Myths About Protecting The Environment

Misinformation runs rampant in the current technological age, where every individual is given a platform to share their thoughts and ideas, bombarding us with some truly absurd and untrue "facts." In this article, we will be myth-busting, so you can be forewarned, lest you fall prey to these misleading assertions about the environment. 

1. Growing local produce is always beneficial for the environment.

In Singapore, our food supply relies heavily on imports, with over 90% sourced from around 170 regions. Our current goal is to bolster self-sustenance and self-sufficiency through the '30 by 30' vision, aiming to fulfill 30% of our nutritional needs domestically by 2030. But at what cost?  

Local produce cultivation is often glamorised with rose-tinted promises. However, as seen in the USA, increasing small-scale farms led to a drastic rise in the use of resources like water, fertiliser, and pesticides. According to Nesheim et al., the negative impacts arising from the American food system can be categorised into the contamination of the environment, the depletion of resources, and the disruption of populations.

The widely used mineral fertilisers, while boosting crop productivity, can contribute to environmental degradation through greenhouse gas emissions and reduce water quality due to contamination. Apart from the release of contaminants impacting various organisms, pesticides can also affect the ecosystem by harming non-target organisms.

To minimise negative environmental impacts, efforts have been implemented to prevent toxic substances from entering wildlife habitats. 

As the agricultural system consists of several complex interlinked components and stakeholders, any change to one component can greatly impact others and, thus, can only be carried out with careful analysis. As research is often a meticulous and time-consuming process, it could delay the execution of sufficient measures to reverse the damage done to the environment. 

Thus, it is easy to see how growing locally is not always environmentally friendly. Could the use of resources for production and distribution locally outweigh the resources used in importing foreign produce? Are there sufficient steps in place to prevent disequilibrium in the ecosystem? These are some important considerations to keep in mind. Undoubtedly, growing locally can provide various benefits, like fresher produce and less spoilage. It is also a crucial investment towards enhanced food security. Keeping the potential consequences in mind is imperative to strike a careful balance and avoid environmental damage while we continue to increase food security. Awareness of possible problems with growing locally is the first step in developing solutions for them!  

In Singapore, local farms have successfully employed sustainable measures to avoid such negative environmental impacts. One such case is the ACE’s Eco-Ark fish farm, which uses state-of-the-art aquaculture technology. From saving water by collecting fresh water from the rain using slanting roofs fitted with pipes to solar panels to harvest energy, the sustainable fish farm is equipped to diminish carbon emissions and waste. Investing in research and development in the early stages of Singapore’s agricultural journey could offset the potential negative environmental impacts of growing locally! 

2. Only plastic packaging is bad for the environment  

Plastics are inarguably terrible for the environment and aquatic life due to their non-biodegradable properties, which form microplastics as they break down into smaller pieces. Microplastics are harmful to both the environment and human health. These minuscule contaminants can infiltrate virtually anything! But we may have villainized plastics a little more than they deserve; after all, aren't they just so convenient, light and durable? 

Perceived as more “environmentally friendly," packaging materials like glass or metal do not often receive a bad rep for the harm they cause. However, producing and transporting glass or metal packaging takes much more energy than plastic due to their weight.

Glass bottles have also been shown to have large environmental footprints, with the mining of silica leading to environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. Metal packa is ging also bears similar negative impacts.

Even reusable cotton grocery bags contribute to water pollution by 606-fold compared to plastic bags. Using fertiliser to harvest organic cotton was shown to have depleted oxygen levels in water bodies, forming “dead zones,” as stated in a research article by the Danish Ministry of Food and Environment. One alarming statistic states that in order to equalise the impact of cotton bags as compared to plastic bags, one would need to use the cotton bag each week for a whopping 11.5 years!

This is not to say that we should encourage plastic use. On the contrary, it serves as a reminder that the production of every material causes some degree of environmental damage. Therefore, we must remember the 3 R's: reduce, reuse, and recycle, with a particular emphasis on ‘reduce’ to minimise consumption and waste from the get-go.

3. Climate change isn't real, the climate has always changed, and we cannot do anything about it.

 Most of us are acquainted with elaborate environmental campaigns regarding climate change, which do not bring about tangible differences. The ironic waste of resources in making hundreds of posters exclaiming, “Don't waste paper!” may not be the best way to save the environment. While raising awareness is a great way to spark change, actions speak louder than words.  Taking simple steps by creating a recycling routine or composting can pave the way for others to follow suit. Plus, using public transport, being mindful of energy consumption, and installing energy-efficient devices are all small tweaks that can make a difference! 

Climate change is a very real issue that we are facing, and global warming is characterised by unnaturally extreme increases in temperature over the past few decades. Sure, the climate on Earth has always changed, but far more slowly over thousands of years compared to much shorter timelines in recent years because of human activity. As we continue to burn fossil fuels for energy, we release excessive greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which trap long-wave radiation and warm the planet due to the enhanced greenhouse effect. This rapid change in our climate should be addressed as it can lead to dramatic changes in weather patterns and biodiversity losses as plants and animals cannot adapt or withstand the abiotic changes and other undesirable consequences.

In order to mitigate such issues, more countries have begun embracing renewable energy sources, which harness clean resources to meet energy requirements and thus decrease the magnitude of the enhanced greenhouse effect.

Written by: Sangeetha

06/2024

References

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Andrady, A. L., & Neal, M. A. (2009). Applications and societal benefits of plastics. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1526), 1977–1984. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0304

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Nesheim, M. C., Oria, M., & Yih, P. T. (Eds.). (2015). A framework for assessing effects of the food system. National Academies Press. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK305182/

Scheiderer, J. (2024, May 1). Protect our planet from plastic pollution: 5 things to know. United Nations Foundation. https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/protect-our-planet-from-plastic-pollution-5-things-to-know/

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