Your S’pore Story: ‘Do I feel like I’m fighting for the environment? Yes’
This illustrator and eco warrior has been making sustainability accessible and easy to understand through comics on her Instagram page
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From policy to public education, Ms Woo Qiyun blends science and storytelling to inspire eco-conscious living in Singapore.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
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Ms Woo Qiyun may only be 28 years young but she has already accomplished a lot. A senior communications manager on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, her work with the United Nations body provides policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential solutions.
Watch her video here.
The environmental studies graduate @theweirdandwild
Ms Woo has also co-hosted a podcast with three like-minded peers from different spaces in the environmental scene called The Climate Cheesecake
A skilled illustrator, Ms Woo uses comics to break down sustainability concepts and make environmental issues easier to understand.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
“I was nine when Steve Irwin died. I dedicated two to four pages in my school journal to him. He was just so passionate about animals like crocodiles. That’s when it all clicked – that I’ve always cared a lot about sustainability. I was always talking about recycling, conservation and deforestation, and that led me to pursue environmental studies at NUS.
But sustainability wasn’t very big then as it is now. In 2017 and 2018, people were talking about plastics because of the viral picture of the straw in the turtle’s nose. But I realised that there was a lot of stuff about sustainability that you couldn’t really find online.
Information on recycling in Singapore was buried in a PDF on the third page of Google search results. It was tricky to find. So, given my passion, I took it upon myself to make this information more accessible.
Why comics? My dad gave me Sonny Liew’s Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye when I was 13. It struck me that, despite the complex topics, if someone as young as me could understand them through comics, then it must be a very powerful medium.
I started with infographics in school – just posters and stuff. Then, a friend said, ‘You should consolidate them somewhere.’ That’s how my Instagram page was born.
I didn’t expect @theweirdandwild to take off, but it did. People started engaging with my posts, asking questions and telling me they had learnt something new and useful. Some even said they were prompted to make eco-conscious choices like bringing their own reusable cups for bubble tea or got inspired by my sustainable gift guide. It’s very heartening to be able to combine science and art to make this important topic accessible.
People often ask if I feel like I’m fighting for the environment. Honestly? Yes. I think a lot about the future – 2030, 2050. These aren’t distant milestones, I’ll still be here. We all will. And that’s anxiety-inducing because we already see the consequences of climate change, like extreme weather.
While that pushes me, fundamentally, my love, interest and curiosity for the natural environment is my number one driver to continue doing what I’m doing.”
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