Welcome back to my blog! I wanted to start with how I defined environmental apathy for my posts. Environmental apathy, a lack of interest or concern for our environment. I consider climate change deniers as one such group. Another would be those that lack awareness or do not care, they may at least be more open to reducing their impact on the environment. Finally, would be those that are aware and care, yet their lifestyle does not reflect this. All of us need a sense of environmental empathy, for humanity to stand against climate change.
Let us explore possible reasons why climate deniers hold their beliefs so strongly. It could be due to misinformation spread by organisations who benefit from the continued use of fossil fuels. This includes oil companies like ExxonMobil. As belief in climate change may rouse support for green policies and change consumer behaviour, for example deciding to own a car.
Rightly so as an average carbon output of a car is about 4.6 metric tons per year. Compared to a carbon footprint of 5 tons/year in 2014. Of course, socioeconomic differs between countries but this illustrates how significant owning a car is and how usage of fuel contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, to money spent on climate lobbying these companies are spreading climate denialism with help from conservative think tanks.
Conservative think tanks like the Heartland Institute are very significant in promoting the climate denial. They have supported individuals like Naomi Seibt seen by some as the “Anti-Greta” and Ivar Giaever who has a Nobel Prize in Physics who calls himself a sceptic. They push policy plans such as approving Keystone XL and rolling back many Environmental Protection Agency policies. ExxonMobil has stopped funding them, yet I think perhaps they have pivoted to get funding from the people and thus oil companies have created a monster they can no longer control. I feel that they are trying to politicise the climate crisis and are succeeding. This seems to be the case at least in the United States.
While climate denialism is rife in the United States, this suggest to me that much of the source of denialism can be attributed to the work of these agents of misinformation.
How about in Singapore? Has foreign messaging gotten into the heads of Singaporeans? Personally, I haven’t met any climate change deniers. How about the head of Singapore? Political parties in Singapore generally recognise the dangers of climate change as seen from their campaign manifestos. (The People’s Action Party, the Progress Singapore Party and the Workers’ Party) Yet I noticed that environmental issues generally take a backseat to economic issues in many if not all of them. Similarly, I think this would be the mindset Singaporeans have towards the environmental crisis.
I hope to conduct some primary research to unpack this issue and have a feel of the level of environmental awareness in Singapore.
In my next post I hope to share my research crafting with you.
See you then.
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Hey Li Zhe!
I think this is a really interesting topic! I personally had many instances of talking to skeptics and trying?? to convey to them that climate change was a real and pressing issue. It is very frustrating as communicating about perspectives and priorities are so difficult.
Curious as to how you feel about having difficult conversations with people about climate change. I simultaneously want to keep advocating for climate action, but I also still restrain myself from pushing too hard in case it seems too stand-offish, especially as some of those who are apathetic are my own friends and family! Even if you’ve never met climate change deniers, do you ever meet resistance in your friends if you try to promote environmentalism? How do you overcome that/ accept it?
(pls don’t feel the need to reply a lot, I’m literally just curious lol)
Anna
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Oh Anna, I haven’t had as good a “fortune” as you. I’m sure it can be frustrating but we can’t give up can we. 😊I think apathy is certainly a huge obstacle, I have friends that tell me that it is too inconvenient to change their lifestyle. I don’t really have an answer for how can we overcome this, yet through this blog perhaps I can see if I can convert my friend’s apathy to empathy and document it here?
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Hi Li Zhe,
In your post, you mention that you haven’t encountered climate skeptics or deniers in SG. But Anna’s comment suggest that she might have (although she doesn’t clarify who these ppl she’s tried to convince are). Do you think it might be worth reaching out to her and ultimately these people for more information ?
jc
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Hello Dr Coleman,
I have consulted Anna regarding her experiences, unfortunately it seem they were strangers and passing acquaintances. However, I think it is also would be interesting to talk to her about how her experience was trying to communicate her views them.
Law Li Zhe
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Hi Li Zhe, I look forward to your next post where you share your findings.
Great to hear that climate change is taken seriously by all three parties represented in parliament today. In the National Day Rally last year, PM Lee said that ” Both the SAF and climate change defences are existential for Singapore” (https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/National-Day-Rally-2019). The Leader of the Opposition also mentioned how his party stands with the government on defence and foreign policy (https://mothership.sg/2020/09/pritam-singh-leader-opposition-full-speech/). I hope that actions mitigating climate change will be similarly supported by both sides of the aisle.
I guess it is important to see if the government puts the money where its words are and if measures protecting us from climate change will be treated as importantly as defence.
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Yes, I agree with you Ee Kin. Our Deputy Prime Minster Heng Swee Keat mentioned about how we would be investing $5 Billion for a Coastal and Flood Protection Fund (https://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/budget_2020/budget-debate-round-up-speech) during his budget speech this year. Yet I think it is important to not just look inwards towards safeguarding ourselves against climate change, but also on our contributions in causing it as well.
In terms of sustainability, I recently also heard from Dr Amy Khor in a webinar about our progress one year after the Sustainability Act (https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Acts-Supp/29-2019/Published/20191004?DocDate=20191004) and it was intriguing. She mentioned about how we plan to deal with our e-waste, food waste and packaging waste. We have to see how effective this plan turns out and if the Tuas Nexus is effective.
Hope to see you again Ee Kin. 😊
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Hi Li Zhe! What an interesting read! Like you, I personally have not met any climate change denier in Singapore too! I also feel like the government is aware of the pressing environmental problems that are facing Singapore. Even more so, I believe that they have tried to make Singapore greener by integrating green spaces in the urban landscape and aiming to be the world’s greenest city.
So, do you think that the Singapore government have put “enough”, if not “more” effort as compared to other countries and therefore they could focus more on tackling other non-environmental problems?
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Thanks Sherry, the government is certainly aware thank goodness. I view their greening efforts as a way of education, I think they are trying to have us Singaporeans appreciate greenery. I think they are certainly ramping up their drive for sustainability, yet we must recognise their numerous constrains. Their policies do address environmental issues yet thus far I think they are a little inward looking as they do not wish to drive away capital and companies. Singapore’s government is pragmatic as always. You and me, we should aim to be the voice to call for greater recognition of the environment’s role in economics and perhaps this is a way to galvanise more support for environmental action.
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Hi Li Zhe, I am really looking forward to your future posts as I do feel that in Singapore, people are generally aware of environmental issues, although whether they bother enough to act is another problem.
I have a question though. You mentioned that another group of people with environmental apathy “would be those that lack awareness or do not care, they may at least be more open to reducing their impact on the environment.” Is there a reason why people will change their behaviours but not because they care or are aware of such environmental issues?
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Greetings Ernest, what I meant is we may have an easier time trying to “sell” sustainable practices to this group as compared to climate deniers. Yet I think your question is certainly thought provoking, I think as infrastructure and attitudes change it may be more economically to live in a sustainable manner. For example, as more charging station are build in Singapore, I think it may be more convenient or even economical to switch to an electric car (That its impact is “better”?). Singaporeans are a pragmatic bunch and if the environment is right even those who blame convenience would be willing to change their behaviour.