Local group HEAT is looking for those who may have suffered the ill-effects of the haze, in a bid to take legal action against firms responsible for the smog. But doctors say it is difficult for anyone to prove his condition is a 100 per cent due to the haze.
Leong Wai Kit, News 5 Channel NewsAsia 1 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE: A volunteer group Haze Elimination Action Team (HEAT) is looking for Singaporeans who may have suffered the ill-effects of the haze, in a bid to take legal action against companies responsible for the smog. However, doctors have said it will be difficult for anyone to prove that his condition is a 100 per cent due to the haze.
Five-year-old Kayla Lim's skin flared up three weeks ago. Her parents said they took her to several doctors, all of whom blamed her condition on the haze. Kayla has had eczema since she was three, but her parents said this is her worst episode so far.
Kayla’s mother, Amber Lim, said: "She was bleeding. The pus came out and it's a bit smelly. What hit me the most was when I was in a shopping mall and there was this little girl who said 'Look at her skin!' Then I said to myself, I'm going to keep her indoors. She wanted to hug me but when I hug her, she would say 'Ouch, it's too painful, it's too painful’.
"And because we need to apply creams on her every hour, every time I want to apply the cream, she would beg me: 'Don't touch me, it's very painful', but I have no choice because if I don't apply it, it will flare up more."
For her latest bout of eczema, Kayla's medical costs have come up to about S$1,000. Her parents are more than willing to fork out the money, but they say there is a limit to what they can do.
Kayla’s father, Jason Lim, said: “My house windows and doors are all closed. The air purifier is running, the air-con is running, and I still can't protect her from this haze that's all around us. It's a mixture of helplessness and I guess, anger, that I can't do anything else to help her - short of taking her out of the country completely for this whole period, just to let Kayla's skin rest. I don't see any other option."
Even with groups such as HEAT trying to seek redress for those like Kayla, doctors Channel NewsAsia spoke to said it is very difficult to prove that a patient's condition is 100 per cent related to haze. For instance, if a person did not have bronchitis before, but contracted bronchitis during the haze period, doctors can say that the haze could be a contributing factor. Even then, doctors caution that it is hard to say it is 100 per cent the fault of the haze.
If a person has asthma, a pre-haze FEV1 test can be done to test a person' lung function and several of these tests will need to be conducted - one before, one during and one after the haze period. Again, doctors say the varying results cannot be 100 per cent conclusive as there are many other factors that could affect the outcome of the FEV1 test.
- CNA/ms
Firms move towards green procurement
Some companies are moving to ensure that their supplies are environmentally sustainable, as authorities are encouraging such practices.
Liyana Othman Channel NewsAsia 1 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE: The topic of green procurement has been in the spotlight in recent days, especially after the authorities said it is a way for the Government to influence the supply chains.
CapitaLand is an example of an organisation that practises green procurement. The property developer ensures all its paper supplies are certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).
"As a sustainable developer, we go beyond making our buildings environmentally sustainable. We actually operate our offices in a socially responsible manner,” explained CapitaLand’s Vice President for Environment, Health and Safety Foo Peng Er.
“One common item is copier paper. Our copier paper is FSC-certified. It means that it comes from sustainably managed forests. It includes certification of its chain of custody, which ensures that its source, its process and the chain of command, custody, goes through to the end buyer. So we are confident when we see that the paper is FSC-certified," he added.
To promote green procurement among more firms, the Environment and Water Resources Ministry is working with the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), starting with the public sector. There are also plans by the Council to eventually expand the practice to supermarkets.
Cold Storage supermarket, for instance, has already started to contact its suppliers to seek clarification on whether their products are sustainably procured. The supermarket chain said it shares its consumers' concerns about environmentally-friendly products.
Another supermarket chain, NTUC FairPrice, said it is supportive of the Government's efforts. It has also engaged with the authorities and its suppliers to find a long-term solution to the haze situation. FairPrice supermarkets already carry products that are certified for their eco-friendliness.
As part of its immediate plans, SEC will send letters to 2,800 companies this week to urge them to commit to buying only sustainable palm oil and pulp products. The companies are members of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF).
“By getting our member companies onboard this initiative, their partners and suppliers will hopefully be influenced to do the same. It is our intent to encourage member companies to embark on the journey towards responsible sourcing of palm oil, wood and pulp products. By working with SEC, we hope to reach out to the wider business community to ensure responsible procurement of resources,” said SMF’s Secretary-General, Lam Joon Khoi.
Mr Lam added: "This initiative is a continuous and progressive journey. We should not expect our members to change their business practices overnight, as some of them may have contractual obligations with their suppliers. The SEC can help businesses embark on this path of procuring and using sustainable palm oil and paper products."
