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Cultivation should always start young

posted by Dickie @ 6:49 PM 11 people to save this world

"Plastax issue" - No.2: The Empowerment of the Consumer

Weekly, we as consumers have been getting our groceries from the nearest supermarkets. Every time we make a purchase, the plastic bags are given to us to hold our groceries. Are those plastic bags FREE?

NO! I don't think so.

Haven't anyone heard this phrase before? "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch" ( TANSTAAFL ) popularised by Robert A.Heinlein in the 1966. Under Wikipedia, TANSTAAFL is defined as:


"a person or a society cannot get something for nothing. Even if something appears to be free, there is always a catch."



It further explains with an example:


"You may get free food at a bar during "happy hour", but the bar-owner may get you to pay indirectly through higher priced drinks, or he gets some other benefit (such as attracting new customers, who will return on other occasions and pay for their food)."



Especially when it's the so-called "free" plastic bags by the millions in a year. Do you even think that the supermarkets would have been so generous to distribute millions of plastic bags for free?

These plastic bags are given out to us not for free, but with a hidden cost, which is charged through all our purchases. Why should we be paying for plastic bags when we do not require all of them ( from the previous post: "Plastax issue" - No.1: More Supply than Demand )?


Consumers should be returned their rights in choosing the number of plastic bags they need from the supermarkets. It is very important that people HAVE to realize that at the end of the day, supermarkets are charging us more plastic bags than we can actually reuse for discarding trash, and that we are paying more than what we actually need unknowingly or even knowingly.

With "Plastax", we, as the consumers do not have to depend on the supermarkets to choose how much we need to use. We now can get to make our own choices, and honestly, arent we had enough of people always making a decision for us?

posted by Dickie @ 1:52 PM 0 people to save this world

Think twice before buying furnitures and timber products!

The furnitures and timber products
that we buy.....






might actually come from......







THISS!!!!!!!!




An illegal logger sawing a tree in a part of Indonesia. ( Image taken from Friends of the Earth )



According to the World Resources Institute, almost 80 per cent of the world's original forests have been degraded or completely destroyed. An area of natural forest the size of a soccer pitch is cut down every two seconds. A quarter of the forest lost in the last 10,000 years has been destroyed in the last 30 years. Forest loss has a direct link to loss of biodiversity. The current extinction rate of plant and animal species is around 1,000 times faster than it was in pre-human times – and this will increase to 10,000 times faster by 2050. 50% of the tropical wood sold in Europe is logged illegally.

In the recent news "Cheap furniture endangering forests", it's stated:

"....China has become the world's leading importer of wood from tropical, developing countries such as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea where illegal logging is common, the report said. "


As everyone knows that China is one of the main manufacturers for furnitures and timber product exports, it is definitely that some of the furnitures or timber products that we are having in our homes might actually be from 'illegal sources', through illegal logging.

Featured below are various thumbnails of the illegal logging operations found around the world and in parts of Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.





Images taken from http://www.yayorin.org, http://www.nickbuxton.info, http://www.foe.co.uk,

As consumers, I would like to advice that we all should be aware of the 'accomplice' purchasing, that if we do buy furnitures or timber products that are illegally sourced, we are actually supporting their very actions. Please be wise and make educated choices. Each and one of us as consumers have the power to make a difference. Choose products with the ISO 14000 family label.

Under the ISO ( International Organisation for Standardization ), " the ISO 14000 family is primarily concerned with "environmental management". This means what the organization does to minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities, and to achieve continual improvement of its environmental performance."


How do we know that the products in our house are sourced legally or not? Well, now there is Forest House to check how much ancient forest you've got in your home, and make sure that your home is forest friendly.

posted by Dickie @ 9:19 PM 4 people to save this world

Eco-Products International Fair 2006

This event is the first and biggest showcase of Eco-Products, Services and Technologies to be held in Singapore and South-east asia. This will only be the third time that the fair is being held outside Japan.

Eco-Products Intertional Fair 2006 focuses on the following areas with strong emphasis on environmental friendly developments & products:

Energy and Power
Water
Pollution Control
New Environmental Technologies
Waste Management Technologies
Energy Saving Technologies
Recycling Services
Research & Development
Eco Friendly Materials
Electronics & Electrical
Furniture & Interior
Textile & Clothing
Organic Food
Health & Fashion
Automobile & Transport
Building Materials

With an estimated of up to 100 organizations from Japan, Singapore, other APO member countries, Europe, Australia and America at the 7,000 sq metre exhibition, the fair is expected to attract over 40,000 trade and public visitors from Singapore and the region.

