Will we ever learn? (Part 1)

So last night I went to Stereophonics concert, who decided to start one and a half hour later. Rockstars.

I guess age is catching up to me so I am getting abit more impatient. And plus their stage presence wasn't that great. I might as well pop in their dvd on a large screen and press play. So overall it was all just ok.

What disappointed me the most is that everyone is talking about recycling and going green but there was no recycling bin to be found at the concert venue, which was held at Fort Canning Park.

As the night progressed, more and more litter was collected on the grass instead of the bin. I only saw one bin on the left hand side of the park which was slowly being filled with mainly cans and plastic bottles. And guess what were the main leftover of these litter-friendly concert goers? Beer cans and plastic bottles, which could all be recycled. These events companies should provide a recycling bin at all events.

Placing it there is a huge statement on its own. It will make people think twice about just disposing recyclable materials in the regular bin or littering. But the saddest thing about whole thing is that these people are all of a matured crowd.... If we adults can't even be responsible enough to not litter, then what about the simplest act of recycling? When are we ever gonna grow up....

Dubious green products.

Laundry brands including Ariel and Persil are misleading consumers with unsubstantiated eco claims, according to a Which? report. The report by the consumer watchdog found that almost half of the 14 laundry, toilet cleaner and nappy brands surveyed made environmental claims that could not be supported convincingly. All the toilet cleaners in the report including Tesco’s Naturally brand and Sainsbury’s Cleanhome brand and Green Force cleaners were criticised for making unproven claims. Tesco’s Naturally toilet cleaner claims that it contains no phosphates and leaves no hazardous chemical residues, but non-eco cleaners do not either. Which? says Tesco has agreed to change its packaging as a result of the report.

Ariel and Persil laundry detergents both carry a logo that implies the products encourage greener behaviour but the report found that it was unclear what environmental issues it relates to. Products targeting green consumers have a responsibility to be clear and unambiguous; while claims may be scientifically proven, the evidence has to be accessible to the average consumer. Here we are, trying to do good for the world but there are people who are trying to take advantage of those who care. Seriously guys. Have we humans lost respect for each other and just see one another as walking, talking money signs?

Tip of the day: Get spotless windows by mixing 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and dispense into a used spray bottle. Squirt on, then scrub with newspaper, not paper towels, which cause streaking.

So eco-friendly....

An eco resort in Cambodia, construction of which involved the removal of swaths of trees and the building of a road in forest land, has been cancelled, according to the Phnom Penh Post.

The Sar Lar Investment company had already spent US$2 million of the total projected US$6 million project budget clearing forest and constructing a road to develop the Bou Sra Waterfall Eco Resort in Mondulkiri province, Cambodia, before pulling out of the project because of "capital concerns," the paper reported.

One of the largest waterfalls in Cambodia, the Bou Sra site is popular with tourists and has seen an increase in visitors over the last year, but the area only has one guest house and various stores. Located in the country's south east, the site is about a 45 minute drive from the city of Sen Monorom, around 400 km from the capital Phnom Penh.

They decided to stop the project investment on March 20 because the housing development business of Okhna Sar Lar in Phnom Penh cannot sell anything. That is why they don’t have enough of a budget to continue the project. They have already completed a garden and a set of stairs down to the Bou Sra waterfall from the top. For now, the Mondulkiri Tourism Department will take care of the site until another investor comes along. As for when that will be, it is unclear. It is also uncertain how much of the forest has been cut down, and what will happen to that land if no new investors are found. Cambodia.com made mention of the planned resort before it was cancelled, saying Sar Lar Investment Co "has assured nearby villagers that the five-year project will not be disruptive to the environment as no forests are to be cut down for the development. Instead, Sar Lar hopes to make it an ecotourist undertaking which will create around 100 jobs for the ethnic minorities." Seriously guys, which part of it is eco-friendly?

Unless they revamp an old resort into an eco-friendly one then it'll be understandable but clearing away trees.. Maybe they should just replant trees there.

Tip of the day: Reduce your paper mail by opting to receive your newsletters or bills by email. You will definitely save loads of paper!

Check it before you buy it.

The government in Seoul will be tightening its inspection on eco-friendly farm products sold on the market to better meet consumer demand for safe food.

The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service said the measure is aimed at fighting a steady rise in products that fail to meet set standards for residual pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Last year, the state-run body checked 13,444 products that have received so called green certificates and found problems in 391, up from 184 detected in 2007 when 9,353 products were checked randomly. Products with "green" certificate, which South Korea have been issuing since 2001, are in high demand and fetch higher prices on the market than ordinary agricultural goods and those imported abroad. Those that fail to meet quality control standards will be barred from using the certificates in the future. In serious cases, tougher administrative measures may be taken.

Information on farms that raise certified eco-friendly products will be posted on the internet (www.enviagro.go.kr) so consumers can check the products they are buying. It is sad knowing that there are people who are exploiting "green products", because they are taking advantage of the green consumers like you and me who buy these products because we actually care for the Earth and our health.

Tip of the day: Please check the products first, whether it is an authentic green product, before purchasing. If you do find a fake green products do let us know :)

Top 10 Green apps!!

Hello everyone! Hope you guys had a good weekend! I didn't do much as my Baby Boy was and is not feeling too good. Teething baby.... So I made a list of the top 10 Green apps for you guys to check out :)

1. Animal-Free (Free)
Animal-Free is a pocket reference guide for many common and hidden animal ingredients. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, part-time veg or simply trying to shop veg-friendly, this app by Symbiotic Software will help you make conscientious shopping decisions. New vegans will appreciate the list of commonly misunderstood or unfamiliar vegan ingredients that will help expand your dietary horizons.

2. CraigsMobileList (99 cents)
Is there anything greener than CraigsList? Yep, CraigsMobileList allows you to search, browse, post and respond to ads on your iPhone.
You also can track items you need, are donating or selling. Version 2.0 is a complete overhaul of the original, including a groundbreaking housing-search interface.

3. Cruelty Free (Free)
This handy shopping app is your guide to cruelty-free cosmetics, personal care and household products. Created by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, Cruelty Free lists over 200 U.S. and Canadian companies that don't test ingredients, formulations or finished products on animals.

4. Gorgeously Green Survival Guide (99 cents)
The Gorgeously Green Survival Guide is a quick reference for busy women. Developed by bestselling author Sophie Uliano, Gorgeously Green guides you through the confusion of shopping for eco-friendly choices. One of the best features is the ability to create convenient and helpful shopping lists for everything from lip sticks to light bulbs.

5. Greenpeace Tissue Guide (Free)
The Greenpeace Tissue Guide allows you to make informed decision when shopping for recycled tissue and toilet paper. Experts have rated more than 100 brands as "recommended," "could do better" and "avoid!"

6. Soleil Organics (99 cents)
Now here's a handy little app. Soleil Organics tells you when you should splurge on organics and when it's not worth the extra expenditure. This app also helps you unravel label terms to make informed decisions.

7. TheGoodGuide (Free)
GoodGuide helps you find safe, healthy and sustainable products while you shop. Simply scan the product's barcode to view detailed ratings for the health, environment and social responsibility of more than 65,000 products and companies.

