how saving the environment can save you money

no matter how much we try to fool ourselves that the economy is happy and dandy, back here on earth, the care bears have been on a kamikaze rampage for months already. and no, this article is not meant to do a whole analysis about sub-primes or bail outs or stimulus packages. i think there are way too many people out there complicating and twisting the facts already.

the point of this article is plain and simple. environmental decisions make sensible and logical economic sense. saving the environment means saving your personal finances.

so here’s the deal: even if you don’t buy the whole jazz about polar bears and melting ice caps, you would buy the idea that using rain water, energy saving bulbs, turning off leaky taps and switching off lights means savings in your bills. and the results are immediate. car pooling means you use less petrol – and we all know how precious petrol is. recycling aluminium cans and old newspapers also pays. i know the amount is not a lot but bak kata pepatah melayu, sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit! :)

in the long term, if whole organisations switch to energy saving light bulbs, it will bring operation costs down. if everyone brings their own bags when shopping, retail outlets can eventually reduce costs to buy plastic bags and transfer these savings over to customers.

the point today is straight up and easy: for cost saving initiatives, turn to simple environmental solutions.

 

one more reason to end the war

this one is an absolute no brainer. there is just too much fighting going on in the world and my personal stand is this: i find it hard to believe that god actually wants us to slaughter each other. it makes life just redundant and it’s plain bad juju to insult god like that. thing is, people die. and that’s not cool.

so here’s one more reason to bring the troops home: war is bad news for the environment. again, a no brainer. weapons manufacturing often involve steel and hazardous chemicals and toxic waste from these factories are usually disposed of untreated into rivers and seas. weapons testing is horrible on the environment. lots of smoke. a lot of toxic chemicals. nuclear weapons testing – dude, i don’t give a damn which desert you’re blowing up these things, they’re still bad news and they must stop NOW.

the price of war has conveniently left out the damages onto the environment out of the tab. why? because they are unsurmountable. decades and decades of ozone and soil rehabilitation might not even be enough to fix the destruction caused by one battery of missiles or one super bomb. and the thing is this: we’re actually fucking proud of it! the bigger the explosion, the larger the hole we can leave in the fucking ground – the better!

campaign. that’s what i want you to do. campaign to lead peaceful lives. don’t be racist. don’t be sexist. don’t step on people’s toes and jaga tepi kain sendiri. we might be at the other end of the world, but whatever happens elsewhere affects us. people die. people suffer. the earth suffers. and yes, as corny as it sounds, the earth dies.

campaign against war. no fighting, please. listen to shakira. her hips don’t lie.

 

it’s getting hot in here

i’m not going to pretend that all happy these afternoons. the weather is either way too scorching hot. or its raining. and i’m not talking about the tropical showers that we are SUPPOSED to be getting this time of the year. i’m talking about the crazy heavy sudden storms that appear out of absolutely nowhere. i know, you’re probably sick of hearing me complain about this, but hey, it’s still happening and i’m still irritated.

i would assume that most of the people who read this are not coal burning, fuel guzzling cement factory owners or yang sewaktu dengan nya. so what can us regular people do to not make things worse?

here’s a few ideas.

reduce. reuse. recycle. the less tress are cut, the more shade there will be for the rest of us. more roots in the ground also means stronger earth structure = less soil erosion. the less carbon we emit from processing new materials also means riches soil compound.

change your light bulbs. energy saving bulbs lasts longer and uses less energy. i know what you’re thinking. what can your one little bulb do against an impending global meltdown? well, not much. but if everyone changes their bulbs – families, friends, neighbors, homes, offices, everyone – then we can make a difference.

use less plastic bags. i actually notice a small, but very very charming revolution in small town subang jaya and i’m actually quite proud of it. i know of some small shops and pharmacies that actually put up signs advising customers not to take a plastic bag is they can help it. and the sales assistants actually say ‘thank you’ if you decline a plastic bag. before the cynics jump on me, i realise that these are just a handful of shops amidst beribu lagi shops that don’t do it. but you know, it only starts with a few to make a world of difference :)

use less air conditioning. don’t give me that excuse that kalau takde air cond, then tak boleh tido. go have a quick cold shower and you’ll be just fine.

