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Embrace ecology as the new luxury

Last weekend, as the jet set descended upon Singapore for Formula One and winds blew in the haze, a remarkable series of events were taking place internationally. First, the United Nations raised its population forecast to 12 billion by 2100.

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John Chia Whay Kuang

Last weekend, as the jet set descended upon Singapore for Formula One and winds blew in the haze, a remarkable series of events were taking place internationally. First, the United Nations raised its population forecast to 12 billion by 2100.

At the same time, hundreds of thousands of people marched in New York, London and other major cities in what was billed as the biggest climate demonstration in history. UN chief Ban Ki-moon, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and many other notables joined in.

Finally, the Rockefeller Foundation announced that it was forsaking heritage and divesting itself of oil and gas to move into renewable technologies. The remarkable effect of the announcement was its irony, not its logic.

Watching F1 in the haze was another exercise in irony, reminding me of my visit to Beijing in 2012. Around swanky neighbourhoods, women were walking with Gucci, Prada and N95 masks. They were sartorially impeccable, but one could not see any faces beyond the masks.

Philosopher Peter Singer once opined that it was morally wrong to destroy the biosphere just to make a statement with a bigger car. In Singapore, though, cars have acquired a meaning beyond their utility and become “embodied objects” of luxury and aspiration.

Luxury means pampering, but it can also take on more complex meanings of status and leadership. Therefore, it is vital for our society to consider carefully the instances in which we accord these privileges.

One should not accord status to unsustainable or detrimental practices. In California, billionaires driving petrol guzzlers are so frowned upon that many of the wealthy drive the ecologically friendly Toyota Prius.

Leadership in Silicon Valley is less about bling-bling and more about signalling an awareness of the right direction and an appreciation of where the true challenges and solutions lie.

We share this planet now with seven billion others. To survive as a species, our culture will need to embrace a new definition of luxury, one that encompasses ecology.

Individuals will need to think about how to reduce their own environmental impact, so others will have a more equitable chance at growth.

Singapore has become rich and educated. But if our country is to secure a place in the future, we will need to develop an outlook, even an ethos, of ecological concern.

Levees cannot be the only solution to rising sea levels.

Religious reformer Martin Luther once remarked: “Every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.”

One can almost be sure that in 100 years, a new generation will look back and decry this generation’s relentless and senseless degradation of our planet, just as we are aghast at the cruelty of slavery a century back.

I love watching F1 racing, but as the Pollutant Standards Index climbed last weekend and my children had to play indoors, and as the protestors marched, I could not help feeling such a hobby was on its way to falling on the wrong side of history.

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