11 recommendations to tackle climate change [News]

By Esther Ng, Today, 14 Oct 2011.

Free public transport during certain hours, quarterly food, electricity and water rationing, and farmers’ markets in housing estates are some recommendations the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) has made to NCCS 2012, the National Climate Change Secretariat’s public consultation exercise.

Top on the list of its 11 recommendations is a call for a more holistic transport strategy which encourages “behavioural change as a longer-term solution”.

For instance, schools could increase “bicycle parking areas” and get students living nearby to ride to school instead of having their parents drop them off.

Bicycle racks can be installed on public buses, so that people who wish to cycle to work, but live too far from their workplace, can split their commute between bicycle and bus routes. Read more

600 motorists go car-free for a day [News]

By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 23 Sep 2011.

Some 600 motorists, made up of staff and members of the Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS) and staff and customers of Fuji Xerox, left their cars at home on World Car-Free Day yesterday.

More ought to follow suit, suggested Singapore Environment Council (SEC) executive director Jose Raymond.

Instead of a single annual Car-Free Day, which would put sudden pressure on public transport networks, they could do it monthly or bi-monthly, he said.

World Car-Free Day is an international initiative that takes place on Sept 22 each year. Yesterday’s event here, organised by AAS and Fuji Xerox, may have been small, but the number of participants rose about 30 to 40 per cent from last year’s figures, when the event was revived. Read more

Green Your Transport

According to the National Climate Change Strategy report, transportation accounts for 19% of Singapore’s total carbon emissions in 2005. You can play a part to reduce your carbon emissions from transport in the following ways:

Public Transportation

In Singapore, we enjoy a wide range of public transportation such as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), buses and taxis, which provide services covering the entire Singapore at reasonable fares. You can choose to take public transport and do away with cars. Visit PublicTransport@SG or gothere.sg to find out how to get around Singapore and plan your journey.

Walk and Cycle

You can choose to walk for short journeys or cycle to your destination and workplace. It’s a good way to exercise too. Check out the mrbrown’s Quick Guide to Bicycle Commuting in Singapore.

Foldable bicycles are now allowed on trains and buses (Mon to Fri: 9.30am-4pm and 8pm to end of service; All day on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays). Check out this comparison chart of foldable bicycles that are available in Singapore.

The Park Connector Network allows you to cycle through the parks in Singapore and enjoy the greenery.

Shop Online

There are more companies providing online stores where you can do your shopping at the comfort of your home. Shopping online saves time and reduces your need to drive and travel. You can also save money if you buy in bulk and reduce impulse buying.

Park and Ride

Park & Ride (P&R) is a scheme that allows you to drive to a selected site near an MRT station, bus interchange or bus stop, park your vehicle there and continue your journey by bus or MRT. You can enjoy attractive season parking rates at designated sites as well as avoid the high parking fees in the Central Business District (CBD), and also avoid the ERP charges during peak hours. This helps to save you fuel and money, and also reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions.

Carpool and Carsharing

Carpooling is the shared use of a car between someone who has a car and those who wants to share the ride. For carpool opportunities, check out sgCarpool, Carpool.SG or Carpool King.

Carsharing allows you the freedom of using a car as and when you want it, without the worries of car ownership. You can book the car and collect it at selected locations. Check out these carsharing schemes: NTUC Income Car Coop, KahShare, and WhizzCar.

Fuel Efficient Vehicles

From 1 April 2009, registered suppliers of motor vehicles must affix a Fuel Economy Label (FEL) on the vehicles. The FEL shows the fuel consumption of the vehicle, which indicates how much fuel is needed for traveling a certain distance (L/100km, kg/100km or Wh/km). For cars with similar engine capacity, a higher fuel consumption means that the car is less fuel efficient. When you’re buying a new car, remember to look at the FEL and choose a fuel efficient car.

Green Vehicles

When buying a new vehicle, choose a green vehicle such as hybrid cars, CNG cars or electric scooters. Owners of new hybrid, electric and CNG cars will enjoy the Green Vehicle Rebate. The rebate is equivalent to 40% of the car’s Open Market Value (OMV) that can be used to offset the Additional Registration Fee (ARF) payable at registration.

Good Driving Habits

Practise these good driving habits to reduce fuel consumption:

• Plan your car trip early
• Maintain your car regularly
• Keep the tyres properly inflated
• Avoid excess weight in the boot
• Avoid sudden braking and acceleration

More tips can be found in the Singapore Environment Council’s Green Transport Guide.

Fly Less

You can make a conscious choice to fly less. Instead of flying off for a holiday, you can stay in Singapore and visit local attractions or natural habitats. Check out our local nature areas and discover the wonderful multitude of flora and fauna. You can visit wildsingapore for information on the various nature areas and the biodiversity found there.

Instead of taking the plane to visit someone overseas, you can always chat online and make a video call using Skype or Google video chat. It’s free!

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Image credit: Rail System Map via LTA; anjsand; Fuel Economy Label via NEA.