March Notes From The Editor — All Hail Mother Nature

I often tell my niece and nephew that they will be the ones to undo the mistakes my generation made. A generation who, at the apex of innovation and change, has inevitably led to the current decline of the natural world. A world where the global average surface temperature has increased, 11 million hectares of bush, forest, and parks across Australia has burned, and a glacier the size of Britain is melting.

In our quest to make everyday living life tiny bit more convenient, we chose to ignore common sense and science—knowledge that has long proved that we’re taking more from Earth than we can replace. That all the smartphones in the world have contributed to a mountain of waste we cannot eliminate. That the air-conditioning we use to cool us down is making the outside warmer—a terrifying and perpetual cycle of cause and effect with no end in sight.

My generation destroyed Earth, and for that, we’re truly sorry.

It’s unsurprising then that sustainability has become the defacto buzzword of this decade. There is a movement underway in Singapore that not only promotes the act of sustainability but rewards—turning it from virtue into a profitable decision that rewards the enlightened few.

This month, we take a look at sustainability efforts in Singapore by retailers, building owners, disruptors in tech, fashion moguls, and a shoe reselling platform that inevitably has become the face of sustainability in its most exclusive form. We also explore how other Asian countries are leading the way with a government lead recycling initiative that makes sustainability an ingrained habit in every citizen.

Also, one of my interns, Leona, challenged the team to adopt a minimal waste lifestyle for a week.

Apart from environmental sustainability, one of my writers questions our efforts at emotional sustainability. A road map of sorts that helps us understand that it is only us and us alone that are in control of who we are. It’s an interesting take on this topic, so keep your eyes peeled for that one.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our weekly recommended Netflix series every Monday. We’re also adding a new weekly segment we like to call Spotify Saturday where we ask your favourite Singapore personalities for the soundtrack of their life and why the tracks are so meaningful to their existence. First up, my boss, Seth Lui, for whom many regards as an enigma (which is not that much a stretch from the truth) but to me, is someone I’ve had many meaningful conversations with at the most unexpected of places, most recently, at a traffic light in front of Toa Payoh Stadium as the sky threatens to pour.

Yes, we’re dramatic like that.

Also, one of my interns, Leona, challenged the team to adopt a minimal waste lifestyle for a week. Mine is not to use disposable cups because I’m always in the office with a cup of coffee from Yakun in hand. I’m quite sure I will fail spectacularly at this. If you’re keen to see if I falter or succeed, head over to our Instagram page to see this unfold.

Stay tuned. And in the meantime, reduce, reuse, recycle, rinse and repeat as much as you can.

Onward,
Zat