small steps to going GREEN :)

Dear All,

There has been loads of fantastic informative materials I have read on this blog. I have gained much from this blog and would like to contribute a post to simple steps that we can take to inch closer to the ideal green life.

As a University Student or an individual,

1.we can recycle everything; especially paper!
*all those notes after a semester, scrap paper, etc*

2.limiting our printing or by printing both sides of a paper.
*a note to put it into visualization: If every American recycled his newspaper once per week, 36 million trees would be saved each year. Imagine how many trees could be saved if students went electronic with their notes.*

3.making every purchase a green one.
This simply means trying to ensure our purchases are of recycable materials when it comes to paper products, plastic. Also environmentally safe products.

4.carrying our own water tumbler!
Think of how many bottles of water get consumed on a campus every day. Save waste and money by carrying a refillable bottle.

5.Use refillable binders instead of notebooks. This is a simple way to save waste. If you want to save your notes after the semester is over, take them out of the binder and staple them. Or you can go electronic and take all of your notes on a laptop.

Steps that we can take at home:

1.Turn off the water when you shave or brush your teeth.
According to Kiplinger.com, you can send up to two gallons of water down the drain in TWO minutes.

2.Take the junk out of your trunk.
The extra weight of unnecessary materials in your trunk decreases your gas mileage, so you have to fill up more often.

3. Unplug your electronic devices when they’re not in use.
Toasters, chargers and printers still draw electricity even when they are not on.

4.Have a veggie meal once a week.
Enjoy a veggie pizza or pasta meal without endangering any animals

There are many more tips we can take, but let us start with this possible few and take on bigger steps as we walk along.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.' ~ Aristotle

With a breath of inspiration from Aristotle, hopefully practising these small steps would ease the transition toward a greener lifestyle.

'Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.'
~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Read more at Suite101: Green Tips for College Students: 10 Environmentally Friendly Ideas for Dorm Rooms and Campus Life http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/green_tips_for_college_students#ixzz0jMncbykA

Toxic Trade: E-Waste

The amount of old electronics that are discarded every year is rapidly increasing. With lower prices and rapidly changing technology, computers, phones and TVs now have very short life spans. In many countries, e-waste is the fastest growing type of trash. It is reported that as much as 4,000 tonnes of toxic e-waste are discarded every hour. Vast amounts are routinely and often illegally shipped as waste from Europe, USA and Japan.

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is electronics equipment that isn't properly recycled. Electronic items such as computers, cameras, cell phones, Plasma TV, and DVD players are filled with highly toxic materials, like lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants. To make matters worse, much of our e-waste is recycled (often illegally) overseas using sub-standard methods that do more harm than good. The E-waste recycling and disposal operations found in China, India, and Pakistan are extremely polluting and likely to be very damaging to human health. Examples include open burning of plastic waste, exposure to toxic solders, river dumping of acids, and widespread general dumping.

For examples, the two pictures posted here speak for themselves. The first one shows two unprotected workers in Guangdong, China recover parts and materials from the e-waste. The second one shows a boy (in Ghana) burning electronic cables and other electrical components in order to melt off the plastic and reclaim the copper wiring. This burning in small fires releases toxic chemicals into the environment. Perhaps for them, who are most probably not aware of the hazard, they are just doing a good job to get some money to live on.

How about the e-waste awareness in Malaysia?

I think Malaysians, especially the urban people, know that they need to recycle e-waste and not dump it anywhere they like. However, the Government or non-governmental organisations need to create more awareness through the mass media on how and where people can recycle different materials. The DOE do have a list of offsite full recovery facilities for e-waste in Malaysia, as you can see in the following picture.



However, the authorities should provide recycling bins in more places, especially in universities, shopping centres, or any easy-to-reach drop-off points. Having a proper e-waste management programme should help also.

Besides that, most companies in Malaysia do not inform the public of any take back of e-waste, either. Maybe the Government should provide incentives to encourage them to take back e-waste. Functionally good products – not pieces of junk – can be donated to the underprivileged, too.



.

