Sunday January 13, 2013
Here’s to greening the year!
THAT was an interesting piece on Greening The Earth (Star2, Dec 30, 2012). It could not have come out at a better time. Thank you.
As I see it, uncontrolled development must be checked. Please clean our rivers and drains. Clogged drains frequently lead to flash floods in this country.
Also reduce waste, and preserve our green lungs. And reduce carbon emissions while you’re at it too.
By incorporating such attitudes and lifestyles, our future generations would be able to reap the benefits.
Today, humanity is still threatened by global warming caused by man-made degradation of the environment and through the emission of greenhouse gasses (GHGs).
Malaysians must support and promote the many initiatives to “go green” helmed by environmentally-motivated groups, NGOs, corporate entities and government ministries.
We need to do much more in 2013 than we did last year to live up to our PM’s commitment at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December 2009, to reduce up to 40% of GDP emission intensity by 2020, compared with 2005 levels.
The activities that emit the most GHGs (for example, transport and municipal waste disposal) must be monitored very carefully.
Lighting and air-conditioning are generally the largest components of electricity use; it would be simplest to reduce consumption by adopting energy-saving technologies and using energy-efficient alternatives.
The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry (KeTTHA) directed the phasing out of incandescent bulbs and also implemented its Save programme last year to promote the use of energy-efficient refrigerators and air-conditioners. The Save programme was apparently very successful and exceeded its planned targets. This initative should be continued in 2013.
Last but not least, Housing and Local Government Ministry should ensure more environmentally benign waste disposal methods such as incinerators, or even better, waste-to-energy alternatives to minimise methane emissions are put into practise.
Bulbir Singh
Seremban
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