By Goh Sui Noi

IF YOU have the resources, crises can be opportunities for new trajectories of growth.

So it was that during the 1997-98 financial crisis, the Government implemented important reforms in the financial sector to enhance Singapore's position as a financial services hub. And so it is now with the global economic crisis, as can be seen in Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam's Budget statement last month.

The Government is pumping huge sums into innovation, including in interactive digital media, and increasing investments in education, health care and sustainable development projects.

It has set aside $1 billion to be spent over the next five years on the 'greening' of Singapore's infrastructure.

Going green, however, is more than just about building green infrastructure. It is also about lifestyle changes. How far will the Government go to educate the people to conserve? What will it do to get Singaporeans to generate less waste and recycle the way the Japanese, Koreans and Taiwanese do?

It may seem counterintuitive at this time to start charging for plastic shopping bags, but that might be a good place to start. Nothing like having to pay for plastic bags at a time like this to focus minds on using less. And what about giving people incentives to buy green products like energy-efficient light bulbs or refrigerators?

If we can change mindsets on conservation and energy efficiency during this crisis, that would be a worthy legacy to pass to future generations.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on February 03, 2009.