Member of Parliament Dr. Teo Ho Pin commented in Parliament that the Budget had not adequately address the country's sustainability needs over the next few decades. He was referring to the issue of Singapore's carbon emissions. While what he said is true, I would suggest that he had nonetheless missed the whole point with regard to the issue of sustainability.
Being a peak oil advocate, I believe the key issue is how we can sustain our current high standard of living given the expected shortfall in energy production that is expected to hit the world within the next 10 years. If we cannot find a solution to overcome the constraints of the expected decline in fossil fuel production, the persistent shortfall of supply relative to demand will automatically mean lower carbon emissions, and thus make the issue of carbon footprint totally irrelevant.
In a world of energy shortfalls, people will be worrying about their livelihoods, not carbon footprint. That's the reality of the situation. Singapore as a transport hub that also has a large tourism sector is very vulnerable to shortfalls in liquid fossil fuel supplies, as these cannot be replaced with other types of fuels for transportation in a meaningful way within the next 10 years or more. That will be the real issue of sustainability for Singapore in the coming decade.
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