloon. Brian updates his blog, www.creativebrian. blogspot.com, periodically and hopes that his writing will be impactful. Brian is currently working on his book, “A Love to Remember”. Andrea Recently graduated from Singapore Management University majoring in Psychology and Political Science. Interested in global politics, quality education for children and youth, as well as sustainable tourism. Aspires to write with the aim of motivate people to think and in turn, inspire action. Enjoys picnics in the park and playing soccer.
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The Singapore youth Experience at the 17th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable development. By Andrea Low PERSPECTIVES
LIFESTYLE
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19 20 21
World Map + Participant Input
Features
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Everyone can be a “green-caped hero”, but will that really change anything? By Ng Zhi Ying
PERSPECTIVES
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YEE Batch: March 2007. By Samuel Lim Yong Peng
GREEN CaLENdaR
11 12 14 17
Profiling The Gallivanting Glamorous. By Ng Zhi Ying Interview with Anita Kapoor. By Brittany Khoo Hell Hath No Fury like Mother Nature Scorned. By Chong Zishen
NEW & EVENTS
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Hitachi moves towards a greener future. By Brian Phe
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Earth Hour Singapore 2009. By Julie Davis
Greening the future: The URa’s draft master plan 2008. By Kenneth Goh
Man & the Environment. By Moses Lim EXPRESS! Yourself on Earth Day. By Loy Sye Yuet Triumph - Eco-Chic Lingerie. By Ashley Tan
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RE-Live 2009. By Ng Zhi Ying
Anita Kapoor Combine a half-cup of whim, 2 teaspoons of vivacious charm and 3 tablespoons of unabashed courage to be unconventional in one’s love for natural beauty. Add ¾ cup of daring guts and stir until the mixture is set. What would you have from this concoction? Credit to Mind, Body and Soul Volunteer Editor Ng Pak Shun, editor@eco-singapore.org Volunteer Copy Editors Heather Chi, Yuhui Volunteer Writers Andrea, Ashley Tan, Brian, Heather, Julie Davies, Moses Lim, Pak Shun, Sye Yuet, Zhi Ying, Zishen, Yuhui Art Director Amy Ong, contact@amyong.com, www.amyong.com
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* EXPRESS PERSPECTIVES
The Singapore Youth Experience at the 17th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development By Andrea Low
What is The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)? How did it come about? The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) was established by the UN General assembly in 1992. It ensures effective follow-up from the 1992 Earth Summit and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. What does it do? The UNCSD is responsible for reviewing the implementation progress of Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration. It also provides policy guidance according to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation at the local, national, regional and international levels.
Earth Summit The Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 – 14 Jun 1992. A significant outcome from this conference was an agreement on the Climate Change Convention which led to the creation of the Kyoto Protocol. Through the Earth Summit, several important documents resulted; these include the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21.
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How often is it held? The UNCSD is conducted in two-year cycles, meeting every year, for review and policy sessions that focus on clusters of thematic and related issues. The 17th policy session in 2009 focussed on five thematic issues: Africa, drought and desertification, agriculture, land and rural development. Who are the groups involved? The UNCSD has opened its sessions to encourage participation from both governmental and non-governmental organisations. It supports a number of innovative activities, such as partnership fairs, the learning centres and a series of panels, roundtable discussions and side events.
World Summit on Sustainable Development also known as the Earth Summit 2002, this conference discussed sustainable development initiatives for the 21st century in Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 Aug to 4 Sep 2002.
Rio Declaration The Rio declaration on Environment and development is a document produced at the 1992 Earth Summit. It consists of 27 principles outlining sustainable development initiatives for the future.
Johannesburg Plan The Johannesburg Plan is an action plan implemented at the 2002 Earth Summit. It affirms the United Nations’ commitment to fulfill the principles listed in Agenda 21 as well as the Millennium Development Goals.
Agenda 21 The number 21 in “Agenda 21” represents the 21st century. An initiative by the United Nations, it serves as a blueprint for sustainable development.
Our team representing Singapore The Singapore team from ECO Singapore comprised Loy Sye Yuet, Su Wei Xin, Andrea Low, Thea Tan and Shirlynn Sham. Under the guidance of ECO founder Wilson Ang, the team attended the two-week conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
Under the structure of the youth caucus, youths from around the world interact and voice their concerns, ideas and suggestions on sustainable development. The youths at this year’s UNCSD came from many countries, including Australia, Canada, Croatia, Nigeria, and The Netherlands. It was an enriching experience to
Andrea’s reflections I was involved in the discussion group on rural development. However, through my participation in many side events and workshops, I also had the opportunity to learn more about other current environmental issues such as climate change, food security, capacity building and biofuels. An interesting side event that I attended was a screening of the documentary, “Meat the Truth”. It was presented by Marianne Thieme, leader of the Party for the Animals in The Netherlands. The film displayed the massive impact of livestock farming on climate change. It left viewers with the statement, “animals are the victims of our excesses.” It showed me another perspective on the issue of climate change and reminded me of how we as individuals
could make a conscious choice to reduce our intake of meat. One of the best memories I had was visiting a farmer’s market located just a block away from the United Nations Building at dag Hammarskjold Plaza. Amidst other stalls and exhibitions, there was also a youth-led education program on nutrition and live cooking demonstrations using international recipes. The special feature of this market was the collaboration between urban youth and regional farmers. As a youth, I felt encouraged to see how these youths played a part in creating sustainable efforts for agriculture. Coming from Singapore, a largely urban area, it inspired me to think of relevant ideas to introduce into my community and work towards the goal of sustainable development.
share and learn about ideas on sustainable development from all around the globe. The youth caucus organised a booth at the side events area at UNCSD-17 to facilitate communication and promote partnerships. Interested participants could stop by at our booth to find out more about the issues that we as youths felt strongly about. We sat in official plenary sessions and learned not just by listening but also interacting with other participants at the sessions, including industry experts, government delegates and members of other NGOs. We were also given opportunities to contribute our ideas by writing articles and participating in dialogues with other major groups such as the Women’s Major Group, Indigenous Peoples and the Scientific Community groups. The different backgrounds of the youths at UNCSD-17 brought to the caucus a diversity of experiences in government dialogue sessions, lobbying for different causes and proposing innovative solutions. Each youth member was equipped with different skills based on their respective backgrounds and experiences and had an active role in contributing to the work of the youth caucus.
Wei Xin’s reflections UNCSD -17 has been a life-changing experience for me. It was amazing to meet people, not just youths, from all walks of life and all around the world under the unifying theme of “Sustainable development”. I was fortunate to be able to hear from experts and affected stakeholders about the solemn reality of the ecological, social and economic challenges that humanity faces. However, the greatest privilege was the chance to be engaged in the problem
solving and discussion sessions, and lobby for inter-government-coordinated political action in addressing environmentalissues. I gained so much knowledge and intrinsic experiences that I cannot possibly share everything here. However, my key takeaway from the event is that a true “green revolution” is not an affair of science. Rather, it is one where every single member of humanity, with all of his occupations and stakeholders, reaches a state of ecological awareness and will to act for sustainable
development without the sacrifice of either quality of life or our environment. It is now crunch time for everyone to be ecologically awakened and act in whatever small ways we can. Each one of us can start small by practising “sustainable consumption” or taking a proactive role by volunteering with a non-government organization like ECO Singapore or your own institution’s environmental clubs. Together, we can save Mother Earth and ourselves.
