Monday May 30, 2005

Singapore government conducts environmental survey

Just received this in my mailbox :

As part of the Singapore Green Plan 2012 Review, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) is seeking public feedback on significant environmental issues in an extensive online environmental survey.

For the first time, it aims to gain a better insight into peoples' habits and perceptions and the kind of environmental strategies they are willing to support. Members of the public who take the survey can stand a chance to win a $5 Borders Electronic Gift Card, while stocks last.

In the free-form text areas asking about suggestions on improving air quality, I wrote :

1. Carry out much stronger enforcement, introduce harsher laws for owners of smoky vehicles, especially commercial diesel vehicles and motorcycles.
2. Implement and enforce anti-idling laws to deter vehicle owners from keeping their vehicle engines idling while parked. SBS buses idling at bus interchanges should not be exempt.
3. Enhance tax incentives for people who wish to buy cleaner vehicles, especially hybrid-electric vehicles. However, under the current taxation schemes, a 1.5L hybrid car costs as much as a normal 2.0L car - 99% of potential owners will and do obviously go for the 2.0L models. Exempt electric drivetrain and hybrid components from taxation in order to narrow the price differential.

As for the recycling section, I weighed in with :

1. Recycling bins are almost nowhere to be found in the HDB housing estates, where the majority (over 80%) of the citizens live. They should be introduced - even if via private efforts (let companies bid for collection rights).
2. This goes against the nature of our "throw-away" society, but efforts must be made to promote reuse and repair, instead of "throw away and buy a new one". If the government does nothing, the market may take care of that in a drastic way - via exponential increases in basic commodity prices, leading to runaway inflation and hence sharp rises in the prices of new, finished goods.

- Now, let's see if I get the $5 Borders "electronic gift card". If I do get it, let's see, should I use it to purchase my own copy of Richard Heinberg's The Party's Over or Powerdown, or Matt Simmons' Twilight in the Desert, or Jim Kunstler's The Long Emergency? Hmm. I wonder if they do carry those in the first place, anyway.

(2005-05-30 22:24:17 SGT) [Env] Permalink Comments [1]

Peak Oil on MSNBC News front page

peakoil.com -> msnbc.msn.com

Peak Oil is now the first item in the Business section on the MSNBC News front page. According to Google News, the original AP article by Matt Crenson has now been syndicated on over 200 mainstream news outlets. The story is also front page or business section news on many newspapers across the United States.

The timing of the AP article is pretty interesting, coming as it is just as the traditional summer driving season in the USA is set to begin. Of course, the context would be a lot more interesting if crude prices are simultaneously hitting $60, but I think we're probably on the way there anyway.

The folks over at peakoil.com are complaining that MSNBC *had* to throw in the EIA graph that may mislead people into thinking that the peak is far away, but the editors probably might have thought that carrying the ASPO graph would cause some panic. Of course, regular readers and members of the community know that it is the *ASPO* graph which is more likely to be right. Who knows? One day, the ASPO graph might be the front-page item - *then* we'll see what happens next.

See also :

1. Peak Oil on Yahoo News front page

(2005-05-30 11:27:01 SGT) [Energy] Permalink

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