Singaporeans May Be Suffering From Tech Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (TOCD)

The IT Show in Singapore which ended yesterday broke records yet again with sales over S$65 million and over 800,000 visitors. Record sales and visitors have been achieved every year and this is the same for the other tech shows – The PC Show (June), COMEX (September), and SITEX (November). The four tech shows are also know as Singapore’s four seasons as they happen every three months.

Singaporeans just can’t get enough of tech gadgets and products. We lap up every new phone, camera, computer, netbook, printer, portable hard disk, and music player that is available. We keep buying and changing more electrical and electronic products unnecessarily. It’s like we are suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and can’t stop.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder in which you have unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to engage in repetitive behaviors (compulsions). With obsessive-compulsive disorder, you may realize that your obsessions aren’t reasonable, and you may try to ignore them or stop them. But that only increases your distress and anxiety. Ultimately, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts in an effort to ease your distress. – MayoClinic.com

Perhaps Singaporeans may be suffering from tech obsessive-compulsive disorder (TOCD), which we define as a type of anxiety disorder in which a person feels empty and unsatisfied with existing tech products (which are working perfectly fine), and engages in repetitive behaviour to buy new tech products in an effort to ease that urge. But after buying the new tech products, the person feels empty again and has the urge to buy newer tech products, and the cycle continues again (every 3 months).

Are you suffering from TOCD? TOCD not only causes distress and anxiety to the sufferers but also impacts the environment. Resources are used to manufacture and ship electrical and electronic products all over the world and it’s a waste of resources if the lifespan of the products get shorter as consumers keep changing them.

Most importantly, as more such products are being discarded, it becomes a global e-waste problem. The export of e-waste from developed countries to developing countries on the pretext of recycling poses environmental and health problems as the e-waste contains toxic chemicals that will pollute the environment if they are not “recycled” properly in the developing countries.

We usually prescribe a simple treatment for TOCD by training thoughts on:

Use it as long as it works.

Buy only what you need.

Go to tech shows occasionally.

Committee of Supply Debate 2010: Environmental Policies under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, and Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, gave their speeches during the Committee of Supply Debate under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) yesterday. The speeches address various environmental policies, including:

• Sustainable Development – Overall Approach to Resource Efficiency and Mitigating Climate Change
• Improving Energy Efficiency
• Singapore’s Vulnerability to Climate Change
• Managing Our Water Resources
• Recycling and Waste Minimisation
• Building Up R&D and Manpower Capabilities in Clean Environment and Water Sectors
• Dengue
• Sustaining Public Cleanliness
• Licensing Elderly Tissue Paper Peddlers
• Noise
• Enhancements to Food Hygiene Regime
• ABC Waters Programme

Here are some key points that they raised: Read more

Committee of Supply Debate 2010: Green Building Policies under the Ministry of National Development

Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development gave her speech during the Committee of Supply Debate under the Ministry of National Development (MND) yesterday. The speech addresses policies related to green buildings in Singapore:

Greening Our Buildings

19 Mr Cedric Foo has asked how HDB estates can be more sustainable. Our existing HDB estates have designs which facilitate cross-ventilation and natural lighting. For new estates, we will continue to incorporate environmentally friendly features and green technologies. For example, HDB is pushing forward the installation of solar photovoltaic panels (PV) at four precincts at Tampines, Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade.

20 HDB, together with Town Councils, also aims to reduce the energy consumption of common areas in new and existing HDB estates by 20% and 30% respectively. This is done by introducing features such as energy efficient light fittings and lift systems.

21 In addition, HDB has piloted centralised recycling chute systems in our existing estates (Blk 297C and 297D Chua Chu Kang). The results of the pilot study were encouraging, with about 3 times more recyclables collected as compared to conventional door-to-door collection method. With the plan to position Punggol as an Eco-Town for the tropics, such technologies will be explored for testing on a larger scale in Punggol.

22 Our sustainable development efforts must extend beyond our public housing estates. In April 2009, the Government released Sustainable Singapore Blueprint which outlined our efforts to improve our overall energy efficiency by 35% from 2005 levels by 2030. All sectors, including the building sector will need to play their part towards meeting this target.

Raising Minimum Standards for New Buildings

23 By the end of this year, we will raise the mandatory minimum energy efficiency standard for Green Mark certified level for new buildings by 10% from today’s standard. Correspondingly, the energy efficiency standards for other Green Mark levels, i.e. Gold, GoldPlus, and Platinum will be raised. Building owners can enjoy cost savings in the long run by being more energy efficient.

