eco-logikal

Asia Pacific Youth Assembly in August - Calling for participation!

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 04:07:00 +0000

APYA stands for Asia Pacific Youth Assembly. It is an assembly to gather the young people from Asia Pacific countries in discussing and generating ideas for solutions to face the current environmental issues.

THEME:
“Utilizing Young People to Act on the Environmental Issues Solution”

Sub-themes:

* Youth Initiative on Environmental Issues
* Leadership and Environment
* Managing the Environment: Adaptation and Mitigation

DATE AND VENUE:

Date : 2-6 August, 2011
Venue : Jakarta (tentative, place will be informed soon)

OUTPUT:

* Participants will get mutual understanding about the environmental issues they are facing in their own countries
* Participants will propose and formulate an action that can be implemented in their own countries.
* This action can be implemented through the action plan to be conducted and organized by youth, NGO, Governmental and International Organizations.
* A global youth network on developing a sustainable development

PARTICIPANTS:

1. Australia
2. Bangladesh
3. Brunei Darussalam
4. Cambodia
5. Indonesia
6. Japan
7. Laos
8. Malaysia
9. Myanmar
10. New Zealand
11. Papua New Guinea
12. Philippines
13. Republic of China
14. Singapore
15. South Korea
16. Taiwan
17. Thailand
18. Timor-Leste
19. Vietnam

Calling children & youth for UN TUNZA Conference in Indonesia, Sept 2011

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:17:00 +0000

Dear friends,

This is a reminder that applications are open for this year's TUNZA INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN & YOUTH CONFERENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT ORGANISED BY THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME IN COOPERATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA, BANDUNG, INDONESIA 26 - 30 SEPTEMBER 2011

THEME: Reshaping Our future through A Green Economy and Sustainable Lifestyle

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia will be organizing its Tunza International Children & Youth Conference on the Environment , from 26 to 30 September 2011. It will bring together 1400 children and youth, to discuss their role and inputs to the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development " Rio+20". Under the slogan 'Reshaping Our future through A Green Economy and Sustainable Lifestyle'.

The conference will also review the contribution of youth to the International Year of Forests and how they can adopt more environment-friendly lifestyles. The conference themes are Rio + 20 (Green Economy) / Green Lifestyles, Forests, Sustainable Consumption and State of the Global Environment from the youth perspective.

Nominations must be submitted to UNEP on or before 30 June 2011*******

To apply, please follow this link http://bit.ly/jmjZuG

For further information on the conference, please contact:

The Children and Youth / Sport and the Environment Unit Division of Communications and Public Information
Email: children.youth@unep.org
Fax: +254 -20-762 3927

For Indonesia’s Forests, a Broken Promise

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 05:03:00 +0000

In his recent opinion article in these pages, Agus Purnomo, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s special adviser on climate change, blamed the environmental movement’s attack on the presidential instruction on the logging moratorium, saying the criticism overlooked the many good aspects of the decree, which puts a two-year halt on new permits to clear primary forests and carbon-rich peatland.

We commend the president for taking steps to protect the remaining forests in Indonesia, but as civil society organizations, it is our duty to speak out when the measures are not the right ones.

We agree and appreciate most of Agus’s arguments. The moratorium does indeed provide momentum to begin much-needed reform of the country’s forestry sector. Conceptually, the moratorium has revived long-lasting efforts advocated by the environmental movement to adopt sustainable development principles and to respect human rights. There is now increased awareness of the hazards that deforestation and forest degradation pose to our nation.

However, Agus failed to acknowledge that the substance of the presidential instruction is far below even the most modest expectations, thus failing to fulfill Indonesia’s national and international commitments.

We had expected the moratorium to move beyond business as usual. Environmental organizations and human rights supporters had made a number of recommendations to make this so.

First, we suggested the moratorium cover all existing natural forest and peatlands in Indonesia, including secondary forests that are especially diverse in species and that often contain vast amounts of carbon. Such forest areas are crucial to local peoples’ livelihoods.

Second, we said the moratorium should include a review of existing permits, to assess their compliance with social and environmental requirements.

Third, that there should be a plan for conflict resolution that would help resolve the numerous land feuds around the country.

Fourth, we had expressed a need for a new legal framework that would put an end to the current destruction while also ensuring the rights of marginalized communities that have been denied access to their land and resources.

Fifth, we called for the moratorium to be based on achievements, rather than a pre-set time frame. We hoped it would refer to the real conditions that need immediate and concrete action in order to protect our forests, and last until sustainable and rights-based forest management could be ensured.

Finally, we advised that the moratorium should be based on the achievement of “Social Welfare for All Indonesian People,” as mandated by the nation’s state ideology, Pancasila.

Sadly, none of these recommendations were adopted by the president in his instruction. It can be claimed that the scope of the Ministry of Forestry’s strategic plan for 2010-2014 is more forward-thinking than the moratorium. For instance, the strategy includes bureaucratic reform and accountability measures, as well as community empowerment initiatives. Furthermore, the 2009 Law on Environmental Protection and Management commissions a review of existing permits based on environmental standards.

These crucial steps are not sufficiently covered in the presidential instruction. So how, then, can Agus claim that the moratorium offers a “clean sheet” and “an opportunity to refine regulation of land use permits, establish a database of degraded land, designate land for development and find ways to support companies to move into degraded land?”

Agus is referring to crucial steps if we want to protect our remaining forests, but the moratorium is too weak to ensure any of this. For years, the Ministry of Forestry has been called on to improve governance by creating greater transparency in granting licenses and ensuring the meaningful participation of forest communities in policy-making processes.

But nothing has changed so far. Therefore, we urge the president to be brave and progressive enough to implement the necessary measures to rectify this weak moratorium. Among these steps could be a strong mandate to a new institution, with the power to revise existing concessions and cancel those which are violating our laws, destroying our forests and denying the human rights of our people.

Indonesia’s forest cannot wait any longer. For its sake, and for that of all those who depend on forest areas for their livelihoods, we hope the president will reconsider the nature of the current decree and take the opportunity to implement the reforms needed to solve problems in the forestry sector.

Bernadinus Steni is a member of the Jakarta-based Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for the Rescue of Indonesian Forests and the Global Climate.