plant a tree, keep your grass. you know how some people cement terus their garden with ceramic tiles? well, these kinda things actually contribute to mini floods happening. moral of the story, keep your grass. and don’t come and tell me that you got no time to potong rumput and all. i know for a fact that there is a new species of cow grass that memang does not grow long and tak payah potong. you don’t believe me? my dad just planted our whole yard with the stuff. been a coupla months now and we’re now putting our lawn mowers up on ebay.

dispose of your litter in correct bins and not on the street. while your lame excuse piece of tissue is trying to biodegrade, it slows down absorption into the earth itself and hello, hello? houstan, we got floods!

carpool. you got six friends with cars. you want to go to midvalley, six cars ends up taking up six parking spaces. that’s six extra cars contributing to traffic jams around the federal highway, jalan bangsar and sungai besi expressway. that also means six cars releasing greenhouse gases and burning fuel for no reason at all. get one or two dudes to drive and take turns. we’re still right on the shadows of another oil price crisis, you know.

you know the million other things you should do. turn off taps. switch off lights. collect rainwater. bring your own shopping bags. use public transport. use both sides of paper. don’t print unless you really need to. start your own vegetable patch / herb garden.

thing is, we all know this. you can probably name a zillion more. well, we should start practicing what we preach. i know the common question is what change can one person do? and i’m saying, it really does not matter. i know of loads of people who think that environmentalism is futile simply because the change made by one person is so small. sad thing is, this one thought impedes them from doing anything at all. but it everyone did it, we can actually see a change. if everyone who said it was futile actually got off the couch and turned off that leaky tap, we’d have saved gallons of water.

don’t wait around. do it now. be the change you want to see in the world. gandhi. smart man.

 

environmental policies and you

i want to talk now about policies. we keep harping on and on about the people in power and how they should enforce environmentally sensitive policies, that we rarely ever stop to think about what these policies really are, and how they impact our lives.

to have a policy, is to set a standard as a matter of principle. now, this is not specific to malaysia, but i think just about every country in the world could do with a heap more principles, especially where it comes to the environment. once a person, an organisation, a community or a country choses to adopt a policy, it goes on to outline measures on how this policy can be upheld. usually, policies will come with goals to achieve. the measures outlined therefore, serves to achieve these goals.

so far so good?

so now, the most famous policy that the world got together to formulate is the kyoto protocol. you’ve all heard about it. for a short while, there was a band named the kyoto protocol. but really, who many of you know what this is all about?

the kyoto protocol was formulated at a united nations conference in june 1992. according to the united nations framework convention on climate change, the protocol was intended to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

the document, is legally binding and concerns four greenhouse gasses (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride), and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons). specifically, it targets annex1 (developed) countries, but also commits other member countries as well.

under kyoto, developed countries agreed to reduce their collective GHG emissions by 5.2% compared to the year 1990. so far, 183 counties have signed and ratified the treaty. one country (usa) has signed but does not intend to ratify the treaty. and 13 countries have no position expressed on this matter.

malaysia ratified the kyoto in september 2002.

so what does the kyoto expect its signatories to do? reduce GHG emissions. everyone works together to bring down world GHG levels. how? more environmentally friendly industries, industrial method and industrial materials.

of course, the controversy is, apa gunanya kita reduce our gasses when people like the usa continues to pollute and thereby canceling out our efforts? well, there are supposed to be measures in place to ‘punish’ counties like this. it is actually pretty impressive what countries can do when the gang up. well, its a threat la, and there is trade pressure on the usa for it.

