Green way of life up in Genting Resorts

By LAI PEI YEE

LEADING a green lifestyle is not an alien concept for Genting as it has always been the priority of its founder, the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong. After his demise, his legacy continues to live on as the company begins to heighten its involvement with activities that help preserve the environment.

The heartfelt message was conveyed by Resorts World Bhd executive vice-president, Kevin Sim during the official launch of the Genting Goes Green project and logo recently.

Natural Resources and Environ-ment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas was guest of honour at the event. He was accompanied by the Department of Environment director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibrahim.

In his speech, Embas applauded RWB for its environment-friendly efforts and for obtaining ISO 140001 & OHSAS 18001 certification from SIRIM. The fundamental programmes of the project are based on its Environment, Health and Safety Policy which involves the optimisation of resources, recycling and reduction of waste, besides employing the best ways to lessen risks and ill health, while encouraging human resource development in training.

The resort has carried out a number of projects and programmes that are environmental-friendly, including the proper consumption of water, electricity and disposal of waste.

According to Sim, the resort has so far managed to cut a total of five per cent of its monthly water consumption after setting up a flow restrictor to some of the water supply taps and bidets.
Other steps taken are reducing the volume of water in the cistern tanks and monitoring the condition of pipes.

The resort has also employed schemes that will reduce electricity usage such as revising the use of energy during non-peak periods and by installing variable speed drives to reduce energy consumed by motors.

Young rescuers

By IAN YEE

Students across the country have been rising up to the challenge of saving the environment, but thanks to help from the corporate sector, some of them will get even more encouragement to keep up their good work.

Last week, two university students were not only rewarded for their outstanding efforts in environmental conservation, but also given the opportunity to further develop their knowledge on how to save the environment.

Felicity Kuek from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Titus Loh from Universiti Malaya, winners of the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (BYEE), will be sent to Germany for a week-long study tour where they will be exposed to all the environment-saving practices and technologies put in place there.

Young environmentalists Felicity Kuek and Titus Loh

The two were among 10 students, aged between 18 and 24, who were selected by Bayer as ''environmental envoys'' for the promise they showed in their efforts to conserve the environment. After a five-day environmental camp in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, they were each required to present a proposal of a project they were hoping to undertake.

Their projects included efforts involving waste management, protection of seahorses and coastal clean-ups, but Felicity's work and proposal for the Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) and Titus' efforts in promoting recycling in his faculty that were deemed the most promising by judges.

''I first took an interest on a project called Terrapin Independence Day. It was at Kuala Terengganu, and they were releasing terrapins that they felt were mature enough to survive on their own. "I saw the children there, and they were so excited and inspired by it. That really encouraged me to come up with my own project," said Felicity, a marine biology student.

Her plan is to add to a regular programme by SEATRU, a five-day educational holiday where tourists get to experience and help out with turtle conservation work, by bringing local schoolchildren along for a day.

"Terengganu has a problem — locals are still buying and consuming turtle eggs. I've found that there's no point in telling the older people to stop. They're already set in their ways. "So the only thing to do is educate the young people. We'll bring schoolchildren from around the area to join the programme for a day so they can see the work people are doing there and interact with the conservationists. That way the next generation will stop the practice, and hopefully even advise their parents against it," she added.

Titus's winning proposal was also something he had already been working on. His simple idea of a "Recyclables Collection Drive", in which students themselves actively set up collection bins at their hostels to make it more convenient for others to get in the habit of recycling, is both effective and highly feasible.

"We want our own students to be running this. Our slogan is 'For the students, by the students'. We've already been running the programme in our faculty for an academic year now, but my proposal was an extension of this. We want to make it a university-wide programme," he explained.

Like many other students out there, Titus admitted that he wasn't initially concerned about the environment and had to be "forced" to participate in the project because of his lecturer. "It was actually part of our school assignment, and the lecturer made it 10% of our final marks, so I was 'forced' to do it.

Felicity hopes to stop the consumption of turtle eggs to protect the endangered species. "We had a tough time doing it at first. We got a lot of rejection, and a lot of students who just couldn't be bothered. But it's working out now," he said.

In a way, Titus is an example to all young people that you don't have to be a passionate environmentalist in order to play a part in saving the planet. What many people don't realise is that some simple lifestyle changes, or even the mere realisation that the environment is in dire need of help, could be enough to make a difference.

"I don't envision myself to be a full-time activist. But environmental issues will now always be close to my heart. Whatever I do in the future, I will definitely contribute whenever I can," he added. Felicity, who hopes to help research and preserve marine mammal species full-time when she completes her studies, believes that this simple change in mindset is what Malaysians need the most if we were to start saving our environment.

When asked what she felt was the main problem with Malaysians when it comes to conservation, she said: ''Malaysians are too tidak apa. For us, ignorance is bliss. Like shark's fin soup — you can't get the older generation to stop having shark's fin soup. It's already part of their culture, it's a status symbol for them. "That's why it all has to start with the children. We have to educate them now, because they will be more willing to change."

Once they get back from Germany, Felicity and Titus will get straight to work on their proposals, having been given a November deadline by BYEE organisers.

"My main goal is to jump-start the programme, so that I can pass it on to my juniors when I leave (the university)," said Titus.

