Earth Day is upon us. But, if
anything, it serves as a reminder that we
in Singapore are not green enough. Why is that and what can we do
about it? By Baey Shi Chen, Theresa
Tarpey and Ramesh William
The World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF), organizers of last month’s Earth Hour, hailed Singapore’s
efforts during the one-hour of globally orchestrated darkness, as a
“tremendous” success. Millions round the world, along with
thousands here, flipped off their light switches and electrical
appliances in a largely symbolic gesture to raise awareness for
climate change. As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22, we have to
ask whether this so-called success will translate to a more
sustained green effort in Singapore, or is it a flash in a
pan?
Green on
Green
According to social entrepreneur Jay Chong, who runs Greenpeas
(www.greenpeas.com.sg), which makes organic clothes,
furniture and household items, Singaporeans aren’t interested
enough about being green and climate change. “Most think that
recycling is the be all and end all of going green,” she says.
“There is a distinct lack of awareness when it comes to issues
surrounding the environment, nature and green issues.
“So, yes while there are lots of initiatives that support
the green movement, we can’t become greener unless and until
citizens themselves take ownership of the situation and begin to
lead responsible, sustainable lives. We simply don’t care enough
about the broader issues like sustainable farming, fair-trade and
leading simpler, less indulgent lives.”
Another eco-entrepreneur Ivy Singh-Lim, who runs her own
farm, Bollywood Veggies (100 Neo Tiew Rd., 6898-5001) in
Kranji, says large swathes of Singaporeans are too concerned with
bread and butter issues to worry about green issues. “Most
Singaporeans are struggling to get by, especially now, during these
economically difficult times,” she says. “So, it’s no surprise they
don’t give a hoot about green issues; they have other things to
worry about.”
Meanwhile, Carine Seror, WWF’s campaign manager for Earth
Hour, says that it takes very little to adopt a green lifestyle.
“People aren’t greener in Singapore because they fear they’d have
to radically alter their lives upon going green,” she says. “Trust
me: You can turn your air-conditioning up to 25 degrees and you’ll
be fine.”
“There are so many little things one can do without much
fuss, but when taken as whole, will have a huge impact when it
comes to improving the health of our environment. Therefore we need
better education and greater awareness through various media
outlets in order to nix misconceptions about going green.”
The National Environment Agency (NEA), the government body
tasked with overseeing the green cause here, has however seen some
encouraging statistics emerging in recent times.
“Singapore’s recycling rate has seen a steady increase, from
40 percent in 2000 to 56 percent in 2008,” says an NEA spokesman.
“Correspondingly, we have seen our per capita municipal waste
output drop from 0.93kg per person per day in 2000 to 0.84 kg per
person per day in 2008; this is lower than most advanced countries
such as the EU, US and Japan.”
Calling a Green
Government
But, there is the thought that Singapore’s green efforts are only
cosmetic, and that unless the government takes some very serious
steps to curtail energy consumption throughout the island, things
like Earth Hour, says Singh-Lim, won’t make an iota of
difference.
“Take a look at Singapore at night from above; it’s a bloody
Christmas tree with all these twinkling lights,” she says. “Why
can’t we turn off the lights on the highway on one side? Why can’t
we turn off HDB void deck lights after midnight? Can we not create
employment by making the unemployed be torch-wielding security
guards at HDB estates after midnight?”
The outspoken Singh-Lim also feels there are many things the
government can do to help citizens lead more environmentally
sustainable and natural lives. “Let’s not kid ourselves by saying
that we have no land,” she says. “We can make use of all the wide
open spaces under our HDB blocks by turning them into vegetable
patches to grow food and ponds where we can fish—we should go back
to basics.
“Also I don’t think the government gives a fig about green
issues, especially since all it does with our rubbish is to
incinerate it at some of the biggest incinerations plants in the
world and then dump the resulting ash in an offshore landfill on
Pulau Semakau; our government agencies also use rat poison to
eliminate rats and use fogging to eliminate mosquitoes. Do you know
how harmful that is to the environment?”
