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  Today Online 20 Oct 06
Go truly green--look to the blue
Letter from Maryanne Maes

Today Online 18 Oct 06
Poly students, staff go green
Lee U-Wen

Channel NewsAsia 17 Oct 06
This year's Clean & Green Week campaign targets climate change
By Hasnita A Majid

SINGAPORE : Climate change will be the focus of this year's Clean and Green Week. Now into its 17th year, it will see youths as the target group, with the message that their choices now will have an impact on the environment in the future.

To raise awareness on the importance of recycling and conserving resources, students of Republic Polytechnic - one of the National Environment Agency's (NEA) partners in this year's campaign - are hoping to collect some 10,000 of plastic bottles.

"In this modern society, where we have a throw-away culture, we want to reach out to youths and impress upon them that there are many things they can do to curb this wasteful behaviour," says Derek Ho, chairman of Clean and Greek Week Launch Committee. The polytechnic has, so far, collected 4,300 bottles and hopes to get the rest by the end of the month.

"Plastic is non-biodegradable, so I hope that people can reduce the use of plastic," says Evelyn Cheng, Clean and Green Week Committee, Republic Polytechnic.

The plastic bottles will eventually be turned into installation art to give a visual impact on the extent of wastage if they are not recycled. It is also to impress upon students that every small individual effort will collectively have an impact on the environment.

The NEA also plans to rope in youths in curbing energy consumption and therefore the emission of carbon dioxide, especially at home.

Over the last 10 years, the rate of carbon dioxide emission here has risen by 25%. NEA says the biggest culprits in energy consumption are air-conditioners and refrigerators, which take up about 40-65% of the average household's electricity bill.

By taking simple steps like setting the air-conditioning from 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, households can cut down electricity use and subsequently carbon dioxide emission.

This year's Clean and Green Week will be officially launched on November 5 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. - CNA /ls

Today Online 18 Oct 06
Poly students, staff go green
Lee U-Wen

THE annual Clean and Green Week is only taking place next month, but the students and staff of Republic Polytechnic (RP) are already embracing the event in a big way.

Roped in by the National Environment Agency (NEA) as a new partner in this year's celebrations, the institution is busy collecting 10,000 used plastic soft drink bottles in a bid to help save the environment.

It is easy to see why RP--Singapore's fifth and latest polytechnic--was chosen as a Clean and Green Week co-organiser. Its lush, open campus in Woodlands has been hailed for being not only energy efficient but paperless as well. More recently, it bagged the prestigious Building and Construction Authority Green Mark platinum award for its green efforts.

To date, the students from the polytechnic's science club, which is spearheading the bottle collection drive, have amassed more than 4,300 bottles. The aim is to transform all the bottles into works of art to be displayed at the Clean and Green Week launch, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at RP on Nov 5.

An annual event since 1989, this year's campaign will focus on youth so as to drive home the importance of recycling and energy and water conservation, said the NEA.

The issue of climate change will also be addressed to raise awareness levels among Singaporeans.

In a public survey conducted by the Environment and Water Resources Ministry earlier this year, it found that one in two Singaporeans knows nothing of climate change or global warming. Mr Derek Ho, from the NEA's environmental health department, hopes that Singaporeans will remain mindful of their energy usage, especially at home.

"Energy consumed by households account for about 10 per cent of the total energy consumed in Singapore. Airconditioners and refrigerators make up 40 to 65 per cent of an average household's electricity bill," he said.

According to the NEA, the amount of carbon dioxide gases emitted by homes has increased by 25 per cent over the last decade. Simple acts such as setting the airconditioning to a higher temperature can reduce carbon dioxide emissions significantly, said Mr Ho.

Today Online 20 Oct 06
Go truly green--look to the blue
Letter from Maryanne Maes

I REFER to the report, "Poly students, staff go green" (Oct 18).

I applaud the National Environment Agency's effort to raise the awareness of environmental protection and management by inculcating the importance of recycling, and energy and water conservation.

Singapore is lagging severely behind the West in taking ownership of our environment, a common good.

That said, let's be reminded the environment is not just limited to plastic bags, water and fossil fuels.

I hope just as much attention will be given to nature conservation.

I understand Singapore's natural biodiversity is not as rich as other, larger countries in the region.

However, we can advocate nature conservation by not consuming sharks' fins that have been sliced off while the sharks are alive before their dying bodies are dumped back into the sea; buying tiger products that have been falsely hailed to be terrific aphrodisiacs, and so on.

It is heartening to hear of Singaporeans' enthusiasm in going green, but we must not forget about life in the blue sea.

There is no point in doing one thing to save the environment and yet another to harm it. Let's be well-rounded in our environmental pursuits.
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Related articles on Singapore: general environmental issues and Global issues: Climate change and global warming
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