Earth Hour 2011

26 March 2011

8.30PM/2030h

what about an 'Earth 2 Hours'? just a thought.

Oops.

Hey guys!
We're sorry we haven't posted in a LONG LONG time. But we've been busy with school and everything...
Anyway, I'm sure you guys have heard about the massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan and the tsunami after that. #PrayforJapan Please make donations to Japan as they are having a really bad crisis.
Also, they have been having some problems with their nuclear plants. Is it really the end of the world?
Oh well. Goodbye and Stay Safe!

Tick Tock! Our seconds are getting limited.

We've all heard about the 8.8 magnitude Chilean earthquake, no? Well. If you haven't, check this Yahoo News article out to stop being a complete BLUR tucked away under a rock. If you have, you still gotta check it out to be amazed.

Water Conservation

Hey all, the topic for today is water conservation. Its a boring one, I know, so I'll let this ultra cute video do the talking instead. Enjoy.

Apple ♥ Earth

iPods. Macs. Extraordinary beings, it may seem, to some. And its no wonder too, what with all of their various functions, super sleek design....etc.

But! Has it ever occurred to you how they impact the environment? Think about it. Everytime you charge that your iPod'd energy-killing battery, you zap a little more of the Earth's energy. Everytime you turn on that sleek computer, the Earth dies a little more. In fact, 53% of Apple's total greenhouse emissions, which, by the way, is 5,352,00 metric tons, comes from the use of their products. You.

That's the bad news.

The good news is, Apple is aware of the destruction their products are causing to Earth. And they're not just sitting around watching either. No. Apple has been coming clean and taking action since 1990. For the full story, check this out.

If Apple can do their part, why can't you?

Klean Kanteens

In just a year, there are 22 million deaths caused by simply a lack of clean water and proper sanitation.

Reason #1 why you wanna save water: You don't wanna die.

To merely halve this astonishing figure, we would need $11.3 billion. Yes, just to halve it. Now, in relation to the Get your art on a SIGG bottle! post, disposable plastic bottles take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. Meanwhile, they're a nuisance to our already-too-full landfills and already-too-sparse wildlife. Yet, the global bottled water industry is worth $22 billion. Does this add up to you?

To help the world=$11.3 billion (needed)
To fill landfills and harm wildlife=$22 billion (already done)

Needless to say, something is terribly wrong with our world, and its people. So, if you're looking for a small yet effective way to make a difference, stop buying disposable plastic bottles and get a fixed one for your daily use. A Klean Kanteen would do nicely.

And while you're at it, check out this town, and just how far they've gone to do their part.

HI 5!

Hey guys!

I totally agree with Anki.

Even though animals are way more peaceful and calmer than us, they are considered as lower life forms.

I think animals are HIGHER life forms because they know that it is stupid to kill for no reason and to have wars and fight.

Animals are so much better than us because they know how to treat other animals with respect, unlike us violent humans.

We might have a higher IQ, but they have higher EQs.

=)

Affy

They need us!

Hey everyone!

Okay, I'm really really really sorry and I KNOW I'd abandoned the blog for a while...But now GT094 is BACK!

So, you know, I've been watching Animal Planet recently (Hi-5, Affy!) and I've been thinking...The only thing that humans have are brains. Animals have so many more things and are in some ways so much more intelligent than us.

Animals know how to adapt to their surroundings, and they're able to do totally incredible stuff that we'd probably never think of being able to do.

Yet, animals are somehow considered a grade lower than us. Humans can invent, and yeah yeah, they're real smart and all, but we're actually the most vulnerable of all beings. Neither can we swim as fast as a dolphin, nor run as fast as a lion.

Ever heard the phrase "merciless as a tiger" or something along that line? Well, its actually quite false. Tigers and lions would kill only when they were hungry and they totally HAD to kill to eat. Its their nature. Tigers would never harm unless they're threatened. The fact is, they're more scared of us than we are of them. Not surprising either.

