Stating the obvious…. PM Lee better not be NATO since we pay so much taxes for such “world-class” government

“”… limiting our car population, and switching to natural gas for electricity generation. As a result we have significantly improved our carbon intensity, which by 2006 was approximately 30% below 1990 levels.”

Really… limiting our car population? I cannot imagine. There are so much more cars on the road today.

16 years from 1990 to 2006 to get approx 30% below the level of 1990, so basically approx 2% per year? How were these figures arrived at?

“In spite of these early actions and our severe lack of alternative energy options, …”

Lack of alternative energy options? Is this for real? Many alternative energy options have been around for the last decade or so. Solar Energy panels, solar heating systems are only some of the examples. Have Singapore really studied into such systems?

‘ We must adopt a pragmatic and sustainable approach, doing what is practical and sensible, while being mindful of the very real costs and trade-offs.’

We pay you over SGD 3 million dollars to spew this crap. So will you or will you not commit? Tired of hearing ‘we cannot compromise growth’ BS again. Only with higher costs will people wake up to the reality of global warming. It’s like saying you can have cheap oil but you won’t end up consuming more. Can’t have it both ways.

full of loopholes in this speech. The most obvious is the claim that Singapore is a developing state. Not when it comes to carbon emission. Singapore ranks as a high carbon emitter comparable to developed countries. When the government of Singapore wants to promote the state as a business/ travel destination, it is quick to point out that it is ‘world-class’ but when it comes to responsibilities, it wants to join the bandwagon of developing states. The leaders should make up their minds and be really responsible for their actions.

He must be a product of “Model Answers”…. infact, this is exactly how I will answer too :-) can I run for PM? I am not a non-chinese, so I am eligible?

theres’s a saying…

(even if you don’t speak, no one will think that your mute)

for our dear leader case. i have no idea why he bother putting out a statement..
is singapore the size of the UK,US and China?

For f…sake stop making any more pointless statement like his father…

Its one think to put up with the annoying high pay of wankers, its another to hear than embarrassing singapore.

sorry… i will retrack the pervious comment… I DON”T WANT to run for PM.
just have someone knocking on my door…. looks govermental :-) scares me.

so now we are a country.

He can start by asking his father to not demand that the aircon be set to 22 degrees Celcius wherever he goes.

It seems to me that we are getting our every own George Bush jr…by the minute.
spewing BUSHISM every now and then.

I thought the award for Captain Obvious should go to Wong Kan Seng when he said after Mas Selemat escape that he is either in singapore or he has fled the island.
Asked which was the more likely, Mr Wong told The Straits Times: ‘It’s very hard to say. Both scenarios are plausible. Maybe the second one is more plausible.’

but I say PM LEE wins it hands down…

“In announcing our target, we join a number of OUR FELLOW DEVELOPING COUNTRIES in contributing to a strong agreement in Copenhagen.”

Hey! We’re a developing country again!

Developing country. What a convenient way of downgrading responsibility!

Why must economic growth be the all important holy grail in decision making? Frankly specking, I don’t give a shlt about economic growth. The sigificance of 4-6 percent GDP growth is just of negligible consequence to me! Will I spent more when our GDP increase? NO! But climate change, that is definitely something that all of us can feel.

isnt the law arrogance guy was saying we are a city not long ago?

oh! now we are ‘developing country’.

not bad huh!

the govt is a big hypocrite when it comes to saving the enviroment. for decades we had HDB do the upgrading programmes where good and in working condition windows, grills, toilet/bathroom tiles, doors etc were thrown away, hacked and destroyed. there was no incentive by the govt to reduce the tremendous waste of resources and materials because HDB has a stupid policy of every flat paying the same cost, so residents just go for the full package regardless of whether the item being replaced is still in good condition.

imagine over the years, the amount of waste generated by this policy. and now we have this PM talking about reducing carbon emission, what crap is he talking, stop the wastage happening in his own backyard first.

Perhaps the leaders of the world would like to hear something they do not know?

Perhaps they would like to hear something profound or creative that can generate ideas or positive impact on the world?

“Well, who do we have next that perhaps can motivate us just a teeny weeny bit more?” the leaders might ask.

NEXT!

Yes. Singapore is a developing country but with PM’s salary more than 10 times that of developed countries including USA.

And PM Lee is so keen on the F1 (cutting ribbon or giving trophies every year), how to care about the pollution from F1?

