‘Green’horns in a Greenhouse

(Children playing at the fountain at Bugis Square)

Held at Bugis Junction, the Gaia Life Challenge kicked off at 1pm today, with its three contestants vying for the top prize of $5,000 by answering questions related to environmental protection. On top of that, they have to spend 24 hours in Perspex rooms specially set up at the crowded Bugis Square to rally the cause of environmental conservation.

In the light of the recent flash floods at Orchard Road and other affected areas in Singapore, the activity seemed to suggest that if we do not take care of the environment, there might come a day when we can longer step outside our houses.

Part of MediaCorp’s Saving Gaia initiative, now in its fourth year, the Gaia Life Challenge was organised to raise awareness about environmental issues and educate the public about becoming more eco-friendly.

In commemoration of World Environment Day, the month-long campaign also included a public education infomercial with the tagline “If we save our planet, we’re saving ourselves.” on national television, highlighting the human race’s dependence on the environment to survive.

Ms Ling Tay, an eco-preneur in her mid-twenties, commented that this year’s infomercial was a lot better than the previous years’. She also felt that the media in Singapore had done a good job in educating the public about saving the environment.

It was a documentary about the effects of global warming on the polar ice caps that first inspired her to start her online blogshop Tangochocolat.com, which sells green products like collapsible cups, and teddy bears and bags made out of remnant cloth.

“Contrary to popular belief, receptivity to environmental conservation is greater in Asia than in the United States. A lot of people think that going green means greatly inconveniencing yourself. But environmental friendliness is actually a natural process, with a person taking baby steps to change their lifestyle.

If you think about it, if every person in China wastes one less spoonful of rice, it could feed an entire nation. In the same way, bringing your own eco-bags and containers when you go shopping and order takeaway meals can have a huge positive effect on the environment,” said Ms Tay.

Mr Andy Pham, a 26-year-old tourist from Vietnam, said “I love Singapore’s environment and you can see that Singaporeans care a lot about their environment. Compared to Ho Chih Ming where there are a lot of traffic jams and air pollution, Singapore has a much cleaner and healthier environment.”

Shoppers and passersby at Bugis Junction were also given incentives to make a Gaia Pledge on what they would do to save the environment, with those who did so between 11am and 1pm today receiving a free eco-bag.