A collective effort by the youth to prevent waste Towards the end of UNCSD-17, the youth caucus embarked on a new creative effort: folding origami flowers out of the numerous leftover flyers strewn outside the conference halls of the UN building. On the final day of the conference, all the youth participants wore these flowers proudly on their lapels. attached to each flower was a leaf that emblazoned boldly: “WASTE?” What’s the point of all this? Quite simply, it was a way to express the growing fear of many attendees that UNCSD-17, upon its conclusion on May 15, would turn out to be nothing but a waste. This concern, expressed admirably in a frontpage article in the 14th May issue of Outreach (a daily publication at the UNCSD), was both about the production of material
and immaterial waste. Given the possibility that government delegates might not reach a conclusive agreement by the end of the two-week discussions, there could ultimately be nothing to show for UNCSD-17 but a futile exhaustion of resources (paper, power, airplane fuel) and individual capacities (time, energy). Being an action-oriented team of youth, we found this unacceptable. Thus, this mini “flower” campaign served as a platform for us to display our inclination towards proactiveness. We felt that this spontaneous campaign was especially memorable as it was a concerted effort by the youth caucus to make a statement and remind the governmental sector of their duty to make responsible choices for the good of the people and the environment. E
To follow the team’s journey... ...starting from trip planning to the actual experience at the United Nations Headquarters in New york City, visit our website at http://www. uncsdsingapore.wordpress.com. You can browse through our photographs, read our daily summaries and receive insights on the latest developments in sustainable development from around the world! 10th Issue Express!
* EXPRESS PERSPECTIVES
World Map + Participant Input Akua Nm New York, USA
Alicia Cundall Toronto, Canada
“I really hope that by the end of this week, they will come up with policies that can be implemented…that these policies are action based and that people can go out there and do things. As youths, we should influence politicians to involve us in policy making.”
“Pick an issue that bothers you in your neighbourhood or something that just bugs you and you’re not sure why. Then start learning about it. As youths, we have to acknowledge that we don’t know everything, and neither do our governments. We all just have to be ready to learn and not pretend to have all the knowledge or all the solutions.”
Julia Wong Texas, USA “I’m here at UNCSD-17 and I hope to see you here next year. I love you, Singapore!”
Kunal Doshi Virginia, USA “I am a representative of Sustain-US, currently dealing with agriculture. We hope to influence the countries and the major delegates on having policies that are beneficial for the major stakeholders.”
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Melody Mirzaagha Toronto, Canada “I’m from the Baha’i International Community, an NGO in New York. I have been working with both the Children and Youth major group as well as the Women’s major group. It is important to recognise that the emancipation of women is a prerequisite to just and sustainable development.”
Michaela Hogenboom The Netherlands “This is my first CSD and I’m really excited about the progress we’re making. As youths, we must be pro-active to get our points across. We do this mostly in the hallways and our approach has been successful in influencing government delegates and other major groups. We promote action-oriented policies which have a future perspective, because we are the future.”
Bozidar Rados Croatia “I am working with other youths. We are lobbying and changing statements and we have been very successful.”
Ivana Savic Serbia “I am a member of the major group of Children and Youth Steering Committee and my role is to coordinate advocacy activities prior to and during the UNCSD. It is really important to have pro-public participation and to recognise the potential in children and youth. Therefore I would like to make a call on governments to, as much as possible, include young people in decision making processes.”
Kevin Tan Singapore Esther Agbarakwe Nigeria “Young people from Africa need to be integrally represented here at the UNCSD. African delegations must support young people for societal development to succeed in Africa. Young people must be involved because we are the future and without us, there cannot be sustainability in Africa.”
“I had a very good time at the UNCSD. The discussions have been very interesting. By the end of the UNCSD, I would like to see at least a soft political commitment on some issues, for example, reducing trade tariffs and improving stakeholder participation. ”
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* EXPRESS FEATURE
Everyone can be a “green-caped hero”, but will that really change anything? By Ng Zhi Ying
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green-caped hero is no superhero with extraordinary capabilities. He/ She is simply someone who recognises the need for humankind to respond to rapid challenges from environmental issues, and to actively make informed choices in their everyday lives. Everyone can be a green-caped hero, but unfortunately, not everyone is a green-caped hero. It is not my intention to inculcate “tree-hugging” values into you. Relax, I am also not about to stare you down with looks full of rancour for throwing away the 1,234th paper cup this morning, after you had your daily caffeine fix. Instead, I would like to ask you to think about what happened to that harmless-looking paper cup after you had discarded it. Amidst the whirlwind passion-turnedviolent romance of Chris Brown and Rihanna, and the mêlée of Mas Selamat’s escape, youths conscious of their carbon footprints and armed with a desire to exchange informed opinions have also undertaken a few noteworthy missions: the UNCSD which focused on sustainability issues with regards to agriculture and land, the Youth Dialogue at the World
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Bank, the Earth Hour and their active participation on Earth Day showed their significant, albeit humble efforts in spreading the message across to the public, and educating them of the plethora of choices that they could make. This goes a long way to ensuring that the dangerous consequences of our consumption behaviours could be mitigated. The skeptic in you might ask, “Oh, come on, what’s the brouhaha about green movements and campaigns? They won’t change anything at all.” What’s more, the Earth Hour which encouraged individuals to switch off the lights had only reduced 0.004% of the average daily electricity consumption.
What happens after the lights are switched back on?
If you ask me, Earth Hour 2009 in Singapore was an unprecedented phenomenon. 20 government agencies, 61 educational institutions, 54 hotels, 311 corporate companies, 20 non-governmental organisations and associations and 101 buildings and monuments- even our own beloved Merlion!- joined this mass movement by switching off their lights to express our concern of climate change and its effects. Earth Hour is global; it has transcended state boundaries and illustrated an understanding of a global responsibility that we all have. It was about taking action, taking responsibility to avoid environmental degradation, amongst other global interests. What began in September 1969 as a “national environmental teach-in” - the beginning of Earth Day by Wisconsin senator Nelson - quickly spread to rouse environmental awareness among the public. This movement eventually influenced the U.S. to establish the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, followed by the passage of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act of 1972, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The spirit of Earth Day had since manifested on a global scale, and gave rise to the exponential growth of non-governmental organisations and associations that are committed to not only a nationwide, but a global demonstration of concern for the environment. In Singapore, the National Parks did its part by planting over 780 trees in 2008, and in 2009, members of the public shared their own eco tips. Have Earth Hour and Earth Day changed anything at all? Nelson’s humble effort created an awareness with positive spill-over effects, and influenced policy makers to include environmental concerns in their policies. Today, we see the proliferation of environmental campaigns and policies undertaken by governments to ensure the well-being of its citizens and nature. Earth Hour propelled thousands of Singaporeans to actively switch off their lights for energy conservation. It would be unjustified and grossly unfair to say that nothing has changed since the advent of Earth Day and Earth Hour, or of the different missions upon which the youth today have embarked. Would an environmental agency have been established if a norm such as environmental protection and sustainability had not been introduced? Would the public be aware of climate change, its effects and the actions they could take to prevent potential damage if campaigns were not present? None of these would have occurred, if not for the
awareness established by individuals who created a norm cascade that spread to further the cause of preserving our environment. A clean and pollution-free environment, not to mention a sustainable one, cannot be created only through governmental efforts. It is essentially the responsibility of citizens - us. Environmental sustainability is not a top-down goal, but a bottom-up one, where all of us must be enlightened and aware that we have a responsibility to protect the environment and its beauty, and actually do something about it. The question is: what’s next after Earth Hour and Earth Day?