but let’s come back down to where we are. what does a policy like this mean to us? it means, if we actually implement and enforce it properly, that our factories etc must maintain (because we’re a developing country) or reduce the level of gases we release into the atmosphere. reduce can. increase cannot. rightfully la. whether or not this is really happening, i will not comment.

but let’s look at a more micro level and face certain realities. recycled paper, is often more expensive than fresh paper. machines that guzzle fuel and releases smog is cheaper than machines that are environmentally sensitive. to drive to the shop is just so much more convenient than having to walk there. car pooling? recycling? the lines suddenly blur between what is cheap and easy versus what is clean and green (and possibly expensive).

unfortunately for us, almost all of us would heed on the side of economics, and could we really be blamed for it? especially during these economically unstable times? well, no. not for now for us, at least. we still have our reserve in trees and forests. what we must do therefore and however, is to ensure that we protect these green lungs of ours. reduce pollution. do not increase pollution.

for now, i said.

you see, this first phase of the kyoto protocol is to expire at the end of THIS YEAR. the super countries in the world are already beginning to outline a new policy to replace kyoto – one that will make the world’s reduction target even higher. so high, that it might even begin to stretch the developing countries. yes, eyes on copenhagen, denmark, this december. that is where we will find out.

so now, do we want these policies? policies that will make us greener, the hard way if need be? take the factories that pollute offline. or replace them with new clean technology – either way, this brings up the cost of things. policies that will force you to car pool. force you to recycle. force you to make your own compost in your back yard?

and that is where our clash of perspectives begin: what defines luxury? as a developing country with relatively low poverty rate, what’s luxury to you? is luxury having games and toys etc. or is luxury having a comfortable green life? if you had enough money after fulfilling your basic human need, would it be spent to buy toys, or being green?

if a normal notebook is RM5 and a notebook made with recycled paper is RM8, which would you choose?

 

opposing the commercialisation of earth hour

this is the article that is going to make me unpopular with the cool people. but this article is necessary. it separates the aware from the unaware. the people who are in it for the fad. or those who really believe in its cause.

i put forth two statements on behalf of myself alone (i am not affiliated with WWF or the earth hour organisers, and my statements do necessarily not represent their stance on the issue):

statement 1:
the best place to be during earth hour is AT HOME.

statement 2:
do not attend the gatherings held in conjunction with earth hour.

the whole point of earth hour is to demonstrate that climate change is a real problem. we are wasting too much energy. we want to call for a change in policies, but in this act, we need to show that we are willing to make a change in the way we live.

having gatherings means getting people to drive to landmark locations, shopping malls etc. it also possibly means getting and event going: fancy sound systems, more lights (oh the irony!), fireworks etc. ALL OF THIS GOES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE WHOLE POINT OF SHOWING THAT WE NEED TO SAVE ENERGY. traffic congestion means fuel is being burnt. generators running means diesel is being burnt. late night events means lights will be left on until later than normal. all of this combined actually uses more energy than what it is meant to demonstrate for.

the best place to be is at home. stay at home. turn off your lights. when you stay at home, you don’t use your car. this way, you actually contribute to a reduction in energy use. this way, you actually demonstrate a reduction in energy use.

it makes me angry to know that events and concerts are being held to “celebrate” earth hour. how can earth hour be a celebration, when the celebration uses more energy than a regular evening?

earth hour is an environmental project, and i believe that this is the first thing we need to understand before we decide to support it. it makes me angry when it is turned into a fad.