8. Green Gas Saver (Free)
Green Gas Saver tells you when you're accelerating or taking a turn too fast, which can hinder your gas mileage. The idea behind the app is to keep the ball in the center of the screen. When you accelerate too quickly, the diameter of the ball increases and an alarm will sound, indicating you're accelerating too quickly. Green Gas also keeps a running score so you can see how well you're driving in real time. A few weeks with this app and driving efficiently will become ingrained.

9. Geocaching Toolkit (Free)
Geocaching, the green outdoors game of hiding and seeking treasures, has caught on throughout the world. Geocaching Toolkit guides players between locations with clues involving puzzles, calculations and projecting a new waypoint using distances and bearings. Sometimes the calculations are easy, but this toolkit can help when calculations become tedious.

10. Lonely Planet Travel Guides (Prices begin at 99 cents)
Lonely Planet Travel Guides are the guide of choice for many frugal and green travelers. Various apps provide paperless guides for both U.S. and international destinations. Some of the guides are buggy and need work, but Lonely Planet is working on updated versions. Tip: Read the reviews before buying.

An Interesting Read :)

Commitment-phobes, get ready to take notes: according to the Eco-Love Survey recently conducted by Timberland, you've got a whole new category of breakup excuses at your disposal. Sure, he's tall, dark and handsome ... but he doesn't recycle? She's a high-powered blonde ... who litters? Back into the dating pool you go. In actuality, these aren't mere excuses, they're signs that environmental values are slowly trickling into yet another corner of our consciousness - the dating and mating corner. According to the Eco-Love Survey, green does matter when it comes to selecting a friend or partner:

* 56% of those surveyed wouldn't date a litter bug
* 24% would think twice about dating a non-recycler
* 20% wouldn't date the driver of a gas guzzler

The good news is, according to the 1,000 nationally representative Americans we surveyed, environmental responsibility is gaining traction as a positive character trait and something we consider when it comes to making decisions about the kind of people we want to spend time with in our personal lives. The not-so-good news is, it still doesn't matter a whole lot. When asked whether they believe environmentally-friendly women are more stylish, more sophisticated or more laid back than those who are not eco-friendly, the answer was a resounding "no", which leaves us with the mental image of an uptight, socially-inept and poorly dressed green girl, the stereotypical environmentalist you'd want as your lab partner but wouldn't dream of taking to the prom. Clearly, we've got a long way to go to bridge the gap between scorning the environmental despoilers and warmly embracing the eco-friendly. Is it that we need a better poster child for eco-chic? When asked which environmentally-friendly celebrity would most inspire them to go green, Cameron Diaz only garnered 27% of votes with Kate Hudson (26%) and Gwyneth Paltrow (21%) close behind. Is there some sort of gender bias, some kind of "guys don't make passes at girls who recycle glasses" thing going on? Sadly no, we can't even blame men for being the insensitive ones (this time). Nearly twice as many men as women surveyed believe eco-friendly girls make better life partners (24% vs. 14%).

It could just be that we're not ready to pair the notion of environmental responsibility with the "L" word because when the same survey participants were asked about the importance of eco-responsibility with no romantic strings attached, the results were a lot more encouraging. When asked which of the following environmental actions Americans need to take in the next year, they
said:

* Use energy efficient light bulbs (72%)
* Use non-toxic or non-chemical cleaners around the house (59%)
* Carpool, walk or ride bikes to work (57%)

As a company that's working hard to reduce our environmental footprint while engaging consumers who want to do the same, some of the survey results were disheartening but not enough to deter us from making beautiful (stylish, even!) durable, eco-conscious footwear for consumers who think that sort of thing matters (30%). As for the marriage between environmental values and romantic love, we'll continue to believe that that relationship, like any other, simply needs time to grow. And when it does, we'll be the first ones to throw recycled-compostable paper confetti at the happy couple.

By Margaret Morey-Reuner is the Senior Manager of Values Marketing for Timberland.

Tip of the day: Find a partner who is not really in to turning green and turn your partner into as eco-conscious individual.

What will you be doing today?

I know for most of us, it is a working day so, us working people won't be able to go and celebrate Earth Day.

But that does not give us a reason to skip Earth Day altogether. So I suggest that we should bring Earth Day to work! Do something green at work today. Go paperless. Use less paper. Take the public transport. Walk. Cycle. Pack your own organic food. Do not do takeaway. Switch your PC or laptop off when you're in meetings or on your lunch break. Shop with your cloth bag. Bring your own reusable coffee cup when taking away your favourite coffee or latte. Make sure you switch off your electrical appliances from the main switch before leaving the house. Take a quick shower. Do not leave the tap running while brushing your teeth. Recycle. And the list goes on. So go ahead and influence your colleagues in going green! Remember to switch off the main switch by your desk as well before you head home.

Happy Earth Day!! :)

Alternative climate summit in Bolivia

Environmental activists, indigenous leaders and Hollywood celebrities are gathering in Bolivia ahead of a self-styled global people's conference on climate change starting Tuesday. Thousands of attendees intend to highlight the plight of the world's poorest who they argue were largely ignored at the official United Nations sponsored summit in Copenhagen last December.

Critics say that the deal will not avert catastrophe and the "People's World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth Rights," which runs through Thursday, aims to draft new proposals for consideration at the next UN meeting in Mexico at the end of the year. Bolivia's UN ambassador, Pablo Solon, said the conference, which is expected to be attended by 18,000 people, is "the only way to get the climate change talks back on the track".

Developing nations have resisted a legally binding climate treaty, arguing that wealthy nations must bear the primary responsibility for climate change. Nearly 130 countries, including many of the world's poorest, will be represented at the Cochabamba conference, which symbolically reaches its climax on Earth Day. The conference will seek to refine proposals presented by Morales in Copenhagen that included the creation of a world tribunal for climate issues and a global referendum on environmental choices. Presidents Chavez and Morales were among the harshest critics of the December 2009 Copenhagen conference, arguing that developing countries were largely ignored in the debates. The conference begins the day after representatives from the world's leading economies gathered in Washington for a preparatory meeting ahead of the December UN summit in Cancun.

The US-led Major Economies Forum comprises 17 countries responsible for the bulk of global emissions and excludes smaller nations such as Sudan whose firebrand negotiators held up sessions at December's Copenhagen summit. Washington hopes the closed-door talks will allow key nations to quietly assess what they can achieve heading into the next major climate summit in December in Cancun.

Well, after the outcome of last year's summit in Copenhagen, let's see what will be achieved from this one. Heh. Hmmmmmm....

3 Days to Earth Day

There is 3 more days to go to Earth Day, the 22nd April 2010, so I've decided to list down some events that is connected to Earth Day in Singapore :)



1. The American Embassy will be holding a recycling programme on the 22nd April 2010, from 9.45 am til 3.45 pm. For more information, please visit their websites :)

2. Reupholstering furniture, held at the American Embassy as well on the 22nd April 2010, from 9 am til 4 pm. For more information, please visit their website :)

3. An Eco-Youth Concert will be held at Bishan Park, on the 24th April 2010, at 7.30 pm. This concert is brought to you by students from the ITE centre of the music and the arts. Admission is free :)

4. Avatar in Action - GOTO Book Exchange. "Give One, Take One" in short, all you need to do is bring your pre-owned book in order to exchange for another pre-owned book.

5. Greenridge Primary school will be collecting food waste (only apple and banana peel) on the 20th April 2010. To make fertilizers perhaps... ;)

6. Greenridge Primary School is collecting used cooking oil on the 27th of April. Please cool the oil, pour it in a plastic bottle and rinse the exterior with soap.