Below is a report provided by citywire on rare earth. It is used in much equipment in relation to renewable energy. The issue been brought up is the depleting of its source. The usage had gone up to 200 000 MT in a year. China being the biggest producer was trying to monopolize the rare earth by taking over two mines in Australia and in the US but failed to do so. Manufacturer has no choice but to build plant in China to ensure the supply of the rare earth. This is an example competition toward energy. What are we suppose to do? We support the usage of rare earth because rare earth is used in the manufacturing of hand phone. Do we need hand phone? For long we can survive without hand phone. Just think about it.

5 March 2010
Rare earths investment could be the best opportunity out there
Source: Citywire

Rare earth may not sound a sexy investment, but with China controlling 97% of the world's production and threatening to tighten supply, billions is set to be channelled into finding new sources of these crucial chemical elements.
The names of the 17 rare earth components, which include yttrium, europium and dysprosium, may not be familiar but they are vital to many renewable and clean energy technologies, such as wind turbines and catalytic convertors, along with more conventional technologies such as fibre-optics and batteries.
The rapid growth in their usage as the world looks to move away from a reliance on oil has seen demand surge from 40,000 to 125,000 tonnes a year over the last 10 years and it is predicted to reach 200,000 tonnes per year by 2014.
In the 1980s, the US was self-sufficient, but the closure of its Californian Mountain Pass mine following environmental problems and China ramping up production meant that by 1999, some 90% of US industry's supply came from the Far East and this reliance has continued to creep up.
The significance of this near monopoly has not been lost on the Chinese with former leader Deng Xiaoping saying back in 1987: 'The Middle East has oil, but China has rare earth.'
Neither has the irony of trying to move away from a dependence on Opec for oil to an even heavier one on China for rare earth been lost on policymakers.
The situation looks set to get worse, however, after China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology submitted a six year plan to the State Council to tighten exports and safe-guard its own supply.
The Institute for Energy Research has warned that by doing this: 'Chinese officials are forcing global manufacturers to move factories to China by limiting the availability of rare earths outside China.'
GE moved its battery research plant to China in 2006 and more companies would be expected to follow suit.
Not content with its existing near-monopoly on supply, its state-run Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation has being trying to buy up mines around the globe to consolidate its position. It has twice failed to buy the Californian mine and has also been rebuffed in its attempts to snap up mines in Australia.
The IEA says that outside of China, only a handful of projects are expected to produce rare earth in the next few years with MolyCorp Minerals looking to develop the Californian Mountain Pass mine and Lynas Corporation developing the Mount Weld mine in Australia.
'As energy prices become more expensive, a lot more is going to be invested in developing rare earth mines,' says Richard Lockwood, manager of the City Natural Resources High Yield Trust. 'It is difficult to imagine any new technologies that will not rely on rare earth down the line and the US government is offering huge amounts to companies that can discover new sources.'
Rare earth is one of the strands of President Obama's green budget for the next fiscal year with huge incentives being offered.
Lockwood has been building up City Natural Resources' exposure to rare earth with Canadian firm Neo Material Tech among his top 10 holdings.
He says that the company is not cheap, but has the potential to deliver outstanding returns as the Chinese tightening of supply will squeeze up prices.
Where there's muck there's brass, as the saying goes and rare earth could up end being one of the top commodity themes over the next few years.

03/24/2010: Five EPA Region 9 Metro Area Cities Rank Among Top 25 in Nation for Most Energy Efficient Buildings

03/24/2010: Five EPA Region 9 Metro Area Cities Rank Among Top 25 in Nation for Most Energy Efficient Buildings