THE INFRINGEMENT OF COMMERCIALISATION MUST STOP HERE.

in an era when we more or less have sold out everything else for money, we must draw the line where environment is concerned. protecting the environment is something you do because you believe in a greener future. not because you think it is cool and all your friends are doing it and there will be a big party for it.

so if you believe in saving energy, be at home this earth hour. more importantly, cast your vote. you cannot cast your vote while staring at a landmark with all its lights off. you cast your vote by switching your lights off at home. that is your ballot box. that is your Vote.

make it count.

update: i stand corrected on the point that earth hour will be of any reduction to energy use (thanks CK!:)).

i believe in symbols however, and if this is going to be a symbol, then i am compelled to support its original noble intentions. whether or not the demonstration achieves its purpose in invoking policy change is secondary to me.

my contention is, while people know what is earth hour, they support it not knowing what is climate change. they don’t know what is the kyoto protocol. they don’t know anything about carbon reduction and perhaps worse of all, they don’t do anything in their daily lives to conserve energy.

and this is what i personally campaign. i take the opportunity to spread awareness about the state of our environment. earth Hour, is a symbol. is a gimmick. to make things interesting. but if i could use this as a vehicle to spread the word on being more energy efficient in our daily, everyday lives, then i’m all for it.

to those who responded to me via FB and emails, you guys are awesome :)

 

swatting the litter bug

DON’T LITTER! i think this is the single biggest problem among us. suka hati je people would be throwing sweet wrappers and cigarette buds all over the place. tissue. there is absolutely no excuse for it.

the dumbest excuse i hear is that it is biodegratable so it is okay to throw litter on the streets. another stupid excuse is that the MPPJ or the DBKL people are paid to come along and sweep it up anyway.

how much more ignorant can people get? don’t you know that in the time it takes to biodegrate or to swept up by someone else, we live in a country where it rains every other day? and when this happens, YOUR LITTER washes into drains and get clogged up. don’t sit there and smile like a stupid, we have all seen how disgusting this gets. it stinks. and you know what is the worst part? the clog causes water to overflow. this causes floods. and i get stuck in a crazy jam on the way home after work.

oh, you are going to blame poor developmental planning for the floods now hor? well dahlink, your trash is not helping the situation either. it gives people more work to do to clean it up. i think everyone has their priorities wrong and it is about time we set things straight. the people in power should figure out how to plan an environmentally sensitive system and stop blaming nature and the crazy weather. and we got to remember to take care of what we do.

come on, it does not take two seconds to find a trash bin. pocket the damn sweet wrapper if you have too, and if you want to smoke, you’d better know how to throw the stub nanti. bottom line is, jangan menyusahkan orang lain with your sampah sarap. i have said this so many times, i am quite irritated.

especially YOU, the one who flings things out of your CAR! you crack your window sikit je, because you’re scared the wind would ruin your hair, the squeeze that piece of tissue out and you don’t even see as it flies out the glass.

YOU DISGUST ME.

*swat!*

 

campaign to reduce your carbon footprint

carbon footprint: the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product (UK carbon trust 2008).

common greenhouse gases (GHG) in the earth’s atmosphere include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and chlorofluorocarbons. GHG, mainly water vapor, are essential to helping determine the temperature of the earth.

you don’t need to be a coal burning factory with giant vets of black smog to be guilty of carbon footprints. driving releases GHG. cooking releases GHG. the energy we use here in malaysia to power our houses and buildings and shopping malls all releases GHG. the portable generators used to power events and roadshows releases GHG. even the stuff we buy, like a bottle of shampoo, is manufactured at a place where GHG is released.

now, before you go all jurassic park on me, let me tell you that is impossible to live in this modern day and age without carbon footprinting. it is a bad thing, yes. but necessary.

it is possible however, to sorta ‘erase’ one’s carbon footprint. it is called carbon offsetting. this is done by compensating as much as possible for the GHG that you release. there is a simplified two-step process to doing this, and you should really sit up to learn it.

the first step, is to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can. really, as much as you can. wherever you see an opportunity to save, do it. collect rain water to wash your car. don’t turn on more lights than you need at home. switch off your computer when you are not using. don’t fall asleep in front of the telly. use both sides of paper. bring your own reusable bags when you go shopping so you won’t need to take a plastic bag. bring your own food container so you won’t need to use a styrofoam take-away pack.