Mandatory Submission of Energy Data

24 To better understand energy consumption patterns, and to monitor the effectiveness of our energy efficiency measures, BCA will require building owners and utilities companies to submit energy and other building related data such as Gross Floor Area (GFA) and specifications of building systems on an annual basis starting from 2011. Building owners can also use the information to pro-actively improve their buildings’ energy efficiency.

25 Going forward, BCA will consult the industry on the possibility of mandating a minimum energy efficiency standard for existing buildings.

Source: MND

Committee of Supply Debate 2010: Energy Policies under the Ministry of Trade and Industry

Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, gave his speech during the Committee of Supply Debate under the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) yesterday. The speech addresses questions related to Singapore’s energy policy, and can be downloaded from the MTI website.

Here are some key points that he raised:

Our goal is to make Singapore a Smart Energy Economy with an energy ecosystem that is secure, sustainable and competitive. Our strategy to meet the global energy challenges rests on two key thrusts: diversification and competitive energy markets.

The Government agrees with the Economic Strategies Committee’s (ESC) recommendation to adopt a portfolio approach towards energy – in other words, no one energy option will be adequate to meet our varied energy objectives.

We will adopt a pragmatic approach by evaluating the alternatives on the basis of energy security, economic viability and environmental sustainability.

Among the renewable energy sources currently available, solar is one of the most promising in our context for electricity generation. While still relatively expensive today, solar energy prices could achieve grid parity in the medium term.

… why are we prepared to study nuclear energy as an option now. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it can potentially enhance energy security, reduce carbon emissions, and mitigate the impact of volatile oil and gas prices – thus it could meet, potentially all our objectives embedded in the national energy policy.

The aim is to ensure that we fully understand, and objectively evaluate from all perspectives, the opportunities, challenges and risks involved with nuclear energy. The study will commence later this year. It will entail a careful, deliberate and rigorous examination of the technical, economic and safety aspects of nuclear energy.

Clean coal could be a component of our energy diversification strategy. Currently, coal makes up more than 40 per cent of global power generation. And, it is expected to remain at this level until at least 2030 given the relative abundance of coal sources in the world. Coal also has a cost advantage though this may be eroded by any future global carbon pricing regime. However, combustion technology is evolving, making coal cleaner than before and we must, therefore, keep this option open.

We are price-takers in the global energy market because we are small and import almost all our energy requirements. We therefore must allow the full cost of energy to be reflected in prices. Subsidising energy would be encouraging wasteful consumption and it will also be a drain on public finances.

Source: MTI

A Smart Energy Economy: Panel Discussion on ESC’s Recommendations on Energy Resilience and Sustainable Growth

March 22, 2010
9:30 am	to	10:45 am

Venue: National University of Singapore, The Auditorium, University Hall, Lee Kong Chian Wing, Level 2, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119077

Join the panel discussion on the Economic Strategies Committee’s (ESC) recent recommendations on Energy Resilience and Sustainable Growth, moderated by Jessica Cheam, Correspondent, Straits Times, Money Desk. The panelists include:

• Prof. Linda Yuen-Ching Lim: Professor of Strategy at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan
• Dr. Natasha Hamilton-Hart: Associate Professor and Deputy Head in the Southeast Asian Studies Programme of the National University of Singapore
• Dr. Tilak Doshi: Chief Economist and Principal Fellow at the Energy Studies Institute
• Dr. Cheng-Guan Michael Quah: Chief Scientist and Principal Fellow at the Energy Studies Institute

Visit the Energy Studies Institute (ESI) website for details and registration.

ESC Sub-Committee on Energy Resilience and Sustainable Growth

The Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) Sub-Committee on Energy Resilience and Sustainable Growth has published its detailed report on its aim to:

recommend strategies to achieve our national energy objectives: economic competitiveness, energy security and environmental sustainability.

