Singapore aircon 'winter in Siberia'

Mustafa Shafawi Channel NewsAsia 2 Mar 11;

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans are still finding indoor air conditioning too cold, with some describing the temperature in their offices as "Autumn in Seoul" and "Winter in Siberia."

This was what a poll conducted by WWF Singapore for Earth Hour 2011 uncovered.

As a result of the air-conditioning being too strong, many said they have faced health issues, such as flu, cough and dry skin.

Some 450 people were polled.

The aim was to determine how comfortable people currently are with air-conditioning temperatures in the country, in a bid to encourage individuals and organisations to set their air-conditioning temperatures at 24°C or higher.

Some 52 per cent of respondents felt that cinemas were too cold; offices and schools followed closely with 40 per cent indicating the same.

In order to keep themselves warm in cold offices or schools, most respondents wrap themselves in a shawl or wear a winter jacket (69 per cent), while others (another 25 per cent) would either go out for a walk in the sun, go to the washroom, or take a coffee break.

WWF said it is focusing on the message "24 degrees or higher" in Singapore for 2011, when it comes to air-conditioning settings.

WWF Singapore managing director Amy Ho said not only will this make for more pleasant temperatures indoors, it will also save significant amounts of energy across the country, contributing towards the fight against climate change".

Earth Hour 2011 will take place at 8.30pm, on March 26, Saturday this year.

-CNA/wk

Siberian winter in Singapore?
Evelyn Choo Today Online 2 Mar 11;

SINGAPORE - Indoor temperatures are proving to be too cold for comfort for many Singaporeans, according to a survey conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore.

And with Earth Hour coming up this month, environmentalists are turning up the heat.

Some Singaporeans have likened the chill in their offices to winters in Siberia. Many even claim that they're prone to falling ill because of the freezing environment.

So why not turn the air-conditioning temperature up by a few notches?

Ms Amy Ho, managing director of WWF Singapore, said this will be the focus for this year's Earth Hour event.

The challenge is to set air-conditioning temperatures at 24 deg C or higher.

Ms Ho said: "The issue of climate change is all about reducing our energy consumption as well as making more decisions on being more energy-efficient. So what we're asking everyone is to reduce their energy consumption by lowering the air-conditioning temperature. This will help us to save lots of electricity."

Leading by example is the Orchard Road Business Association.

More than 50 malls, hotels and retailers along the shopping belt are hopping onboard - twice the number compared to last year.

The association's executive director, Mr Steven Goh, said: "More than 100 establishments are also participating in one way or another by setting their temperatures at 24 deg C, by turning off non-essential lights, and by turning off the facade lighting. We are going to turn Orchard Road into a sea of candles."

Despite calls by the Singapore Government to ensure the efficient use of energy, implementing change across enterprises remains a key hurdle.

The country is ranked 21 on the WWF's Living Planet report, which measures humanity's dependence on the Earth's natural resources.

Mr Andy Ridley, co-founder of the Earth Hour global movement, said Singapore is a heavy consumer of energy.

But he said it has the potential to become a regional leader.

"It's one of the big hub cities on the planet, that's why we're launching here today. I believe strongly that the leadership is coming, I think it's a bit slow, but I believe it's happening. We just need to accelerate and the best way of doing that is for hundreds and millions of people to raise their voices at Earth Hour - in a hopeful way," Mr Ridley said.

He added that more are using online social media to spread the word - something he feels could be a powerful communication tool this year.

Earth Hour 2011 will take place at 8.30pm on Saturday, March 26, when Singaporeans are encouraged to switch off the lights for an hour.