Investigation

“Change starts with you … Fortunately, there are some super easy things we can adopt into our routines that, if we all do it, will make a big difference.”

A BBC playlist featuring new, challenging and even visionary thinking around climate change and sustainability. Sample titles: What if everyone in the world planted a tree? What if all the wasps disappeared? What if the whole world went vegan?

A Padlet chock-full of everything from doughnut economics to yoga, movies and zero waste challenges.

"This insightful documentary explores solutions to the global crises we face today through the inspiring stories of people pioneering change in their own lives and in their communities in order to live in a sustainable and regenerative way."

A really exciting, inspirational BBC radio podcast that has accompanying short video clips. Each podcast episode is 25 mins. long. A mind-blowing list of topics!

A number of simple activities, aimed at children, shared by WWF during the COVID-19 "circuit breaker".

Led by the the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goalkeepers is dedicated to accelerating progress towards the Global Goals: using powerful stories, data, and partnerships to highlight progress achieved, hold governments accountable and bring together a new generation of leaders to address the world’s major challenges.

Forum for the Future aims to build a global community of pioneers and change makers who will collaborate to bring about change in key systems, such as food, clothing, energy and shipping.

Assorted activities to help students learn about global challenges, think of solutions and take action.

Singapore is very successful at recyling "construction and demolition" waste. However, schemes to recycle domestic waste are plagued by contamination of bins with unsuitable material.

Eco Leaders Guide

A collection of carefully curated tools, insights, and strategies to help young environmental advocates be effective.

“Watching the wild, watching over the wild”

A NParks site celebrating "a shared space for Biodiversity and Greenery, Heritage and Culture and recreational activities". The conservation of the rail corridor is a tribute to the local campaigning group Green Corridor.

The amount of waste disposed of in Singapore has increased seven-fold over the last 40 years. Furthermore, the incineration of waste generates carbon emissions. The Masterplan aims to reduce the waste sent to Semakau Landfill each day by 30 per cent by 2030.

Assorted stories from CNA, including pieces on expiry dates, packaging, "ugly" fruit and veg, and waste reduction.

A UWCSEA blog reporting on the work of our various sustainability services and other initiatives such as No Drive Day, composting, Veggie Wednesdays and even the occasional hornbill or owl sighting.

Another UWCSEA blog, about the College's Rainforest Restoration Project and its collaboration with partners such as NParks, Ridge View Residential College (NUS) and Friends of Trees SG.

"A one-stop information portal which allows users to search for information on both plants grown in this region and animals that can be found in Singapore".

What's going on in the space above the Music department? Learn about our ambitious plans for a beautiful "green heart" that will include an ecology classroom and tree nursery.

It's the size of 45 football fields. At peak power generation, it will produce enough electricity to  supply 16,000 4-bedroom flats for a year.

Learn about Singapore's open electricity market and then persuade your parent/guardian to switch to a 'green' energy provider. There's a good chance that they will save money, too.

A profoundly moving 16-minute film about the excavation of sand from the Cambodian coast for transfer to Singapore, where it is used to extend the city's landmass and landscape its gardens. Singapore has imported over 80 million tons since 2007.

Singapore currently produces only 10% of its food locally. It hopes to raise that to 30% by the year 2030 —the "30 by 30" target. But doing so will call for an enormous change in the scale and methods of local food production. This article asks how feasible the target is.

The twice-yearly publication of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. A well produced mixture of plant features, gardens history and reports on current research.

The plan outlines how Singapore intends to work towards net zero emissions. Around 200 hectares of additional land for parks. One million more trees. More solar energy. One third of food to be locally produced food by 2030. More trips on public transport. More cycleways. Etc.

Let’s consider a set of new 3Rs for environmental sustainability – namely, reinvention, recalibration and reward, says Nominated Member of Parliament Professor Lim Sun Sun.

"People usually give out books, clothes and CDs at the Singapore Really Really Free Market ... but landscape architect Faiz Zohri, 32, hands out wriggly worms instead. A fascinating article about local composting efforts.

"Nearly half of humanity will face water scarcity by 2030 due to climate change and population growth. What can be done about the looming crisis of a global drought? Could water scarcity spark war as world leaders have already predicted?" Kaveh Madani shares a different approach to the water crisis."

How can we harness behavioural science to “trick” the human mind into taking action against climate change? Edward Choy and Jo Tan find out from psychologists how we can hack our brains to change our behaviour.

"Whether you are concerned about your health, the environment or animal welfare, scientific evidence is piling up that meat-free diets are best. Millions of people in wealthy nations are already cutting back on animal products."

"If I could make everyone in the world see one film, I'd make them see EARTHLINGS." (Peter Singer, author ‘Animal Liberation’)

In a provocative documentary, environmental campaigner George Monbiot argues that the biggest problem driving us towards global disaster is how we feed ourselves, particularly on meat.

"From rooftop farmers to backyard beekeepers, Americans are growing food like never before. GROWING CITIES tells the inspiring stories of these intrepid urban farmers, innovators, and everyday city-dwellers who are challenging the way the USA grows and distributes its food."

"At the Fork" follows filmmaker and omnivore John Papola, together with his vegetarian wife Lisa, as they investigate the way the US agricultural system produces animal products for human consumption.

Three meat and cheese-loving New Yorkers agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. A laugh-out-loud and inspiring documentary that highlights how a plant-based diet makes for a better world.

