I applaud Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for his recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly (Leaders have a duty to youth to act on climate change: PM Lee, Sept 28).
As a parent, I am very concerned about climate change. 카지노사이트
Most of the estimated $100 billion bill needed by Singapore to adapt to rising sea levels will be borne by future generations. But the threat posed by rising sea levels is only one of the many potential adverse effects of global warming.
The true cost for our future generations could potentially be much higher.
Therefore, I hope Singapore can do more to combat climate change.
Singapore should start by setting an absolute limit on the amount of greenhouse gas it emits by 2050. Today the limit is based on carbon intensity, or emissions per dollar gross domestic product.
Singapore should also set a deadline to phase out the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles. Many countries and cities have already announced such moves.
As a major aviation and shipping hub, Singapore should set a deadline for transport companies to use fuels from only renewable sources.
The moves should be set on a 20-to 30-year timeline to give companies ample time to adjust to the changes. The measures will create demand for green solutions, encouraging innovators and entrepreneurs to develop solutions that are either too expensive or do not exist today.
Just as the Pioneer generation sacrificed so much to create a better future for Singaporeans today, this generation should do the same for the next. This is our duty to them.
I support the recommendation of the Committee to Review and Enhance Reforms in the Family Justice System for the courts and government agencies to collect data to track the effectiveness of initiatives and programmes implemented (Judges may get more power to prevent prolonged divorce cases, Sept 20).
Besides broad measures such as the general divorce rate, indicators which measure the health of the family justice system should be introduced.
Such indicators should be devised with a view to reduce the number of divorces in Singapore and achieve positive outcomes for children and families affected by divorce.
Some actions that could be taken include:
• Tracking divorce rates across various cohorts, age groups and socio-economic backgrounds; 카지노사이트주소
• Examining the age range of children affected by their parents' divorce;
• Monitoring reconciliation rates after undergoing marriage recovery programmes;
• Studying upstream resolution and settlement of divorce, for example, via mediation;
• Investigating intergenerational effects of divorce and other family conflicts, that is, when parents divorce, are their children more likely to get divorced themselves?; and
• Studying the proportion of juvenile delinquents who are children of divorce.
More qualitative measures should also be studied, and upstream countermeasures taken. They include:
• Examining the real reasons for divorce and what alternative options were available.
• Identifying high-risk stages of a marriage, and what programmes might have helped strengthen the marriage.
• Devising measures that could be undertaken to reduce the intergenerational effect of divorce.
• Reviewing if, in cases of family violence, infidelity and other compulsive behaviours, counselling and treatment options have been exhausted before divorce is granted.
These indicators should be made public so we can harness the efforts of a range of stakeholders in society to co-create solutions.
As Singapore society develops and matures, it is necessary to take a holistic approach to achieve sustainable outcomes for families in Singapore.
It is time for us to recognise the significant impact that divorce has on the family and society.
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