The question of whether Singapore should support Kirchoff’s claim is not accurate as Singapore is already doing its part in supporting the green revolution. What we should be looking into is whether the collaboration so far has brought fruit to us yet. The two articles I have found shows some truth to the question brought up so far.
Take for example the site from http://app.mewr.gov.sg/web/Contents/ContentsSSS.aspx?ContId=1208 . It lists out the stand that Singapore has taken in building energy efficient buildings. With the ‘Green Mark scheme’, introduced in January 2005, it has since set the standard for buildings in Singapore by shaping a sustainable built environment here. Furthermore, a Research and Development hub, that would be fully sustainable by itself labeled a ‘zero energy building’, would be launched this year with its sole purpose for improving the ‘green technology’ here in Singapore.
Next in line, the ‘Energy Smart Building Label Scheme’ was introduced to promote efficient energy usage, with the NEA and Energy Sustainability Unit (NUS) taking charge of evaluating the building in question and promoting good practices in energy performance within the the building sector.
Besides this, incentives have also been given out to companies to engage energy appraisals to improve the energy efficiency of their companies, with up to 50% of the cost to engage such services. Allowances of up to 50% have also been provided to help startup companies purchasing energy efficient equipment.
In the second article, the article reports of the welcoming gesture the government has of allowing ‘green’ vehicles to be used on the local roads; LTA’s approval of a new electrical scooter to be brought in and marketed by a local company. The vehicle can be charged from any electrical outlet and is said to give savings of up to $1300 per annum. However, this consideration was made by the company with the reason being Singapore’s ‘self-contained’ state and the little urban sprawl here. With future plans to provide solar power to account for the ‘increase’ usage of electricity, it is encouraging to know that even a small company would have such big plans for implementing green technology into a small country like Singapore.
In my point of view, these two articles provide a very good outlook of the prospects of ‘green chemistry’ involvement in Singapore. The government’s role in making it a point to make new buildings energy efficient and the involvement of small companies to bring in green technology is an indication of the influence the government has generated to its country. However, although Singapore has the economic resources, manpower, knowledge and technology to improve upon this current trend, according to article two, the author states that the problem today is to overcome Singaporeans’ slowness to embrace green technology.
Sustainable - to keep up or keep going, as an action or process: to sustain a conversation.
Energy Appraisal – Evaluating the energy efficiency
Self Contained – An enclosed area
Urban Sprawl – A spread out urban area
Fairly small niche market – A narrowly targeted market
“Sustainable Singapore: A Lively and Liveable City”
“Energy Efficient Buildings” 25 Aug 2008
http://app.mewr.gov.sg/web/Contents/ContentsSSS.aspx?ContId=1208
“Going green with electric scooters”
The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Ltd.
“Coming: Electric scooter” 14 January 2009
http://www.home-in-singapore.sg/sgp/cms.www/content.aspx?sid=780
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I like the way that you gave clear facts and examples about how green chemistry can be implemented in singapore. In your last paragraph, you stated that Singaporeans are slow to embrace green technology but did not explain why.
ReplyDeleteIt is very helpful that the government is actually subsidising 50% of the cost for companies to buy energy efficient equipment, but what happens if the cost of running such machines is more expensive to run. This could make companies less interested and back out from such schemes.
ReplyDeleteI am not very sure whether we should use hyperlink text in our essay (e.g. Yew Fatt used http://app.mewr.gov.sg/web/Contents/ContentsSSS.aspx?ContId=1208 in his content). Seriously, I do not know how are we going to refer to the content without using Yew Fatt's way of referring.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, I feel that your article is well-written. Keep it up!