Global Warming: Are you willing to change?

The video, Inconvenient Truth, has great impact on me. Initially, I was aware that Global Warming is a major International crisis. However, I was not aware that it could lead to such a catastrophe to the extent of extinction of living things, including mankind. It stimulates my thinking on how I can be a better citizen of earth hoping to tackle the effects of global warming.

Without a doubt, I agree with the former United States Vice President, Albert Gore that global warming is a major problem in today’s world. The reason for mankind to enter this “period of consequences” is mainly due to technological advancements. In my point of view, it leads to major deforestation to cater for expansion of civilisations, more production of greenhouse gases due to rapid urbanisation and it also lead to overcrowding of population thus increasing the “stress” on earth. This “stress” weakens earth’s capability to sustain its citizens. Knowing all of these facts would not rectify the problem of global warming but it helps us identifying the root of the cause, greenhouse gases.

Having to know the root, Singapore government has implemented some policies to help reduce the problem. Singapore declared its commitments to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which is responsible for addressing climate change at global level. We also adopted the Kyoto Protocol in 20^th November 2007. We have implemented appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures such as encouraging development of clean technology, an international joint research and development to minimize impact of climate change and promoting public awareness. Other implementations include the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), the use of cleaner energy including renewable resources, to develop cost effective carbon mitigation technologies and to promote usage of hybrid cars. All these measures strive to reduce emission of greenhouse gases as a strategy to tackle the effects of global warming.

In my point of view, the most important measures to counter climate change or global warming would be education. I think it is important to educate people about the cause and effects of global warming. Through understanding the big picture, only then people would feel the need to change. Education can be a form of public awareness, word of mouth or even good habits. Such education should encourage people to save energy, recycle products and to use public transports. However, the government or an environmental interest group can only do so much. In Michael Jackson’s song, “Man in the mirror”, it says “I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror, I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways, And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer, If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place, Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change”. The song translates that to change the world, you need to change oneself. So, are you willing to change?