The Online Citizen A Community of Singaporeans aLgae
aLgae is a member of ECO Singapore, hoping to bring forward the gravity of the climate change issue in Copenhagen this December. The group is part of the International Youth Climate Movement (IYCM) at the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) 15th Conference of Parties (COP15).
Most green discussions nowadays focus on the “fierce urgency of now”. Taking a look around Singapore, we do not see much flurry amongst Singaporeans, to retrofit all their incandescent light-bulbs to the latest energy-efficient LED lamps, etc.; nor do we see tree-huggers advocating their cause on Orchard Road.
These lack of “green enthusiasm”, or simply “inactions”, are often interpreted to reflect the “bo-chap” attitude of the typical Singaporean.Thankfully however, we still have some saving grace, as some common features around Singapore have been referred to “exemplary” installations during some side events of COP15.
See below snapshots of presentation slides by Mr. Jens Laustsen (Senior Energy Policy Analyst, International Energy Agency, IEA) and give a little applause where it is due. Everybody needs a little encouragement now and again, and recognition of good work drives them to seek higher standards.
That said, a Carbon-Neutral Society is not made overnight, so Singapore still has a lot of work to do, just like all the other countries. I do hope though, that the typical Singaporean does not continue his laid-back approach and leave all the hard work to the governmental agencies. We are all in this together. We should all play our part. We must all care about the earth. It is the only home we’ve got.
Climate change is a result of human actions, and it should no longer be a blaming-game. Only with everybody’s unified and dedicated contribution can we ensure that the next generation has a chance at survival.
This article was originally published at http://unfcccecosingapore.wordpress.com/