Comments on: A lesson in transportation from Singapore http://looncommons.org/2008/12/11/a-lesson-in-transportation-from-singapore/ A forum for current and emerging environmental and conservation issues in Minnesota. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:20:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Elena Velkov http://looncommons.org/2008/12/11/a-lesson-in-transportation-from-singapore/comment-page-1/#comment-605 Elena Velkov Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:36:02 +0000 http://www.looncommons.org/?p=860#comment-605 HI Sarah. I will reiterate my comments too. As far as Singapore's traffic-- I wrote based off the anecdotes that my family provided me. They told me, exactly, that they had only run into bad traffic once in the last three years. I'm not sure why the reactions were and are so different. As for Singapore's cleanliness-- I should have specified that a person rarely sees a piece of litter on the street. Truly, it was the most immediately striking thing about the country to me. However, as you pointed out, that doesn't mean that Singapore is devoid a waste problem in general. HI Sarah. I will reiterate my comments too. As far as Singapore’s traffic– I wrote based off the anecdotes that my family provided me. They told me, exactly, that they had only run into bad traffic once in the last three years. I’m not sure why the reactions were and are so different. As for Singapore’s cleanliness– I should have specified that a person rarely sees a piece of litter on the street. Truly, it was the most immediately striking thing about the country to me. However, as you pointed out, that doesn’t mean that Singapore is devoid a waste problem in general.

]]> By: Sarah Risser http://looncommons.org/2008/12/11/a-lesson-in-transportation-from-singapore/comment-page-1/#comment-604 Sarah Risser Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:55:58 +0000 http://www.looncommons.org/?p=860#comment-604 Correction - Most of Singapore's waste is incinerated. The ash is shipped to a smaller "landfill island" Pulau Semakau eight kilometers south of the mainland. This landfill island (actually land reclaimed from the sea) opened in 1999 after the last of five mainland landfills closed. To give an idea of the amount of trash Singapore generates, over 2,000 tons of ash are shipped to this island The National Environment Agency predicts a new multimillion dollar incinerator will be needed every five to seven years, and a new landfill like Pulau Semakau every 25 to 30 years. So. . .while the trash may not be visible in SIngapore, it is a serious problem. Especially given that recycling isn't part of the culture as yet. Correction – Most of Singapore’s waste is incinerated. The ash is shipped to a smaller “landfill island” Pulau Semakau eight kilometers south of the mainland. This landfill island (actually land reclaimed from the sea) opened in 1999 after the last of five mainland landfills closed.

To give an idea of the amount of trash Singapore generates, over 2,000 tons of ash are shipped to this island

The National Environment Agency predicts a new multimillion dollar incinerator will be needed every five to seven years, and a new landfill like Pulau Semakau every 25 to 30 years.

So. . .while the trash may not be visible in SIngapore, it is a serious problem. Especially given that recycling isn’t part of the culture as yet.

]]> By: Sarah Risser http://looncommons.org/2008/12/11/a-lesson-in-transportation-from-singapore/comment-page-1/#comment-603 Sarah Risser Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:40:51 +0000 http://www.looncommons.org/?p=860#comment-603 I posted a number of replies to this on the Fresh Energy Website and I won't reiterate my points again here. It is easy to be impressed by Singapore and there is truly much to admire. However, the "not a piece of garbage anywhere", while true conceals a concerning disregard for resource use. Singapore has a lot of money. SIngapore can afford to pick up garbage EVERY DAY and their are also rules about not littering (although seldom enforced). In the seven years that I lived there I was dismayed by the huge number of plastic bags I accumulated every time I went to the market. The clerks would routinely put two or three items in each bag to my great frustration. Unfortunately there is not a great recycling program and I'm sure the garbage was quickly taken away from the island and either landfilled (presumably in Indonesia or Malaysia) or dumped at sea. So I guess I would encourage readers to not read too much into the "not a piece of garbage anywhere" comment. Traffic might be better in Singapore than here; however, I assure you there are plenty of traffic jams (see my response at Fresh Energy). What is of interest here is that the jams still happened but at different points in the traffic system. Many motorists would slow waaaay down toward the end of peak road pricing hours so that they could avoid fees or avoind the Central Business District entirely causing jams in other places. I posted a number of replies to this on the Fresh Energy Website and I won’t reiterate my points again here. It is easy to be impressed by Singapore and there is truly much to admire. However, the “not a piece of garbage anywhere”, while true conceals a concerning disregard for resource use.

Singapore has a lot of money. SIngapore can afford to pick up garbage EVERY DAY and their are also rules about not littering (although seldom enforced). In the seven years that I lived there I was dismayed by the huge number of plastic bags I accumulated every time I went to the market. The clerks would routinely put two or three items in each bag to my great frustration. Unfortunately there is not a great recycling program and I’m sure the garbage was quickly taken away from the island and either landfilled (presumably in Indonesia or Malaysia) or dumped at sea. So I guess I would encourage readers to not read too much into the “not a piece of garbage anywhere” comment.

Traffic might be better in Singapore than here; however, I assure you there are plenty of traffic jams (see my response at Fresh Energy). What is of interest here is that the jams still happened but at different points in the traffic system. Many motorists would slow waaaay down toward the end of peak road pricing hours so that they could avoid fees or avoind the Central Business District entirely causing jams in other places.

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