the first step is crucial. you need to have as light a carbon footprint as possible. and here’s why: step two says that you need to compensate for what you could not help but to use. we need lights at night. we can’t help it, right? so the question is, what can we do to make up for what we used. plant a tree? plant more flowers? step two is not easy and really takes effort. time. money.

and so raises the question: how far do we really need to go with this? do we really need to offset completely the carbon we use? well, that is really up to your conscience. are there people, organisations and event out there that complete the second step and offset completely? – why, yes. this is called becoming carbon neutral. anyone who’s ever been involved in a carbon neutral project will tell you that it is NOT EASY. in fact, this is DIFFICULT. i should know.

but is the expectation really to go carbon neutral terus? of course not. from what i see, we can hardly pick up our asses to even make the effort to do step one, apa lagi nak offset carbon footprints? in my personal opinion, if all of us can even do step one, it would be an achievement that is quite membanggakan. if we could just keep our own carbon footprints low. reduce. recycle. turn off dripping taps. tu je. be a little more sensitive to your surroundings.

and you know what? it works better when everyone does it together. i get quite irritated when people ask me why i do the little things. one person won’t make a difference, they tell me. well bud, it would make a difference if you, instead of standing there and telling me that my efforts are useless, would join me. then there would be two of us. and if everyone who stood by and watched would do something, many people together can make a difference.

 

ada apa dengan climate change?

climate change is what you call any significant long term change in earth’s climate and weather patterns. you know how it’s like extra hot outside? and how come it’s like raining like crazy in march? and all that damn flash floods that we’re having? stuck in the office because tak boleh balik. stuck in the jam like we got all the time in the world to kill.

oh sure, we can blame a whole chunk of it on poor planning and all. but seriously, the weather is going crazy. it now seems like ada je someone who is demam because kena rain. inilah phenomena climate change.

the ice age was a climate change phenomena. that raise in temperature that allegedly wiped out the dinosaurs, also climate change. a coupla years ago we experienced the el nino heat wave, yes, climate change. hurricane katrina. climate change. now all that jazz about melting ice caps and global warming, bingo! climate change.

i know what you’re thinking. aside from the demam-demam because kena rain, we are all not that affected by climate change, right? WRONG! suka tak suka, we are affected jugak. suka tak suka, we need to do something about it jugak. why? because unless you can find about rock out there to live on, you got to share this planet with others. this means, orang lain punya pollution IS suddenly YOUR problem. orang lain punya sampah, orang lain punya asap and orang lain punya tumpah IS your problem. and we can sit here and say that it is someone else punya fault. well the reality is, TOO BAD. because we have sat on our asses for so long instead of preventing other people from polluting, we now need to share the burden of cleaning it up.

like it or not, we ALL got to change the way we live now. now i sound so obama, kan? we got to use less energy. we got to actually return to nature. chop less trees. waste less water. turn off taps. turn off lights. we got to speak up. we need to educate. spread awareness. use less aerosols. use less air conditioning. i know what some of you are thinking. how on earth will you survive without air conditioning? and then you’ll tell me that you can’t sleep without air conditioning. well you know what? use a fan and you’ll live. still too hot? open a window. sleep on the floor. have a shower. air conditioning not only releases CFC gases (which contributes to greenhouse gases) but also uses a load of energy.

a coupla months ago, i met an amazing photographer, jim balog, who was responsible for photographing the melting ice caps in the northern hemisphere using time lapse cameras. the result is freaky stuff. you’ll have to take my word for it, man. it is seriously scary stuff. the project is called ‘extreme ice survey’ and you can find details at www.extremeicesurvey.org. stunning photography.

so ada apa dengan climate change? let’s put it this way: unless we act to change the way we live, things are going to get worse. and i’m not saying that the future of our children will be screwed. i’m saying that your life, here, now, next year, two years, oh yes, were you actually one of those ignorants who thought that the bad part will only happen in the next hundred years? i’m saying that the weather is already going all freaky and it can get worse in just a matter of days.

make the difference in your life now.