If you know of any green events pertaining to Earth Day please drop us a line :) Thank you

Tip of the day: You can recycle your paper towel and toilet roll cardboard tubes and use it as a cord organiser. Just roll up your electric cords and stuff it inside the tube :)

Plan your eco route no more :)

Thanks to Ford, you do not need to plan your eco-route on your own anymore :) Ford’s new map-based navigation system has three options: the fastest route, the shortest route and also the “Eco-Route.”

Drivers using a version of the MyFord Touch dashboard interface system, with SD-card-based mapping, will get a choice of three color-coded routes (with the eco-choice, in green). This version makes its debut this summer in the 2011 Ford Edge. Cars equipped with the system can access real-time traffic information from Sirius and then plot the greenest route to your destination, avoiding gridlocked roads. If real-time traffic information isn’t available, it relies on historic traffic data. It also looks at speed limits, and chooses the routes that give you consistent speeds. Ford said in testing,the Eco-Route yielded up to 15% fuel-economy improvements.

However, if the Eco-Route directed drivers onto highways with higher posted speed limits, it could cause them to go faster and actually affect fuel economy negatively. But then again, we probably do not have a need for that. The island is so small and our routes so straight forward that i do not think it matters hehe plus it is better for us to take the public transport :)

Tips of the day: Drive at a constant speed of 90 km/h in order to cut on emissions and save about 10% of your fuel bill.

Cycle for your meal :)

Crowne Plaza in Copenhagen is offering their hotel guests to cycle to produce electricity for the hotel on an exercise bike attached to a generator in exchange for a meal.

The whole plan is to get people fit and to reduce their carbon footprint :) So the guests have to produce at least 10 watt hours of electricity, which is roughly 15 minutes of cycling for someone of average fitness. The hotel already produces renewable energy with solar panels on its facade. Once they have produced the renewable energy, the guest will receive meal vouchers worth $36 or 26 euros. The bicycles will have iPhones attached to the handlebars to measure how much power is being generated for the hotel. The plan, the first in the world, will be launched on 19 April and will run for a year and is only for guests staying in the hotel. If this becomes successful, the electric bicycle programme will be extended to all Crowne Plaza hotels in the UK.

Maybe all exercise bikes in gyms, hotels or homes should be attached to a generator in order to produce their own electricity :)

Tip of the day: Make your own coffee cup sleeve by using your old denim. Measure your favourite take away cup and cut and sew your old denim cloth accordingly :)

Walk on Glass!

A new type of pavement mix called filterpave is now available in the market.

This new pavement mix is made almost completely of recycled glass. The recycled glass is rolled to shave off sharp edges, mixed, poured and smoothed making both colourful and eco-friendly pavements. Sounds magical!!! Imagine when sunlight falls on it and all the colours it'll give off :)

Since it is twice as porous as concrete or asphault, and even though it is more expensive, with it being twice as porous means that it is actually the same price because you basically can use half as much :) The glass will absorb oils and things out of a car that is dripping and instead of staining the concrete and the oil running into the stream, it actually filters down into the glass so it will leak into the system instead of the stream.

More tests need to be done to see whether it can be used on major roadways, so for the time being Missouri will be using the eco-friendly warm-mix asphault on highways instead. Alot of emission is reduced because instead of heating normal asphault up to 300 degrees Farenheit, you only need to warm this eco-friendly one up.

Carbon Dioxide emissions will be reduced by 20-40%, Sulfur Dioxide by 20-35%, Carbon Monoxide by 10-30% Volatile Organic Compounds by 50% and Nitrous Oxides by 70%. The road last longer, it helps the environment and saves tax payers money! What more can you ask for!

Tip of the day: We live in the tropical region, which is very, very hot (and getting hotter). So wouldn't it make sense to shower in regular, tap water instead of switching on the heater and using warm water instead? You will definitely cool down and not feel so warm when you step out of the shower and won't be tempted to switch on the air-conditioning, right..

Rice Husks Concrete?

Concrete made from rice husk and coal ash waste is being developed in a scheme to tackle climate change.

Traditional methods of concrete production release large quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere so British and Indian researchers are working together on the scheme to cut the carbon footprint of concrete. The scale of the problems facing infrastructure development in India and the UK means that collaboration between a number of institutions is the only way to reach their goals. The researchers have been working as part of a UK-India Education & Research Initiative (UKIERI) project, led by the University of Dundee. A major component of traditional concrete is Portland cement but for every tonne of cement produced about one tonne of CO2 is released into the atmosphere. As a result concrete production amounts to approximately 5% of global CO2 emissions.

Concrete is the second most used material in the world after water, and so reducing the CO2 emissions produced by it could make a real difference to climate change. Rice husk is already used as a fuel in the boilers for the processing of paddy and for power generation. The ash of the rice husk (rice husk ash or RHA for short) is used as a super-pozzolan to make special concrete mixers. There are many uses for this RHA, such as green concrete, ceramic glaze, oil-spill absorbent, insulator, flame retardants, insecticide, bio-fertilizers and more.

I didn't know rice is super useful man! It's waste has more uses than human waste. Maybe we should make more studies on our waste (poo) to see what else we can use it for :) Well cow dung is used as a source of fuel..

Tip of the day: Have a quick or navy shower to save water. It is the
no.1 used material in the world so please save water and it is still wasted everyday! Or you can shower together with your partner. It helps saves water. Whatever works for you ;)

Eco friendly rebuilt for Cuba's disaster-hit homes

Hurricane Gustav slammed into the Cuban coastal town of Los Palacios in August, 2008, a dangerous category 4 storm.

It damaged 84 percent of the homes, many of them made of wood. Ten days later, Hurricane Ike tore across much of Cuba, dumping torrential rains on Los Palacios. And then in November, Paloma struck the island. The government put the combined damage at $10 billion. Now, a unique program helps victims re-build their lives and their homes. New houses have gone up all along the hurricane corridor in the western province of Pinar del Rio. Many of them are made entirely or partly of "eco-materials", local resources turned into construction materials at a low cost and all done in the community, which saves on their carbon footprint by transportation. After hurricanes, floods and earthquakes, CIDEM moves in quickly to set up mini-factories using its own low-tech machinery. In Los Palacios, CIDEM set up a mini-factory last year.

Five workers operate a simple contraption that uses vibrations to turn out blocks made from local gravel, sand and cement (sweet). The machine has the capacity to produce 1,200 blocks a day, that is equivalent to a house. In Cuba, the government works closely with CIDEM. They provide professionals to oversee the work and they guarantee hurricane victims paid leave from their jobs in order to rebuild houses. CIDEM has set up workshops in 18 countries in Latin America, five in Africa and most recently in Asia, with funding primarily from Switzerland and Canada.

The environment impact is about saving energy as little or no transportation is required to rebuild these houses, plus they recycle old materials :) Recycling is the way to go people!!!!!

Tip of the day: PLEASE SWITCH OFF you computer or laptop when you are done with it instead of leaving it idle or on sleep mode. You'll save lots of electricity and give your computer a rest too :) Peace.

Another Eco-Friendly Farming Neighbour

Hundreds of farmers in Klaten, Central Java, have converted from using chemical fertilizers and pesticides to organic ones.

