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  Today Online 2 Dec 05
You're never too young to care for the earth
 New NGO targets message at students, non-academics
Vinita Ramani vinita@newstoday.com.sg

A TEN-MEMBER group made up of undergraduates, entrepreneurs and ecologically-minded Singaporeans have joined forces to step up awareness on environmental issues.

And the message Climate Change Organisation (CCO) wants to send out: Climate change is everybody's business. "This is a topic that's usually confined to the domain of academia, policy-making and politics. But, as custodians of the earth, I think we have a responsibility to make a difference," said Ms Viki Esther Chang, spokesperson for CCO, which also consists of chemical engineering students from the National University of Singapore.

Launched yesterday, CCO will kick off its efforts with a series of seminars at Ngee Ann Polytechnic on emission technologies and corporate responsibility.

The idea behind the non-government organisation took shape in July when a group of students and friends did research for a film on environmental issues and realised they wanted to reach a wider audience.

It has set up a website and garnered sponsorship support from green-conscious companies Senoko Power and Fuji Technologies, with MediaCorp Radio's Radio Singapore International coming in as the official media. But the group is on the look-out for other companies to come forward and support their efforts.

"Right now, everything is paid for out of our own pockets. But membership is free and we want people to come forward," said Ms Chang. "To join the group, write us a 500-word essay on how you think you can contribute towards positive ecological change."

Academics Today spoke to said the enthusiasts have the right focus. "Students are more receptive when it comes to environmental awareness. Since chemical engineers learn about developing new technologies to minimise or control emissions, I hope they take the knowledge and digest it to become more active," said Mr Shandon Quinn, lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic's school of life sciences and chemical technology.

Visit www.cco-asia.org for more information on the group and its initiatives.
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