Synopsis: Every Tuesday, we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society.
Podcaster: Audrey Tan
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.
S3E2: Haze and a Godzilla El Nino: How is Singapore preparing?
Singapore is also testing out solutions to tackle heat without air-conditioning.
After three years of clear skies, the haze is back in Singapore. One contributor to the pollution is the El Nino weather phenomenon, which causes drier, hotter weather in South-east Asia.
This causes fires typical of Indonesia’s agroforestry landscape to burn harder and longer.
So how is Singapore responding to the double whammy of haze and hotter weather?
Green Pulse host Audrey Tan talks to correspondents Shabana Begum and Ang Qing on what they have observed while reporting on these conditions.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:13 The impacts of El Nino in South-east Asia
7:39 How people in Singapore are responding to the heat and haze
13:50 Are people in Singapore heat-tolerant or heat-avoidant?
15:53 Solutions to help people adapt to heat without air-conditioning
20:24 What are the global impacts of El Nino?
Read Qing’s and Shabana’s related articles:
Solar-powered air-con, freeze-tech and ‘fan-jakketos’ among innovative cooling gadgets on the market: https://str.sg/b6WC (https://str.sg/b6WC)
Emergency visits for respiratory cases up even with small spikes in PM2.5 levels: S’pore study: https://str.sg/mVPv (https://str.sg/mVPv)
Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W (https://str.sg/848W)
Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2 (https://str.sg/JLM2)
Host: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg (mailto:audreyt@sph.com.sg))
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf (https://str.sg/JWaf)
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY (https://str.sg/JWaY)
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag (https://str.sg/JWag)
YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS (https://str.sg/fapS)
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg (mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg)
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Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 (https://str.sg/wvz7)
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts (http://str.sg/stpodcasts)
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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB (https://str.sg/icyB)
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX (https://str.sg/icyX)
---
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5 Oct 2026
S3E1: Can the ‘develop or conserve’ debate in Singapore be more constructive?
Conservationists must make their pro-nature arguments to the mainstream, says ST’s Bhavan Jaipagras.
Recent announcements about new developments coming at the expense of nature areas in Singapore have reignited the perennial ‘conserve versus develop’ debate.
Such discussions were first sparked when housing plans for the Gillman and Maju estates, on which secondary forests have grown, were revealed in July. In August, plans for a new western island – built by reclaiming several of Singapore’s southern islands – generated further discussion on the issue.
Host Audrey Tan discusses with ST’s senior columnist Bhavan Jaipragas how the national debate on this can be more constructive.
Our Green Pulse podcast has returned from a hiatus and every Tuesday from October onwards, host Audrey Tan will highlight how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society. Each episode also comes with a video version - with more show links below.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:59 Initial reactions to the responses to the Gillman and Maju developments
8:54 Who are the players involved in Singapore’s ‘develop or conserve’ discussions?
11:56 Who should arguments made by both sides be pitched at?
17:38 Possible to bring in the intangible benefits of nature in public discussions?
21:54 How to improve consultation process between government and conservationists
Read more:
More green spaces to be retained in Gillman Barracks, Maju Forest: Alvin Tan: https://str.sg/tjCJ (https://str.sg/tjCJ)
Timeline, reclamation profile of new western island not yet determined: Chee Hong Tat: https://str.sg/FUPJ (https://str.sg/FUPJ)
Read more from Bhavan Jaipragas: https://str.sg/b49w (https://str.sg/b49w)
Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W (https://str.sg/848W)
Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2 (https://str.sg/JLM2)
Host: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg (mailto:audreyt@sph.com.sg))
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf (https://str.sg/JWaf)
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY (https://str.sg/JWaY)
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag (https://str.sg/JWag)
YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS (https://str.sg/fapS)
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg (mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg)
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 (https://str.sg/wvz7)
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts (http://str.sg/stpodcasts)
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB (https://str.sg/icyB)
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX (https://str.sg/icyX)
---
#greenpulse
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
20 Apr 2026
S2E38: Singapore’s green paradox: Planting trees while losing forest cover
Our hosts try to make sense of conflicting developments in this city state.
Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times provides you with a South-east Asian perspective to global environmental challenges.
Trees can keep urban environments cool, and Singapore has been leveraging this “superpower” of nature by expanding its tree-planting efforts. There is a plan to plant a million trees across the country by 2030, while organisations are rolling out microforests and skyrise greenery to beautify and cool down concrete environments.
Yet, at the same time, Singapore is also cutting down secondary forests to meet other national needs, including for housing and industrial purposes. How can we make sense of this green paradox?
Listen to the discussion on this episode of Green Pulse, and stay tuned till the end for a special announcement!
Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):
1:50 How has Singapore’s greening strategy changed over the years?
11:40 What are some existing tools used in Singapore to make decisions on which secondary forest plot to conserve or develop?
18:15 Can Singapore consider an EIA law or biodiversity offsets?
25:25 Do Singaporeans recognise the inherent value of nature?
Green Pulse LinkedIn newsletter: https://str.sg/green-pulse-nl (https://str.sg/green-pulse-nl)
Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W (https://str.sg/848W)
Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2 (https://str.sg/JLM2)
Follow David Fogarty on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jcvy (https://str.sg/jcvy)
Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu (https://str.sg/JLMu)
Hosts: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg (mailto:audreyt@sph.com.sg)) & David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg (mailto:dfogarty@sph.com.sg))
Produced & edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf (https://str.sg/JWaf)
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY (https://str.sg/JWaY)
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag (https://str.sg/JWag)
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg (mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg)
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 (https://str.sg/wvz7)
Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts (http://str.sg/stpodcasts)
The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast (https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast)
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB (https://str.sg/icyB)
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX (https://str.sg/icyX)
---
#greenpulse
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Who has been a guest on Green Pulse
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Professor Adam Switzer
Shaun Seow
Professor Winston Chow
Dr Alfredo Giron
Grace Fu
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.3 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
4.7 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
72
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
31
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Books guests
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