Letter to the Editor: Protect RAMSAR Sites and Seagrass Meadows

Letter to the Editor 
Protect RAMSAR sites and seagrass meadows against further degradation

(Photo taken of Knobbly Sea Stars (Protoeaster nodosus) at the Sg. Pulai seagrass meadow) 

It is with dismay that MNS Green Living learned of the Johor State Government's plans to degazette 2 ecologically sensitive wetland habitats listed as RAMSAR sites (NST, 26 March 2014). It is alarming that state governments are making unanimous and arbitrary decisions to degazette forest and mangrove reserves and delist RAMSAR sites without consulting environmental organisations or the local community. 

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and its volunteers have carried out data collection and coastal cleanup projects at Pulau Merambong, Sungai Pulai, Tanjung Piai, and Pulau Kukup in the past and can attest to the diversity of flora and fauna in these sites. 

Over the years, however, coastal erosion and environmental degradation has adversely affected the water quality and marine biodiversity in the said sites. However, degazettement would be the irresponsible and counterintuitive thing to do. The logical response to the degradation of the sites would be to create buffer zones and take other measures to protect the sites against destruction, pollution, overfishing and other harm. Instead of degazetting the degraded sites, effort should be made to restore the sites and to seek RAMSAR listing for other wetlands of international importance. 

The seagrass meadows of Sg Pulai are especially deserving of protection due to their importance to the environment and local communities. Seagrass meadows provide coastal zones with a number of ecosystem goods and ecosystem services, including stabilising the sea bottom, providing food and habitat for other marine organisms, maintaining water quality, supporting local fishing communities, wave protection, oxygen production and protection against coastal erosion. Seagrass meadows account for 15% of the ocean’s total carbon storage. It is estimated that per hectare, seagrass meadows hold twice as much carbon dioxide as rainforests. Yearly, seagrasses sequester about 27.4 million tons of carbon dioxide. 

 The habitat complexity of the Sg. Pulai seagrass meadows, Pulau Merambong, Pulau Kukup and Tanjung Piai enhances the diversity and abundance of animals. These ecologically-sensitive sites provide food and shelter for many organisms including seahorses and dugong, and are a nursery ground for commercially-important prawn and fish species, and thus contribute to local economic activity. 

It is regrettable that while environmental organisations such as MNS and Save Our Seahorses (SOS) Malaysia strive tirelessly to educate members of the public on the importance of conserving wetlands, estuaries and seagrass meadows, state governments and those in a decision-making capacity are trading our natural treasures and ecological heritage for short-term financial gains. We therefore strongly urge that the Johor State Government reconsiders its plans to delist the RAMSAR sites and instead take concrete action to protect these ecologically important zones. 

WONG EE LYNN 

oordinator, 

MNS Green Living, 

Malaysian Nature Society

Earth Day Activities for Young Earth Warriors

PENCINTA ALAM APRIL 2014
ECO KIDS COLUMN

EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG EARTH WARRIORS
By Wong Ee Lynn
gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

Earth Day falls on April 22 each year, and it is recognised all over the world as a day on which we celebrate and give thanks to Planet Earth and Mother Nature. Governments may discuss ways to protect the environment on this day, and this can lead to important decisions being made that can benefit mankind and the Earth. Ordinary citizens including schoolchildren learn ways they can protect the environment and help plants and wildlife. Sometimes, people may feel disheartened and discouraged and think that we are doing too little, too late to help Planet Earth. But every action makes a difference, and we should never stop doing things that we know to be good for the environment, animals and society.

Here are some ways you can observe and celebrate Earth Day this April:

1. Plant a tree. Plant a new tree in your garden, or if you don't have a spot for a tree, you can find out from Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) and Landskap Malaysia if they could plant one on your behalf upon a donation being made. If you live near a community forest such as Bukit Gasing or Kota Damansara Community Forest, you can plant a tree there as well. Choose a native tree or plant, especially one that produces fruits or flowers that can provide food for native birds, animals and insects.

2. Go on a hike and celebrate the beauty of our wonderful Planet. If you live in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor, here are some of the hiking/trekking spots you can visit: Templer Park, Lembah Kiara Park, Bukit Gasing, Bukit Nenas Forest Reserve, FRIM and Kota Damansara Community Forest. Bring a few rubbish bags and gardening gloves along so you can pick up any rubbish you find along the trails.