At present, 75% use the organic fertilizers as part of their farming methods. The reason why they switched over is because chemical fertilizers is expensive and is harmful to people and the environment.

Concerned with the condition, Juwandi (leader of the Tani Mulyo farming group) and a number of community figures worked to develop an eco-friendly but profitable farming practice over the past year by joining the Tani Mulyo farming group. Assisted by bottled water producer Aqua and the Bina Swadaya NGO, they set up a lab last year to conduct tests as well as produce organic fertilizer from cattle and buffalo manure. After conducting tests for almost a year, they implemented the green farming method on seven of 85 hectares of rice fields at the end of last year with a mixed planting system, using 50 percent chemical and 50 percent organic fertilizers. Based on the harvest, production experienced between a 10 and 15 percent drop. A 1,700-square-meter plot using chemical fertilizer produced 0.85 tons of rice with a Rp 6,000-kilogram sale price, while the use of organic fertilizer produced 0.8 tons of rice at the higher Rp 7,000-kilogram sale price. There was not much difference in yield and the concern that the system would create a drop in the production by 30% was not proven so as many as 75% of the 450 farmers, who are grouped in the Tani Mulyo, are expected to apply for the eco-friendly planting pattern on about 85 hectares of their farmland by 2012.

So I say let's support these organic rice farmers by buying their products and eating them! It'll be better to if it's brown rice :) It is the healthier choice ;) Way to go Java!

Tips of the day: Support your local farmers and buy local products to cut down on your carbon footprint.

Lets Go Back To The Tiffin Wallah days!

Do you buy take away or pack lunch for yourself or your kids, in disposables? Well, maybe it's a time for a change!

Why not pack your lunch in a reusable lunch products? I know it is more convenient to use disposables, you just pack it and throw it when you're done.

But have you thought about the consequences of your actions? With plastic clogging up our rivers and oceans, and plus filling up the landfills, do you think these disposables are worth it? I think not.

So why not convert yourself to reusables. There are so many nice reusable lunch boxes now available in the market :) and seeing them makes me wanna buy all of them! Its sooooo nice! But I have to stop myself cos one is enough for the time being.. I'll be able to buy another set when my son starts school :) or as presents. I know in Singapore it is very seldom that we pack our lunches. Usually we eat out and these food places usually serve food in proper plates and utensils. But if you are the type who likes to control what you or your child eats, then please do convert to a reusable lunch box instead of disposables. It will save you money in the long run and you will be teaching your child and those around you a step in going green. If our grandparents or parents used to use the tiffins (the metal tins stacked on top of each other to transport food) then why can't we? Convenience is not the way unless it has a green purpose..

Tips of the day: Mentioned above :)

Convert your pet to a green one!

With "green" pet food, biscuits and other tasty treats available on many store shelves, pet owners now have a wide range of organic and earth-friendly options from which to choose.

But increasingly, owners are finding they can also make environmentally friendly choices that go beyond the food bowl with several new options available! The Good Dog Company makes leashes, collars, harnesses and toys with organic cotton and sustainable, natural hemp. Hemp is naturally hypoallergenic, anti-microbial so it's resistant to mold and mildew. Bowsers Pet Products manufactures a line of eco-friendly pet bed made out of polar fleece which is made from recycled plastic bottles and the foam is made from soy and is biodegradable. For dogs who want to beat the heat in an earth-friendly way, Gramercy Distribution, based in New York City, markets the Cool Vest. Unlike many other cooling vests, the product is not filled with chemical gels and requires no refrigeration. Maybe we people should get one ourselves! It'll be useful for those who can't stand the heat here!

Heh Heh Heh.. Well I don't feed my cats organic food as they don't like it but i do feed them dolphin safe food, so my conscious would be free from any guilt of accidentally killing a dolphin. So go ahead and try out organic food for your furry loved ones, who knows they might convert to a greener lifestyle ;)

Tips of the day: Try not to use tick and flea meds for your pet. It's bad for your pet's health as it depletes their immune system and we shouldn't be in contact with it anyway cos it is bad for us too.. Try adding Brewer's Yeast or Garlic to your pet's meal or use an essential oil to repel unwanted bugs :)

Pest problems?

Some farmers in India are adopting eco-friendly methods to get rid of pests by using insect trappers instead of chemical pesticides.

The insect trapper has not only reduced their pesticide and labour expenditure, but also the use of strong chemicals in cultivation. The main advantage of this trapper is that it is more effective at night, as the light sliders attached to it attracts the insects, which cause them to fall into a bucket of water and diesel and subsequently die (even though they are insects, I somehow still feel their pain). It is a plus point using these trappers.

Your mind would be at ease that at least the farmed goods will be free of pesticides so you or your loved ones won't consume it but they can go one step farther by using natural fertilizers, example dung, instead of the chemically processed ones.. It will save them more money as well, as they have an abundance of cows grazing around :) If all farmers were to adopt eco-friendly methods of farming like this insect trapper, it will lessen the pollution and contamination of the Earth's soil and water..

Tips of the day: You can make your own fertilizers by using egg shells (dry it and crush them into powder, then sprinkle it on the soil) or you can sprinkle lime juice in the soil. Rabbit droppings work great as well! :)

Suffering from the Monday Blues?

Why not enjoy some eco-sex to wash away the blues :)

That's what Stephanie Iris Weiss book is called. Here are some tips from her book for the eco-friendly people who want to green up their sex life! Tip no.1: Have sex on a natural latex mattress. Not only is it more eco-friendly but it's also less bouncy :) Tip no.2: Use biodegradable or fair-trade condoms :) Tip no.3: Use organic aphrodisiacs (if u need to). Examples are avocado and chocolate for women and basil, bay leaf and cinnamon for the men :) Condoms usually get thrown in the toilet after use and ends up in the water system or worse the oceans which can cause danger to the marine life or sea birds. Throw them away responsibly. Have a guilt free pleasure! I'll probably get the book and see if there's any interesting tips in there :)

Tip of the day: Please refer to article above.

Loving the high life....

And not willing to let go of every goodness that comes with it?

Well there is one less thing that you have to do without in order to be green and that is the all time favourite of the elitists - CAVIAR. Greg Barker, the British MP for Bexhill and Battle, has revealed a financial interest in a British firm that produces ethical caviar in Latvia. Hey that rhymes.. Caviar in Latvia haha.

Ok, let us continue. So unlike traditional caviar, which is obtained by killing the ENDANGERED sturgeon, it is extracted by massaging it out of the live farmed fish which swim away when the process is complete. The sturgeon, which can live for the 35 years, then grow more eggs, 14 months later. Thats longer than the human reproductive cycle..

In addition to being less cruel, the technique helps to reduce the damage to wild sturgeon stocks. Over-fishing and poaching have devastated the traditional caviar fisheries in the Caspian Sea. The brand, Mottra (an ethical and sustainable business) was served at Tatler magazine's 300th anniversary party at the Frieze art fair. Penelope Cruz, the film star, has bought several pots from Harvey Nichols in London. Other fans of this ethical caviar include Rick Stein, Gwyneth Paltrow and Tracy Emin. So enjoy your caviar, if it's from Mottra!

Tips of the days: Since it is the rainy season again here (well, it has been raining everyday), put your indoor plants out for some fresh, natural water. Your plants will definitely enjoy the outdoors more than the indoors.

