NParks hates greenery? Doesn’t talk to other govt agencies?

I was sad to read this in Sat’s BT

THE Moove Media cows started grazing on Singapore’s landscapes again yesterday and will continue to do so until May 26. Moove Media, the advertising arm of ComfortDelGro Corp, has teamed up with the National Parks Board (NParks) to launch a “Happy Cows, Happy Hearts” campaign to celebrate Singapore as a City in a Garden, as well as to promote graciousness and kindness.

All 600 cows – which are made using recycled plywood and printed using eco-solvent ink – carry a red heart on their backs. They will be displayed alongside over 1,000 30-inch-wide red hearts made up of fibreglass in about 50 locations including Raffles Place, Orchard Road, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Fort Canning, Braddell and Sengkang.

Surely there are better, more imaginative ways to celebrate 50 yrs of  the “greening”* of S’pore than by putting up 600 artificial cows in parks? True, it didn’t cost NParks any money. And true, it would not be practical to have 600 cows or even 600 goats or sheep grazing our parks. But surely the irony of celebrating S’pore as a Garden City with artificial cows must have occurred to the mgt of NParks?

It could have got corporate sponsors to pay it to plant a few “instant” trees around Speakers’ Corner to give shade to those using the corner. And that would have had the additional adv of scoring points with those who want to lessen the place’s capacity.

Or seriously, what about a commemorative roof top garden, along the lines of those roof top gardens built by the HDB (see below). And paid by corporate sponsors? This could showcase the imaginative way S’pore is developing the Garden City theme to cope with 6m people.

Oh I forgot, NParks doesn’t talk to other govt departments. NParks didn’t talk to the police recently. It asked Gilbert Goh to apply for a police permission for his May Day protest because of “foreign participation”, even though he clarified that there were no foreigners organising, or speaking at the protest.

“When contacted by Yahoo! Singapore, a member of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that foreigners can attend and watch the protests at Hong Lim Park without a need for permit. There will only be a need for permit should there be foreigners organising or speaking at the protest.” (Yahoo! report)

Currently, Singapore has more than 50 hectares of rooftop greenery islandwide in public and private buildings such as housing estates, schools and shopping centres.

Mr Khaw said this puts Singapore among the leading cities doing it.

Besides creating a green oasis for residents looking down from higher floors, the rooftop greenery provides space for community interaction and helps to cool down the surroundings.

Residents could enjoy the use of community gardens, foot reflexology paths and study corners at these MSCP rooftop features, Mr Khaw said.

He cited Jurong East and Dover Crescent as examples of how rooftop greenery is helping residents relive the kampung spirit, where neighbours get together to plant flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Mr Khaw said that the HDB has plans to implement nine hectares of rooftop greenery in existing MSCPs within the next few years.

(From CNA report several months ago)

He also talked of experimenting with vertical plant growth i.e. on the sides of HDB buildings. That would be something.

Related post: http://atans1.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/my-spore-a-greeneer-more-pleasant-land/

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*It was in 1963 that one LKY started the first annual planting tree planting campaign. http://atans1.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/lest-we-forget-mms-responsible-for-our-greenery/ Enhancing property values, must have been one of the aims.

Botanical Gardens: What Heritage status means

A few weeks ago, it was reported that S’pore made an initial application for “World Heritage” status for the Botanical Gardens. And a few days ago, ST carried an editorial on the issue, praising the govt, last week, for making the application.

I couldn’t help but recall an exchange, a few years ago, at a seminar on investing in Penang. A lady presented on how the inner city of George Town acquired the status. A S’porean senior official said the problem with status is that once given, the govt cannot change anything. hence S’pore never applied for anything. He asked why would Penang take that risk with part of its capital?

Lady’s reply was along the lines of, “If you made a decision to preserve something that you think is unique, why would you want the flexibility to then tear it down? The inner city is one of a kind that we in Penang want to preserve.” The S’porean official was stunned by the rebuke.

Coming back to the Botanical Gardens, I hope the govt realises that if the Gardens get the “World Heritage” status, the govt would never ever be able to aircon the place. Now while I love the place, it can be rather hot or humid, or both, often. Nothing like air conditioning the place. I’m sure Donaldson, New Reublic’s chief editor, would agree. The weather has him has praising the aircon on his Facebook wall.

 

“Vision of the Singapore of the future is Punggol”

Guess who said this? Not Ah Lian, Low or other people-in-blue trying hard to show us that they are not men-in-white clones, or PAP Lite despite Low’s comments on Opposition unity and forming a non-PAP govt. (I must say, I’m impress by their rhetoric on the population White Paper. Bet you they are not getting New Year goddies from the WP’s tradition funders: Chinese-owned SMEs. But this and Low’s comments are two tales for the future. And Moley says to keep an near out for what Low says in the debate, if anything at all.)

