Green Living Event Announcement: Earth Day Forest Cleanup and Colour Fight Party

GREEN LIVING EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

EARTH DAY FOREST CLEANUP AND COLOUR FIGHT PARTY

Come celebrate Earth Day by doing your bit for an urban green lung and partying with like-minded nature-lovers!

Date: Sunday, 24 April 2016

Time: 8.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.

Location: Kota Damansara Community Forest, Seksyen 10 Kota Damansara, at the Gazebo facing the school.

Dress code: Old clothes and a white t-shirt that you don’t mind ruining.

To bring:

For the clean-up and tree-planting session:

-        Sunblock

-        A hat/cap

-        Gardening gloves

-        A gardening spade or shovel

-        Sturdy gunny sacks for heavy items, broken bottles and sharp metal objects.

-        Drinking water and snacks/picnic food to share.

For the colour fight:

-        A change of clothes

-        Water to clean yourself up with

-        An old white t-shirt to wear during the colour fight

-        Rubbish bags/old newspapers to line your car seats with if you are driving home after the colour fight

-        Swimming goggles or protective eye wear (important if the participant is a child)

-        A washable bowl or cup to put coloured flour in.

-        Plastic bags / ziplock bags (kindly reuse) to put phones, wallets and valuables in.

Event Agenda:

8.30 – 8.45 a.m. Safety briefing and distribution of tools and rubbish bags/sacks.

8.45 – 10.00 a.m. Cleaning up the KDCF hiking trail and around the lake and planting 50 merbau saplings.

10.00 – 10.30 a.m. Group photo and midmorning snack break, picnic style

10.30 – 11.00 a.m. Holi-inspired colour fight using coloured flour.

Essential info:

-        

1    Participants will be responsible for their own safety at all times. Parents are encouraged to exercise discretion in deciding whether to allow children under age 6 to participate.

-        Participants are encouraged to carpool, bike or walk to the event. There may be a Lucky Draw with prizes for participants who biked or walked to the venue.

-        The Colour Fight is an optional activity. You can choose to leave before it takes place, or opt to watch or photograph it without entering the fray.

-        Individuals who show up for the Colour Fight without first volunteering for the cleanup and tree-planting session will be charged RM5.00.

-        Green Living SIG will provide rubbish sacks, gardening gloves, spades and coloured flour for the colour fight. However, all assistance in bringing your own gardening gloves, tools, rubbish sacks and coloured flour will be highly appreciated, and consistent with our environmental values. If you have any old but clean white t-shirts that you are willing to lose, please bring it along for others who may have forgotten to wear white.

-        Please keep the event waste-free. We will clean up the field before and after the colour fight. At the same time, please bring food, beverages, sunblock, water for cleaning up, etc in reusable containers.

-        Assistance is needed in making large amounts of coloured flour. If you are interested in volunteering for this, please contact Ee Lynn at wongeelynn@yahoo.com.

To register for this event or to offer to volunteer/contribute items, please contact Ee Lynn at wongeelynn@yahoo.com

Green Living Column March 2016: Greening Your Exercise Routine

PENCINTA ALAM MARCH 2016

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

GREENING YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE

By Wong Ee Lynn

<wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com>

Most of us would not give much thought to the question of whether we are exercising in an environmentally-responsible and non-wasteful manner. After all, there are not many pastimes simpler or greener than exercising. However, the fitness industry can often persuade us to spend, consume and drive more than we need. Here are ways in which we can reduce the environmental footprint of our exercise routines:

1. Until the last two decades, most people got their exercise by carrying out outdoor activities -- cycling, running, walking and playing outdoors. Instead of signing up with a gym or fitness centre, find ways to exercise outdoors, for example, by jogging around your neighbourhood, going hiking at the nearest forest reserve, walking up and down the stairs at work, cycling to the shops and using the outdoor exercise equipment at the nearest playground. Fresh air is always better than the canned air in air-conditioned gyms.

2. Find ways to avoid driving for the purpose of exercise. Visit the gym in your apartment or nearest to your office. Take public transport to attend road races and marathons. Work out at home, or in the nearest park or playground. Jog around your neighbourhood instead of a popular park that you have to drive to. If you need to drive to a park or other destination because you are part of an exercise or sports group, combine trips and errands so that you are driving there on the way back from work or the shops, instead of making a special trip out just for the purpose of exercise. 

