Reducing Paper Use and Wastage

PENCINTA ALAM MARCH 2013 

REDUCING PAPER USE AND WASTAGE
By Wong Ee Lynn
(gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)




(Photo credits: Pyo Ng) 

Even if all paper products were recycled, there would still be a need for paper to be made from virgin resources, as individual paper fibres can only be recycled a finite number of times (generally 5-10 times). As such, paper waste prevention is the most preferable means of reducing the environmental impacts associated with both paper manufacturing (including the demands on land and forest resources) and paper recycling. 

Here are some of the most important ways of reducing paper waste:

AT HOME AND IN YOUR DAILY LIFE:

 1. Terminate subscriptions to junk mail, catalogues, magazines, newsletters and newspapers in print form and subscribe to electronic publications instead. Only print out articles that you will need to refer to again, or better yet, copy and paste them into a Microsoft Word (or other word processing programmes) document and save the soft copy under a folder for articles and reference materials. Review the folder periodically and delete articles that you no longer need or are no longer relevant, to reduce memory/hard disk space.

2. Request your bank, credit card company and telecommunications service providers to send your bill to you via email instead of by post. Switch to online banking to reduce paper waste and the need to drive out and find a parking space.

 3. In the bathroom, use only as much toilet paper as you need, and do not take more than necessary. This also applies when you are using bathrooms outside of your own home, e.g. in shopping malls. An average tree weighs 500 kilograms and produces up to 200kg of toilet paper. 83,048,116 rolls of toilet paper are produced everyday. 27,000 trees are chopped down daily in order to manufacture toilet paper.

4. Use kitchen cleaning clothes, rags and dishcloths instead of paper towels to clean up spills.

5. Use a handkerchief instead of paper towels or tissue paper. An exception may be made in the case of infectious illnesses such as colds and influenza.

6. Purchase products with the least packaging (paper, plastic or others) possible. Purchase in bulk, refillable packaging and refill packs whenever possible. Avoid single-serve packaging.

7. Bring your own reusable shopping bags whenever you go out (not just for grocery shopping) so you can eliminate both paper and plastic bag wastage.

8. Give gifts in reusable shopping bags (or get creative and wrap gifts in cloth napkins, bandannas, new diapers or blankets) to eliminate the need to buy gift wrap, gift boxes or paper bags. Save and reuse giftwrap and gift bags.

9. Send e-cards instead of greeting cards during the festive period. Send festive or birthday postcards instead of regular cards, as postcards are smaller in size and do not require envelopes.

 10. Use reusable, washable tableware instead of disposable party products when entertaining at home.

 11. Dine in at restaurants whenever possible to reduce the need for takeaway packaging. Bring your own takeaway food containers when you need to take away food and beverages.

12. When eating out, use a cloth napkin or handkerchief instead of paper napkins or tissue papers, or just use the sink or wash stand when done.

 13. Try to reduce visits to fast food outlets where food is served in paper and styrofoam packaging by default. Even taking baby steps such as requesting for a children's meal to be served directly on the tray without the cardboard box, or for your drink to be served without the customary plastic lid and straw, is a positive action.

14. Do not purchase post-it notes and memo pads. Instead, make your own using scrap paper and the backs of receipts.

15. Reduce the use of your credit card, as it necessitates the printing of multiple receipts on non-recyclable thermal paper.

16. Since almost all contact information can be found on the Internet these days, printed phone directories and business directories are redundant. Therefore, there is no need to acquire one.

17. When subscribing to a business, check the boxes requesting the particular business not to add you to their hard copy mailing list and not to share your particulars with other businesses. This will cut down on the amount of junk mail you receive.

18. When entertaining at home or organising a party or gathering, eliminate the need for paper party favours, door gifts and invitations. Invitations can be sent electronically, with e-mail reminders to remind invitees of the date. Less wasteful door gifts or favours can include potted plants, homemade treats, cloth shopping bags, or cloth bandannas/handkerchiefs in themed colours. Face painting and temporary body art can replace paper hats and party favours at a children's party.

19. Decline packaging from product retailers and manufacturers whenever possible. Shoe shops are usually very happy when you decline shoe boxes and plastic bags. Mobile phone and electrical appliance retailers are often able to just deliver the products and warranty cards to you, sans box. They can then reuse the box for the next customer. All you have to do is ask.

20. If you or your family members are avid crafters, save flattened boxes, labels, toilet roll tubes and packaging in a container for your arts-and-crafts projects to reduce the need to buy construction or scrapbooking paper.

21. Switch to reusable and washable diapers and feminine hygiene products to reduce the need for disposable products.

22. Purchase more whole foods to reduce the need for packaged or instant foods. Making a cake or salad from fresh products often do not require very much more time or preparation than making one from a boxed mix.