WWF’s Carine Seror feels the government should, as in some
parts of Europe, give subsidies to companies and households that
use solar energy. “Right now, solar energy is very expensive,” she
says. “But Singapore sits bang on the equator and should definitely
take advantage of this natural resource.” She feels that Singapore
is on the right track though, and will see the benefits over time,
especially when compared to Western Europe. “Germany has had the
green movement going for over two generations, especially because
the government there gives incentives to companies to adhere to
certain green standards, whereas my native France has been a lot
slower in this respect, and is perhaps on par with Singapore when
it comes to a grassroots levels of green awareness.”
On its part, in addition to a slew of public education
programs and campaigns, the NEA runs fortnightly door-to-door
collection of recyclable materials in both HDB and some private
landed property estates.
“In addition to the door-to-door collection, NEA has also
worked with these Public Waste Collectors and Town Councils to
provide some 1,600 sets of centralized recycling depositories in
the common areas of all HDB, says the NEA spokesperson. “Residents
can make use of these bins at any time of the day for
recycling.”
Going Green
But before Singaporeans even start to consider going green,
mindsets and attitudes need to be altered. Chief among them is our
renowned apathy and lack of inquisitiveness. “What bothers me is
that Singaporeans are not inquisitive about the world around them,”
says Singh-Lim. “They aren’t curious—some don’t care—about why
certain things are the way they are. Once they become curious about
how food is farmed and exported, how their actions impact the
planet and how they can make a difference without very little
effort, they’ll realize they have been fools for not giving a shit
earlier.”
Her sentiments are echoed by Chong who feels that
Singaporeans need to understand that there are different ways to
approach buying clothes. “I sell clothes made from organic cotton
and the first thing people ask me is about the price,” she says.
“Yes, organic clothes are more expensive because we’re interested
in paying cotton farmers and textile workers a fair wage.
Singaporeans need to understand this process. It’s not only green
in terms of sustainable farming, but is also more humane. I’m
sometimes appalled as to why more Singaporeans don’t ask why
clothes are cheap, and how they become cheap.”
Like Singh-Lim, she too feels the government could do with a
change in mindset, preferring them to focus on smaller greener
issues than broader ones. “The government is very good at broader
green policies, like air pollution emissions, planting of trees and
climate change,” she says. “But I would urge them to focus on
smaller, yet equally important issues, like giving incentives to
small social and eco driven enterprises like ours. They should be
doing their part to promote bamboo cotton clothes and other
eco-friendly household products.”
Making
Headway
Still, there are a few areas in which Singapore is getting greener,
like vegetarianism and retail. The consumption of meat is now
widely known to have dire ecological consequences. “It has been
known for years that eating meat is an inefficient way to obtain
nutrition, because we have to grow so many extra kilograms of food
to produce just one kilogram of meat,” says Dr. George Jacobs,
president of the Vegetarian Society (Singapore) (VSS). “This is
because the animals that we eat do not gain one kilo of weight for
every one kilo of plant food they eat. As a result, we need to grow
unnecessary plant food to meet the needs of the meat industry. That
means more forests cut down, more water used, more fossil fuels
burned, etc.
“Additionally, the approximately 60 billion land animals
that we kill and eat annually produce a huge amount of solid,
liquid and gaseous waste. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change estimates that livestock production accounts for 18 percent
of human-produced greenhouse gases, whereas transport accounts for
only 13 percent.”
He also adds that Singapore can take heart when it comes to
eating green. “Actually, Singapore is one of the world’s most
vegetarian friendly countries,” he says. “The Vegetarian Society
(Singapore) website has a page which lists vegetarian eateries, and
there are more than you think.”
Another small step in the right direction comes from the
feedback given by The Body Shop, which says Singaporeans’ shopping
habits are improving. The Body Shop’s media spokesperson Wendy Goh
says it has seen some very encouraging trends in the last few
years. “More customers are bringing back bottles for recycling,”
she says. “There is an increase in the amount of packaging our
stores send back to the warehouse for recycling. There is also an
increase in customers asking about what products are safe for the
environment. They are showing a greater interest in making
ethically sound decisions as a consumer, starting from finding out
how green our products are.”