3. Don't buy more than is necessary. Some people believe that buying new workout clothes or gym equipment will motivate them to work out more. This is rarely true, and the motivation to work out usually wanes after the novelty of having something new wears off. Buy new workout clothes only if you need to, otherwise comfortable running / cross-training shoes, t-shirts and shorts/track pants are all you need. Instead of buying exercise equipment, use your own body for resistance training and perform exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups and planks, which require little or no equipment. Use the playground monkey bars or climbing frames for chin-ups and pull-ups. Check the internet and social media for pre-loved exercise equipment and bicycles for sale. Thinking up alternatives to buying equipment and new gear will help you save money, reduce clutter and reduce your environmental footprint.

4. If exercising outside your home, bring your own reusable water bottle and refill it with water. Avoid drinking sports drinks and other beverages that come in packaging. Most of these are less healthy than drinking water, and are filled with sugar and empty calories. Add a slice of lemon or a sprig of mint leaves to your drinking water if you prefer, or make your own isotonic drink using fruit juice or glucose water and a pinch of salt to prevent muscle cramps. Fuel your workout with natural, healthy snacks such as bananas, or portions of fruits or vegetables stored in a reusable container, instead of expensive and heavily-packaged sports snack bars.

5. Use clothes, shoes and sports equipment for as long as you can before disposing of them or donating them. Running shoes that are no longer suitable for long-distance running can still be worn while loafing around the house or neighbourhood, or washed and given to the homeless who need footwear and are not planning to run a road race in your pre-loved shoes. Wear clothes and use towels that are easy to clean and try to use them more than once, if possible, before washing them, in order to conserve water and soap. For example, for your workout, wear the same t-shirt that you had been wearing the day before for gardening, housework or going out to the shops, and wash it only after you wear it for your workout. Try a mix of activities, e.g. running on Monday and swimming on Tues, to give your workout shoes time to air out in between workouts. 

6. At sporting events, take only what you need. Don't take the goody bag if you don't need the things that come with it. Alternatively, wash the race shirt after wearing it and donate it to the homeless or needy. The caps, water bottles and other items that come in event goody bags can be given to the homeless and needy, or to school sports programmes. Donating items while they are still new and usable is the considerate, thoughtful and generous thing to do.

7. Find ways to double your impact. Plan weekend hikes through urban green lungs and parks, and carry a garbage bag with you to pick up litter. Sign up to volunteer for sports programmes benefitting needy children and differently-abled individuals. Volunteer at an animal shelter and get a full-body workout walking dogs and cleaning kennels. Volunteer for a community garden and get the exercise you need weeding, digging and planting. You are limited only by your own imagination.

Letter to the Editor: Highway Construction Will Hasten Wildlife Extinction

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION WILL HASTEN WILDLIFE EXTINCTION

 

Malaysian social media was set abuzz in the past few days over photographs of a displaced Sumatran serow (Capricornis sumatraensis) in a residential neighbourhood in Ukay Perdana, not far from Taman Rimba Ampang which has recently been closed to the public to facilitate the construction of the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE).

 

Although the sighting of the rare mammal constituted proof of the existence of serows in the forests of Selangor, concerned citizens, environmental activists and wildlife experts expressed their fear that this incident is only the beginning in the irreversible process of destruction of wildlife habitats and the continued displacement, endangerment and local extinction of wildlife once construction of the EKVE begins in earnest. The Sumatran serow is already described in the IUCN Red List as being vulnerable, endangered and in significant decline due to overhunting and habitat loss.

 

Wildlife sighting in urban areas is not cute. It is a sign that habitats are destroyed and fragmented, and wildlife are unable to find food and water, establish territory or reproduce. Wild animals wandering into urban areas are at risk of being poached, poisoned, harassed by people or domestic animals and injured and killed by motor vehicles.

 

Environmental organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund, Forest Stewardship Council and Global Forest Watch have long reported that road and highway construction play a large role in causing habitat and biodiversity loss and species extinction. In their 2002 paper “What Drives Tropical Deforestation?”, scientists Helmut Geist and Eric Lambin reported that overland transport infrastructure, that is, road and highway construction, accounted for 72% of tropical deforestation. Highway and road construction create opportunities for unscrupulous loggers, poachers, developers, vandals, and profiteers to enter into, plunder and destroy previously inaccessible forested areas. Road construction also kills animals and plants directly, and breaks up habitats into fragments too small to sustain wildlife populations.

