Baby Food Bottles

Many parents out there throw away the glass baby food bottles after use but they should consider reusing them. Some use it to store their buttons and craft materials like this one.

I can think of using them to store hair clips, paper clips, candy, etc. All you need is your imagination!

Look out for phthalates!

This article will make you think twice before you pick up the rubbery toy for your child or nieces and nephews.

Phthalates are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible or resilient and also as solvents. They exists in toys, food packaging, hoses, raincoats, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, wall coverings, lubricants, adhesives, detergents, nail polish, hair spray and shampoo.

Phthalates have been found to "disrupt the endocrine system. Several phthalate compounds have caused reduced sperm counts, testicular atrophy and structural abnormalities in the reproductive systems of male test animals, and some studies also link phthalates to liver cancer

A new study has also links phthalates to autism. They found that "Infants or toddlers who lived in bedrooms with vinyl, or PVC, floors were twice as likely to have autism five years later, in 2005, than those with wood or linoleum flooring."

Now, I must think of green alternatives to my nail polishes.

Bread Tabs

Frankly I think we just toss the bread tabs into the trash after we finish with the bread, hopefully these ideas from Planet Green will give you pause the next time you are able to throw the tab away.

1. Use it as a guitar pick.

2, Collect different colored tabs and use them as poker chips.
3, Use them as scrapers when washing pots, pans, stove and countertops

4. Mark the end of the roll of tape

5. Use it to mark prices during your garage sales

6. Use them to create art, don't believe it? See here
7. Use them for bingo chips.
8. Use them to label electrical cords, never unpluck the wrong cable anymore.

So, don't underestimate the power of a small bread tab.

Eco Nuns

Look, even convents are going green these days.

The Benedictine nuns of the Conventus of Our Lady of Consolation have moved to their new convent in the North York Moors National Park.

So how green are their convent? Hot water are provided by solar panels, a woodchip boiler that can be fuelled by locally-sourced trees and a green roof to better insulate the buildings. Rainwater from some of the roofs will be collected and used to flush the toilets and, instead of an electrically-driven waste water treatment plant, the architects have installed a reedbed sewage system. Last but not least, materials for the building (timber to stone) are sourced locally to minimize the transportation and thus carbon footprint.

Check out the pictures and story in the Guardian

Sustainable Packaging

If you had bought anything from the Ikea shop and use their shopping bags, you will know it disintegrate itself after a while. Now, more and more businesses are making their packaging more sustainable too.

Here's some good inventions.

Steve Haslip and his HangarPak. Click on the picture for better view. For a start, courier companies should start eliminating their plastic packages.

Then, there's 60Bag and their bags that biodegrade in 60 days. Uber cool.

Solar CD and MP3 Player

I love this design, it looks so contemporary and it doesn't really look like a CD player. I will however prefer it to look slimmer.

This player comes with a solar panel which you can place outside your window to capture the free sun rays and you no longer have to feel guilty keeping your CD or MP3 player on through the night.

It is already for sale at 99 Euros, get it here today!

Wave your nokia today!

If you are not using a Nokia now, it is time to consider switching. Why is that so? Because in a few years time, imagine not having to charge your handphone anymore.

Nokia Research Centre located in Cambridge, UK is working hard on a technology that allows the handphone to harvest small amount of energy from radio waves. The radio waves will convert into energy to charge the battery of your Nokia.

This is a great idea versus those unsightly handphones out there with an actual solar panel on it to charge. I love those ideas but don't love their designs but if they start to hide the solar panels without looking ugly, I will use them.

Recycling Bins

Saw these recycling bins at the airport the other day when I went there for lunch. Now those who throw recyclable stuff away can't say they are both illiterate and blind as well.

Urban Health

If you have the habit of leaving your car idle while you run out to do some errands, short as it may be, don't do it in New York, although better yet, don't do it at all.

Why New York specifically? Because there is a vigilant by the name of George Pakenham going around the streets of New York to stop idling vehicles from polluting the air with greenhouse gas emissions which can cause health issues.

In fact, New York city has a no idling law and offenders can be fine if they failed to follow. Don't you think the sign above will send the message home? It will be nice if our sunny island has this law too. Since we are already a fine city, what's the problem with adding just one more new fine haha.

The world of search engines.

I use Google alot, I would say everyday but it is not exactly the most green search engine around. Hmmm green search engine you wonder? What you don't know is for every search the search engine processed, carbon is produced. Yes, pretty scientific isn't it?

So if not Google then what choices do we get? Here's some green or charitable search engines that you can use..moving forward.

1. Blackle - Google in black

2. Forestle - Donates ALL their ad revenue to save rainforests.

3. Znout - Uses their ad revenue to offset the carbon emissons it generated

4. Green Maven - Searches only green news and information.

5. Ecoseek - Focuses ono green goods and products. Sounds good.

6. Green Planet Search - Green everything...including their webpage hehe.

7. Ecosearch - Donates 100% of their profits to charities

8. Good Search - Donates 50% of their profits to charities chosen by users

9. Good Tree - Donates 12.5% of their profits to charities chosen by users

10. Treehoo - Plants treets to offset carbon emission it generated

I like Ecosearch, charitable and yet similar to Google search. But Ecoseek and Green Planet Search are both very interesting websites too.