To 9) No More on December 18th, 2009 10.08 am

“He can start by asking his father to not demand that the aircon be set to 22 degrees Celcius”

Very good point. Our Ministers really NATO

FYI it is much worse than that, MM needs 18 degrees temperature all the time (then he wear a thick sweater??)

Take a deep breath and read this Reuters report. Obviously LHL can do something about the emissions from our incinators. Take note that these incinators and power plants emit smoke almost every night from about 7pm to about 6am the next day. Why emitting smoke under the cover of the night? your guess is as good as mine.

Trash and burn: Singapore’s waste problem
Gillian Murdoch

………………….

Untroubled by the festering mounds of pungent tropical garbage that frequently pile up in its less-developed neighbors, clean, green and super-efficient Singapore’s unique rubbish headache stems from its small size and high population density.

Incinerators have met with public resistance in neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia, and have been banned in the Philippines because of perceived health risks.

But the plants are sacred cows in Singapore, which opened its first in 1979, little commented on or questioned.

“Singaporeans understand and accept that because land is scarce, incineration is one of the most cost effective ways of waste disposal, as it can reduce the volume of waste by up to 90 percent,” the NEA said in a statement.

Other proponents stress that the four waste-to-energy plants scattered in the south, centre and north, recover enough heat from the combustion process to generate power equal to lighting up the city three times over.

“Some people think that incineration is just merely a destruction method, but it’s not true,” said Poh Soon Hoong, General Manager of the S$900 million ($659 million) Tuas South Incineration Plant, Singapore’s largest, which burns up to 3,000 tonnes of trash a day.

“We actually generate power. The plants produce two to three percent of the total power generated in Singapore.”

For critics, however, Singapore’s set-up is a dirty mess.

“Waste incineration sounds like a pretty good idea if you don’t really look into it too deeply,” said Neil Tangri, of the international Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance (GAIA).

“It’s power, it gets rid of this problem we have… but it creates dioxins where none existed before. Dioxin is known to increase rates of cancer growth… An incinerator is a major contributor to a whole range of major health problems,” he said.

For Greenpeace Southeast Asia Director Von Hernandez, the plants fly in the face of the green goal of resource conservation.

“Incineration does not really make the waste disappear, it transforms the problem into a formidable pollution problem,” said Hernandez, who led the world’s first successful campaign to ban the technology in his native Philippines.

“If you look at this model, from harvesting resources to selling them, disposing of them, it’s a linear model. In fact we should be looking at circular models to bring back some of this stuff to nature, and conserve materials.”

“In a small country like Singapore, inevitably, their landfill space will run out and they will have to find other ways of dealing with the problem,” he said.

…….

In the meantime, normalizing the idea of recycling through legislation would help, he said.

“Right now in Singapore recycling is not legislated. In Europe, everyone separates organics, everyone recycles, it’s legislated.”

source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSP9046620080522

I thought limiting our car population was to cut traffic congestion. If the PM is serious, he should encourage the use of electric cars by reducing taxation on them, and funding courses on electric car maintenace. Problem is, the cost of electric will shoot through the roof if all cars go electric. Second problem is, burning fossil fuel is not green either. Oh, what about building more cycle paths?

And have schools talk about ‘green’ topics? How much electricity do we use to boil a kettle of water and an average household boils how many kettles of water? Is boiled water really necessary for adults to drink? In Spore, this could be potentially a huge contribution to carbon emission. Is anybody studying into this sort of thing?

As far as I know, nobody even care or is aware about the environmental unfriendliness of plastic bags they use at supermarkets. The Govt can play a leading role by making supermarts charge 5 cents for each plastic bag. All shoppers need to do is bring a basket or own shopping bags. I am doing this and actually I like my own basket and shopping bag which are much tougher than the plastic bags. It becomes a habit, a way of life once you do it.

I think the richest should spend the most to help reduce co2.

the poorest can do the least. since the co2 they cause might be very little.

tax the rich more to help reduce co2.

19) Shake head

Electric cars and hybrids are not the means to an end to pollution through private car ownership. Changing the material status of car ownership is far too complex and weaved into our culture to be changed immediately.

Like how cycling is considered a poor man’s option even though it is easily one of the least expensive ways to encourage people to take to the roads. What the government seems to not understand when it comes to implementing many policies of theirs is that most Singaporeans do not need the most fabulous (as in expensive) trails, just a safe option through public education for both motorists and cyclists. It is like their constant re-paving of pedestrians walkways when there are no visible cracks; how pampered and how much of a waste of money and resources is this?

