– Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, author and motivational speaker
There are many issues that the community is facing. And only when we take the effort to find out more and keep ourselves up-to-date, can we be part of the solution and change can happen, to truly build a community that cares.
Just a normal guy in a wheelchair
Mr Richard Kuppusamy, 41, was born with spina bifida which left him wheelchair bounded. Not letting his disabilities set his limits, he works as the regional digital integration manager of leading international property group Lendlease. Before he took up the job a...
Bans on Plastic Straws in Restaurants Expand to More Cities
The latest is Malibu, Calif. Before that came Seattle; Davis and San Luis Obispo, Calif.; and Miami Beach and Fort Myers, Fla. They’re all cities that have banned or limited the use of plastic straws in restaurants. Straws, routinely placed in glasses of water or...
Arctic spring is starting 16 days earlier than a decade ago
The Arctic spring is arriving 16 days earlier than it did a decade ago, according to a new study which shows climate change is shifting the season earlier more dramatically the further north one go. The research, published on Friday in the journal Scientific Reports,...
New diabetes classification could lead to better treatments
Scientists have unveiled a revised classification for the disease - one they said could lead to better treatments and help doctors more accurately predict life-threatening complications. People with diabetes have excessively high blood glucose, or blood sugar, which...
Concerted effort needed on climate action in 2018
Singapore’s declaration of 2018 as the "Year of Climate Action", backed by plans to soon implement a carbon price, has served to demonstrate the country's determination to lead by example. Furthermore, as ASEAN chair in 2018, Singapore has a key opportunity to forge a...
Antarctic sea ice cover near record low
The Australian Antarctic Division said the latest satellite data showed only a total 2.15 million square kilometers surrounding the icy continent during the lowest point in February during the summer season, the second-lowest on record. The minimum record was set in...
National recycling effort bags only 2% of domestic waste
A national recycling effort collected just 2% of the total amount of waste generated by the domestic sector in 2016, falling far behind other waste collection efforts. Dr Khor said the public waste collectors collected about 44,200 tonnes of recyclables in 2016, and...
Arctic ‘heatwave’ worries scientists as Europe freezes
Right now it's colder in parts of England than the North Pole in a freakish weather event that is alarming scientists. In recent days, temperatures have soared in the Arctic, while the normally freezing weather has shifted south and is now blasting parts of Europe. At...
Climate change puts king penguins on path to extinction
Global warming is on track to wipe out 70% of the world's King penguins by century's end, putting the regal birds on a path towards extinction, researchers warned. As climate change drives away the fish and squid upon which the flightless creatures depend, the...
Gene mutation helps some cancer patients live longer
Two doctors at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) have discovered a gene mutation in head and neck cancer patients that, for reasons as yet unknown, results in their responding well to a lung cancer drug. This mutation could possibly make squamous cell...
Off to Antarctica in the name of climate change
Social entrepreneur Anthea Ong, 49, gave up her car in 2010 after 20 years of driving to reduce her carbon footprint. For the environmentalist, joining an Antarctica expedition as part of a 100-strong team, which includes climate change scientists and entrepreneurs...
23 young people with special needs honoured for their grit
Mr Noor Iskandaria Mohd Dena thought he had lost all chance of winning the Asean Para Games' 24.6km handcycling race in 2017 after he crashed his bike and punctured a tyre just 2km before the finish line. Despite the setback, the 22-year-old, who suffers from a form...
$5 per tonne carbon tax ‘fair’ for firms
“Getting large carbon emitters to pay $5 for every tonne of greenhouse gases they generate is a "fair" way to start a compliance regime,” said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli. From next year till 2023, all facilities producing 25,000...
Taiwan to ban disposable plastic items by 2030
Taiwan is planning a blanket ban on single-use plastic items including straws, cups and shopping bags by 2030. It is the latest push by Taiwan to cut waste and pollution after introducing a recycling program and charges for plastic bags. The island’s eco-drive has...
How greenhouse gas emitters are charged for pollution
From 2019, large emitters have to pay to pollute, when Singapore rolls out a carbon tax scheme. Facilities that produce more than 25,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions or more in a year - the equivalent of emissions produced by the annual electricity consumption...
Public speaking firm hires only trainers with disabilities
For 22 years, Mr Steve Tee had no problems seeing clearly. But that changed in 2004 when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare disease which starts with partial loss of vision and eventually leads to total or near-total blindness. Thankfully, an epiphany...
Time to get serious about saving energy
A tax will never be welcome, but it can be timely. The carbon tax that Singapore will levy on large polluters from 2019 is one such example. The tax comes against a backdrop of rising temperatures and increasingly erratic weather. As Singapore marks its Year of...
Carbon tax will affect mainly large polluters
The carbon tax that Singapore will implement from 2019 will mainly affect large polluters, but households are also expected to feel the knock-on effects. The carbon tax, levied on facilities that produce 25,000 tonnes or more of greenhouse gas emissions in a year,...
Support network for seniors to be expanded
The Community Networks for Seniors scheme, a programme piloted by the Government two years ago, will go national by 2020. It involves government bodies, voluntary welfare organisations and volunteers teaming up to visit seniors, getting them involved in community...
Extending schemes to spur giving spirit
A tax deduction scheme for donations to charities will be extended for three years, until December 2021, to foster the spirit of giving. For every $1 donated to a charity that is an Institution of a Public Character (IPC), donors get $2.50 deducted off their taxable...
