The Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative, SOS, is a project of the Zero Waste Alliance. I am proud to highlight that my "GreenBeings Invasion" website has received their attention. Read their "Eco-Friendly Fund Raising" article and see if they deserve to win the National Recycling Coalition's Annual Awards and make your nominations.
http://www.zerowaste.org/schools/documents/Eco-Friendly_Fundraising.pdf
For details of what this award is about:
Recognizing the Best in Recycling: NRC's Annual Awards
Each year, the NRC presents awards to outstanding organizations and individuals in a number of categories. Winners are selected by a committee of NRC members and the awards are presented during the NRC's Annual Congress & Exposition.
We are now accepting nominations for eleven awards, which will be presented at the 26th Annual Congress & Expo in Denver this September.
This year, we are looking for stand-out candidates for these awards:
* Outstanding Recycling Organization (for NRC-affiliated ROs)
* Recycler of the Year - Lifetime Achievement
* Best Local Elected Recycling Leader
* Outstanding Corporate Leadership (The Schmitt Award)
* Outstanding Environmental & Community Leadership (The McClure Award)
* Outstanding Public Education (The Boettner Award)
* Outstanding Community or Government Program
* Outstanding College or University Program
* Outstanding K-12 School Program
* Outstanding Recycling Innovation - Product or Process
* Outstanding Market Development
All nominations must be made by an NRC member, and NRC members may nominate themselves. However, nominees are not required to be NRC members. Winners are selected by a committee of NRC members led by Committee Chair Lisa Skumatz.
Nominations are due at 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, June 28, 2007. For more information, download the:
Award Instructions
http://www.americarecyclesday.org/mobius/award_instructions07.pdf
and the Nomination Outline (a Word document):
http://www.americarecyclesday.org/mobius/nomination_outline07.doc
Saturday, 23 June 2007
Thursday, 14 June 2007
Green knowledge? Fertilize it!
I have a very interesting conversation with other "greenies" invited for the event, "Recycling: A Business Opportunity for Women", at Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM) on 13 June. Lying on bed and recalling them with what I already know, it was just like creating a hybrid, while I should be sleeping. I have decided to fertilise this hybrid in my imagination towards creating something fruitful.
A problem in Malaysia:
In Malaysia, there are low cost flats. These buildings are usually not well taken care off and litters are often indiscriminately thrown by the residents. There is also space constraints and some family members have to sleep on the floor of their sitting rooms.
What I like about living in Singapore:
Housing Development Board (HDB) flats are government subsidised flats in Singapore. In every unit, under the wash basin in the kitchen, they are chutes installed for owners to discard their rubbish.
The rubbish drops down this chute and lands in a huge bin placed on the ground floor. Every morning, the municipal workers pull this bin out of its enclosure to remove the trash collected.
The ground floors of most HDB flats are big open space with concrete tables and chairs installed for recreational purposes. With the approval of the municipal, functions can be held in this area. There is a water pipe installed at one section to facilitate cooking for the event.
What I heard about the Swedes:
They have different days for recycling different waste. For example, if they are allowed to discard paper only in their dustbin on a particular day, the garbage collector will not pick up any other stuff in the dustbin except for the recyclable designated for pick up.
Societies have successfully raised fund for needy with recyclables:
All residents in a flat should consider forming a multi racial cooperative and consider making money from recycling collectively. They can do what the Swedes do and designate days for each type of recyclable. Relevant recyclers must send in their tenders to enable them to be chosen by the cooperative as the main recycler and only for the waste type they are dealing in.
Collection of green or organic waste from the kitchen:
The rubbish chute should only be used to discard green or organic waste from the kitchen. Used oil should be collected separately so that it can be used as a catalyst for making compost or for making soap. Compost can be used to fertilise the fruit trees grown around the flat.
A Cooperative stall for economies of scale:
All income derived from these activities go towards buying food stuff and things that are required by the residents of the flat on a wholesale basis so that they can enjoy economies of scale. The cooperative can open a stall on the ground floor so that they can make money out of the goods on hand by selling them to outsiders. With the stall on the ground floor, residents save on fuel as they do not have to drive out to buy what they need.
Storage space reduction:
A Cooperative stall on the ground floor means that residents do not have to buy things ahead and store them at home nor do they need a bigger refrigerator since all perishable can be purchased as and when needed. This will eliminate problems with space constraint and open up more space for other activities.
Incentive to residents from the government:
Residents will be encouraged to use the lifts at designated peak period to save on electricity if the government provide points towards rewarding this effort. These points can be used in exchange of product sold by the cooperative.
