Happy New Year 2012 !

I wish that we all can do something quotable about our environment this new year. And, inspire others to do such deeds in the years to come. And make it a point to consider your everyday as first day of the year. And welcome the daily sun as you welcomed it on the first day of the year. Happy new yaer to all!

Video l Cute Twin Dancing to "Like A G6"

News l Singapore's oldest person, Teresa Hsu dies at age 113

Singapore's famed 'Mother Teresa', social worker Teresa Hsu Chih has died at age 113.The supercentenarian was Singapore's oldest person, she spends her days at Heart to Heart, an outreach unit she founded in Hong Kong in 1923.

According to an announcement on the Heart to Heart website, Hsu's welfare service, Hsu died peacefully at her home on 7 December. She was cremated on the same day," Hsu wanted to "depart quietly and peacefully" and left instructions not to make any announcement of her death in the news media, or perform any ceremonies that would "cause disturbance and inconvenience to others", said the notice.

Teresa Hsu born in a tiny village in the Guangdong province of China, Hsu traveled to various countries, such as Hong Kong and Paraguay, to help others, before settling down in Singapore.

At 47, she enrolled and was accepted into in a three-year nursing course in London meant for students under 25. At 67, she founded one of the first home for the aged sick in Singapore in the 1960s, where she worked until she was 85-years-old.

At Singapore, she served first as an unsalaried matron at Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital for about three years before opening an old folks home, called the "Home for the Aged Sick". After retirement, she turned her attention to her welfare service, Heart to Heart, where she reached out to needy elderly folks and families.

Hsu's philosophy towards life was simple. She said that positive thoughts and laughter were her key sources of sustenance. Her involvement in social work was a natural extension of her life philosophy. She described her drive to help others as an instinct that stemmed from her ability to empathise with the needy, having once been destitute herself. Moved by the generosity and kindness she had received from others, she saw the poor people that she met as brothers and sisters and was determined to extend her help to them.

Besides keeping her mind active through volunteer work and visiting various countries to give talks, she also kept her body conditioned through yoga, which she learnt at the age of 69 and later taught to the public. In addition to doing yoga twice a day, she meditated at 4am daily before going on a morning walk. Her message to young people today: "Go all out to help those who don't have the basic needs. See that nobody needs to go hungry."

Read more »

Green Technology | The three contenders of Drive Car of the Year 2011

Ford Fiesta Econetic

Reducing the environmental impact of vehicles is a slow process, for now, the main environmental improvements to vehicles are taking place in reduced fuel use, which in turn leads to reduced emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion

Heading the trio of contenders for Drive's Green Innovation Award in 2011 is the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion. Another clever new fuel saving engine is the Mazda3 SP20. Like others of its ilk - including the Ford Fiesta Econetic - it uses special gearing, lower rolling resistance tyres and various lightweight components to reduce fuel use.

Mazda3 SP20

Green Research l Crops With Deeper Roots

According to a leading University of Manchester scientist, crops with deeper roots could help bring down the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

 Professor Douglas Kell

Writing in the journal "Annals of Botany", Professor Douglas Kell argues that developing crops that produce roots more deeply in the ground could harvest more carbon from the air, and make crops more drought resistant, while dramatically reducing carbon levels.

In principle, any crops could be treated in this way, giving more productive yields while also being better for the environment.

Although the amount of carbon presently sequestered in the soil in the natural environment and using existing crops and grasses has been known for some time, Professor Kell’s new analysis is the first to reveal the benefits to the environment that might come from breeding novel crops with root traits designed to enhance carbon sequestration.

Read more »

The Brave Ellie Challis

Little Ellie Challis who had all four limbs amputated in a life-saving operation in 2005 after contracting meningitis. Her mother is Lisa and father is Paul, Ellie also has a twin sister Sophie and siblings Tai'la, ten, and Connor, 12, they live  in Clacton, Essex.