On the generation of electricity, the information we do have on hand regarding alternate sources of energy are sophisticated enough to implement (and it’s not like we lack money to implement them), and many companies would jump on easily if there was an initial soft landing in terms of costs through, say, taxes. It does not appear to affect us but there is a growing energy industry which Singaporeans should be encouraged to jump in on as a nation with no actual natural resources.

I’m not fully aware of how much natural gas is responsible for pollution (if any), and maybe the idea that pegging electricity prices to oil would deter over-consumption works on paper (regardless, I’m against the idea of privatising public utilities as with transport, etc). If this was the reasoning, it is just irresponsible to control emission through this method because what we need to tackle is changing the mentality of Singaporeans.

On boiled water, I’d rather wish for more public fountains (just simple ones, see above on crazy designs and high costs) so people who carry bottles can just refill them instead of buying a new bottle. I’m accustomed to boiling water, but not only to use as drinking water but also to make coffee/tea/milo. I doubt it contributes that much even though it helps.

Developing forever!!!!!! Seems like we will never become developed. Never reach even the puberty state as well… haha :)

“These include increasing our green cover, limiting our car population, and switching to natural gas for electricity generation. As a result we have significantly improved our carbon intensity, which by 2006 was approximately 30% below 1990 levels.”

Then why they increase electricity price, they said it is peg to oil price? Talk cock sing song veri cleber.

Cycling is to be encouraged…. but instead PM wants us to buy cars.

LHL, if we are indeed a developing nation, then why are you and your famiLEE being paid salaries triple that of the PRESIDENT of a DEVELOPED WORLD LEADING NATION ???!

Stop acting like a sissy and be like a man for once, please. And stop spewing nonsense infront of world leaders who are more deserving of the salaries you and your cronies shamefully draw from our taxes.

16) Peter Tan ,

“And PM Lee is so keen on the F1 (cutting ribbon or giving trophies every year), how to care about the pollution from F1?”

Yep, LHL and his infamous “all our ppl will be putting up chillies and onions to prevent the rain” comment during F1. After more than a year, I still can’t believe he uttered such rubbish and yet still feel he deserve >$3M per annum ? Siah Suay big time !

soojenn:

The answer to your question is that carbon intensity measures emissions per dollar GDP. Of course our carbon emissions have increased year on year for the last few decades. The fact that our carbon intensity decreased simply means that between 1990 and 2006, emissions rose at a slower rate than GDP did.

The nation-building press systematically misleads Singaporeans by referring to LHL’s pledge to reduce carbon emissions growth and to Singapore’s reduction in carbon intensity as reductions in emissions. In fact, in both cases the total volume of emissions will increase.

the en-bloc fever at its peak & its accompanying construction work must have contributed quite “abit” of carbon emission, not forgeting relocation of “displaced” families or individuals.

anyway, as an individual. i am doing my part by:-
at home:
- going 1 step further then just using energy saving light bulbs. take a more calculated approach to the needs of individual rooms.
- have a 2-stage lighting in some areas to cater to different needs, stage-1 at full illumination, stage-2 at night light mode at 10-15% intensity. it will also reduce indoor temperatures by fractions. ;) a table lamp can be used for just that also!
- routing aircon condenser piping to pails to collect the water, those who use aircon often will like to know the-more-you-use, the-more-you-save. ;)

keke, i think i going out of topic, lol…

Can anyone tell me, whether Singapore has committed the 16% reduction, full stop, or is only committed if there is a”legally binding agreement ” ?
Have been hearing ” unilateral initiate” being trumpted of late ! So that is our contribution ?

LHL could start to reduce car population by encouraging the civil servants to take the lead and take public transport. The percentage of car owners in civil service is huge because of their high payout as well as the stability of their income.

All of you want the gov. to lead in climate change. Wait wait long long! We could have done it long time ago.

LHL. the man of contradictions.

I concisely remember him putting sg on par with first world developed countries like the swiss. Then, the next minute, he bullshits and compares it with a 3rd world developing country.

His endless spinning of tales only serves to be digging him a deeper grave. No way, with such an attitude, does he deserve to still be sitting (or in the first place to be) in the post of PM.

like father, like son. It runs in the fami-Lee.

