The Green Living Donation and Disposal Checklist

PENCINTA ALAM FEB 2014

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

THE GREEN LIVING DONATION AND DISPOSAL CHECKLIST

By Wong Ee Lynn

gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

The Green Living Special Interest Group often receives inquiries on how to recycle, donate or dispose of particularly troublesome items. Seeing as that most people would be carrying out spring cleaning in the first quarter of the year, we have compiled a list of organisations and disposal methods for particular items. As this list is not an exhaustive one and is mostly relevant to those living in the Klang Valley, we welcome all your suggestions and recommendations at gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

1. Dry cell batteries and used light bulbs: Ikea (at No.2 Jalan PJU 7/2, Mutiara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya) provides bins for the collection of used batteries and lightbulbs for recycling and safe disposal at the Lower Ground Floor, right outside the checkout counters, to the left of the wrapping counter.

2. Leftover paint: There is no reason why you cannot store leftover pain for reuse in touch-up paint jobs. If the quantity is large, you can call up the nearest schools and community centres to ask if they need the paint for school/community beautification projects. If the quantity of leftover paint is small, you can save them for touch-up jobs or to paint repaired and refurbished furniture and wooden pallets and crates. If the paint has dried up, check with Alam Flora or your local waste collection facility to see if you can send the cans for recycling or put them out for collection with your usual rubbish. Seal the paint cans securely with their lids to prevent small animals or birds from getting trapped inside the cans.

3. Old mattresses: This is a tricky item to deal with. What is the reason you are throwing out an old mattress? If it is damp, torn, stained or damaged, then it belongs in a landfill. Tie it up with string and put it out for collection with your usual rubbish. If it is usable and clean, put it out in the sun for a few days to get rid of moisture and odors. Check with organisations such as Reach Out Malaysia (Email: stand.o.fish@gmail.com) to see if there are street folks who could use a mattress. Be prepared to deliver the mattress yourself, as most non-profit organisations are volunteer-run and lacking in manpower and resources.

4. Old clothes, household items and knick-knacks: There are several organisations that collect such items for reuse, recycling and redistribution to the needy. Lovely Nursing Centre for the disabled has a charity shop in a shophouse in SS26/6, Taman Mayang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, which collects household items, books and decorative items for resale. Pertubuhan Amal Sri Sinar (http://recyclecharity.org/en/) has orange-coloured donation bins with hutches in various locations in the Klang Valley, and also has mobile collection services every weekend from 8.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. in Taman Megah PJ, Puchong and other locations. The Buddhist Tzu-Chi Merit Society has a large donation bin in Centrepoint, Bandar Utama. Clothes for men can be donated to Reach Out Malaysia for their street clients, which consist mostly of men.

What NOT to give: Please dispose of all broken and damaged items. Clothes that are too stained, dirty, or torn should not be donated but should be used as rags. You can also donate torn and stained clothes to the nearest animal shelter for use as animal bedding, or give them to your mechanic to use as garage rags.

5. Airtight lidded plastic jars and coffee mugs: You know those transparent plastic containers with screw-on red plastic lids that your festive cookies come in? Please wash and dry them and save them, along with coffee mugs, for our indigenous friends to use in their kitchens. Gerai OA, a non-profit fairtrade organisation, will collect them from you at their stall/booth during events. To find out their schedule of events, go to: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.96049827366.86091.29058727366&type=3#!/geraioa?fref=ts. Note: Please ensure that the jars have not been used to hold non-food items such as soap or household chemicals to avoid contamination and poisoning.

6. Infants' and children's toys: Please clean and dry your unwanted toys for donation to a local non-profit organisation, Need To Feed The Need (NFN) (Email: nfn.official@gmail.com) for distribution to needy children living in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur. Please ensure that toys are not broken, damaged or dirty. Toys must be in good working condition and should not be too bulky or heavy as the children and their mothers often have to walk some distance to collect food and other donations.