Teaching and selling handcrafted work out of abandoned material:
Stay at home mothers should be encouraged to network with one another. The best way is to learn a craft together in the community hall beside the cooperative stall. Handmade creation can be sold at the cooperative. Women who are good at cooking can prepare food for sales at the cafe cum library beside the community hall. This way, mothers do not have to worry about their children while they learn a new trade. Make it a meaningful project.
The Cooperative as a training ground for trading:
The Cooperative can be manned by paid residents on rotation. In the process, they will learn how to manage a store and earn an income in the process.
A paper recycler said he needs green waste as fuel:
Other than collecting green waste for making compost, these can be collected and sold to recyclers for fuel in their recycling processes.
Prevent global warming with car pool:
For children going to the same school and residents working in the same area.
Conserving natural resources and creating green energy:
1) Solar panel should be installed to generate energy for the flat.
2) Rainwater should be collected into a man made pond for washing cars and watering the orchard.
3) Shoes and bicycles for children should be invented to enable them to generate energy from utilizing them in their daily activities.
4) Devices should be installed along frequently used walkways to help generate energy.
A figment in my imagination but a possibility of the future because I have written about it. Share your green dreams.
A problem in Malaysia:
In Malaysia, there are low cost flats. These buildings are usually not well taken care off and litters are often indiscriminately thrown by the residents. There is also space constraints and some family members have to sleep on the floor of their sitting rooms.
What I like about living in Singapore:
Housing Development Board (HDB) flats are government subsidised flats in Singapore. In every unit, under the wash basin in the kitchen, they are chutes installed for owners to discard their rubbish.
The rubbish drops down this chute and lands in a huge bin placed on the ground floor. Every morning, the municipal workers pull this bin out of its enclosure to remove the trash collected.
The ground floors of most HDB flats are big open space with concrete tables and chairs installed for recreational purposes. With the approval of the municipal, functions can be held in this area. There is a water pipe installed at one section to facilitate cooking for the event.
What I heard about the Swedes:
They have different days for recycling different waste. For example, if they are allowed to discard paper only in their dustbin on a particular day, the garbage collector will not pick up any other stuff in the dustbin except for the recyclable designated for pick up.
Societies have successfully raised fund for needy with recyclables:
All residents in a flat should consider forming a multi racial cooperative and consider making money from recycling collectively. They can do what the Swedes do and designate days for each type of recyclable. Relevant recyclers must send in their tenders to enable them to be chosen by the cooperative as the main recycler and only for the waste type they are dealing in.
Collection of green or organic waste from the kitchen:
The rubbish chute should only be used to discard green or organic waste from the kitchen. Used oil should be collected separately so that it can be used as a catalyst for making compost or for making soap. Compost can be used to fertilise the fruit trees grown around the flat.
A Cooperative stall for economies of scale:
All income derived from these activities go towards buying food stuff and things that are required by the residents of the flat on a wholesale basis so that they can enjoy economies of scale. The cooperative can open a stall on the ground floor so that they can make money out of the goods on hand by selling them to outsiders. With the stall on the ground floor, residents save on fuel as they do not have to drive out to buy what they need.
Storage space reduction:
A Cooperative stall on the ground floor means that residents do not have to buy things ahead and store them at home nor do they need a bigger refrigerator since all perishable can be purchased as and when needed. This will eliminate problems with space constraint and open up more space for other activities.
Incentive to residents from the government:
Residents will be encouraged to use the lifts at designated peak period to save on electricity if the government provide points towards rewarding this effort. These points can be used in exchange of product sold by the cooperative.
Teaching and selling handcrafted work out of abandoned material:
Stay at home mothers should be encouraged to network with one another. The best way is to learn a craft together in the community hall beside the cooperative stall. Handmade creation can be sold at the cooperative. Women who are good at cooking can prepare food for sales at the cafe cum library beside the community hall. This way, mothers do not have to worry about their children while they learn a new trade. Make it a meaningful project.
The Cooperative as a training ground for trading:
The Cooperative can be manned by paid residents on rotation. In the process, they will learn how to manage a store and earn an income in the process.
A paper recycler said he needs green waste as fuel:
Other than collecting green waste for making compost, these can be collected and sold to recyclers for fuel in their recycling processes.
Prevent global warming with car pool:
For children going to the same school and residents working in the same area.
Conserving natural resources and creating green energy:
1) Solar panel should be installed to generate energy for the flat.
2) Rainwater should be collected into a man made pond for washing cars and watering the orchard.
3) Shoes and bicycles for children should be invented to enable them to generate energy from utilizing them in their daily activities.
4) Devices should be installed along frequently used walkways to help generate energy.
A figment in my imagination but a possibility of the future because I have written about it. Share your green dreams.
Sunshine on your back? Use it!
