From The Straits Times, Aug 13 2007

To stop global warming, each individual's carbon dioxide emissions cannot exceed 2 to 2.5 tonnes a year. At present, each Singaporean emits about 9 tonnes a year. Is it possible to live a zero- or low-carbon life here?

RECENTLY, I embraced a new religion. For a week, I resolved to live by its strict doctrine.

I'm not talking about some new cult, but the green movement that has gripped the world's attention lately.

Climate change needs no introduction. The 75 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) spewed into the atmosphere daily has been blamed for global warming.

Resolving to do my part, I embarked on living a 'carbon- neutral week' - that is, to live my life in such a way that it does not result in any CO2 emissions.

I first had to calculate my annual and weekly carbon footprint.

The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) website, everydaysuperhero.sg , provides a list of calculators that convert utility bills and transport use into CO2 emissions.

Then, last week, I executed a low-carbon, energy-saving strategy I formulated from some top green websites online.

I made an extra effort to car-pool (I am a sinner/owner of a 1.6-litre car), took the bus on my assignments, walked to buy my groceries, used only reusable bags at the shops, had my own plastic container for take-away food, ate vegetarian, bought local products and carefully checked the labels on things I consumed.

I received intriguing reactions from people. But nothing prepared me for the profound yet subtle change that took hold of the way I thought about everything.

For the first time, I reflected on how every single object is made.

I started asking myself questions like: How much energy was used to produce it? Is it environmentally friendly? Can I recycle it?

I thought about the food I used to eat without a moment's thought. Where did it come from? What are the 'food miles' of this apple?

(Food miles is a measure of the distance a food item travels from field to plate, which indicates the CO2 released during transport.)

The constant interaction of all these different elements daily made me realise what a difference we can all make if we think about our choices a little more.

The real challenge, I realised, was to get everyone on the same wavelength.

Acquiring a 'green conscience' doesn't happen overnight. Paving a green culture for an entire country will take even longer.

The other day, I had lunch with my colleagues and got laughed at for having a falafel (no meat) burger 'in the name of sustainability'.

I was labelled 'tree-hugger', 'hippie', 'greenie', which I did not mind, but it only showed how people in the mainstream still view environmentally conscious people as an 'other' and a minority.

When I offered my own container for a take-away lunch last week, the canteen owner at the cash register did a double-take and exclaimed loudly in Mandarin: 'Wah! If only everyone is like you, I can save money and not buy so many plastic boxes.'

Truth is, being green and making money can go together.

During my low-carbon week, I saved money by being a vegetarian and buying local produce whenever I could.

When I did drive, I took care not to floor my accelerator, and saved petrol.

At home, I switched off appliances usually in 'standby' mode, such as the TV, and had the fan spinning rather than the air-conditioner when I slept.

When my utility bill arrives this month, I know I will be rewarded.

For all my efforts, I managed to reduce my weekly footprint from 179kg to 98kg. If I keep it up, my emissions for the year will drop from 9.1 tonnes to 5.3 tonnes.

At the end of the week, I also donated $32 to www.carbonfootprint.com, to plant a tree in Kenya which will offset 750kg of my emissions in its lifetime.

Keeping to my regime, and if I also pay for a new tree every 15 weeks, the target of 2.5 tonnes can be attained.

To be honest, short of offsetting one's emissions with trees, living a zero carbon life in Singapore is impossible.

But reducing it dramatically is not difficult.

And the truth is, the more people get on board, the easier it will become for all.

Green advocate Howard Shaw, the SEC's executive director, agrees.

He noted that awareness of carbon footprints in Singapore started only recently, but 'people are starting to see how everything is connected'.

'The big picture is really how we live our daily lives, and how this has a direct impact on what happens on this planet,' he said.

Anyone who wants to play a part should go to a climate change website, and start making lifestyle changes such as using public transport, and switching to energy-efficient appliances, he said.

When I met former United States vice-president Al Gore last week, he quoted an old proverb I found very apt: 'If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.'

The climate crisis requires us to go far, and quickly, he said. The question is, are we willing to go the distance?


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TO STOP global warming, everyone needs to reduce his carbon emissions to roughly 2.5 tonnes a year, from his current average. The worldwide average currently stands at 4 tonnes, while in developed countries, it is 11. Singapore's average is about 9 currently. In the United States, it is 19; Australia, 17; Japan, 9.5; and Malaysia and Hong Kong, about 5.