Quitting it

It's sooooooooooooooooo hard to go by a day without my rolled ciggie. I guess we were too gung-ho last year that we had no idea what we're getting ourselves into. But then again, we're Green Buddies and we're supposed to be kind to the environment. So it only makes sense to quit this habit and start to contribute to the environment sincerely (-_-)

Well now that i've kicked ciggies aside, next is to go vegetarian once a week. That'll be hard to do i think. First the ciggies then the nice pork and beef. But never mind, i think i'll be able to do it.

As i'm typing this post, i just feel like smoking one, but i know it's just stupid to even do it. So i won't.

I'll be a good Green Buddy :D

Green Resolution

In a blink of an eye, 2009 has arrived. Do you already have a new year's resolution? If saving the environment is part of your resolution simple things below might help make the world a greener place.

1) Look for things that has minimal packaging
2) Buy organic produce. Because it doesn't use pesticides, it uses less energy.
3) Bring your own bag to the store and fill it with recycled and organic items.
4) ATM machine : Request for a receipt when you really need one
5) Do your banking online. Because you don’t have to waste petrol driving around and get
yourself caught in the jam
6) Unplug all your electric appliances when they are not in use.
7) Buy local and eat local
8) Buy second hand

From bling to bliss...welcome to the new luxury

This century has seen the bling, ostentatious consumerism of the 90s gradually rejected in favour of all things that is synonymous with terms like organic, natural, eco-friendly, hybrid, homemade and locally-produced, just to name a few. Something peculiar has happened to our concept of luxury in the past few years. Before I allow you to proceed any further with reading, yes, this post may seem biased and that it’s not a fair representation of all demographics across the globe…BUT – if you’re reading this post, then it definitely applies to you. Do not be pointing fingers that it’s been abandoned the situation of the current global economy, but let us at least be enlightened with a sigh of relief in knowing not only what is today’s concept luxury but also that it is so easily attainable by anyone of us.

Social and economic circumstances have colluded for us to change the understanding of the very concept of luxury. Those of you in the urbanized towns of Malaysia, who hasn’t been in close proximity with someone who is toting a Prada bag or Gucci shades? Pardon the decadence in tone but if you’re really interested in luxury today, you won’t find it plonked on the lap of the girl next to your workstation.

Clearly, the concept of luxury is far from dead. The luxury goods market was worth more than US$ 200 billion last year, and according to Bain & Co., even in light of the global economic turmoil triggered by the subprime crisis, it only has a projected decline of only between 3 to 7 percent in 2009 (after a steady expansion over the past few decades). It’s just that its rules have changed. Generations ago, luxury wasn’t a product, available to anyone who had the money to purchase it, it was founded on a tradition that maintained quality and integrity. And in the Twentieth Century there was the exclusivity of precious Mikimoto pearls and anything that comes with a wait-list that came along with unjustifiable figures to many like the Birkin bag. Today, ‘luxury’ goods can be found piled in mountains by workers in China gluing away thousands of “Made In Italy” tags to leather goods.

As a result, true luxury today embodies something entirely different. Luxury was once in the form of tangible items. Now, it’s sitting on the sofa with the kids after having a warm home-cooked meal together. Duck confit at the latest “It” restaurant in town, or the ability to go on a weekend getaway to an organic farm tucked away from the urban towns we live in? In our time-poor society, it’s not getting one’s hands on the iPhone but the ability to shut it off for the evening.

The new luxury hinges on originality, traceability, ethics, eco-consciousness and a first-hand experience. Sprouting out from the mega-success of online-auction eBay is etsy.com – a site catered entirely to dwellers of luxury being able to make their own hand-made items and then selling it on etsy.com. You’ve been forewarned that it’s another online empire in the making but who would have thunk that an infinite amount of hand-made items could be so in demand? And never mind the fight for the latest mean machines menacing the roads, Chanel has taken a cue of the change in trends by producing its own line of bikes. Imagine that, never mind the special edition automobiles lining up the driveway – in place of that, a Chanel bike tucked under the stairs. And no silly, if you are thinking that Chanel is solely (and arrogantly) attaching its heritage of yester-years with the bike, it’s them inevitably keeping up with the times of the eco-conscious society. And at $12,400 a pop, believe you me that the bike comes with a price enough to rival its engine-enabled counterparts.