Give them a try today.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

I think I have mentioned these many times, whether in my blog or in my conversations with friends.

However, not everyone has a deep understanding of what VOCs are and meant to them. So let's get familiar with it for the greater good of our health and life.

VOCs are chemicals that are emitted from solids and liquids. VOCs also have a tendency to build up in indoor spaces, so concentrations in indoor air is generally relatively high compared to outdoor spaces—as much as two to five times, according to the EPA.

VOCs exist in products such as :
- Paints
- Solvents
- Aerosol sprays
- Household cleaners and disinfectants
- Moth repellants
- Air freshener
- Fuels and auto products
- Glues and adhesives
- Drycleaning chemicals
- Pesticides
- Building materials
- Furniture and carpets
- Nail polish
- Vinyl shower curtains

These are common products we come into contact each and everyday and if you are to open your cabinets, I guaranteed you can find these in your home. People may think well, the paint on the walls had already dried and they have been living in the house with no side effects. What you don't know is that VOCs continue to release chemicals into our environment over the years even if they had dried up so don't take it for granted. Just because you can't see it nor smell it, does not mean it is not invading your body.

Some VOCs have short-term health effects but some are suspect carcinogens which mean they can cause cancer. Short term health issues include eye, nose and throat irritation, headache, nausea and temporary loss of coordination. VOCs can damage your liver, kidneys and central nervous system in the long run.

What you can do to avoid all the above from happening is making the right choice today. By choosing non-toxic and low- or non-VOC products whenever possible. If you must purchase or use a product that off-gasses VOCs, be sure to use them in well-ventilated spaces, or outdoors.

What is frustrating to me however is that it is incredibly difficult to find low or non-VOC products here in our sunny island, in fact, they probably doesn't exist, you have to import most of them from more developed countries (What an irony!). Trust me, I have visited many DIY shops here and none of them carry any low or non-VOC paints...arrghhh.

Be green, stay healthy!

Driver Farmers

I love eating potatoes, steam, fried, chips, etc..anyway they are cooked, I love eating them.

For those of you who drive, do you know that you can grow potatoes in a tire?

Here goes (courtesy of Planet Green) :

How to Grow Potatoes in a Tire

- To start, you'll need an old tire. Cut the sidewall off of the part of the tire that will be facing up. - That way, you don't have to worry about empty spots in the inner tire.
- Next, you'll want to dig a small hole about six inches below where the tire will sit. Fill that hole with rocks and/or gravel to make a little room for drainage.
- Fill the tire up with a mixture of soil and compost.
- Add two or three seed potatoes eye-side up to each tire.
- Water the potatoes appropriately. As the potato plants start to grow, you'll want to throw another tire on the first then add more soil. Make sure that the potato plant is always poking through the top of the soil.

- You can harvest over 20 pounds of potatoes per stack.

I don't drive, I take public transport but if anyone out there wants to donate their old tyres to me for growing potatoes, I welcome it! I think these benefits Chinese like me, we eat potatoes leaves as well so by doing this one act, you get to eat 2 different kind of food.

For those who still thinks this defy the way you are used to, just go do a search on the internet, you will see many who tried this and ended up with the healthiest and tastiest potatoes they have ever tasted.

Green Yogi

These days people are taking lots of yoga lessons and pilates lessons to keep fit, many even buy their own yoga mats as those in the gyms are extremely old, smelly and dirty already. Man, I can imagine that, especially those who take hot yoga lessons.

But what do you do when it is time to retire your own yoga mats? Throw right? Very very common practice.

What you don't know is, you can reuse your yoga mats in 50 different ways and I am sure there are many undiscovered ways. Check them out here.

I will totally use them for coasters since they have such good grip or pot handlers. Anyway, think twice next time before throwing your old yoga mats away!

Green Home..almost (Part II)

This is a follow-up to the entry I wrote yesterday. The contractor has since came back with the quote to make the house into the design I want, it will set me back $160,000. Damn high and this is subject to change if my plans change from the one I indicated to the contractor 2 days ago.

All I can say is that changes are highly likely since I had given it a further thought and want to do further changes.

I will be discussing with my parents before deciding whether it is worth making an offer because the total cost will be more than $1.3 m, I am not sure if I can afford that.....sigh.

Green Home...almost

I have been viewing some houses over the last 2 weekends as I am hoping to get my own house this year.

Basically there were nothing much that interest me, 1 that was well renovated is beyond my budget and not near to the public transport but over the last weekend, I saw one that is pretty much rundown. I am not even sure if the pillars can still hold up the house to be honest.

And in order to decide whether I want the house, the agent brought a contractor along yesterday to see how much the renovation will cost. And that's why this entry is in this blog, I told the contractor I wanted water tanks in the front yard and the backyard to harvest rainwater. On top of that as the existing parquet flooring needs to be changed, it gave me a chance to suggest a switch to bamboo flooring and best of all, the contractor told me that bamboo flooring is cheaper than putting on those new parquet. Cool. I also spoke about using low VOC paints for repainting the house although I know it is a dream because I have not come across any low VOC paints here and even when I spoke about it to the contractor, he was like "Err, what's that?". So to be green here at home? I think we still have a long way to go.