23. Buy used books, or borrow from friends or the library, if you do not have an e-reader. It is unnecessary to purchase latest bestsellers, considering the fact that you can often find the same books in charity sales and thrift stores within months. For the same reason, consider donating books you have already read to charitable organisations and community libraries.

24. Repair broken items, e.g. cellular phones and electrical appliances, whenever possible, to reduce the need for new products and new packaging.

25. Do not purchase calendars, notebooks and greeting cards from charities just because they are "for a good cause". Consider making a gratuitous donation and gently advising the charity (via e-mail, perhaps?) to reduce the number of calendars and other products printed, especially when it comes to time-limited products such as calendars and annual diaries, as fewer consumers rely on such products these days. If you work or volunteer for any such organisation, consider lowering the production volume of such products, or switching to more practical products and merchandise for fundraising purposes. Sponsorship certificates, e.g. for animal adoptions and the sponsorship of projects and needy children, are a feasible alternative to the sale of merchandise for fundraising purposes.


REDUCING PAPER USAGE AT WORK OR IN SCHOOL/COLLEGE:

1. Always make double-sided copies.

2. Set computer defaults to print double-sided.

3. Reuse paper printed only on one side in the fax machine, for draft copies and for internal documents.

4. Preview documents before printing. Use the print preview to spot formatting errors and blank pages. Proofread first and use the grammar & spellcheck to avoid errors that will cause documents to be reprinted. 5. Save emails, minutes and other documents onto hard disk. Delete margins, duplicates, contact details, logos, footers and anything unnecessary, and resize and realign the font and paragraphs to take up the least space possible. It makes for easier reading and if the need to print it arises, less paper will be used.

6. Promote a "think before you copy" attitude. Consider sharing some documents with co-workers. Print only the number of copies needed for the meeting, don't make extras.

7. Print or photocopy only the pages you need, and only the number of copies you need. There is no need to make extra copies for standby. If it is in the disk, it can be reprinted as and only when needed.

8. Save a copy of important documents into your hard disk or e-mail folders. Create folders to keep everything organised and retrievable. Fix a date every month to review the folders and delete documents you no longer need.

9. Saving documents on soft copy may even make your life easier! You can just copy and paste from documents, than refer to the printed copy and type everything from scratch again.

10. However: Don’t be a pack rat and save everything to disk, especially when the information is readily available elsewhere! Keep your inbox and hard disk tidy and organised. This will save memory/disk space and prevent the need to purchase additional disk storage or thumb drives.

11. Examine the reports and documents you print regularly to see if people still need them. Many times, they are created for someone who has left or who does not need it anymore.

12. Remove printers from desks and move them to a central location where one printer will suffice for many people. This will reduce wasteful printing as people will decide it is too much hassle to print unnecessary and personal items.

13. Have an inter-departmental competition to see which dept uses the least paper. Give each Dept a fixed number of reams of paper a week, and mark the packaging, e.g. with Dept X #1, #2 and so forth for each ream. At the end of each week, reward the dept that has the most unused reams of paper remaining. Of course, you will need to take into account the fact that some office departments, say, the Legal Dept, will need to use more paper than the others.

14. Impose a fine on those found to be wasting paper, e.g. crumpling up once-used paper and tossing it into their wastepaper basket when they should be putting it back into the printer tray for drafts. Even crumpled paper can be reused as memo pads.

15. Give members/subscribers/customers/clients the option of going paperless and of receiving newsletters, correspondence, catalogues and other documents via email. Of course, this is not possible where there are legal issues, e.g. acceptance of contract, admission of liability etc, so in those instances, resize and reformat before printing and print on both sides if you can. If a hard copy is going to be sent to you, then don’t print out the email.

16. Unplug the fax machine and request that the sending party email instead. That way, you have more control over whether something should be printed, and you can resize and reformat it before printing. This will also eliminate junk mail by fax. At least try to unplug the fax machine after official office hours.

17. Keep copiers and printers in good repair and make it policy to only buy copiers and printers that make reliable double-sided copies. Let your copier maintenance person know when a copier is performing poorly (toner is low, jams frequently, etc.). Regular copier maintenance is important, especially if the toner is low. Copiers are often used until all the toner is gone and that wears down machines. A copier that works well is less likely to jam and this helps save paper.

18. Not all recycling agencies or local authorities accept shredded paper for recycling. Therefore, do not shred more paper than is necessary. Use the shredder only for confidential documents.