Green Technology | New Belgium Brewing Company

Jeff and his wife, Kim Jordan is the owener of New Belgium Brewing Company at Fort Collins, Colorado. They began commercially brewing beer in their kitchen and basement in 1991. From those humble, 8 ½ barrels-a-week, basement beginnings, the pair has expanded to a new, energy-efficient facility that ships 140,000 barrels of quality beer to 11 states. But their success has not taken them off the track of their commitments. Since 1993, New Belgium has donated $1 for every barrel brewed the prior year to charities within its territories. "In 1999," says Jeff, "we had $104,000 to contribute to organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Emily Griffith Center, The Hope Center, and other non-profit organizations."

Today New Belgium Brewing has become the third-largest craft brewer in the US, today producing over 600,000 barrels of beer per year. Seeing double-digit growth in sales year on year, New Belgium beers are now available in more than 25 states, and the company has more than 360 employees.

While it’s not unusual for companies of this size to have a green agenda, New Belgium’s focus on sustainability is quite apart from the norm. As well as holding the accolade for being the first brewery to subscribe to wind energy, the company has installed a 200 kilowatt-hour (kWh) photovoltaic solar array that will replace almost 264,000kWh of coal-powered electricity each year – the largest privately owned solar panel system in the region.

And it doesn’t stop here. By processing its waste water, the company produces 14 per cent of its own electricity, a process that saved it in excess of US$60,000 last year alone. It also uses 39 hybrid vehicles in its company fleet, and has company bicycles for its staff. All this adds up to an extraordinary place to work – and this hasn’t gone unnoticed. New Belgium has received numerous awards over the years, and has been included in Wall Street Journal’s ‘Best Small Workplaces’.

Green Building l The Net-Zero Energy Bank

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, opened the first net-zero energy bank location in the United States in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The new TD Bank store is the latest accomplishment in a year-long string of achievements by the bank as it pursues its goal to be as green as its TD logo.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) defines a net-zero energy building (NZEB) as a residential or commercial building that produces in a year at least as much renewable power as the total energy it uses.

According to the DOE, an NZEB has two key energy features: The building is constructed with energy-efficient technologies that significantly reduce its energy demand, and renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, supply at least as much energy as the building uses over the course of a year.

TD Bank store is required approximately 97,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity a year to operate, but its 400 solar panels will produce a minimum of 100,000 kWh a year on site. Only eight buildings in the nation are registered as NZEBs with the DOE, and TD Bank will be the first to register a net-zero energy commercial bank.

Green Technology | Digitizing Education in South Korea

South Korea's Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Ju-Ho Lee, said that his department was preparing a promotion strategy for "Smart Education", focusing on customised learning and teaching. By 2015, it wants to be able to deliver all its curriculum materials in a digital form through computers. The information that would once have been in paper textbooks will be delivered on screen.

The project, launched during the summer, will involve wireless networks in all schools to allow students to learn "whenever and wherever", as well as an education information system that can run in a variety of devices including PCs, laptops, tablets and internet-connected TVs.

The intended benefits include extending the choice of subjects for students in rural areas who previously have lacked specialist teachers and to make it easier for pupils to study from home.

Read more »

News l Eco Music Challenge Season 2 album

Eco Music Challenge 2011 is an online song-writing competition organised by the National Environment Agency (NEA) for talented and passionate individuals to express their appreciation and support for our beautiful environment through music.

15 aspiring Singaporean musicians and their original compositions were selected to be produced in the National Environment Agency's Eco Music Challenge Season 2 album.All songs on the album were composed by finalists of this year's Eco Music Challenge. Songs on the album span rock and roll, pop, country folk, jazz and punk rock, and all of them express support and appreciation for the environment.

The winning song "World Without Fences" composed by 20-year-old Lee Fengheng talks about how everyone could put aside their differences and work together to do their part in helping Earth.

All proceeds from the sale of the album will go towards the Nature Society (Singapore) to support their activities of nature appreciation and nature study at Semakau Landfill, and the land and intertidal areas of Pulau Semakau.
Songs from the Eco Music Challenge Season 2 album are available for download at NEA's website at $0.99 per song and at $9.90 for the full album. A hardcopy album is also available for sale at the NEA's Customer Service Centre at $11.90.

