The cool air from your air-conditioner is actually warming up the planet. Leaving the door open in the lecture theatre or hall room means more electricity is used to cool the space. The air-conditioner is the biggest energy guzzler at home. Opt for the fan when you can, and turn off the lights when you leave your room.
Did you know that the total greenhouse gas emissions from textile production is more than that generated by all international flights and maritime shipping combined? Save garments from the landfill by altering ill-fitting pieces, or hunting for pre-loved clothing. Or spend your money supporting an ethical, sustainable clothing brand that takes its responsibility to the planet seriously.
See if unwanted items can be repaired or upcycled. With a fresh coat of paint, you could turn tin cans into cute herb planters, or an old T-shirt into a tote bag for your grocery shopping. So think before you trash.
In Singapore, private cars make up the largest share of emissions by the transport sector at 35 per cent. Carpool or take public transport to reduce CO2 emissions, or clock your 10,000 steps daily by walking to your nearer destinations.
The carbon footprint of a cheeseburger works out to that of six sets of fish and chips. This makes eating less red meat one of the most significant ways of reducing your carbon footprint. Ease into a plant-rich diet, one less burger at a time.
Avoid food with unnecessary plastic packaging, such as fruits and vegetables from supermarkets. As NTU Earth scientist Prof Simon Redfern points out: “Why do we need to wrap bananas in plastic when they already come with their own protective skin?”
Take the scenic route with inter-city train rides on your next holiday, instead of opting for short-haul flights. Short flights produce a larger amount of greenhouse gas emissions per passenger compared to longer routes. “You’ll be surprised – it does not cost that much more to take the environmentally-friendly path,” says Prof Benjamin Horton, Chair of NTU’s Asian School of the Environment.
NTU students do their part
Youth activists are embracing the cause of saving the planet in their own ways – from simply cleaning out single-use plastics from their lives, to setting up thrift stores for pre-loved clothing.
Take a leaf out of Cheryl Choo’s book. Conscious of the carbon footprint that red meat leaves behind, the third-year NTU humanities student goes meatless at least once a day and uses her trusty lunch kit at the lunchbox-friendly stalls on campus.
“Such individual action may be small and insignificant compared to industry- or national-level efforts, but I believe the hype generated on the ground from such actions can motivate corporations to change,” she says.
Cheryl says: “I do sometimes remind my friends to be eco-conscious, but not too forcefully. When they also refuse straws or plastic bags, that’s a start.”
NTU humanities students Jean Leong and Zinc Tan, founders of thrift store Aesth.Ethically, hope to do their part by promoting the idea of pre-loved clothing.
The campus-based pop-up store collects and sells pre-loved items to give them a second lease of life. The proceeds are then donated to charity.
There are many other ways to care for our planet, but it all starts with education to understand why we urgently need to go green, says Prof Horton.
“Once NTU students are educated about how the climate crisis is a life-or-death difference in the next few decades on this fast-warming planet, they will want to talk about it to their peers, family, and friends. They will want more information.”
This story was published in the Oct-Dec 2019 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