 

Although the Selangor State Government claims that there is a list of conditions drawn up by the Drainage and Irrigation Department, Public Works Department, and MPAJ’s Planning Department as guidelines in the construction and management of the said expressway, none of these mitigation measures have been made available for public viewing and feedback, and the bewildered and displaced serow is a strong indication that the existing mitigation measures, if any, are insufficient to protect wildlife populations.

 

The extinction of endangered species such as the Sumatran serow is just one of the probable adverse environmental impacts of proceeding with the construction of the EKVE. The construction of the EKVE, which will cut through the Selangor State Park and other forest reserves, will compromise air quality, water resources and other ecosystem services.

 

The Selangor State Government needs to honour its initial promise during the last General Elections to halt or terminate all proposed highway projects. No mitigation measure, wildlife corridor or wildlife barrier can sufficiently protect human and environmental health or wildlife populations in an environmentally-sensitive area such as the Selangor State Park and Ampang and Ulu Gombak forest reserves. The EKVE project needs to be scrapped with immediate effect before further devastation occurs. Despite popular belief, tropical rainforests are not a renewable resource. Old-growth, biologically diverse rainforests cannot just be replanted or replaced. Once logged, it takes decades and centuries for forests to return to their previous status as carbon sinks and water catchment areas. The State Government and MB must cease paying lip service to the ideas of environmental sustainability and social justice, and start taking actions consistent with their claims and election manifesto.

 

WONG EE LYNN

COORDINATOR,
GREEN LIVING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP,
MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY

 

Eco Kids Column: Quick and Easy Watermelon Piñata

PENCINTA ALAM JANUARY 2016

ECO KIDS COLUMN

QUICK AND EASY WATERMELON PINATA

By Wong Ee Lynn

(wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)

The New Year has just begun, and that means a whole year’s worth of parties and celebrations lies ahead of us!

Piñatas are treat-filled papier-mâché or clay shells believed to originate from Europe, but are often associated with Mexico. They were made immensely popular by the USA, and have now become a common sight around the world, including in Malaysia, where children wait eagerly for their turn to strike at and break piñatas at parties.

Piñatas can be expensive to buy, and time-consuming to make.

Here is a quick and easy version of a homemade piñata that uses paper bags and other items found around the home, and wastes far less paper than the traditional cardboard and papier-mâché ones.

THINGS YOU NEED:

1.      A large, sturdy paper bag. You may need to make a few strategic slits in the bag to make it break more easily so that your party guests will not be kept slugging away at the indestructible piñata for hours, like ours had to.

2.      Crepe paper or coloured paper in different colours. We used red, white and green crepe paper left over from another art project, as we wanted to create a watermelon piñata.

3.      A scrap of black construction paper.

4.      Adhesive tape.

5.      Scissors.

6.      Instead of cheap, junky plastic piñata fillers, stuff it with things your guests can use. 

We filled ours with card games, stickers, erasers, pencils, small comic/picture books, sweets, boxes of raisins and packets of roasted seeds and nuts.    

Step 1: While the crepe paper is still folded, cut it into strips. We used a ruler to draw lines on ours to ensure that they are all of uniform width.

Step 2: Cut slits into each strip of folded crepe paper, but do not cut all the way through or you will end up with a pile of little squares that will take you weeks to stick onto your piñata. Make it look like the teeth of a comb – the long ‘spine’ still holds all the ‘teeth’ together.

Step 3: Unfold / unravel the crepe paper strips very, very slowly and carefully, as it will tear easily. Don’t worry, you will get better at it with each strip. Use adhesive tape to stick the strips of the crepe paper to the paper bag. Adhesive tape sticks to the surface of paper bags better than glue. Also, you will not have to wait for glue to dry. Start from the bottom of the bag, and stick each strip of crepe paper slightly overlapping the previous strip. Think of how roof tiles/shingles are laid – Each row slightly overlaps the row beneath it.

