Reader Response Draft 4
‘Why the climate fight needs engineers’
By Oh Yan Yan
In the article "Why the climate fight needs engineers", Shah (2015) mentions that a new programme, - the Engineers Progression Pathway programme, - has been set in motion in Singapore for engineers to upgrade their skills and knowledge in their field of expertise and increase the job opportunities in the long run. This is to address issues that will be caused by the change in climate in the near future and to prepare Singapore for it. Extreme weather fluctuations and fast city development make the government see the need to achieve a new sustainable city and economic system through engineering. Shah notes that in order to become the world's first smart nation and to realise its green growth vision, engineering solutions to sustainability will be important for Singapore. I agree with the article. However, there is a lack of information and examples concerning the use of engineering solutions to tackle climate change.
In Shah’s article, she highlighted a plan which will be used to carry out part of Singapore's green growth vision: The Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015. However, she presents the objectives of SSB, and does not elaborate further. One example to support SSB will be the Punggol Eco-Town. Being one of the Punggol Eco-Town’s signature waterfront housing districts, Punggol Northshore is expected to be complete in the second quarter of 2020, and will be the first public housing estate to test out smart technologies (First batch of…, 2015). Those technologies will be featured inside and outside of the flats. For instance, there is the "smart car park management system which can monitor the parking demand from residents and visitors and smart pneumatic waste conveyance system which can monitor waste disposal, recycling patterns and volumes" (First batch of…, 2015). With the implementation of such technologies, car parking and waste disposal will be much easier. While inside the house, there will be extra power and data points to cater to residents' smart system needs. They can choose to install from a range of technologies, one being the home energy management system, which can allow them to monitor their energy consumption at any time.
Another example for the green growth vision that Shah might have mentioned is to find other alternatives to power lifts in HDBs, smart meters, and water efficient appliances, among others. One of the alternative energy sources that can be used to power common areas and smart technologies in homes is by using solar energy. In order to test for the feasibility of using solar energy, Housing Development Board (HDB) will be conducting test beds on public housing estates over a period of five years (NCCS, 2013). This example is used by HDB to support government's efforts in trying out different alternatives to produce energy. It shows that the research on alternative energy sources is on-going and is being test run, which is good because it means that Singapore is getting one step closer to achieving its targets.
In the article, Shah also points out the high carbon emissions per capita in Singapore. However, the topic is briefly mentioned without giving more information and explaining further on the solutions or ways to decrease the gas emissions. An example to support Singapore's involvement in the reduction of the gas emissions is through "ratifying UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and acceded to the Kyoto Protocol in 2006" (MAF, 2015). It will require a global effort in reducing carbon emissions, and due to the situation, participating countries are trying their best to combat the change in climate and making contributions. In 2009, just before the commencement of the UNFCCC meeting in Copenhagen, Singapore has announced a pledge to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions by 16 percent in 2020 (MAF, 2015). This shows that Singapore is actively participating and trying to bring down the high carbon emissions in the country.
In conclusion, even though Shah's article informs us about the plans that are being put forth by the government, it is lacking on the information and supporting details. Engineers will be playing a big part in realising those plans. As a result, this means that they must not only do well in their respective fields but they must also be prepared to step up and counter any challenges they might face in the near future. Even though the programme for engineers is still in the initial stage, professionals have already welcomed and approve of the course. This will be a good direction for Singapore to head towards as steps are taken by the government to research on other energy sources, and at the same time, some of the plans for green growth vision are also already in the midst of testing.
(781 words)
References
Channel NewsAsia. (2015). First batch of smart HDB homes at Punggol Northshore to be launched. Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/first-batch-of-smart-hdb/1870032.html
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2015). Sustainable Development and Climate Change. Retrieved from http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/international_issues/sustainable_development_and_climate_change.html
National Climate Change Secretariat. (2013). Finding Ways to Increase Solar Power Generation. Retrieved from https://www.nccs.gov.sg/climate-change-and-singapore/domestic-actions/reducing-emissions/power-generation
Shah, V. (2015). Why the climate fight needs engineers. Retrieved from http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/
Thank you for this great effort. This draft is much improved!
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