7. Old cell phones and cell phone batteries: Nokia Malaysia accepts all old phones for recycling. You can drop off your old phones in the box at the Nokia office in Amcorp Mall, from 9.00-6.00 pm on weekdays. The address is Suite W-10-21, 10th Floor Melawangi Business Suites, Amcorp. Contact number: 03-79572211. (Thank you to Gan Li-Kim for the recce work!)

8. Old magazines: Old but not outdated or torn magazines can be donated to your usual clinic, hair salon, barber shop, or mechanic for their waiting area. Please do not give catalogues, junk mail or TV channel guides. These items belong in the recycling bin.

9. Old books: Children's books can be given to local non-profit organisations such as Kawan-Kawan Mari Kita Membaca (Email: info@marikitamembaca /rusaslina.idrus@gmail.com) or The Revolving Library (https://www.facebook.com/therevolvinglibrary/info) for their education and literacy programmes for underprivileged children. Books for adults can be donated to the Lions Club of Petaling Jaya via their donation bin in Naga's Restaurant, Brickfields, or donated to Green Living (Email: gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com) for fundraising purposes.

10. Electronic and electrical appliances: There are currently no known electronic waste collectors in Malaysia that are certified by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. Most backyard e-waste collectors will just strip electronic devices of metals that can be recovered for recycling, and then the other components will end up in the landfill. Consider whether you can try to repair and reuse the particular device. Google the address of the local office of your electrical appliance's manufacturer and find out if they have "producer take-back" measures in Malaysia. Most computer manufacturers will accept old PCs, notebooks, batteries and other devices for recycling. In the case of electrical or battery-operated devices with simple components such as alarm clocks, table lamps and blenders, if they are beyond repair, you could try to take them apart entirely and separate the components into plastic, metal and glass for recycling.

11. Old furniture: Old but usable furniture made of real wood, bamboo or metal can be cleaned up and donated to charity. Organisations such as Pertubuhan Amal Sri Sinar (Contact: 03 4297 7022) will come to your home to pick up bulky items such as sofa sets, bicycles and refrigerators, but please do your part by ensuring that the items you wish to donate are clean and in good working condition. Furniture made of plywood, fibreboard and medium-density fibreboard (MDF) should not be donated as they usually have been treated with formaldehyde, and over time formaldehyde can leach out and cause poisoning and contamination. This is especially so when the said items of furniture have been exposed to heat and moisture. They should instead be taken apart and tied or bagged up for collection with usual rubbish. Hopefully, in future there will be better, safer ways of recycling or disposing of MDF, plywood and fibreboard products, and they will be manufactured using safer methods and chemicals.

12. Expired medicine: Expired medicine should not be disposed of in landfills or down water treatment systems, but should be dropped off in the collection boxes at government hospitals, (e.g. Hospital Kuala Lumpur) for safe disposal. (Source: http://www.pharmacy.gov.my/v2/en/content/return-your-medicines-program.html)

Letter to the Editor: Car Safety, Performance and Environmental Ratings Depend On More Factors Than Just Age

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

CAR SAFETY, PERFORMANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL RATINGS DEPEND ON MORE FACTORS THAN JUST AGE

In coming to a decision on whether to impose a mandatory 12-year cap on the lifespan of private vehicles, the Ministry of Transport should consider the feedback of citizens, organisations and professional bodies. (The Star, 20 Nov 2013).  The safety, performance and environmental ratings of vehicles depend on more factors than just their age.

The automotive industry, understandably, sees increased sales as a much-needed shot in the arm for the industry and the nation's economy. However, from an environmental point of view, purchasing used goods, including automobiles, is a wise decision as it reduces the need to extract and transport raw materials. Buying a car the second time around also means we avoid consuming all the energy used in producing and transporting a new vehicle, and hence significantly reducing the generation of waste matter and carbon emissions.