SMF foresees some challenges in getting the companies to make the switch, as sustainably procured products are known to be costly.
However, Ms Foo said: "I think it may not just be about cost. It's about the long term. And in the long term, we want to live in a world that is sustainable for our next generations and we need to take action now."
- CNA/xq
More outdoor events cancelled as haze lingers
Today Online 1 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE — With the haze showing no signs of retreating from unhealthy or very unhealthy levels, more organisers were forced to cancel or postpone outdoor events today (Oct 1).
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said air quality is expected to span the high end of the unhealthy range, to around the mid-section of the very unhealthy range tomorrow, and may get worse if the wind blows denser haze in from parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan that are burning.
The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index was 149 to 190 (at the higher end of the unhealthy range) at 9pm today. The 1-hour PM2.5 level, which measures fine particulate matter, was 61 to 101 microgrammes per cubic metre.
Saturday’s edition of Pedestrian Night — an initiative to enliven the Orchard Road shopping stretch by closing part of it to vehicular traffic every first Saturday of each month — is off, announced the Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) today on its Facebook page.
The cancellation was out of consideration for the health and safety of employees, visitors and all street performers, ORBA said. Pedestrian Night promotions and shopping deals in malls will still be on offer to shoppers, who are advised to stay indoors and take the necessary precautions.
Instead, the stretch between the junction of Scotts and Paterson roads, and the junction of Orchard and Bideford roads will remain open to vehicles from 6pm to 11pm. Pedestrian Night is scheduled to take place again on Nov 7.
Another event scheduled for next Saturday was also postponed today. Diner en Blanc, a picnic where participants dress in white, will take place at a later date because of the haze, its organisers said on Facebook.
Entry passes and e-store items that have been purchased will remain valid for the rescheduled event and refunds will be processed on a case-by-case basis, with instructions to be provided when the new date is confirmed.
The organisers apologised for the inconvenience caused. Last year’s edition of Diner en Blanc was held in July at Sentosa’s Tanjong Beach and attended by about 3,000 people.
Earlier this week, the Spring Wave 2015 music festival that was to be held next Saturday at Fort Canning Green was also cancelled by organiser Friendly Dog Entertainment.
In a separate media advisory today, the NEA said rainfall for the first two weeks of October is likely to be below normal, with southwest monsoon conditions forecast to prevail. Short, thundery showers are likely on four to six days, mostly in the late morning and afternoon. Rainfall in September was below average in most parts of Singapore.
Pedestrian Night on Oct 3 cancelled due to haze
The next Pedestrian Night will take place on Nov 7, says the organiser.
Channel NewsAsia 1 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE: This Saturday's (Oct 3) Pedestrian Night at Orchard Road has been cancelled due to hazy conditions in Singapore, organiser Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) announced.
In a statement on Thursday (Oct 1), ORBA said this was "out of consideration for the health and safety of our staff, our visitors and all street performers," as the air quality continued to hover between the Unhealthy and Unhealthy ranges.
"With this cancellation, the Orchard Road stretch between Scotts / Paterson junction and Orchard Road / Bideford junction remain fully open to vehicular traffic from 6pm - 11pm," the association added.
Pedestrian Night takes place on the first Saturday night of every month, and a stretch along Orchard Road would be closed to traffic for various events, including live performances and flash sales.
The next Pedestrian Night will take place on Nov 7.
- CNA/hs
Below normal rainfall expected in first half of October
AsiaOne 1 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE - Singapore can expect to have short-duration of thundery showers for the first two weeks of October.
In a statement released by the National Environment Agency (NEA), thundery showers due to Sumatra winds can be expected on one to two days in the pre-dawn hours and early morning.
During this period, maximum temperatures of around 34 degrees Celsius can be expected on a few days, added NEA.
South-west Monsoon conditions are forecast to prevail with low level winds blowing predominantly from southeast or south-southwest.
According to NEA, thundery showers affected the island on some days mostly in the late morning and afternoon in September.
In a weather review by NEA from Sep 16 to 30, the heaviest rainfall occurred on Sep 15 where the highest recorded one-day rainfall was 93mm in Tuas.
The highest temperature record ranged from 34.2 to 34.5 degrees Celsius, while the lowest was recorded between 22.7 and 23.1 degrees Celsius during this period.
Most parts of Singapore received below average rainfall in Sep 2015, according to NEA.
The lowest rainfall of 42mm and 68mm (60 to 75 per cent below average) was recorded over the east areas of Singapore around Kallang and Changi.
Rainfall was highest over Tuas and around Seletar, where 190mm to 230mm (10 to 35 per cent above average) of rain was recorded by NEA.
