Singapore and the sustainable development
Singapore lies on a main island and many other satellite isles and islets in Southeast Asia.
Its name is an anglicization of the original one and means Lion City. The name appears very appropriate since Singapore has a very strong economy and very high life quality standard with reference to education, healthcare, personal safety, infrastructures and housing.
To the eyes of the western people it appears as a beautiful modern city (indeed it is a state) launched toward the future.
What less people know is that this Country has established a Ministry of the Sustainability and the Environment since 1972 (just 9 years from its declaration of independency), currently leaded by Ms. Grace Fu (just to make a comparison, in Italy the Ministry of Environment was established in 1986).
Despite being the second-most densely populated city in the world, it ranks among the best 5 cities globally in the “people pillar” (a measure of personal well-being, working life and urban living), together with Glasgow, Zurich, Copenhagen and Seoul.
The Asian city-state of Singapore is considered a leader in green urban development. In line with the above, on the 17 October 2022, the Science Center Singapore has opened a permanent exhibition that highlights the real and present 1 of the climate crisis, consequences of inaction, and sustainable steps that people can take to counteract its impact. The name is meaningful: Climate Changed.
The exhibition consists of two parts.
The exhibition opens with The Climate Action Show - a 20-minute production by Science Centre Singapore and Science North – Canada’s leading interactive science museum – documented to educate guests on the basics of climate science.
Then the exhibition leads to a guilt trip, inspired from board games. The trip takes guests on a “road trip” through five themed zones - Water Consumption, Food Waste & Food Production, Technology & Electricity Consumption, Recyclability & Sustainability, and Emissions - to learn more about sustainability in everyday situations.
At the end of the exhibition, visitors may obtain “Climate Driver’s License” – a scorecard showing their proficiency at climate action, as well as a list of sustainability tips for daily application.
The scope of the exhibition is well explained by Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive of Science Centre Board, who said: «According to scientists, the 2010s were by far the hottest decade on record, and temperatures continue to increase year on year. While issues on our climate are only surfacing into public consciousness with greater sharpness now, they have been around for a long time and the natural disasters we read about in the news every day is a constant reminder that unless we do something immediately, we will not be able to stave off its worst consequences. Through this exhibition, we hope to raise awareness that the climate emergency demands action from all of us now».
In these actions, the relevance of science is well highlighted by the speech made by the Minister of the Sustainability and the Environment Ms. Grace Fu at the opening of the exhibition: «Science has played a crucial role in climate action. First, science helped us understand the greenhouse effect, and make the connection between human activities and global warming. Second, science enables us to predict the future. With science, we model and project the effects of climate change to determine what corrective actions are needed to change the course of global warming […] Third, science forms the basis of technological innovations in developing solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation».
Consequently, the initiative of Singapore Science Center is very welcome, and we wish that it will be followed by similar others in the world, because as Professor Lim Tit Meng said: «from governing authorities to public institutions, private players to individuals, we need to work together to change the future of our world, starting now, starting today».