Free for Trade visitors and general public.

Suntec Singapore International Convention Centre
31 Oct - 2 Nov 2006

Tue
09:00 to 11:00 hrs (Opening Ceremony)
11:00 to 18:00 hrs (Exhibition & Conference Commences)
Wed
10:00 to 20:00 hrs
Thurs
10:00 to 18:00 hrs
For more details, go to http://www.epif06.com/




From Dr Amy Khor's remarks at the News Conference for Eco-Products International Fair on 10 April 2006, i would like to quote her statement:

"For consumers, the fair will bring a greater awareness of the impact that their choices make on the environment. Knowing that there are viable alternatives that are eco-friendly, they can make educated choices. And with more companies building up their capabilities in environmentally-friendly technologies and products, eco-living can become a reality."



I heard that there will also be a showcase of hybrid car, fuel cell vehicle, electric vehicle, natural gas vehicle, materials and parts, which I am definitely looking forward too. This is a great sign for a eco-friendly environment. But let's just hope that this type of eco fair wouldn't end here, but just the beginning for more to come.

posted by Dickie @ 12:46 PM 4 people to save this world

"Plastax issue" - No.1: More Supply than Demand

Thanks for all the previous comments. I would like to explain a little though, maybe through the next few posts on this issue. This being the No. 1.

Recently, I had conducted a survey amongst the household of acquaintances and relatives on the necessity of purchasing refuse bags. Interestingly, the result was that none of them actually had to purchase any refuse bags. I found it baffling, and had decided to ask them on the reason behind that Most of them had agreed that they had plastic bags given to them from their weekly supermarket visits, and they actually had more than enough to reuse as refuse bags.

More than enough?

So does that mean that that there are more given to them than is needed to reuse as refuse bags, that there are always a unused stash of plastic bags in a corner of their kitchen cupboard, waiting to be used, which eventually took up alot of space?


It seems that for most families, there are more plastic bags being distributed out by supermarkets than these plastic bags being reused as refuse bags for each household. And all these doesn't include the other plastic bags being distributed on small “take away” purchases from convenient stores and so forth, which due to "laziness", half the time goes into the trashbin straight away. Don't we need to make sure that such excessive distribution should be stop?

posted by Dickie @ 1:11 PM 5 people to save this world

Buy second hand clothes and support Flea Markets

The amount of water used in the production and transport of clothes bought by an average Singaporean is tremendous.

Clothing has a large eco-footprint mainly because of the environmental impact of cotton and wool ( although synthetic fibres so have some impact ).

Huge amounts of water, energy and chemicals go into making each product we buy. By buying fewer items, and ones that last a long time, we're doing the environment a favour.

On average worldwide, every new T-shirt made takes about 1.5 kilograms of chemicals ( pesticides and fertilizers ) to produce.

Buying second hand clothes or repairing clothes could save much of this water. It's usually cheaper too.

On top of these, please be reminded that it is not only clothes that would have such problems, it is also with books, cds, vinyls and shoes etc. Basically anything that is first hand would be unadvisable.

Recently, I was informed that there is a second hand flea market coming up in June 4th 2006
Do check it out as I are proud to support them!
There should be more of such markets in Singapore. Wouldn't it be nice?



Sunday, 4th of June 2006
Flea & Easy
Zouk/Phuture/ Winebar
Opens from 2pm to 7pm
For more information: go to http://zoukclub.com
and sign up to their mailing list to be in the loop.


I would have gone really early just to get the best buys ( and being environmentally friendly too ).


Categories: clothes, books, compact discs, shoes

posted by Dickie @ 6:16 PM 9 people to save this world

The top 2nd most litter found on the coast - Plastic bags

The 13th International Coastal Cleanup Singapore two years ago published its 2004 results and reported that 2,202 volunteers, in 90 minutes collected
the most starting from 1 , to the least 10.
1. Cigarettes / Cigarette Filters
2. Plastic Bags
3. Food wrappers/ containers
4. Straws/ Stirrers
5. Styrofoam
6. Beverage bottles ( plastic )
7. Plastic sheeting / Tarps
8. Caps, lids
9. Cups, plates, forks, knives
10. Beverage bottles ( glass )


As we can see, the Plastic Bags are the top 2nd most litter, with 12,002 plastic bags found in the sea.