The environmental cost of a new car is high. Researchers at the Heidelberg Environment and Forecasting Institute who computed the financial, environmental and health impacts of a medium-sized car found evidence to confirm that long before the car has reached the showroom, it has produced significant amounts of damage to air, water and land ecosystems through the extraction of raw materials alone. A 2004 analysis by Toyota found that as much as 28 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions generated during the lifecycle of a typical petroleum-powered car can occur during its manufacture and its transportation to the dealer; the remaining emissions occur during driving once its new owner takes possession.  Even new hybrid vehicles, despite lower emissions and better mileage, actually have a much larger environmental impact in their manufacture, compared to non-hybrids. The batteries that store energy for the drivetrain and having two engines under one hood all increase manufacturing emissions. Thus, the environmental impact of manufacturing a car extends way beyond the car's useful life.

According to Andrew Davis, director of the UK Environmental Transport Association, "Of all the main environmental variables involved with buying a car - size, pollutants, age, speed, etc – whether to buy new or used is the least important. It is the length of time a car is kept that is crucial. The average car is kept for four years. Buying a new car and keeping it for its entire life is more environmentally friendly than buying a one-year-old car every year".

The Transport Minister’s argument that a 12-year cap on thelifespan of cars is “in the public interest” and that it “would not create anunnecessary financial burden” on citizens is not supported by evidence. There are currently insufficient realistic alternatives to private vehicle ownership in Malaysia. The public transport system is often unreliable and unavailable to those living outside the city centre. High crime rates have made walking, cycling and waiting for public transport unsafe and unattractive options for many. Most employers are still unable or unwilling to offer employees the option of telecommuting or working from home to reduce the need for driving and commuting. A 12-year cap on private vehicle lifespan would almost certainly place an additional economic burden on citizens forced to take up loans for new vehicles.

From a vehicle safety and performance perspective, it is foreseeable that many lower-income individuals forced to give up sturdier older vehicles would be able to afford nothing more than the cheapest cars which have low safety ratings and negligible safety features. Thus, forcing vehicle owners to replace their old cars would not only increase household debt, but also have an adverse impact on road safety and traffic accident survival rates.

Claiming that older cars are unsafe and not roadworthy is overly simplistic, while setting a lifespan cap of 12 years is arbitrary. The articleciting the statements of the Director-General of the Malaysian Institute ofRoad Safety Research (MIROS) does not provide traffic accident statistics or indicate the percentage of vehicles involved in accidents that are above 12 years old.

The performance of cars depends on many factors, including the frequency and quality of service and maintenance, and whether repairs and modifications are made to improve efficiency. Vehicle and road safety almost always depends on factors such as the vehicle condition (steering, brakes and tyres), the driver’s mental and physical condition, and road and traffic conditions (lighting, weather conditions, visibility). Whether someone is likely to survive a major road accident depends on other safety factors such as the weight, height and length of the vehicle, vehicle construction (e.g. pickup trucks and SUVs may have bettter reinforcement and safety cage designs), seatbelt use, airbags and head restraints (i.e. headrests to prevent whiplash injury). None of these are dependent on the age of a car. Many safety features could be easily retrofitted into older cars, while newer cars that are cheaply built, poorly maintained or have an existing crash history would not fare better than older vehicles in an accident.

The idea that we should replace our cars merely because they are 'old' has no economic or environmental legitimacy.  Ultimately, how and when we choose to drive, and how we maintain our vehicles, are more important than whether we buy used or new cars when considering the question of how safe, efficient or environmentally sound a vehicle is.

WONG EE LYNN

COORDINATOR, GREEN LIVING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY (MNS)

Eco Kids Column: Reusing Children's Artwork

PENCINTA ALAM DEC 2013
ECO KIDS COLUMN

REUSING CHILDREN'S ARTWORK
By Wong Ee Lynn
(gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)


(Image credits: The Imagination Tree. http://theimaginationtree.com/tag/reusing-artwork)

The school year has come to an end, and without doubt you would have accumulated many masterpieces from various art sessions at school and at home. What can you do with all your paintings and drawings? There is only so much space on the refrigerator for displaying your artwork. How do you decide which to keep, which to throw away and which ones to give away? Here are some ideas you can try out to manage your collection of artwork. 