Continuing efforts and informed choices are imperative. World Wide Fund Singapore had suggested various ways: buying energy efficient appliances, setting the air-conditioning to a higher temperature, taking public transport instead of driving, and the list goes on. However, campaigns can only go so far as to rouse awareness and encourage people to change their habits for positive reasons. The individuals themselves must adopt these practices and encourage others to follow. Indeed, everyone can be green-caped hero. And I am not referring to the idealistic I’m-here-to-save-the-world rhetoric. Instead, I am referring to the practical, pragmatic ways in each you could make positive changes in small ways. Being aware is a positive thing, but it is futile if we do not translate it to into concrete actions. Little conscious choices that we make can enable us to live in a more beautiful place- enjoying cleaner air and water, and watching flowers blooming gloriously in a pleasant environment. It is about believing and having courage to believe that our own informed choices can really change how we interact with our environment. Are you brave enough to put on your own green cape? E
Ya’ll have heard about the urban dictionary; a hustler keepin’ it real. What about an ECO dictionary? Here are a few terms you might want to get yourself acquainted with. Compost - recycled waste (garden and vegetable mostly) that can be used as precious soil fertiliser. NAPLs - Nonaqueous phase liquids which includes chemical solvents such as trichloroethylene or carbon tetrachloride which are often toxic. Gaia - Earth as a goddess; often used poetically or rhetorically, as a personification of Earth.
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YEE Batch: March 2007 By Samuel Lim Yong Peng
What was the most memorable lesson that you’ve learnt from the YEE course? The most memorable thing lesson I’ve learnt from the YEE course would be the importance of conveying to people how easy it is for them to make a difference to the environment. Why do you feel that way? During the training session, the trainer, Mr Robert, taught us that most people tend to be apathetic towards environmental events and catastrophes because they cannot visualise how their actions can contribute to the larger scheme of things. Thus, I learnt that our role as advocates involves breaking environmental protection down into bite-sized changes that others can make to their own lives. An example of this is promoting the “7 Easy Green Habits”, which ECO Singapore has engineered. How have you applied what you’ve learnt in your own personal life? Attending the course has given me a wealth of insights regarding how to reach out to people and how to plan environmental activities. This has been very beneficial to me in the organization of future events, such as overseeing projects during RE-Live@Atrium 2009 for the public, like the Eco Trail and the Green Mile. This skill allows me to compartmentalise things that I learn in school into smaller, neater packages for ease of recollection and organization. From learning how to divide complicated ideas into smaller packets, I am able to form associations in my schoolwork, such as through creating concept maps and organising ideas under key points. This in turn reinforces my ability to communicate with others when I speak to them as an environmental advocate, as the message comes across in a more coherent manner. 10
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How has that changed your perspective in your personal life? As someone who was drawn to environmental protection by groundbreaking phenomena such as climate change and rising sea levels, learning about how to care for the environment in more direct means has enabled me to come to terms with my personal responsibility to do my part for conservation. Hence, instead of always focusing on organising projects that spread awareness on a large scale, it has reminded me of the importance of organising small-scale projects that could better cultivate a sense of responsibility among the participants. The smaller the group, the higher the likelihood that the particpants would take it upon themselves to engage in an assigned task. What are some things that you’ve done that you would like to share? One of them is how to interact with people who are also interested in planning environmental activities, and engage them in initiating activities that can reach out to a larger body of youth. This emphasazes the importance of practising techniques pertaining to how we can engage people to participate in awareness projects, but at a personal level. For example, in the second half of 2009 a few of my school friends are thinking of mentoring small groups of secondary school students in executing projects to meet the needs of their schools. We will then develop short-term projects in which where they take ownership of the environmental scene in their schools. What made you join NEA YEE? My Secondary 3 teacher told me that it would be a great opportunity to raise my awareness of environmental issues and develop project planning skills. As I was interested in working on school-based projects to increase the level of awareness about climate change, I joined the YEE programme to find out more about how I could make my project better.
Could you share with us some highlights of your involvement in environmental work since the YEE course? I would not say that there are highlights to my environmental involvements, as every step of the journey has been equally meaningful and enlightening in its own way. However I feel that helping to organise RE-Live@Atrium was definitely a major milestone. I was part of a team of students from various tertiary institutions under the supervision of ECO Singapore and NTU leaders. There, I had the opportunity to know more individuals who were similarly passionate in organising environmental awareness events. It was extremely enriching because the event began with bold objectives of reaching out to youth within a two-week awareness event at Plaza Singapura. It stretched us in mustering effort to contact partners to support the event and brainstorm strategies to publicise our road shows. The most inspiring ideas were coming up with methods of pledging that were easy to grasp. An example was the palming our handprints on a canvas and writing messages, an idea that developed from our committee members’ intensive brainstorming and was well received by the public. We had over 500 pledges towards the “7 Easy Green Habits”, which was very encouraging to us as we did not expect the public to be so forthcoming with their contact details. Another memorable highlight was the opportunity to attend the Bayer Young Environmental Envoys Study Trip in Leverkusen. I had worked on a research project on waste management and this trip let me gain a better understanding of the advanced degree of technology involved in municipal waste management techniques in larger cities. In addition, the study trip also allowed me to receive valuable feedback on the LOWaste Indicator, a questionnaire that I had been working on pertaining to individual waste generation. From the feedback, I was able to develop a more holistic set of questions as indicators of the extent to which individuals generated waste in the community, and how they could remedy the situation. This was made possible by the diversity of international perspectives with different waste disposal and generation habits that I learnt about during the study trip. E
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Earth Hour Singapore 2009 By Julie Davis
I first arrived in Singapore just before Christmas and one of my first impressions was of the sparkling light displays and the urban hustle and bustle. On Christmas Eve, a jam-packed Orchard Road was lined with glowing Christmas decorations and brightly lit shopping malls where people searched for last minute bargains. The atmosphere was intoxicating. An evening stroll on Saturday, 28 Mar 09, felt strangely different as I wandered through the War Memorial down to Esplanade Park. The iconic, durian-shaped concert hall buildings were dimly lit and people were having picnics huddled around candles along the riverside. As I looked towards Singapore’s CBD district, the skyline also appeared rather dark and gloomy. What was this all about? Singapore was celebrating Earth Hour. Earth Hour, conceived by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, is a global event that asks households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lighting and other electric appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take
action on climate change. The official 2009 celebrations in Singapore were held at the Botanical Gardens and Esplanade Park, where people were able to witness the “switch off” moment of the CBD and Marina Bay Area. At the Botanical Gardens, Tony Boatman, Singapore-based Director of The Climate Project, who was trained personally by Al Gore, delivered a multimedia presentation based on “An Inconvenient Truth” (Al Gore, 2007). The presentation provided basic information about climate change and its current and future impacts on our planet. He also shared practical solutions that everyone can adopt to reduce our impact on the environment. Concurrently, a Green Carnival was unfolding at the Esplanade Park. A variety of schools, companies and NGO’s provided environmental information to help people understand the challenges of climate change and how conservation, energy efficiency and new technologies can assist the prevention of this major environmental challenge. Among those performing were a number of local groups including Lila Drums Djembe Project, the Down Syndrome Association and Miss Earth Singapore.