Happy Easter

Hey peeps :) Just wanna wish everyone a lovely Good Friday and enjoy the long weekend ahead! For those who are planning to go away for the weekend, why not head somewhere nearby to lessen your carbon footprint. Head down to Sentosa or have a picnic on rustic Pulau Ubin, or take a boat down to check out Batam or head to the resort island of Bintan. Take a drive down to Malaysia and enjoy the seafood there.. I am just gonna stay home with my baby boy and enjoy some home-made chicken rice.. Yum Yum! Remember, think green, be green..

How the Swedes keep themselves warm :)

There's a town in beautiful Sweden that uses a very interesting way to keep themselves warm during their very cold cold winter.

The people in Halmstad, Sweden uses the heat from burning bodies to keep themselves nice and warm! Don't worry, they're not ruthless killers. It's from the crematorium. Cremation of human remains can release toxins, like mercury from dental fillings, so the filtration of off-gases is very, very important. In order to effectively clean the emitted gases, they have to be cooled from 1000°C to under 150°C. Recovery of this heat for warming first the crematorium buildings and later the public heating system will save costs and use less water as well.

Heating is one of the biggest perpetrators of energy guzzling and carbon emissions in any house that needs it. Instead of having people paying so much for fossil fuel heat, why waste all that heat when people can reuse it to heat up their loving homes :)

Tip of the day: Or if you live alone with your partner, you can always keep each comfortably warm by stripping down to nothing and using your body warmth ;) But please remember to cover your windows with your curtains. You wouldn't want to be labeled as an exhibitionist or have peeping-toms hanging around. The first you'll save money on electricity and the latter as well, plus more! That is for the colder climates. For us people living on this hot hot island of Singapore, instead of blasting the air-conditioner to -10°C (that is sarcasm) or a more likely 18°C, just use less clothes or thin ones when you sleep and you can put the air-con up at a comfortable 24°C or just the old mighty fan :)

Let's go back to the future....

Bullock carts have been long forgotten but not in Pradesh, India.

These carts might be outmoded and belong to an era gone by but it is the preferred mode of transport for a school there that is trying to cut down on vehicular emissions for a pollution-free tomorrow. Sandipani Muni, a charitable school in Vrindavan town, which is equipped with modern educational facilities, prefers bullock carts to fuel-driven vehicles for ferrying its students. The school which provides free education for the needy and poor, especially for girls, was set up in 2002 and has been using the bullock cart since then. They also have cycle rickshaws for students that live near the school. One of the downside of this transport is that it is slow but it requires virtually no maintenance as compared to other modes of transport but this fun cart has never been late for school.

I am sure that the students love riding in the cart. If i was a student there, I would be excited and won't miss a class because of the bullock ride :) Plus the bull's dung can be collected and used as natural fertilisers or as fuel :) So it has more than one purpose in life! Cool huh :) Maybe we should have them in Singapore too and I can be the conductor of the cart! hehehe. We can also have horse carriages or carts to ferry us around :) WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I think it is a good initiative of the school to be environmentally friendly and guide their students in the right direction.. Makes me wanna go there and check out their scene.

Tips of the day: Opt for emails rather than snail mail when you sign up for any newsletter or promos from your favourite product companies.

Let's go sailing on the Plastiki!

The Plastiki is Mr. David de Rothschild's (youngest heir to the fortune of Europe's oldest and most respected banking families) boat made out of 12,500 recycled plastic bottles.

As of today, he has travelled 76 nautical miles which equals to the length of 481,536 plastic bottles. All these plastic bottles are only 0.0080% of what is being thrown away by Americans alone. The entire project aims to focus global awareness on the thoughtless, unnecessary damage plastic inflicts on the world’s oceans and potentially guide people towards more constructive ways to re-use plastic. During the next 90 days the crew, directed by skipper Jo Royle, will travel about 11,000 nautical miles from San Francisco, California to Sydney, Australia.

The so-called Great Pacific Garbage patch is a focal point of the expedition. Ocean currents from North American and Asian shores sweep along floating plastic, funneling it towards the island of trash, which is already larger than France and Germany combined and this is only 50% of all plastic products that end up in the ocean. Imagine if it's 100% of all the plastic products, it can create it's own continent with it's own plastic people :). The patch also has serious implications for pollution such as Polychlorinated Byphenyls (PCB) or DDT and could have serious health impacts if they’re absorbed into fish consumed by people.

This expedition is not trying to tell us that plastic is bad so let's ban it for good but to tell us people to re-use and recycle plastic instead of throwing it away to the dumps. It is a recyclable product so why not just recycle it? It is not much of an effort putting it in the recycling bin. Would you like it if your neighbour litters your home? No right. Well that's what we are doing to the our neighbour, the Ocean. Let's be responsible individuals and recycle. It is not that hard.

Tip of the day: See above! Don’t be Trashy - Recycle!!

What did you do during the Earth Hour?

I stayed home and sat in the dark!

I wanted to play hide and seek but my cats were all sleeping (yes, they do know the game) and my baby boy was fast asleep too but he can barely crawl anyway :) I looked out my window and saw that quite a number of my neighbours were sitting in the dark as well. The darkness and silence brought me back to my childhood days when my sisters and I used to play hide and seek (in pitchblack darkness) and had to play our little game without even as much as a squeek! As we did not want our parents to know that we were still playing when we suppose to be in la la land! So what did you do during the Earth Hour? Let us know what you were up to last night ;)

Tip of the day: Planning to wash your car today? Why not bring your car to the nearest drive-through wash in your area. You'll save more water this way than using your hose and doing it yourself. And drive-throughs are way more fun!

Its Earth Hour Today...

...so please do not forget the whole purpose of the Earth Hour. In my previous blog entry, I mentioned to you that Orchard Road is joining in on the Earth Hour and there will be a live music performance, star-gazing and other activities, depending on which mall you're heading to.



The Earth Hour is not about being in or enjoying a party, it's about creating awareness, it is actually about the Earth. We humans have rapidly deteriorated Earth's health and are continuing in doing so without a hint of guilt. Well the majority of us are not doing anything to help heal her or maybe are doing it just to be seen doing it. It's not about jumping on the bandwagon and hitching along for the ride. The people who really care for the Earth are actually hoping that this will catch on as a daily basis, where we incorporate it into our daily lives, not just a yearly ritual or occult.

You might be thinking 'at least people are joining in' but what is the point if it is once a year and people don't make it a habit to save electricity or recycle at the very least? Saving the Earth has to start in the home where you can teach the elder generations and of course our children on simple daily routines that will help Mother Earth and create a better and a more self-sufficient future for our future generation. We need to set them in the right direction so they will continue walking on the right path..

Tip of the day: Why not go a day doing something Earth friendly? Go for a walk in the park, have an eco-friendly picnic, go cycling or roller-blading in East Coast.. Enjoy an Eco-Friendly Saturday!

Earth Hour on Orchard Road

Its two more days to Earth Hour.

If you don't know what it is, it is a movement organised by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) to demonstrate that with concerted efforts, mankind can make a difference in the fight against carbon emissions and climate change. More than 10 shopping centres, including new malls such as Ion Orchard, 313@Orchard, Orchard Central and Mandarin Gallery will switch off their facade and other non-essential lights for at least an hour starting from 8.30pm. Mrs Sng Ngoi May, Chairman of the Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA), said 'Switching off our lights is a simple act which sends out a powerful message.

