Travel Green!

Being the sort who would drive out to the supermarket 5 mins away, I was prepared to have my conscience pricked by Howard Shaw, Executive Director of the Singapore Environment Council, when he dropped by to talk about greener transport alternatives.

But what I took away was that it's OK to own a car (preferably a fuel-efficient or hybrid one), but be conscious that there are other options available to us. If the destination is nearby, walk. Or take an MRT or bus to town once in a while. After all, we all know how crazy traffic & parking can be!

In Singapore, there's a whole array of options available to us. We just need to factor the environment into our daily decisions and make greener choices to reduce our carbon footprint.

Howard himself owns a car, but when the weather is nice & traffic isn't too heavy, he opts to cycle to his appointments. When I met him recently at Borders Cafe, he had walked over from Ion Orchard where he was attending an event. He plans his daily schedule smart, so that travel is minimised (it accounts for 30% of carbon emissions!).

Now that I can do. I felt empowered after chatting with Howard as well as Dawn Low, Director of Corporate Marketing & Communication at SMRT, and Chairperson of SMRT's Green Committee. All this ahead of Green Transport Week 2009 (22-26 Aug).

Howard Shaw & Dawn Low appeal to our Green Souls.

Dawn shared SMRT's move to greener alternatives, including importing more fuel-efficient buses, turning to CNG-fuelled cabs, and embarking on a Join the Green Revolution campaign. In fact, if you make a pledge to go green with SMRT, you stand to win a whole year's free travel on the MRT for the family. To take part, click here.

Green Transport Week kicks off this Sat 22 Aug, 6pm with Formula Green Concert @ SMU Campus Green. Kumar, Jack & Rai, Dawn Ho, Alemay Fernandez & many more will be spreading the message of travelling green, so don't miss it! Also, the latest hybrid concept cars not yet on the market will be displayed.

And hey, if you're planning to head down for the concert on Saturday, do try to take a bus or MRT there! *wink*