For more information: NEA

Caroline Wozniacki will finish 2011 as the No. 1 ranked tennis player

Maria Sharapova pulled out of the WTA Championships in Istanbul, Turkey with a sore ankle Wednesday after losing her second straight match at the season-ending tournament.She won't play her final match against Victoria Azarenka.

Caroline Wozniacki

The second-ranked Russian’s withdrawal ensures that Caroline Wozniacki of denmark will finish the year with the No. 1 ranking, despite losing her group-stage match against Russia’s Vera Zvonareva, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.Sharapova entered the tournament after sitting out since withdrawing in the quarterfinals in Tokyo last month because of an ankle injury.

Maria Sharapova

After losing 7-6 (4), 6-4 to Li Na of china in her second round-robin match Wednesday  in 1 hour and 56 minutes, Sharapova said “the ankle didn’t recover as well as I had hoped after the first round.” Sharapova said she expects to return to the court in Brisbane next year ahead of the Australian Open.

Li Na

News l Rare earth of China

Rare earths are a group of 17 minerals used in manufacturing flat-screen TVs, mobile phones, batteries for electric cars, wind turbines and weaponry.

By closing or nationalizing dozens of the producers of rare earth metals which also are used in energy-efficient bulbs and many other green-energy products — China is temporarily shutting down most of the industry and crimping the global supply of the vital resources.

China has about 30 percent of global rare earth deposits but accounts for 97 percent of production. In the name of fighting pollution, Beijing has alarmed global manufacturers by reducing exports, prompting pressure from Europe and the United States to treat foreign and domestic buyers equally.

In China, prices of some rare earths have fallen sharply since June. Beijing is merging its rare earths producers to tighten control over production, sales and pricing. It announced in June that Baotou Steel would become the only miner, refiner and seller of rare earths in the northern region of Inner Mongolia, a production center. It said 35 other companies there would be merged or closed.

Read more »

News l The Environmental Media Association Awards

Since their inception in 1991, the Environmental Media Association Awards (EMA) have honored environmental efforts made throughout the entertainment industry with the aim of "linking the power of celebrity to environmental awareness."

Each year, in addition to promoting the environmental efforts of a myriad of films, TV series and actors, the awards distribute special honors to people in the entertainment industry who, according to the EMA, "have gone above and beyond to help the environment both professionally and personally."

The Environmental Media Association and the group’s 21st anniversary party and awards ceremony was held at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California this year.

Internationally recognizable celebrity Justin Timberlake has in the past made notable donations to charities such as Wildlife Warriors founded by the late Steve Irwin. The EMA Futures Award honors him as a potential future leader of environmental causes. Nevertheless his ecological efforts, which include advocacy for environmental issues, greening his concert tours and the eco-friendly golf course-Mirimichi he owns near Memphis is part of his green glory.

Warner Bros.’ animated “Yogi Bear”, documentary “Revenge of the Electric Car”, TV’s “Futurama,” ‘’CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” ‘’HGTV Green Home 2011,” ‘’Real Time with Bill Maher” and the childrens’ show “Bubble Guppies” also won awards for raising awareness about environmental issues.


EMA Awards:EMA

Video l Nicki Minaj Sings 'Super Bass' with Sophia Grace on ellen

I am so agree thet there is nothing cuter than seeing little kids singing and dancing! This is the video of adorable 8-year-old Sophia Grace Brownlee along with her 5-year-old cousin, Rosie, singing and dancing to Nicki Minaj’s “Superbass” on Ellen daytime talk show.

News l GM Spark EV - a small and totally electric car

General Motors, maker of the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, will sell a small totally electric car beginning in 2013, the automaker announced on 12 October 2011. Smaller than a typical subcompact, the Spark is a so-called minicar. It's even  a couple of inches shorter than a Mini Cooper.

GM has been testing an electric version of the Chevrolet Cruze -- a larger car similar to the Chevrolet Volt -- in several countries around the world. Feedback from those tests in China, Korea and India has been taken into account in creating the Spark EV.