Humans are the ones who have used their brains. But some humans have used their brains pretty unwisely. I've heard someone say: Humans are the only ones that have so far been able to create machines for the destruction of their own species! To which, I agree. I mean, it is kind of true. War, destruction? If anything, its humans' own fault

So why should animals be considered cruel and lowly? They deserve a place here as much as we do! So care about them a bit, and save the animals! They're waiting for us.

Ankita :)

Gasifi what?

Hi!

Long time no see!

Hello greenies!

I was watching this show on Discovery Channel.

I forgot what it was called.

Rubbish garbage and junk.

They are being properly used by a company who transforms garbage

into natural gas. They use that gas to power their machines and other stuff.

It's called GASIFICATION.

GAS-IF-I-CA-TION.

Yes. Isn't that great?

Garbage is good!

But that doesn't mean you have to stop recycling.

The machines can only crush junk. All metal and plastic and materials that can actually be recycled cannot be crushed by the machines. All thoses stuff are separated from the rest and are sent to a recycling place thing.

So please recycle.

=)

Muffin

Get your art on a SIGG bottle!

Hello fellow earthlings! I sure hope you're having a happy and eco-friendly holiday=] I'm sure you've all heard of the fantastic-amazing-suplendid(a mix of super and splendid)-totally eco-A.W.E.S.O.M.E. line of SIGG™ water bottles (hailed from SWITZERLAND!), maybe you even own some? If you haven't, here's what DELIGHT.com says about the SIGG bottles:

Why using a reusable water bottle is good for the environment:

1) Most disposable water bottles (e.g. – Evian, Dasani, Aquafina, etc.) are made of PET plastic. According to the American Recycling Institute, only 14% of these bottles are recycled. Most of the PET bottles end up in litter or trash where they can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade, filling our landfills and injuring wildlife.

2) Americans are currently adding 30 million PET water bottles to our nation’s landfills – everyday!

3) Even if PET bottles are sent to the recycling center, they are really being "down-cycled", converted to a lower form of plastic, much of which goes unused.

4) PET is a petroleum-based plastic. Manufacturing and transporting bottled water (especially from distant countries such as France and Fiji) unnecessarily burns fossil fuels – approximately 1.5 million barrels per year according to the NRDC.

- Green Earth SIGG Extra Large Reusable Water Bottle
- Every SIGG bottle is 100% recyclable at the end of it’s life (bottles will withstand years and years of use)
- All SIGG bottle tops provide a 100% seal and cannot leak. You can fill your SIGG with anything from apple juice to water to fizzy drinks
- Holds 33.8 oz of liquid
- Screw off top, with “bottle cat” to attach the top to your bottle
- Dishwasher safe
The Bottle body
– Extruded from a single piece of pure aluminum, no seams
– Highest stability with lowest weight
– Rich colors achieved with a solvent-free coating powder
– 100% recyclable
The internal coating
- Guaranteed to be taste-neutral and resistant to fruit acids and isotonic drinks according to an independent testing institute (Nehring, Germany)
- Fulfills FDA requirements (Food & Drug Administration USA)
- Elastic and unbreakable
- Will not peel off, even if dented on the outside

These amazing bottles are easily personalize-able(:DDDDDDDD) and come in a million-billion-zillion-gazillion(which is not too far away from zillion) designs! Now the only challenge is finding one that suits you. =P SIGG™ is a member of the organization 1% For The Planet, which means that it contributes 1% of sales to environmental groups and causes.

Do you want to be a part of this be-green-and-go-for-reusable-bottles movement? YOU KNOW YOU DO. I KNOW YOU DO. I KNOW IT BREAKS YOUR HEART EVERYTIME YOU SEE PEOPLE IN THE SCHOOL CANTEEN BUYING AND BUYING AND BUYING MORE AND MORE AND MORE DISPOSABLE DRINKS (it has occurred to me that that may not have been gramatically correct) IN ALL KINDS OF NON-BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC BOTTLES EVERY DAY AND LEAVING THE SAME MT.EVEREST-SIZED PILE OF TRASH IN THE GARBAGE BIN. I KNOW YOU WANT PEOPLE TO USE REUSABLE BOTTLES EVERYDAY AND I KNOW YOU WANT TO MAKE THOSE POOR DRINK VENDORS LOSE BUSINESS SO THAT SIGG WILL RULE THE WORLD (WHICH WILL BE ECO-FRIENDLY BY THAT TIME, AND ALL BECAUSE YOU SPARKED A REVOLUTION!) I know that's a bit over the top, but you have to start with a dream, right?

