32 degrees C? Dun bluff.
Saw this on ST Interactive today.
I DON’T BELIEVE IT LOR!
The weather is so unbelievably hot… how can it be Max 32 degrees celcius?? It has to be at least 34 – 35 degrees C.
And now NEA wants us save electricity by using fan instead of aircon. I don’t think this is a very practical suggestion in this horrid weather.
Actually we only have ourselves to blame coz we’ve been abusing our environment so badly that now we’re reaping the punishment in the form of global warming. No wait, cheeky me thinks we have our ancestors to blame for not researching and capitalising on renewable energy earlier. The environmentalists have been waving the red flag for a long long time. But governments, industrialists and oil cartels have too much to lose in terms of immediately profits to sponsor such long-term research. Easier to continue using coal and oil; Easier to allow unbridled urbanisation – let the next generation deal with the effects of greenhouse gases.
So here we are.
Maybe, just maybe, we’ve reached the point of no return. In this weather, who can afford to use fan instead of aircon? Try asking huge shopping malls like Ngee Ann City to turn off their aircon and use super huge factory fans instead; or even for them to set their aircon temp at 25 degree celcius. Everyone knows these suggestions are not practical. Business will plummet immediately. The reason why Singaporeans like shopping is partially because malls provide cool refuge from the unbearable heat. The cooler, the better. Even visitors from temperate countries comment that our malls are cold.
So the onus is on individuals to control electricity usage at home instead. But how many of us will, in this sweltering heat, be altruistic enough to refrain from turning on the aircon?
But having said that, I do applaud NEA’s efforts to educate the public on other means of saving electricity e.g. turning off switch at the socket, rather than leave appliances on standby mode. Think of your TVs, Blueray players, LCD computer monitors, speakers – these are practical areas we can work on to save electricity.
Refer to E2Singapore for more electricity saving tips. So in short, I’m willing to try the other electricity-saving tips suggested, except turning off my aircon, or adjusting the thermostat to 25 degrees C. Gosh, even at 18 degrees C, I still need to have the fan on to keep me sanely cool.
Hubby mentioned that someone should really research on how to convert humidity into a form of renewable energy. Singapore’s atmosphere is so pregnant with water vapour (dun mind the analogy) – if only someone could harness this form of gaseous water into either drinkable water or channel it to run some turbine to produce electricity. If such a technology was available, and all the malls and commercial buildings used it, imagine how much less humid our atmosphere would be and how much natural energy we would be harnassing. Twin benefits!
I was quite impressed at his suggestion, except, I’m not sure if such a technology would require too much oil to run. But hey! We can use solar energy? Singapore may not have a lot of natural resources, but the glorious sunshine is something we have plentiful of, ALL year round. It beats me why we have not yet harnessed this source of energy in a BIG way. Maybe must wait for MM Lee to say something drastic about this publicly before the government will invest more money into such research e.g. ENV should not have been so “complacent” about energy security. See how much we have to pay for oil and natural gases now?
We are a tech-hub and we have the money and resources to research on renewable energy. Why hasn’t research into this area taken place in a more large and sustained manner yet? As a matter of national policy we were able to mobilise the entire national system to convince Singaporeans on changing lifestyle habits as private as procreation and dialect-speaking. We even created an entire generation of engineers, much to the despair of the Arts scene. Why should weather management be any different or any more difficult? Surely nothing is too difficult for our efficient Singapore government once it has set its heart and sights on it. (well, the only exception could be the dismal state of our S-league and soccer standards)
I half suspect it’s the politics of money and business at play lah. Why invest money in something that may take decades to bear fruit and even then, success is not necessarily guaranteed. We do not invest huge amounts of money and efforts into wars we’re not sure of winning. Let other more developed nations take the lead, and we’ll follow in their footsteps once the results are more certain.
Ok I’m rambling. This crazy heat is really getting to me. Maybe I should install a window aircon unit in addition to the wall mounted unit.
Filed under: My red dot | 5 Comments
Baby's Blog
hmmm.. that would mean bulding a huge dome over the island to collect that moisture….
I think Pregnant Women are more susceptible and sensitive to heat changes, if you can, just alternate between fan and aircon if not the electricity bill will also be ~.~…
5 deg above equator and surrounded by water, what do you expect? In fact Sg weather is more bearable than any other nations in the same region. Our city state is green and clean that give a more cooling feeling of the atmosphere. If I recall correctly, one European country committed hundreds of million dollars to research and generate solar power in Singapore. Our nation is developing too fast at the expense of envoirnmental friendlyness. The consumption of electricity of the maga buildings will keep on increasing in order to maintain or upgrade the standard of living (or business). I don’t think there will be any substitute energy in the near future. When we get used to aircon envoirnment in our daily living, it is difficult to carry on without it. Any way, those who can afford will continue to enjoy the comfort of aircon. Those who can not afford will spend more time outside in shopping centre, cinema , parks or even void deck and resolve to sleep late.
usually i’ll sit infront of a fan after a bath so that my body will be cooled, and not instead become sticky again cos of the pespiring after that.. i think it helps me to adjust faster so i dun need to turn the aircon temp too low. personally i find aircon temperatures like 22 deg.. very cold already man.
maybe qiqi’s keeping u warm.. extra body heat.
Yah, the weather is warm lately. It wasnt all that bad to me. I take cold showers now, in the traditional way scooping from the pail. It’s damn shiok! Try it. Since you’re chalking up the aircon bills, can save on the heater bills then
I guess we’re so used to the aircon whole day in the office that when we miss the luxury of that at home, we feel the sweltering heat. The marble flooring I have at home really helps cooling the house I think. We hvnt used much of aircon so far. Btw, the laminated flooring you have at home… wood absorbs heat is it? Take more showers. Baby will like it too 
Er… But I don’t use aircon leh…. Other than office’s aircon…. My room only got fan on… Not sure what the aircon thing doing in my room – don’t even know if it’s still working!!!!
But hor… ur body temp now is higher than most of us lah… So dun blame weather!!!