Here are the 5 strategies and 11 recommendations to help Singapore build a Smart Energy Economy:

Strategy 1: Diversifying our Energy Sources

1. Allow entry of new energy options on a market basis

2. Develop renewable energy sources

3. Study the feasibility of the nuclear energy option and develop expertise in nuclear energy technologies

Strategy 2: Enhancing Infrastructure and Systems

4. Invest in critical energy infrastructure ahead of demand

5. Develop Jurong Island as an energy-optimised industrial cluster

Strategy 3: Increasing Energy Efficiency

6. Promote energy efficiency for buildings, industry and in homes

7. Support clean and efficient technologies in transportation

Strategy 4: Strengthening the Green Economy

8. Establish energy as a key national R&D priority

9. Build capabilities for the green economy

10. Apply a green lens to government procurement

Strategy 5: Pricing Energy Right

11. Price energy to reflect its total cost

Recommendations and Strategies by the Economic Strategies Committee

The Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) has completed its work and has submitted the report of its key recommendations to the Prime Minister. The report is released today and can be downloaded at the ESC website.

The ESC was formed in May 2009 to:

develop strategies for Singapore to build capabilities and maximise opportunities as a global city in a new world environment, so as to achieve sustained and inclusive growth.

The ESC is chaired by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Finance, and comprises members from the government, the labour movement, the private sector as well as academia.

Key Recommendations:

We must achieve higher productivity growth of 2 to 3 percent per year, enabling our GDP to grow on average by 3 to 5 percent per year over the next decade.

Increased productivity is not achieved merely through increased efficiency, but restructuring our economy to provide more room for rapidly growing and innovative enterprises.

7 Key Strategies:

1. Growing through skills and innovation
2. Anchor Singapore as a Global-Asia Hub
3. Build a Vibrant and Diverse Corporate Ecosystem
4. Make Innovation Pervasive, and Strengthen Commercialisation of R&D
5. Become a Smart Energy Economy
6. Enhance Land Productivity to Secure Future Growth
7. Build a Distinctive Global City and an Endearing Home

Here’s the ESC’s recommendations on Smart Energy Economy in the report: Read more

The Four Elements Series

April 13, 2010
7:00 pm	to	9:00 pm

Venue: Canadian International School (Singapore)

Country: Singapore

Event dates:

Air 13th April, 2010

Earth 20th April, 2010

Water 27th April, 2010

Fire 4th May, 2010

The events are a celebration of how people are connected to and by the elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire. Through interactive experiences, we hope to restore a sense of connection that is often lost by living in highly urbanized cities.

Register online: www.fourelements.myevent.com

Green Drinks Singapore – Jan 2010

January 28, 2010
8:15 pm	to	9:30 pm

From Green Drinks Singapore:

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Venue: Naive, 99 East Coast Road

This month, we are gathering all the green groups, societies, businesses and individuals with green values to talk about their plans for 2010, and explore ways we can all work together.

In particular, we are targetting to have ECO (Singapore), SEC, Nature Society (Singapore), Vegetarian Society (Singapore), Social Innovation Park, Food for All, green societies from the various tertiary institutions, various businesses, and individuals already well known in the green sphere. As always, everyone is welcome!

Let us have a meaningful greater conversation about what we can do together! Do spread the word, and we hope to see you there!

Foodwise, Naive has kindly put together a special three-course menu at the price of $18+ for those wishing to dine there.

How to get there: By bus- 10, 12, 14, 32, 40; By car- parking is available at Katong Mall and Katong Village

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(We are selling Al Gore’s new book, Our Choice, at Green Drinks to raise fund for the Haiti Earthquake relief operations. Have 40 copies of the book to sell at $50 each. 100% of profits will go to the Singapore Red Cross who will channel it to the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies.)

Standard Chartered Gives You the Perfect Excuse to Want a New Car

We saw this ad by Standard Chartered Bank on Sunday in the newspaper – “You want a new car we give you the perfect excuse”. Standard Chartered is giving away 5 Audi cars to customers who deposit or invest with them.

What’s wrong with giving away cars as a promotion? What’s wrong with showing a picture of a car being dumped?

This is probably no big deal to the public, except that we have always read that Standard Chartered is concerned about the environment and climate change.

Standard Chartered claims on their website that:

We are conscious of our responsibility to cut the carbon dioxide emissions caused by our operations and have exceeded our reduction targets for 2008. But we can do much more to deal with the business and other risks that we all face. We work with employees, customers and other stakeholders to raise awareness, stimulate action and reduce their impact on the environment. We set ambitious targets to minimise our own carbon footprint and paper use. And we finance businesses and projects that will reduce emissions and help people adapt to climate change.

So, is this the perfect excuse for you to want a car?

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