Here’s another idea I had.
I live in an apartment, and everywhere, all the old people think about the ‘kampung’ days, where everyone knew everyone else, and everyone was actively contributing in a community. So older people lament that the kampung spirit is dead or something like that.
I think it is so important that urban planners have to incorporate social considerations in their designs of towns and all. But my point here is not that. Since we’re living in an age of exploding technology, why not harness it?
Wire up every home to one another, have a simple interface where people can interact with each other easily. It might be a simple screen in the living room, or simple LED indicators regarding the status of the neighbours. A simple, ‘at home’ or ‘away’ or ‘traveling’. Or ‘cooking curry chicken’. Sharing recipes, sharing household stuff. ‘Child weak in math. Please help’. Make it simple, make it really accessible. So that anyone can use it. And it’ll have to be always ‘on’, to be really effective.
I think it’s a simple tool where people can easily utilize to get together.
And the other idea is simply making HDB flats more green. The usual. People in the top floors complain of winds. So put wind turbines on the tops of the HDB. And put solar panels on the exterior. Why not? Advice homeowners on more efficient technologies that can cool the house. Adaptable walls, adaptable windows that absorb or reflect sunlight depending on interior circumstance. Why not?
Since Singapore is so vulnerable to external shocks, might as well build some shock absorbers within. Improve energy efficiency so we’ll rely less on fossil fuels. So it’ll help to reduce inflation, and stem the increase in the cost of living. It can all be done. Why not?
Tags: costs, efficiency, environmentalism, fossil fuel, green, network, solar, sustainable, wind