Nope, said remark or shumething like it was made by Khaw, the PAP’s chairman.

Surely he can’t be predicting that the voters of S’pore will be like the voters of Punggol? (OK,. OK, Pungol East): kick out the bums PAP with a 11%age points swing. Likely he meant S’pore will be a two-party state like Punggol, where the PAP have four MPs to every one WP MO. If so, long way to go. The present ratio is 8.9:1 (and I’m generous to WP). Wonder how come GG is still there? Shouldn’t he have to step down, now that Ah Lian is MP. Bet you Eric Tan must be waiting in glee for the day GG has to step down. For those with short memories, Eric had Low’s promise to recommend him to the WP’s portiburo for the NCMP post, something Low never denied. Low said he had “changed his mind”.

And noticed that Riverdale Plaza flooded? The Gods are unhappy that PAP lost? Or that the WP opposed the White Paper? I mean the WP is supposed to be PAP Lite, not the SDP the real Opposition.

Or yikes!Ah Kong is unhappy the PAP lost and is making the people of Punggol East repent? If this is the case, he is greater than Mao. Mao only became a god after his death. As was Caesar Augustus: “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.”

LKY can easily say, “I was born in a S’pore full of slums. It is now a city of high-rise public housing.”

And as the year of the Snake begins on Sunday, here’s a story on a village of snakes in China. Have a prosperous Snake year. Make money! And good health! And good eating over the next few days.

Light postings from now on until third or fourth day of CNY. And pity the WP. No abalone, lobster, bak kua or other goodies from their SME funders this year. Kanna eat chor bee and roti prata.

A natural topic for national conversation

An article in SunT ST last week on farming on the rooftops of HK reminded me that I had written in My S’pore: A greener & more pleasant land about using the roofs of our HDB blocks and other high-rise buildings to create a greener S’pore using examples from Switzerland. I also added, “This being S’pore, we could use HDB roof-tops to be self-sufficient in basic veggies, and range-free eggs.”

Well not only are the Hongkies now farming on the top of high rises, but I have since learnt that the Americans were already doing it for some yrs now: The idea to grow more food within city limits has spread in recent years along with increased awareness about the quality of our food and where it comes from. Advocates say urban farms can also provide important green-space and, when built on roofs, help reduce energy use and storm-water runoff. In dense cities like New York, with high real estate prices, rooftops represent enticing, unused space. Several cities, including New York and Seattle have revised zoning and building codes to help encourage the practice.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/19/us-farms-urban-idUSBRE86I0U120120719?type=smallBusinessNews

Maybe Khaw can get his planners to see if leasing out the roofs of HDB blocks to wannabe farmers can help lower the cost of the HDB flats to S’poreans?

And this is a natural topic for our National Conversation (Ya silly pun, I accept). It is a non-political topic of conversation for the S’pore of 2030.

Only SDP and NSP activists, Ravi the lawyer, KennethJ, Goh Meng Seng and TJS will strain out gnats to find a political angle to this issue. LOL.

Related link: Parks along abandoned railway tracks in the sky (NY) and on the ground (England)  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19872874

News submerged in “ponding”?

The u/m news report appeared in ST’s Breaking News on 21 January 1012. And a much more detailed version in ST.

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Better model to predict floods likely in the near future

It will include 3-D land-height map of Marina catchment area for a start

Published on Jan 21, 2012

National water agency PUB could be using a better flood-prediction computer model in the near future.

It will include a 3-D land-height map of just the Marina catchment area for a start, to predict the direction in which rainwater will flow at ground level during storms, and where flooding might occur.

Such a map, which the PUB has commissioned, will depict land height in that area to within 10cm accuracy.

Computer models now in use only predict how rainwater flows within drains and canals, and the intensity of rainfall they can handle.

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So it seems that no detailed studies were done on the catchment area that resulted from the new Marina Barrage.  So how can it be claimed by the authorities that the barrage did not cause the “once in 50 yrs” Orchard Rd floods. They occured twice in two months in 2010. And late last year, parts of Orchard Rd were “ponded”. 

No wonder this news came out on a day when S’poreans  were at the start the CNY hols? It was a gd day to “pond” the news? So did the same PR people who advised the use of “ponding” advise releasing the news on a day it would disappear without trace? If so, VivianB should kick the PUB’s new CEO again, juz as he did over the use of “ponding”. [The last two sentences were only added at 9.00am, hrs after the original posting.]

BTW, the “50-year flood” minister (“Speak to me in English” Yacoob) is now in charge of taming the Internet Tsunami. Can’t solve “ponding”, so moved to handling a tidal wave. Taz meritocracy S’porean-style? He is also a poster boy for a “sacrificing” minister. He was an associate professor at NUS earning at most couple of $100,000. He then became junior minister, with a starting salary of abt a million. Wow some sacrifice!