The other design I spoke about with the contractor was opening up the back so that the living room and dry kitchen will be open concept and cross ventilation will happened. Ceilings fans for al the rooms were also suggested and hopefuly LED lightings can replaced all the lightings with bulb. I think it will kill some people when I tell them I want to tear down the air-conditioning units as landed property tended to be very hot but this unit is pretty windy. Downside is not much sun get shone onto the yards so it seems impossible to install solar panels since they won't work for me.

However the initial quote from the contractor is high and I perceive it will continue to be high after the costing is finalized. So together with the cost of the house, it may simply be unaffordable to me.

Watch this space!

Jill-able

I love this plastic vase, inflate with water when you want to use as a vase and dispose the water and flatten it for storage when you want to keep it...really very space saving

This vase by Jill-able is however not cheap, it cost like USD 8 just for 1 but perhaps you will get a cheaper price for a higher quantity. But I must admit, it does look pretty on any table.

Coffee Grounds

I have been collecting the coffee grounds that comes out of our coffee machine in the office these days.

I was going to add them to my compost but I have yet to buy my new soil so in the end, I am thinking of just adding them directly into the pot itself but they take a while to dry though.

Anyway I come across this article in Planet Green on other uses of coffee grounds and I am really interested in the idea of using it to keep ants away as well as the tip on using it to add shine to the hair haha. Yet to try it though but will try it as soon as I can.

Here's some of the other uses for coffee grounds :

Kitty Be Gone

Keep the neighborhood felines out of your garden by sprinkling a mixture of coffee grounds and orange peels around the edges of plant beds. It's not only beneficial for you and your garden—there are lots of plants that are harmful to cats.

Ant Control

It's that time of year: Ant season. If you have an ant problem, sprinkle coffee grounds near doorways. How does it work? The nitrogen burns the ants' legs so they won't walk cross it. Some people cover ant holes with grounds, but I'm a little too softhearted for that.

Sow Seeds

If you want to grow lots of carrots or radishes, you can make your seeds go further by adding in coffee grounds. Let the grounds dry and then mix them with seeds. Plant the grounds with the seeds and your plants will actually grow in thicker.

Get Shiny Hair

Coffee grounds can add shine to your hair and condition it naturally. Work the grounds into clean, wet hair and massage for a few minutes, then rinse. You may want to do this outdoors in warm weather to keep your drains from becoming clogged. (And brunettes—you'll get the added benefit of lovely highlights.)

Eliminate Odors

Coffee absorbs scents from its environment, which makes it a fantastic natural deodorizer. Let the grounds dry, then pour them into a cup you can sit in your fridge or freezer. If you've been cooking with onion, garlic or other pungent foods, rub your hands in dry coffee grounds to remove smells.

Potato Chips cans

I have been consuming potato chips with a vengence these days and I don't know why. I don't just eat those in small packets but in those tall cans.

So, I have 3 empty cans sitting at home which I do not know how to recycle. I checked the internet and got some suggestions from ehow and familycrafts but somehow, their ideas do not interest me at all.

So if there are anyone out there who can give me more suggestions, it will be much appreciated.

Can you tell?

Can you tell what is this lamp made up from? Yes? No?

If you take a closer look, you might be able to guess and think it looks familiar and it is...this lamp is made up plastic spoons? Now that I said it, can you see them now?

I like that the spoons are slight translucent and the light can still get projected out. The one above is designed by Japanese designer Daisuke Hiraiwa.

In actual fact, there are many such designs out there. Such as this one using plastic spoons and forks and once it is illuminated, you can actually see the cutlery clearly. This one below is a design of Luis Luna.

And this one by Studio Veríssimo that , a plastic chandelier which you can't really tell is made from plastic to be honest.

Compost update

Success! My mum told me that the plants which we deposited our compost on are growing very healthy and very fat haha.

I am currently preparing the 2nd batch of my compost with some different materials, wish me good luck!

Recycling your soap bits

Tips from Planet Green

1. Make into new soap

2. Mix the old soap with glycerin. Melt in the microwave. Use as hand soap.

3. Put the soap bits in an old sock or a cloth bag. Hang the cloth bag from the shower head. Wash yourself with it like soap on a rope.

4. Soap can be used as tailor's chalk.

5. Make laundry soap

Recycling your umbrella

Tips from Planet Green

1. If your first umbrella breaks down, use it for spare parts. Try to find a similar replacement umbrella. When the second umbrella needs a patch or a part, you'll have one on standby.

2. You can make clothing out of umbrellas.

3. Old umbrellas can easily become waterproof bags.

4. Make a backpack cover from an umbrella.

5. Turn that broken umbrella into a kite.

6. Or why not make a magazine rack out of old umbrellas?

Recycling your toilet paper roll

Tips from Planet Green.