1. REDUCE AND RECYCLEGive yourself a limited storage space, for example, a large folder or a keepsake box. Choose only your best work to store in the folder or box. For every 1 item you decide to keep, you should discard 5. If you find it too difficult to part with your labour of love, then use a digital camera to take photos of your artwork and store them in a folder on the computer or on a thumbdrive. Label the folder with the year and your name. You will no doubt produce more artwork with each passing year, so you may wish to go through the physical folder or box to select only the best pieces of work to keep. Put the rest of your artwork in the paper recycling bin.


2. LETTERS AND POSTCARDSNot many people send letters or postcards by post these days, but sending and receiving snail-mail brings a special kind of pleasure. Our grandparents, especially, love to hear from us by snail-mail, even if they do see us in person or talk to us on the phone from time-to-time. You can turn some of your best artwork into letters and postcards to be mailed to loved ones. For letters, choose artwork which uses only one side of the paper. The other side of the paper should remain clean and blank for writing on. For postcards, choose the best part of your artwork, and crop it out to postcard size and shape. Paste that part of your drawing/painting on a piece of cardboard (old greeting cards, thick envelopes and cereal boxes will do fine). Write your message on the back of the postcard. Remember to leave space on the right for the mailing address. Fill in the address, add a stamp, and you are ready to mail your unique postcard to someone special.


3. GIFT WRAPUse your larger paintings and drawings as giftwrap. This is an especially good use for patterned paper, for example, when you do potato stamp printing, marble printing or leaf printing in art class.


4. GIFT TAGS AND BOOKMARKSSome parts of an artwork may be more attractive and well coloured-in than the others. Cut out those portions to be used as gift tags or bookmarks. You may want to paste them onto strips of cardboard (again, you can use cereal boxes, thick envelopes, old greeting cards and hard magazine covers). Alternatively, you can fold them into origami hearts to use as gift tags. (Instructions for origami hearts here: http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-hearts.html‎)

5. TURN THEM INTO JIGSAW PUZZLES

Draw jigsaw puzzle-type lines on the back of your drawing and cut along the lines. Put the puzzle pieces in a used envelope and hand it to a sibling or friend to put together on a rainy day indoors.

6. PERSONALISED BEDROOM DECOR

Coat a small box or tin evenly with craft glue and paste your drawings or paintings on the surface of the box or tin. Smooth out wrinkles and trim edges before the glue dries. Now you have unique and personalised keepsake boxes and pencil caddies for your bedroom. 

7. HAPPY CANS

Are your family members collecting cans and jars of food for the underprivileged? It is nice to add a personalised touch to your donations to let the recipients know that you are thinking of them. Cut your colourful artwork into circles that fit the top of the jars and cans of food. Stick your artwork on the cans or jars using a small piece of tape. You should not obscure the expiry date or ingredients list. Imagine how cheered up the recipient would feel to see the amount of thought you put into your donations. 

8. LANTERNS AND LUMINARIES

If an artwork is done on thin paper, cut it down to size that it can be wrapped around a stocky glass jar without overlapping. Use craft glue to paste the artwork around the jar. Add a lit tealight candle to the jar, and you have a luminary illuminating your very own artwork. If a particular work of art is created on thick paper or card, turn them into Chinese paper lanterns (see picture) that you can hang up to add a festive touch to your house. 

Green Resolutions for the New Year

PENCINTA ALAM DECEMBER 2013
GREEN LIVING COLUMN

GREEN RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

by Wong Ee Lynn
(gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)



(Image credits: Planetpals.com)

2013 will soon come to an end, and whether or not you are in the habit of making New Year resolutions, there is never a better time than today to start taking action to reduce pollution and carbon emissions and conserve energy and resources. Here are some suggestions that you may wish to consider or improvise on, if they are not already part of your lifestyle:


1. RESOLVE TO GREEN YOUR DIET. 
Start with a resolution to cook at least four meals a week in your home from fresh, organic ingredients. A vegan diet has the smallest carbon footprint, followed by a vegetarian diet. If you are not already vegetarian, try going vegetarian once a week, and slowly increase it to every other meal. Cutting meat out of your diet just two days a week can decrease your carbon footprint by about 1/3 of a tonne — and coming up with meat-free meals for Saturday and Sunday isn't as hard as it sounds. Visit a local organic farm or organic grocery store, or subscribe to an organic veggie box delivery service if one is available in your residential area. The benefits are almost immediate. A study conducted by scientists at Emory University and the University of Washington revealed that children eating conventional diets all tested positive for common pesticides in their systems. Within a week of switching to an organic diet, the pesticides in their bodies dropped to undetectable levels. When the children switched back to their conventional diets, pesticide levels rose too.


