The greening of Singapore
Straits Times 28 Mar 09;
The Republic seems serious about climate change. Research on energy-savers is in top gear, and firms and homes are ditching energy-guzzlers. And tonight, many are switching off their lights to support a greener Earth. Amresh Gunasingham looks at some developments.
MORE than 10,000 individuals and 450 companies in Singapore have pledged to 'switch off' for one hour tonight to mark Earth Hour, the global initiative by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to raise awareness about climate change.
The event heralds a sea-change from a year ago, when Singapore did not even officially take part in the campaign and only a small number of companies here participated.
'If the support for Earth Hour this year is any indication, Singapore is getting more serious about climate change.' said Ms Amy Ho, managing director in Singapore for WWF. 'The issue can only be addressed by the Government, private sector, media and society coming together to be a catalyst for change.'
This year, famous local landmarks such as the Merlion, the Singapore Flyer and the Underwater World in Sentosa are showing their support by switching off their facade lights and other external lighting.
And despite business on a Saturday night usually being brisk, many hotels, including Four Seasons, Parkroyal on Beach Road and Hotel Rendezvous will offer candlelight meals and special refreshments to mark the occasion in their food and beverage outlets.
Even Changi Airport will mark the occasion by having decorative and non-operational lighting switched off in the three main terminals for one hour.
Amidst the soaring corporate and individual pledges to Earth Hour, a group of 1,200 student volunteers is also taking the message to the heartlands.
The students, from schools such as Damai Secondary and Singapore Polytechnic and aged 15 to 25 years old, will knock on the doors of 30,000 households to raise awareness about environmental issues and encourage residents' participation in the global 'switch off'.
Their efforts are estimated to reach out to over 105,000 residents in areas such as Bukit Panjang, Bedok and Eunos.
Mr Wilson Ang, 27, president of Eco Singapore, an environmental group that advocates sustainable lifestyles among youth here and is the co-organiser of the activities, said: 'The awareness of issues related to climate change has gained significant traction here, particularly with increased media coverage.
'But this campaign is about putting a face to the message and engaging people at a human level to participate.'
Student volunteer Kephren Ayanari, 19, added: 'Education and awareness of environmental issues have been stepped up in the last few years. People realise that global warming is an issue that affects everyone.'
Mr Howard Shaw, executive director of the Singapore Environment Council, said: 'The Government has shown the way in many aspects, elevating the issue to a certain level.'
Changes made in the education curriculum at schools and work done through community organisations have also been important, he added.
At least 2,700 cities in 84 countries around the world have committed to mark Earth Hour. The symbolic gesture will take place at 8.30pm.
Global switch-off
Nancy Ang, Today Online 28 Mar 09;
If you’ve always kept your torch lights, spare batteries and candles for an emergency, well, Saturday night’s the time to take them out for a good cause.
By switching off your lights at home for one hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, you’ll be joining millions of others who’ve pledged their support to Earth Hour, a WWF initiative that started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 to fight global warming.
This year, WWF hopes to gather up to 1 billion people to vote with their light switch. The vote will then be presented at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, where world leaders will meet to decide on a new action plan to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
The energy saved from the switch-off may not be phenomenal, but it’s really about generating awareness and rallying people to reduce their carbon footprint.
As managing director of WWF Singapore Amy Ho said: “Adopt one eco-tip every month. This month, you may want to switch off all unnecessary lights before you leave home. The second month, you can unplug all your electrical appliances. The third month, if you drive, you can a pick a day to hop onto a bus or the MRT.”
Or you can take a leaf from eco-warrior Nadya Hutagalung, who’s building a green house from scratch. From using recycled glass and sustainable wood to collecting rain water, it’s a challenging project, but the WWF Earth Hour Singapore Ambassador says keeping to the green theme remains close to her heart, “I really believe it has to start from within yourself.”
So what can you do? You could enjoy a dinner by candlelight, organise a treasure hunt or sit around and share ghost stories. How about having a picnic in the park and gazing at the stars in the sky? Or you could simply spend a romantic night at home.
You don’t have to limit yourself to activities at home. After turning off the lights at home, head to one of the many events in town. A blackout party has been organised at the Esplanade Park, together with a green carnival and concert. Watch the Singapore skyline go dark as most major buildings have pledged to turn off their lights. For a list of activities around town, check out www.earthhour.org/singapore.
Don’t let Earth Hour go by without some reflection. As Nadya said during our interview, it may be a feel-good act, but ideally it should be the first step to a long-term commitment to saving the earth.
550 corporations and 8,000 individuals sign up for Earth Hour
Lynda Hong/Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia 27 Mar 09;
SINGAPORE: It is just one day before Earth Hour takes place, and some 8,000 individuals in Singapore have pledged to switch off the lights for an hour on Saturday from 8.30pm.
The numbers fall short of the target of one million participants, but those taking part are already showing their enthusiasm for the green initiative.
Come Saturday, 1,200 volunteers will be knocking on the doors of 30,000 households to share about Earth Hour and some energy-saving tips.
A volunteer from ECO Singapore, Loy Sye Yuet, said: "We find that there's growing support from the ground and that more and more residents are actually supportive of (Earth Hour)."
Datacraft is one of some 550 companies who have registered their commitment to switch off the lights. Employees of Datacraft have been given candles for the global environment initiative.
The company also observed Earth Hour a day earlier by turning off the lights during Friday's lunch break. The bright afternoon sunlight helped minimise the use of candles.
Human resource manager of Datacraft (Singapore), Ivy Chew, said: "What we did was we drew the blinds, so that it became brighter. People felt that there was no difference, we could still continue to work as per normal. There was no disruption to the workforce... Maybe we could do this more often."
The very first Earth Hour in Sydney in 2007 saw a 10 per cent reduction in energy consumption. However, organisers here are not measuring Singapore's success by the amount of energy saved, but on raising awareness on fighting climate change.
- CNA/yt