1. Organize cords

I have to give credit for this one to my aunt who has been using TP tubes to keep her hairdryer and curling iron cords in order for a long time now. She simply folds the cord into about six- to eight-inch lengths, then slides the bundle through the tube and tucks it into the cupboard to keep everything neat and tidy.

2. Organize ornaments

A while ago a designer on a TV show recommended using polystyrene cups glued to a board for organizing and protecting holiday ornaments. I was pretty much turned off at the first mention of polystyrene, but the concept must have stuck in my mind because I recently realized TP tubes are the perfect alternative. Simply glue tubes side-by-side to a piece of cardboard pre-cut to fit in a storage box. When the glue is dry, set your new "organizer tray" in the box and your ornaments will stay safe and sound throughout the year. For smaller ornaments or a shallow box, just cut the tubes in half.

3. Gift tube

When you're giving small gifts to friends and family, why not package them in a TP tube? Small baubbles, earrings, little toys and even gift cards or cash are all the perfect size for a tube. To make it special, wrap the tube with a piece of fabric or make it into a memory collage. Added bonus: the tube will help protect the gift.

4. Packing material

When you're sending items by mail or simply packing for a move, nix the packing popcorn and bubble wrap for TP tubes! Just flatten them and then place them around the object you want protected. They'll try to expand back into a tube form which will provide stability for your breakables.

5. Tea Light Organizer

Do you ever get annoyed with bags and oddly shaped packages of tea lights? Then we have an organizing tip for you! Take TP tubes and arrange them in a drawer or storage box, then drop in stacks of tea lights. It's a great way to keep different (natural) scents organized without becoming a slave to awkwardly stacked packaging.

I heart green

The National Heart Centre in Singapore is going green....not yet but soon...they just break ground for their new building and it will adopt various green building features, technologies and innovations to achieve better performance in energy efficiency, water usage, use of recycled and reusable materials, indoor environmental quality and environmental management.

Examples include the passive solar strategy for the institutional front, which reduces heat emission and direct glare and sunlight into the building while introducing diffuse daylight condition and cutting overall energy consumption; and the use of environmental friendly building elements which are energy efficient in fabrication, self-cleansing and long-lasting.

Here's how it will look like.

Homemade toothpaste

I bought a box of baking soda recently because I was keen to use it as a fabric softener but as we still have those traditional non-eco-friendly type around, I was basically keeping it but I was worried that it will dampen and clump together.

So that day, I actually use it to make my own toothpaste or rather tooth powder because I make the dry version rather than the wet version.

It was very simple, I used 1/2 cup of the baking sode and 10 drops of essential oil, I used pure tea tree oil which I happened to have.

I just have to wet my toothbrush and dip into this powder and I can brush my teeth. The thing however is it doesn't produce foam unlike normal toothpaste and there's where you are protecting yourself because sodium lauryel sulfate which can be found in toothpaste, shampoo, etc etc to create a lather can actually cause skin irritation, sores or ulcers.

And the good news is since I have been using it, my teeth has been very clean, it doesn't leave any residue on the surface of my tooth and my tooth is whiter versus me using a whitening toothpaste.

Simple and effective.

Electric cars in Singapore

Boy, am I glad to see this article that states the Energy Market Authority will be working with Land Transport Authority to lead tests and research into the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) in Singapore from 2010.

May they successfully launched them in Singapore and have a huge and positive response from the public.

Grand Central Terminal

When I was in New York with my parents in Sept 07, I made it a point to walk from the Empire State Building to the Grand Central Terminl because I heard how beautiful it was inside and it really didn't disappoint me.

For those not familiar with Manhattan, let me tell you, we walked from 33rd st all the way to 42nd st and back because we have to come back to the meeting point where our tour bus was waiting. And we were happy we went and also passed by the UN Buidling where we snapped some photos as well because in the end due to an UN meeting, the tour bus did not stop at the UN Building and we merely drove passed the Grand Central Terminal only.

Put it this way, I love Manhattan.

But I digress, what I want to share today is an article about Grand Central Terminal going green.

End of last month, all incandescent bulbs in Grand Central Terminal were replaced with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), by switching the roughly 4000 bulbs in the Terminal, it will save an estimated $200,000 a year. Wow...

Picture from NY Times.

Vatican City going green

Everyone who have been to the Vatican City will know that the buildings are really old but well maintained with a museum full of beautiful artifacts and the much talked about painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo. No impression? Click on the link I provide and you will know who and what I am talking about.

But the fact that I am talking about it here is not because of those paintings etc, I want to talk about them going solar.

The Vatican City is spending 660 million dollars to install solar to power all of its 40,000 households in the nation. This is really interesting because for an old school kind of nation with such a rich history, they are really very forward looking.

On top of the solar panels, the Vatican is reducing their greenhouse emissions by probably using an electric powered transport for the Pope and the Vatican cafeteria will soon be decked with a solar heating system to provide heating and cooling, and even the Pope’s summer residence is being fitted out to get power from the methane generated by the horse stables.

Peacock Republic

They don't sell peacock, they don't sell food, they sell organic children clothing, soy candles and some toiletries make from environmental friendly ingredients.