2. RESOLVE TO GREEN YOUR TRANSPORT.
Consider going without a car – you’ll not only save money on the purchase, you’ll save on insurance and maintenance. If it’s impractical to completely give up driving due to safety and other practicality considerations, try to carpool or take alternative transportation – such as a bike or bus. Or seek out the most fuel-efficient vehicle you can afford. Plan your errands and trips to reduce the distance you have to drive. If you do drive, make sure your car is serviced regularly to ensure optimum performance and fuel efficiency.


3. GREEN YOUR DRINKING WATER.
Trade your bottled water habit for an at-home filter system and you can help make a dent in the 1.5 million barrels of oil used to make plastic water bottles each year. Pair it with a reusable bottle (like one made of glass, aluminum, or BPA-free recycled plastic), and you'll always be prepared to tackle your thirst. Remember to bring your refillable water bottle along with you whenever you leave the house (together with your reusable shopping bags and food takeout containers). Impose a "fine" on family members who forget and end up buying bottled water.


4. ELIMINATE 5 DISPOSABLE OR HEAVILY PACKAGED ITEMS FROM YOUR SHOPPING LIST.
When you stop buying paper kitchen towels and wet wipes, you will have to make a habit out of using washable rags and handkerchiefs. When you cut single-serve packaged items such as individual packets of cereal and 3-in-1 coffee mix out of your shopping list, you will have to make a habit out of making breakfast and beverages from scratch or pour from a bulk container. Often, we reach for heavily-packaged and wasteful items merely because they are within reach and convenient. Therefore, make some adjustments to your life and lifestyle to reduce waste.

5. GREEN YOUR SHOPPING.
Give up paper and plastic bags. Twelve million barrels of oil were used to make the 88.5 billion plastic bags given out in the United States last year. And it takes four times more energy to make paper bags.The best choice is reusable shopping bags made of cotton, nylon or durable, mesh-like plastic. Put a few reusable shopping bags in your car so you have them handy on your next shopping trip. And if you happen to forget your reusable bag, choose paper if you will recycle it or plastic if you will reuse or recycle it. To help you remember to bring your shopping bags with you, here is the link to the July 2011 Green Living column: http://mnsgreenliving.blogspot.com/2012/04/8-tips-to-help-you-remember-your.html


6. GREEN YOUR ENERGY USE.
Increase the temperature on your office air-conditioning unit by 2 degrees, and switch it off 1 hour earlier than you normally do. If you absolutely need air conditioners at home, buy a high-efficiency air conditioner with Energy Star rating. Maintain your air conditioners properly to maximize efficiency. Clean the filters every month if you use it frequently. Normal dust build-up can reduce airflow by 1% per week. Do not use a dehumidifier at the same time your air conditioner is operating. The dehumidifier will increase the cooling load and force the air conditioner to work harder. For more energy conservation tips, visit the Green Living blog at: http://mnsgreenliving.blogspot.com/2012/04/energy-conservation-tips.html


7. GREEN YOUR SPENDING. 
Pick out 3 items you can give up this year for environmental and economic reasons. This can include driving to the gym (instead, jog or cycle around the neighbourhood), buying more electronic gadgets, and having 2 cars (instead, one spouse can drop the other off at work on his/her way to the office). Where gift-giving is concerned, try substituting consumer gifts for experience gifts such as concert tickets, tickets to the rock-climbing gym, and camping trips. Do the simpler version of the 100-Thing Challenge. Instead of paring all your possessions down to an austere 100 items, go around your house and pick out 100 items you can donate to charity, repair, refill, reuse or recycle.


