In this article, Gary Hayden explores the virtue of empathy. The feeling of empathy or compassion motivates us to act in good and unselfish ways to reduce the amount of suffering in the world around us. It is believed that compassion makes us happier. According to the Dalai Lama, “…It is a mental attitude based on the wish for others to be free of their suffering and is associated with a sense of commitment, responsibility and respect towards others.” The writer believes that compassion helps us to connect with people in a warmer and friendlier manner and, in return, we enjoy better relationships and live more fulfilling lives. Read more...

Notably, one of the most liveable cities in the world, Copenhagen is also the most walkable. Denmark has been consistently ranked highly in global indices on education, health care, social mobility and human development. It is probably no coincidence that it is also a country renowned for its people-centric urban planning which promotes cycling and walking. Notwithstanding that it has taken the city planners over 50 years to create good pedestrian environments, the philosophy of “pedestrians as a priority” cuts across the whole Denmark. The writer then looks back at such development in Singapore and how it compares.  Read more...

Each one of us in Singapore is responsible for 1,395kg of solid waste last year according to NEA. Have you ever thought what it would be like to have a waste-free life? Jessica Cheam of Eco-Business tells us about her quest to achieve this in her Project Zero Waste experimental living. With more than 80 percent of us living in apartments, any trash simply disappears down the rubbish chute – all too convenient! Our first priority should be to Reduce consumption; then Reuse wherever possible, and Recycle when items cannot be reused. The all too familiar 3Rs do not work the same when it comes to achieving zero waste. Read more...

How would you react when you are woken up at 5am in the morning by the loud call of the koel, a bird, outside your bedroom window? Living in urban Singapore, we often forget that there is a natural world around us. The writer reminds us that there is more to life on this planet than urban comfort and utilitarian convenience. Stopping to listen to the thrumming cicada chorus, or the call of the koel, or watching the family of otters in Bishan Park, perhaps could help us reconsider our relationship with the natural world and what we are doing to it. Read more...

UK architect Charlie Palmer travelled the world to find out which megacities are best for cycling for daily commuting. Increasing concerns on sustainability, climate change and pollution in crowded cities are pushing megacities to control car use while making cycling easier and safer. Charlie Palmer examined these developments in fast growing megacities in Brazil, China and India. According to him, a cycling megacity is one that helps keep residents healthy and where people are more productive at work, live longer and are happier. Read more...

Ever wonder how the right diet choice can result in a healthy planet with reduced carbon footprint and environmental damage? Eco-diets, as they are called, not only improve personal health but are now a feature in the Paris Agreement on climate change and a subject of several high profile research studies including that of the World Resources Institute (WRI). According to researchers, eco-conscious eating habits are not another diet fad. However, many concepts or forms of eco-diets have since emerged – Climatarianism, Reducetarianism, Flexitarianism, VB6, Entomophagy. Find out what they are in the article. Read more...

On 20 May 2015, seven of us left Singapore after much preparation and anticipation to make a 26- hour trip to Jaidoh in north-east India. Thanks to the generous donations in cash and kind from friends, we carried faith, hope and love to share with this little village of about 145 families. Jaidoh is in the state of Meghalaya, which shares a border with Bhutan to the north and Bangladesh to the south. Meghalaya, which means “abodes of clouds”, is a region of scenic beauty. Read more...