Their soap is not only cold processed, plant based, herbal soaps that will never contain synthetic dyes, fragrances or preservatives, no parabens or sulfates in any of their products, the packaging is handmade plantable paper embedded with wildflower seeds which you can plant and grow after you remove the products from their packaging.

They come in many fragrance too and I would love to try their Lemongrass Love cos I love the smell of lemongrass. Reminds me of delicious Thai food hehe. Best of all, their soap can be used on the face and body, 2 in 1, fabulous.

Visit them at their website to learn more about them.

Soy Prints

I mentioned months ago about toners made from coffee dredges or teabags. Now there is soy prints, toner powders derived from soybeans.

Each cartridge prints the same number of pages as the oil-based versions and does no harm to the printer itself.

It's manufactured by PRC Technologies and will be heading to stores such as Office Depot soon. May it reach our shores soon as well.

To read more about these toners, click here. Picture from SoyPrint's website.

Eco-friendly house cleaners

There is this brand from Sydney, Australia called Murchison-Hume, they are self-professed premium housecleaning products seller.

Their products are completely organic and come in a variety of essential oil fragrances and in fragrance-fee variety. Ecologically Friendly, superbly effective and easy to use but above all, they look and smell gorgeous.

Range of products include bathroom cleaner, food surface spray, glass cleaner, dishwashing liquid, natural bristle dish brush and many many more. Visit their website for more information and to shop and best of all they do ship internationally.

Green Treehouses

If you grow up reading Enid Blyton's books, imagining having a treehouse will never be far from your mind.

Here's a slideshow from Treehugger showing some of the green treehouses that exists around the world.

Enjoy!

President Obama's Guide to Going Green

In case you weren't aware, April 22nd (Wednesday) was Earth Day. Not sure what you were doing but I was at home on medical leave from food poisoning...yep...but at least my contribution to pollution that day is only my poo, nothing else.

Anyway, on Earth Day, President Obama made a proclamation. Extracted from Minor Matters. Highlighted are some takeaways.

"The story of the United States is inextricably tied to our vital natural resources. As we enter a new era filled with challenges and promise, we must protect our land, wildlife, water and air — the resources that have fueled our growth and prosperity as a Nation and enriched our lives. Doing this not only fulfills a sacred obligation to our children and grandchildren, but also provides an opportunity to stimulate economic growth.

To achieve these ends, no issue deserves more immediate attention than global warming. Scientists have already observed alarming shifts in the natural world, including thawing permafrost, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels.

Climate change presents a serious test for humankind, but it also provides an opportunity for great innovation and adaptation. The United States has risen to such challenges before, and Earth Day inspires us to transcend differences among nations so we may lead the world in protecting our planet from this global threat.

Americans across the country are working hard to help limit the pollutants that cause climate change and reduce their impact on the environment, but we must do more. Individuals and organizations can plant trees, use energy efficient lightbulbs, drive fuel efficient cars, hold clean-up drives, and teach young people about environmental preservation. Small changes in our daily lives can have a big impact on our environment. Individuals can walk, bike, and use public transportation; buy products with less packaging; and recycle and reuse paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum more often. American families can also save money by choosing energy efficient products, turning lights off, unplugging appliances, and cutting back on heating and air conditioning.

Government and business alike must also take serious and sustained action to protect our valuable natural inheritance. Through investments in scientific research and development, and the vigorous pursuit of alternative and renewable energy, we can create millions of green jobs that allow us to reduce greenhouse gases and excel in a competitive global economy. My Administration is committed to increasing fuel economy standards more and putting more Plug-In Hybrid cars on the road, weatherizing millions of homes, and catalyzing private efforts to build a clean energy future. My Administration is also working to achieve a comprehensive energy and climate policy, one that will lessen our dependence on foreign oil, make the U.S. the global leader in clean energy technology, and prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

President Theodore Roosevelt emphasized our obligation to future Americans, saying, “of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.” Heeding President Roosevelt’s call, and carrying forward his spirit of determination, we must commit ourselves to protecting our environment and ensuring the health of our planet so we may share the magnificent blessings of our Earth with our grandchildren.

We do this not only to acknowledge the environment’s central role in the development of our Nation but also to recognize the strong ecological interdependence among nations. History has shown that as we sow, so too shall we reap. Let us rededicate ourselves to a world that provides bountiful harvests for us all not just today, but for many generations to come.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 22, 2009, as Earth Day. I encourage all citizens to help protect our environment and contribute to a healthy, sustainable world.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thistwenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third."

I truly like it as a leader of USA, his push for renewable energy and walk the talk in the White House.

Soda up your life

I am not sure if anyone reuses their plastic bottles if they don't bring it to the recycling bins. I hope your answer is not that you just simply dump them.

Here at home, I use them to water the plants just by putting a nozzle on them. Now this new company call New Soap is selling brand new liquid soap packaged in old plastic soda bottles, plastic water bottles and glass beer bottles to help clean up our environment.

Each bottle is cleaned, sanitized and processed for reuse as packaging for your favorite brand of liquid soap.

I am happy to know they are only putting liquid soap in them because if they put detergent I am not sure if the chemicals in the plastics will react to them. Total meltdown maybe.