Our climate in Malaysia provides us sunshine all year round and yet we are not taking advantage of it.
A company in USA, Reware Store is selling Juice Bags. The fabric of Juice Bags are made from recycled soda bottles and they come with a 6.3 to 7 Watt flexible solar panel on one side and a built-in Car Lighter Adapter (CLA) socket inside the bag.
The solar panel on the bag can be used to charge its line of SolarReady Batteries or power your cell phone, PDA, MP3 player, Video Game or Digital Camera, as you walk and groove. So if your are a traveler who cannot leave any of your voltage consuming devices behind, you will never be out of power to run them even at the most remote places.
What more can you ask for in a traveling mate in your journey to a greener environment?
Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Want to draw like an artist? Learn from one.
No, I have not reached the standard yet to teach you to paint like a pro but Bryan Larsen can. Let him inspire you in 5 steps.
If you are someone who do not like to have paints staining your hands, try virtual art. Very useful for aspiring comic artists, The Elfwood Fantasy Art Resource (F.A.R.P.) not only show you how to draw using various traditional and digital media, they have articles on developing fantasy creations and how to go about marketing your work.
If this is something new to you, here is a link to some useful terms you may come across in your artistic venture.
Saturday, 26 May 2007
Not good at selling? Try teaching.
Teaching what you are good at crafting is a good way to show off your talents. Some creations look very simple to the eyes but once you try to recreate the design, you may find that it is not as easy as it looks. So, when you start teaching, you may come across students who prefer to buy your creations, over making their own, even when they already know the basics.
So, where can you start your class? If you have an odd student now and then, consider teaching from your home. If you need a classroom to teach a group of students, look around your neighbourhood to see if there are societies or associations that have vacant halls available for rent. Some of these establishments subsidise part of the fees for members to encourage higher participation in activities they organise. So, that could mean more students for you.
If you live near my neighbourhood of Kajang or Cheras, check out the facility of Bandar Sungai Long Buddhist Society, as they do rent out their halls on adhoc basis. If you time your lessons to start when their library is opened, you can leave your elder children to enjoy the books there while you teach.
Recently, I attended a cooking class organised by a company selling cookware. They held it at a shop selling wares and ingredients for baking. So, if you are a good cook, you may want to ask shops you regularly buy your ingredients from to see if there is such an option for you.
Do you know anyone in the civil service? Some government agencies organise pre-retirement training programme for their staff. There are some that organise training for the underprivileged or single parents. Following are some I know of:
INTAN Bukit Kiara
Jalan Bukit Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel : 603 – 2084 7777
Fax : 603 – 2093 9490
E-mail : maklumbalas@intanbk.intan.my
Kemas
Community Development Division (KEMAS)
Ministry of Rural Development,
Tingkat 5, Blok E,
Komplek Pejabat Kerajaan Bukit Perdana,
Jalan Dato' Onn,
50606 Kuala Lumpur
60-3-2066744
60-3-2069308
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia
Wisma Putra
No 1, Jalan Wisma Putra
Precint 2
62602 Putrajaya
Tel: 603-8887 4000
Tel: 603-8887 4570 (after working hours)
Fax: 603-8889 1717 / 603-8889 2816
Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWK)
Aras 1-6, Blok E,
Kompleks Pejabat Kerajaan Bukit Perdana,
Jalan Dato' Onn
50515 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA.
Tel: 03-2693 0095
Faks: 03-2693 4982
E-mail: info@kpwkm.gov.my
If you are good at sewing and living in Kuantan, write to Hamimah of Women's Institute of Pahang (WIP) Needlework Centre
Lot 14, Taman Mahkota Putra,
Bandar Indera Mahkota,
Kuantan, Pahang
Tel: 09-573 3241
Think you are the brave type to try this out? Federal prison inmates need vocational trainers.
If you see potential in teaching at these government agencies, you may have to register your company to be eligible to apply. myGovernment Portal is the best site to visit for information about setting up your company.
What? You think it is better to sell over teaching after all? No worry, I have covered that in my earlier posting.
So, where can you start your class? If you have an odd student now and then, consider teaching from your home. If you need a classroom to teach a group of students, look around your neighbourhood to see if there are societies or associations that have vacant halls available for rent. Some of these establishments subsidise part of the fees for members to encourage higher participation in activities they organise. So, that could mean more students for you.
If you live near my neighbourhood of Kajang or Cheras, check out the facility of Bandar Sungai Long Buddhist Society, as they do rent out their halls on adhoc basis. If you time your lessons to start when their library is opened, you can leave your elder children to enjoy the books there while you teach.