3. Learn about composting and set up a compost bin. You can find out more about composting here: http://mnsgreenliving.blogspot.com/search/label/Composting


4. Brainstorm ways that your family can do more in helping the Earth. Do you need to turn off the lights and appliances more often? Can you recycle more? Can you replace paper items with cloth, such as napkins and cleaning rags? Can you reduce the number of documents you print? Perhaps you can try to keep your clothes cleaner so you won't have to do so many loads of laundry. Or how about driving less, and carpooling to activities with friends, or taking public transport instead?

5. Observe birds and wildlife. Learn about what animals need from us to live and remain in their environment. Can we do more to help them? It can be something as simple as watching a backyard bird feeder outside your window. Or perhaps you can put up some form of fencing around trees where birds gather to stop the neighbourhood cats and dogs from chasing and harming the birds.

6. Plant a garden. Try to grow your own vegetables this year. Not only will you be eating healthier, but you'll be reducing your carbon footprint. If you don't have room for a garden, grow some potted herbs on your windowsill. And if you really don't have a green thumb, vow to shop at your local farmer's market more this year. Local environmental organisation CETDEM holds a Hari Organik farmers' market every few months.

7. Hold a Jumble Sale: Pick out all the books, clothes, toys and other items you no longer need or want to keep, and sort them out for recycling, donating or sale. Hold a jumble sale to sell all the items that are still in good condition, and announce the event to your friends and neighbours. If you don't have the time or space for a Jumble Sale, then hold the sale online. Take photos of the items for sale and post them on Facebook or your blog with the asking price and a brief description of the item. Your friends can place their orders and pick the items up from you at home. You can then donate the proceeds of sale to your favourite wildlife / environmental protection organisation.

8. Make your own recycling bins: Make your own recycling bins (or bags) out of boxes, baskets, old toy storage units or cloth shopping bags. Decorate them as attractively as possible to encourage your friends and family members to notice and use them. You can also write or illustrate environmental tips and mottos on your recycling bins.

9. Do the No Impact Experiment in one day. Stand in a tub or large pail when you shower to see how much water you use during each shower. Stick a sheet of paper to the toilet cistern and tick on the paper each time you or someone else flushes the toilet. Think up ways you can reduce your water usage. Go through your household rubbish for the day. What do you throw away most of? Can you find ways to reduce the wastage of this item? Check the number of appliances used in your home. What should have been switched off, or put away when not in use? Are there any appliances whose function can be done more efficiently by hand? Can you go on a one-day "carbon cleanse" and not use any electrical appliances (except for perhaps the refrigerator and the fan)?

10. Go Car-Free: Car Free Day falls on Sept 22, but there is no reason why you can't go car-free other days of the year. Choose a day the same week as Earth Day to go car-free and walk, cycle or take public transport instead.

11. Hold a Book/Toy Swap with your friends: Pick out all the books, toys, games and CDs/DVDs you no longer want, and hold a toy/book/video swap with your friends. Everyone gets to go home with something new to him/her, and you get to share resources and prevent waste!

12. Replace disposable items with reusable and sustainable ones. Earth Day is a good day to break out of your old habits of carrying and using tissue paper or buying things that come in Styrofoam packaging or plastic bags. This Earth Day, form new and better habits of carrying reusable shopping bags, refillable water bottles, washable food containers and handkerchiefs with you everywhere you go. Give yourself a star on a chart each time you remember to bring your own drinking water, handkerchief, reusable shopping bag or food container whenever you go out of your house.


(Sources: http://www.creativefamilyfun.net/2013/04/10-ways-to-celebrate-earth-day.html)

What Goes Into Your Cuppa? Coffee Labelling and Certification

PENCINTA ALAM APRIL 2014
GREEN LIVING COLUMN

WHAT GOES INTO YOUR CUPPA? COFFEE LABELLING AND CERTIFICATION
By Wong Ee Lynn
<gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com>

After tobacco and cotton, conventionally-produced coffee is the third most heavily chemically-treated crop in the world. Not only are some of the synthetic pesticides and fertilizers used banned in most developed nations; they’re often used without any genuine regulatory supervision.

While some people fear pesticide residues in their coffee, there have been reports that since it’s the coffee cherry that has these chemicals applied to it, the complete removal of the fruit/pulp during
processing would mean no chemical residue was present in or on the beans. Such reports add that roasting the beans to the usual high internal temperatures (above 400°F) would drive off any chemical residue that might, by chance, remain. Others disagree; there has been speculation that agrochemicals may be taken up through the roots into coffee plants, in which case coffee beans could be carrying their residues.

