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  The Straits Times 6 Feb 06
Students take on the weather for national study
by Radha Basu

HOW will global warming affect Singapore's coastlines? Are weather conditions here ideal for harnessing the sun or the wind as alternate energy sources?

About 180 schools and junior colleges are looking into such topics in the hope that their answers will help the authorities identify crucial areas pertaining to the weather that require further, more sophisticated research.

The National Weather Study Project also aims to familiarise students with the impact of global warming, widely believed to be the biggest environmental threat facing the world today, said Professor Lim Hock, a National University of Singapore weather expert who co-chairs an advisory committee tasked to guide the schools through this project.

'The timing of the project is crucial,' he said. 'Younger generations will have to deal with the impact of global warming and the sooner they begin to learn about these issues, the better it is for them.' Extreme, often unprecedented, weather-related catastrophes - such as hurricanes, typhoons, droughts and searing heat - have become a sign of our times.

Last year was the hottest year on record, capping a decade that has seen five of the hottest years on record. The steady warming in the recent past has been caused by man-made factors, most scientists agree.

Carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases are trapped in the earth's atmosphere, increasing temperatures. These emissions are a by-product of the trappings of modern society.

The increase in temperatures is also causing a slow but significant rise in sea levels, jeopardising the future of low-lying island states around the world.

The project plans to study Singapore's weather patterns and assess to what extent global patterns are affecting the local climate.

Students across the island will record rainfall, temperature, humidity, solar intensity, and wind speed and direction, with the help of mini weather stations sponsored by Senoko Power, which donated $1 million to the project. The students' work will also be submitted for a competition, with the most relevant and useful ones chosen as winners. All entries must be submitted by the end of next month.

Tanjong Katong Girls' School, for instance, is studying the impact of climate change on sea levels around Singapore. Geography teacher Rosalie Chan pointed out that according to data from an international panel on climate change, sea levels could rise by almost a metre over the course of this century.

'Soil erosion is a problem that most low-lying countries will have to grapple with and we hope our study will help raise concern here about the need to address the problem early,' said Ms Chan. Using international projection estimates, the school plans to assess how much of the coastline along East Coast Park may be eroded as sea levels rise in future, said Secondary 4 student Phannipha Apinophiboon.

Other schools, such as Meridien Junior College, are studying whether alternate energy sources like solar power or wind can be harnessed in Singapore. Temasek JC plans to find out the optimum temperature for switching from air-conditioners to fans.

This 'learning by doing' is what Senoko president Roy Adair hopes will be the biggest advantage of the project. 'This will ensure Singapore's future - particularly how it tackles the biggest environmental challenge of our times - is in well-informed hands.'
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