Growing the Independent Media Scene
Dear friend,
We kicked off July with a blast at the inaugural Singapore Independent Media Fair, where we offered our new 2023 Zine Series based on our own articles of hot (pun-intended) climate issues in Singapore, with proceeds going towards funding our upcoming Rally (!!) in September. If you missed us at the fair, look out for the chance to buy our zines online in the near future!
At the fair, we also had the opportunity to engage in conversation with visitors and other independent media organisations in Singapore. In recent years, we have been seeing a slow growth of independent media in Singapore, and our hope is for this ecosystem to continue growing – a large part of “doing” media is all about the narratives we tell. Independent media plays an important role in subverting mainstream narratives to illuminate fresh perspectives, which is essential for developing an intersectional lens towards social and environmental issues.
As an exercise, one media narrative we can look out for this July is around Racial Harmony Day, happening on the 21st of this month. What are the different media outlets choosing to focus on? How do they speak about it? What messages are they driving? Who do these narratives benefit or hurt? These are just some useful questions to think about whenever we encounter a piece of media.
While we don’t often think of ourselves as a media organisation, we recognise the support from readers such as yourself and are always grateful for your contributions and trust in our work. As always, take care and keep safe!
For a better world,
SG Climate Rally
We’ve updated The Crisis section on our website, breaking down the current state of the crisis with updated research from climate scientists and the impact of Singapore’s current policies. The prognosis remains the same: unless we take more rapid and wide-ranging climate action, we will not be able to keep within the 1.5℃ threshold mentioned in the Paris Agreement.
Also, we’ve been getting busy on Tiktok — check it out for updates on the media fair as well as explainers on climate justice in fun, digestible sections!
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Global News
⚖️🧑⚖️The first ever constitutional climate trial in the US, Held vs Montana, came to a close. Several youth climate activists have brought a lawsuit against Montana state officials, accusing them of violating their constitutional right to a healthy environment by enacting pro fossil-fuel policies. The ruling, which will be delievered in a few weeks, will be keenly watched and could inspire other similar youth-led trials in other states or even other countries.
🌊💲The UN formally adopted the High Seas Treaty, the first international treaty establishing a legal framework to protect biodiversity in international waters. It will take effect once ratified by 60 countries. Other international talks didn’t go so well, with negotiators at the Bonn Climate Change Conference unable to agree even on the conference agenda, as climate financing proved a sticking point between developing and developed countries.
💸🗺️Still on the topic of finance, a new study has found that rich countries responsible for excessive levels of greenhouse gas emissions can be liable for US$192 trillion in climate reparations by 2050. The reparations would be paid to historically low-polluting developing countries that need to transition away from fossil fuels. The lead author of the study noted that “It is a matter of climate justice” to compensate countries who hold no responsibility for excess emissions and yet are asked to rapidly decarbonise their economies. The data estimates that Singapore, because it exceeds its fair share emissions, would need to pay US$548-1162 billion in reparations by 2050.
🥵🤒People around the world are sweltering after record heatwaves. Beijing issued a ‘red’ alert as it recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius for a record three straight days. At least 34 people also died in northern India, which is currently undergoing a heatwave. Doctors have advised citizens over 60 to stay indoors as they are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. This again highlights how the effects of climate change disproportionately affect different groups of people, and the need to have a climate justice approach to tackling the crisis.
Local News
✖🤔Dutch wealth manager Van Lanschot Kempen NV placed Singapore government-backed assets on an ESG blacklist, claiming that they failed an updated ESG test used to screen for environmental risks. A senior executive from Kempen said that Singapore’s biodiversity and climate are travelling in a "reverse" direction from "positive improvements" they "expect from quite advanced economies", and called out the inefficient use of energy to protect the population from tropical heat such as the use of air-conditioning. Several government agencies including MSE and NCCS replied in a joint statement highlighting Singapore’s climate policies including plans to generate more renewable energy and the Nature Conservation Masterplan, and invited Kempen to learn more about Singapore’s sustainability policies.
⛽😡Shell is reportedly seeking to reduce or even exit its petrochemical business in Singapore, as a way to reduce its emissions. However, it is also reportedly looking to increase production of natural gas and maintaining production of oil. If it is truly serious about reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, it should immediately reduce all fossil fuel production, or else its ‘net zero’ ambitions should be seen as nothing more than greenwashing.
🧊♨️ Speaking of ‘net zero’, a commentary in The Guardian lays out the case that ocean temperatures and sea ice levels are reaching hitherto unheard-of levels (in a bad way), and rapid climate action must be taken now. However, many ‘net zero’ targets and plans made by companies and countries are nowhere near sufficient to combat this, and we should target immediate reductions in fossil fuels and plans to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
For more on the impact of rising ocean temperatures:
❄️💨 With such extreme heat lately, it’s hard to imagine life without air-conditioning–Lee Kuan Yew even once called it the most important invention in history! However, the irony is that its emissions caused by electricity demand, coupled with the urban heat island effect, makes it even hotter, contributing to a cycle of even more increased air-conditioning use, and so on. Can we imagine alternatives to air-conditioning? Read this CNN article to explore how.
🌎🌿 Can we also imagine a world where sustainability and happiness are prioritised over economic goals? This Tiktok video on how Kerala does it may offer some inspiration:
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