The global food system is the biggest driver of destruction of the natural world, and a shift to predominantly plant-based diets is crucial in halting the damage, according to a UN-backed report.

Kiss the Ground is a full-length documentary that sheds light on an “new, old approach” to farming called “regenerative agriculture”. Our library has a DVD copy and the documentary is available on Netflix.

Composting services could watch 59:00 - 1:06:07

A short video on how school gardens can inspire kids and parents to understand and enjoy the process of growing your own food.

Learn about the village in northern England that started the Incredible Edible movement. Local residents turn unused spaces around town into gardens and the produce is free.

Learn how dirt is full of billions of creatures so small you can’t even see them under a microscope. Learn how humans have sucked the life out of dirt in the past couple of centuries, threatening our survival. And learn how to help our dirt live again.

Agriculture produces more greenhouse gases than all the world's transport combined. A quarter of the world's arable land is no longer productive. A third of all the food produced is wasted. So how can we make food production sustainable? This 14 min. film investigates.

Over 60% of coconut farmers in the Philippines live in extreme poverty, despite the abundance of a resource that is the country's top commodity. This 15 min. film looks at farmers struggling to survive in an unfair global marketplace.

The story of Jay Wilde, a British beef farmer who felt so bad about the industry he was involved in that he gave up his precious herd  to grow sustainable organic food. This short film has won numerous awards.

Read more here about efforts to quit the cruelty of factory farming and make animal farming sustainable.

A colourful TED.com animation presents new conservation-oriented approaches to farming that optimise food production, preserve biodiversity and forests, and cut down on harmful emissions.

Unfortunately, not updated since 2016, this guide highlights which locally sold fish should be avoided and which are sustainable (at least for the time being). But there is a human rights dimension to this issue, too — see the resources here about slavery on Thai fishing vessels.

A major report into the abuse of workers on Thai fishing vessels, including bonded, forced and slave labour and the use of extreme violence.

A Pulitzer prize-winning journalist reports on his undercover investigation into the Thai fishing industry. This features more personal stories than 'Thailand's Seafood Slaves'.

Canadian fishermen swear that Atlantic bluefin tuna are so plentiful they eat out of people's hands. Meanwhile, scientific evidence shows the species is on the brink of collapse. Can both claims be true?

This film reveals how fashion is one of the world's most pollutive industries. Our love of blue jeans, for example, has resulted in the destruction of rivers and damaged the lives of people who count on them for survival. The film also looks at sustainable alternatives.

The earth is warning fast. The oceans alone absorb the heat equivalent of five Hiroshima atomic bombs dropping into the water every second. This series of graphics illustrates the problem in detail.

"TAKING ROOT tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy—a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration."

"The filmmakers traveled the world for nearly 3 years to document the impact of climate change, witnessing inhabitants of countries forced to leave their homes by climatic events with little or no protection." 

“Habitat destruction forces wildlife into human environments, where new diseases flourish.”

Green space has been shown to boost learning, improve recovery from hospital operations and lower the risk of mental disorders. Now the power of plants has been linked to lower levels of violence and self-harm in prisons.

In 1995 film-maker John D Liu saw the the Loess-plateau in China transformed from a dry, exhausted wasteland into a green oasis. He now uses his film material and knowledge to persuade government leaders, policy-makers and farmers that restoration of ecosystems is possible.

A young environmental activist chooses to live on a tiny platform over 30 metres up in the canopy of an ancient redwood forest. This is his battle against the destruction of a spectacular Californian forest that is home to spotted owls, deer, flying squirrels and more. If you've read "The Understory" by Richard Powers, you'll recognise this kind of activist.

This 50 minute documentary looks at the hidden underground communication between trees and fungi, as well as the awesome role that trees play in keeping our planet healthy. The film featurres Robin Wall Kimmerer (professor and forest biologist), Suzanne Simard (tree researcher), Annie Proulx (Pulitzer prize winner and bestselling author), and Gordon Hempton (acoustic ecologist).

More than 100 countries have adopted a human right to a healthy environment. It all started with a 10-year-old Costa Rican boy.

In one year, Richard and Judith Selby Lang salvaged over 1,800 kgs of plastic from Kehoe Beach in northern California. The couple turn the waste into colourful artworks that are sought by galleries around the world.

A 5 min. video explains what we – and our governments – need to do to help protect our planet and its future.

A podcast series that aims to avoid the pessimism that can lead to inaction. "We explore the stories behind the headlines on climate change, talking to the change-makers turning challenges into opportunities."

UWCSEA alumnus James Wong explains that gardeners have superpowers: they boost biodiversity, cool overheated cities, mop up pollution and reduce the risk of flooding and improve our well-being.

John Quiggan, professor of economics at the University of Queensland, argues that we can both protect the environment and achieve global prosperity.

Kate Raworth explains a new economic model that tries to shift our focus from constant growth to balance and wellbeing.

In this podcast Kate Raworth explains Doughnut Economics, an idea to help humanity deal with extreme wealth inequality and relentless pressure on the environment. The doughnut pictures a world where all our needs are met without exhausting the planet.

This short animation tells the story of "Operation Cat Drop" in 1950s Borneo. It shows how solutions to a problem can create more problems when we don't bother to analyse the systems that lie beneath the problem.