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  Straits Times 25 Aug 07
Not easy being green, but necessary
Letter from Law Kah Yen

Straits Times 12 Aug 07
Eco or Ego
Global warming is hot news but, apart from some green groups and individuals here, Singaporeans are not eco-friendly
By May Yip

YOU know being eco-conscious is cool when celebrities like Andy Lau are writing ditties about global warming and The Simpsons Movie takes on a green spin. And it seems that regular Singaporeans - ranging from housewives to young yuppies - are also riding the green wave by driving hybrid cars, stocking up on low-energy lightbulbs and toting eco-friendly bags.

Forget metrosexuals and their penchant for impeccable brows. Amid freak storms and diminishing resources, ecosexuals rule.

But the question is: Is Singapore truly an environmentally conscious nation, or are some people going green because it's the new black?

'Singapore is probably the least green place I've seen,' says Ms Shamini Flint, 37, a former distributor of Fairtrade coffee, tea and hot chocolate and writer of children's books about the environment. 'So many people still ask for everything to be double-bagged at the supermarket and sit in their parked cars with the engines running. It's appalling for a First World country.'

Fairtrade certifies products which meet environmental and labour standards set by FLO International, a certification body.

And, apart from Singapore's tree-lined cityscape and garden city status, there aren't many facts to refute Ms Flint's stance.

While thousands of disappointed fashionistas failed to get their hands on the eco-friendly Anya Hindmarch canvas bag, a nation-wide campaign to encourage shoppers to choose reusable bags has failed to take off.

Only 13 per cent of shoppers brought their own bags to supermarkets on this month's designated Bring Your Own Bag Day (BYOBD), according to a check by The Straits Times. The scheme, which takes place on the first Wednesday of every month, is spearheaded by the National Environment Agency.

Because when it comes to the crunch, ego trumps anything eco for the average pragmatic Singaporean.

'Many Singaporeans tend to think along these lines: it is not our problem, there is nothing wrong and there aren't opportunities to take the green lead,' says Mr Howard Shaw, executive director of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC).

'Business sense and dollars often rule over the importance of caring for nature and the environment.'

Weaning Singaporeans off tree-killing printouts, for example, is an uphill task. In a survey of 100 local companies earlier this year, eight in 10 were guilty of not having cut back on paper printouts, including 43 corporations which actually used more paper than in 2005, when the last such survey was done. The study was carried out by Singapore-based Spire Research & Consulting.

Unlike nations like Sweden and Austria where recycling is a way of life, public awareness here is low with recycling bins in heartlands like Marine Parade Central reportedly turned into virtual dumping grounds and items not sorted by type.

'I lived in Japan for three years and there, you have to separate your trash and people are educated about recycling from a young age,' says account servicing executive Selina Chan, 36. 'Here, most apartment buildings do not have recycling bins and I can't stand it when I go to NTUC FairPrice and they give me so many plastic bags that I don't need.'

Despite the grim state of environmental awareness, some feel that there's been a move towards being eco-friendly.

When asked if more Singaporeans are going green, SEC communications executive Liang Xinyi says: 'Definitely, particularly among the young. We have seen a marked increase in volunteerism perhaps due to more environmental education programmes in schools and better media coverage on issues.'

And while Singaporeans seem to be just paying lip service to saving the earth because it's the movement of the moment, not all see the trend to be a bad thing.

'I see celebrities like Angelina Jolie or Bono talk about saving the environment and I feel more inspired to do something than when I had to study about global warming in school,' says Annie Tay, a 21-year-old student who recently embarked on an organic diet.

Short-lived trend or seismic shift in mindset, Singapore is taking the first small steps in being more environmentally conscious.

Today, there are over 60 green groups here ranging from school clubs to the 16-year-old Nature Society, and Singapore came in tops for cleanliness for four consecutive years from 2003 to 2006 in the Conde Nast Traveller's Readers' Travel Awards.

Hotels such as the Shangri-la and The Regent have also slashed energy usage while organic food consumption is crossing the line from hippie trend to permanent lifestyle choice.

'It would be nice if it (ecological problems) was just a fad, but unfortunately that's not the case,' says Mr Shaw. Let's just hope living green is not going to be a passing craze either.

Straits Times 25 Aug 07
Not easy being green, but necessary
Letter from Law Kah Yen

AFTER reading May Yip's story (Eco Or Ego, LifeStyle, Aug 12), I have to write in to express my admiration for the eco-friendly people featured.

Going green is an uphill task and not an easy decision in our world of convenience.

But it takes so little to make an effort to recycle, reduce and re-use. For two years now, my colleagues and I have been taking our own lunchboxes to get takeaways from hawker centres.

Initially, some hawkers were amused and some even berated us for causing inconvenience to them. But if more people adopted this habit, we will help to reduce the usage of thousands of styrofoam boxes and plastic containers, utensils and bags every day.

Corporations can also implement easy environment-friendly policies such as setting air- conditioners at a comfortable 25 to 26 deg C. How many times have we walked into freezing malls, cinemas and hotel lobbies?

Singapore is far from being a green society, compared to other First World nations. Planting trees once a year or taking your own bag to shop for groceries is a good start but is just not good enough in the long run.

Just remember that every action has a consequence and it will have a trickle-down effect on the next generation.

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