Nanotechnology and Safety: Some Questions and Answers

Pencinta Alam February 2013
Green Living Column


NANOTECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY: SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

You may be surprised to find out how many products on the market utilise nanotechnology.
    * Sunscreen - Many sunscreens contain nanoparticles of zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Older sunscreen formulas use larger particles, which is what gives most sunscreens their whitish color. Smaller particles are less visible, meaning that when you rub the sunscreen into your skin, it doesn't give you a whitish tinge.
    * Self-cleaning glass - A company called Pilkington offers a product they call Activ Glass, which uses nanoparticles to make the glassphotocatalytic and hydrophilic. The photocatalytic effect means that when UV radiation from light hits the glass, nanoparticles become energized and begin to break down and loosen organic molecules on the glass (in other words, dirt). Hydrophilic means that when water makes contact with the glass, it spreads across the glass evenly, which helps wash the glass clean.
    * Clothing - Scientists are using nanoparticles to enhance your clothing. By coating fabrics with a thin layer of zinc oxide nanoparticles, manufacturers can create clothes that give better protection from UV radiation. Some clothes have nanoparticles in the form of little hairs or whiskers that help repel water and other materials, making the clothing stain-resistant.
    * Scratch-resistant coatings - Engineers discovered that adding aluminum silicate nanoparticles to scratch-resistant polymer coatings made the coatings more effective, increasing resistance to chipping and scratching. Scratch-resistant coatings are common on everything from cars to eyeglass lenses.
    * Antimicrobial bandages - Scientist Robert Burrell created a process to manufacture antibacterial bandages using nanoparticles of silver. Silver ions block microbes' cellular respiration [source:Burnsurgery.org]. In other words, silver smothers harmful cells, killing them.

Q: I’ve just heard that an organic certification agency has added nanotechnology to its list of forbidden things. What is it and should I be concerned about it?


A: Nanotechnology is a powerful platform for manipulating matter at the level of atoms and molecules in order to alter their properties. Nanomaterials are defined as particles having one or more dimensions of 100nm or less. One nanometer (nm) is one millionth of a millimeter and one billionth of a meter – or approximately one 80,000th of the width of a human hair. A strand of DNA is 2.5nm wide and a red blood cell 7,000 nm.
The fundamental properties of matter change at the nanoscale. According to research conducted at the University of Rochester’s Department of Environmental Medicine and published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2005, altered properties can include color, solubility, material strength, electrical conductivity, magnetic behavior, mobility (within the environment and within the human body), chemical reactivity and biological activity. 

The manufacture of products using nanotechnology has exploded in recent years, creating something akin to a gold rush mentality. More than 720 products containing nanomaterials are now on the market. They include sunscreens and cosmetics, food additives, temperature-moderating clothing, food packaging, agricultural fertilizers, computer chips and mobile phones, inks, computer storage devices and displays, football stadium lights, tennis racquets, burn dressings and dental binding agents. Nanotechnology proponents envision it being used in the future to create cheaper ways of producing electricity from the sun, earlier and better diagnostics and treatment of diseases and water purification in developing countries. Currently, there is an estimated $9 billion a year worth of research being done.

There is no doubt that nanotechnology will have a massive impact on all industries and sectors of the economy, society and ecology. Opinion is divided as to whether these changes will be positive or negative. But there is enough concern that The Soil Association in the U.K. – one of the world’s pioneers of organic agriculture – announced in January that it has banned human-made nano- materials from the organic cosmetics, foods and textiles that it certifies. A 2007 survey by 15 governments estimates there are at least 70 nanotech food-related applications already on the market and most major food and beverage corporations are investing in nanotech R&D.


In a statement, The Soil Association explained its motivation: “Our concern with nanoparticles lies in the fact that the properties of materials at this size can differ significantly from those at larger scales. Nanoparticles are so small they can sometimes bypass the body’s natural protective boundaries such as skin…Industry and government are belatedly conducting safety tests that will take several years to reach firm conclusions. Therefore we’ve applied the precautionary principle.”


And that’s the problem: Products containing nanomaterials have been released commercially in the absence of regulatory oversight and in spite of warnings from some of the oldest and most respected scientific bodies in the world, such as the U.K.’s Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering, which published a report in 2004 urging tighter controls on the industry, suggesting that nanomaterials be treated like new chemicals.

In particular, the report highlighted the potential risk of “free” nanoparticles that it said could escape into the atmosphere, be inhaled and have an effect on health, in the same way that ultra fine particles that are a by-produce of forest  fires, volcanoes and processes like welding and vehicle combustion can be harmful to health. Professor Mark Welland, head of the University of Cambridge Nanoscale Science Laboratory, says that we know inhaled nanoparticles found in the bloodstream have dispersed throughout the brain. But, he adds, it is not known if this poses a health risk.

According to a 2006 report prepared under the auspices of the U.S. Congress by that country’s National Research Council, there is also evidence that engineered nanoparticles can have adverse effects on the health of laboratory animals, enter human cells and trigger chemical reactions in soil, interfering with biological and ecological processes. That report also urged precaution to protect the health and safety of workers, the public and the environment.

Oxford University’s Dr. Alexis Vlandas is Nanotechnology spokesperson for International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility also worries about nanoparticles entering the human body. He says, “A much more proactive effort is needed to understand the complex phenomena (bio-accumulation, degradation, unforeseen chemical reactions, etc.) which could lead to negative impact on human health or the environment.”