All purpose body cleansers

I know there is this brand Ginvera that sells a shampoo plus body wash for kids but so far has not come across any for adults but I believed some brands do have it out there just that I never checked them out.

Over at Apartmenttheraphy, they were sharing with the readers some of the all purpose body cleansers out in the market but the only brand that I know of that exists locally is Aveda and even so I am not sure if they carry the soap. I do like the Yves Rocher bottle, looking at it already brighten my day.

As far as I know, I never like to use soap bars for my hair, they make my hair so dry and tangled up when I used one that I bought from Turkey which is made of olive oil.

Torchlights

I once bought a LED torchlight at Discovery Channel store and the shop assistant told me that if I wind it up, it will always have power and I wonder if I did it wrongly but it so failed me. Once in a while, I try to wind it but all it gives me is 2 secs of light and out it goes. Crap.

So imagine my happiness when I see these solar powered torchlights, this will really allow you to go camping at ease, knowing that if you clip your torchlight just next to your backpack during the day, you can have all the lights you want in the night. That's so reassuring and cool.

The torchlights call Earthtorch, once place in direct sunlight for 8 hours and it will hold a charge for 45 days. A 6 hour charge will give you 8 hours of light. No batteries to change and no shaking involved. The 10 LED lights in the 10″ model have light penetration of 70 meters and can be seen 2 miles away. The solar cell is estimated to last 20 years, the nickel cadmium storage cell lasts 500 charges, and the LED bulbs will shine a lengthy 100,000 hours. The solar panel is in the handle.

Actually at first glance I thought this chair is made of cane and painted black in color but upon reading the description, I had a good shock.

This is actually made from discarded keyboard pads...hard to tell isn't it?

VOICE SYSTEMS is a company that creates computer systems with integrated laptops specifically designed for users with visual disabilities, resulting in laptops with their keyboard elements removed. Designer Dante Bonuccelli took these discarded elements and fashioned his pun-ny named Texte-ile, a lounge chair that incorporates keys as both material and pattern. Quite stunning, and as noted by Mocoloco, if the keys actually retain their ability to be pressed, the lounge would provide an interesting and comfortable sensation when sat upon.

Who would have guess sitting on a keyboard pad can be comfortable?

Ecology meets design

These are really beautiful if you asked me, if I own them I may not even bear to use them for fear of scratching the glossy exteriors.

Bamboo is a terrific eco-friendly material, because it grows twice as fast as a tree and its fiber has many uses — it can be woven into textiles, clothes, even coffee filters.

Ekobo which designed these products explained that "Every product is hand-crafted. Circular forms are made from an ancient technique called spun bamboo. Bamboo columns are cut length-wise with a machete into fine strips. The strips are then coiled into a spiral around a mold. A glue made from the bread tree and bamboo dust is used to assemble the strips. Using its natural form, tubular products are cut horizontally from a bamboo column. Each object is then sanded, polished and handpainted, before being wrapped in recycled plastic."

How can you not be touched by the efforts they put into to give us such eco-friendly products?

Green Alert for parents

We read so much about toxics in milk bottles and even in toys, you wonder if anything in this world is safe for your kids anymore.

But fret not, these days manufacturers are getting greener and greener just to capture the attention of parents who care for their kids and wants to give them what's best for them.

Introducing Green Toys, a US toy maker that produces environmentally-friendly toys, they are phthalates-free and BPA-free and are made from recycled plastic milk jugs. The products are designed with integral colors so that no external coatings are needed, thus eliminating the fear of lead paint. Even their packaging is made of recycled cardboard and is 100% recyclable.

Pretty, no?

Scrap paper and cardboard notepad

If you have many scrap paper lying around and even cardboard, why not trying making your own notepad today?

Try this method.

Although the more simple way accordng to me is just simply clip all the paper together and placed them next to your phone book for taking notes or bring them to your meetings.

Wooden Easter Eggs

These are not just normal wooden eggs..these are souvenir eggs sold by The National Park Foundation in US.

It's apparently a White House tradition whereby Presidents and First Ladies opened the gates of the White House grounds and hosted the festivities.

This year, these wooden colorful wooden eggs are signed by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, comes in many different colours and is sold at USD7 from National Park Foundation.

Just so you know, each egg is made in the U.S. from FSC-Certified hardwood from sustainably managed forests.

Lights

This is another creative way to recycle stuff...it looks kind of like the Colosseum in Rome at night doesn't it?

It is actually made from recycled egg crates...or make it into a vase like the picture below.

It is kind of appropriate to put it here now, assuming you have used up alot of eggs for painting Easter eggs or use them for your egg hunts. Don't throw the crate away, why not do something about it today?

Counter Evolution

When you look at the wood on this table made by Counter Evolution in NYC, can you tell it is recycled from what? Think....any guess?

It is made from recycled bowling alley...amazing...since I am so not creative, no wonder I can never think of creative ways to recycle materials, not only that, I was just telling one friend today that I cannot even think of where to get abandoned wood to use for construction! Sigh.

Babcock Ranch

Babcock Ranch in Florida is targetting itself to be the first city in the world to be powered totally by zero-emission solar energy. Who wouldn't want to live in a city where you practically don't pay any electrical bills?