Recently, I attended a cooking class organised by a company selling cookware. They held it at a shop selling wares and ingredients for baking. So, if you are a good cook, you may want to ask shops you regularly buy your ingredients from to see if there is such an option for you.
Do you know anyone in the civil service? Some government agencies organise pre-retirement training programme for their staff. There are some that organise training for the underprivileged or single parents. Following are some I know of:
INTAN Bukit Kiara
Jalan Bukit Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel : 603 – 2084 7777
Fax : 603 – 2093 9490
E-mail : maklumbalas@intanbk.intan.my
Kemas
Community Development Division (KEMAS)
Ministry of Rural Development,
Tingkat 5, Blok E,
Komplek Pejabat Kerajaan Bukit Perdana,
Jalan Dato' Onn,
50606 Kuala Lumpur
60-3-2066744
60-3-2069308
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia
Wisma Putra
No 1, Jalan Wisma Putra
Precint 2
62602 Putrajaya
Tel: 603-8887 4000
Tel: 603-8887 4570 (after working hours)
Fax: 603-8889 1717 / 603-8889 2816
Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWK)
Aras 1-6, Blok E,
Kompleks Pejabat Kerajaan Bukit Perdana,
Jalan Dato' Onn
50515 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA.
Tel: 03-2693 0095
Faks: 03-2693 4982
E-mail: info@kpwkm.gov.my
If you are good at sewing and living in Kuantan, write to Hamimah of Women's Institute of Pahang (WIP) Needlework Centre
Lot 14, Taman Mahkota Putra,
Bandar Indera Mahkota,
Kuantan, Pahang
Tel: 09-573 3241
Think you are the brave type to try this out? Federal prison inmates need vocational trainers.
If you see potential in teaching at these government agencies, you may have to register your company to be eligible to apply. myGovernment Portal is the best site to visit for information about setting up your company.
What? You think it is better to sell over teaching after all? No worry, I have covered that in my earlier posting.
Thursday, 24 May 2007
Want to kiss in public? Take out the tissue paper.
How do you encourage your children while they are still very young not to mis-use paper? "Don't throw" and "Can recycle", are often heard commands from me. I also encouraged them to scribble on the blank side of junk mails or newsletters instead of the message pad I have by the phone.
When we eat out, we share a tissue paper to wipe our mouths. The magic words I use is, "Kiss, Mummy", as I passed the tissue paper I have just used around and they will gladly obliged. When they were younger, they use to fight over who get to do it first.
There are rules in this exercise that they have to adhere to. No blowing your nose into the tissue until all lips have been wiped.
Mean or what? I don't care as daddy can get away with kissing mummy in public, by means of a used tissue paper.
When we eat out, we share a tissue paper to wipe our mouths. The magic words I use is, "Kiss, Mummy", as I passed the tissue paper I have just used around and they will gladly obliged. When they were younger, they use to fight over who get to do it first.
There are rules in this exercise that they have to adhere to. No blowing your nose into the tissue until all lips have been wiped.
Mean or what? I don't care as daddy can get away with kissing mummy in public, by means of a used tissue paper.
Sunday, 20 May 2007
The free tutorials here. Do they work?
My write up about Cindy and her crochet cassette tape bags has inspired one of my neighbours, Mrs Chin, to create her own. As she does not know how to read the instruction on Cindy's website, I have offered to help her out.
I took out my "Crochet & Needle Work - 880 Patterns" book that I have with me since 1976 and asked her to select a design she likes. While working with the cassette tapes, she realised that it is not easy to manipulate them over the size 4 hook as she was crocheting two pieces of tapes together. So, I passed her some of my left over wool to work into the design so that she does not have to use as much of the tape.
I helped her with the finishing and this is the result of our efforts.
I have taken up a stall at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, on 22 May and Mrs Chin has decided to sell her creation there. This is the bracelet I have created with the rest of the wool to go with the bag.
Attached it to this bag when you wear it and you will not have to worry about being snatched.
If you like what you see, pop by to catch us in the act. The event to launch a book related to home-based business starts at 9.30am.
I took out my "Crochet & Needle Work - 880 Patterns" book that I have with me since 1976 and asked her to select a design she likes. While working with the cassette tapes, she realised that it is not easy to manipulate them over the size 4 hook as she was crocheting two pieces of tapes together. So, I passed her some of my left over wool to work into the design so that she does not have to use as much of the tape.
I helped her with the finishing and this is the result of our efforts.
I have taken up a stall at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, on 22 May and Mrs Chin has decided to sell her creation there. This is the bracelet I have created with the rest of the wool to go with the bag.
Attached it to this bag when you wear it and you will not have to worry about being snatched.
If you like what you see, pop by to catch us in the act. The event to launch a book related to home-based business starts at 9.30am.
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