Trash rafts marring image of Pulau Perhentian

Date : June 24, 2009
Source : The Star Online
Title : Trash rafts marring image of Pulau Perhentian

I WRITE in response to the article “Marine life at Pulau Perhentian under threat from trash” which was published in your newspaper on June 15.

I frequently visit the Perhentian islands and I have spoken to a few people on the island about this issue as it is one of the most unpleasant sights for tourists coming to the islands. Firstly, the floating rafts in the photo are not meant for tourists. They are built for the people of Perhentian to put their trash on before they are collected by the contractor and brought to the mainland.

This has been practised for a number of years now and this issue has been highlighted a few times over the past years as tourism on the islands gains popularity. As an avid diver and someone who loves the natural environment, it is a sore sight when one heads towards the Perhentian islands as one sees these rafts filled with trash along the main channel separating the two islands. Surely, this can’t be good for the tourism industry as it portrays a bad image for the country.

On the ecological side, these plastic bags of trash are often seen floating on the water near the rafts. The trash could be harmful to the marine life, not to mention the plastic bags which are often mistakenly eaten by turtles. The turtles like jellyfish (or other floaty stuff that looks like jellyfish in the water.

I believe both the Government and the operators have to work together to find solutions to this issue. If proper steps are not taken in the near future, the marine ecosystem, which is the only attraction to the tourists coming to these islands will be damaged. And it will hurt the tourism industry, causing significant loss of revenue to both the Government and the operators on the islands.

I believe that in order to reduce the damage, simple steps such as the 3R’s concept of reduce, reuse and recycle can be taken. Reduction in the consumption of plastic bottles, cans and even food waste can reduce significantly the amount of trash produced. Reusing kitchen waste as fertiliser through composting as well as recycling tins and plastic bottles can also help the cause.
I believe it is also the responsibility of tourists who come in to the islands to remember to bring out any trash that they have brought in, bought on or produced on the islands. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to carry four plastic bottles you have used out to Besut and throw them in one of the recycling bins you can find there.

Let us work together to keep the marine resources on the islands for our young generation to experience in the future.

DANLEE,
Subang Jaya.

Folk urged to help preserve rivers

Date : 22 June 2009
Source : The Star
Title : Folk urged to help preserve rivers

By EDWARD RAJENDRA

WATER Association of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (SWAn) president Tan Sri Rozali Ismail has called for a vigorous campaign for river preservation in the state. Rozali was speaking at the association’s third annual general meeting where he urged Selangorians to come forward and lend a hand in keeping rubbish out of the rivers and prevent water wastage in an initiative to conserve the precious gift of nature.

Calling for the people’s involvement in saving the rivers from pollution, he said the association had made some headway it educating the younger generation through school programmes. “We want to bring the message to the adults through the children. Children can influence their parents and our agenda is to get them to educate their parents,” he said.

Rozali said concerted efforts were needed to be taken by the authorities to make anti-pollution river campaigns effective, adding that people have to play their part in the conservation of the ecosystem in the state. He said there was no point in holding such campaigns unless people come forward and understand the importance of eco-friendly measures.

“We must not kill our rivers through the disposal of non-biodegradable waste products. But all this is possible only if people cooperate,” he said. Meanwhile, Energy, Green Technology and Water deputy secretary-general Datuk Nur Azmal Mohd Nazir, who read out the speech by Minister Noriah Kasnon, said engaging youths was another integral part of the water loop.

“Our youth are naturally passionate about the environment, particularly tertiary students. I am inspired that SWAn will hold activities with varsity students in their outreach programmes to achieve environmental sustainability,” he said.

Intel kickstarts recycling campaign

Date : 22 June 2009
Source : The Star
Title : Intel kickstarts recycling campaign

INTEL Malaysia celebrated the World Environment Day 2009 by launching its Solid Waste Recycling Campaign 2009. Themed ‘From Land to Ocean: Our Commitment to the Environment’, the annual campaign will see 28 NGOs and participating schools in Penang and Kulim collecting recyclable waste throughout the campaign period which is the whole year.
The proceeds from their efforts will then be donated back to them.
Intel Malaysia managing director Atul Bhargava said the World Environment Day was an important platform for the company to reinforce its commitment towards sustainable environmental initiatives.
“One of the many commitments that we hold on to is to incorporate environmental performance goals throughout our operations.
“In 2008, we became the largest purchaser of green power in the United States according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. It estimated that Intel’s record purchase has the equivalent environmental impact of taking more than 185,000 cars off the road each year,” he said in his speech at the launch of the campaign at its Bayan Lepas plant on Thursday. He said this year marked the seventh consecutive year that the campaign was held.

“We have collected more than 200 tonnes of recyclable waste over the last two years,” he said.
“Apart from that, we have also driven many other unique initiatives to continuously increase the awareness and build a culture of conservation which, I am proud to say, have received strong support from the community. “Through our community-led Intel Mangrove Tree Planting programme, over 400 volunteers from Intel and various sections of the community have helped to plant 4,000 mangrove saplings last year to create a protective buffer zone for coastal areas,” he said.

The company’s other programmes include the Intel Malaysia Marine Conservation Programme where employees are encouraged to get together to save the turtles. During the launch of the campaign, science exhibition booths were put up by schools. Participants of last year’s campaign received RM13,000 and 52 recycled laptops.