In the article, 'Green buildings,
Singapore' natural ally for a greener future', MacKenzie (2017) stated that
green building designs portray a conducive environment for living and carry
significance to Singapore's counter against climate change. With the current
state of Singapore’s economic rise, buildings have generated increasing amount
of carbon emissions which significantly contributed to climate change. This
issue of carbon emissions, steered an opportunity to be countered through green
building designs and technologies. Asia Square is one example of an efficient
green building in Singapore which reduced energy consumption with its green
design concept. Applying bright colors, fully utilizing sunlight, using of
technology and selecting sustainable materials are design elements that should
be incorporated to counter climate change. MacKenzie also further states that
with the adoption of design and sustainability, Singapore guarantees the
reduction of environmental impacts by hosting events to spread awareness of
going green and enhancing ways to fight climate change.
Based on the points elaborated in
the article, I agree to a certain extent that green buildings play a key part
in fighting climate change in Singapore. However, in my opinion, investing and
building green buildings are not the only solution towards the reduction of
environmental impacts. It can also be further improved with the help of
Singapore’s community, contributing by ‘living green’ and adopting
environmental-friendly practices to their everyday routine.
In terms of statistics on global
emissions, Singaporeans played an essential role in contributing carbon
footprint. In the article ‘Climate change: Many think they can't make a
difference’, Tan (2018) stated that even though Singapore produced 0.11 per
cent of global emissions, it is ranked 26th out of 142 countries in terms of
emissions per capita. This is based on 2015 data from the International Energy
Agency. The results demonstrate that individuals in Singapore produce more than
the people in Britain, Switzerland or France in terms of carbon emissions.
There are a number of ways individuals and the community in Singapore could
make a direct impact in climate change and make simple steps to reduce carbon
footprint.
This can be done by applying the
3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle). Firstly, in reducing, individuals are
encouraged to use only with what they need. Few examples are done by buying energy efficient appliances with
‘Green Labels’, setting air conditioner at 25 degrees Celsius, switching off
appliances after use and using of public transport, cycling or walking.
Secondly, individuals can start
reusing things for the same purposes. For instance, using reusable stainless
steel metal straws instead of plastic straws when drinking, reusing the water
used for dishwashing to water the plants and bringing their own reusable
shopping bags when shopping.
And lastly, recycling. Recycling
helps in converting waste into useful products for other usage. This can be
done through recycling e-waste at designated e-waste recycling bins and
depositing recyclables into recycling bin. In a nutshell, individuals will be
able to reduce climate change significantly with these simple steps.
The awareness on how impactful
these simple steps are were not publicized efficiently. An article on ‘How simple lifestyle changes
can reduce your carbon footprint, help the environment’, Williams (2018) stated
a few ways that citizens did make a big impact in saving the environment in the
United States. ‘Recycling one aluminium can save 90 percent of the energy
required to make a new one. Taking mass transit, walking or biking can also
save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile a person doesn’t drive,
according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. New LED
light bulbs give the same light for 15 percent of electricity. Using them can
reduce your carbon footprint by 6 tons per year.
In conclusion, I believe that we
can further reduce carbon footprint not only with design planning for future
green buildings or large organisations to adjust to greener functionality but
also, involving the community to play a part in this fight against climate
change.
(685 words)
References:
At Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/waste-minimisation-and-recycling/at-home
Tan, A. (2018, January 26).
Climate change: Many think they can't make a difference. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/climate-change-many-think-they-cant-make-a-difference
Williams (2018) New York, NY.
Retrieved from https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/how-different-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-can-impact-the-environment/70002940
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