Nevertheless, there is still no legal requirement anywhere in the world for manufacturers to conduct new safety tests on nano-scale ingredients. Nor is there any requirement for manufacturers to demonstrate that they do not present a negative impact to the environment or to indicate the presence of nano-scale ingredients on product labels. In fact, there is not even an internationally accepted nomenclature, set of definitions and measurement systems for nanotechnology, although that is being worked on. And, finally, the social, economic and ethical challenges posed by nanotechnologies have yet to be addressed.

Nowhere are untested nanomaterials entering consumer products faster than in the personal care and cosmetics industries. And their use is of concern because these products are used daily and are designed to be used directly on the skin. They may be inhaled and are often ingested. While the jury is still out on whether nanomaterials can enter intact skin, studies show that broken skin is an ineffective barrier. This suggests that the presence of acne, eczema or shaving wounds is likely to enable the uptake of nanoparticles into the body. Furthermore, in preparing its 2006 report Nanomaterials, Sunscreen and Cosmetics: Small Ingredients, Big Risks, Friends of the Earth (FOE) found that many cosmetics and personal care products contain ingredients that intentionally act as “penetration enhancers,” raising concerns they may increase the likelihood of skin uptake of nanomaterials and possible entry into the blood stream.

Nano-scale carbon molecules called “fullerenes” or “buckyballs” are among the ingredients currently being used in face creams and moisturizers. They have been found to cause brain damage in fish. Even low levels of exposure to fullerenes have been shown to damage human liver cells. Chemistry professor Tony Ryan of the University of Sheffield in England has questioned their safety. “I wouldn’t put buckyballs anywhere near my face,” he says. “We need to understand more about the toxicology. One of the potential dangers…is: Are we creating a new asbestos? The asbestosis response is based on the shape of the particle. Part of the issue is in the shape of the molecule and how they’re introduced. We just need to be careful about the risk versus the benefit.”

Nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are used to make sunscreens transparent but, says FOE, they have been shown to be photoactive, producing free radicals and causing DNA damage to skin cells when exposed to UV light. In 2007, Consumer Reports asked an outside lab to test for nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in eight sunscreens that listed either compound on their label. All eight contained the nanoparticles, yet only one disclosed their use.

The ETC Group, a pioneering Ottawa-based organization working on global issues like biotechnology, conservation of agricultural biodiversity and food security, takes a strong stand on nanotechnology. It cautions that while it offers opportunities for society, it also involves profound ethical, social and environmental risks, not only because it is an enabling technology to the biotech industry, but also because it involves atomic manipulation and will make possible the fusing of the biological world and the mechanical. In 2003, the ETC Group called for a moratorium on research involving molecular self-assembly and self-replication until the ramifications have been studied.

They’re not the only organization calling for a moratorium. FOE-US has called for a moratorium on all commercial release of nanotechnological materials and products. They say, “Given the serious risks and impacts associated with nanotechnology’s introduction, public involvement in decision making regarding nanotechnology and the introduction of a regulatory regime based on the precautionary principle must be prerequisites to further commercialization of nanoproducts.”

In July of 2007, an international coalition of consumer, public health, environmental, labor, and civil society organizations spanning six continents called for strong, comprehensive over sight of nanotechnology and its products. Over 40 groups released a paper entitled Principles for the Oversight of Nano-technologies and Nanomaterials, citing risks to the public, workers and the environment and demanding a moratorium on it pending research and regulation.

“Even though potential health hazards stemming from exposure have been clearly identified, there are no mandatory workplace measures that require exposures to be assessed, workers to be trained or control measures to be implemented,” explains Bill Kojola of the AFL-CIO, which was part of the coalition. “This technology should not be rushed to market until these failings are corrected and workers assured of their safety.”

“Nanomaterials are entering the environment during manufacture, use and disposal of hundreds of products, even though we have no way to track the effects of this potent new form of pollution,” agrees Ian Illuminato of FOE. “By the time monitoring catches up to commerce, the damage will already have been done.”

There is also a concern that nano-technology will provide the tools for continuous surveillance, with implications for civil liberties. And then there’s the growing nano arms race, which could create a whole new generation of weapons of mass destruction including nano-biological weaponry. Over a decade ago, retired U.S. Admiral David Jeremiah told a conference on nanotechnology and global security that nanotechnology will prove more significant than nuclear weapons.

Fortunately, public pressure seems to be goading governments into action. The Environment, Healthy and Safety Division of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has made the safety of nanomaterials a priority. Canada, Germany, Japan, Australia the U.K. and the U.S. have created working groups to look into the implications of nanotechnology commercialization.

