Green Cars in Singapore

Green Cars in Singapore

Introduction

The terms green design and green development are open to several interpretations and associated with a series of other terms, including sustainable development, sustainable design, eco- or ecological design, and environmental design. Two ways in which these terms have been employed can be identified. First, they refer to the design and/or construction of objects, environments, and services that have minimal detrimental impact on their surrounding environments, are sustainable, and, in some cases, may potentially have beneficial impacts. Second, they refer to designs and/or developments that draw inspiration from understandings of nature and its operation. [1]

In this sense, green designs/developments are viewed as being constructed such that they work within or learn from the rules, limits, designs, or ethos of nature. These two senses of green design/development connect to differences in broader attitudes and practices, such as the distinction between technocentrism and eco-centrism or the differentiation between light or shallow green and deep green, as made by people; or even the difference between ecological modernization and counter productivity theories, as outlined. Technocentric and light green perspectives, for instance, can be seen to focus predominately on the first sense of green design/development, while eco-centrism and dark green perspectives often make much of learning from nature and are often critical of technological/design-focused approaches to nature.

Background

A problem is the general lack of information available to the consumer. The complex problems surrounding the car's effect on our environment still baffle many within the industry, let alone the car buyer.[2] In response, a growing number of environmental rating systems have appeared; however, few of these take a true life cycle view. In fact, the information needed to carry out a life cycle analysis of a car is rarely available, even within the car industry.

The Asian Commission is trying to introduce such a system gradually during the early years of the 21st century. If a meaningful plan emerges from this process, consumers will for the first time be able to make a truly informed choice. Individual firms have also tried to address this. Volvo was among the first to publish details on the environmental performance of its cars for use by car buyers. These Environmental Product Declarations were available at dealers and were displayed alongside more conventional product catalogs from the 1990s.

Another development involves changes in the nature of car consumption. The phenomenon of car sharing schemes, or car clubs, started in Switzerland in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, caused a stir by introducing a centrally located housing scheme for non-car owners only. As part of the package, new residents received membership in a newly formed local car club. [3] The world's largest provider of this type of service is Massachusetts-based Zipcar. In 2007, it merged with Flexcar of Seattle, Washington. By 2008, Zipcar had around 180,000 members and some 5,000 cars and also operated in Europe. In North America, it is particularly successful in the more densely populated East and West Coast cities, such as New ...