Mother Earth

Inspiration..

2006-10-26T12:31:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, WWF awarded China it's highest conservation award for their continued effort to save the Pandas. Right now there's about 20 fragmented populations of Pandas, and China is poised to gain another 100 million hectares of conservation land to try and link these populations into one healthy population.

Anyway, there's still less than a 1000 left in the world, so there's still a long way to go for the pandas.

Green Olympics

2006-10-13T11:39:00.000+08:00

Okay, so if no one read this,the 2008 Olympics in Beijing would just come and go like every other. But no one would know all the work that's been put in to make this the 'greenest' Olympics ever. Instead of using the money to build new stadiums and buildings, Beijing is using the money to install solar panels, low-emission engines on buses and grass roof tops to help curb the environmental impact that usually accompanies the Olympics.

It's quite smart really, because once it's built then it's there to stay and the city will benefit for time to come. There's no downside whatsoever. If only more cities were like this instead of trying to impress the world with the biggest, most impractical things just for 2 weeks of fame.

Getting to the root of the cause...

2006-10-12T16:48:00.000+08:00

To stop the haze, you quite literally have to dig deep into peat soils and put out the fires burning deep within. Peat soil is essentially composed of dead plants that can't decompose due to the high mineral and water content. Takes about 10 years to accumulate 1cm of peat soil...but really...doesn't matter when it goes up in flames every year does it?

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-10-08T19:06:00.000+08:00

I managed to catch Al Gore's presentation on global warming called 'An Inconvenient Truth'. It really spoke to me. Well of course it did...he was talking about all the warning signs i've been giving and he was sharing this with auditoriums full of people and what more...he's gone all over the world giving this presentation.

What i loved best was all the times he paused to let people reflect on what he was saying. Especially one part, where he had a slide showing a balancing scale with the Earth on one end, and gold bars on the other. Which do you value more? Money or Earth...your home? And it wasn't about pointing fingers at people. He just let them know that these problems were there. And it was up to us to change it..and how easy it was to change it..by just making the right choices.

Download it guys...it's really easy to watch. And why not learn something new instead of watching another comedy?

Poverty vs. Greed = environmental problems?

2006-10-06T09:40:00.000+08:00

So the other day, i was having a chat with a friend of mine, and we got around to talking about poverty and greed...and which one causes environmental problems..

Well if you look at it, you could say that both cause problems because well, without money, a country can't afford to educate their people about the environment, or buy/implement expensive 'green' technology, or protect their environment. And with greed, the want for more everytime will inevitably lead to unsustainable development and use of resources and therefore lead to environmental problems.

But of course sitting on the fence is an easy job. For me, i say GREED is the catalyst for all environmental problems. The world is NOT poor. Just like the supposed 'shortage of food', it's merely an uneven distribution of resources which goes to the richer countries. And poverty is definitely not an excuse for countries such as the US and Australia who, as rich as they are, refuse to sign the Kyoto agreement and remain as two of the biggest contributors in CO2 emissions. Plus the fact that richer countries can help poorer countries financially, but no, they must satisfy their greed first.

Money drives the world, and the want and need for money to survive will ironically be the end of the human race if they continually put the environment in the background.

Dying polar bears

2006-10-03T17:30:00.000+08:00

Today it was highlighted in the newspapers that the Singapore Zoo has been practically 'boiling' their polar bears to death. While panda bears are used to temperatures at -20 degrees celsius, their indoor habitat at the zoo is at +17 degrees. They've shown signs of distress for many years now but apparently nothing has been done.

Help them today by appealing to the Singapore Zoo to stop the slow death of their polar bears!

Tip of the day

2006-10-02T17:02:00.000+08:00

ALL RECEIPTS, yes, those annoying pieces of paper, are RECYCLABLE.
It's easy! Just have a small box to keep them in, and when it's full, bring them to a recycling centre!

Anyway, it makes for good account-keeping since you'll have all the receipts to look at how much you've spent! =)

Back in action...

2006-09-29T12:15:00.000+08:00

After a long holiday (hey, everyone needs one! why should i be excluded?), i'm back and ready to help all of us back to the road to recovery. I haven't exactly kept up to date about what's been going on, but not to worry! I promise things will resume to normal asap.

For one, i stumbled upon the cutest comic strip which is dedicated to funny and subtle (and not-so-subtle) environmental messages - enter Rustle the Leaf

Steve Irwin - a tragic loss.

