Climate - every little bit helps

Letter from Sylvia Lee (Mrs), Straits Times Forum 4 Jul 08;

IT IS so heartening and proud to know that our Singapore leaders are committed, progressive and holistic in their thinking and economic approach to sustainability (reference PM's speech at the International Water Week). These are important messages and directions that have to be set at the national level.

Singapore has been well regarded in its structured approach and intellectual power to tackle social and political issues. It prides itself to have world-class medical care, high educational standard and a high literacy rate. It is aspiring to be an R&D centre, financial hub, knowledge hub, water hub, renewable energy hub, and so on. This will not be possible if it does not have thinking individuals at all levels who believe that these aspirations would benefit everyone in Singapore.

The next big item to target is climate change and the environment. This issue is of a different league as we are dealing with the 'common space', and tackling it would mean costs and sacrifices, to a different degree at the international, national, corporate and individual levels.

Each one of us can do our part, big or small. One proxy to one's capability to act and to influence is the amount of income tax one pays. The more tax you pay, it is more likely that you have a larger carbon footprint due to a bigger house, higher standard of living, hence higher electricity bill, do more air and road travel, drive bigger cars and so on. The more tax one pays would also be synonymous with the job and role one is responsible for, the extent you could influence others, the directions you set for others and/or the type of decisions you could make.

Unlike carbon tax, the taxes that we currently pay do not absolve one's responsibility to look after the 'common space', our environment. We certainly do not look forward to the day when carbon tax is needed (carbon tax is a tax on emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases). Or maybe there is no alternative, but to do so with big cars; especially when clean air, just like clean water is priceless.

Everybody has a responsibility to the environment, and must be considerate in leaving something pleasant for our future generations as well as those in developing countries who have yet to enjoy what we have been enjoying for the past 30 years.

Examine your needs, examine your habits, examine your decision, examine your action and examine your carbon footprint; and decide what you can do to help preserve the quality of the 'common space' for the future generations.

I used to drive an automatic SUV with a consumption of not more than 8km per litre. One and an half years ago, I was totally convinced by 'The Inconvenient Truth' and changed to a manual Honda Jazz, which is running at 14 to 15km per litre. At an annual mileage of 20,000km, the reduction in carbon dioxide emission amounts to 2.5 MT per year, representing a whopping 43 per cent reduction (or the SUV emits 75 per cent more carbon dioxide). 2.5 MT per year is probably minute in the global and national context. However, at the individual level, it is an action in the right direction.

Do we need to drive big cars? Do we need to drive SUVs in town? In the Singapore context, is this the consequence of our success? Can we measure success differently? Is this about feeding our ego? What is the cost of 'feeling good'?

Choose one action, and commit to making a difference in your own way. It can be as small as switching off the light and fan or air-conditioner as the National Environment Agency has been effectively campaigning or a bigger and more impactful one, such as changing to a small car. This does not only reduce greenhouse gas emission and improve air quality, it will also help our next generation to build genuine self confidence which is the natural quality of egolessness.

Collective efforts are needed; every little bit counts. Do our part. Do what we can. If we could elevate our behaviours and actions to the level of beyond self, we could become a top class society with truly responsible human beings.