Some new ways to indulge in luxury today ranges from spending an entire day in your PJs, and eating organic ice cream straight from the local farm, or growing your own herbs to even sponsoring an orang utan. With the challenging times that lie ahead for most of us in the coming year of 2009, let us not get carried away in benchmarking against what now constitutes as ‘old luxury’ and indulge whenever we can in nouveau luxury.

Cool Green Gadgets

I came across some really weird but cool green gadgets. These might not be available locally, but I think it is quite fun to know that these kind of stuff do exist.

Now That's Lawn Furniture!Where better to focus your Earth-friendly efforts than in your yard? Just assemble this eco-friendly chair's skeleton, cover it with soil and seed, add water, and wait for it to transform into a chair.

The FlowerPod Concept designed by Designnord of Denmark, presents you with a full-grown digital flower (right) if your energy use is moderate. If your eco-consciousness lags, so does the flower. The idea is that the reward of a healthy-looking blossom will encourage everyone in your family to do their part to shrink the home's carbon footprint. The FlowerPod also hooks up to an Information Portal, which displays your usage of electricity, heating, cooling and water.

These weird, spaceship-looking, green balls are billed as detergent substitutes. Put them into your washing machine with your dirty clothes, and they supposedly produce ionized oxygen, naturally activating nearby water molecules. This, according to their maker, enables the balls, priced at approximately $70 for a set of three, to penetrate deep into clothing fibers and lift dirt away. Eco balls promise to be chemical-free and environmentally friendly, and the maker says that one set will last for 1,000 washes, which would make them less expensive per use than regular detergent.

In this concept design for the Core77 contest, Jim Mielke of the United States really pushed the boundaries of his imagination. When the cell phone rings, you push a small dot on your arm. A 2-by-4-inch tattoo with the image of the cell phone's digital display then appears. Answer the call by pushing one of the tattoo's buttons. When you're done, the tattoo disappears. And best of all, you'd never leave this phone in your jeans in the washer. The HYmini is a baby wind turbine that can produce sufficient electricity to charge most gadgets, including MP3 players, digital cameras and cell phones. Attach it to your bike handlebars or to your arm as you move about. Just 20 minutes of wind exposure will give the device's internal battery enough juice to support 30 minutes of iPod time. The $49.99 HYmini comes with mini solar panels and extra batteries, too, so you can switch elements to store power. And in a pinch, you can charge it in a regular wall outlet.

Source : http://tech.msn.com/guides/green/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=6998573

Source: DiGi Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd.

Google has been touted as “the most desirable place to work in the United States”. All the way across the globe however, I have discovered that based on aesthetics alone, in my own personal experience, DiGi Telecommunications’ head office, aptly named Digi D’house, is undoubtedly the most desirable place to work in in Malaysia.

It was a good while ago but I significantly recalled reading the newspaper write-up on DiGi’s head office in Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park. I remember seeing the pictures of the head office and thinking to myself “this can’t be in the country!” but yet I continued ogling at such a marvel of an office place. Needless to say I leaped at the opportunity to see first-hand the place DiGi calls home. I certainly went with my own set of expectations in mind and I must admit that right from the moment I set foot in the lobby, keeping my cool was quite a task in itself.

Indeed, we met DiGi. No, the resort-like workplace is not an urban myth but I digress. When we heard of DiGi’s latest Corporate Responsibility (CR) programme we knew we wanted to know more. Any one of us who has lived in Malaysia in recent years will know that DiGi is synonymous with the colour yellow. So when DiGi announced Deep Green (“DG” – pun intended?) it certainly piqued our interest in wanting to delve deeper into DiGi’s CR initiatives. And upon finally coming to a time that is in agreement with the right people, DiGi graciously allowed us to pick at their gray matter.

Initially, the initiation seemingly appeared as a shift in terms of DiGi’s CR efforts. We have always known to associate DiGi’s efforts to community engagement, with which more often than not, it is in relation to the young and the creative ones. “Why the sudden shift?” we thought. It was then revealed to us that it is not a sudden shift that was conceived out of the inevitable growing affinity towards all things going green. It has been a while now that with much awareness, DiGi recognized that there is an alarming and urgent need for change in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry. The one fact that stood out was that from “a McKinsey report on the environmental impact by various industries revealed that the ICT industry is set to outstrip the aviation industry as the major source of CO2 emissions by 2012” (Source: DiGi Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd.).