During Earth Hour, our malls, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses on Orchard Road will be united with millions around the globe to demonstrate that in our own little ways, we can all make changes to reduce our total energy consumption. Many of the malls will also hold their own related activities and promotions for example, Wisma Atria will be holding a countdown to Earth Hour as well as star-gazing and polaroid picture-pledging, while capital land will hold an Earth Hour Lights-Out party with live performances at Ion Orchard.

I just hope that they will be using renewable energy for their live performances, if not it will defeat the purpose right.. Ms Amy Ho, Managing Director of WWF Singapore, said 'ORBA's pledge to join the Earth Hour switch-off is a resounding statement for Singapore staying true to it's commitment in joining the fight against climate change. We hope that this marks the first step towards longer term collaboration about educating shoppers on sustainable lifestyle and more environmentally friendly consumption practices.' Well I think Orchard Road should change their street lamps to solar-powered ones with the many street lamps and outdoor lightings they have and use. I'm sure they are able to afford it. I believe they can do more than just switching off their lights for an hour once a year.

Tips of the day: You're not suppose to feed your baby from the same food jar so I keep the old jars and instead of buying bowls for him, I reuse the glass jar as my baby's bowl :)

Singapore's Green Effort

Thanks to the local building industry's recycling efforts, the Singapore's government has launched a $15 million fund to help these companies adopt more sustainable processes.

Demolition contractors, recyclers, and ready-mixed concrete suppliers can now get a piece of the Sustainable Construction Capability Development Fund to introduce and upgrade their recycled building products says Senior Minister of State for National Development for Grace Fu, who was speaking at the opening of a recycling technology project by local company Samwoh Corporation. If need be, the Government may top up the fund in the future. The Building and Construction Authority plans to increase demand for recycled materials by requiring building owners aiming for the top grades of its environmentally friendly building programme to adopt sustainable construction methods. To give users more confidence in using recycled concrete, the Government will require all ready-mixed concrete makers for the Singapore market to be certified according to new standards from October onwards.

Tip of the day: Use a rinse free hand sanitiser as your handwash in your toilet so it'll save water by not having to rinse and paper hand towels cos you don't have to wipe your hands dry. And when its emptied out, remember to throw it into the recycling bin :)

Eco Event in Singapore

A trade show and conference, where businesses can learn about the latest insights and best practices in the green economy will take place in April 8-10 at the Suntec International Conferenc and Exhibition Centre, Singapore. Its called the Eco World 2010.

ECO World 2010 aims to promote an environmentally friendly lifestyle through the sharing of knowledge relating to sustainable development solutions. One of the highlights of ECO World 2010 is the two-day trade conference featuring local and regional key opinion leaders, including The Carbon Neutral Company; who will be sharing green business strategies and its best practices for success. Besides the conference, ECO World 2010 will feature innovations and green solutions from the sectors of construction, lifestyle, technology and waste management. Some of the exhibiting companies include: Centre for Livable Cities, Dayen Environment Ltd, ecoWise Holdings Ltd, IBM, LHT Holdings Ltd, Spicers Paper Pte Ltd, Termimesh Singapore, Tetra Pak and The Green Car Company Pte Ltd. There will also be an international pavilion featuring sustainable solutions from Costa Rica, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil and Spain. The rapid economic growth experienced in Asia over the last decades has exerted considerable pressure on the environmental sustainability of the region. It is estimated that almost 55%* of the population in Asia will be living in urban areas by 2030. This translates to an increase in production and consumption of energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions, as well as further degradation of scarce resources such as water supplies, forests and agricultural land.

I think this is a good direction that Singapore is taking to promote eco-friendly businesses in Singapore. I just hope that the conference itself will be eco-friendly..

Tip of the day: If you're having a party and plan to buy plastic plates and utensils, remember to buy the eco-friendly ones made out of corn or is biodegradable. If not, just rinse and recycle the disposable plates :) Its not too much work to save the Earth.

Consumers who choose green products to boost their status

Recently research was carried out on a group of 168 college students and what they found out is that some people who go out of their way to buy eco-friendly products do not do it for their concern of the planet but to make themselves appear superior.

Many green products are more expensive but lack some of the features of conventional products but such altruistic behavior may come from a desire to show off one's wealth and environmental consciousness.

One group of students read a story intended to make them aspire towards a high social status, while another group read a different story or no story. Each student was asked to choose between a series of green and conventional products. The products had the same price and brand, but the green option had lower performance and fewer luxury features. Students in the "status" group were more likely to choose the green products as compared to the students in the control group. And the result of another experiment is more interesting. It showed that the status hungry students were less likely to buy green if told they were shopping online rather in a store, that is if no one is watching! (Naughty naughty..) Students in the status-seeking group were also more attracted to green products when those products were more expensive.

Maybe these students have to take a course on climate change in order to take it more seriously and understand that their future wouldn't be as comfortable if no drastic action is taken. I was shocked to find out that there are people out there who are more interested in attaining a higher status in life than concern for the environment. We still have to share the same air no matter what status you are in!

Tip of the day: Throw you recyclables in the designated recycling bin in town instaed of the regular bin :)

Let's welcome the ECO-OTO

What is the Eco-Oto?

Well it's a Japanese invention that is to help those that are embarrassed with certain sounds we, as human beings, make while busy in the loo (if you know what I mean heheh).

I know I'm one of the guilty ones that flush occasionally when I think I need to heheh. I know, too much info right but hey it's only natural! Even the most gorgeous people have their moments in the toilet! So this eco-oto is an iphone app that helps you cover up those embarrassing moments in the public toilet by playing a flushing sound so instead of actually flushing or "coughing" away, just press a button on your iphone and it will do the work for you. You can play it for 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds! This way you will be saving around 6-8 litres of water per flush! It cost only $0.99, a small price to pay for the environment if you are one of those guilty ones that waste water doing the pretend flush :)

If you do not want to waste your money on it then try out our tip of the day and see whether it works for you :)

Tip of the day: Instead of buying the eco-oto iphone app, you could try and record the flushing sound in the comfort of your own toilet as a ringtone and play it whenever you need it. Try it out first and see whether it works ok.. and make sure it is loud enough to cover your toilet musicals!

Using grass to run your car?

No, they are not planning to pluck out grass from the Earth to change it to biofuel.

That wouldn't be environmentally friendly right, using precious land to farm grass. And plus it'll be weird looking at bald patches on the ground. The Carbon Trust is working together with the University of York to research how using microwave technology could turn garden and wood waste into biofuel. The process of using microwave to heat the waste without oxygen is called pyrolysis. The research will look at how this process could be used to produce a biofuel to blend with fossil fuel or as a fuel on its own. The carbon footprint of this new pyrolysis biofuel could potentially save 95% of carbon compared to fossil fuels.

The trust also announced the creation of a new consortium of British businesses led by Axion Energy, which will aim to enhance existing pyrolysis technology to produce biofuels created from organic waste materials en masse. The consortium aims to produce its first biofuel from a pilot plant in 2014 and estimates that this will save seven million tonnes of carbon, the equivalent to the annual emissions of three million cars. If this research goes through then it will be great for Singapore with the many grass cutting days they have here, which is done every other week. Wakes my son up from his sleep and makes my kitties scurry for safety!

Tip of the day: If you have a cold, go old skool and use a handkerchief instead of disposable tissues :) Maybe you'll start a new fashion statement!

