An Inconvenient Truth

Singapore, located near the equator, experiences a tropical climate and is not subjected to the four seasons of temperate regions. Geologically, we are sheltered by our neighbours from monsoon clouds, protected from the vast ocean waves, and situated in a relatively earthquake free zone. Due to this climate changes which are associated with global warming affect us to a milder extent as compared to the rest of the world.

While this is hardly an excuse to not take action, people tend to ignore unseen problems and focus more on the pressing problems of the present. In Singapore, our main problem is the shortage of water. There are policies which encourage the minimal use of our household utilities such as monetary fines imposed on households who exceed the recommended level set by the government. These policies, while not meant to reduce the problem of global warming, actually allow the power stations to generate less electricity and emit less greenhouse gases. There are also efforts to discourage the population from driving private cars such as increasing road taxes and the setting up of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries at busy areas where drivers of private vehicles need to pay when they drive through these gantries. The population is encourage to use public transport when they travel as they are more fuel efficient and hence emit less exhaust fumes into the atmosphere.

Most people will feel that the focus of environmental groups should be to create awareness, while the ones taking a harder stand will probably stage protests and such. Personally, I feel that these methods are difficult to apply in today's society. With so much immediate problems at hand, such as the global economic crisis, and terrorists disrupting the peace, there is hardly a ‘felt need’ to combat global warming. Perhaps environment groups should do their part and help combat against these threats, and the world can spare the effort to combat global warming.