2006-09-05T10:32:00.000+08:00

Let me first say i am constantly amazed by Wikipedia, who has managed to upload all his death information in his biography within a day.

So, mankind has lost yet another saviour for the environment. Steve has managed to do so many things in his short time on Earth and he is indeed somewhat like a 'modern-day Noah'. Sure he had his weird ways, what with the 'Crikey!' and the accent, but he was a true-blue aussie with a passion for the environment.

Hopefully the lives he has touched and the people he has worked with will remember him and continue his work in his dream for a world where all the animals can live in harmony with mankind.

Baby Jellyfish boom

2006-08-29T11:02:00.000+08:00

So we all know that the Earth is getting warmer, sea temperatures are changing, climates are changing...blah blah. Obviously we know a few species are going to go extinct here and there cos they just can't deal with it, but did we ever think there would be an explosion of some?

Recently, jellyfish have been invading the Mediterranean Seas and causing lots of problems for sea lovers who love to frolick in the waters. This is apparently due to the higher than normal sea temperatures which promote jellyfish breeding success. The warmer water also promotes algae growth and these 2 occurrences alone can change the ecosystem of the marine world.

It's not a nice thought but in the end, i guess it's bound to happen.

China's troubles

2006-08-25T17:05:00.000+08:00

Everyone knows China is going to be the next mega-country, predicted to be the hive of the global economy over the next few years.

The rapid growth and expansion has however had detrimental effects on their environment. As always, the environment is the last thing anyone worries about, and the result?

~ 75 percent of the country's lakes and 50 percent of groundwater are polluted.

Agriculture has been the main culprit and the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has cost them dearly in terms of the amount of pollution they now have to deal with.

If they continue to grow without concern for the environment, China will not succeed as a global hub.

Hanging toilets are not cool...

2006-08-23T15:36:00.000+08:00

If you're wondering what that is, it basically refers to toilets which hang over rivers, or any body of water. Funnily enough, as developed as some nations are, hanging toilets can still be found there. You may think what's the big deal, but let me spell it out for you.

waste -> river -> fish -> humans -> waste -> river -> sea -> fish
-> humans
waste -> river -> water -> humans -> waste -> river -> sea -> fish
-> humans

Is there an exit anywhere there? whatever goes in the river stays in the river and pollutes whatever it contains and wherever it goes. It does not automatically disappear and clean itself.

Whatever water there is today is the same water that was here 4.5 billion years ago.

The more water that becomes polluted and unusable, the less water there will be for future generations. Simple as that.

Wasted worms...

2006-08-22T11:23:00.000+08:00

I read today about a hotel in South Africa that uses worms to eat up all their organic waste. All the nice scraps of food from their designer restaurants are fed to the worms, who in turn produce rich compost and liquid that is a great fertilizer!

Well, worm-farming isn't a new technique, but to know that a 5-star hotel is doing it and well-aware of its benefits to the environment is something new. They've got an environmentalist on the job, and all she could say is 'Worms can save our world!'

Find out more about worm-farming HERE!

Under the weather

2006-08-21T16:20:00.000+08:00

I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately...tired i might say. Sorry about all the hurricanes and flooding i've caused in China...really...i couldn't help it. Anyway, it's back to being me, and over the weekend there were some great things happening at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre.

On sunday, i saw the cutest little kiddies there participating in all sorts of environment-related games and performing arts. It was heart-warming to see the new generation there to support such a great cause even if they might not know what it's all about.

Here are some snapshots:

The living dead..

2006-08-15T18:09:00.000+08:00

So again the world takes notice too late...the Leatherback Turtles are going extinct and apparently there's not enough of them left to regenerate a healthy population at all. And all they're worried about is the loss of tourism revenue and loss of their turtle eggs for consumption.

No, it doesn't matter that they are the largest turtle species in the world and have been around for millions of years. It's just another one of those things that happen and people remember it for a while and then it's old news.

Let it be known that once again, men has killed part of mother nature and if things continue on as they are today, the world is set for doomsday.

Fill it up!

2006-08-09T21:17:00.000+08:00

Tupperware - the greatest invention

2006-08-07T22:55:00.000+08:00

Tupperware is like a must-have in all homes. It serves so many purposes and most importantly, it's so environmentally friendly.