In the evening, families and friends of Singapore congregated at Esplanade Park to picnic by candlelight and enjoy a free outdoor concert hosted by 90.5 FM whilst witnessing the “switching off” moment of some of Singapore’s major tourism icons, government agencies, education institutions, hotels and companies. I was among the crowds of people at Esplanade Park where the atmosphere was truly awe-inspiring. During this moment, people voted for Earth, making a pledge in finding solutions to combat global warming. Over the past few months I have been volunteering with ECO Singapore. Although environmental awareness among Singaporeans is growing, its promotion remains an enormous challenge. Singapore has come a long way to line its streets with trees and promote a safe clean environment for all to share, however more education and commitment is required to confront challenges such as reducing waste and improving energy efficiencies. I hope that Earth Hour resonates with the people of Singapore everyday so that we can embrace new technologies and change our behaviour on our quest to reduce our impact on our planet. E 10th Issue Express!
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Shanghai skyline, photo courtesy SHI Xunfeng
CALENDAR DAR * EXPRESS GREEN CALEN
Man & the Environment By Moses Lim
Earth Hour, a relatively new global event, took plac e not long ago in countries all around the world, including Singapore. Raffles Press Writer Moses Lim finds out more about the event, and commen ts on how we should start playing a part in saving the environment.
Introduction unbearable. It is even more so presently, In a tropical, humid country like Singapore, life without air-conditioning is almost This year, in Washington, cherry blossom as we begin to feel, see and witness the effects of global warming on the climate. bad news for environmentalists. industry, tourism the for news Good spring. trees started blooming flowers early before reason for this is, of course again, Global major one and ble, unpredicta rather grown has weather our that feel I , In Singapore a sudden change in weather? Perhaps we simWarming. How many times were we playing sports out in the field when there was that we are not affected by climate change. deny longer no can we again, then but in, sets factor fun the when it ply do not realise our environment from further damage. protect to something do The time has come where Youth, like you and me, should
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G R E E N CA L E NDAR EXPRESS
The time has come when we should start tweaking our privileged, promiscuous lifestyles for the sake of the environment. The time has come when we should start being aware of what’s going on around us, and not wallow in self-pity as we discover the limited amount of resources left. Needless to
say, the list of negative human impacts on the environment is perpetually long. The time has come for Change. Why it Matters to You As the world begins to face the harsh reality of Climate Change, grandiose plans to avert dire consequences have remained largely on paper. One cannot help but question, why do individuals find it so hard to do something positive for the environment, such as performing small “green” deeds. The subject of climate change, to many, is hardly of pressing interest, especially in current times where economic woes dominate the global agenda and job security triumphs over all other individual concerns. To cut production costs, many firms have resorted to reducing their workforce, and many are struggling to put food on the table. Environmental issues are likely to play only second fiddle to their careers and lives. Well, at least for now. Nevertheless, some are perhaps not adversely affected by the economic crisis: Youth. Young people are often granted wider parameters of freedom and independence compared to children, and at the same time, free from the financial burdens of adults. With their material and physical needs covered, young people seemed to have few incentives to be engaged in issues that hardly affect them. They might also believe that their opinions command little weight and influence due to their lack of experience and maturity. Yet, in terms of economic power, the
youth possess considerable purchasing power and are so often targeted by corporations as their main source of income. When organised properly, young people can exercise their influence over products that do not meet proper standards of production, including products that harm the environment. More and more youth can now acquire knowledge of a product’s “eco-friendliness” through Internet search engines, or by looking out for “green” logos and labels endorsed by reputable organisations. Therefore, youth nowadays are no longer ignorant and unaware. Most of them are now beginning to take action, even through the smallest means, and play a part in protecting the environment. Many young people in the Green or Earth Clubs of their primary, secondary schools and tertiary institutions are willingly volunteering to spread the message of going green among their peers. They have introduced recyclable bins in their campuses, initiated various campaign sprees, worked in tandem with external organisations and participated in green community projects. Among their enthusiastic efforts, one of the more prominent examples is seeking peer support for a recent global initiative, Earth Hour, where they pledged to switch off their household lights for an hour on a particular day. More and more youth can now acquire knowledge of a product’s “ecofriendliness” through Internet search engines, or by looking out for “green” logos and labels endorsed by reputable organisations. Therefore, youth nowadays are no longer ignorant and unaware. Most of them are now beginning to take action, even through the smallest means, and play a part in protecting the environment. Many young people in the Green or Earth Clubs of their primary, secondary schools and tertiary institutions are willingly volunteering to spread the message of going green among their peers. They have introduced recyclable bins in their campuses, initiated various campaign sprees, worked in tandem with external organisations and participated in green community projects. Among their enthusiastic efforts, one of the more prominent examples is seeking peer support for a recent global initiative, Earth Hour, where they pledged to switch
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off their household lights for an hour on a particular day. How Earth Hour showed us the Light Earth Hour originated in Australia, Sydney in the year of 2008. This year, Singapore is officially taking part with many other countries, pledging to switch off their lights for one hour. Participating countries have agreed to turn off their façade lights and dim their interior lights, especially at famous landmarks such as Egypt’s Great Pyramids and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. In Singapore, the lights of the Merlion and buildings in the Central Business District were switched off promptly at 8.30pm, leaving behind rare darkness seldom seen and experienced. Back at home and at work, more than 10,000 individuals and 450 companies pledged their support for this inaugural event. Despite falling short of the 1 million mark, it is still a good start to cutting down electricity consumption by Singaporeans. However, Earth Hour had its fair share of critics and skeptics. Many claimed it sent the wrong message to countries - that turning off the lights for one hour is enough to reduce the perils of global warming. What happens after Earth Hour 2009? Turn the lights back on and wait for Earth Hour 2010? To be fair, a sustained, long term solution is needed. Saving the planet is about taking sustained actions all year round. Will you make the effort? Ultimately, it boils down to the question of “what should we do?” We have often found ourselves confronted with the issue of responsibility, and so often we have ignored and shelved such notions of green schemes. As an individual, playing one’s role in saving Mother Earth is not difficult. The most common and basic of such means is the 3Rs - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Individuals constitute society, and mass and sustained participation is key to ensuring success for environmentally friendly schemes. Be it saving water, recycling paper and reusing plastic bags, the core responsibility for environmental conservation often sits on the shoulders of individuals. Environmental conservation must become the top priority of our agenda. We do not have much time left, but we still have time to step up efforts on educating the younger generation and saving the environment. Let us achieve this on the global scale with united actions, and let us live up to Al Gore’s words that “together we can resolve the climate crisis”. E 10th Issue Express!
