– 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.
Finding special tutors for children with special needs
LearnIn, a social enterprise set up in April last year by Mr Bryan Neo, 24, matches tutors who have a disability with students - who may or may not have special needs. The disabilities range from visual and hearing impairments to autism and intellectual disabilities...
Bedfellows in a veggie patch
The National Parks Board Community Garden Festival next month wants everyone to discover the joy of gardening. Companion planting is a method of gardening where different species of plants are grown close together so that they benefit from each other's unique...
Singapore’s first long-span wind turbine at Semakau Landfill
At 14 storeys high and with three 10.5-metre long-span rotor blades, the turbine can produce enough energy to power 45 four-room HDB units a year, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) said in a press release. The new turbine is part of NTU's Renewable Energy...
A small firm in Germany has big ambitions in green energy
Like many German consumers, Christine Lacher, a nurse, and her husband, Reinhard, a factory supervisor, are careful when it comes to energy use. They have invested thousands of euros to build their dream home with plenty of energy-saving and generating equipment. They...
Your next home could run on batteries
In the near future, your home could be battery-operated. The rise of these home batteries is being driven by a powerful need, says Ravi Manghani, of GTM Research: renewable energy. Without batteries and other means of energy storage, the ability of utility companies...
America’s eco city of future
Georgetown mayor Dale Ross is ‘a good little Republican’ – but ever since his city weaned itself off fossil fuels, he has become a hero to environmentalists. Ross is the mayor of Georgetown and he has become a minor celebrity in environmental circles, as a result of a...
Thinking purpose before profit
As businesses around the globe respond to calls to demonstrate their contribution to inclusive long-term value creation for all of society, the Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism and EY announced the collaboration in June 2017 to bring together CEOs from over 20...
The resource that could power the world
Wind isn’t just mysterious, destructive and exhilarating – capturing just 2% of it would solve the planet’s energy needs at a stroke. And as the windiest country in Europe, Britain is at the forefront of this green revolution. In the UK, the wind energy industry is...
Avid gardeners find innovative ways to cultivate plots
Urban farming is on the rise here and green-thumbed Singaporeans are developing new solutions to cultivate plants in better and more efficient ways; such as making vertical farms the size of wine fridges or creating special enzyme solutions to boost plant health. The...
More than ‘just maids’, they bring hope to others
On their only day off in the week, they can be found at Kallang Riverside Park among dozens of other racing enthusiasts, pulling on the oars and grimacing with effort as their dragon boat cuts through the water like a knife. Since June 2017, they have been training...
Not just tourists expands medical ‘voluntourism’ project
Launched in Canada in 1990, Not Just Tourists facilitates the collection and delivery of surplus medical supplies to some of the poorest and most remote clinics in the world. This week, the organisation launched a new branch in Bristol, United Kingdom. This means that...
China charges toward electric-car supremacy
China is placing big bets on a plan to reshape the global auto industry by replacing gas-guzzling cars on its streets with new-energy vehicles. China’s industrial goal is to leapfrog over foreign car makers in the domestic market and become an export powerhouse....
Coffee shops not doing enough to combat increase in waste cups
2.5 billion disposable cups are thrown away annually in the UK and of which, only 1% are recycled. The committee’s chair, Mary Creagh, said that this “massive increase” was a damaging environmental impact and insisted it was time the big coffee chains did more to...
Solar-powered cars charge off in epic desert race
An epic 3,000-kilometre (1,860-mile) solar car race across the desert heart of Australia –designed to showcase new technology that could one day help develop commercial vehicles – is under way. The World Solar Challenge, first run in 1987 and last held in 2015, began...
Anthony Bourdain talks tough about food waste
At The New York Times’s series of Times Talks, chef Anthony Bourdain made clear his intentions to become a general in the fight against food waste. And his chief tactics, he said, will be shame and public humiliation. Mr Bourdain’s targets are inefficient home cooks,...
Helping deaf people see music
In a carnival held on 1 October at the Enabling Village, a community space in Lengkok Bahru, Ms Lily Goh used sign language to perform a song. Her body movements and facial expressions also conveyed emotions as she performed alongside singer Vivienne Wong and...
Hotel buffets, a culprit of food waste
According to the initial finding of experts from Ideo, buffet guests ate just over half of the food put out. In addition, only 10 to 15 percent of the leftovers could be donated or repurposed because of food safety regulations, while the rest ended up in the garbage....
British food waste campaigner impressed by Singapore’s efforts
Tristram Stuart’s lifelong war for reducing food waste started from collecting unwanted food as an alternative to animal feed. He recalls: "I grabbed hold of this particularly tasty-looking bread, sat down and ate breakfast with my pigs. It made me realise how much...
Award with a difference for making a difference
The Straits Times is opening nominations for the third edition of The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2017, which seeks to honour an individual or group of people whose extraordinary acts of goodwill have improved their community and the lives of others. The...
Jason Chee takes his first individual table tennis gold
Jason Chee has no legs, no left arm, is missing one finger and parts of two other fingers on his right hand and has only one eye. The Navy serviceman had lost his legs, left arm and suffered the injuries to his right hand in an accident aboard a Republic of Singapore...