As per our blog title “A small steps towards better environment”…..
I have read an article under USEPA on the how the US Government have encourage the public participation on the Energy saving and fight against the climate change.
USEPA have released a list of US metropolitan areas with the largest number energy efficient buildings that earned EPA’s Energy Star in 2009. The list is headed by Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Houston, Lakeland, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta and New York. Five of the cities ranked on the list are located in EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region.
According to the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation said that these cities see the importance of taking action on climate change and are working with EPA to fight back. The buildings that have earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR are reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and cutting energy bills.
These ENERGY STAR programs have caused annual saving more than $900 million in utility bills and more than 4.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. There was increase up to 40% in the year 2009 on the buildings that received Energy Star award since the year it started 1999. Overall annual utility savings have climbed to nearly $1.6 billion and greenhouse gas emissions equal to the emissions of more than 1 million homes a year have been prevented.
EPA awards the Energy Star to commercial buildings that perform in the top 25 percent of buildings nationwide compared to similar buildings. Thirteen types of buildings can earn the Energy Star, including schools, hospitals, office buildings, retail stores and supermarkets.
In the Bay Area the Hotel Nikko, One Embarcadero Center, Marin Montessori School and Parc 55 Hotel are just a few of the 173 commercial buildings have saved more the $69 million in energy costs and cut emissions equal to taking about 36,000 cars off the road for one year. Phoenix currently have 52 Energy Star buildings in Phoenix, which creates an $11.4 million dollar cost savings and an electricity savings equal to 9,900 homes’ energy use.
You may refer the article at http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/B048C769E6294B71852576F000773644
Well this is al about US. How about our country Malaysia? What are the steps that we have taken to reduce the energy consumption..From my personal observation we are still not aware the real need of energy saving and its purposes.
I have seen so many decorations that made from light at most of the traffic light areas. That empty space near to traffic light initially was decorated with very nice landscape of flowers and trees with sufficient street light. Now, those areas filled with an artificial tree made from colourfull lights. It really nice to see but is it really needed???
Think…

Greenpeace plans more actions in oil sands

Hi everyone,
As we all understand oil is one of the major source of energy. I have read the above mentioned article in The Star news paper on 24th March, 2010. The news was mainly on the intention of Environmental Activist “Greenpeace” to disrupt the production of oil sands by the Canadian government. The effect oil sand was mentioned as damaging the environment and nearby community.

The article also highlighted that Greenpeace has a C$200,000 ($196,000) budget to campaign against the oil sands, Hudema said, a fraction of what multinational oil companies and the Alberta government itself spend on its oil sands messages, he said.

Actually what is Oil sand?? and how it can affect the environment?

Oil sands, also known as tar sands, or extra heavy oil, are a type of bitumen deposit. The sands are naturally occurring mixtures of sand or clay, water and an extremely dense and viscous form of petroleum called bitumen. They are found in large amounts in many countries throughout the world, but are found in extremely large quantities in Canada and Venezuela.

Canada is the largest supplier of crude oil and refined products to the United States, supplying about 20% of total U.S. imports, and exports more oil and products to the U.S. than it consumes itself. Most of the oil sands of Canada are located in three major deposits in northern Alberta (54,000 sq mi) and hold proven reserves of 1.75 trillion barrels (280×10^9 m3) of bitumen in place.

Like all mining and non-renewable resource development projects, oil sands operations have an effect on the environment. Oil sands projects affect: the land when the bitumen is initially mined and with large deposits of toxic chemicals; the water during the separation process and through the drainage of rivers; and the air due to the release of carbon dioxide and other emissions, as well as deforestation. Additional indirect environmental effects are that the petroleum products produced are mostly burned, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Cannadian goverment has taken few action to control this oil sand operation as such increase the tax, controlled release of liecence for the oil sand companies and enforcement of Law.

You may refer the articles at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/24/worldupdates/2010-03-24T052833Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-471672-1&sec=Worldupdates

Consequences Faced Due To Climate Change

Hi everyone......

To date, there are many news and articles being heard on climate change and the ways to mitigate it by using renewable energy, carbon credit and many more.....

Browsing through The Star Newspaper today (23rd March 2010), i came across an article at the environment section highlighting on the effect of climate change towards the native villages located at the north pole. This article was written by a villager (Newtok tribal administrator) that has grown up watching the changes in his village due to climate change.

This village lies few metres beneath Alaska's tundra, a layer of frozen soil called permafrost. In years the icy soils has provided a foundation for buildings and sturdy buffer against the sea.

However the climate at Alaska is getting hotter, the permafrost is melting and the foundation under Newtok is crumbling, the community hall have buckled and started to sink into the muddy earth. The water is rising at a rate of up to 27m a year. Some villages have faced erosion as fast as 33m a year.

Newtok is not the only village facing this problem, there are more than 200 native Alaskan villages have problems with flooding and erosion and these villages have been erected to explore relocation. The article have stated that rising seas are affecting other parts of the world, including the Pankhali region in Bangladesh and the islands nations of Maldives and Tuvalu and respective governments are now considering wholesale migration as a matter of public safety.