When it goes on sale, the Spark EV will join an increasingly crowded market of plug-in cars as almost every major automaker plans to offer at least one by the end of 2012. However, GM has not yet announced details such as the car's driving range, price or in what markets it might be sold.

News l Deceased of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs

 Steven P. Jobs, the charismatic technology pioneer who co-founded Apple Inc. and transformed one industry after another, from computers and smartphones to music and movies, has died. He was 56. His death sparked tributes from all quarters - heads of state to technology workers, colleagues to competitors, celebrities to everyday users of his company's products.

In 2004, he beat back an unusual form of pancreatic cancer, and in 2009 he was forced to get a liver transplant. After several years of failing health, Jobs announced on Aug. 24, 2011 that he was stepping down as Apple's chief executive.

Being as the mastermind behind Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac ,iTunes and one of the world's most famous CEOs, Jobs remained stubbornly private about his personal life, refusing interviews and shielding his wife and their children from public view.

Read more »

News l The CAFE Green Flight Challenge winner won $1.35 million

The CAFE (Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency) Green Flight Challenge which backed by Nasa is aimed to make green air travel a realistic possibility.  NASA has awarded $1.35 million to the crew behind the Taurus G4 plane designed and created by the Pipistrel-USA team.

Taurus G4 has two separate fuselages that can seat 4 passengers. The two fuselages are joined together with a huge motor and batteries taking up the middle space.The Taurus G4 won the prize by flying 200 miles from Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, Calif., in less than two hours. There were 14 airplanes in the competition, but the Pipistrel won easily. It nearly "doubled the fuel-efficiency requirement" for the contest.

Read more »

News l Deceased of the Africa's First Female Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist who made it her mission to teach her countrywomen to plant trees and became Africa's first female Nobel Peace Prize winner, has died on 25 September 2011 after a yearlong battle with cancer and she was 71 .

Born April 1, 1940, Maathai grew up in rural Kenya and received a scholarship to study at Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kan., where she majored in biology, graduating in 1964. She obtained her doctoral degree and first woman professor at the University of Nairobi. She founded the Green Belt Movement, a nongovernmental organization in her native Kenya.

Read more »

News l Against Eating Shark Fins

The retired Chinese NBA star Yao Ming and British tycoon Richard Branson made an appeal Thursday in Shanghai against eating shark fins, which are a staple of high-class Chinese banquets, to a group of 30 of China's richest and most influential businesspeople.

Shanghai-born Yao is using his post-retirement free time to help campaign against the slaughter of 1.5 million sharks a week that is taking some of the species close to extinction.The event, sponsored by the conservation group WildAid, is aimed at starting a conservation movement in China .

Read more »

Quote l Today

News l Solar Panel Factory Closed Down In China

Hundreds of local protesters have forced the shutdown of a solar panel factory in Haining City in Zhejiang province in eastern China over pollution fears. According to BBC, residents accused the solar panel manufacturers of dumping toxic chemicals into the water supply.

The three-day demonstration -- by some 500 local residents -- were prompted by the deaths of a large number of fish in a nearby river. According to local government officials, high levels of fluoride were detected in water samples from the river.

Protesters managed to break into the plant owned by Jinko Solar Holding Co. (NYSE: JKS), destroy offices, damage property and even overturn company vehicles before riot police moved them out. The company is a subsidiary of a New York Stock Exchange-listed Chinese solar company, JinkoSolar Holding Co. Calls to both the Zhejiang company.

It is the latest protest in China driven by environmental concerns and highlights citizens' increasing boldness in demanding action from the authoritarian government.

News l The Green Magazine - Inspired Times

Widely known as a ‘holistic’ and a sustainable living magazine, "Inspired Times" is dedicated to exploring the latest in environmental issues and initiatives."Inspired Times" was launched in June 2009 from Bristol, England. Printed on 100% recycled paper and using vegetable inks, the magazine is distributed in biodegradable plastic – altogether the very epitome of sustainable living.

