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]

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