Happy St. Paddy's!

Hello everyone! How's your day been so far? I bet you guys can't wait for the work day to be over so you can head down to the nearest bar and enjoy a huge cold one!

I would definitely gulp down a nice cold draught (moms' are allowed a drink or two ok) but I have to stay home and look after my lil boy. So before you head out and order your first drink, think about how eco friendly the beers really are. Unfortunately the beer industry is not so eco friendly with my no.1 favourite not even making the Greentopia list of eco beers, so as an eco conscious consumer, you can order a locally brewed beer instead of an imported one so less pollution is caused by transportation. Or you can head down to a micro-brewery here. Paulaner Brauhaus and Brewerkz brews their own signature ales so just have a go at it. You just might love the taste. Drink your ale draught from a tap so you'll also save on the packaging. Plus it'll definitely taste better! Unfortunately, the local bars here are not environmentally friendly and they should start soon so as not to be left behind. Maybe I should be the one who has the 1st eco bar in Singapore :) I'll probably be behind the bar hehehe. Or if you know of any such eco bar in Singapore, do let us know :) I'm gonna stop short of my rantings and naggings today to let you enjoy St. Paddy's Day so have fun and have Gaia on your mind..

Tips of the day: Its hidden in the articles above :) and remember to walk or take the public transport to your destinations!

Are gas stations slowly vanishing?

With the rise in eco-cars, this is exactly what is happening in Japan. The gas stations there are going bust.

More than 2000 gas stations have been closing down annually in recent years but this figure might increase with more Japanese opting for green cars that run on less fuel or no fuel at all.

The Federation of Petroleum Product Dealers Associations (Zensekiren) estimates that if eco-friendly vehicles account for half of new car purchases and 20% of all vehicles in fiscal 2020, annual demand for for gasoline will plunge to 40.88 million kiloliters, down 29% from fiscal 2008, while demand for light fuel oil will fall 15% to 28.66 million kiloliters. And if eco-friendly vehicles such as electric and gas-electric hybrid cars catch on even more than Zensekiren expects, filling stations could face an even bleaker future.

What the Japanese are worried about is how it will affect the remote villages there. These villagers rely on the gas stations for their supply of kerosene and fuel for their farm equipments. But if there is still a demand for gas stations in the villagers then what is the problem, why would they go bankrupt? If they are losing business from passing cars which are eco-friendly, then they should have revamped and cater to the needs of the eco cars right. Installing chargers for them or repairing green cars perhaps? I think its a good thing for Japan that most of the people are buying eco cars. And they should look at the bright side, with the supply of oil decreasing and prices going up, they don't need to be so independent on it. They can use their precious oil for other purposes.

News, news and more news

I read some of the top eco news today n stumbled upon an article titled "IPCC rainforest eco-trastophe claim confirmed bunk" in the Tehran Times.

It says that the UN body came under attack for suggesting that 40% of the Amazonian rainforests (dubbed the "lungs of the planet" by some for their ability to turn CO2 into oxygen, and also seen as vital for their bio-diversity grounds) might disappear imminently. This disaster would be triggered, according to the IPCC's assessment, by a relatively slight drop in rainfall of the sort to be expected in a warming world. Scientists have made their research and now it appears that such conditions have already occurred, and the Amazonian jungles were unaffected. How long do they think the rainforest will survive when there's a constant decrease in supply of water? Do they think the rainforest will last forever? Even our regular home plants need a certain amount of water to survive.

Ok, so what if the Amazon can survive with a decrease amount of water. Good for them right. But what about the animals that depend on the water to survive? Are we suppose to just let them dehydrate and die? They are already fighting for space because of deforestation, thanks to us greedy humans who can never be satisfied, and now they have to fight for an important element which is necessary for any living organism to survive, water. The rich nations aren't the ones who will be affected by it first-hand, but the poor nations will be affected first. It's just sad that there are people out there who wants to prove those that are trying to do good for Mother Earth wrong. And why? Because of greed and money? Are these scientists implying that it is alright for the world to live with less water, a hotter climate (which they said is already happening now) and a more polluted world? That's the message I got from reading the article.

Tip of the day: Please buy only recycled paper and be proactive in recycling. It truly does help.

The Sustainable Dinner

Hello everyone! How is your Saturday going so far? Mine is just gonna be a chilled out Saturday (I hope).

So I had a really enjoyable Friday night, thanks to the company I had and plus, I attended an event held at the United World College by Dover Rd, which was put together by the students there. The theme was "Sustainable Dinner" and Green Cleaners were invited to attend and put up a stall there to raise awareness of eco-friendly cleaning alternatives. There were a few other stalls up, all concerning the environment and of course our fellow friends, the animals, that we share the Earth with.

It was my first ever event that I attended which was held in a school and I must say they did a very good job at it. Natural products, e.g leaves and plants, were used as the main decor, vegetarian food was served and we were encouraged to eat with our hands, which in some Asian culture is a very natural thing to do and environmentally friendly as well. You just need to wash your hands and thats it. No utensils required. And no, it is not a barbaric thing to do. It is making use of what you already have as a tool. But of course this is mainly for rice dishes.

I really thought it was nice that the teachers are emphasizing on the need to be mindful of the environment and the animals to their students because I, for one, strongly believe that we should start teaching children at a young age and they in turn can educate their parents on it and make their parents change their ways especially in recycling, eating organic food, supporting organic farmers and using Earth friendly products.

It's always easy changing an "old" mind when children are the ones educating the older generation. It's amazing how children can influence and change an adult mind. Even I became much more concerned once I became a mom, because as a parent you need to know what goes in your baby's lil tummy and plus they just love putting things into their mouth and of course you what to make sure that whatever it is, it'll be safe for your lil one; as we all know that they are highly sensitive individuals.

I think it's time the local schools make themselves more involved in educating students on environmental concerns because it will (or it has) affect each and every one of us once we all are no longer in denial....

Tip of the day: If you're still using the old flush system where there is only the full flush available, you can put a big plastic bottle (with water inside to weigh it down) and put it inside the flush tank, so it will refill with half the amount of water thinking that it is full.

How quitting the soda will be good for the environment

So what is in a can of soda? Lets have a breakdown of it and use my dearest friend, the diet coke, as an example.

These highly addictive drinks are made up of soy and corn which is two of the biggest GM crops so it's likely that the soda companies are using these Genetically Modified crops. The artificial sweeteners used is not only polluting our bodies but may be contaminating our drinking water since sewage treatment plants don't seem to be effective at removing them from waste water. This study was done by German researchers. The bottles are not so innocent as well.

Only 25% is made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the rest of the 75% is made from fossil fuel based plastic and these bottled water industry uses 17 million barrels of oil a year to produce its plastic bottles. Naughty naughty. The more you should carry your own water bottle which you can reuse over and over again. The can is made from half virgin aluminum which is an abundant resource but unfortunately is environmentally destructive to mine. The aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire African continent! and a ton of toxic chemicals is left behind for every ton of metal produced, The can lining contains packaging additive bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical that's been linked to cancer, sexual development abnormalities, and heart disease, among other serious health conditions, and is present in most plastic.