The magazine covers all aspects of a more sustainable and green lifestyle, from yoga to holidays.As the publication dedicated to green and sustainable products, companies and services, "Inspired Times" is an ideal advertising opportunity for the relevant interested parties as it is a guarantee that the target audience will be reached.

The magazine is produced quarterly (in January, April, July and October) and is available direct from the website or from local stockists around the country.

News l Entomophagy

The European Commission have launched a three million euro (£2.65 million) project to promote the eating of insects while also asking national watchdogs like the UK's Food Standards Agency to investigate the issue.They are offering the money to the research institute with the best proposal for investigating "Insects as novel sources of proteins".

Eating insects — officially called entomophagy — is neither strange nor disgusting nor exotic. According to one study, small grasshoppers offer 20 per cent protein and just six per cent fat, to lean ground beef's 24 per cent protein and 18 per cent fat.

Crickets are also said to be high in calcium, termites rich in iron, and a helping of giant silkworm moth larvae apparently provides all the daily copper and riboflavin requirements. There are even claims that bees boost the libido.

Read more »

Green Idea l Green Innovation

Most people cannot live without viehicle which consume fossil oil and produce CO2 consequently.Can you imagine people who live without all these modern invention which casued the pollution so badly? 

Here we go! The idea is very simple. To save GAS

Quote l Web of Life

Humankind has not woven the web of life.  We are but one thread within it.  Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.  All things are bound together.  All things connect.  

~Chief Seattle, 1855

News l Hazardous Waste in China

China is belatedly confronting a crisis of heavy metals poisoning after years of allowing manufacturers to disregard safety standards. The country has reported hundreds of pollution emergencies in recent years, many involving lead and various toxins from chemical and electronics factories.

The situation in Qujing and many other cases reflect "widespread inadequacies in handling and disposal of hazardous waste in the country and pose a threat to public health," Ministry of Environmental Protection deputy director Zhang Lijun Zhang said in comments published on the environment ministry's website.


Zhang said that companies that handle chromium, polycrystalline silicon used in solar cells, sewage sludge and electronic waste will be receive special scrutiny.In some forms, chromium is toxic and carcinogenic.

Read more »

Event l International Green Building Conference 2011

The biennial International Green Building Conference 2011 (IGBC 2011), which will be held from 13-16 September at Suntec Singapore, is the key event of the Singapore Green Building Week 2011.


Themed “Build Green. Act Now.” and held alongside BEX Asia 2011 exhibition, IGBC 2011 will build on its previous success by continuing to focus on hot topics such as tropical architecture and green building case studies. In addition, it will examine new topics with emphasis on sustainable construction, buildings of the future as well as sustainable operations and maintenance.


Participants will have ample opportunities to interact through the various workshops and networking events. Specially designed Green Mark Tours will enable participants to view outstanding BCA Green Mark projects while providing unique, practical learning experiences.


For more detail, please visit SGBW .

News l Organic Farming at North East region of India

North East region of India is known for its Organic Farming techniques. North East is rich in horticulture and floriculture with a rich variety of medicinal plants grown there along with various fruits and vegetables.


An analysis of NSSO survey data on cultivation practices shows that the North-East hill states have retained traditional practices and show an inclination towards organic agriculture that is harnessed for the development of the region with ecological benefits. Use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture enhances yields but also undermines the quality of life through possible contamination of soil, water and air and even the final products that retain their residues. Such activities in hilly regions can have external effects on other regions as well.


The region has remarkable advantages of fertile and organically rich soils, ample rainfall and water resources, river valleys, swamps and streams and great climatic diversity supporting diverse cropping possibilities. Cultivation is based on organic manure and is acompanied to a significant extent with use of improved seeds. It is interesting to note that wastes via manure and the waste generation process through animal feed and vegetal wastes are used.

Read more »

News l Green Biologics nominated as 2011 New Energy Pioneer

Green Biologics has been nominated as a 2011 New Energy Pioneer in the Bloomberg New Energy Finance Pioneer program along with nine other companies at the fourth annual Bloomberg New Energy Finance Summit in New York.