I say it is way cool, Florida is always so sunny and making full use of the solar energy makes lots of sense..and my city is way sunny too year round but we have no green activists here to push our government towards the green direction...but oh wait, I forgot...does my city allow activists? Nah I don't think so. There you go...now we know why.

The White Garden

Obama is setting a very good example by deciding to create their own garden in the White House.

If you look at this picture, you will how big the garden is, hopefully one day you can see the President actually tending to his own garden haha.

Garbage Bags

We used many plastic bags to dispose of our food waste everyday, if I am using a bin to store all these for a week, I am sure 1 bin is not enough for my family.

I was shopping in some supermarkets a few weeks back and I saw this home brand of biodegradable bags and I couldn't snap any photos then but I did over the weekend and let me show you guys, there are 30 bags in one pack, some larger bags have only 10 in a pack, like this one. I will be very keen to try these although there are no instructions to state how long I can keep them before they biodegrade by itself, I think this information will be helpful.

It is not very expensive, it cost just S$1.25 for a pack of 30 bags. But to be honest, I think no one in our country has ever had to buy our own plastic bags for garbage use because we are such a plastic reliant city, takeaway food are all stored in plastic containers and supermarkets give away free plastic bags whenever you purchase your grocery (On many occasion when I use my own shopping bag, i got a 10 cents off your purchase, just once, on a plastic bag free day. Apparently on other days, if you use your own bag, you don't get any 10 cents off. Ridiculous right?). When I was studying in Australia, asking for an extra plastic bag will cost us AUD 5 cents more which makes us think twice as poor students so I think our country should implement this or start to use brown paper bags, I kinda love those. They have a rustic feel and although when they are wet they will tear easily but you can throw them to be composted I suppose.

I was very happy to see some cities in US going styrofoam free but I can foresee that NOT happening here. It is truly sad to stay in a country where we have no natural resources and yet we are not doing our part to conserve and preserve what we have. Earth Hour was observed by individuals or corporation and our government did not come out to encourage and speak out for climate change. Depressing.

And when I think about hoping to own my own house in the future, I fret about the cost to import eco-friendly products for my house since they are not readily availble here. And to think importing such things increase my carbon footprint...damn...dilemma.

Did you vote?

Did you vote for earth, saving it from climate change? I did and I am proud to say my whole family did.

We actually didn't turn on the lights until past 10 pm, more than an hour.

However we did have the tvs turned on, my parents were watching a tv series and I was watching the National Geographic Channel which paused all their programs and only flashed some tips on saving the earth. I snapped 2 photos of what they are screening here.

One of my friends made a very interesting remark, saying perhaps the tv station should stopped all tv programs during that 1 hour so that everyone can really really save some electricity! Marvellous idea if you ask me.

I was looking at some Youtube videos that shows the Earth Hour around the world and I am sorry to say my country's contributions ain't significant enough to be posted. Here's a link to some photos on Flickr during Earth Hour.

Earth Hour tomorrow!

Don't forget to switch off your lights for 1 hour tomorrow and remember to check the website for photos of Earth Hour around the globe.

View Earth Hour 2009 video

Paper waste

My office has this maintenance work going on and they were telling the tenants about the closure of some lifts and aircon services.

Each lift lobby has lifts on both the left and right. And we have 60 floors with 2 floors which overlap...you will understand why I need to give this statistic in a while.

And for the past few days, they have put up these notices at each lift lobby. 2 of them on each side.

Meaning, they printed 2 leaflets * 2 sides of the lobby * 62 floors = 248 piecies of these notices.

What a waste of paper especially since the maintenance work is going to happen during most of the offices downtime.

IKEA - Green is the way to go

If a furniture store can be so eco-friendly, I am sure many other businesses can do the same.

I am really impressed with the new Ikea, going more green..at least locally, customers are required to bring their own shopping bags or they can buy a recycled paper bag or a biodegradable plastic bag to carry their purchases.

And earlier, I mentioned they have install free charging stations for the electric scooters that they were just brought and launched here.

In addition, they have also started to sell solar power lights although I don't think they are available locally yet but going green is really their new direction.

I would definitely buy them when they become available for sale here and in addition, I would really like to see them selling furniture made from recycled wood, bamboo, cork made products as well as more solar powered electrical items. If so, they will definitely have me as their customer for life!

Lamp

At one glance, can you tell what is this lamp made of?

You may say plastic and you are right but what kind of plastics are these? Give up? It is recycled soft drinks bottles! Amazing right? You really can't tell and it is aesthetically pleasing.

Not sure how much it cost but I love the idea of reusing the plastic bottles for such use rather than filling up the landfill.

Electric Scooter

If I have a license to ride a bike I would seriously consider buying this scooter. It runs on electricity and is finally launch here in our sunny island.

You may think charging by electricity doesn't make much sense but it is predicted to cost you just $60 a year of electricity to keep this bike running. Cool isn't it?. The electric scooter costs only S$ 0.70 per 100 km to run, compared to about S$ 7.00 per 100 km for conventional petrol powered scooters which can result to savings of up to S$ 1,300 a year. 7 body colors are available for your selection so it should be able to fulfil everyone's requirements.