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EXPRESS! On Earth
EXPRESS! goes virtual with our new online web portal, www.myecoexpress.com. This additional platform will allow us to present the most up-to-date environment news, events and lifestyle features to our readers, you! As part of the launch for the website, the team initiated the “My Eco Green Tips” campaign to celebrate the growth of our magazine. We wanted to highlight how that having many people committed to their exercising small green habits can lead to significant positive change in our environment. The campaign was our way of commemorating Earth Day, 22 April 2009, a day dedicated to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment amongst all.
My ECO Green Tips with Jurlique
Our campaign kick-started at Tangs Orchard in partnership with Jurlique for their “Every Day is Earth Day” programme. Jurlique is a biodynamic beauty company that sources ingredients from their own self-sustaining biodynamic farm in South Australia. Our group of enthusiastic volunteers encouraged the Orchard shopping crowd to participate by writing a green habit which they adopt on the small chalk boards provided. Our volunteers then Let’s take a leaf into the series of activities: snapped a picture of the participants with their green tips. All pictures taken were showcased at the Jurlique booth. Participants were also given the print edition of our previous issue and samples kindly sponsored by Jurlique. The response for our 3-day activity received was overwhelming, with close to 200 green tips collected. The pictures taken were also uploaded onto our website. So do check out the website to learn more about the green tips which were shared or take a look at the pictures of yourself if you were involved! The campaign saw the buzzling weekend crowd taking a short pause from the shopping mission along the busy streets to reflect on their green quotient. And more often or not, participants realised that they have already been conserving the environment with simple actions of flicking that lamp switch off when they leave the room or dialing up the air conditioning thermostat. Many families participated in our activity as well, which comfortingly shows that it is never too young or too old to adopt and share a green habit. The tourist hot-spot also gave us plenty of opportunities to engage our international visitors who gladly came forward to pledge their green habit. For those interested in the most popular green habit, it is “Save water”. We guess everyone is anticipating a cold shower to relieve them for the sweltering afternoon heat... And our participants will not be leaving the shower on all the time. E
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Yourself Day MY ECO Green Tips with Starbucks Have your caffeine-deprived eyes caught a glimpse of our mini campaign posters at the pick-up counter of your favourite usual Starbucks outlet? The mini posters have been greeting you as you anticipate the pleasurable jolt of your favourite cuppa during the week of Earth Day. It was a shout out to the rushing grab-a-drink-and-go urbanites that you can share and pledge your green habit after the caffeine sets in and work is done. The mini posters also serves a good boost of information on our magazine’s website that can complement your drink. E
A note from our President: Wilson Ang, President of ECO Singapore comments, “EXPRESS! intends to not only be a means to let inform the readers know how they can make a change in their daily lifestyle by using the power to vote with their dollars and time, it is also an engaging tool for the public to express themselves on issues that affects the planet that we live in.”
You have read about it, now be part of it! Grab your mobile phone camera and take a picture of yourself and your green tip and email it to us at editor@eco-singapore.org. Remember to REUSE by writing on the plain side of a used piece of paper. Spot yourself on our website when it has been uploaded! Visit the ECO EXPRESS! online publication website at http://www.myecoexpress.com and sign up with us to be updated!
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* EXPRESS GREEN CALENDAR
Fun Facts. Did you know that: plastics take 500 years aluminum cans take 500 years organic materials take 6 months cotton, rags, and paper take 6 months
to decompose? 16
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G R E E N CA L E NDAR EXPRESS
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By Ashley Tan
Triumph: Ecochic Lingerie During Earth Day 2009, EXPRESS! took a closer look at something close to the hearts of half of our readers (literally) – eco-friendly lingerie. For the uninitiated, lingerie can be “green”! Indeed, that is what Triumph International is telling us with the launch of its new “ecochic” lingerie collection.
Who is Triumph?
How GREEN was the event?
Triumph International has a global reputation in lingerie fashion. It constantly strives for trendsetting designs and product line-up. It is the only European brand that produces intimate apparel specifically designed and tailored for Asian women, building on its 100 years of expertise in the design and manufacture of the perfect lingerie.
A “green event” can be thought of as one that does not harm the environment by practicing environment friendly techniques and reducing carbon emissions. At the launch of the “eco-chic” lingerie range, Triumph International took the additional step by not installing any air–conditioners for the event. Instead, electric fans were used. Research in Japan showed that using air-conditioners
What had happen? At the launch of the new “ecochic” lingerie, Triumph International requested all staff and invited guests to pledge to one of the seven eco-friendly tips:
Switch off electricity from the mains
1 Drink water from the tap
3 Bring your own bags to the grocery stores
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2
Use electric fan instead of air – con
Use natural products to clean your home
for two hours a day every day would produce 62kg of carbon in a year. That’s enough to damage the ozone layer already! Also, the plants that were used as part of the decoration helped to reduce carbon dioxide and cool the surrounding air. Even the guest invitations were all sent electronically to reduce the use of paper. E
Do full loads of laundry and set the rinse to ‘cold’
6 Turn off the tap when not in use
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A picture was taken as testimony of the commitment of Triumph staff and guests to do their part for the Earth in sustaining our resources.
So, pledge to carry out the seven tips above, and consider eco-friendly clothing as one way to start your own journey in making a positive change to the world! 10th Issue Express!
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L I F E S T Y L E EXPRESS
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credit to cmbellman
Credit to Mind, Body and Soul
Profiling By Ng Zhi Ying
Anita Kapoor a natural mixture of beauty: Combine a halfcup of whim, 2 teaspoons of vivacious charm and 3 tablespoons of unabashed courage to be unconventional in one’s love for natural beauty. Add ¾ cup of daring guts and stir until the mixture is set. That is how you could potentially deconstruct Anita Kapoor, a truly natural mixture of beauty!
Anita’s love for nature’s beauty has become ubiquitous in the works that she pursues. An established television host and a fashion expert, Anita graced the screen in Bare Beauty. Bare Beauty is a 6-episodes beauty and lifestyle programme that explores the ancient art of Asian beauty secrets. The programme interweaves a modern perspective that elegantly brings to light the epitome of fresh beauty. Along with her on-screen projects, Anita maintains regular editorial bylines in luxury lifestyle magazines like SC and Luxe Asia. A compelling fashion writer who is unafraid to challenge norms, Anita’s discourses are
critical of the high-end fashion pieces from designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Kenzo. Her writing style (www.gallivantingglamgal.blogspot.com) presents to us the many vagaries of life in a stylish, almost tastefully crude, manner. Nature’s beauty secrets are vividly featured in Anita’s works. For Anita, there is almost nothing artificial about beauty; beauty is natural and holistic. Her appreciation for earth’s splendour is palpable, as Anita shares with us her thoughts and opinions on living a green lifestyle in an exclusive interview. E 10th Issue Express!