Step 4: We taped 3 rows of green paper to the lowest part of the bag to form the watermelon ‘outer skin’, one row of white paper as the ‘rind’, and covered the rest in red so that it would resemble a ripe, juicy, rectangular slice of watermelon. Cover the entire piñata in crepe paper strips, including the bottom. Fill up any gaps with smaller strips of crepe paper to hide the paper bag.

Step 5: Cut out a bunch of tear-shaped watermelon ‘seeds’ out of black construction paper. Use adhesive tape to stick these ‘seeds’ to the slice of watermelon in a semi-circle or curve, just as you see in watermelons in real life.

Step 6: Fill up the paper bag and seal the mouth of the paper bag. The handles of the paper bag can be tied around a long pole (if the piñata is to be held by one or two persons) or suspended from a string from the ceiling or a tree branch.

There are so many designs you can create with a cuboid paper bag. It doesn’t have to be a watermelon slice. You can make it your favourite colour and add your initials in a contrasting colour. You can make a rainbow piñata, a flag piñata, a stripy piñata, a patchwork quilt of scrap coloured paper, or an ombre piñata in your favourite colour starting with the lightest shade to the darkest. You could try covering your piñata in blue crepe paper ruffles and add fish and marine creatures cut out of bright-coloured construction paper, or cover it in black paper and add stars and planets and rockets. Or you might want to turn it into a big, silver cuboid robot.

If you wish to go the extra mile in not wasting paper and resources, you could collect a bunch of old catalogues and magazines and cut out the coloured portions and sort them into piles according to colour before pasting them on your piñata.  

If you are filling a piñata for adults or for a mixed family crowd, you could add eco-friendly gifts such as reusable shopping bags and cotton handkerchiefs and fun things such as brain teasers, mini puzzles, decks of cards, coins, snacks and leftover travel/event souvenirs such as key chains, stress balls and mobile phone pouches. Do NOT add anything liquid, such as small bottles of body wash, perfume or soap bubble solution, or pudding and jelly cups, as the bottles or cups may break when hit and the liquid will soak all the other piñata contents. If you are adding snacks and sweets, do not add soap, candles or anything strongly-scented, or your guests may end up with chips and sweets that smell and taste of soap. 

Remember to provide your guests with used envelopes or paper bags to store their piñata loot in. We forgot to provide our guests with bags and they carried their goodies home in their pockets and inside their shirts.

Use your imagination and find ways to throw a great party without generating too much waste!

A Beginner's Guide To A Plant-Based Diet

PENCINTA ALAM JAN 2016
GREEN LIVING COLUMN
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO A PLANT-BASED DIET

By Wong Ee Lynn
(wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)

Former California Governor and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger recently made waves in the news when he urged people to try to go meat-free once or twice a week for the sake of the environment. Recognising that many people would find it challenging to go fully vegetarian, he wisely pointed out that "People will buy in to stop eating meat one or two days a week - you have to start slowly. It's a very big challenge but it doesn't mean it shouldn't be done."

The factory farming industry has a very large carbon footprint. Producing 1kg of meat protein is calculated to take between 3 and 10kg of vegetable protein.

Emissions from farming, forestry and fisheries have nearly doubled over the past 50 years and may increase by another 30% by 2050, according to the United Nations.

Most of the emissions from meat farming come from belching livestock and nitrogen fertilisers.

People go vegetarian and vegan for many reasons -- religious, health, environmental and ethical -- and all these reasons are commendable. Whether you are a full-time vegan or vegetarian or someone trying to reduce his or her meat intake, all efforts to eat fewer animal products should be encouraged and applauded. No effort is too small or negligible. We may not volunteer for environmental organisations, clean up oceans, plant trees, or save endangered wildlife every day, BUT we do eat every day, and therefore even small changes to our diet will make a large difference over time.

Here are ways to gradually reduce your intake of meat and animal products and transition to a plant-based diet, tried and tested by the vegetarian subcommittee members of the Green Living Special Interest Group:

1. Identify good reasons for going vegetarian or reducing meat consumption. If  your goal is to impress somebody you like or just to reduce enough weight for a special occasion, you might not stick with the goal for long. To remind yourself of your reasons and goals, it may be helpful to visit websites such as Mercy for Animals (http://www.mercyforanimals.org/), Humane Society International (http://hsi.org/), and One Green Planet (http://www.onegreenplanet.org/) or watch documentaries such as Earthlings to educate, empower and motivate yourself. Be forewarned, though, that the graphic images in some of these documentaries can evoke strong emotions.

