Today-May 31
Ten young Singaporeans recently received the 10 For Zero Award for their contributions to the protection of the environment. Ms Terese Teoh, at 22 the youngest recipient of the award, is an environmental advocate and NTU undergrad. Ms Oh Chu Xian founded a company that turns plastic waste into materials for building roads. Ms Sam Shu Qin is a marine biologist at NUS, active in planting corals and clearing garbage from the oceans
When Ms Terese Teoh was 15, she read about the detrimental effects of plastic pollution in a textbook.
She thought to herself: “Why is it that we are learning about this in school and we know about the severity of it, but every day in the canteen and at home, we’re using (plastic)?” Her questioning got her reading more about the environment, and she soon realized that plastic pollution is but one problem among an array of issues plaguing the planet. This led her to develop what she calls “eco-anxiety” — a constant fear of environmental catastrophe. But instead of letting her anxiety cripple her, she decided to take action. So at 18, she started volunteering with Plastic-Lite Singapore, a group of volunteers spreading awareness about plastic use.
In January, she became the president of Singapore Youth for Climate Action, an organization that aims to educate youths here about environmental causes. Read more at:
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/environment-issues-10-zero-award-2182846