Consumers also need to consider the adverse effect of all this chemical use on the coffee farmers, their families, and the environment. Runoff from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers contaminates both land and water for the people who grow coffee plants, causing immediate as well as long-term health problems. The chemicals themselves wipe out many species of plant and animal (especially insect) life indigenous to any area where they’re applied, and there’s no lack of evidence to suggest that both direct and indirect contact with many of these agrochemicals makes people very sick, especially children.

As responsible consumers, we must all strive to choose the most sustainable and socially and environmentally responsible coffee products available. The following is a list of labels and certifications and what they mean, as well as examples of such coffee products available in Malaysia.

1. Organic coffee:
As with other organic crops, certified organic coffee is grown without most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and is fairly sustainable, although there is no criteria for shade cover. Because of coffee’s growth requirements, it’s likely that organic coffee has been grown under some kind of shade. However, many farmers shade their coffee using other crops or non-native, heavily pruned trees that provide substantially less habitat for birds, and the organic label offers no information about this.
As part of organic regulations, organic coffee must be grown on land that has not seen the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or other prohibited substances for three years, there must be a sufficient buffer zone between the organic coffee and any conventional crop, and the farmer must have a suitable crop rotation plan to help prevent soil erosion, pests and the depletion of soil nutrients.
Examples of organic coffee available in Malaysia: Nature's Cuppa, Ikea Ekologist Bryggkaffe Mellanrost, Doi Chaang Coffee, Boncafe Organic.
2. Bird-Friendly.

Certified by scientists from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, this coffee is organic and meets strict requirements for both the amount of shade and the type of forest in which the coffee is grown. Bird Friendly coffee farms are unique places where forest canopy and working farm merge into a single habitat. By paying a little extra and insisting on Bird Friendly coffee, you can help farmers hold out against economic pressures and continue preserving these valuable lands.

3. Rainforest Alliance.

The most popular environmentally friendly certification for coffee as well as tea, cocoa, and fruits, Rainforest Alliance requires alternatives to chemical and pesticide use (although they stop short of organic certification), erosion control, restricted water use, and ecosystem management efforts. Because Rainforest Alliance develops standards for a wide range of farms, their shade-cover requirements are not as demanding as Bird Friendly coffee. Also, Rainforest Alliance allows coffee blends to be sold with the Rainforest Alliance label even if only a percentage of the beans (currently only 30 percent, with plans to scale up to 90 percent) carry the certification. Rainforest Alliance has a laudable goal to make a difference on a fairly large scale (they certified 540 million pounds of coffee in 2011), but there is no guarantee their certified coffee farms meet the wintering needs of migrant songbirds.

4. Shade-grown.
“Shade-grown” labels often appear on specialty coffees, but unfortunately this designation is not regulated and doesn’t tell you much about the growing conditions at the farm. When the idea for Bird Friendly coffee was hatched by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in 1996, plans for the certification process faltered while coffee companies quickly adopted the term “shade-grown” as a marketing buzzword. Unfortunately, this type of coffee can be grown among sparse trees on farms that lack diverse forest structure. Some shade-grown coffee is even grown under only the flimsy cover of banana trees fed artificial fertilizers and pesticides.

5. Fair Trade:

Fair Trade coffee can help farmers escape poverty. Most small-scale family farmers live in remote locations and lack access to credit, so they are vulnerable to middlemen who offer cash for their coffee at a fraction of its value. Fair Trade guarantees farmers a minimum price, and links farmers directly with importers, creating long-term sustainability. Through Fair Trade, farmers earn better incomes, allowing them to hold on to their land and invest in quality. Fairtrade Standards for coffee act as a safety net against the unpredictable market. They provide security to coffee producers so that they will get a price that covers their average costs of sustainable production.
Examples of Fair Trade coffee available in Malaysia: Tesco Finest Fairtrade Espresso, Doi Chaang Coffee.
6. UTZ Certified:
UTZ Certified is a label and programme for sustainable farming of agricultural products launched in 2002, for coffee, tea, cocoa, and other products. UTZ Certified products are traceable from grower to end product manufacturers (e.g. in coffee this is the roaster). The foundation operates a web-based track-and-trace system, showing the buyers of UTZ certified products links to the certified source(s). Some coffee brands and retailers also provide their customers with this transparency through online coffee tracers. Independent, third party auditors make annual inspections to ensure coffee producers comply with the Code of Conduct. Coffee with an UTZ certification has added value in the sense that it assures buyers that their coffee has been produced according to an internationally recognized standard for responsible production, i.e. according to the UTZ Certified Code of Conduct. Buyers recognize this extra value by paying coffee growers a price premium for UTZ-certified coffee. An UTZ certification empowers coffee growers to negotiate a better price for their product. They have access to information about average prices and premiums for the all the coffees sold as UTZ Certified. Furthermore, twice a year a Supply & Demand Analysis is published, where the major trends from the past and the expectations for the future are presented. This publication is an important source of information both for producers and buyers.
Examples of UTZ-certified coffee available in Malaysia: Ikea Ekologist Bryggkaffe Mellanrost.
(Sources: http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/nutri/matter/organic-coffee3.asp
http://blog.allaboutbirds.org/2012/10/09/making-sense-of-coffee-labels-shade-grown-organic-fair-trade-bird-friendl/
https://www.utzcertified.org/en/products/coffee
http://www.ethicalcoffee.net/bird.html)

