Liaw Wy-Cin, Straits Times 5 Jul 08;
SOME 300 mangrove trees at Punggol River would have died if not for Mr Goh Yong Keng, 51.
He had the trees moved to Tuas, ahead of the damming of the Punggol River to form a reservoir, which would have flooded the area with fresh water. Mangroves need brackish water to survive.
For this and other pro-environment acts at his workplace in Tuas, the engineering and maintenance director at drug company Schering-Plough received the National Environment Agency's (NEA) EcoFriend Award yesterday from Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim.
The award, also presented to 16 other people, is given to individuals in the private, public, non-government, youth and school sectors for their pro-environment efforts.
The 17 were picked from among 260 nominees. The hat held 80 per cent more names than last year, when the award was introduced.
The award is to encourage people to do their bit to conserve the environment.
At the awards ceremony held at Mount Faber, the NEA unveiled its modified logo, which now includes the tagline 'Our Environment - Sustain and Enjoy'.
The agency's chief executive Lee Yuen Hee explained that the change reflected the NEA's evolving role: 'Previously, our function was more operational and regulatory. Now, we are more involved in engaging people in sustaining our environment.'
The NEA plans to push for 60 per cent of the waste here to be recycled.
Besides saving the mangroves, Mr Goh also planted natural insect-repelling neem trees at his company's waste-water treatment centre, so that less anti-pest chemicals needed to be used. He also changed the fuel used in his company's steam boilers from diesel to natural gas, to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Of his award, he said: 'For the environmental cause, we need models for people to follow and be inspired. This award is one way of doing this.'
