Ignore climate change? Singapore has much to lose
Republic must take the problem seriously as its eco-friendly reputation is at stake: MM Lee
Kor Kian Beng, Straits Times 5 Nov 08;
THE stakes are high for Singapore in its efforts to stay clean and green.
With its small size, the island-state may not be able to make a difference to the global effort of tackling the climate change problem.
But Singapore cannot afford to do nothing either.
That could affect its reputation as an eco-friendly city and lead to possible repercussions, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said yesterday.
Speaking at the Singapore Energy Conference, which is part of the inaugural International Energy Week being held here, he explained why Singapore had to keep at its efforts.
'The point is, if we don't do this, we lose our status as a clean, green city and we'll lose our business and lose our extra premium for being an unusual city.'
But MM Lee also painted a grim picture of the global situation over climate change several times in his remarks and during a dialogue with the 400 delegates.
The world, including Singapore, will be in 'deep trouble' if major economies like China, India and the United States do not start taking climate change seriously within the next two decades, he said, noting that the Europeans have started to do so.
Said MM Lee: 'If they get the message within 10, 15 years as this thing progresses, then I think there's hope that all is not lost. There will be a worldwide agreement between all major consumers of energy to some limits. If it comes too late, if it comes 30, 40 years in time, then I think we're all in deep trouble.'
In the meantime, Singapore must 'hope for the best, but prepare for something less than the best', including exploring renewable energy options. And it must continue its efforts to be environmentally friendly, as it has been doing since the early independence years.
'In this little island, we've got to keep pollution down because there's no way to say, 'These are high-quality areas, that's a low-quality area'. If you pollute one part, you've polluted the whole of it.'
He was asked later what was preventing Singapore from joining a list of developed countries that have pledged to cut emissions by an average of 5 per cent from 1990 levels by the year 2012.
MM Lee replied that Singapore's domestic carbon footprint per capita is low.
'The problem is, as a small economy, we got to do these things because it's economic for us to take these high carbon footprint industries which the more developed countries do not want, and then we export the products.'
But Singapore may not need to rely on these sectors in the future if diversification into high-tech industries pays off.
'We are heading for more R&D, not only in the products which we can use, but in the products which we can help others use.
'We are moving as far as we can into a more knowledge-intensive economy, but if we move too fast, you create unemployment for people working in factories, then you get voted out.'
What about changing people's lifestyles and reducing their energy consumption, instead of looking for alternative energy supplies, suggested National University of Singapore final-year mechanical engineering student Chean Yujun, 24.
MM Lee agreed and offered several ways to bring down energy consumption.
One is to learn from the Japanese how to minimise the amount of energy used to make a product.
Another is to rein in the use of air-conditioning, which he said is the biggest consumer of electricity in homes.
He gave the thumbs up to HDB heartlanders who have started to switch off air-conditioners at night now that electricity prices have risen.
He himself switches off the lights and tells staff to turn off the air-conditioner when leaving the office, but 'unfortunately some of them are connected to the whole grid, so those who are using the rooms also lose the cooling'.
Here is where innovative ideas can come into play, he said, recounting an experience in a hotel he stayed at in Turkey.
The room lights went off if he stood still and came on only when he moved about.
MM Lee said the manager told him this was because there were motion sensors in the room. 'Well, that's a clever gadget. I think we should find the equivalent of that for the air-conditioner.'
No space for nuclear plant here
Straits Times 5 Nov 08;
NUCLEAR energy is the best alternative to fossil fuels, but the problem for Singapore is the country is too small to safely house a nuclear power plant.
More than other options such as wind, wave and solar energy, nuclear energy is 'the real alternative that can produce the electricity generation to match oil and gas', Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew told energy experts, academics and policymakers yesterday.
He indicated that the Government had thought about possible locations: Pedra Branca island east of Singapore, or on a floating platform out at sea. This was because international standards require a 30km-wide safety zone around a nuclear plant. This is a big problem in a small country like Singapore.
He was responding to a question on whether Singapore can do more to promote environmentally friendly technology, like electric cars.
Such cars had to be charged regularly, and this requires a source like nuclear energy, 'but where do we site this nuclear station?
'I was thinking at one time, perhaps we have a floating platform and put a nuclear station there. And when it blows up, you move it a few kilometres away from us,' he said to laughter.
Another idea he spoke about earlier was to build it on Pedra Branca, which houses the Horsburgh Lighthouse.
'They say, okay, there's Horsburgh Lighthouse. It's more than 30km away. We reclaim land, plonk it there. But then it's less than 30km away from the Malaysian coast. They will be worried.'
This led him to his point that regional countries need to cooperate on energy. One way is to have a common power grid and pipelines.