Article Source http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/for-indonesias-forests-a-broken-promise/446266

10 Easy Steps to Green Your Event

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 04:46:00 +0000

10 Easy Steps to Green Your Event

Use internet for the invitation & RSVP, more interactive and attractive. Otherwise, print on recycled paper & print with vegetable-based ink.
Provide lots of recycle bins at the venue and frequent visual and verbal reminders to recycle and reduce waste.
For centerpieces and other event decorations, use objects and materials that can be used again for various settings. Potted native plants work well. Encourage participants to take the plants home with them to grow in their yard or garden. If centerpieces or decoration items are not reusable, consider donating them to a local charity.
Use reusable cups or mugs as promotional products. Participants can use these during the event and then take home.
Select venues adjacent to public transportation and with sufficient bicycle racks.
Consider the use of reusable or compostable cutlery, dishware and linens. Do not use disposable dishware, use chinaware or metal flatware. Don't use polysterene products. Provide incentives for attendees to bring reusable items (e.g. mugs, utensils) rather than expect disposable serviceware.
Assure that there are vegetarian meal options, and ensure they are organic & Fair Trade.
Waste management is the reduction of and recovery of natural resources that can be recycled, reused repaired, composted or redirected. With proper planning of events and meetings you can reduce the waste produced by diverting from the landfills and therefore reduce the greenhouse gasses that would be produced.
Save Energy. Coordinate with the event venue to ensure lights, audio visual equipment and air conditioning will be turned off when rooms are empty.
Keep members involved. Ensure sustainability is adapted by the management, contractor and participants at all level.

http://www.asiaisgreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/green-events-guide.pdf

Cut down on power consumption Malaysians!

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Tue, 31 May 2011 04:31:00 +0000

2011/05/30 By Dharshini Balan andIli Liyana Mokhtar news@nst.com.my

Fomca wants money from the increase in the revenue channelled towards research on renewable energy and green technology.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should make a concerted effort to minimise energy consumption in their homes, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) chief executive officer Datuk Paul Selvaraj said."Eventually electricity tariff will reflect market prices, there is no escaping this. As such, consumers should start with low-energy home appliances, switching off electrical items when not in use; small steps that will make a difference," he said yesterday.

Emphasising the importance of consumer education on electricity tariff, he said money from the increase in revenue should be channelled towards research on renewable energy and green technology.

"We should work towards reducing the demand for petroleum-based energy and start relying on renewable sources," he added.
Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president Ivo R. Nekvapil said hotels would appeal to the government to get an industrial rate.

"The seven per cent tariff is a bit steep. It will be a burden to our operational costs, as hotels run 24 hours a day," he said.

On whether hotels would increase their rates, Ivo said it all depended on individual hotels because operational costs varied.

"Basically, contractual stay and published rates will not change but it might affect packages on hotel stays," he added.

Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association president Datuk R. Ramalingam Pillai said there would be no increase in food prices following the increase in electricity tariff.

"Restaurants will absorb the cost even though it will affect our profit," he said, adding that they had appealed to the government to subsidise certain food items such as oil, flour and sugar.

"We would also like to appeal to the government that foreign workers' levy be absorbed by the workers instead of the operators so that it will reduce our burden."

Currently, restaurant owners have to pay the levy for foreign workers.

On the possibility that some restaurants might increase their prices, Ramalingam said consumers could boycott them.

Article Source

Electricity bill to go up! (yay!)

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Tue, 31 May 2011 04:22:00 +0000

2011/05/31 By R. Sittamparam and Sean Augustin news@nst.com.my

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui (left) confers with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop during the joint press conference in Putrajaya yesterday to announce the new power tariffs. — NST picture by Afendi Mohamed

4.4 million out of the 5.94 million households which used less than 300kWh or RM77 a month, would not see any increase in their bills.

PUTRAJAYA: Power rates are going up but 75 per cent of 5.94 million households nationwide will not be affected.

The government yesterday announced that consumers will pay 2.23 sen per kilowatt hour (kWh) more for electricity, or 33.54 sen per kWh, effective tomorrow. This follows the revision of gas prices for the power sector from RM10.70 per Million Metric British Thermal unit (MMBtu) to RM13.70/MMBtu.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said 4.4 million out of the 5.94 million households which used less than 300kWh or RM77 a month, would not see any increase in their bills.

The 200kWh lifeline band for low-income consumers, currently fixed at 21.8 sen per kilowatt, is retained.

This means that the 3.3 million consumers who benefit from this will continue to enjoy the rate.

“The 1.1 million domestic consumers who use between 201 and 300kWh a month, will not be affected, too,” said Chin, who announced the new power tariffs at a joint press conference with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop here.

Chin said the government would continue to provide free electricity to 900,000 low-income consumers who use less than RM20 worth of electricity a month until Dec 31. This would cost the government a total of RM122 million.

He said a total of 1.39 million consumers using between 301kWh and 1,000kWh a month would see an increase of between seven sen and RM30.30, or 0.1 per cent to 10 per cent, in the monthly bills.

Chin said commercial consumers, including retailers, shopkeepers and small restaurant operators using less than 200kWh of electricity per month, would see a maximum increase of 6.2 per cent, or RM4.60 a month. Low voltage industrial users, including smalltime food processing industries which use less than 200kWh a month, would see a maximum increase of 6.2 per cent, or RM4 per month.

“The special industrial tariff provided for industries, whose electricity bills account for more than five per cent of their overall operation cost, will remain.

This sector will continue enjoying a lower tariff from the normal industrial tariff rate, although this will be reduced in stages in line with the government’s policy to encourage energy efficiency among industries.” Chin said besides considering the effect of the gas price hike, the government had allowed Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to review its base tariffs upwards by two per cent in view of the increase in the company’s power supply cost. TNB will also give a 10 per cent discount on the normal tariff rate to learning institutions which are partially or RM4.60 a month. Low voltage industrial users including small-time food processing industries which use less than 200kWh a month will see a maximum increase of 6.2 per cent, or RM4 per month.

“The special industrial tariff provided for industries whose electricity bills account for more than five per cent of their overall operating cost will remain.

“This sector will continue enjoying a lower tariff from the normal industrial tariff rate although this will be reduced in stages in line with the gover nment’s policy to encourage energy efficiency among industries.” Chin said besides considering the effect of the gas price hike, the government had allowed Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to review its base tariff upwards by two per cent in view of the increase in the company’s power supply cost.

TNB will also give a 10 per cent discount on the normal tariff rate to learning institutions funded by the gover nment. “TNB is expected to invest about RM4.5 billion a year to upgrade its infrastr ucture.” Chin said the government had also decided to charge an additional one per cent fee in consumers’ bills to be channelled to the renewable energy fund.

Power tariffs will be reviewed every six months in tandem with the movement in gas prices, he said.

The government, he said, was aware that the revised rates would have a direct and indirect impact on the public. He, however, said while food prices were not likely to be affected, commercial food operators may charge about 10 per cent more for their products and services.

“How many of them use electricity to fry their kuey teow (flat rice noodles) or rice? “Nor is electricity used to boil water for teh tarik and other drinks,” Chin said, adding that food prices did not just depend on electricity alone.

On the new gas price for the power sector, Nor Mohamed said the country still enjoyed a lower rate compared with its neighbours.

