Letter from Dr Ang Eng-Tat , Straits Times Forum 21 Nov 07
I ATTENDED a talk recently by Lee Kuan Yew Distinguished Visitor Richard Somerville at the National University of Singapore, on global warming and how earthlings are responsible for it.
I have no doubt that the science behind the observation is robust and that people should be more responsible towards the environment.
However, I wonder how much of a trade-off our policymakers are prepared to make in order to make this a possibility. Are we prepared to cap economic growth to achieve this? Are we prepared to drive less, fly less and work our factories less?
Perhaps policymakers should take the lead by setting an example. I found it rather amusing that most of the VIPs at the talk arrived in their huge-capacity luxury cars. This was contradictory to the theme of the talk which they had graced moments earlier. A small, economical car would have sufficed in taking one from one point to another.
I hope that our leaders would be more mindful of their actions; they should walk the talk.
