theSun | TUESDAY AUGUST 25 2009
speak up!
TWO words are certain crowd
pullers: free and new. As it is not
possible for businessmen to use
“free” too many times, they often
use “new” to attract customers.
Lately, they have found two new
words: green or eco. For instance,
the following terms have been
appearing in newspapers lately:
“green homes”, “green hotels”, “eco-
refrigerators” and even “ecofun
parks”. Then there are “eco-towns”
and “eco-cities”.
The businessmen and their
consultants are aware that many
Malaysians want to do their part
for the environment, thanks to the
many documentaries on global
warming and the melting of ice
caps. If the predictions materialise,
not only will those living in the
Arctic region lose their habitats,
inhabitants on the islands in the
Pacific and Indian oceans will lose
their countries altogether.
Of course, if that were to happen,
a large part of the many coastal set-
tlements in Malaysia would also be
submerged.
Unfortunately, there is no restric-
tion on the use of green or eco as a
prefix in Malaysia. As such, one is
not certain whether the advertised
“green homes” are really eco-
logically friendly and have smaller
carbon footprints than comparable
Eco-towns – No walk in the park
“normal” houses.
Equally important,
even if the houses
have smaller carbon
footprints, the hous-
ing project might be
designed in such a way
that every trip to the
nearest convenience
store or school needs
the use of private cars.
It is, therefore, time LocalCounsel
for Malaysians to pay
serious attention to by Goh Ban Lee
building eco-towns or
eco-cities. But what makes an eco-
town or eco-city? According to an
article by British based BioRegional
Development Group and Commis-
sion for Architecture and the Built
Environment (2008), “Eco-towns
must demonstrate real and measur-
able sustainable living. They should
encourage and allow people to live
within ecological limits whilst
enjoying a high quality of life in an
attractive environment.”
While the above definition is
useful, there is a need to draw up
standards for various
components of a town
or city suitable for each
country.
It is, therefore, timely
that a stakeholders’
roundtable consultation
on the “Development
of Eco-town Policy
Framework” was held in
George Town yesterday.
It was organised by the
Socio-economic and
Environmental Research
Institute and Invest
Penang on behalf of Penang Island
Municipal Council, Penang State
Government, United Nations Envi-
ronmental Programme and Global
Environmental Centre Foundation,
both based in Osaka.
Apart from discussing eco-city
standards and guidelines, examples
of eco-cities in Japan and China
were also presented. There was
also a proposal to build an eco-town
in Batu Kawan, Seberang Perai.
However, while any effort to
undertake sustainable develop-
ment should be encouraged and
supported, building eco-towns or
eco-cities is no walk in the park.
For example, a project was initi-
ated in 2003 to turn Huangbaiyu in
Northeastern China into a model
eco-village comprising “eco-dwell-
ings” – solar-powered houses built
from hay and pressed-earth bricks.
The 370 households scattered over
several kilometres would all be
moved into the green houses so that
their land could be consolidated for
bigger farms or other development.
Six years down the line, despite the
involvement of “experts” from the
United States, the model eco-village
is “a complete failure”.
Then there is Dongtan, the much
touted “first eco-city of the world”.
The project called for transforming
a marshy backwater island near
Shanghai into a gleaming commu-
nity of energy-efficient buildings.
Waste was to have been recycled as
fuel and the waterfronts were to be
lined with sleek micro-windmills.
Planned to be the showcase of
China’s commitment to sustainable
13
development during the Shanghai
Trade Exposition in 2010, the
project has been abandoned. Even
the visitor centre is now shut.
On the home front, what has hap-
pened to the Green Manufacturing
Hub in Penang? Besides justifying
the tax ringgit spent on study tours,
Penang, needs to demonstrate that
it is still the leader in development
planning and implementation.
There are, of course, success
stories. A good example is Kawa-
saki City in Japan. Long known as
a polluted city it is today a shinning
example of sustainable develop-
ment. It even has a Zero Emission
Industrial Park.
There is no choice but to push for
more ecologically sensitive lifestyle
in eco-towns and eco-cities. After
all, despite all the money spent,
earthlings have not found another
planet suitable for humans.
Dr Goh Ban Lee is interested in
urban governance, housing and
urban planning. Comments: letters@
thesundaily.com.