For years (3, to be exact), SIGG™ (haha, I didn't forget the "™" sign this time) has held the BOTTLE DESIGN competition in mainly the United States and such. The objective of this BOTTLE DESIGN competition is to encourage people of the public of all possible ages, genders, nationalities, jobs, races, religions, preferred-pudding-flavour and such to design a cover promoting the Earth for a SIGG bottle! This new, freshly-designed bottle is then released for THE WHOLE WORLD! OH YEAH, YOU DID NOT READ WRONG – WIN THIS COMPETITION AND YOU GET YOUR DESIGN ALL OVER THE WORLD, IN PEOPLE'S SCHOOLBAGS, IN HANDBAGS, IN THE HANDS OF HIKERS TRAVELLING FROM PLACE TO PLACE PROMOTING THEIR "AWESOME BOTTLE WITH THE AWESOMEST DESIGN EVER"! Presenting...

THE ASIA PACIFIC SIGG™ BOTTLE DESIGN COMPETITION 2009!

The theme of the competition is CELEBRATE NATURE – and I quote –SIGG Switzerland AG advocates everyone should own [SIGG's] water bottle to show our ecological concern in protecting our environment and precious resources. [They] look forward to using your unique ideas to demonstrate the SIGG bottles with ecological and lifestyle designs.

Check out the website for more details! With ECO themed designs on indestructable water bottles everywhere possible in the world, the message of GREEN can be spread to everyone! Then we can get the Earth saving started!

So... GET YOUR ART ON A SIGG BOTTLE! JOIN THE COMPETITION!

Cheers :] RACH.

eat fruits instead of snacks

so firstly, I'm really sorry to our readers (if we have any) for abandoning this blog. well, mostly I did. But, we only have time for a fresh start, and for you too!

blehh... why is it that whenever I put my mind to doing something like homework, I always get sidetracked in the end and don't do any of it? well anyways, I was out at the supermarket with my family, like I always am (at the supermarket, I mean. I'm always with my family there=]), but this time I started noticing the prices of things because I had read about saving money somewhere in the papers. and on tv. and on the radio. and on the internet (see, media works that way because it gets something into your head until you feel guilty if you don't do it. SO DO IT. SAVE THE EARTH!!!!!) BUT ANYWAY... I realized how EXPENSIVE THE SNACKS WERE! a small pack of something that would last for one snacktime cost $1.50! With that money, you can buy 5 APPLES! Isn't that a bargain?! Apples are ALSO 1. healthier 2. more filling 3. HEALTHIER! 4. packaging free , which equates to BETTER FOR THE EARTH AND YOU! it's a 2 in 1 deal!

The message for today? EAT FRUITS. You will...
1. Be healthier (YES, say goodbye to Cheezels, BUT also to fat!)
2. Not have to dispose of non-biodegradable plastic wrappers or paper boxes that you don't bother to recycle
3. SAVE LOTSA MONEY FOR THE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER

choose fruits instead of snacks! if you don't like apples, the world has lotsa other fruits for you, so try them out.. I guarantee you'll fall in love with one! (ehhh... just make sure you try a fruit that's EDIBLE, like mango, papaya, banana, oranges (YUM), durian, guava, pears, lychee... OH, THE PROSPECTS MAKE MY MOUTH WATER!) make this little change in your life, and make a big difference ;]


DON'T IT LOOK SO YUM? OH C'MON YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT!

Going Green... Going Veggie?

