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).