2. Start small. Meatless Monday is an easy, painless way to start. Increase it to two days a week, and then increase it until you can be a Weekday Vegetarian. When you are ready, transition into a full time vegetarian and finally, into a vegan.

3. Start by eating lower on the food chain. "First, four legs, then two legs, then no legs" is a good way to start. What it means is that you start by eliminating beef, mutton, pork and venison from your diet, and once you are able to do this, move on to eliminating poultry, and finally, eliminate seafood, fish, eggs and dairy from your diet.

4. Mark 'cheat days', for example, parties and holiday dinners, into your calendar so that you will not feel deprived if you are accustomed to enjoying meat. Make a conscious effort to go vegetarian on all the other days leading up to the 'cheat days'. Allowing yourself 'cheat days' makes the transition easier. Over time, you will find that your body no longer craves meat or animal products and you can go without 'cheat days'. Don't feel guilty about relapses or occasional cravings. You need to feel positive, confident and joyful about the decision you are making to eat less meat for the environment and animals, and guilt and negativity are unproductive. If you do relapse, just get back into the groove of meatless meals as soon as you can.

5. Keep healthy, satisfying vegetarian snacks and ready-to-eat meals at home and at work so that you will not be tempted to relapse. Many people believe that vegetarian foods are not filling or nutritious, because they tend to choose processed food filled with carbohydrates and sodium or sugar, or fruits and vegetables without a protein component to fill an empty belly. Have a variety of sweet and savoury snacks at hand, for example, nuts, hummus, high-fibre crackers, roast soybeans, air-dried noodles, vegetable soup stock, frozen vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, carrot and celery sticks, and peanut butter and other spreads. 

6. Prepare vegetarian food to bring to parties and gatherings so that you will have something meatless to eat. It is also a good way to introduce others to vegetarian food. Chances are, there will be at least one other vegetarian there. Don't be afraid to make the same dish for every gathering if it very popular the first time around.

7. Identify good sources of vegetarian protein, calcium and iron that do not involve supplements, powdered shakes, and mock meat. Reduce the consumption of processed foods and mock meat, as the latter is filled with sodium and empty calories. Hummus, chickpeas and edamame beans are rich in protein. Kale, alfalfa, spinach, broccoli, beetroot and kailan are rich in calcium and iron. Find something you like and don't be afraid to eat it often, as it is preferable to making something you hate and having to throw the leftovers out.

8. Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to get your minimum of five-a-day. Use sauces, dressings and other hacks to train yourself to like fruits and vegetables you would not usually eat. Grind or chop up vegetables to add to pasta sauce or soup. Blend beetroot or kale with chickpeas to make delicious and addictive hummus spreads. Add vegetables to smoothies and disguise their flavour with lots of fruits (e.g. carrots with oranges, beetroot with strawberries). I have also found that hardly anyone would turn down a colourful and vitamin-laden salad if you chop everything up finely and dress the salad with sesame dressing for an Oriental-style salad, or with salsa and corn chips for a Southwestern taco salad. 

9. Visit websites such as Happy Cow (www.happycow.net/) or download apps such as Kindmeal.my (http://www.kindmeal.my/) to make the search for vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants easier. Set yourself goals such as to try a new restaurant or a new food each week.

10. Visit websites such as Vegan Richa (www.veganricha.com/) and One Green Planet (http://www.onegreenplanet.org/) for easy vegetarian and vegan recipes. Don't be afraid to try new foods and recipes, and at the same time, don't be afraid to keep repeating a handful of recipes that you do like. Keep a few staples in your pantry and stock your refrigerator so that you do not run out of fresh produce and vegetarian ingredients.

11. If you are just starting out as a vegetarian and want to try a meatless meal, go for vegan versions of your favourite meals, e.g. lasagna, pizza or curry. This will increase the chances of you liking the vegan version, and there will always be a go-to dish you can rely on when faced with a menu full of things you are uncertain about.

12. Don't expect substitutes to taste like meat. They usually don't. Mushrooms will taste like mushrooms and chickpeas will taste like chickpeas. If you expect any different, you might develop the impression that a particular meatless dish tastes 'weird', 'fake' or 'inferior to meat'.

