Earth Day

It's Earth Day and the buzz to save our planet is big. We talk about conservation, saving energy and cutting down waste. I've always thought that despite all the desperate efforts to save our dear Earth, the globe is actually ageing and wearing off. The green patches that you see on planet Earth are slowly and subtly turning grey and dark yellow. I'm sure there's a rate for that. The rate of deforestation. The rate at which the planet's resources are used up. The rate at which we the inhabitants of planet Earth destroy the only place all living things and creatures call home. Pollution is inevitable. As long as mankind exists, Earth is going to be conquered and have its resources used up. If man didn't modernize, the Earth will be at the virgin state it was millions of years ago. Now that we're using tractors, cranes and excavators, we emit toxic gases and continue to redevelop, reurbanize and build. That is the 180km expressway spanning the green forest. This is the new harbour on what used to be a thriving giant coral ecosystem. Here is a new golf range on the plot of marshland used to house 46 species of thrushes and many many other wildlife. This is a dilemma that we all face. We love the natural habitats and the education and aesthetic appeal it offers but we also face the pressures of redevelopment.

In Singapore it is a balance of both redevelopment and conservation. Thank God there is still nature left although the redevelopment rate continues to increase albeit subtly. The aesthetic value of natural mangrove swamps, forests and nature parks is irreplaceable. I do not want to live in a future where all that surround me are big tall buildings, roads and concrete. I like the smell of trees and grass. The smell of the green forest. It reminds me of my scouting days that remain etched in my mind timelessly. We should all treasure Sungei Buloh Nature Park, MacRitchie Reservoir, Central Catchment Reserve, Pulau Ubin and the Southern Islands.