All Articles

By Sadhika “A person does not act upon the world, the world acts upon him.” - B.F. Skinner (Behaviourist, 1971) NUS students and staff will often notice that an entourage of recycling bins follows them around campus. Outside UTown Residence, at TechnoEdge Canteen and at the bus stop opposite UHC are only some examples. Yet, while recycling bins themselves are hardly innovative, the psychology behind NUS’ ‘Recycle Right’ bins most certainly is. Figure 1. The ‘Recycle Right’ b

By Nathania Frida In the middle of rising temperatures and an increasingly unpredictable climate, have you ever wondered about the true cost of the food on your plate? The modern food industry is responsible for 32% of global human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (FAO, 2025). A significant share comes from conventional ways of farming, through land clearing, fertiliser use, irrigation and fuel-powered machinery, with further emissions from processing, refrigeration and

By Chia An Jie Dana Amid the growing emphasis on technological innovations to combat climate change, a spotlight is much needed on the importance of nature-based solutions. In particular, one such feature is common around us yet receives little attention: blue-green infrastructure. Green infrastructure uses plants and soils to manage urban challenges rather than relying on technocratic solutions. These can include features such as vertical greenery and green roofs. On the oth

By Lian Yuyang Melting in a non-air-conditioned room, one stares at the empty ceiling while the fans stir the stagnant air, sluggish and listless. Across the wall in the neighbouring room, the aircon is working nonstop, and the absence of the owner, who is probably out for a walk, piques our attention. This reflects an everyday scene in Singapore: you have to choose between fans and AC, or the world will end in an apocalypse. Indeed, air-conditioning saves lives, but it’s slo

By Zhu En Joanne Soh When we picture a green building, solar panels, efficient air-conditioning and rooftop greenery may come to mind. Yet much of a building’s carbon footprint is generated even before its occupants move in. Concrete alone can account for up to 60% of a building’s embodied carbon, and with the built environment being responsible for 40% of global carbon emissions, addressing these less visible emissions is becoming a crucial part of further decarbonising the

By Adhitya Sivaraman Recently, nuclear power has been getting much attention, both worldwide and in Singapore. With that attention comes plenty of material on nuclear power, safety, and deployment. As such, people interested in learning more about nuclear power may feel overwhelmed with the information available online. But what if you could learn about nuclear not by just reading about it, but by controlling it yourself? Earlier this month, SNRSI held an event at NUS to shar

Article written by Ganya Sethi When we think of innovation at NUS, we usually picture labs, patents or start up pitches for investors but one of the ideas to come out of the university recently isn’t a piece of technology , it’s a studio that gives discarded waste materials a new life in design. Brambe which was co-founded by NUS Alumni , Mr. Bernie Ang and Ms. Amanda Tay in 2021 is a Singapore based eco-lifestyle and design brand that crafts custom interior and design pieces

Article by Kumud Introduction Few realise that militaries can be among the world's largest institutional polluters, operating outside the frameworks designed to hold nations accountable for their emissions. Today, the defence of a nation is handled by its military and brings a sense of security to its people. But this security has its tradeoffs. The environmental impacts of a physical war begin long before it starts and persist for decades afterwards, as efforts to recover co

Article by Anusha How does the safety profile of nuclear power compare with that of other energy sources when assessed through modern risk and efficiency standards? “The release of atomic power has changed everything except our way of thinking.” — Albert Einstein The world stands at an energy crossroads. Nuclear power, with its unmatched reliability, high energy density, and near-zero carbon emissions, could be humanity’s most potent tool against climate change. Unlike solar

Article by Mukadima Gana Every other week, a fast-fashion giant launches a new sustainability campaign. Zara now offers repair, resale and donation services (Zara, n.d.), H&M has invested in an offshore wind project to power garment factories in Bangladesh (Clancy, 2024), and there are various other initiatives meant to project a sustainable image. Yet behind the PR, Singapore still burns 206,000 tonnes of textile waste a year, with a recycling rate of just 3% (NEA, 2024). S

Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT have transformed everyday tasks by improving efficiency and accessibility. However, this convenience comes with a hidden environmental cost. The widespread and often unconscious use of AI increases reliance on energy-intensive data centres, significantly raising electricity and water consumption. While AI has the potential to support sustainability through optimisation, its current patterns of overuse risk outweighing these benefits.

31 Mar 2025 Analysts: Brendan Toh Wei Xuan, Gabriel Tan Teng Liang Introduction Climate finance is intended to empower frontline communities, particularly Indigenous Peoples, smallholder farmers, and other marginalized groups, to build resilience against climate impacts. International pledges from governments, multilateral institutions, and private sector actors have resulted in substantial financial commitments, yet a persistent issue remains – these funds often fail to reac