However, the amounts of money being spent are minuscule in comparison to the $6 billion spent last year by governments worldwide on nanotech. (The U.S. government’s $5 billion between 2001 and 2006 is the biggest publicly funded science endeavor since the Apollo moon landing, with the largest portion funding military applications.)
In Canada, the Consumers Council has recently received a $60,000 grant from Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs to study the impact of nanotechnology on consumers and to improve the capacity of consumers to advocate regarding regulatory decisions.

Here’s hoping other organic certification agencies follow The Soil Association’s lead and add nanotech to their lists of outlawed ingredients. Meanwhile, we think that product manufacturers and distributors must bear the burden of proof to demonstrate the safety of their products: If there is no independent health and safety data review for a nanotech product, then their products shouldn’t be sold.

(Edited and compiled from an original article by Wendy Priesnitz. Available at: http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/0804/asknl.htm)


Not enough data exists to know for sure if nanoparticles could have undesirable effects on the environment. Two areas are relevant here: 

(1) In free form nanoparticles can be released in the air or water during production (or production accidents) or as waste by-product of production, and ultimately accumulate in the soil, water or plant life. 

(2) In fixed form, where they are part of a manufactured substance or product, they will ultimately have to be recycled or disposed of as waste. It is not known yet whether certain nanoparticles will constitute a completely new class of non-biodegradable pollutant. In case they do, it is not known how such pollutants could be removed from air or water because most traditional filters are not suitable for such tasks (their pores are too big to catch nanoparticles).

Of the US$710 million spent in 2002 by the U.S. government on nanotechnology research, only $500,000 was spent on environmental impact assessments. Risks identified include: self-replicating nanobots aggressively or through slowly rising supremacy wiping out the whole biosphere; further destabilising the already endangered diversity of the biosphere.
Concerns have been raised about Silver Nano technology used by Samsung in a range of appliances such as washing machines and air purifiers.

To properly assess the health hazards of engineered nanoparticles the whole life cycle of these particles needs to be evaluated, including their fabrication, storage and distribution, application and potential abuse, and disposal. The impact on humans or the environment may vary at different stages of the life cycle.

Eco Kids Column, February 2013

Pencinta Alam Newsletter February 2013

Eco Kids Column

LITTLE ACTIONS TO REDUCE PLASTIC USE

By Wong Ee Lynn

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

This attractive little poster was created by thepurebar.com to remind us of ways we could cut down on the use of plastics in our daily lives. You could clip it out and put it on your fridge or noticeboard to remind you to take little actions such as bringing your reusable shopping bags and drinking water with you when you go out.

Here are some other steps can you take to reduce plastic use and waste:

1. Bring your own food containers to the shops for packing food in.

2.Pack your own lunch and snacks for school and activities. This will avoid the need to buy packaged snacks and drinks from the convenience store.

3. Try packing a "nude lunch", which is practiced in schools in New Zealand and many other countries. That means a lunch in a lunchbox/food container with no other packaging. You could try making your own sandwiches without clingfilm/plastic wrap and pack crackers and raisins that come from larger packaging instead of single-serve packets.

4. Find alternatives to plastic goody bags with plastic toys and party favours for your next party. Perhaps everyone could take home a novelty eraser and pen, a sheet of paper stickers, a bamboo whistle or a wooden top or yoyo. 

5. Travel prepared. Fill up small containers with shampoo, toothpaste, soap and other things you may need  during your travel or vacation from larger bottles and tubes at home. This reduces your need to buy little bottles or sachets of shampoo and other personal care products.

6. When at the supermarket, choose fruits and vegetables that are loose, not the ones that come in styrofoam trays and plastic clam boxes. At the very least, the plastic grocery bags can be reused. Fruits like bananas, watermelons and papayas may not have to be in plastic bags at all. Most store assistants are quite happy to stick the price tag on the fruit itself after weighing, if you ask them nicely.

7. Use a bar of soap for bathing and washing your hands. Those plastic pump bottles that liquid handwash and shower foam come in can amount to a lot of plastic waste, even if you buy refill packs. 

8. If you must go to a fast food restaurant, ask them nicely not to put a lid on or straw in your drink. If everyone did this, it would prevent a lot of plastic from ending up in the trash.

9. Find alternatives to plastic toys when buying gifts. Fun t-shirts, cloth bags, crayons, wood-free pencils, wood toys, books, board games and craft kits are all good alternatives.

10. Instead of breakable plastic toy versions of tools such as cooking sets and doctors' kits, consider getting fully-functioning, high-quality child-size tools that really work, such as stethoscopes, stainless steel kitchen equipment (e.g. from Ikea) and gardening tools. 

Eco Kids Column: Laundry Scoop Wheelbarrows

PENCINTA ALAM JANUARY 2013 
ECO KIDS COLUMN
  LAUNDRY SCOOP WHEELBARROWS 

(Idea and image from StorkNet Kids' Crafts)

What can do you with all the laundry scoops that come with each new box of laundry detergent? Here is a simple craft idea that repurposes laundry scoops into seed starter kits that you could give out as gifts or party favours.