The united nations have estimated 150 million people could become "environmental refugees" by 2050. The article had claimed every person who drives a car, used electricity are responsible for the warming climate, so does oil, gas and coal companies that profit from the release of heat trapping gasses. The article had also blamed the government who fail to act before these climate change hit their homes. Do you agree with the blame? i agree with it...'environmental refugees' are purely generated due our selfishness and greediness. we were not aware of our contribution to climate change and global warming until we hear a news on how innocent people are facing the consequences. How could this be fair.....I feel it is merely unfair for the villagers. it is not their mistake to be residents of the icy cold areas and at the same time they are not the contributors of global warming due to establishment of industries (oil, gas and coal) for them to face the consequences. The touching part of it are the children living in these locations.

These people deserve justice, however, the government is struggling to determine which are the agencies should pay for relocation because of high cost of moving communities. The government has not developed effective ways to protect communities at risk from climate change.

Newtok lies on the Ninglick River near Alaska's west coast, 640km from the nearest road.As the plane circles to land, it is plain to see the waters of Ninglick River encroaching on the village as result of increased temperatures and rising sea levels in the nearby Bering Sea, from which the river flows.

it has been decided that the entire village to be relocated to a grassy hillside on Nelson Island, 14.4 km upstream, but moving a village is very costly (between US$80mil and US$130 million). It is always an unanswered question on who should bear this cost. No doubt most public support is only available in the form of reconstruction or post disaster relief, however this public support and reconstruction is no use to communities living through slow ongoing disaster..... Will these affected people receive aid and a new living...or these innocent people going to be neglected and left to be victims of climate warming, an ongoing disaster.

Life need to be saved. These people deserve to live a happy life, free from disaster. If it is necessary for them to be relocated and it has to be carried out immediately. If the particular government can't afford, all the other countries of the world need to give a hand as climate change and global warming were contributed collectively. Money is being spent to establish new technologies to overcome climate change and global warming. Although new technologies are important, this issue also has to be given importance as living people have already started to face its consequences.This is my opinion, please state your opinions too......

Panimalar Baskaran

Clean Water and the Climate

Water has been an important resources for most living being on this planet. However, it is also prone to abuse by human being. We do not appreciate clean water that comes our way. We especially Malaysian take clean water for granted.

In Malaysia, water tariff is still very low and affordable to all. However less we realized that lately there has been a few cases of water treatment plant shut down due to excessive amount of pollutant. Water catchment area nowadays are prone to pollution by human activities. Worst is when the destruction of catchment area by illegal logger uncontrollably.

When we talk about clearing of forest, less do we realized that those forest doesnt only act as a catchment area and carbon sink which can lead to global warming if it is being redeveloped. One of the example is where a rubber plantation project spanning across 443 hectares that required deforestation at two water intake and treatment plant.

This is the main evident that by planting fertilizer, generous amount of pesticide can easilly leach into soil and groundwater which eventually connected to the rivers or pond. This will then lead to human health risk if there is any uptake of groundwater.

“These chemicals cannot be present inside your water and the treatment cost for it is high. The moment you have ammonia pollution you have to shut down the water treatment plant, this had happened to water treatment plants at Sungai Nilai and Sungai Langat, which had to be shut down because of ammonia pollution.

DON'T BLAME CLIMATE CHANGE.....climate change does necessary lead to the crisis such as draught, flood and other effect. It is human activity that play a major role in addressing this issues.

“And the system is straight forward - if we disturb our forests, it impacts our water supply.”

In Malaysia, climate change affect us in a way where “We may have more rain or, we might not have rain at all. "When the fluctuation of rain is disturbed, the survival of a tropical country is disturbed. This is because the rainfall does not support ground water. “In a Glacier system (a country with four seasons), the recharge rate is higher because the snow melts slowly. "Here the forests are capturing most of the water, and helping us by releasing it slowly. For example, if it rains in KL, the Klang River level goes up. But when it's raining there, the level here is very low," As such, the river only floods after two hours because of the delay, which is a natural process. But when we destroy the forest, this delay time is reduced.

The consequences are lack of water supply, increasing tariff and poor water supply quality so much so that consumers have to fix their own water filters.

This was an article adopted from The Star on water crisis and climate change in Malaysia.