And it's a wrap!

Was supposed to meet up with the guys from Waste Association Malaysia last Friday but it got cancelled last minute. Anyway, this project is a wrap. We're done and we're ready to share. If anyone out there is interested in finding out about Environmental Communications and Motivations in Malaysia, mail us.

But this blog I reckon, will still go on. I think it's good to just have a continuation in sharing some green initiatives that have been happening. Especially, in Dentsu U, where The Green Buddies is still active ;)

By the way, we've just had our first GB Drinks last Thursday. Although we only spoke about KPI for er.. what, 5 minutes? The rest of the time, peeps were just trying to relax and get used to calling each other buddy. But it's good. Looks like everyone's got something that they'd like to work on. Ali, Sue and I might be considering the trip to Simpang Pulai with the Waterfalls Survivors this weekend (yo guys, you still up for it?). We'll see. 3 campaigns running is. NOT. funny... I may just jump off the cliff on Saturday and call it a day :S

On transition to become 'greener'.

So what happens if my favourite colour is not green? You're gonna discriminate me?

I've decided to list down some of the things which I realised that I'm consciously doing to be more environmental friendly (lately). I am sorry but I'm loving 2.0 performance cars. I try not to pollute too much nor use too much fuel by voting for the best fuel-efficient power-packed engine technology with my dollar. But I'm willing to trade my carbon footprint with some of these habits:

1) At a restaurant:
- I tell them to clear all the unused plates/cutleries so that they don't have to wash it unnecessarily even though it's still clean after my meal.
- No garnishing is needed. Except for some strange stalks, I believe they're all food. I don't eat my garnishing so, don't waste. Give it to those who do.
- Don't over use tissue papers even though they're free.
- I finish everything in my glass because water is precious (something I learnt from Kenya).

2) At home:
- I don't charge my e71 every day because it's new and the battery sustains for a good couple of days even after fairly extensive talk time and accessive SMSes.
- Turn off the electricity at the powerpoint because electricity do still trickle into appliances even when not in use.
- Think twice before I buy anything. Buy something I need even though it's expensive, so that I don't have enough money to buy other stuff that I don't need.

3) At work:
- Reduce, reuse and recycle papers. And everything that falls under the 3R campaign.
- Revving everyone up to be more environmentally friendly and trying to incorporate this (however informally and whenever I can) into the company's policy.
- Organising 'Green Drinks' session so that the Green Buddies committee can be more relaxed while updating each other on the eco-projects we're currently working on.

4) With friends
- Give a dirty look to those who are 'dirtying' the place
- Joined the 'Waterfalls Survivor' group to get people to start appreciating our country's natural gems

So far, that's what I've been doing. I don't know if it's good enough for me to trade off the carbon footprint of my car (by the way, I'm not driving a GTi, in case you're wondering. (Yet :)). But I think it's hard to get everyone to care for the environment in the same way since none of us are manufactured in that way in the first place :P

Green weekend

T'was a long weekend and I attended the 'Pachamama' Symposium so kindly organised by the Eco Warriors. Before you say 'patch whurt?', it's native language for 'Mother Earth' for the people of Andes. The symposium was designed to 'open the floodgates of environmental awareness as well as providing empowerment to its attendees'. It was a cross between Al Gore and Asiaworks if you ask me. It's not good and not bad, just how it was delivered. I think to people who have voted for Green but not know what to do, this is something which they can participate to gain that little nudge to push them forward. As for the people who may not have voted for Green entirely, I think it puts them on a mild guilt trip more than creating that positive energy for change which I'm sure was what the symposium intended to do. However, having said that it was the first trial and I think Eco Warriors did a fantastic job at that. I'm interested to see how things will evolve and what will happen when the numbers snowball and become bigger. Could this be the 'tipping point' in Malaysia? I don't know but let's see.