Dr. Jacobs also feels that it is small steps now that will
lead to a big change in the future. “If going completely vegetarian
might be too scary, difficult or weird, no worries; just try eating
less meat,” he says. “Every meatless meal is a green meal. Let’s
congratulate ourselves for small victories.”
There’s Hope
Yet
We will get greener—that’s for sure. And both Jay Chong and Ivy
Singh-Lim point to the youth of today as beacons of hope. “I have
had a surge of interest from schools and junior college students
coming to farm and being extremely enthusiastic,” says
Singh-Lim.
“Hopefully, they’ll carry their enthusiasm into their
working lives and not get jaded” she adds. “But as long as they
then go on to teach their children to make responsible and educated
choices—like watching less TV and eating less fast food—our future
will be bright. We are a great country and once the younger
generation decides to take ownership and responsibility, we’ll
reach another level of sustainable, natural living.” Chong also
believes that the same way organic food has gone on to be a hit,
organic clothes will one day take off, too. “I’m hopeful,” she
says.
The NEA too is active in its school programs; in 2008 it
worked with the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) to organize
Project Carbon Zero (PCZ) to get primary school students to reduce
their home electricity use. More than 1,300 students from 56
primary schools took part in 2008. SEC will be extending PCZ to
secondary schools and junior colleges from 2009. Meanwhile, schools
like Raffles Institution (promoting vegetarian food in its canteen)
and Cedar Girls’ School (setting up an on-site vegetable patch for
students to tend after) are taking proactive steps in pushing green
issues to the fore.
So while the green movement here is certainly struggling and
a tad loose in terms of awareness, perception and adoption today,
it’s likely to grow in the future and hopefully prolong the health
of our planet.
Why Aren’t Singaporeans Green Enough?
Sheenu Kapoor, 30s, freelance
copywriter, India, eight years in Singapore
Being green has just not become as big a thing here as it has in
the rest of the world. It could be because Singaporeans have an
insulated sense of being and a tendency to not think outside their
borders.
Emiliya Pavkovic, 21, student, Serbia, nine months in
Singapore
Singaporeans like to spend their money on other things like bags
and air-conditioning. I like the fact that they have recycle bins
in places—that, however, is one of the few environmentally friendly
things they seem to have.
Eileen Sng, 29, bank analyst, Singapore
Perhaps we are just too indifferent towards the importance of going
green, and practical-minded Singaporeans won’t change their
lifestyle unless there’s a carrot to entice them.
Jeffrey Lim, 30, graphic designer, Malaysia, two years in
Singapore
It is surprising how spoiled people are by the malls and offices
with air-conditioning and how consumed they are with materialism.
It seems to me that their priorities are in the wrong place.
Kriti Singh, 23, advertising executive, India, six years in
Singapore
Singaporeans efforts in the last three years have paid off (i.e.
bring your own grocery bags, condo recycling bins). But educating
an entire city and trying to change an attitude that has primarily
been centered around an “I-Consume-Because-I-Can-Afford-It”
ideology takes time.
Teodora Pavkovic, 26, vision therapist, Serbia, six months in
Singapore
On the global level I would say people generally don’t have the
sense of our planet being in any kind of trouble, and I would
imagine that this is especially true for small countries, like
Singapore. On the national level, Singapore is so well taken care
of by the government, that people don’t have the sense that there
is a responsibility on the personal level.
Domenic Lanz, project manager, 28, Switzerland, 10 months in
Singapore
Singaporeans as individuals are actually not that green. However,
the government is not doing its part of setting up the right
incentives—ones effective enough to get people involved. It’s not
that difficult: Charge more for electricity, tax fuel more,
organize a solid recycling program, mandate companies to adhere to
more strict environmental rules. It can be done.
Ways To Become
Greener
Itching to go green? We show you six not-too-intimidating
ways.