13. People often claim that vegetarian meals are unhealthy and expensive. They are not. Going vegetarian isn't unhealthy -- eating mock meat and processed food is. Vegetables and fruits aren't more expensive than meat, even if you are buying mostly organic -- but eating out in restaurants all the time or buying imported and processed foods (especially substitutes such as vegan cheese and almond milk) can be! Make wise choices according to your budget and nutritional needs.

14. Make your meals attractive so that you will look forward to eating them. A bento box filled with colourful sliced vegetables and neat sandwiches is easy and inexpensive to prepare and pack, and fun and convenient to eat.
 

15. Find other ways to green your meals. Buy local, seasonal and organic whenever possible. Choose products with the least plastic and packaging. Go for fresh or frozen instead of processed foods. Choose products with no vegetable oils that are linked to deforestation and environmental destruction.

16. Be a joyful vegetarian. Prepare and eat meals that make you feel good. Don't isolate your friends who are not vegetarian. Don't preach or brag about your choice to go vegetarian or shame others for what they choose to eat. Join friends for meals out and parties, but choose the vegetarian option or bring a dish you can eat, so that you will not feel left out. Most restaurants have at least a few vegetarian options, or are happy to customise a dish for you. Be positive and optimistic, for many others like you are also making a conscious effort to consume sustainably, responsibly and compassionately!

Letter to the Editor: Get Serious Against Turtle Egg Consumption

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

GET SERIOUS AGAINST TURTLE EGG CONSUMPTION

 

At least once a year, volunteers from the Malaysian Nature Society assist local turtle conservation and management centres by cleaning up the premises, sprucing up turtle quarantine ponds and hatcheries, carrying out beach clean-ups and releasing turtle hatchlings. Our volunteers include children as young as two, in the hope that our efforts will go a little way towards ensuring the continued survival of these amazing and gentle marine animals. A lot of resources have gone into educating the local communities on the need to protect turtle populations, and discouraging littering, poaching and turtle egg consumption.

 

And this is what makes the incident in which Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Beluran UMNO Division Chief Datuk James Ratib were photographed dining at a restaurant in which large quantities of turtle eggs were served all the more disheartening and disappointing. More dispiriting still are the excuses made expressing ignorance, firstly of what type of eggs were on the table, next, of the menu and the decision to serve turtle eggs, and then, of the law prohibiting the sale and consumption of turtle eggs in the state of Sabah. At no point did the Minister express regret or outrage that the turtle eggs were served, or support for conservation laws protecting endangered species such as turtles. The Minister’s dismissive responses and claim of ignorance of the law further reflect poorly on the mindset of those in a decision-making capacity in relation to issues of environmental and wildlife conservation and animal protection.

 

As a Minister with such an important portfolio, his plea of ignorance – that he was not aware of what eggs they were, that he did not know turtle eggs would be served, and that he was not aware it was illegal to sell and consume turtle eggs – is unacceptable. Not only is it clear from the photographic evidence that the Minister did not object to the fact that turtle eggs were served and consumed, it is also a matter of concern that he repeatedly attempted to deflect blame, first to the organisers of the event, then to the restaurateur, and most recently to unknown and unnamed “outsiders” without acknowledging that a wildlife crime had been committed, that he had been a party to it whether intentionally or otherwise, and that he has a duty to cooperate with the authorities and wildlife NGOs to ensure that action is taken against those responsible for the offence. Whether or not the Minister had himself consumed the turtle eggs due to his claim of high cholesterol levels is less important than the fact that he had witnessed a wildlife offence and did not feel that it was his responsibility to address or stop it. Malaysian citizens do not need to know if a Minister has high cholesterol levels. We do, however, need to know that when an elected representative witnesses a crime, he or she is willing to call out the guilty parties, stop the crime, prevent a reoccurrence and do whatever it is within his or her power to ensure laws are enforced expeditiously and fairly.