YOU NEED:
1. Laundry scoops
2. Acrylic paints, permanent markers or stickers.
3. Buttons or round wooden or metal discs. (Two for each laundry scoop)
4. Glue
5. Potting soil
6. Tiny plants, e.g. ferns, or seeds.
 8. A corkscrew for drilling a hole with.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Drill a hole at the bottom of your laundry scoop to allow excess water to drain out. You may need an adult's help for this.
2. Decorate your laundry scoops with paint or markers to make them resemble wheelbarrows. A gardening or floral theme would work well with this craft idea.
3. Decorate the buttons or discs with a black marker or paints to make them look like wheels.
4. Wait for the paint or ink to dry. Then, glue the "wheels" of your wheelbarrow in place. Let the glue dry.
5. Fill three-quarters of the laundry scoop up with potting soil.
6. If you are using seeds, push a few seeds gently into the soil. Mung bean (or green bean) seeds will work for this project. Space the seeds out so that they have room to grow.
7. If you are using live plants, make a shallow indentation in the soil with your fingers and gently put the plant into the soil. Cover the soil around the roots of the plant but do not pack the soil in too tightly.
8. Sprinkle water onto your plant or seeds. Ensure that the soil is damp but not wet or flooded. If the roots are waterlogged, the plant may die. Try making several wheelbarrows and putting them in different parts of your home to see under what conditions will the plants thrive. Does your plant like direct sunlight? Or does it prefer the damp coolness of the bathroom window?

The Challenges Ahead: Safe & Sustainable Vegetable Farming

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

THE CHALLENGES AHEAD: SAFE & SUSTAINABLE VEGETABLE FARMING

(Image reproduced from The Star, 13 Dec 2012, without permission but in accordance with the principles of fair use)

Once every few years, the media will report of rampant land clearing, water pollution, use of banned pesticides and environmental degradation in the Cameron Highlands as a result of intensive agricultural activity (Cameron Highlands in terrible shape due to land clearing and water pollution, The Star, Dec 11 2012).

This draws attention to the challenges of reconciling food security with environmental integrity. In their research paper published in 2009, Drs. CJ Barrow, Chan Ngai Weng and Tarmiji Masron had pointed out that the expansion and intensification of farming in the Cameron Highlands had seriously polluted streams and groundwater with sediment, manure-enriched runoff, agrichemicals and sewage. The same report found that large numbers of vegetable growers were reported to be using banned pesticides imported from Thailand and other countries, as illegal agrichemicals are seen by the farmers to be cheaper and more effective. In addition, the preference for uncomposted chicken manure over chemical fertilisers by the vegetable farmers of Cameron Highlands has resulted in an increase of pathogens, veterinary pharmaceuticals and faecal pollution in streams, groundwater and produce.

It is acknowledged that stronger enforcement is necessary to monitor illegal land-clearing activities and mitigate environmental damage caused by the vegetable farmers in Cameron Highlands (Uphill task to ensure farmers do what’s right, the Star, Dec 11 2012). Yet there is so much more that consumers, retailers and policymakers could do to improve environmental quality and food health and safety standards.

In the aforementioned 2009 research paper, it was averred that media and legislation have had “less effect” in reducing agrichemical use than supermarket checks of produce. Supermarkets and major food retailers have a high level of influence and control over food quality and safety. Major retailers are therefore urged to ensure that their vegetable supply comes from farms which reach accepted health and safety standards and is checked for pesticide use and residues. Certification schemes such as the “Assured Produce” scheme practiced in the United Kingdom would help promote safer and more environmentally responsible methods of vegetable farming among major vegetable farms in Malaysia. Supermarkets should prohibit the use of banned pesticides by vegetable farms that supply produce to them, and make public the results of their own microbial and pesticide residue testing in a way that is accessible to the average consumer to enable consumers to make informed choices, bearing in mind that not everyone has the advantage or leverage of choosing organic over conventional produce.

Vegetable farms should be given incentives (such as accreditation) for employing responsible practices, such as drip irrigation to conserve water use and crop rotation to improve soil quality, and for meeting best management practices for pesticide storage and use. All manure used should be properly composted and incorporated into soil to prevent microbial contamination. To minimise pest damage, farmers could be educated on methods such as constructing protective barriers, encouraging biological pest control, choosing pest-resistant crop varieties and the use of “trap crops” to lure pests away from main crops. Regulations must be implemented to minimise pesticide drift to other crops and off-site areas and to halt pesticide applications during rainy and windy seasons.

Measures taken by the authorities apart from enforcement measures against farmers could include creating sediment traps to capture contaminated runoffs before they flow into streams, perhaps by way of constructing reed or water hyacinth beds. Buffer zones should be demarcated around sensitive zones. All potential sources of contamination should be identified and eliminated, or at least managed.