Have you ever thought about using your own tupperware to pack food instead of the normal plastic/styrofoam packing? I mean...not only will it be in a more convenient container, but you'll also reduce the amount of waste since there won't be any plastic/styrofoam to throw away!

Other ways to use it:

1. Store items instead of using other plastic
2. Bring it along with you when you go marketing, so that you can put your items into it directly instead of using plastic bags

And what more, the Tupperware brand has a lifetime guarantee, so what's there to think about? Get out there and buy some, and be environmentally friendly too!

Sign Sign Sign!!

2006-08-04T18:10:00.000+08:00

So you have issues with the govt, and how things are run. Don't just settle and say you can't do anything about it...because you can!

There's a cool petition that just started and it's pushing for compulsory recycling in Malaysia to save water for the future! Everyone who's anyone knows that Malaysia has huge issues with water pollution due to irresponsible disposal and accumulation of waste, soooo....

All you have to do after reading this is to..

CLICK TO SIGN THIS PETITION

After that, spread the good word to your friends/family members. Do you wanna ensure clean drinking water for future generations or do you wanna drink from the toilet bowl? So remember...SIGN IT !!!

Wish come true.

2006-08-03T16:39:00.000+08:00

But in an unexpected way.

Well...Boohoo to You

2006-08-02T10:15:00.000+08:00

Yess! Finally people will understand how to use water efficiently. The Malaysian Govt. is finally going to increase the water tariff meaning it’s gonna cost more for water! Okay, sure…complain all you want, sometimes the water isn’t clean…it’s brown, it’s smelly…so the public says ‘why should we pay more for the same kind of crap?’

Well…cos’ it’s the public’s fault for polluting the water so much til there isn’t enough to be filtered for drinking! The government can only do so much. They already spend up to 70% of taxpayers money on garbage collection and disposal alone, and even if they spent more, if people keep polluting the roads, drains and rivers, what can they do about it? The people need to change their mindset, they brought this onto themselves and there’s only one way out: save water and stop throwing rubbish anywhere you like!

H20...You're My Best Friend

2006-08-01T13:54:00.000+08:00

Australians are literally running and screaming because of water shortage. Water levels in dams are below critical level , ducks have no where to swim because all the fountains need to be shut down, water sprinklers can only be turned on when the sun is down and all that jazz just to save a even a drop or two of water.

And here we are in a country with so much water available that I don’t think we even realise that it exists. When it rains in this country, people go “Aiyoh, how to go out like that?” or “Haiya, forgotten to bring in my clothes, need to wash them again…so troublesome”. But when it rains over there, I’m guessing even Howard will run out to the streets and dance in the rain.

I guess it just goes to show how some people take things for granted. Sometimes ignorance is NOT bliss.

Rain, rain...

2006-07-31T14:44:00.000+08:00

It's been raining quite a bit lately...i wonder if anyone's been rainwater harvesting...

People used to do that some 30 years ago...maybe some still do, but the majority don't. It's pretty easy, you know. When it rains, just stuff all the pails you have out in the open to catch the rainwater. This can then be used to wash your outside areas and cars and other random things instead of using up tap water.

It's a good way to save water people..really..

Busy.

2006-07-28T18:38:00.000+08:00

Mother Earth is too busy to blog today. So i'm Daughter Earth and i love my mummy very much! She does loads for the world and i hope to be like her some day.

Update on Sipadan.

2006-07-27T11:44:00.000+08:00

Nice
Nice
Gone

So it seems the whole fiasco happened because some smart ass minister gave the go-ahead to build a 'clubhouse' on the little island with toilet facilities. And when the barge went through, that very same smart ass minister stopped the construction. But it's a bit too late now isn't it? Malaysia's PM is not very happy about this but hey...is he doing anything about it now? No, i don't think so.

The corals are gone, the life is gone. Why? Because they wanted to build a little hut when nobody is even allowed to stay on the island! @_@

One for three.

2006-07-26T14:51:00.000+08:00

Everytime you drink a bottle of water, you're actually wasting three times as much. Apparently, it takes 2-3 litres of water to produce one litre of bottled water. And what more, the water is most likely filtered straight off from the tap and not taken from 'fresh springs' as most bottlers claim. So you may as well filter/boil your own water instead of buying bottled water which wastes so much water during the industrial process.