'If we understand the complexity and the immensity of the problems the world faces, and which we will face in South-east Asia, then we should have a common grid and a common pipeline so that it's transferable,' he said.
He recognised there were difficulties. Oil, gas and electricity prices differ. Malaysia and Indonesia provide subsidies while Singapore relies on the market to control energy consumption.
'These are problems which will take some time to resolve. Somehow we must find some way. Sooner or later they will come to the conclusion...that this problem can be better resolved if we have a common grid and common pipelines.'
KOR KIAN BENG
MM Lee says ASEAN can cooperate to have common grid and pipeline
Ca-Mie De Souza, Channel NewsAsia 4 Nov 08;
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said ASEAN will need to cooperate to have a common grid and pipeline, especially in the face of the world's immense environmental problems.
Mr Lee was speaking at the Inaugural Singapore Energy Lecture, part of the International Energy Week, which drew some 2,500 participants.
He acknowledged that removing government subsidies for electricity and fuel will be a difficult step for Malaysia and Indonesia. But citing Singapore's example, he said pricing is an effective tool to control consumption.
Mr Lee said: "I hope our neighbours also come to the conclusion that we are forced to cooperate. If we understand the complexity and immensity of the problems the world faces, (and which we will face in Southeast Asia), then we should have a common grid, common pipeline so that it's transferable."
On Asia's giants, he said China and India need to realise that if they despoil the environment, their actions will impact them.
Mr Lee said: "If they get that message within 10, 15 years, then I think there's hope, all is not lost. If it comes too late, if it comes 30, 40 years we are all in trouble, because I do not believe that they will be able to reach European levels of sensitivity (to the environment) any time within one or two decades."
Mr Lee's comments on India drew a question from India's Science and Technology Minister, Kapil Siba, who stood up to defend his country's commitment to preventing climate change.
Mr Lee replied that India, like China, subsidises energy, which does nothing to curb consumption.
Nevertheless, China is showing interest to do something in the medium term as seen in its joint eco-city project in Tianjin with Singapore.
For India, it will be some time before the country - where 80 per cent of its population are still in villages - begins to develop and become a main contributor to global warming.
Turning to the US, Mr Lee said the country ought to lead the way as it is a big energy consumer. But, he said, America is not motivated to cut consumption until a lesson hits it hard.
Mr Lee said: "It's a slow process, if it can happen within 20 years, we will be lucky."
And the environment will not be a priority for the incoming president who has his plate full with domestic issues.
As for alternative energy sources for Singapore, Mr Lee said tapping on wind and tides are not much of an option.
But his musings as to where to site a possible nuclear plant, with at least a 30-kilometre radius, drew laughter from the audience.
"There's Horsburgh lighthouse. (laughter) It's more than 30 km away - we reclaim land there and plonk it there. But it's less than 30 km from the Malaysian coast. (laughter) They will be worried," Mr Lee said.
Singapore's International Advisory Panel on Energy, who are in town for the International Energy Week, had recommended that Singapore not rule out nuclear energy.
On a question if Singaporeans would be ready to pay more for renewable energy sources, the minister mentor said Singaporeans are cost-conscious.
"They don't care where the energy comes from," he said. Singaporeans are concerned about which source is the cheapest, he added.
Mr Lee was also asked about the barriers hindering Singapore joining the Annex I countries of the Kyoto Protocol, which basically agree to reduce their emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, to target levels below their 1990 emissions levels.
Mr Lee said that if it is based solely on energy used in the domestic sector, Singapore has complied with Annex I.
But Singapore does not have a choice, as it has its export sector, including shipping and petrochemicals which contribute to the higher carbon footprint.
"We are moving as far as we can into a more knowledge-intensive economy, but if we move too fast, you create unemployment for people working in factories, then you get voted out," he explained, to laughter from the audience.
On other alternatives, Mr Lee said it does not make sense to turn food into biofuels. And so it boils down to what each and everyone must do.
Mr Lee said: "We have to accept that we are all passengers on this one planet and if we don't reduce this consumption of carbon energy, we are in serious trouble."
The minister mentor said there are limits to what technology and man's ingenuity can do. Hence, countries will have to control energy consumption, keep it down, keep population growth down, at a level which the world can sustain.
- CNA/ir
One day, a regional energy grid?
But neighbouring countries’ oil subsidies won’t make this easy, says MM
Lin Yanqin, Today Online 5 Nov 08;
BILLIONS may be poured into researching clean energy technology, but the little things done to consume efficiently will help make a difference too, said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
He was responding to a National University of Singapore student who pointed out that there was more focus on trying to meet demand for energy rather than lowering consumption, at the Singapore Energy Conference yesterday.
For example, the glass windows on the corridors at the Istana were tinted to minimise the amount of energy needed to cool the place, said Mr Lee. “There are limits to what man’s ingenuity can do, so let’s consume less ... and live within the limits of what the world can sustain.”