 

Malaysia already has a reputation, internationally, as a hub for wildlife trafficking, trade and exploitation.  Marine pollution, coastal development and erosion, destructive fishing methods, deliberate poaching and turtle egg consumption have all contributed to a drastic decline in turtle populations. According to WWF Malaysia, leatherback turtle populations have declined by more than 99% and Olive Ridley turtles by more than 95%, while Hawksbill and Green turtle populations have decreased since the 1970s and only recently appeared to have stabilised in certain states thanks to concerted conservation, education, awareness and enforcement efforts. Even with the best of intervention measures, turtle survival rates remain low, with only an estimated one in a thousand hatchlings surviving to maturity and breeding age.

 

I believe I speak for all concerned citizens when I urge that the state wildlife authorities investigate this matter thoroughly, that all elected representatives take a firm stance against the exploitation of and trade in wildlife and endangered species, including but not limited to the consumption of turtle eggs, and that the sale and consumption of turtle eggs be removed from state jurisdiction and be made a Federal offence.

 

The matter at hand is not a political one. The offence is not less heinous or more easily condoned had it been associated with someone linked with another political party, or individuals with no political affiliations at all. The trade in and exploitation of endangered species and the destruction of Malaysia’s natural heritage should be the concern of all rational and responsible human beings as denizens of the planet, and not merely the concern of ‘environmental organisations’ and ‘conservation groups’.

 

 

 

WONG EE LYNN

COORDINATOR,

GREEN LIVING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP,

MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY, SELANGOR

 

Holiday Gift Exchange Alternatives

PENCINTA ALAM DECEMBER 2015
ECO KIDS COLUMN
HOLIDAY GIFT EXCHANGE ALTERNATIVES
By Wong Ee Lynn
(wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)

 

 

The end of the year is approaching, and with it comes Christmas, End-of-Year and New Year parties and family reunions. It is great to be able to spend time with family and friends, but having to buy gifts for everyone is rough on the pocket and the environment! Too often, we end up buying cheap trinkets because we have run out of money and ideas. This year, instead of buying more unnecessary gifts that will end up in landfills, do consider some of these alternatives to the traditional holiday gift exchange:

 

 

1. POOL TOGETHER MONEY FOR A WORTHY CAUSE

Whether it's to provide Orang Asli families with Nokero solar light bulbs (https://www.facebook.com/ProjectLightAHome/) or to raise funds for the endangered sun bear (www.bsbcc.org.my/), announce your chosen cause ahead of time, put up posters and buntings explaining your cause, and put out a decorated money tin or jar to collect contributions for your chosen cause. Each guest anonymously contributes what she or he can afford to. To make things for fun, organise one or two themed games such as a solar lamp treasure hunt in the dark or Pin-The-Yellow-Bib-On-The-Sun-Bear's-Chest.

 

2. HAVE A HOLIDAY VOLUNTEER PROJECT

Instead of making waste, make memories! Gather supplies and get your guests to sit down for an after-meal session of repairing and covering books for a community library, writing postcards to senior citizens or children in hospitals, turning old t-shirts and cardboard tubes into toys for shelter animals, sorting clothes and toiletries for the homeless, collecting and packing food for the underprivileged, baking pet treats for an animal shelter, making bird feeders or making a meal for the homeless and underprivileged. If you live near a park or forested area, have an after-meal walk and give out garbage bags and cotton gardening gloves to get your guests to help clean up the area. Planting trees and edible plants to provide food for birds and wildlife would be a good idea as well. Some guests might find this initially less exciting than receiving a wrapped gift, but they will change their minds once they look back on the photos in months to come, and think of the positive difference they made.

 

3. HAVE A CRAFTING OR BAKING SESSION

Inform your guests in advance what supplies you wish them to purchase, or what equipment (baking trays, rolling pins, scissors) you want them to bring. Ensure you have all the items, equipment and instructions you need. Guests then work together to make crafts for each other, and extras can go to charity. You can bake cakes and cookies or make sweets and jellies, and if crafting, you can make soaps, rainbow crayons, Perler/Pyssla bead ornaments, handmade cards, bracelets, lanyard keychains and other items to give to each other, sell to raise funds for charity, or give as gifts to women and children in shelter homes.

 

4. HAVE A BOOK EXCHANGE

Each guest should bring 1-2 books that are in good condition. School books, text books, magazines, anything outdated, and colouring/activity books that have been used/scribbled in, and diaries/notebooks are ineligible for the book exchange. The books should ideally be story books or non-fiction books that you have yourself enjoyed and are ready to pass on to someone else. At the end of the party, each guest chooses a book to bring home, and as such will have reading material that is new to him or her. Books that are not taken at the end of the day can be donated to a community library.