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* EXPRESS LIFESTYLE
By Brittany Khoo
What is it about Jurlique that interests you? I’ve been a fan of Jurlique for ages - I discovered their products while on a luxury train journey several years ago in Australia. I’ve come across hundreds of products as a former beauty editor, and even now as a television host and Jurlique is different in that their philosophy, commitment to bio dynamics and their products are equally aligned and in practice. In short: they walk the talk. Please share with us what you did to celebrate Earth Day. I sat in silence, with the lights off, to contemplate and treasure that moment. But I also think it really just isn’t about “one” day. Respecting and celebrating the earth should be an automatic everyday thing. You’re very involved in advocating a green lifestyle. Do you think that youths in Singapore share your passion, and why/ why not? I think we tend to underestimate the youth of Singapore as often being spoilt, wasteful brats. Sure, there are those, but at the same time I’ve met some remarkable young people who are enlightened and action oriented, and who don’t take the pretty island on which we live for granted, or the world. I think that youth should not be preached to. They respond to being taught succinctly, and being allowed to have the physical experience for themselves. There is no better teacher than a combination of smart theory and practice. 20
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Credit to Mind, Body and Soul
Interview with
How do you think people can incorporate green elements in their lifestyles? Since I was a child, it was drummed into me to pick up after myself, to not waste, to think of the world at large, and to contemplate my actions. It now comes naturally to me, and I have my parents and grandmother to thank for this. What am I trying to say? In order to do things, there needs to be a strong level of involvement and guidance, and this starts at home. If parents consume voraciously, the kids are going to do exactly the same thing. If parents are careless about the environment, so will their kids be, regardless of what is taught in school. If you have no where to practice what you are learning, it can be hard, and as an adult it gets harder since you’ve likely forgotten, life gets too busy, or perhaps you even no longer care. The thing is, incorporating “green” practices can be a great challenge if you don’t start with knowledge of the earth, respect for it’s greatness, and are somehow moved into action. I’d say the most important thing, is wanting to educate - yourself. The rest will then come easily. Do you have any final words of guidance for today’s youth in their pursuit of a greener lifestyle? Read. Listen. Understand. Respect. Be active. Have your own thoughts. Let your conscience be your guide. We’re all children of the earth and I believe we are all connected through the earth, therefore, the call to take care of it and protect it, is something that lives within us. We just need to locate it and unlock it. E
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Hell Hath No Fury like Mother Nature Scorned By Chong Zishen
It is easy to dismiss such on-screen catastrophes as, well, just on-screen catastrophes, with little or no vestige of realism in them. Movie producers, after all, are after our money, and knowing our predilection for visual and audio razzmatazz, the more destructive and larger-than-life the natural disasters are, the better. So when someone suggests that we might have multiple tornadoes running amok simultaneously a là Twister (1996), we would scoff and laugh at the person’s naivété, but – upon further research – at our own risk. It turns out that disaster movies, like the aforementioned Twister, have their roots (some of them at least) in reality. Tornado outbreaks, like those depicted in Twister, are actually quite commonplace in North America. Asia, too, is not spared from the ire of tornadoes with Vietnam having experienced a tornado outbreak as recent as 2000, killing 1 and injuring 77 others. Dante’s Peak (1997), a movie about the plight of a small town perched
on an active volcano, also bears much resemblance to reallife occurences. The real main star of the movie – the eponymous volcano, and its subsequent eruption, were portrayed in graphic details, but at no expense to scientific accuracy. What about The Day After Tomorrow (2004), in which global warming causes the half the world to freeze into wintry ice? Surely humanity is not doomed to such a morbid fate? Thankfully this refrigerating of our northern hemisphere is but part of a scriptwriter’s vivid imagination, and we should not, in any case, expect to go sledding in Kuwait anytime soon. A more likely corollary of global warming would be the melting of our polar caps and hence increased water levels, which was ominously captured in the 1995 10th Issue Express!
credit to xiaoshiyan
Roguish tidal waves, inclement blizzards – these are just some of the natural catastrophes movies like to depict as we see an increase in people’s desire to see – and be awestruck – by Gaia’s cranky side. But are these movies unfairly sullying Mother Nature’s reputation? Nothing makes greater popcorn entertainment than a disaster flick showing a cantankerous and contemptuous Mother Nature. Call it a case of schadenfreude, or just a perverse penchant for destruction if you wish, but there is no denying that disaster movies are a whole lot of fun to watch. From the globally-scaled (think The Day After Tomorrow and its maniacal destruction) to the more localised (Poseidon and its 150-foot tall freak wave), natural disasters have never looked more insidious. But as you gleefully witness all this destruction unravel before you, have you ever wondered whether such calamities would actually occur in real life?
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What these movies truly have in common is that, by tweaking certain scientific truths, they all portray nature as a potent destructive force, wrecking havoc on humanity with callous indifference......
Top 6 movies to watch on Earth Day, in no order of merit:
Human Footprint. An inconvenient truth. Blind Spot. Free Willy. March of the Penguins. 22
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flop Waterworld. The movie went a wee bit overboard, depicting a world totally submerged in water, and even introducing a new breed of humans – fishmen - who sport gills and webbed hands. Nevertheless, the point remains that all disaster movies, like most movies, mix fact with fiction in varying degrees. Dante’s Peak, for all its veracious storytelling, was also guilty of misrepresenting certain scientific details. The titular volcano, supposedly a Cascade volcano, was portrayed in the movie to expel runny,
fluid lava. However, the lava that erupts from a Cascade volcano, in actual fact, should be viscous and slow-moving – but that would make the lava a whole lot more innocuous, and the movie wouldn’t be as exciting now would it? What these movies truly have in common is that, by tweaking certain scientific truths, they all portray nature as a potent destructive force, wrecking havoc on humanity with callous indifference. But why this unflattering portrayal? For one, showing the overwhelming devastation
meted out by nature can attract viewers who are keen on the special visual and audio effects. Another reason could be how people are growing increasingly fascinated with nature and its inimical side. With environmental concerns such as global warming coming to the forefront in recent years, coupled with frequent occurrences of natural disasters around the globe - from Hurricane Katrina, Cyclone Nargis to the Sichuan earthquake - people are becoming more interested in nature’s destructiveness and such disaster movies pander to this indulgence. It is extremely erroneous to consistently cast such a bad – and often inaccurate - light on nature. This also extends to anthropomorphisms such as Mother Nature and Gaia, which paradoxically appear to connote a warm, loving quality. Sadly, production companies, with their profit-driven motives, simply produce movies that make them money
and are totally unconcerned with the way they portray nature. If there were a wave of change tilting people’s preferences for movies that portray nature favourably, production companies would respond by churning out nature-friendly movies. Alas, that would be an improbably scenario as people’s preferences, in this case, are unlikely to change. A disaster flick simply offers much more excitement and drama and if one wanted to watch a celebration of nature, Discovery Channel would suffice. So, it seems that disaster movies, and its hyperbolic depiction of a baleful nature, are here to stay. Now, the best we can hope for is that such movies practise more common sense, and not have more far-fetched plots than they already do. Half the globe frozen into ice is, though barely, still believable. But really, fish-men? E
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Hitachi moves towards a greener future By Brian Phe
As part of Hitachi’s Environment Vision 2025 to promote environmental conservation for a sustainable environment, Hitachi has collaborated with Marsiling Secondary School to launch the Hitachi Environment Education Fund (HEEF). With the aim of promoting environmental responsibility among Singaporean youths, the HEEF seeks to nurture students through a combination of awards, teacher training, curriculum development and new environment education programmes. At its launch, Hitachi’s keynote speakers Mr Takashi Hatchoji, Chief Environment Strategy Officer of Hitachi Ltd and Professor Daniel C. Esty, Director of the Centre for Business and the Environment at Yale University, also seized the
opportunity to highlight the importance for organisations to contribute towards a greener future. According to Professor Esty, “We are seeing a more conscious consumer market that is careful with what and how much they buy.” Thus, it is increasingly more important for organisations to step up their initiatives to become more environmentally friendly. “Without a good and functional environment, business does not survive,” said Mr Takashi. With these factors in mind, Hitachi recognises the need for environmental measures in business integration and believes that coverage is needed for the activities and responsibilities that will drive environmental and economic success. E
Fun facts about H20.
