Author: he0001er

The NTU Human-Wildlife Coexistence Team is Recruiting & Accepting Community Feedbacks /Ideas!

Join us in our efforts to protect our campus wildlife by applying to the NTU HWC Team or leaving your ideas and feedback with us at https://tinyurl.com/ntuhwc21.

For further queries, please email the NTU Biodiversity Week team at earthlink-nbd@e.ntu.edu.sg. The NTU Biodiversity Week is an annual event which seeks to spread awareness and inspire action amongst members of the NTU community, in support of biodiversity conservation and animal welfare causes. The event will be held in March 2022. Please also fill in the NTU Wildlife Perception Survey (https://tinyurl.com/wildntusurvey21) if you have not done so, as your responses will help shape next year’s event. We hope to see you there!

Article by: Cheryl Yeoh

Visuals by: Cheah Song Cheng

Hey there folks! Since the start of the semester, the various committees in Earthlink have been grinding their days to prepare a series of events just for our fellow students. Every year, the highly anticipated NTU Welcome Week kick starts the academic year. With this year being no exception, Earthlink and all the other Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) in NTU set up virtual booths to introduce our clubs to the incoming students.

A virtual booth was thus set up in the school portal as a mode of communication between Earthlink and the new students should they wish to inquire more about us. Different chat rooms were initiated and both directors and deputy directors from each portfolio were readily available to engage with the freshmen and existing students. Frequently asked questions centered on the commitment level required from the individual, the types of available roles in each portfolio, the relevant skills required and what kind of events they will be looking forward to in the semester. Following the Welcome Week, a Welcome Tea session was hosted on 16 August. The executive committee introduced the various committee and past events held and Directors of each portfolio were invited to introduce themselves while revealing their upcoming plans, such as the types of event lined up for the semester to the audience.

Next, through the casting of votes by the members, an Annual General Meeting was held on 20th August to affirm the formation of the 29th Management Committee for the year, and Earthlink is deeply grateful for all the support received. After the formation of a staunch committee, the Subcommittee Recruitment Drive commenced where freshly scouted as well as interested members were recruited to be assimilated into the family!

Finally, the Extraordinary General Meeting was held on 10th September. This event grants the various specialised portfolios an opportunity to interact and engage with the newly formed subcommittees, as well as introducing the shiny new advisory board of the year! The new members of the advisory board were invited to share their reasons for the formation of this board and their future aspirations in support of Earthlink. The meeting ended with the subcommittee bonding session which includes members of each portfolio to share their opinions and throw out fresh ideas so as to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s interests and the direction they hope to work towards during their time in the respective portfolios.

Stay tuned for more updates on events concerning Earthlink and keep us on your mind as more is to be anticipated! Membership application is still open, therefore if you ever find yourself curious regarding what Earthlink does and want to be part of our family, do not hesitate to join us!

Article by: Cheryl Yeoh

Visuals by: Lau Hiu Naam

Singapore has always been both an exemplary leader as well as a follower of many things which make us versatile and resilient to changes. Our nation’s annually celebrated National Day Parade (NDP) includes exciting performances and the distribution of NDP packs to the citizens. These NDP packs often come in a plastic tote bag filled with handy items such as bottled water, a musical instrument, hand-held fan, ponchos, etc. In 2019, approximately 250,000 NDP packs were distributed and many of the items ended up in the bin after the event. Thus, it had generated a lot of waste. As a result, this year’s NDP organisers had taken extra consideration towards making the parade as environmentally sustainable as possible by joining hands with green groups.

Since December 2020, the NDP Executive Committee has consulted and discussed with 15 green groups regarding the type of materials to be used to produce this year’s NDP packs. The focal idea is to produce items that are of durable quality and environmentally friendly. NTU Earthlink President and third-year materials science and engineering student, Tan Shi Zhou, concurs with this and has contributed to the choice of material used. “Tyvek is a synthetic polymer that is highly recyclable and commonly recycled alongside plastic bottles. It also boasts a high strength-to-density ratio, which means that the material is strong, highly durable and resistant to solvents, wear & tear, while at the same time, lightweight,” remarked Shi Zhou. These factors thus position DuPont Tyvek as a suitable choice for the material used for the NDP pack as it provides a good balance of strength, durability, and resistivity to the environment. All of which are essential for the bag to be long-lasting, the lightweight and opaqueness of the bag also ensures that the bag is easy to carry around without much hassle. When asked if there is something he hopes to change in the process of preparing for NDP next year, he enthusiastically quipped, “I hope to be able to work with the NDP EXCO to procure an even more environmentally sustainable and natural material beyond the synthetic polymer that we used this year. I hope that sustainability will continue becoming the main focus in the upcoming editions of the NDP!”

“I do hope that we can remain resilient amidst the climate issues and move towards a truly sustainable Singapore.”

-Tan Shi Zhou

As Singapore continues to move towards a zero-waste nation, matters on minimising food wastage is another goal to work towards. NTU Earthlink Vice-President and third-year environmental science undergraduate, Shawn Ang, shares this sentiment fervently. He chimed in, “To reduce food waste, the NDP Exco also ensured that food indents/catering was just right to the number of participants present, to avoid any unnecessary catering and food wastage. In the one or two unavoidable scenarios where excess food was catered, they partnered with SG Food Rescue to offload the edible food to prevent any wastage.” Feeling zealous, Shawn realises more needs to be done with this eco-consciousness by transiting to the power of narration where he believes “stories and messages are powerful agents of change”.

“The only way to do that is to first outreach and educate Singaporeans about what these issues are, because they can’t care about or take action on something they don’t know about in the first place.”

Shawn Ang

All in all, Singapore is proficient in many areas, but climate change requires a collective effort globally. It is a conundrum that needs extra care and consideration and a common understanding in the pursuit of a sustainable future. As echoed by both Shi Zhou and Shawn, “The only way to do that is to first outreach and educate citizens about what these issues are, because they can’t care about or take action on something they don’t know about in the first place.” Hence, a wake-up call is needed, particularly in the mainstream education curricula where green habits are to be inculcated at a young age both in our own households and at the school level.