He said power producers in Singapore paid the highest amount at RM43.22 per MMBtu, followed by those in Indonesia (RM21.04), Vietnam (RM18.78) and Thailand (RM18.23).

The price of gas supplied to industries, meanwhile, has been raised by RM1 to RM16.07 per MMBtu.

The hike, Nor Mohamed said, was quite reasonable, seeing that Singaporeans paid RM133.45 per MMBtu, while Thailand and Indonesia paid RM19.46 and RM18.74 respectively.

Article Source

On the lookout for youths with passion for planet

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Mon, 30 May 2011 00:49:00 +0000

EcoKnights president and founder Yasmin Rasyid says the Anugerah Hijau competition aims to encourage young people to learn about the challenges facing our planet.

THE country is on the lookout for 20 young Malaysians for the 3rd Anugerah Hijau competition -- a rewarding and inspiring initiative to get youths to be creatively involved in the conservation of the planet.As the world becomes increasingly concerned with the environmental impact of our actions, youths today want to know where they fit in.

Anugerah Hijau -- a competition among youths between the ages of 14 and 25 -- may just be the right platform for young adults to advance environmental protection through creative outlets.

The project is the brainchild of EcoKnights (www.ecoknights.org.my), a non-profit environmental organisation based in Kuala Lumpur.

For this year's competition, young adults are invited to explore the environment through short videos/films and sustainable fashion wear.

"The competition aims to encourage youths to learn about the challenges facing our planet today, find possible solutions to protect the environment and, above all, act to change things for the better for our planet," said Yasmin Rasyid, president and founder of EcoKnights.

Yasmin said the finalists would be announced by the middle of next month, after which they were required to attend a workshop to hone their skills.

For the film-making workshop, documentary film-maker Lara Ariffin and her colleagues from Novista Sdn Bhd will be moulding the best 10 proposals submitted by the participants.

They will share their knowledge on film-making to generate 10 impactful short videos.

The shortlisted videos will be uploaded on the Anugerah Hijau website, www.anugerahhijau.my, for the public to vote.

For the fashion-making workshop, Malaysian International Fashion Alliance 2010's Most Promising Designer of the Year, Silas Liew, will share some tips with the finalists on their proposed designs.

All fashion wear must be made from at least 70 per cent recycled or reused materials. The designs must be practical and the materials must be easily available.

All the fashion wear will be paraded by professional models in October where the designs will be judged by a panel of experts from the fashion and environmental industries.

The idea for the workshops is to encourage the finalists to see, hear and learn from professionals and experts.

Anugerah Hijau is working towards the empowerment of young people to think outside the box and to engage them in green issues on a variety of platforms.

When asked what each participant would need to have to be part of Anugerah Hijau, Yasmin said: "Genuine passion to help in making the environment better and dedication in whatever they do.

"The youth of Malaysia are the future. If we don't act now, the things that we love most in nature -- fresh air, clear skies and the beach, for instance -- might be lost forever. So, let us try to channel our energy for the future generations to enjoy."

To learn how you can be part of this challenge, log on to www.anugerahhijau.my.

This year's supporters and partners of Anugerah Hijau are the CIMB Foundation, Shell Sustainable Development Grants, Malaysian Productivity Corporation, biohome (Lam Soon Products), Yuber and Spin.

The Anugerah Hijau crew together with EcoKnights will be at the Green Heroes Unite campaign at Tropicana City Mall, Petaling Jaya from Wednesday to June 12.

The campaign aims to highlight amazing green efforts by Malaysians.

Visit the EcoKnights booth to learn more about Anugerah Hijau and how you can be a green hero, too.

Read more: On the lookout for youths with passion for planet http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/29bade/Article/#ixzz1NnBpjKhq

Renewable Energy World Asia moves to Malaysia in 2011 for annual gathering of renewables industry professionals

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Wed, 25 May 2011 06:46:00 +0000

Malaysia, 25th May 2011 Renewable Energy World Asia, the region's premier conference and exhibition for the renewable and sustainable energy industry, will move to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 27th to 29th September 2011.

Malaysia is showing exciting signs of growth and development and their challenge to meet the reduction in carbon intensity targets provides a significant challenge for the renewable energy industry.

The leading renewables industry event in Asia is also delighted to announce the support of Malaysia’s top industry utilities, government energy organizations and industry trade bodies that will ensure its delegates, visitors and exhibitors are made welcome.Renewable Energy World Asia is delighted to confirm the endorsement of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Sarawak Energy, Sabah Electricity and the Energy Commission (Suruhanjaya Tenaga) as key supporters to the event.

This is complimented by the support of top industry trade bodies that include the GreenTech Malaysia, The World Wind Energy Association, the Malaysian Association of Energy Service Companies, the Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association, the International Private Water Association, Centre for Energy Environment Resources Development, Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership and Independent Power Producers Forum (IPPF).

Renewable Energy World Asia, will be co-located with POWER-GEN Asia at the state of the art KLCC Convention Centre in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, and is anticipated to receive around 7,000 power and renewable industry professionals, who will gather for three days to enjoy the industry’s leading conference and experience the latest developments and ideas for the future of the Asian renewables sector.

Diverse Solutions for the Region’s Power Industry Challenges

Malaysia is a relatively typical country in the region, in terms of predicting a shortfall in power capacity over the next few years.

Emphasis is being placed on the use of renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency as Malaysia commits to 40% reduction in carbon intensity. The Government aims to introduce the Feed-in Tariff and Renewable Energy Fund to encourage the implementation of renewable energy projects.

With its oil and gas reserves predicted to last for only another 3 decades the Government is providing incentives through the Green Technology Financing Scheme worth RM1.5 billion to enhance the application of green technology and the implementation of the Small Renewable Energy Programme also promotes small power plants, utilizing renewable energy, to sell electricity to the state-owned electricity utility. This programme applies to all types of renewable energy, including biomass, biogas, municipal waste, solar, mini-hydro and wind.

Malaysia, in the heart of South East Asia, has an abundance of natural resources like many of its ASEAN neighbours, with huge potential to harness and develop a significant sustainable energy industry for a diverse solution to the renewable energy challenges.

The Renewable Energy World Asia conference is a key forum for senior executives, industry leaders and senior engineers to discuss a range of important topics, the latest issues and solutions, in order to meet the challenge of the growing demand for electricity in the region.

Event Director, Paul Sweeney, said, “We are delighted that Renewable Energy World Asia will be moving to the wonderful city of Kuala Lumpur from 27th to 29th September 2011. Malaysia is showing exciting signs of growth and development and their challenge to meet the reduction in carbon intensity targets provides a significant challenge for the renewable energy industry. The enthusiasm and support of the Malaysian industry and authorities will ensure the success of the event.”

For further information on Renewable Energy World Asia visitwww.renewableenergyworld-asia.com.