Letter to the Editor: Ensure Tour Operators Practice Ethical Firefly-Watching Methods

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
ENSURE TOUR OPERATORS PRACTICE ETHICAL FIREFLY-WATCHING METHODS

A Tourism Malaysia advertisement currently aired over most radio stations makes a commendable attempt at promoting nature tourism, including firefly-watching in Kuala Selangor. Although Green Living encourages low-impact sustainable ecotourism as a means of cultivating a love of nature and the environment, we have serious concerns about the practices utilised by some tour operators involved in firefly-watching excursions.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) members have complained that some local firefly-watching tour operators use flashlights and other artificial means to mimic the mating signals of congregating firefly populations in order to lure fireflies out towards the tourists in the boats. This disrupts the mating, feeding and resting patterns of the fireflies, and causes them to fly out into areas beyond their safe zones. The exhausted firelies, after circling around the boats and tourists in their futile search for a mate, then fall into the water and are eaten by fishes. While insects are part of the normal food chain for fish and other animals, the fact that the fireflies are lured out to premature deaths, often before they have had the opportunity to mate and breed, means that firefly populations in such places will be depleted more quickly than they can recover. Such unethical practices by tour operators directly contribute to the gradual extinction of fireflies.

Congregating firefly zones in Malaysia, including in Kuala Selangor, Cherating and Kg. Dew, Taiping, are already under threat from large-scale plantations, aquaculture ponds, flood mitigation and river widening activities, illegal sand mining, clearing of river reserves, use of pesticides and poor waste management methods. Most visitors who have been to these same firefly habitats 10-20 years ago can attest to the fact that firefly populations have dwindled drastically.

Over the years, MNS has worked with local authorities, tour operators and local communities to educate and empower them in order that they have the requisite knowledge and skills to protect firefly habitats and populations. Although it is a disappointment to know that unethical firefly-watching practices are still being carried out, it is not unforeseen as many tour operators prioritise short-term gains over durable and sustainable solutions. As non-governmental organisations have no enforcement powers, we urge the local authorities to inspect the way local tour operators conduct firefly-watching activities.

Consumers and tourists must also play their part in ensuring the survival of threatened species, including congregating fireflies such as the Pteroptyx tener. Consumers should conduct due diligence on tourist destinations and tour operators before paying for services and experiences that may in fact harm animal populations, the natural environment and the local community. Basic firefly-watching etiquette include the following:

1. Do not shine your torch at or use flash photography on the fireflies. This will disrupt their
mating communications.
2. Enjoy the boat ride and avoid talking loudly, making unnecessary noise or smoking.
3. Enjoy the light show. Avoid catching the fireflies or disturbing the trees.
4. Please bring your litter out with you. Do not throw anything into the river.

Tourists and consumers must exercise their right to protest unethical practices by tour operators and hit them where it hurts the most -- their wallets. If at any point during the boat ride the tour operator simulates firefly mating signals using flashlights, please speak up and insist that they cease doing so immediately. State that you will report their unethical and harmful practices to environmental organisations, state tourism authorities and travel websites. Write unfavourable reviews in travel forums to bring their unethical practices to light. It is our duty, as consumers, not to invest in cruelty, species extinction and environmental destruction. Responsible tourism begins with you and me.

WONG EE LYNN
COORDINATOR,

GREEN LIVING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP
MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY (MNS)

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.