Reduce emission? hahaha … all countries have their own interest … just like most people / companies are selfish … help the country affected by global warming? pls lah don’t talk cock sing song lah … to those rich people / countries who are not helping mother earth. don’t worry , you can continue to make as much money for yrself but don’t bother to leave those $$$ to yr future generation … cos there will be no future for them if mother earth dies . So continue to turn a deaf ear to earth’s cries .

cut the loong story short, families living in larger homes especially our ruling elites will of course be hard pressed to move into humble (as in smaller in size) HDB homes.

smaller homes require less electricity & water to upkeep. our ruling elites will certainly scoff at the idea of moving into the “quality” (as Mr Mah BT says?) homes that HDB designs & builds.

i also realise that i should further reduce any wasteful consumer spending habits that contributes putting out emission during the entire production from raw materials to final product to our shores from so & so countries.

as individuals, we can do our part without waiting for a “nanny” to nudge us into action. time to prove to the “elites” they are not leader but followers in the global campaign to go green.

yes, we can!! ;)

they just follow what the rest do, they are not leaders.

[i]Singapore has always taken the environment seriously. Since independence 44 years ago, we have taken actions which have significant slowed our emissions growth. [/i]

ha ha ha..make my toes laughed out even louder…your FATHER’s best friend the indonesian has been burnin treetsa for more than 44 ears… do i see YOU or your father take actions seriousLEE? you /your father did not even bothered to have trade reduced/embargos against the indonesian..let alone be part of an ASEAN abang/adek relationships…
meanwhile we have to cough out our lungs as usual…

“In announceing our target, we join a number of our fellow DEVELOPING countries in contributing to a strong agreement in Copenhagen………..”
I thought that our govt. especially MM always trumpet to the whole wide world that we have arrived, and that we are First Class, First World. That’s why they are paying themselves $million salaries! So how come in this arena in Copenhagen, we suddenly demotes ourselves to DEVELOPING countries?
Very confusing here. Will some smart guys in the Elites league enlighten us lesser mortals as to which is which??

Less car, more using public transport, slower growth ahead in the climate change era and doubling in population ahead.???

Slower growth means less tax revenue, who is paying for additional public transport infrastructure and where to fit in new routes to cater for much more higher traffic density? Are we not packed enough now?

Slower growth means less new jobs, who is supporting the population overload?

What rubbish is he talking?

It is not how much the Government does that counts; It’s the people… I have seen the drastic difference of the Australian / New Zealanders as compared to Singaporeans… We have a long way to go… Time to catch up!

Does fart contain co2?

some people fart a lot.
smell like kangroo fart.

can we first control these emissions if not concurrently as well?

The reason LHL dare to spill such nonsense in some distant places is because he thinks his people won’t get to know about it since ST would know how to report it in his favour. This is the reason why he gets his kaki like Admiral Lui to downplay or discredit internet news or blogging.

ST for sure would downplay or even omit this ‘dveloping country’ part in their report, if they reported it. They won’t have the guts to find contradictions (don’t know what sort of medium is ST actually).

TOC is so amazing. MICA just released Singapore’s National Statement of Climate Change and TOC had their hands on it 3 days ago.

Why is he there?Shouldn’t he be back home here working with his people on how to improve the lives of Singaporeans?There are more important things to do in Singapore then wasting precious time there.

Why is PM Lee wasting time with Climate Change? Is he more concerned about showing his face there since Obama and Wen are attending? Given that the role that Singapore will play in the entire global climate change, he should have sent a junior minister to deliver that message.

PM Lee simply is not a suitable leader.

Why do we consider travel a basic desire nowadays? In 2008, only 30 percent of trips over 50 miles were done for business – the rest- for pure pleasure. Work is nerve-racking, the family needs to be fed and money is and will always be a problem. Meanwhile, there are hot deals on flights, romance is in the air in Paris no matter the season and life is still waiting for you at the corner

Hallo!
 
Greatings from Germany! I have made an informationpage about an german recycling- and waste- management- idea in german and english language (kryo- recycling). Pleace spread this infomation to all persons, you know, that many people get knowkedge about this idea and good alternatives to incineration.
 
If you and others have some more or new information, pleace send the information to my adress. .
 
Here is the link to my informationpage:
http://sites.google.com/site/kryorecycling
 
With best Greatings, Felix Staratschek, Freiligrathstr. 2, D- 42477 Radevormwald