Re: Feedback on CleanTech Park and Bahar Industrial Estates (Jurong Innovation District)
Dear JTC Corporation,
I am writing to express my deep concern and discomfort at the proposed plan to clear a large area of forest to construct the next phase of the Jurong Innovation District.
I am of the personal opinion that clearing this forest is not in the interest of Singapore, the health and well-being of her people and her economic security.
In this open letter, I would like to examine one of the strongest reasons that I feel JTC may have to clear this forest. Following this, I will expose the fatal flaw in this argument. By the end of this letter, I hope to have shown how the plan to clear this forest is against the interest of Singapore, her citizens and all who value this island nation deeply.
To be frank, I do not believe that clearing this forest will be beneficial to Singapore even though the development may boost Singapore’s economic growth.
From what I understand, this forest is being cleared by JTC to develop the next phase of the Jurong Innovation District, which includes a CleanTech Park.
While I completely support further research into technologies that may help our societies live more sustainably, I still do not think we should clear this forest to do so.
Additionally, the development of the Bahar Industrial Estate at this site will almost definitely boost Singapore’s economic growth if it happens.
Having said all this, I still believe that clearing this forest will not be beneficial to Singapore in the long-term.
I strongly believe that developing new and improved technologies for sustainability and boosting Singapore’s economic productivity will only help Singapore in the short-term.
While Singapore’s economic growth may continue to increase for the next 5 to 10 years, I do not believe that it will continue to rise any more beyond that time horizon.
At the rate that economies worldwide are depleting and destroying ecosystems across the planet, I believe that our ability as a nation to sustain our economic growth beyond 10 years is unrealistic.
With the destruction of ecosystems, not only do we have fewer and fewer natural resources and ecosystem services to draw upon to sustain our livelihoods, we also increase our vulnerability to worse and worse climate catastrophes. If ecosystems continue to be destroyed, these natural disasters will only grow in scale, severity, duration and unpredictability over time.
In short, clearing this forest for development fragilises Singapore’s economic security and stability. While Singapore might experience higher economic growth in the short-term, beyond 10 years, it is highly likely that the increasing destabilisation of the climate and the rapidly declining availability of life-sustaining natural systems will make it impossible for Singapore to continue to grow economically.
To conclude, I urge JTC to reconsider their plans to clear this forest. The development of CleanTech Park and Bahar Industrial Estates holds some promise, but to clear this forest holds deeper peril. Its danger may not be apparent on the surface, but if you follow my line of reasoning to its logical conclusion, it cannot be ignored. I hope you all at JTC do not choose to ignore it, now that you know what it may spell for Singapore and her people, 10 years from this day.
Sincerely,
Julian Paul Lee
Julian JP Lee 
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