Article Source

How Much Electricity do Appliances Use?

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:33:00 +0000

Penggunaan Tenaga Perkakas Elektrik di Malaysia

Today i shall seek an answer as to why my electric bill arrived to this amount RM21.50 (103 kwh) even though my electric usage is quite low. For those who follow my blog in one of my previous post on TNB tampering, you will know the whole incident. We actually requested help from YB Wee Choo Keong but in the end we need to pay the full amount. I know he did his best and there is nothing he can do about it. Well, consider us unlucky i guess as the 2nd owner of this condo unit. Till now we don’t know whether it’s the 1st owner who did some tricks to our electric meter or TNB did it on purpose or a ghost!?

Our electric bill is always low below RM20, we never pay for our bills since we move in. I’ll tell you why, because for bills below RM20, our Malaysian Government will subsidize. In 2011 Budget, rebate of electricity bill payment for monthly consumption of below RM20 will be continued. This is great news for its citizen.

After TNB changed our meter to their latest digital meter our usage increased to 103 kwh which is RM21.50. A friend of mine informed us that digital meter are much quicker than the previous old meter, is that so?

So, how do i reduce our meter so that it will decrease our kwh to RM20 and below. Let’s see how much electricity do appliances use.

Usage of normal household electric appliances

Fridge 30 kwh / month
Computer without sleep mode 33 kwh/month
Ceiling fan 15 kwh/month
Washing Machine 32/kwh (1 time) (1 hour)
Water heater 60/kwh (1 hour usage)
Iron 15/kwh (1 time/30 mins)
Hair Dryer 3/kwh (5 mins once)
Electric oven 23/kwh (30 mins once)
Standing fan 16.5/kwh (10 hours)
Air cond 252/kwh/month (7 hours per day)

You can also refer other electrical appliances in these websites:

http://eblog-entrepreneur.blogspot.com

http://www.st.gov.my

http://www.paystolivegreen.com

http://www.wisegeek.com

TNB Bill Calculator

TNB Tariff Rates

Our usage:
Fridge 30 kwh / month
Computer without sleep mode 33 kwh/month
Washing Machine 32/kwh (1 time) (1 hour)
Hair dryer = 6-8kwh
Total = around 95kwh (my bill for this month is 103kwh) roughly around this figure/ RM21.50

(TV … Umm, I seldom watch TV, i watched on my pc)

What if we remove our fridge?
103kwh – 30 kwh = 73 kwh / RM15.91

You must be thinking we are joking.. Maybe,… maybe not. We are still thinking whether we can make do without a fridge and for how long..

Can anyone survive without a fridge in this era?

What do you think?

Article Source

Rare earth plant: Risks outweigh economic benefits

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:02:00 +0000

2011/03/13

S.M. MOHAMED IDRIS, President Consumers Association of Penang/Sahabat Alam Malaysia Penang
letters@nst.com

THE Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) are very concerned with the Pahang government's decision to go ahead with the proposed rare earth plant in Gebeng.

In 2007, SAM was invited by the Terengganu government to give a briefing on the dangers of rare earth and SAM's experience dealing with the exposure of radioactive waste in Bukit Merah, Perak. Following this, the project was rejected by the Terengganu government.

In the last three years, CAP and SAM have objected vehemently to the proposed rare earth plant because of the potential public health and environmental impacts of radioactive and hazardous waste that would be generated.

There has been no full public disclosure of this proposed project. A detailed environmental impact assessment was not required because of a loophole in our law.

Thus there was no avenue for the public to review the proposed mitigation measures and potential risks, and raise their objections.

The company has said that there will be low level exposure to radiation. This is alarming as there is no safe level or threshold of ionising radiation exposure.

Long-term, low-level (chronic) exposure to radiation is harmful because living tissues in the human body can be damaged by ionising radiation.

The exposure to radioactive waste can contribute to increased incidences of childhood leukaemia, cancer, miscarriages, impaired immune systems with abnormal low white blood cell counts and high lead levels among children, which would lead to lead poisoning.

Children are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of radiation than the general population because their bodies absorb and metabolise substances differently, and because they are more likely to develop certain cancers from such an exposure.

There is also a high possibility that children born to parents who have been exposed to radiation could be affected by the exposures, too. The other issue is that there is no known way to dispose of safely the waste which is generated from this plant.

Taking into account the seriousness of the risks involved in running such a plant, we urge the Pahang government to call off this project immediately.

We must care for the Earth

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:01:00 +0000

2011/03/13

AZHARI-KARIM, Associate professor and director, Centre for Policy Research and International Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang

letters@nst.com

THE earthquake that hit Sendai in Japan and the consequent tsunami that brought further calamities to the earthquake-hit areas show the precise and exacting quality of nature when it chooses to strike with determinate force.

One can only witness its awesome power that destroys everything in its way.

It is a reminder of how small we are in the eyes of the Creator and our miniscule role at stewardship of all things created.

What is amazing to observe is the celebration of the spirit of international partnership, evident in the assistance that is being offered by many countries to the Japanese.

It is also the moment to remind ourselves of the commitment our government has made, together with other governments, in realising the aims and principles of the Earth Charter.

The Earth Charter, developed as a follow-up to the Earth Summit in 1992, remains the only hope by which we, as citizens of the world, can commit ourselves to the realisation of a sustainable future on Earth.

How this is done is listed in the four principles stated in the document: respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, social and economic justice, and democracy, non-violence and peace.

Only in this way can we contextualise the wrath of nature and tamper its excesses.

Our responsibility comes from our actions to help the Earth's life-support systems, including the capacity of the ecosystems to provide clean air and more sustainable ways of living.

The values that the Earth Charter wants to see inculcated in our citizens, both young and old, need to be made as the principal part of our education policy.

Provide designated lanes : E-Bicycle

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0000

2011/03/13 letters@nst.com

The minister acknowledged that electric bicycles were good for the environment, but the higher risk of death and injury from collision did not warrant their use and recommended that for environmental-friendly reasons, using a normal bicycle was still the best.

Unfortunately, the minister's advice that anyone could use a bicycle as there were no restrictions on its use appears to have been made without realising that there are not many roads in urban areas where bicycles can be used and even more, where bicycles are totally banned.

There are also many roads where motorcycles are not allowed but for them, there are designated lanes.

His other reasons that there was no need to register an electric bicycle or obtain a driving licence, road tax, insurance or registration number, or that any young child would be able to use the electric bicycle without a crash helmet, which would lead to a much higher risk of accidents, appear to be excuses for banning the use of electric bicycles.
Even the Road Transport Department director-general is in favour of banning electric bicycles as their speed is more than 40km/h citing the reason that road safety studies have shown that bicycles that move at more than 20km/h pose a much higher risk of injury to pedestrians when both share the same lane.