The Green Living Special Interest Group would like to thank all our readers, volunteers and supporters for your encouragement and assistance, and we wish all of you a very happy, sustainable and environmentally-responsible New Year 2014!

Green Living Turtle Volunteer Programme 2013

Volunteering has always been a critical component of Green Living. Volunteering enables us to put our skills and knowledge into practice, and to acquire more knowledge, awareness and experience in the process. Volunteering is an essential part of walking the talk about environmental responsibility, and also opens up our eyes to the problems we encounter in trying to implement solutions to environmental issues.

The Green Living SIG chose to organise a volunteer programme on 28th September 2013 at the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre operated by the Department of Fisheries in Pantai Pengkalan Balak, Masjid Tanah, Melaka as it does not receive as much volunteer help and positive publicity as some of the other turtle sanctuaries and hatcheries in Malaysia.

30 MNS members registered for the programme to learn more about turtle conservation issues in Malaysia and help with the upkeep of the Centre. Participants also made a financial contribution of RM25 each, which would be used by the Centre in its turtle egg buyback programme.

The first order of the day after the screening of a short video and educational slideshow was to clean the manmade turtle pond within the compound of the Centre, which held 3 hawksbill turtles and a green turtle for research and rehabilitation purposes. The turtles would be released into the sea once determined fit for release by the marine biologists.

The pond was filled with algae as it was filled with filtered seawater, and the turtles had dirt and algae on their carapace due to the stagnant water. The volunteers got down to work scrubbing the tiles with steel wool and scouring pads.

When this was completed, the turtles also received a bath. The young volunteers were very careful not to hurt the turtles or unduly stress them out.

(Photo credits: Steven Lim)

Once the pond and turtles were sufficiently clean, filtered seawater was pumped into the pond. The look of relief on the turtles' faces was palpable. "Yay, no more feet in our pond!" the turtles seemed to say.

After a short break, the volunteers proceeded to carry out a beach cleanup, which saw boxes and bags of rubbish being removed from the beach in front of the Centre. It was clear from the rubbish collected that the waste came from the local residents, food stalls and picnickers. It is hoped that more rubbish receptacles are put up around the beach to encourage people to dispose of their rubbish properly, and measures are taken to enforce this.

We regrouped at the Centre to help the staff clean up the turtle hatchery where the nests are. The volunteers used rakes and brooms to sweep up dry leaves and litter.

The young volunteers found the time to climb a lovely old tree in the hatchery compound after the cleaning duties were completed. We can think of no better way of spending a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Two tiny turtle hatchlings were released into the sea by the staff of the Centre around 6.45 p.m.

(Photo credits: Wan Sze)

4 of us who remained at the Centre until 9pm had the good fortune to witness a group of researchers weighing, measuring and releasing a batch of turtle hatchlings that had just hatched at the Kem Terendak beach.

Green Living would like to thank the participants of the Turtle Volunteer Programme for their helpfulness, generosity and willingness to accommodate imperfections in the said Programme.

To find out more about the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre, contact them at the numbers and address provided below:

Pusat Konservasi dan Penerangan Penyu 

Turtle Conservation and Information Centre

Pantai Padang Kemunting,

Masjid Tanah,

Pengkalan Balak,

Melaka.

Phone/Fax: 06 384 6754

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/#!/hawksbill.ecoclub.3

Wild Encounters at the MNS Eco Kids Zoo Enrichment Workshop

WILD ENCOUNTERS AT THE MNS ECO KIDS ZOO ENRICHMENT WORKSHOP

By Wong Ee Lynn

(gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)

 

Though many of us do not enjoy seeing animals in captivity, 41 MNS members were keen to learn how to improve the quality of life of animals at Zoo Negara.  Zoo Education Officer Edwina and team were there to greet us when we arrived on the morning of 28^th July 2013 and we were taken to the Enrichment Centre where we were to prepare food puzzles and treats for the lions, tigers, tapirs and elephants to keep them mentally and physically stimulated.

 

It was also a good exercise in repurposing, as the workshop participants had spent time collecting cardboard boxes, coconut shells and toilet roll tubes for the Enrichment Centre to be converted into toys and puzzles for the animals.