 

5. SANTA MISSION WITH A TWIST

 

Do you know the names of the cleaners, security guards, librarians, gardeners and cooks at your school, apartment or neighbourhood? What about the postmen, road sweepers, rubbish collectors, and people who cut the grass and unclog the drains? Often they live far from their families and work hard for very little pay, doing work that no-one else wants to do. Inform your guests that you will be making gifts for these special and hardworking individuals. They can also add other worthy recipients to the list. Each guest brings a little something -- snacks, baked goods, fruits, toiletries and practical or fun items, and adds them to bags for each recipient. Go out and deliver your gifts together to your chosen recipients and wish them a happy holiday.

 

6. GIVE A GIFT OF TIME

If your gift exchange is traditionally restricted to family, you might want to consider giving your loved ones a gift of time by offering to do certain chores for them, e.g. walking and bathing the family dog, cleaning the cat litter trays for a week, cleaning the interior and exterior of the family car, spring cleaning the storeroom, babysitting a younger sibling or packing school lunches for a younger sibling. Again, while this might not seem as exciting as receiving a wrapped gift, your acts of kindness and service can be of immense help to a loved one during a busy and stressful holiday period and will be more deeply appreciated than another plastic trinket or coffee mug.

 

7. HAVE A COOKIE OR SNACK EXCHANGE

If you and your friends enjoy baking, hold a cookie/baked treats exchange where you each bake a large tray of goodies and then trade with your friends so that each one goes home with a variety of treats. If baking is not your thing, have a snack exchange where you bring your favourite snack and attach a note to it informing others why you like this treat (e.g. it is a traditional snack from your hometown, or eating it reminds you of a beloved aunt or cousin) At the end of the party, each guest brings home someone else's favourite snack. It is a good way of learning more about a friend and the things he or she likes. Although some snacks may come in plastic packaging, a snack as a gift is still less wasteful than a plastic trinket.

 

8. HAVE A PLANT EXCHANGE

If you are able to give your guests at least 2-3 weeks' notice of your party, get everyone to grow something in a pot, either from seed or clippings. On the day of the party, exchange your plants so you will each have something new to green your home with. Be aware, though, that some plants can be harmful to pets and young children, so do look it up online to ensure that your chosen plant is safe to be given away. Mint, pandan, lemongrass, spider plants, orchids, ferns, air plants, jade plants and most succulents are all reported to be safe for pets and young children.

 

9. PLAY THE AFFIRMATION GAME

Instead of a store-bought gift, give your friends the gift of love and validation. For each guest, you need a pen and a thick sheet of colourful construction paper. You can cut the construction paper into shapes of trees or stars for a more festive touch. Use double-sided tape to stick the construction paper to the back of each guest. Guests go around writing nice things on each other's construction papers, either noting someone's good qualities (e.g. "You are generous with your colour pencils") or thanking them for specific kind gestures (e.g. "Thank you for being my first friend when I moved to this school"). At the end of the game, guests carefully peel their cards off their backs and read all the nice things written about them. This can be a very empowering and encouraging game to play, especially in a classroom environment. This is a gift most people would love to look at over and over again, especially when they are feeling blue.

 

10. HAVE AN EXPERIENCE GIFT

Spending time with and on your loved ones is far more meaningful than spending money. It is sad to see gift recipients shutting themselves up in their rooms with their new electronic gadgets, isolating themselves from the rest of the family, on a day when you should all be connecting with one another. Instead of material gifts, organise an experience gift for your family or a group of your best friends. Paddleboarding, parasailing, ice skating, laser tag, paintball and concerts are all fantastic experience gifts if you can afford it, but if you can't, you can always go camping, jungle trekking, birdwatching, stargazing and volunteering. If the Great Outdoors isn't your thing, have a challenge where you and your friends go on a day-long LRT/bus ride to photograph yourselves at a predetermined list of 50 famous landmarks. Material gifts can increase isolation and resentment (i.e. from not getting what one had asked for, or from comparing gifts with those received by others) but spending time together will bring you closer together. 

 

Have an environmentally-responsible holiday season and a very Happy New Year, everyone!