Vegetables actually use a lot less energy to prepare. Thus, the air will be less contaminated from the pollution released when energy is made from natural resources like coal, and natural gas.
Meat isn't as healthy and it isn't as environmentally-friendly.
Odd, isn't it?
Who wants to become a vegetarian now?
Not saying that you have to though. But you could try and make it for a few meals, a few times a weak maybe?
You don't go hungry, it's good for the earth, it's healthier, and your parents will stop nagging you to eat your veggies.
Great, huh?
And not just the last bit about the nagging.

Deep, DEEP trouble

Ok, so one of the reasons we should save the earth is because of the animals, right? All of you should know that. If you don't......where have you been these past few years? Anyways, I'm not sure if you guys know the seriousness of the situation some animals are in. Just for you to get an idea, here are some animals that are in trouble. Big trouble.

The Polar Bear. Numbers remaining: fewer than 25, 000












The Black-Footed Ferret. Numbers remaining: about 1,000

The Giant Panda. Numbers remaining: fewer than 2,000















The Borneo Pygmy Elephant. Numbers remaining: about 1, 500

Mekong Giant Catfish. Numbers remaining: hundreds
















Cross River Gorilla: fewer than 300













Vaquita. Numbers remaining: 200-300















Sumatran Tiger. Numbers remaining: fewer than 600













Golden-Headed Langur. Numbers remaining: fewer than 70











Javan Rhinoceros: fewer than 60








I don't know about you, but I got really freaked out when I read all that. Imagine. These animals are almost extinct. All the more we chould do something now, before its too late.

I've been thinking

Well, we all know that Earth Hour is great and all, cos it saves the Earth, right? And it's fantastic that whoever-came-up-with-it decided, "I'm going to do something big to save the Earth" like that.
On an especially long recent car ride, I was thinking about Earth Hour though, and a word popped into my head that I would use to describe it.
"Embarrassing"
I mean, the way people are about it (or at least, some people)... they act as though Earth Hour is the only time in the year that they actually do something for the Earth, you know? Like, "Oh, alright, I'll do the stinking 'turn off your lights' thing, but I'm counting down the minutes until all this just stops already."
That's on a more detail-y kind of way.
What about the fact that we even need someone to come around and say to us, "Hey guys, let's turn off our lights, and vote Earth"? Isn't that embarrassing too? Like we're little babies that need to be reminded to do what we should do naturally, without any prompting.
And don't get me started on how maybe some, in their ignorant hearts, don't even really care, but they turn off their lights dutifully like that every year to impress their friends. I have no idea about what kind of reasons some people might have for taking part when they're so reluctant; I'm just speculating.
You can call me unfair, you can call me rude, you can call me ridiculous. You could ask me, "How do you know that there are people who do it unwillingly like that in the first place?"
Actions speak louder than words. If the people of this planet truly cared, would we still be steadily heading towards doom? Did you know that the effects of global warming will, scientists predict, get so bad (very soon too) that they will be completely, absolutely, 100% irreversible?
Actions speak louder than words.
But hang on.
Where are all the good actions?

Earth Hour

Yeah, it comes every year. Yeah, you may not like how it seems everyone is supposed to be switching off their lights for a whole hour. But whatever. You should and you know it.
Can't you even imagine how it would be like for that one hour if, instead of barely scraping the goal of "1 million votes for Earth", all approximately 5.5 billion people had this one hour when all of us just stopped what we were doing and worked together? That could possibly be a good starting point. To ending global warming that is.
Scientists have estimated that in just a few years, the effects of global warming will be completely irreversible. Impossible to undo. We're getting closer to that time.
Join us all in Earth Hour this year. I know that Ankita's already posted about this, but it was a short post and I wanted to say something, you know?
That upcoming one hour can be a lot or it can be very little. It all depends on how many people are willing to flick off the switch for just that tiny amount of time. What's one hour compared to how long Earth's been around?
Do your part to save the Earth.
I know I will be.
Because one hour may be a lot or it may be very little, but what it's worth... Is a whole lot!