He further added that facilities for cyclists like special lanes were currently limited to residential areas and recreational parks, and cyclists who used routes other than designated ones would be exposed to the risk of accidents and contribute to the overall number of accidents.

It is obvious that both the ministry and RTD are aware of the benefits of the electric bicycles and the infrastructure needed to cater for them.
Both are also aware that the problem can be solved by providing designated lanes. Unfortunately, instead of rectifying the situation, both appear to subscribe to the view that electric bicycles should be banned.

The present high rate of accidents and fatalities may be attributed to lack of effective enforcement of laws and weak penalties, not to mention periodical rewards to law breakers in the form of discounts for penalties.

The reason for banning the environmental-friendly and energy-saving electric bicycle could be a move to protect the motorcycle and petrol industries, so that their profits would not be affected.

Other developed and developing countries, including those in Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand and our neighbour, Singapore, are encouraging the use of bicycles and electric bicycles by providing designated lanes and other infrastructure.

Other benefits of using bicycles and electric bicycles include better health for the users and a reduction in traffic jams, accidents and other associated costs.

GURSHARAN SINGH, Kuala Lumpur

Rethink decision

I REFER to the recent suggestion by the Transport Ministry that the electric bicycle be banned.

Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said continuing to allow the use of electric bicycles could result in a higher risk of injury, or death.

I would like to bring the following 10 points to his attention:

1. Compare the statistics of accidents caused by electric bicycle users with motorcyclists';

2. Compare the behaviour of electric bicycle users to those of the Mat Rempit;

3. Compare the slow and calm speed of electric bicycle users with the atrocious "zooming" speed of motorcyclists;

4. Compare the environmental-friendly humming sound of electric bicycles with the modified loudness of the exhaust silencers of motorcyclists;

5. Compare the number of electric bicycle users who daringly overtake vehicles with motorcyclists who act as dare devils;

6. Compare the speed ratio generated by electric bicycles with users of motorcycles;

7. Compare the respect given by electric bicycle users to pedestrians with users of motorcycles;

8. Compare the road safety awareness of electric bicycle users with users of motorcycles;

9. Compare the speed limitation of electric bicycles with motorcycles'; and,

10. Compare the unfortunate ones who cannot afford to purchase a motorcycle, but an affordable electric bicycle.

They are safe and eco-friendly : E-Bicycle

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:58:00 +0000

2011/03/13 S. SHAH, Petaling Jaya, Selangor letters@nst.com

A FEW years ago, my friends and I wanted to buy electric bicycles for the purpose of exercise as well as a mode of transport to commute to work and visit friends in the neighbourhood.Worried about their legality on the road, I went to the Road Transport Department (RTD) on several occasions. A senior officer told me that electric bicycles did not come under its purview and, therefore, the RTD could not stop anyone from using such vehicles.

He further pointed out that Section 5 of the Road Transport Act 1987 does not mention electric bicycles as a category.
Having cleared my doubts with the RTD, I bought an electric bicycle with a maximum speed of 20kph.

Now, the transport minister has just announced its ban. His contention is the registration and road safety compliance of electric bicycles.

We should allow the use of electric bicycles without registering with the RTD as practised in developed countries. At any rate, registration does not guarantee safety as we can see with motorcycles.
Moreover, the registration of electric bicycles would increase their cost and the lower-income group might feel the pinch.

Second, his concern of not being able to insure unregistered electric bicycles does not hold water as there are insurance firms offering coverage for electric bicycles.

Third, he said the speed of such bicycles, about 40kph, posed a danger to other road users. If speed is the issue, why ban all electric bicycles, especially those conforming to the speed recommended in the road safety report?

Why fear something which does not exist as an average cyclist probably reaches 15kph to 25 kph, while racing cyclists achieve 50kph to 60kph? The latter have been riding on highways and state roads for years without any concern from the authorities.

Motorcyclists top the list of fatal accidents. Why are they allowed to ride on highways? And why are more and more motorcycles with higher capacities being registered with little or no regard to the high fatalities involving motorcyclists?

In fact, they should be banned from highways.

Here are the advantages of using an electric bicycle:

- The cost of an electric bicycle in Malaysia is anything from RM1,200 to RM2,300.

Its maintenance cost is about 20 sen per day for travelling about 20km. This is attributed towards the cost of charging the battery.

- Since Malaysian made electric bicycles have a maximum speed of about 20kph, they are safe, especially for older folk, who cannot handle the weight and speed of motorcycles, and also schoolchildren who tend to speed while riding their motorcycles.

- Electric bicycles offer a quiet, smooth and comfortable ride.

- They operate on battery and are environmentally friendly and their use is in line with the country's embrace of green technology.

These show that the benefits of electric bicycles outweigh their so-called risks.

MBA: Bicycling

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 04:33:00 +0000

Moving Beyond the Automobile: Biking from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

For the second chapter in our Moving Beyond the Automobile series we'll take a look at bicycling. More and more people are choosing to cycle for at least part of their commute in cities across the world. Leading the way in the United States, Portland, Oregon is up to a daily bike count of 17,000 riders! For this video we spent some time with leading thinkers in New York, San Francisco and Portland to discuss the direct relationship between providing safe cycling infrastructure and the number of people biking. The benefits of cycling are simple. Biking helps reduce congestion, air pollution, meet climate action goals and makes for healthier communities.

(Note: This series is made possible by funding from the Fund for The Environment & Urban Life.)

DIY Skylights From Used Water Bottles Replace 50-Watt Bulbs

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:06:00 +0000

An ingenious invention by an engineer in Brazil has made an enormous difference in his town. Simply placing a bottle of water in a hole in the ceiling can light up a room with the same brightness as a 50-watt light bulb! Residents have better lighting and are using less electricity. Check out how it works in the video.

I think the part that made it most convincing was the bucket comparison -- when they took the buckets off the bottles to show what a difference they make in lighting the room, my jaw dropped open.

While it's obvious that these only work for certain types of structures, and only provide extra light when the sun is out, it shows that you don't have to construct a complex skylight in your roof to get some daylight into your home. It's clear from the women in the video that they're pretty darn happy with how the concept has improved their homes.

And to hear that the bottles are lasting years without needing any maintenance at all is exciting. Apparently there's just enough bleach to keep any algae from growing inside, but not enough to deteriorate the plastic, or at least not very quickly.

What a great bottle-reuse-zero-electricity idea!

Follow Jaymi on Twitter for more stories like this

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MBA: Bus Rapid Transit

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:01:00 +0000

Moving Beyond the Automobile: Bus Rapid Transit from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

by Elizabeth Press on March 8, 2011

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) provides faster and more efficient service than an ordinary bus. "These systems operate like a surface subway, say BRT advocates, but cost far less than building an actual metro." Watch this chapter of Moving Beyond the Automobile to learn about the key features of bus rapid transit systems around the world and how BRT helps shift people out of cars and taxis and into buses.