Categories: plastic bags

posted by Dickie @ 5:03 PM 6 people to save this world

Singapore should introduce "PlasTax" - Plastic Bag Tax

Plastax, in short for Plastic Bag Tax is first introduced in the Republic of Ireland in 2002.

There is a 15¢-per-bag tax.

The tax will exempt heavier weight reusable plastic bags; bags used for meat, fish, or poultry; bags for unpackaged produce, ice, or other foods without packaging.

Ireland used to have a rampant consumption of 1.2 billion plastic shopping bags per year, the tax resulted in a 90% drop in consumption, and approximately 1 billion fewer bags consumed annually.

This are the following benefits of Plastax:

1. To change consumer behavior, not to generate revenue through habits from mindless consumption, to reducing and reusing.

2. Simple market-based solution

3. Retailers save money

4. Administration is straightforward

5. Plastic bag consumption cut by 90%

6. Litter reduced

7. 18,000,000 liters of oil have been saved



Several other countries and cities around the world are now considering implementing a similar tax, including UK, Australia and New York City.


I would have not agreed more that Singapore is making good progress with the campaigns and awareness program regarding on the 3R. But such cultivation could be a tedious and often a prolonged process which could takes years to finally see the outcome, wouldn't it be better if we could have a catalytic change of consumer behaviour, and be in stride with the foreign sustainable countries?

To read more about Plastax,
click on the following links.
Reusable Bags - "PlasTax" - Scoop on the Plastic Bag Tax
Irish bag tax hailed success
Plastax is a brilliant idea says Shane from Ireland
Plastic Bag Environmental Levy


Categories: plastic bags

posted by Dickie @ 11:42 AM 18 people to save this world

Turtle soup should be banned!

Image taken from http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/

This nice sumpteous tasty hot turtle soup...................................












actually came from.....................











THISSSS!!!!!!




One of the main concerns for me which i realised is the consumption of turtle soup. Although to many fellow singaporeans, it doesn't really concern them on it's existence or not, i would advice that there should be some awareness that we as Singaporeans should know about.


Quoted from the ( Star Telegram, Forth Worth, Texas ) in 27th January 2001 ( can you believe it? It's already been rated so long ago ), on the extinction of turtles.



"Turtles in China and Southeast Asia are being harvested in staggering numbers, to the point of extinction, scientists said Friday at a three-day international conference on saving Asian turtles hosted by the Fort Worth Zoo."

"It is the turtles in Asia that suffer the most. Of 90 Asian turtle species, 67 are threatened with extinction."




I would like to urge that all Singaporeans to understand the environmental predicament that we might be facing, and that if we stop consumption of turtle soup, we would also be discouraging the illegal operations of turtle poaching off the seas.

The poaching operations are often brutal and ugly.
Featured below are various thumbnails of such inhumane acts of poaching for turtles.








Images taken from http://www.tortugamarina.org

Categories: turtle soup

posted by Dickie @ 1:59 AM 10 people to save this world

No to Plastic Bags

Given on the comparison of existing recycling culture over in Australia recently, I was extremely astonished by the reflective purchasing of the Australians. It have suddenly turned these "reusable bags" into a "Go green" fashion statement of the 21st century. Apparently, the citizens didn't have such reflective practise overnight, while it is with the effort of their government who had took 8 years to slowly inculcate its' citizens into the recycling habit in their daily lifes.



Reusable Bags for AUD 99 cents over at Safeway



Every green bag equals 1.2 single-use plastic bags. That's an estimated 8.3 plastic bags saved every week, or 431 a year.



This is exactly the same bag that i brought back to Singapore.



While back in Singapore, i realised that our government too has adopted the "Go green" policy, instead renaming it the 3R ( Reduce, Reuse and Recycle ) .

No doubt, it is true now that we have to have reflective practise too. We have to understand that we are really not just the only ones on this country or this planet and that we have to really take notice of what's really around us. If we have to progress as a country, then we have to start thinking for the future. Every decision of a consumer counts, and hopefully there would be a great decrease in the usage of plastic bags.


Categories: plastic bags

posted by Dickie @ 1:24 AM 4 people to save this world