1. Join A Non-Profit
Organisation
Set a sea change in motion by helping to preserve the beauty of
Singapore’s shorelines. The International Coastal Cleanup Singapore
(ICCS) is an annual environmental initiative that aims to clean up
marine litter along our beaches. Long a hazard to the marine
creatures that become entangled in stray fishing lines or choke on
plastic bits and bags, marine litter also blights the physical
landscape. Organized by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
at the National University of Singapore, ICCS draws its volunteers
from numerous organizations and schools, and takes place on the
third Saturday of September.
Alternatively, if you want to help safeguard the
biodiversity of our coasts, you can join environmental group Team
SeaGrass and help to monitor and gather data on local seagrass
meadows. You can also join the Naked Hermit Crabs, a group of
volunteer guides that leads tours along the shores of Chek Jawa,
Pulau Semakau, and Kusu Island to raise public awareness on our
beaches.
For more
information on ICCS, visit www.coastalcleanup.nue.edu.sg
and www.coastalcleanup.wordpress.com.
For more information on Team Seagrass and Naked Hermit Crabs,
visit www.teamseagrass.blogspot.com
and
www.nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.com.
Not sure how to take the first
steps towards becoming vegetarian? Then log on to the website of
the Vegetarian Society (Singapore) at www.vegetarian-society.org
for a treasure trove of information.
The website lists over 400 vegetarian restaurants and stalls in
Singapore, and provides other resources that promote the “going
veggie” cause. The Society also runs activities which include
giving talks and food demonstrations to the public and schools,
conducting educational tours to organic farms both here and abroad,
and organizing social gatherings and various events to build
rapport and create a sense of community. Furthermore, the society
takes proactive steps to link individuals and organizations that
believe in eating less or no meat, and also strives to improve the
quality, demand and availability of plant-based foods in Singapore.
Membership is $30 a year or $300 for a lifetime.
Vegetarian Society (Singapore), #07-02 Lip Hing Building, 3
Pemimpin Drive, www.vegetarian-society.org.
3. Recycle Your Old
Computer
Is your old computer gathering dust in storage? You can make your
carbon footprint a little lighter by recycling it in an
environmentally responsible way. This can take place by donating
your computer to an organization in need or by turning a machine
that is beyond repair over to a computer disposal or recycling
company that will dismantle it to salvage reusable components. To
figure out your options, call your original computer service
provider to enquire about its recycling programs or approach
individual collection companies to find out more about their
services. The National Environment Agency (NEA) website provides a
list of vendors who are able to help you recycle your
computer.
For more information, visit the National Environment Agency
website at www.nea.gov.sg
4. Go Easy on the
Appliances
Reducing the use of heavy energy-guzzlers such as the water heater,
refrigerator and air-conditioner can also help prevent energy
wastage. Furthermore, forgoing luxuries such as the tumble dryer
and dishwasher can also make a big difference. Alternatively, if
you have to use certain appliances, don’t put them on standby as
many of them use up to 90 percent of their normal power in standby
mode. Common culprits include stereos, televisions, games consoles
and computer monitors. So, pull the plug on your appliances—it’ll
lead to lower bills too.
5. Make Your Own
Compost
A little goes a long way in helping the environment. For those with
green fingers, this can be done with a little gardening DIY.
Instead of using fertilizers that are high in chemical content,
turn organic material such as cut grass, vegetable food waste and
coffee grounds into gardening gold by recycling them the natural
way. You can use a compost bin or leave the compost in a shaded
area in your garden to decompose. Not only will you find a
productive and economical use for your leftovers, you’ll be doing
your part for the environment too. Definitely a win-win
situation.
To learn how to make your own compost, visit
www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/composting/index.html
or www.compostguide.com.
6. Recycling for
Dummies
If you’re still clueless as to how to go about recycling your old
unwanted items, then head to the National Environment Agency’s
website (www.nea.gov.sg) for some handy tips, in-depth
information and locations of recycling bins throughout Singapore.
Commercial users meanwhile can log on to the Green Book’s
website (www.thegreenbook.com) for
companies that provide recycling, removal and repackaging
solutions. Another good recycling resource for both individuals and
companies is the “Tips” section of the excellent Singapore-based
Asia Is Green website (www.asiaisgreen.com).