Streetfilms would like to thank The Fund for the Environment & Urban Life for making this series possible.

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Fear the filmmaker

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:06:00 +0000

OPTIMISTICALLY CAUTIOUS By ERROL OH

Award-winning documentary on dolphin slaughter in Japan should be a wake-up call for palm oil industry

ANYBODY who cares about the palm oil industry should watch The Cove. It's an Oscar-winning documentary that skewers Japan's whaling industry primarily by highlighting the killing of dolphins and porpoises in a town called Taiji. The filmmakers say the slaughter is an annual affair that the Japanese fishermen and authorities wanted to keep a secret. The efforts to film the culling despite the many obstacles, supplies the drama and suspense that make The Cove so gripping.

It plays like an ecological Mission Impossible. We see how a team of specialists (including technicians, divers and activists) was assembled for the daunting task of covertly recording the goings-on in a remote spot the cove that gave the feature its title that was off-limits to outsiders. Unique skills came in handy and clever improvisations helped save the day. Then there were the cat-and-mouse games when the filmmakers ventured out to survey locations and to install equipment without being caught.

The end result was stark footage of fishermen nonchalantly spearing the aquatic mammals, which had been herded into the cove and had nowhere to escape. To the fishermen, it was apparently another day at the office, but to many of those who have watched the documentary, it was a horrific example of brutal and unnecessary blood-letting.

All that needs to happen is for the right people to come together to combine resources, and the palm oil industry may well have a PR disaster on its hands.

These scenes are the emotional epicentre of The Cove. They are bound to invoke outrage and disgust in most of us, particularly those who see dolphins as intelligent, lovable and harmless creatures. Few of us can imagine ourselves stabbing a helpless dolphin to death so as to earn money. And the documentary claims that 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are killed off the coast of Japan every year.

But it's not the imagery alone that powers the documentary. The Cove is also presented as a work of investigative journalism that uncovers shady conduct linked to the Japanese whaling industry. For example, it alleges that the dolphin meat from the Taiji slaughter is passed off as whale meat, and that's a problem because the meat contains toxic levels of mercury. The portion of the film that dwells on mercury poisoning via seafood is likely to make you think twice about eating sushi.

The documentary also takes aim at the International Whaling Commission, claiming that it's toothless and that Japan has used aid funds to bolster the pro-whaling lobby within the commission. In addition, it rubbishes the claims that the dolphin population needs to be controlled to slow down the depletion of the global fish stocks.

Another of the filmmakers' targets is the international trade in live dolphins. The Cove makes a persuasive case against keeping dolphins in captivity, and there is no better person to argue this point than Ric O'Barry, who is easily the film's most pivotal and compelling figure. In the 1960s, O'Barry caught and trained the five dolphins that were featured in the TV series Flipper. He made a 180-degree turn when one of the dolphins died he said it committed suicide and became an activist bent on freeing captive dolphins.

It's no surprise that The Cove was given the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature of 2009, among a host of other accolades. It's a well-crafted film that tells its story with utter conviction. And the subject matter leaves little room for fence-sitting; you're either against the dolphin-slayers or you're not. And let's face it, after watching the documentary, how many people living far away from Japan can comfortably ally themselves with the fishermen of Taiji?

There are complaints of inaccuracies and bias in the film, but these seem feeble when stacked against its sheer visceral impact. Who pauses to think if the fishermen have got a fair shake when they have obviously gone to great lengths to hide what they're doing to the dolphins at Taiji?

The documentary has increased international pressure on Taiji and Japan's whaling industry. At the very least, anybody who has watched The Cove will come away with a vague notion that in Japan, dolphins die cruelly in the name of commerce. And for sure, there's greater awareness now of the anti-whaling movement.

Imagine if one day somebody decides to produce a documentary providing shocking images that support the accusations of the anti-palm oil lobby. Instead of dolphins, the filmmaker may want to focus on orangutans; after all, they're just as cute and cuddly. And it's not a new idea. Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have attacked the palm oil industry by saying the development of plantations in Borneo and Sumatra is pushing the orangutan towards extinction.

Such a documentary can have several other aspects to zoom in on the environmental damage and global warming caused by deforestation, the displacement of indigenous people, and the exploitation of labour.

These are the issues that have driven campaigns against the palm oil industry. The difference is that a documentary can potentially be more damaging, especially if it's as much-lauded and well-publicised as The Cove is. All that needs to happen is for the right people to come together to combine resources, and the palm oil industry may well have a PR disaster on its hands.

Of course, it's terribly unfair and absurd to liken oil palm growers to fishermen who kill dolphins. Yet, when you consider that the anti-palm oil NGOs probably have the same fierce passion and spirit that fuel the groups opposing whaling, there's no reason for the palm oil industry to believe that it will never be the villain in a movie.

The key here is to be honest and transparent. The fishermen and the authorities in Taiji were arrogant in thinking they had done enough to keep the outside world from seeing what went on at the cove. The Japanese fisheries official interviewed in the documentary appear to have been either ignorant or untruthful.

The Malaysian palm oil industry has done plenty to counter the moves of the anti-palm oil lobby and to engage stakeholders here and abroad. These involve telling people about the right things that the industry is doing. But what about the black sheep and the shortcomings? What is being done to address these? Is there a willingness to acknowledge the problems and to punish the wrongdoers? If the industry and the government don't do this, somebody else may.

And if this person is a talented filmmaker with solid financial and organisational backing, it's possible that Malaysia may finally make its presence felt at the Oscars ... but for the wrong reasons.

Deputy executive editor Errol Oh is now in the midst of deciding whether zoos and marine parks are a bad thing.

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SK Sri Kelana pupils use rainwater-harvesting system

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:17:00 +0000

FROM recycling to creative projects, the pupils of SK Sri Kelana in SS5, Petaling Jaya, are exposed to a variety of environmental initiatives through the school’s Smart Ranger club.

The club embarked on a sustainable programme by the Education Ministry and Department of Environment (DoE) in collaboration with the Global Environment Centre in 2009 with a tree-planting programme, which subsequently expanded to an extensive recycling campaign and other environmental activities.

SK Sri Kelana, along with the Damansara Jaya Residents and Owners Association (Djroa), are two institutions in Petaling Jaya that have implemented the rainwater-harvesting system.

Headmistress Rohayah Mohamad Sarif said the idea for a rainwater-harvesting system was brought up when the school was looking for a way to reduce its water usage.

Not just watering plants: SK Sri Kelana pupil Bryan Nesaraj George (right) helping Ong fill up the fish pond using water collected from the school’s rainwater harvesting system.