Food security and safety are public policy issues, and sound public policy decisions require an understanding of long-term social, environmental as well as economic consequences. Rising environmental literacy, changing consumer preferences, legislation and enforcement are all powerful forces that have the potential to create advances in agriculture that do not compromise human or environmental safety.

  

WONG EE LYNN

COORDINATOR, GREEN LIVING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY (MNS)

The Eco Christmas Tree Challenge

PENCINTA ALAM DECEMBER 2012

ECO KIDS COLUMN 

THE ECO CHRISTMAS TREE CHALLENGE

By Wong Ee Lynn

(gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)

The lives of humans are so closely intertwined with trees and nature that we frequently observe a festive holiday by bringing a tree into our homes. People decorate their homes with pine trees and other evergreens at Christmas, banana plants during the Tamil New Year and cherry blossoms and pussywillows during the Chinese New Year. However, in environmentally aware times, many people are beginning to realise that chopping down live pine trees or putting up plastic Christmas trees are wasteful practices. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you may be asked to help in putting up a tree in your classroom or an organisation that you belong to, for the purpose of spreading holiday cheer. 

How do you then come up with a Christmas tree that is within budget, not destructive to the environment, and not made of wasteful plastic parts that are not durable?  Here are five alternative Christmas trees created by friends of Green Living over the last two Christmases:

The boys of Kelab Alami Tanjung Kupang created this minimalistic Christmas tree in the porch of their club coordinator, Serina. It sure looked beautiful when all lit up! Kitty seems to approve, too.

The management team in MingChien's office created this geek chic Christmas tree which is made of LED string lights and unwanted CDs.

Rushan Abdul Rahman created this cheerful and space-saving two-dimensional tree out of paper to stick on his apartment glass sliding door. 

Green Living coordinator Ee Lynn made this tree out of discarded CDs, mismatched ornaments and a star-shaped cookie cutter.

Serina Rahman received some help from friends to make this illuminated tree out of discarded plastic bottles.

Now here's the challenge. Eco Kids and Green Living wants YOU to try  your hand at making an alternative Eco Christmas Tree. It can be a decorated potted plant, a tree made out of recycled materials or a regular tree decorated with handmade ornaments repurposed from discarded objects -- there really are no limits to your creativity! The guidelines are as follows:

(1) Create a Christmas tree out of alternative, discarded or environmentally-friendly materials. You should ideally use whatever you have at hand and not have to go out to buy materials.

(2) Your Christmas tree should be reusable, recyclable or compostable. 

(3) It doesn't have to be a Christmas tree. You can tweak it to fit any celebration or festival you want, be it Deepavali, Hari Raya, New Year's Eve or even a birthday.

(4) Take a photo of your Christmas tree and upload it to Green Living's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/389934284359934/?fref=ts. If you are not on Facebook, email it to us at gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com. The title of the email should be: "Eco Christmas Tree Challenge".

(5) Include a short description of what the tree is made of and how you built it. You can post or attach more than one photo. 

(6) This challenge is open only to those aged 18 years and below and residing in Malaysia. If you are above 18 or living outside Malaysia, you may post a photo of your tree to our Facebook Wall but you are not entitled to compete for a prize. Please include your name and age with your entry if via Facebook (we will contact you via private message if we need your details). If you are sending a photo via email, please include your name, age, address and contact number in your email. 

(7) Entries will be graded based on their adherence to the principles of the 3Rs (reducing, reusing and recycling), energy efficiency, other environmental merits and creativity.  

(8) The closing date for this challenge is 15 January 2013.

(9) The top 3 entries will be announced in the MNS newsletter and Green Living Facebook page at the end of January 2013. Prizewinners will be contacted to collect their prizes.

Year-End Staycation Ideas

PENCINTA ALAM DEC 2012
GREEN LIVING COLUMN

YEAR-END STAYCATION IDEAS
By Wong Ee Lynn
(gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)

The end of the year is approaching, and for many, this is a time to clear their annual leave days or just take time off to be with their families, particularly school-going children who are on their year-end semester break.

The word "staycation" is a combination of "stay" and "vacation", and describes a vacation at home or near your home and within the same state or area. Staycations are getting more and more popular for environmental and economic reasons. These are some of the advantages of staycations over travelling abroad:
(i) Less stressful -- Let's face it. Not many of us enjoy the hassle of having to with travel insurance, missing luggage, delayed flights and other disappointments.
(ii) Less expensive, but better for the local economy, especially if you are creating opportunities for local and indigenous communities.
(iii) Less travel and less fuel usage.
(iv) Less consumption, less waste and no excuses to buy tacky souvenirs for everyone back at the office.
(v) It may cultivate greater interest in and awareness of the local environment

A staycation can be more than just another day spent on housework and taking care of bills and errands. Here are several ideas on how those of us who live in or around the Klang Valley can make our staycations more meaningful and memorable:

1. VOLUNTEER FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSE

Facebook groups such as Project Revive and Sampah Masyarakat  periodically organise community cleanup projects as well as cleanliness awareness programmes. A local community group, Hawksbill EcoClub, organises periodic volunteer programmes for the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre at Pantai Padang Kemunting, Masjid Tanah, Melaka. Their latest call for volunteers on 24th November is for manpower to bathe the turtles, clean the turtle holding pond (for turtles pending release into the sea) and clean the hatchery. Keep in touch with these groups via social media to find out when their next project or campaign will be, so you can have a really worthwhile reason for going to the beach or park. MNS may also welcome the assistance of volunteers, particularly if you have special skills such as graphic design, photography, editing or organising to share.