 

Due to the large size of our group, some of the participants chose to go on a Science Walk with Dr. Ille Gebeshuber, who is not only a Professor in Physics but also a dedicated MNS member and volunteer.

 

With the help of their parents, the children who stayed behind at the Enrichment Centre carved and hollowed out pumpkins to be stuffed with meat for the lions and tigers. The pumpkins would then be concealed in boxes to stimulate the big cats’ natural hunting and seeking instincts. 

The other participants cut up fruits and vegetables for the tapirs and elephants.

 

A group of participants wrapped a mixture of rice, palm sugar and bananas in banana leaves to be presented to the elephants.

 

The children put fruits and vegetable pieces on skewers and poked the sharp ends into a banana trunk to create a whimsical fruit cocktail bar for the tapirs.

The Science Walk group joined us at 10 a.m. for the Animal Enrichment Observation. It was not merely a session during which we observed “cute animals doing cute things”, but an important and educational lesson on animals’ natural behaviours and social needs. Education Officer Edwina must be commended on her short interactive lessons on snare traps and the wildlife trade, habitat loss, why some animals could not be reintroduced into the wild, the need for zoos and animal sanctuaries, the reason for the Zoo’s ban on Styrofoam, and the conservation status of many animals (i.e. least concern, endangered and extinct).

Well, there goes the cow! One of the tigers has found the pumpkin concealed in a box decorated to resemble a cartoon cow, but he wasn’t hungry enough to have his breakfast immediately.

 

The lions found their pumpkins within minutes, but seemed more interested in guarding the meat and casting jealous glares at their neighbours, the tigers.

 

 

Here comes the MNS mascots,  the tapirs! Their proboscis wagged merrily when they smelled the fruits. And no, they didn’t hurt themselves on the satay skewers. Aren’t they clever?

 

 

Siti the Asian Elephant says: “Reach out and touch somebody today!”

 

In an ideal world, animals would be able to live peacefully in the wild without human interference.  However, with the number of threats to wildlife such as deforestation, poaching and hunting, zoos and sanctuaries have to be set up to provide safe living spaces for animals, in particular, captive-bred or confiscated wildlife who can no longer survive in the wild. It must be remembered that zoos and sanctuaries can never be a good substitute for life in the wild. Animals in captivity can and do get restless, bored, depressed and frustrated, and start displaying behaviour such as swaying, rocking, biting, begging and overgrooming their fur or feathers to the point that bald patches appear. It is hoped that our little contributions helped to make the animals’ lives a little more fun and interesting.

 

We take this opportunity to thank Edwina and her hardworking team as well as our ever-obliging Dr. Ille for their time, effort and assistance. May we all continue to do what we can to help and protect wildlife and the natural world.

 

 

Managing Electromagnetic Field Pollution

PENCINTA ALAM SEPTEMBER 2013

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

 

(Image credits: www.theguardian.com)

MANAGING ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD POLLUTION

By Wong Ee Lynn

gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

 

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) and electromagnetic waves (EMW) are present everywhere in the environment and natural sources include the Earth, Sun, ionosphere, lightning and visible light. EMWs in their natural frequency are not harmful to humans. Our Earth’s frequency is 7.83 Hz, which is identical to human (alpha) brain waves.

 

However, there are also manmade EMFs and EMWs, which have increased in the past century with the development of technology and radio communications. Devices such as cellular and cordless phones, electronic gadgets, satellite systems and microwave ovens come in a frequency range of between 900 MHz to 2.4 GHz.

 

These frequencies are hazardous because they overload and overstimulate our bodies, and overwhelm our immune systems. Computers, for instance, generate enough radiation to cause concern even at distances up to about 60cm (about 2 feet). Some of the health effects associated with EMFs and EMWs include depression, chronic fatigue, memory loss, irritability, inability to concentrate, insomnia, headaches, weakened immune system, anxiety and stress-related ailments.

