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PARTING SHOT
336
Jun14
I
barely qualify as a hippie – I hate tie-dye and I don’t know how to cook
quinoa. But it doesn’t take much to be a hippie in Singapore; let’s be
honest, it’s not the most environmentally aware country. Here, the
fact that I compost my kitchen scraps and give dreamcatchers as
kids’ birthday presents sets me apart as a bit “earthy”.
I’m not without some alternative credentials, mind you. My father is
a nudist who grows his own vegetables (he obviously doesn’t live in
Singapore) and, prior to our move here, I lived in one of Australia’s most
rainbow-loving country towns, a place called Bellingen. You could get run
out of that town for having lollies at a birthday party.
But we could all embrace our inner hippie in light of the recent UN
Climate Report which predicts “virtually certain” climate change, leading
to rising seas, acidified oceans, longer heat waves and severe crop
failures. Not till next year, thankfully.
Yes, it’s the job of governments to cut global greenhouse gas emissions
and research alternative energy sources, but that’s not an excuse for doing
nothing on the home front. So, here are my top five tips for being a hippie in
Singapore:
1.
Say no to plastic bags
.
Watch the confusion unfold at the supermarket
when you produce your own reusable bags. Add to the poor Aunty’s anxiety
by repacking anything she tries to sneak into a plastic bag. You can make
an exception for leaking packets of meat.
2.
Eat less meat.
The meat industry is apparently the second-biggest
environmental hazard facing the earth. (Number one is fossil-fuel vehicles.) A
staggering 51 percent or more of global greenhouse-gas emissions is caused
by animal agriculture. It also solves the problem mentioned in the first tip.
3.
Reduceyourwaste
.
Boring I know, but important. Compost if youcan, recycle
of course, and think about what you buy. Individually packed single serves of
biscuitsmight seemconvenient for school lunches, but you are paying for extra
air and plastic. Buy in bulk and use Tupperware to separate portions. If that
seems like a stretch, just remember, polar bears are at stake here.
4.
Don’t drive a car or do any air travel.
Only joking! But I do seriously
recommend the public transport here in Singapore; you can travel 40km
on a bus for $2, and that’s taking into account the 2014 fare hike. If you’re
a child under 0.9m, or a short adult who can pass yourself off as a kid, it’s
free. Find a double-decker public bus, take the kids upstairs and head across
Singapore. Pretend it’s a tour, bore them with some made-up facts – it’s a
cheaper family day out than going to Sentosa.
5.
Go nude.
Not sure how it helps the environment, but as long as you’re
making the peace sign it should identify you as a hippie (or a lunatic). Make
sure plenty of people see you before you get arrested!
h
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By Liz McCabe
Here’s your
c h a n c e
t o g e t
published
– a n d
make some
money at the
same time. We’re
looking for 500-word written
contributions on any funny,
poignant, practical or even
controversial topic that touches
on expat life in Singapore.
Simply email your stories in a
Word document to contribute@
expatliving.sg and we’ll consider
them for inclusion in an
upcoming issue.