Water is the ONLY substance found naturally on Earth in three forms: liquid, gas and solid. Frozen water is 9% lighter than its liquid form and hence, ice floats on water.
The three largest water uses are for: agriculture (67%), industry (19%) and municipal/residential (9%).
The rivers in Asia are the most polluted in the world, containing three times as many human waste bacteria than the global average, and 20 times more lead than rivers in industrialised countries.
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Greening the future: The URA’s draft master plan 2008
By Kenneth Goh
Jogging around the island, watching motor cars zooming past you in Changi, working in the new Marina Bay financial district... These are just the icing on the cake of the plethora of lifestyle options that Singaporeans can look forward to when the highlyanticipated Urban Development Authority (URA )’s draft Master Plan materialises over the next 10 to 15 years. What is this Master Plan all about? Once every decades, the URA rolls out a “Concept Plan” (the last one was in 1998), which covers the general urban outlook of developments involving a wider spectrum of land needs, spanning the next 40 to 50 years. Under this broad umbrella, comes a more filtered-down plan – the “Master Plan”. Updated once every 5 years, this forward-thinking blue-print holds the key to Singapore’s urban land usability, detailing the specifics of the urban landscape transformation. It accounts for the key aspects of Singapore’s needs – economic, social, environmental and infrastructural, in order to sustain economic growth and enhance the lives of future generations of Singaporeans. Indeed, this is closest we will ever get to a glimpse of Singapore in 2024. To view the complete version of the 2008 Draft Master Plan online, visit www.ura.gov.sg/MP2008/home.htm Embedded: The “Sustainability” Chip Given Singapore’s limited natural resources and coupled with growing human needs, it comes as little surprise that sustainability is one of the pillars of planning to maximise the use of our land space. As Singapore’s population continues to balloon (it is projected to hit 6.5 million in 2010), the demand for homes, offices and amenities will inevitably mushroom, increasing constraints on our surroundings and resources. However, Singapore also 24
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has to deal with the real and imminent threat of global warming. The signs of global warming that loomed for this little red dot include temperatures soaring to a record high last year, and shift in the torrential rainy season during the “traditionally” dry months from May to July. See, you have been warned that Singapore is not spared from the effects of upsetting Mother Nature. This is where the Master Plan adopts the prudent-meets-pragmatic approach to meet increasing land demands while curbing the environmental side-effects. The Green aspects of the Master Plan One of the cornerstones of the 2008 Master Plan is to develop new growth areas, outside the traditional, centrallylocated city regions. Sprouting across our island are various sub-urban locations hand-picked as “regional centres”, “subregional centres” and “fringe centres”. Joining Woodlands and Tampines regional centres is the Jurong Lake District (also known as Jurong Gateway), which is the gem of this year’s Master plan. By 2015, this western part of Singapore will be the biggest outside-city urban commercial hub, abuzz with office, retail, residential, hotel and the entertainment spaces. Why is there the need to disperse the “highlypopulated” hub? This move comes in a bid to ease mounting traffic congestion (after increasing the number of ERP gantries) in and out of the Central Business District. Statistics from the National Environment Agency state that Singapore has a vehicular population of about 780,000 motor vehicles, including about 141,500 motorcycles
in 2008. This excludes the 30,000 Malaysian-registered vehicles that ply our roads everyday. Of the 38,620 kilotons of carbon dioxide produced in Singapore in 2004, 17% (or 6,758 kt) came from vehicle exhaust emission, The amount of absolute carbon dioxide emissions continued to climb to 39,905 kt in 2008. By dispersing the commercial hubs and placing them in closer proximity to the heartlands, it will slash city-bound traffic volume as well as the much-dreaded peak hour congestion. Emissions from vehicles will also be reduced. Other up coming areas include the Novena fringe centre (the new hub for private medical treatment), the Paya Lebar Central commercial hub, and One-North (Research and Development hub). It is by no coincidence that these areas, newly bestowed with their unique hub status, are well-served by an extensive network of transport systems – MRT and bus networks. They are all painstakingly thought out and incorporated in the Master Plan. Most of these areas are equipped with the integral “Interchange” MRT stations on the railway map, which are strategically connected to the various train lines snaking throughout the island. Thus, this such developed transport networks provide convenience to passengers and facilitate greater movement of people (to and from the city). This will, in turn, encourage people to use public transport – bues, MRT, LRT which is a much more environmentally-friendly way of getting around Singapore. With key concentra-
N E W S & E V E N T S EXPRESS
tions of commercial activities a stone’s throw away from public transportation hubs, people will hopefully turn to them instead of spewing petrol on the roads. The URA is also trying to squeeze in pockets of greenery within the highdensity urban environment in the city. This comes in the form of park connectors, parks and the Green Mark certified “green” buildings. Being green has also been elevated to “higher grounds” – literally, with as in roof-top and roof gardens. With plants in high places, this has proven to lessen the effect of “urban heat island effect” – an urban phenomenon in which the heat from the sun is absorbed by large areas of concrete building surfaces and heat is trapped among the buildings. Letting your hair down: The Leisure Plan “Boring” and “Singapore” would not possibly come in the same sentence with the cornucopia of recreational activities as promised in the URA’s new Leisure Plan. By engaging in outdoor activities that do not consume much resources, people can also withdraw (temporarily) from the reaches of technology and the energy that powers. Under this Leisure Plan, Singaporeans can go farm-hopping at the Lim Chu Kang/Kranji area or visit Chek Jawa easily accessibly or jog from coast-to-coast in the first-ever round-island route, linked by park connectors, pathways, coastal promenades and trails. This reflects as a result, there is a conscious effort to conserve and enhance the lush greenery and nature places of Singapore, in the form of parks and costal areas, and use them as spaces for recreational possibilities. Under the Leisure Plan, the amount of park space looks set to be increased from 3,330 ha today to