In its second year, the Bloomberg New Energy Finance Pioneers program identifies companies from across the world that are making significant gains in the field of clean technology and innovation. A panel of industry experts, led by Bloomberg New Energy Finance technology specialists, chose the honorees by assessing them against three criteria: potential scale, innovation and momentum.Each of the New Energy Pioneers has worked to develop unique technologies and has demonstrated the potential for these technologies to be competitive in the marketplace and implemented on a large scale.

News l St. Elizabeth Hospital Wins Environmental Certification

Enumclaw's new St. Elizabeth Hospital has been awarded LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council because of the hospital's environmentally sensistive design and construction.St. Elizabeth is the first new hospital in the state to win LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. St. Elizabeth opened in February replacing the old Encumclaw Regional Medical Center. St. Elizabeth is part of the Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System that owns St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor.


Among the features that helped the hospital win certification were:
* Large energy-efficient windows that reduce the need for artificial lighting.
* An ambitious recycling program for both everyday hospital materials and for construction debris.
* Landscaping with water-sparing native vegetation.
* Low-flow plumbing fixtures.
* An energy-efficient heating, cooling and mechanical system that works without using ozone-depleting coolants.
* Non-toxic finishes throughout the building.
* Sustainable building materials.

News l 100,000 people have petitioned to RWS to free 25 bottlenose dolphins

More than 100,000 people have petitioned to Resorts World Singapore (RWS) through, Change.org, the Singapore animal welfare group to free the 25 dolphins that they are holding in captivity. Dolphin activist Barbara Napoles started the petition- "Please Help Free the "Sentosa 25" from Resorts World in Sentosa Singapore" on Change.org, the world's fastest growing social change platform, bringing the dolphins' plight to the attention of tens of thousands of animal lovers and tourists.

In 2008 the were initially 27 dolphins caught in Solomon Islands and two have died in captivity at Langkawi, where they were previously held. The remaining 25 dolphins are kept in Philippines while the housing facility at Sentosa is still being constructed.

The dolphins are to become the latest  marine park attraction for the resort in Sentosa.Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) bought the mammals for an "interactive dolphin spa programme" at its Marine Life Park attraction, where visitors can interact with the animals.

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has responded to concerns from dolphin activists on the welfare of its bottlenose dolphins. Its Marine Life Park (MLP) spokesperson said that its team of experts, including world-renowned veterinarians and scientists from various fields in marine husbandry, is providing the very best care for them with a superior diet, daily enrichment, and veterinary care. And the bottlenose dolphins are residing in a facility that is safe and conducive to their health and well-being.

Singapore-based animal welfare group, Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) is supporting the petition and have rolled out their own roadshows to spread awareness about the dolphins' plight. But RWS maintain their position and said that the dolphins that have been living under their care for the past three years have acclimated well to their interim environment.

News l The Rainbow Warrior III

Greenpeace unveiled a new weapon in its campaign against environmental destruction on 4 July 2011 - a 23 million euro ($33.4 million) ship dubbed the Rainbow Warrior III.The state-of-the-art vessel went afloat in Berne-Motzen in northern Germany ahead of its official launch to mark Greenpeace's 40th birthday in October.The ship was constructed at the 161-year-old German shipyard Fassmer in Berne-Motzen near Bremen, northern Germany.

The original Rainbow Warrior, a converted fishing trawler, was sunk by French agents in New Zealand in 1985 while attempting to stop nuclear testing in the Pacific.According to Greenpeace the second ship is more than 50 years old and is being retired after having been demaged in numerous campaigns against nuclear testing, over-fishing and illegal logging.

The 58-metre-long Rainbow Warrior III is the first to be built from scratch to its own specifications.The boat is powered by sails on its 50-metre masts, by an electric motor allowing it to reach a top speed of 10 knots (18 km/h) and a diesel engine giving it 15 knots (28 km/h).Capable of housing a crew of up to 33 for four weeks without outside supplies, it also has a helipad in the stern and its masts will be decked out with 48 antennae and other pieces of electronic gadgetry.