Asked for his views on Singapore becoming a global centre for test-bedding new technology such as electric cars — an International Advisory Panel on Energy had recently suggested this in its recommendations —Mr Lee said it was possible, but charging these cars still required carbon energy.
“So then, we go back to nuclear (power), but where do we site this nuclear station?” he said.
It is a safety requirement that nuclear stations be sited 30 kilometres from cities. On this basis, Singapore has ruled-out the nuclear option, but a member of the advisory panel on Monday had said the idea should not be dismissed.
Yesterday, Mr Lee said, evoking laughter from the 500-strong audience: “I was thinkingat one time of a floating platform, and build the station there, and when it blows up, we can move it 30 kilometres away from us.”
But, even as Singapore does what it can to improve energy efficiency, it would take the rest of world to play their part — especially big energy consumers like the United States, China and India.
And without experiencing the consequences of climate change, countries will not feel the urgency to act, said Mr Lee.
For example, Europe’s first-handexperience of such effects — like the deadly heatwave that hit France in 2003 — had made them more responsive. In contrast, the United States, being accustomed to natural disasters, seemed to feel less “panicked”. The world would be “lucky” if the message of taking action registered within the next 20 years, added Mr Lee.
As for South-east Asia, Singapore and its neighbours could work better together, and build a common grid or gas pipeline. But such plans would be impeded by, for instance, the oil subsidies in Malaysia and Indonesia which, if removed, would generate protests and riots.
“But sooner or later, they will come to conclusion to that we have already reached, that this problem will be better resolved with a common pipeline or grid,” he said.
MM Lee ponders nuclear energy option
But Singapore's small size stands in the way, he says
Lee U-Wen, Business Times 5 Nov 08;
(SINGAPORE) Could nuclear energy be the solution to Singapore's search for a viable source of alternative energy in the long term?
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said as much yesterday when he described nuclear energy as a realistic, viable alternative to oil and gas for producing electricity.
The stumbling block, however, is that even if the decision was made eventually to build a nuclear power station, the densely populated and compact Republic lacks the minimum safety distance required for evacuation in case of a fallout.
'The rule is that you must have the power station at least 30 km away . . . Where do we site this nuclear station?' asked Mr Lee as he delivered the inaugural Singapore Energy Lecture as part of the ongoing International Energy Week being held here.
Separately, Mr Lee also said that Singapore would eventually be 'forced to cooperate' with its neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia, in this alternative energy effort. 'If we all understand the complexity and the immensity of the problems the world faces, and what we will face in South-east Asia, then we should have a common pipeline and common grid so that (the energy) is transferrable.'
On Monday, members of the high-powered International Advisory Panel on Energy, which met for the first time, proposed that nuclear power could form part of Singapore's evolving energy strategy. This suggestion, among others, is already being studied by the government.
The panel also said that nuclear research and even a nuclear power plant should not be left out of Singapore's range of long-term solutions, even as the long-term costs and safety and waste management issues had yet to be carefully studied.
In his 75-minute dialogue with a 500-strong audience at the Raffles City Convention Centre, Mr Lee said that Singapore's options for alternative energy were severely limited, with no wind power or strong tides that could generate power.
Singapore is already venturing into solar energy, with Norway's Renewable Energy Corporation already starting construction on a $6.3 billion solar cell plant in Tuas View.
Even so, Mr Lee wondered about the plant's ability to satisfy the country's energy needs.
'The Norwegians are seeking investments for the solar plant, to do research and development. But how much (energy) can it supply? Whatever it is, we have got to try every little way to minimise the use of carbon fuels.'
Last month, the Energy Market Authority said that while solar power has some potential, it realistically could not replace more than a small proportion of Singapore's energy needs. Solar is also more expensive than electricity generated from natural gas, although the technology is still improving and costs are gradually coming down, said the statutory board.
During the question-and-answer portion of the dialogue, Mr Lee was asked whether he felt Singaporeans were ready to pay more for renewable energy - energy generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat - which are all naturally replenished.
To which the Minister Mentor replied: 'Singaporeans are cost-conscious. They don't care where the energy comes from, they just want to know which is the cheaper option.'
This quarter, electricity tariffs in Singapore went up by 21 per cent - the highest one-time increase in nearly seven years. Tariffs, which are reviewed every three months, have soared for five consecutive quarters since July 2007 due to rising oil prices.
Mr Lee went on to say how the government had tried its best to encourage more drivers here to switch to energy-efficient hybrid cars, a move that has been met with a lukewarm response so far because of the higher costs involved.
'We have reduced the taxes, but Singaporeans have decided, 'No, we'll take the non-hybrids,' said Mr Lee.
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