 

EMFs are created whenever an electrical appliance is connected to the mains supply, including appliances we use in our daily lives such as computers, mobile devices and refrigerators. Many appliances do not merely create EMFs but rely on EMFs in order to function.  Local EMF hotspots include areas close to electricity metres, main distribution panels, fuse boxes, battery-based back-up power supplies and major wiring ducts.

 

It is very difficult for most of us to eliminate the use of electronic and telecommunications devices entirely just to avoid exposure to EMFs and EMWs. As such, here are some strategies that could help reduce exposure to EMWs and promote energy efficiency in our daily lives:

 

(1)   INCREASE DISTANCE

Increasing your distance from an EMW-emitting device will reduce your exposure to EMWs.

Do not stand or sit in front of a microwave oven to watch food cook.

 

Sit at least 6 feet (1.9 metres) away from a TV set. Do not sit close to the sides and back of a TV set if you are not watching TV, as radiation is just as high from these angles as if you are facing the TV directly. LCD / flat screen TVs produce much less radiation than cathode ray types (CRT), so do choose a LCD / flat screen unit if you are buying or replacing a TV set.

 

Computer power supply or UPS systems which provide backup power supply for computers emit powerful radiation, so do position it as far away from yourself and others as the cables would allow, at least 1.5 metres.

 

Position your computer central processing unit (CPU) tower as far away from you as the cables would allow (at least 60 cm). If possible, keep it on the floor. It is best to minimise computer radiation exposure to your head.

 

LCD monitors emit minimal EMW radiation, so do consider making a change to an LCD monitor unit, laptop or netbook if you are still using an older CRT type of computer. In addition, LCD monitors and laptops require less electricity to run. However, lower radiation does not mean zero health risk, so please try to minimise exposure to radiation from LCD monitors, mobile phones, tablet devices, smartphones, laptops and netbooks. Place them on a surface other than your lap or other part of your body during use.

 

WiFi information networks, wireless routers, modems and similar devices also emit high levels of EMWs. This type of radiation (radio frequency or microwave) is different from computer radiation and these wireless devices have not yet been proven by experts to be safe. To be on the safe side and to save electricity, switch off mobile devices and WiFi routers after use and when you go to bed.

 

(2)   MINIMISE DURATION

 

Minimise the duration of time spent on your EMW-emitting devices. Do not leave devices and appliances on when not in use. Do not bring your mobile phone, netbook, laptop, tablet, e-reader or similar devices to bed with you. Limit computer and mobile phone use to a certain number of hours each day.

 

(3)   SWITCH OFF

 

Switch all devices off after use, and switch off chargers once they are fully charged. Try not to have your computer, smartphone or other electronic devices in the bedroom. Try not to fall asleep in front of the computer or TV set. If you find yourself dozing off, switch off your computer/TV (switch off completely at the source, not just put it in sleep mode) and go to bed.

 

(4)   CHOOSE NON-ELECTRONIC

 

Many appliances and devices we use at home do not need to be electronic or battery-operated. Non-electronic kitchen scales, bathroom scales, hand-powered blenders/food processors and non-battery operated children’s toys and musical instruments will help you save money on electricity and battery costs, as well as reduce exposure to EMWs. Washing and drying dishes by hand, and using conventional non-electric toothbrushes and shavers can reduce EMW exposure. Use a swiffer pad or broom instead of a vacuum cleaner if possible. Hang clothes out to dry instead of using a dryer. Preparing salads and cooking dishes using a steamer over a rice cooker while the rice is cooking will reduce cooking time and eliminate the need to use extra electronic appliances, and ultimately, reduce your exposure to EMWs in the kitchen.

 

(5)   CARE OF SELF

 

Your body and health are your best safety devices. To strengthen your immune system and reduce the health risks associated with exposure to electromagnetic radiation, take care of your diet, exercise regularly, go outdoors frequently, spend at least several hours a day away from electronic devices and cultivate a positive attitude to make you more resilient against stress, anxiety and fatigue.

 

 

(Sources: www.emfexplained.info and The Canadian Initiative to Stop Wireless, Electric and Electromagnetic Pollution [WEEP])