Welcome back everyone! Hope everyone had a good rest 😮
What is unique about living a sustainable lifestyle here in Singapore?
Cultural identity
Singapore is known for being a cosmopolitan city, where people of different races and cultures live together in harmony. Cultural practices and events are still a common sight and many engage actively in their religious and traditional beliefs. Therefore, in my opinion, the strong influence of culture and religion greatly affects one’s ability and willingness to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.Â
Not only limited to religion, but everyday practices that have been ingrained in our daily lifestyles. For example, many locals drink coffee every morning. However, since many are busy rushing to work or school, many prefer the traditional take-away style of coffee – in the iconic plastic bag. Since this long-established method has been mutually accepted as the norm, it would take a significantly longer time to switch to a more eco-friendly version of take-away coffee. Some might even condemn this action as it takes away the authentic experience of a traditional Singaporean morning. Should environmental concerns take higher priority than traditional practices?Â
High Cost of Living
Singapore is without doubt one of the most expensive cities to live in. With the high costs of everyday goods and necessities, should Singaporeans bear the extra burden of trying to live a more expensive and sustainable lifestyle? Considering eco-friendly products are generally higher than mass-produced substitutes, should we take up an added responsibility and spend more in order to live more sustainably? What do you think?
Should those who have the means and financial ability to live a more sustainable lifestyle carry a larger portion of this responsibility? Having higher disposable income results in increased purchasing power, thus, a large majority of those who are financially stable and abundant tend to purchase more goods and services. This in turns increases one’s carbon footprint and has larger negative impacts on the environment. However, those who are not as financially capable should not completely disregard their responsibility for the environment. Everyone should try to strive towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle within their means.Â
Urban city life
To add on, Singaporeans have the luxury of access to both online and physical sustainable stores. There are multiple online eco-friendly stores such as Your Sustainable Store and The Sustainability Project as well as physical sustainable stores such as Scoop Wholefoods. These amenities are not readily available and accessible in other countries, but Singapore is an exception especially in Southeast Asia. Taking into consideration these factors, should Singaporeans be more eco-friendly due to the increased ease of transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle? Are Singaporeans taking it for granted that these eco-friendly stores are able to set up and serve our local population?
More about the answers in next week’s blog! See you ~