4,200 ha (that’s equivalent to about 15 Bishan Parks). Linking these parks seamlessly are park connectors, which are path linkages and roads, dotting across various towns. By 2024, the existing length of the park connector network will be tripled from 100km to 360km progressively. Nature areas do not just stop at parks – reservoirs, wetlands and farms will also be preserved in their natural charm. Nestled in the north-western “countryside”) corner of Singapore, the Kranji/Lim Chu Kang nature belt exudes idyllic tranquility, with farms, reservoirs and the famed Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve. Plans are slated to turn this area enhanced into an “agri-tainment” hub, complete with farm stays, spas and farming activities, cater to the public and well-served by connectors. By making this area accessible, this brings “green” lifestyle options closer to Singaporeans. The range of organic agricultural farms – vegetables, mushrooms, fish – also heightens awareness in environmentally-friendly causes, such as supporting pesticide-free produce. A trip there can include shopping for organic groceries or fresh farm produce or getting their hands dirty with hands-on farming activities. In additional, 21 ha of new “park land” around that region will be set aside as ecological “green buffers”. Greening the future Changing the City’s Skyline Judging from the outlook of the 2008 Master Plan, the future of Singapore looks promising. The line-up of urban transformations – from leisure to residential to business is spell-boundingly exciting. However, beneath the glitter and glam of the plan, lies the intrinsic idea of “environmentally sustainability”, to see Singapore through the next half-a-century of development. The Master plan throws in an abundance of initiatives to conserve and “save” these natural reserves and much of the flora and fauna. However, it does not stop there. It gives birth to a rich buf-
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fet of recreational options has also been created – from kayaking in Jurong Lake to jogging for 150km around Singapore to strolling along the Southern Ridges. The urban planning of the major towns in these regions has to be backed by the public transport network. Hopefully, with this well thought-out idea in place, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the vehicles will be slashed. The URA also points out that the direction of the Master Plan will gel nicely with the rising trend of “green buildings” – which incorporates “environmentallyfriendly” building features. In Singapore, there is the Green Mark Scheme, awarded by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), which promotes sustainability in the built environment and raise environmental awareness in the construction of buildings. The buildings are evaluated based on its energy and water efficiencies, site development, Good Indoor Environmental Quality and innovation. Up-and-coming new “green buildings” to look out for include Khoo Teck Huat Hospital in Yishun and the new HQ of the People’s Association. It is heartening to see the well-being of our environment is being considered as part of the Master Plan. After all, without its well-being ensured, there would not be possibility of development of any other sort. What you can do NOW! Get a glimpse of Singapore in 2025 at the exhibition Visit the permanent complete Master Plan exhibition at the URA City Centre at Maxwell Road. Look out for the only 3-D model of the entire island of Singapore and exhibits of certain highlighted regions, filled with life-like building models and eye-popping details. Showing: Mondays to Saturdays – 9am to 5pm URA Roving Exhibition 2009 The URA will bring the Master Plan exhibition closer to the heartlands, with separate exhibitions for different areas in the Central, North, East and West. Each is customised to the future plans and current things to do in the respective regions. Learn and explore more. Starts: 16-19 May 2009 at Marina Square, before it gets filtered down to the heartlands like HDB Hub, Causeway Point (13-16 August) and Parkway Parade (17- 30 August). E 10th Issue Express!
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RE-Live 2009 By Ng Zhi Ying Rethinking the way you live packed much energy, provided much food for thought, and its resounding success proved that Singaporean youth’s efforts to raise awareness about sustainable living did not go to waste. Their zest for engaging the public was not watered down despite spending their sultry afternoons under the sweltering hot sun - shelter was indeed a luxury. Their appreciation for biodiversity was evident when they spoke with such enthusiasm and concern for the species living together with us. RE-Live 2009 informed the public about the six pertinent themes that are crucial in sustainable living: energy, food, waste, water, shelter and biodiversity. Here are the pictures of some of the ECO Green tips that the members of the public have kindly shared with us. E
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N E W S & E V E N T S EXPRESS
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We have always been told about the serious environmental impacts of global warming and are constantly reminded of the drastic effects of our irresponsible actions.
How about a little humour? Here are two funny environmental quotes: “Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.” - Dave Barry. “There’s so much pollution in the air now that if it weren’t for our lungs there’d be no place to put it all.” - Robert Orben
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All About The Environment Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore), or ECO Singapore, is a not-for-profit social enterprise. ECO Singapore aims to establish a voluntary environmental movement, thereby creating opportunities for active involvement by Singaporean youths, instilling a sense of commitment and awareness of environmental issues and global hazards.
Why advertise with us? EXPRESS! is targeted at youths aged 17 to 24 years. Each issue is distributed to our corporate partners and educational institutions such as secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics, ITEs and universities to be used for both leisure and educational purposes. Your advertisement will be viewed by up to 4,000 in print and 10,000 virtually via the ECO website per issue. The 1,000 copies of our first issue to print has been circulated islandwide. EXPRESS! hopes to grow in our circulation and readership volume in future. Size
Placement
Width (mm)
Length (mm)
Single Issue Price (SGD)
4 Issues Package Rate (SGD)
8 Issues Package Rate (SGD)
1/4 Page (A6)
ROP
105
148
S$500
S$1,900 (Save S$100)
S$3,800 (Save S$200)
1/2 Page (A5)
ROP
148
210
S$800
S$3,000 (Save S$200)
S$6,000 (Save S$400)
Full Page (A4)
ROP
210
297
S$1,000
S$3,600 (Save S$400)
S$7,200 (Save S$800)
Full Page (A4)
Inside Back Cover
210
297
S$1,600
S$5,900 (Save S$500)
S$11,800 (Save S$1,000)
Full Page (A4)
Back Cover
210
297
S$2,500
S$9,400 (Save S$600)
S$18,800 (Save S$1,200)
General Advertising Infomation Payment Terms: Advertisers must prepay at least 2 week before print.
Completed advertisements must be submitted in PDF format, with all images and fonts embedded.
Magazine printing and material description: • A4-sized • 24-paged excluding advertisements • soft cover • full colour • on recycled paper
We do provide advertisement design services too! Please contact us for our advertising rates.
* ROP (Rest of Publication) excludes cover, back, inside back cover. EXPRESS! reserves the right to decide on the placement of advertisements for ROP.
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Express! 10th Issue
Contact us today to be in our next issue! Details Mailing Address: ECO Sphere, 87 Beach Road, Chye Sing Building, #06-01, Singapore 189695
Advertising Issue Deadlines Space closing & confirmation of advertisement for the 10th issue: 1 April 2009
Phone: +65 6333 5543 Fax: +65 6333 5537 Email: editor@eco-singapore.org
Advertisement materials & print release dates will be provided upon request for all interested advertisers.
Website: www.eco-singapore.org www.myecoexpress.com
EXPRESS! is ECO Singapore’s official free quarterly magazine focused on environmental issues from a youth perspective for the youth. It was launched by a team of volunteers in 2005 and remains as one of the leading youth-oriented environmental magazines in Singapore. The EXPRESS! family believes that we can do much more by sharing our opinions and hopes on environmental issues with other youths.