Dare To Dream With #TakeBack2020! ✨
Dear friend,
We hope the month of September has treated you well.
In the past few weeks, the climate crisis has caused and accelerated an unprecedented level of wildfires in the United States — in California alone, 3.1 million acres have been burnt down as of 12 September 2020. The scientific evidence has never been more clear: our planet is experiencing a lot more frequent extreme weather events that bring harm to not just the people living in the affected areas, but also the natural habitats of wild animals. As the US elections are approaching, many influential figures and civil society organisations have been urging eligible Americans to register to vote. This is a reminder that a citizen’s vote matters a lot in an election. In five years’ time, Singapore will be having another round of General Elections. More of us will be able to vote by then, so make your vote count!
We have been heartened and inspired by climate action around the globe. Last month, Fridays For Future protests resumed in a socially-distanced and responsible way. In response to Singapore Airlines’ ‘flights to nowhere’ programme, climate-concerned individuals also launched a #SaveSingaporeAirlines public submissions form to discuss other ways in which we can sustainably support airlines without needlessly contributing to more carbon emissions. On the 29th of September, Singapore Airlines announced that they will no longer be launching 'flights to nowhere', instead looking for more sustainable alternatives like in-plane dining. We are encouraged by the turn of events and it goes to show how ideas and suggestions can indeed be materialised if we are more will Ong to listen.
September has been a very special month for SG Climate Rally, as one year has passed since our first physical rally on 21st September 2019. We will continue fighting for our future and our planet, regardless of the challenges we faced and will be facing. This year, we offer you a glimpse of a more hopeful 2050 with our newly-launched campaign: #TakeBack2050. Read on to find out more!
We sincerely thank you for your constant support over the past year. We would not have done it without your participation and engagement. For a better world,
L O O K I N G B A C K . . .
ONE YEAR OF SGCR
A lot of things have happened in the past year since our very first physical rally at Hong Lim Park. We’ve grown the boundaries of climate action and mobilising in Singapore. We’ve pushed more politicians to talk about climate change and ask hard questions about Singapore's climate policy. We've seen fiercer climate change coverage in mainstream media. And every day, the voices calling for greater action and systemic change are growing louder. We've also learnt a lot along the way. We learnt that environmental action is not enough. We learnt that the fight must be for climate justice. There is no overcoming the climate crisis if we do not also fight for socio-economic justice for all.
We have a long way to go still, but hey, we’re all in this together. Read and view more of our reflections on Facebook or Instagram.
W H A T ' S N E W ?
#TAKEBACK2050
In line with Global Climate Action Day on 25 September, SG Climate Rally is proud to announce the launch of our #TakeBack2050 campaign!
#TakeBack2050 provides a platform for the public to imagine how Singapore in 2050 would look like after overcoming the climate crisis. Your visions will inform and lead up to the launch of our newly-revised Calls To Action (CTAs) for concrete steps to realise the visions of your 2050.
Do look forward to the release of our CTAs sometime in November*!
We have also released our launch video inviting speakers from civil society, as well as some familiar faces from last year’s climate rally to share their visions of 2050. What’s your vision for 2050? You can share your visions of 2050 through text, images, or video recordings at https://www.sgclimaterally.com/takeback2050!
Dare to envision and reclaim your future with #TakeBack2050! Share this with your friends and family and ask them a simple question: How do you want your 2050 to look like?
*In the previous newsletter, we mentioned that the CTAs will be out in September. This has been pushed back to November instead for the #TakeBack2050 visioning campaign. Sorry for the confusion!
May this quote that we found online give you the strength that you need to envision a future which you have the power to create.
All good things start with a dream.
The dream becomes a vision.
The vision becomes a plan.
The plan becomes a reality.
-unknown
S G C R W R I T E S
SIA'S 'FLIGHTS TO NOWHERE'
Singapore Airlines has recently proposed ‘flights to nowhere’ as an alternative source of revenue amidst this pandemic. In light of this, SG Climate Rally has released a statement commenting on this plan.
C L I M A T E N E W S
THE MONTHLY ROUND-UP
As you realise, this year’s extreme weather events have been occurring more and more often around the world. In California, Oregon and Washington, wildfires that were caused by increasing heatwaves and strong winds have caused deaths and mass evacuations in the burning areas. California’s wildfire season is already the most severe in modern history, determined by the acres burned. More than 2.5 million acres of land have been burned there this year, nearly 20 times what had burned at this time last year. With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it makes it even harder for the nation to respond to the emergencies and tackle the impacts brought about by the weather events. Dr Juan Declet-Barreto, a social scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists who works on climate vulnerability, said “The twin disasters of climate change and the pandemic have something else in common. Both disasters have disproportionately hurt minorities.”
Meanwhile, the concentration of greenhouse gases hit a record high this year, shown on a United Nations report on 9 September 2020. Evidently, an economic slowdown amid the coronavirus pandemic has had little long-term effect in providing a “breather” for the Earth. Even if 2020 emissions are lower than last year's output by up to 7 per cent, as expected, what is released will still contribute to the long-term concentration built up since the beginning of the industrial era. The Earth Overshoot Day fell on 22 August this year, which marks the date when humanity has exhausted nature's budget for the year. Even though the day falls later this year than it did the year before (29 July 2019), this serves as an important reminder that we ought to keep pushing more greater climate actions systemically in order to move the date. See how the Earth Overshoot Day is calculated here. You may check out some solutions provided by the Global Footprint Network to move the date.
Recently, China, the top emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060 and will ensure its greenhouse gases peak by next year. Thom Woodroofe, a former climate diplomat and senior advisor at the Asia Society, mentioned that President Xi Jinping’s commitment is a “gamechanger”. China had previously targetted to peak its emissions only by 2030. Xi’s pledge to implement a more ambitious climate national plan is a huge boost to the prospects for next year’s vital UN climate summit, COP26, in November 2021. This news is very encouraging, especially since smaller countries were the only ones putting in the effort to strengthen their Paris agreement plans that cover a small portion of the global emissions. It also serves as a pressure on the COP26 host nation -- the United Kingdom (UK). The UK has yet to commit to a new nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris agreement this year.
Back home, Singapore's mangroves can contribute to the battle against the climate crisis. According to Associate Professor Daniel Friess, compared to other types of forests, mangroves can store up to three to five times more carbon per hectare. As Earth Observatory Singapore (EOS) director Benjamin Horton mentioned that carbon capture and storage technologies can often be “incredibly expensive” and need to be “cutting edge”, expanding mangroves is a simpler solution to tackle the climate crisis. However, a multi-pronged approach has to be adopted, as expanding mangroves is not enough to offset our carbon emissions. Reduction of our fossil fuels and stop the deforestation are also crucial in protecting our environment.
S G C R R E C O M M E N D S
PODCASTS AND DOCUMENTARIES
On the days when we’re staying in during this pandemic, here are some podcasts and documentaries recommended by some of us at SG Climate Rally to keep you occupied!
Podcasts
Extinction Rebellion
P.S other than Spotify, you may search for them on Overcast (IOS app)!
Documentaries
Chasing Corals
Before the Flood
An Inconvenient Truth
A Life On Our Planet
Sending hugs and love, and we shall see you in October!