A Health Canada study last year found BPA levels in soda to be below what's been deemed a "safe limit," but other studies have found even extremely low doses of the chemical to spur cancer cell growth in test animals. Plus they are planning to ban the use of BPA in baby's bottle and products. Diet coke is made from 99% waterwhich coca cola is proud of, but all the water has to come from somewhere and guess where it all comes from. From areas severely afflicted by water shortages, most notably drought-stricken India, and continuing their bottling operations there. And don't forget the energy cost of manufacturing, distribution and refrigeration. The equipment used in retail outlets just to refrigerate its drinks account for over 70% of the company's carbon emissions!

I'm sure there are other greener ways to curb your soda cravings.. Treat yourself to a fountain-dispensed glass of soda at a restaurant or purchase your own home soda maker (yes there is such an invention, its the Sodastream :) )

Tip of the day: From what I've written, I hope you can cut down on your soda drinks and soon ban it from your life forever :) It will not only help the environment but also your health....

China's farmer lawmaker gives another green idea....

So a Chinese lawmaker came up with another eco-friendly idea for his fellow countryman to adopt (he helped in the ban of plastic bags in China) and the new proposal is that their ID card hold their important informations on one side instead of two.

You might be wondering how this is going to be good for the environment. Well, in his argument, there are plenty of occasions that an Identity Card needs to be photocopied front and back as that's where the information is stored. If you have all the information stored on one side of it then you'll only have to photocopy it once, so you'll only use the photocopy machine once. He also proposed charging customers when they use disposable appliances in hotels. Well it's another small step towards the ultimate green goal but maybe we can scan and email it instead of photocopying whenever possible. Well he's so pro on the environment that he gives out bamboo bags and handkerchiefs at the annual sessions. Sweet. Singapore should start charging on their plastic bags at the supermarkets.

Tip of the day: Hang your clothes out to dry instead of using a dryer. I mean, come on lah, we are living in a tropical island right so make use of it. Plus your clothes will have a fresher smell to it!

Counting down to Earth Hour - Less is More?

New Delhi will join 91 other countries in switching off their lights on the 27th of March at 830pm across the globe.

The Capital managed to save 700 megawatts (MW) during last year's Earth Hour. Monuments, government buildings, residential and commercial establishments switched off non-essential lights for an hour to save energy. Because of the success of last year's Earth Hour, Delhi's government decided to hold their own Earth Hour on the last Friday of every month. So when they started doing it monthly, the popularity of it dropped. With the enthusiasm dipping both for the campaign strength and the public response,the government has decided to keep it simple, and annual.

Hmmmmm.. so people, what do you guys think about "Delhi's experiment"? Are people doing the Earth Hour cos it's cool? Or do you think they really care? I mean, if it's non-essential lights, it's non-essential right? So why is it hard for people to actually save electricity every day? Is it like a chore to them? I understand the need for street lamps but buildings? Maybe for starters they slowly cut down the electricity usage by a quarter then half and so on. You know, like cold turkey hehe..Don't people miss the darkness of night? I know I do..

Tip of the day: REMEMBER TO OFF THE MAIN SWITCH WHEN NOT IN USE AND WHEN LEAVING THE HOUSE. Don't just wait for Earth Hour, start now..

Still arguing over Climate Change

Why is it so hard for people to accept that we humans are to be blamed for the mess we've caused? Isn't it typical of us human to not accept blame or push it to someone else?

So there's a new article that came out today stating that human impact on the climate change is more clearer. The Met, Britain's national weather service, says a new review of 110 research papers written and researched during the last 3 years shows "evidence has strengthened for human influence on climate" according to a BBC news report.

What makes the new review by the Met more credible, according to its authors, is the broad view it takes of the world's weather and it's eco-systems. A separate research has shown that Methane is possibly a bigger threat to the Earth's delicate environment than previously thought. Methane, which is a potent global warming gas, is bubbling out of the Arctic ice faster than expected, thanks to a warming climate. This was reported in Friday's edition of the journal Science. "The amount of methane coming out of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is comparable to the amount coming out of the entire world's oceans" said Natalie Shakhova, of the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center and co-author.

Concerns about global warming have centered on rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but scientists note that methane can be 30 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. But this DOES NOT mean that we can use this to our advantage and continue our increase in carbon dioxide ok people! Maybe the skeptics should sit in a room full of smog and see whether they can last in there and come out feeling good..

Tip of the day: Instead of using a treadmill, go out and jog in the park. Rather than breathing in used and recycled air in the gym, enjoy the air, which is cleaned up naturally by the plants, in the park :) You'll save as well :)

I found this article that might help non-believers change their minds

IT IS an ''increasingly remote possibility'' that human activity is not the main cause of climate change, concludes a review of more than 100 scientific studies that have tracked observed changes in the Earth's climate system.

The research will strengthen the case for human-induced climate change against the viewpoints of sceptics who argue the observed changes in the Earth's climate can largely be explained by natural variability.

Climate scientists and the UN's climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, have come under intense pressure in recent months after the panel was forced to admit it had made two errors in its fourth assessment report, published in 2007. Asked whether his study was specifically scheduled as a fightback, Peter Stott, who led the review for Britain's Meteorological Office, said the paper was drafted a year ago.

But he added: "I hope people will look at that evidence and make up their minds." Scientists matched computer models of possible causes of climate change, both human-led and otherwise, to measured changes in factors such as air and sea temperature, Arctic sea ice cover and global rainfall patterns. This technique, called optimal detection, showed clear fingerprints of human-induced global warming, Dr Stott said. The review, published in Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, finds the natural causes of climate variation, including changing energy output from the sun and volcanic eruptions, cannot alone explain the observed changes.

''There hasn't been an increase in solar output for the last 50 years and solar output would not have caused the cooling of the higher atmosphere and the warming of the lower atmosphere we have seen,'' the review said.

Evidence that the climate system is changing goes beyond measured air temperatures, with much in the fresh body of facts relating to the oceans. ''Over 80 per cent of the heat that's trapped in the climate system as a result of the greenhouse gases is exported into the ocean and we can see that happening,'' Dr Stott said.

Arctic sea ice is also retreating: the summer minimum of sea ice is declining at a rate of 600,000 square kilometres a decade. Rainfall is increasing in the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere and in large parts of the southern hemisphere, while in the tropics and sub-tropics there are decreases. ''The already wet regions are getting wetter and the dry regions are getting drier,'' Dr Stott said.
If the observed climate change were entirely due to solar activity, the Earth's atmosphere would have warmed more evenly, and the troposphere and stratosphere would have been affected.

~ GUARDIAN

Tip of the Day: For mums :) Reuse the jar of your baby food. You can use it to store your self-made pureed fruits for your baby :)

Don't you feel it or see it?

I read an article online that a survey done on 1001 adults (in the U.K) showed people who are sceptical on the climate change is on the rise.

25% of the people who took part in the poll said that they did not believe that climate change is happening, that is an increase of 10%. 75% said that climate change was happening, a drop from 83%, and 26% of those said that they believe its happening and is mainly caused by us human beings. More people are sceptical about man's contribution to climate change than firm believers. One in three of the 75% even say that living in warming world has been exaggerated.

Has the truth really been stretched? Has Mother Nature not given us enough signs that we are slowly causing her death? Do you think that what we've been doing on Earth, which is all for our own convenience, a natural process? As they say, Ignorance Is Bliss.

Tip of the Day: I want a nice, healthy environment for my son and grandkids (if ever and still a long long way to go). Don't you?
Maybe we should all sit back and think whether we humans are causing the death of the world or not..