Buying New Car? I Hope You Reconsider.

The COE is at all times low. Last weekend, car showrooms were flooded with potential buyers targeting to catch this good market.

Sad.

Yesterday's Straits Times reported that average daily temperature hit another all time high in 2005. In addition, it also noted that consectively from 2000, Singapore is hitting all time highs (in average temperatures) each year. What this means is that our average temperature is climbing. Effect of global warming? Yes, I think so.

Amazing, isn't it? The fuel price hike is still on. Those buyers seem oblivious to it; in the face of short-term gains of cheaper car cost, they choose to ignore the long-term issue of high (and ever-increasing) fuel cost. More importantly, people ignore obvious signs of global warming.

I attended the 'Global Action to Tackle Climate Change' seminar held at SMU last week. According to Sir David King (Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government), many low-lying areas today will be flooded by melted ice from the poles. This includes places like London and Singapore. In addition, the earth has a climatic inertia of about 30 years. What this means is that our global warming effects seemed today are results of Industrialization from 30 years ago. So the effects of our heavily industrialising world today will only see its full effects 30 years from now. More importantly, any efforts to reduce global warming will have its results seemed only 30 years later, from the time we start reducing green-house gas emission. Have we started yet? No.

Ironically, car sales is sky-rocketing; causing more fuel to be burned. Hastening the route down global warming.

One root problem is that our culture holds a strong view of cars as a sign of status and financial capability. Car is one of the 5Cs. Everyone wishes to owed their own car; I do too. However, where is this leading us to? What can we do to ease global warming? Can we continue to turn a blind eye to signs like Katrina and Rita?

Friend, if you are reading this, and you are intending to purchase a car; I hope you reconsider. If not for yourself, for your next generation.