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  The Straits Times 14 Nov 05
Let's talk about saving the environment

Take the 'it could happen to me' tack
BY Chen Wei Li

THE Government has taken a lot of trouble keeping our country clean and green - and I appreciate it. But could it be that this fact is exactly what is shielding us from the reality of environmental damage so evident in other parts of the world?

I am not saying that environmental damage should strike Singapore - just that we should take the issue more seriously. The Government and schools should take the lead in drilling environmental awareness into our youth.

But the approach should not be top-down - that would be boring to the students and defeat the purpose.

Also, I do not see the point of giving our youth information such as the fact that non-biodegradable products can hurt the environment. Most of us are already aware of this.

What we should be told is that we are not safe; that just because our city is clean and green now, it does not mean that the world is not under threat.

The 'it could happen to me' approach is the way to go. Our educators should focus on that.

The writer is a recent graduate of Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Are we ready to do without air-cons, cars?
by Adeline Koh

SOME of us are willing to do our bit to protect the environment.

But the question is: Is this conviction shared by major corporations, governments and citizens of the world? If not, then our efforts are destined to fail, and more people will feel that their individual actions will not make a difference.

This would be tragic, because people who are aware of environmental dangers and who actually go out and do something about it are few and far between.

Take, for instance, the recent National University of Singapore survey that showed that temperatures in Singapore's green urban core are much higher than those in its greener suburbs. This is because of a variety of factors, including air-conditioning and high traffic density.

But are Singaporeans willing to cut back on the luxuries of air-conditioned shopping centres and comfortable cars for the sake of the environment? I doubt so.

Perhaps because we have not been affected by tsunamis and hurricanes, we believe that problems such as global warming are not of national concern.

But the truth is, what affects the rest of the world will affect Singapore - and it would be foolish of us to think otherwise. I am heartened that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has expressed concern about the issue.

With such awareness in our leadership, maybe all Singaporeans will start playing a part in protecting our environment in the future.

The writer is a fourth-year English honours student at the National University of Singapore

Don't bother me, it's a job for Captain Planet
by Esther Fung

I USUALLY eat my lunch on styrofoam plates and with plastic utensils - because the stall I frequent offers no environmentally friendly option. Does it bother me? Not a bit.

The environmentalist streak I had as a teenager has been erased, and my pledge to save the world from environmental damage is long forgotten.

I do not care enough to harass the stall auntie to stop using disposable cutlery. She is making a living, and if using disposables helps alleviate her workload, who am I to begin lecturing her?

For most youngsters like me, saving the world is best left to Captain Planet and his 'planeteers'. And, of course, to teachers and environmental activists.

We hardly ever step out of our comfort zones, especially since protection of the environment does not appear to be a priority here. We choose what is cheap and convenient since there is no culture of using environmentally friendly goods.

Perhaps, once in a while, we feel a little stab of guilt - but it is quickly forgotten.

Warnings about environmental degradation may be motivating, but it fizzles out if mindsets are incongruent with habits. To us, there are no tangible benefits of preservation practices that warrant extra effort on our part.

So I shall still smile at the stall auntie when she hands me my lunch, on a styrofoam plate.

The writer is a third-year communication studies student at Nanyang Technological University
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