“The system was set up in March last year with two water tanks, each with a 100-litre capacity, outside the school canteen,” she said.

“The RM2,500 spent for the set-up came from money collected from selling recyclable materials and prizes from recycling competitions,” she said.

Water from the system is used to water plants in the school compound, make enzymes, fill up the fish pond and for cleaning.

Rohayah said the club carried out recycling and other green programmes in the school and had won various competitions.

She credited teacher and club coordinator Ong Kien Eik for his efforts in getting the programme running.

Community initiative: Yew (left) watering the plants around the Djroa’s community centre using water from the rainwaterharvesting system. With him are Djroa Environment Section coordinator Ng Ah Sang (centre) and Fong.

“Smart Ranger aims to educate the children on sustainable efforts and going green,” said Ong.

“Besides the 65 club members, we have a pool of 23 parents and teachers who help in various ways based on their experience and expertise,” he said.

He hopes that Smart Ranger would be able to build another rainwater-harvesting system with a sprinkler for the school’s orchid garden, and build more shelters made from recyclable materials.

Year Six pupil Maya Md Yunus said being in the club had taught her about recycling, reducing energy usage and the importance of protecting the environment.

Reusing rainwater: Nur Rahmah (centre), Bryan Nesaraj George (left) and Maya watering plants in their school compound using water from the school’s rainwater harvesting system.

“We are more conscious about separating our garbage and recycling and we also do it at home,” said the 12-year-old.

Fellow Year Six pupil Nur Rahmah Abd Ghani, who is also Smart Ranger president, said they did not mind sacrificing their recess time to separate recyclable materials that were brought to school by students and teachers because they were doing their bit to save the environment.

The Djroa’s rainwater-harvesting system was initiated by the association as a demonstration project for the community in support of the government’s call for green technology.

“The project aims to create awareness on water conservation and serves as part of Djroa’s social responsibility as a community-based organisation,” said project technical adviser Fong Tian Yong, who is also an engineer.

“The system, installed at Djroa’s community centre in November last year, features a rain storage tank that automatically switches over to the Syabas tank when the rainwater supply dries up.

“Other design components include a first flush diverter, gutter, leaf eater and a 2,000-litre water tank.”

The project was carried out using a RM15,000 grant from the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and designed with the help of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia and Technological Association of Malaysia.

Water collected from the system is used for watering plants at the community centre’s compound, nearby herbal garden, general washing and toilet-flushing.

Djroa president Datuk Yew Cheng Hoe said the association was willing to share the details of the system with other community organisations and developers, and planned to collaborate with schools as part of its outreach programme.

“Some households have even been inspired by our project and installed their own rainwater harvesting system at their homes.

“The single tank is sufficient for our community centre’s activities for now but there is space to accommodate more in the future.”

Selangor executive councillor Elizabeth Wong cited 1Utama Shopping Centre as another example because the mall had managed to save 30% on its water bill after implementing the system.

She said among the benefits were that the rainwater was re-used for everyday household activities, saving on water bill, reduction in surface run-off (water flowing into drains and storm drains) and prevented flooding.

Wong, who holds the Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment portfolio, said there would be more initiatives to encourage rainwater-harvesting in Petaling Jaya.

“It is now mandatory for developers of housing schemes in Petaling Jaya to install rainwater-harvesting facilities,” she said.

“The MBPJ introduced this new ruling at the end of last year and it applies to all developers.

“The council will eventually work out a similar guideline for high-rise properties.”

Wong said the rainwater-harvesting programme for schools would be expanded statewide this year under the “Friends of the Environment” programme under the DoE.

“We are targeting to implement the programme at two to four schools in each parliamentary constituency.

“The system implemented by Djroa will be used as an example and expanded to other community centres in Petaling Jaya. Ideally, there should be one community centre in each zone and they can get MBPJ’s assistance to install the system,” said Wong.

“Each project should cost RM15,000 and the returns are definitely worth it. I have also asked all local councils to implement the system during the standing committee meeting this year,” Wong said.

The Bukit Lanjan assemblyman plans to have one system installed at the Bandar Utama 3 community centre this year and at the Bandar Sri Damansara and Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara community halls.

The Djroa can be contacted at 03-7729 9098 or djroapj@gmail.com.

Save printer ink by using Garamond typeface font

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Printer ink costs is major contributor for every business entity. We have moved to digitization to improve efficiency and avoid printing. Still some documents has to be printed and shared in hard copy form. Besides printer ink costs, splashing too much ink is harmful to environment.

Matt Robinson [via] did an interesting comparison of different typefaces or fonts to check which font takes least amount of ink and which font was ink guzzlers. Here is the official line:

“… A selection of the most commonly used typefaces were compared for how economical they are with the amount of ink which they use at the same point size. Large scale renditions of the typefaces were drawn out with ballpoint pens, allowing the remaining ink levels to display the ink efficiency of each typeface.”

As seen above ‘Garamond’ font is best for saving maximum ink closely followed by ‘courier’. Ugly looking ‘Impact’ font and not so professional looking ‘Comic Sans’ were ink guzzlers. Now you know which font to use while printing documents in bulk and save lot of ink (& environment)!

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OPERATION TOY STORY

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 01:02:00 +0000

Updates >> log on to http://p-a-t-c-h.blogspot.com/ for latest updates on the mission

OPERATION TOY STORY
miif plus store is helping Roddy Teo to collect toys for a visit to paediatrics ward of UMMC hospital this Christmas, to be placed on the kids' beds before they awake.

Last call for Toy donation on: Sunday 19 Dec 12.30pm to 6pm
Come donate your toys at miif plus store today ^^,
Toy donation start from:
12.30pm to 6pm ~ Sunday 19th december 2010 Last Day T_T

FB
www.facebook.com/miifplus
Miif Plus Store is open:
Tuesday to Sunday - 12pm to 10pm
Monday closed
Add:
No.12, Ground Floor,
Jalan SS15/8B,
Subang JayaSelangor, Malaysia, 47500.
The store is same roll as Station 1 and Hailam cafe,
Near Taylor and inti college.

or if you wanted to contact Roddy directly do FB him ^^ athttp://www.facebook.com/arteo

TQTQTQ ^^ TQ ^^ TQ so much

If you too would like to visit the hospital (or maybe more), please contact Roddy: http://www.facebook.com/arteo
Here is Roddy's personal message: Hey hey! How are you doing? I'm writing this note to ask for a little favour. You see, this Christmas, I won't be going back to KK, and I declined locum on that day ;o) so there will be some time for me to kill.So this is what I'm thinking of doing, to visit some kids in the hospital and bringing them a little goody while they're asleep. The idea is to have them wake up to a surprise next to their pillows the next morning! No, this wouldn't be the first time I'm doing it, but this might be the first time you'll get involved! Now here's the exciting part.