This doesn’t just involve the industry makers alone – but this includes consumers, myself included, who depend on the ICT industry that contributes to the alarming statement. It is with this in mind that DiGi has cultivated a stance consistent throughout its organization to ensure the preservation and salvation of the environment. It is with such conscientiousness that has led for DiGi to include Environment as one of the legs of the tripod that forms the CR Strategic Focus. From the preservation of the hillock in its office grounds that was kept and built around down to the concept of the large, wide windows throughout the building to ensure reduction of electricity consumption, DiGi is consistent in that it has clearly incorporated sustaining the environment within its own organization before venturing out into the community.

The tagline under the company’s Corporate Responsibility arm – “Doing Great While Doing Good”. The office culture, working environment and D’House alone, this a reflection and fair representation of the company? I for one definitely wouldn’t mind clocking in the long hours (if necessary) in a working environment like this – if everyone works together a common belief, a common good. And yes, I shamefully admit that claiming a site like DiGi D’House as a second home is an all-too alluring thought.

A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash (Film by Chris Paine)

About 2 days ago, during the weekend, I went to Malaysia's first ever Eco Film Fest 2008. It was held at the National Arts Academy in KL. Well it was freaking hot when i got there. But nevertheless, the hall for movie screenings was cold as the Arctic. Then i thought to myself, omg, this is madness. The weather outside is hot as hell and the air-conditioning inside is ridiculously cold. It's not really good for the body, really.

But then again, this is Malaysia and not like anyone would give two hoots about this situation as long as they are comfortable with where they are.

The film on oil crash was an eye opener for me. I think it was an eye opener for the rest of the audience as well. We were so enthused by the commentaries made by the people whom the film director interviewed. And mind you, these are former politicians who served the Bush Sr. administration, Reagan administration and Carter administration. They had points of view that will blow your mind away. And they even had information that will make you want to run for President of the United States just so you could stop the oil crisis.

Americans are addicted to oil. It's sad to know that they produce only 2% of the worldwide oil production but they use 25% of the world's oil reserves. And the figures will continue to rise if whoever's at the administration this year don't put a stop to this oil blunder.

In 1977, Americans used over 8 million barrels of oil per day. In 2000, the barrels now amount to more than 13 million a day. The oil economy will continue to peak and according to Hubbert's theory it happens every 20 years or so. And when it does happen again, there might not be anymore reserves left for us to dig.

It took the Earth 150-200 million years to naturally produce crude oil, and it took humans 200 years to use up almost all of it. I don't think we can afford to wait any longer until the last reserve is discovered. Our grandchildren might not even get a chance to ride an airplane because by then, cars and airplanes will be rides for the elites.

It's really depressing sometimes to know that these big fat capitalists are the ones who have to power to change everything. Unfortunately, greed is all they have in their hearts. Too bad for the rest of us, only a crude awakening will knock them hard in their heads. By then, hopefully all is not too late. Because I believe that human creativity will prevail because we're all inventors. I believe another kind of 'oil' will be contrived for our industries. And i do hope it's friendly for the earth.

4 Eco-Friendly Ways To Repel Mosquitoes

We know all tropical countries are filled with blood-sucking mosquitoes that are too dangerous for us. We're not safe in our own homes, let alone in the jungle.

I was browsing through the internet and i found this info on how to repel mosquitoes without having to buy mosquitoe or insect repellent. So to not let the mosquitoes make a meal out of you, here's how you can do it in 4 eco-friendly ways:

1. A citronella candle works well to cover an area. Or you can use citronella oil. The oil or the essence comes from the leaves or the stem of a type of plant from the Cymbopogon species. This plant is also known as the 'mosquitoe' plant. Unfortunately, citronella doesn't remain potent for long on human skin. So you'll need to apply the oil every 30 minutes or so.

2. Wear light-coloured clothings. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark-coloured clothings.

3. Remove or cover all standing water near your home. This will induce the varmints to breed elsewhere.

4. Remain unscented. Mosquitoes are attracted to floral smells. Do not use scented soap if you do not wish for the mosquitoes to make a meal out of you.

So here you go. Four simple ways to repel mosquitoes. You can stop buying Ridsects now...hehehe!!!