2. VOLUNTEER AT THE NATIONAL ZOO

Nobody likes to see wild animals in captivity. But sometimes there just isn't a better alternative or permanent solution in the event of wild animals confiscated from or surrendered by private owners, private zoos, circuses and petting zoos, where they are likely to have been born and raised in captivity. A good way of helping wildlife and understanding the challenges involved in operating, managing and funding wildlife facilities would be to volunteer at Zoo Negara, where you will be able to do hands-on work to create a safe, clean and healthy environment for the animals and be involved in enrichment programmes to stimulate the animals and encourage them to engage in natural behaviour such as foraging and hunting. To be a Zoo Volunteer, you need to be at the Zoo by 8 a.m. and be prepared to work until 4 p.m. Bring your own food and drinking water. To register, you need to contact the Education Department at education@zoonegaramalaysia.my at least a day in advance. The registration form is available at http://www.zoonegaramalaysia.my/education/pdf/volunteerprogramme.pdf, or you can register when you arrive. You must arrive at the Zoo on the designated day before 8.00 a.m. If you are driving, do try to park at the staff parking area or neighbouring residential area to avoid having to pay a hefty parking fee to the car park concessionaire. Enter the Zoo from Gate 3 and ask the Security personnel to direct you to the Education Office. Inform the Education officer on duty that you are here to volunteer and submit your registration form.

3. VOLUNTEER AT AN ANIMAL SHELTER

Are you an animal lover who is unable to adopt an animal due to family or work commitments or the fact that you live in a high-rise? Or do you already have a companion animal but feel sorry for other animals who have not found their permanent homes? You can help our local animal shelters, SPCA Selangor or PAWS by contributing your time and energy. Either register through their respective websites or come visit the shelters yourself. Weekends are a good time because there is then a greater likelihood of meeting other volunteers there who will be able to guide you and assist you. You will be able to assist in bathing and tickwashing dogs, applying medicine on minor injuries such as scratches and eye infections, cleaning the animals' living quarters and preparing food. Alternatively, you can also assist during their fundraising and educational campaigns and events. The sight of shelter animals may initially make you sad, but remember that your inaction and sorrow can't help them, only your direct action can.

4. DONATE BLOOD

Have you always wanted to donate blood, but were afraid that you may be too tired to go back to work or carry out your usual activities immediately after? A staycation is a good time to recuperate and rest after donating blood. The National Blood Centre in Jalan Tun Razak welcomes blood donors and has a high standard of care. For more information, you can call them up at 03 - 2693 3888 or visit their website at http://www.pdn.gov.my/. Just be sure you are in good health, have had at least 6 hours of sleep and have had a good meal before donating blood.

5. VISIT LOCAL NATURAL ATTRACTIONS

There are many local natural attractions you may not have visited yet. Green lungs such as Bukit Gasing Forest Park, Kota Damansara Community Forest and Lembah Kiara Recreational Park have much to offer cyclists, trekkers, birders and nature-lovers. If you are willing to drive out a little further, the Kuala Selangor Nature Park, which is managed by MNS, is an ideal destination for a daytrip or a short stay (the chalets have been recently renovated), and you may also be able to squeeze in a visit to Bukit Malawati to see the lighthouse and silver-leaf monkeys.

6. BE A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN CITY

It is surprising how many KL-ites have yet to visit KL Tower, Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve or the Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge. Take a day off to take the LRT or bus to the city centre and explore all the sites that a tourist would. A fun way to enter KL Tower would be to take the alternative jungle path across the road from the Dang Wangi LRT station, along the fence of the Handicraft Centre. Go through the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve up the hill and across the little rope bridge to the park at the foot of KL Tower. There are also many museums you can visit in KL, including the National Museum, National Art Gallery, Telekom Museum, Maybank Numismatic Museum and the Philately Museum in Dayabumi. A walk in Little India (Brickfields) or Chinatown (Petaling Street) may also create opportunities for interesting experiences that you would normally not have time for in the course of rushing through these places to run errands. 

Do you have other great staycation ideas? We would love to hear from you at gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

(Zoo Volunteers, image credit: Meiyi Leong and Ju Lienne Seet.)