I will need some toys, those that are cluttered in your attics, those that are stashed away in your boxes. Or maybe those that are sitting at the foot of your bed and could be more glad to make other kids happy. The idea is to give them (the toys) another chance at love (sounds like ToyStory?)We usually visit the wards where the kids are more sick, like the cancer ward, before distributing them to other wards. No one wants to spend this time of the year in the hospital, really.

And saddest of all, this may be the last year for them too.So how about that toys that you've been meaning to give away but never found an outlet to do so? Do give me a call, and I'll send my reindeer to come and collect from you ;o) or buzz me and we'll chat about what other things we can give to them. Hope to hear from you soon ;o)

A new green file format: WWF.

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 04:30:00 +0000

Every day, entire forests are cut down to make paper. Paper that’s senselessly used to print out documents all over the world: websites, emails, even entire books, in spite of the fact that it's easy to avoid printing by saving the document as a PDF. But even PDFs can sometimes also be printed out. So to stop unnecessary printing and encourage a new awareness about the use of paper, we’ve developed a new, green file format: WWF. A format that can’t be printed out. A simple idea that saves trees. Join in. Decide for yourself which of your documents don’t need printing - and save them as WWF.

SAVE AS WWF, SAVE A TREE

Think before you print

WWF has long worked with companies and consumers to promote responsible paper use and the option to "Save as WWF" compliments and reinforces other well-established campaigns - most notably the "Think Before You Print" initiative. Overall, WWF advocates reducing excessive paper consumption, maximising paper recycling, using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) labelled papers and choosing papers with the lowest water and climate impact.

See the FAQs for more tips on how to save paper, save trees and save money!

http://www.saveaswwf.com/en/what-is-it.html

“Preparing for Climate Change on the Coast” Discussion

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:08:00 +0000

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

You are cordially invited to attend a discussion on “Preparing for Climate Change on the Coast” on Thursday, December 9 from 9:00-11:30 A.M. at the Malaysia-American Commission on Educational Exchange.

MALAYSIAN-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE (MACEE)
18th Floor, Menara Yayasan Tun Razak
200, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
www.macee.org.my

The event will feature a 90-minute program from the U.S. Center at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, followed by 60 minutes of moderated discussion with participants from government, NGOs, and academia. The Cancun program focuses on the impacts to communities of rising sea levels along the coast. An international audience and panel of experts will exchange information about vulnerability assessments, tools, and methodologies that are being used by coastal communities to understand and reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards and to sustain their way of life and the ecosystem habitats and services on which they depend.

Against the backdrop of the COP-16 meetings in Cancun, I look forward to a fruitful exchange on an issue of great interest to Malaysia, the United States, and the international community. Please feel to pass this invitation to colleagues you think might be interested in joining us.

As seating will be limited, please RSVP at earliest opportunity by sending an email to info@mycjn.org

Sincerely,

Kris Kvols | Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer
U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur | +60-3-2168-4910 | malaysia.usembassy.gov/

Did You Know? A Quickie on Responsible Tourism and You!

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:11:00 +0000

Did you know? A quick video on what tourism is doing in Asia and what you can do.

Big thank you to Edit House/Addaudio Malaysia for making this video happen! Producer: Michelle Kay; Creative: Dantang; Motion Grapics Designer: JayVassu; Art Director: Chris@Mob1900; Sound Editor: GraceKok; Script: Deborah Chan/Scott O'Connell from Wild Asia.

http://www.wildasia.org

200 people voice their concerns at MPAJ draft plan hearing

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:36:00 +0000

THE Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) draft plan hearing saw discussion on the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road (KLORR), incinerator and high voltage power transmission project.

About 200 people turned up for the hearing, which discussed the KLORR project by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) that will cut through the Selangor State Park that was gazetted in 2005 and launched by then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The road will run parallel to the Middle Ring Road 2 and links Rawang to Cheras and possibly cut through the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge.

Ampang resident Lim Teck Wyn, 35, said impact of such a project was the destruction and fragmentation of the natural habitat of fauna such as the endangered tapir, gibbons, siamang, leaf monkey and macaques.

“The tapir in particular can only be found in Peninsular Malaysia and they live in this forest reserve,” said the resident of Taman Tun Abdul Razak, which is situated on the border of the reserve.

The businessman, who is also the Malaysian Nature Society honorary secretary, said there were only about 20 tapirs in the state park.

Lim also said there was concern that other projects might be built on both sides of the new road, further disturbing the flora and fauna.

Participants were also concerned that the project may affect the Klang Gates Dam, quartz ridge, water catchment areas and cause noise pollution.

Many also wondered at the relevance of such a project because Besraya Highway will connect Sungai Besi to Jalan Istana and Ampang as well as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project.

Another hot topic revolved around the incinerator project in Tasik Tambahan near Hulu Langat.

Many comments focused on finding alternatives to waste disposal, including recycling.

Taman Bukit Segar Jaya 2 and 3 Residents Association chairman Jonathan Woo spoke on the residents’ disapproval of a high voltage power transmission project by Tenaga Nasional Berhad near 10 housing areas and high-rise apartments.

“We provided TNB with two alternatives in the memorandum. First is to upgrade the existing 33kV line in the area to a 275kV transmission line and the second to place the proposed towers on top of the hill where it is less dangerous as opposed to near the bottom where it is near to our houses,” Woo said.

State housing, building management and squatters committee chairman Iskandar Abdul Samad, who chaired the hearing, said the draft plan would be discussed at the State Planning Committee along with experts in December.

“We will have to weigh the pros and cons of each project and its relevance such as KLORR in the light of recent announcements such as new highways and the MRT,” he said, adding all the issues raised in the hearings will be taken into account.

Keen to learn more join the Save the Ampang Forest FB Page

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SAVE AMPANG FOREST - PUBLIC HEARING! - 21st Oct 2010

noreply@blogger.com (ninoamigo) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 02:45:00 +0000

(from Sonia & Shen)

click to enlarge

Hey,

The Ampang forest is in danger of being cleared to make way for the highway. THIS THURSDAY there will be a public hearing about the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road (KLORR) highway project. We want you to come!

Date : October 21, 2010
Time : 9am - 11.30am
Venue : Menara MPAJ, Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya. ( 5th floor auditorium)

View Larger Map

We are gonna gather outside the auditorium before the hearing starts, at 8:30am, and hold some banners. Please try to invite your friends to come or spread the words! What you need to do, is to get to the venue in time, banners will be provided by Shen Leong and other MyCJN people.

The Public Hearing Event FB Page
The Star - Path To Destruction
Save Ampang Forest FB Page

Save the forest before it's too late!

invitation latter (click to enlarge)

call them to RSVP today! (click to enlarge)