Best of all you just need to charge 3-5 hours to power it up and Ikea has set up 2 free charging stations in their 2 outlets here so you basically can pump up for free and to me, it is just electricity which if I really want, I will generate from solar power...so it will all be free. By the way, why is it green? Because it doesn't have any exhaust! Say YES to no pollution.

I would love for them to launch the car equivalent although I am sure it will take a longer time to charge but hey environmentally friendly, quiet, cheap and colorful, what else can I ask for?

Water Usage too

This is from a local context.

Water Usage

This is a picture from goodmagazine to show how much water we use a day. This is in US context and you can click to see a bigger picture.

As Daylight Dies

Animation by students I suppose for NEA.

Watch the animation here.

Lounge Chairs

I wouldn't call these chairs artistic or anything but they are functional.

Best of all, they are made out of 100% post-industrial and post-consumer recycled plastic. Amazing!

McD

Mcds have invited some students to design biodegradable packaging for their restaurants and this is what some student came up with.

and they open up to look like the picture below...which I think it looks kinda wasteful to use up so much material.

Chicken in a Bisket

I believed almost everyone has eaten this Chicken in a Bisket? It was so darn good although it is a bit salty.

Perhaps it is due to wanting to be more healthy, they have now come up with the same version but baked. Not sure what the difference is though.

But I was turning the box upside down when I saw a label there that states, make with 80% recycled cardboard, so I am very happy. Ok, maybe you can't see it in this blurry picture, but it is there, on the centre right side of the box. And on the left, you can see that the box can be recycled after use. See? We can all do our part.

Hollywood hunks and their green toys

I really really love Brad Pitt, Jason Bateman and Ewan McGregor. However I think Leonardo DiCaprio has really done the most for the environment, he even narrated on a movie called "The 11th Hour".

To see the hunks and their green toys, check out this slideshow from Treehugger

eHome Check

Most of us would have gone for health checks but do you know that you can do a home check too? To see if you can make your house cleaner, healthier and safer for you, your family and the environment, do the eHome Check here now!

Happiest Place on Earth!

Disneyland - The Happiest Place on Earth is on a mission to minimize Mickey and gang's carbon footprint.

The Company will cut emissions by half, reduce electricity consumption by 10%, halve the current garbage waste at its parks and resorts by 2013. Their long term aim is to achieve net zero waste and emissions.

If you have visited Disney's parks and resorts, you will see for yourself how much garbage waste there are everyday since you are not allowed to bring in your own food, you have to purchase your food inside the parks. After which, you will throw away your napkins, your ketchup packets, sugar packs, paper cups, plates and plastic cutlery. Crap.

So I am happy they are moving forward with the society and I only hope that they don't switch off the electricity when I am in the middle of a downwards ride or at the top of the ferris wheel.

Purple goes green

Even dairy products makers are going green which is fabulous because they deal with farmers who provide them with raw materials, such as cocoa beans, milk, cane sugar, etc.

As part of Cadbury's ‘Purple Goes Green’ strategy, they will work with dairy farmers to reduce emissions. They even provide these farmers with a Cadbury Guide to Low Carbon Dairy Farming that equip farmers with knowledge on what factors contribute to carbon emissions and provides practical measures that farmers can implement to reduce them.

Cadbury has committed to an absolute reduction in carbon emissions of 50% by 2020. The company also set targets to save packaging and water.

You know how serious they are when they even have someone holding the post of Global Head of Environment. Now, don't you feel you are doing your part by buying from Cadbury rather than other brands?

Recycle your jeans

Jeans can last for a long time and some people I know wear their jeans till their neighbours smell the stink. These goes to show you how tough denims are and their resilent to physical torture or smell.

We also went through many jeans in our lifetime as a result of growth - both horizontally or vertically, fade off, torn at the knee or torn at the butt. When those happened, we just chuck the jeans aside.

But now, let me show you what some Japanese are doing by recycling the jeans and making a profit out of it...they recycled jeans by making them into stools.

Watch this video.

Impact of Global Warming

Sometimes just saying it is not enough, after all, most of us are visual creatures...watch this slideshow, it may not give you the shakes but it gives you a good reminder on what you are leaving behind for your future generations

Earth Hour 2009

Mark your calendar, Earth Hour 2009 is coming in over 2 weeks time..drum roll please.......the date is 28th March 2009 (Saturday).

Lights will be off at 8.30 pm sharp and back in action after an hour at 9.30 pm sharp at all local times.

I don't think the whole country can participate as a whole but if you are home, try to do your part. Check out which organizations in your neighbourhood are participating here.

Sexy blinds

There is this marvelous invention in the market these days, as you know we use blinds to shade our indoors against the blinding sun but do you know you can make these blinds work for you?

With the blinds closed during the day blocking the rays of the hot sun, little solar pads are being charged on the back of the blinds and once the sun goes down, your mood lighting shines. I don't they are bright enough to use as a reading light but it is quite cool as a night light.

The lights come in also floor lamps and chandelier designs. Don't you think they are sexy?