notsosunnily Personally, I think the only reason why companies are able to get away with these kind of things is because the people who buy their products either just want to look good "being green" or don't care as much for the green cause.

If a person were too preoccupied with thinking that "oh, i'll look good buying something environmentally-friendly", it would be easy to overlook facts like "this company's not actually eco-friendly".

To stop things like this from happening, the only way is to have people really want to go green. We have to really want to save the Earth to notice the little details that would otherwise be unnoticed.

therealjosiah I just posted something that might be in relation to what you're talking about.

http://spgogreen.sg/talking/topic/id/339

greenism Oh... This is just so sad. It's just disturbing to see that many companies out there are using "green" as a marketing tool to sell their products or service. I guess it's a business strategy but it is definitely not an ethical thing to do. Buyers are deceived into buying the products while in the back of their minds they are thinking that they are supporting a cause.

If this goes on, I feel it is only right if laws or regulations are passed to ensure that businesses which claim that they are supporting green causes justify that they are doing so. In that way, we are able to prevent or at least reduce such incidences.

However, I feel that it does take a lot of effort and support from the various relevant authorities to do so.

alvin2 i agree with notsosunnily that people are just buying these products to make themselves feel good. They do not bother to inquire deeper on how these companies "go green" and that is why these companies can get away with it

xian like this.

shyonshii Whenever there's a leak I'd use a bucket to fill it up with water and use the water from the bucket to wash plates or our hands and stuff. It's really easy to save water. I also bathe at a maximum of twice a day so that I won't waste so much water.

My water bills decreased significantly either way.

johnngxe Absolutely - in fact, why just limit it to your family, or to just a month? It doesn't take a lot of effort to use a half-flush in place of a full flush when you go to the washroom, for example, and once you get into the habit, you'll look back and wonder at your (previously) wasteful habits. It'll just come naturally to you.

In SP, I sometimes notice that the taps/toilets are stuck on flush/running, and wonder how some people can act like nothing is happening (seen it happen). It's pretty difficult NOT to notice the noise of a sloshing toilet/gushing tap, and I've always made the conscious effort to stop it.

crazymadzy If only everyone can be like this, then the world would be a better place.
But knowing humans, we don't actually practice this. We always have this mindset whereby we feel that if we don't do it, it won't affect much and others can take our place.

A good example is water conservation. We tend to feel that we don't and won't contribute much to the world. This is wrong and i think everyone should take this small step together.

(cont)

crazymadzy Perhaps, schools can lead the way and implement this kind of activity, once a month especially for students in primary school. (But this does not mean all the other schools don't participate in it.)

It is a known fact that when we're young, we learn better and we know what is wrong and right. If students are taught to save water from young, maybe the future generations can further help save the world.

mjquek I feel that Water Conservation Month is a great way to kick start your water conservation habit. From a month, you can slowly build up to two months of water conservation and one day, you will realise that you can actually save water consumption every day for a full one year! After all, a habit always start from constant practice.

We should really start cutting down on our water consumption from today onwards. It will make a great difference in the future!

alvin2 I feel that this idea is great. And i agree with johnngxe. Water is really precious and we should conserve water and not just within a time frame. Taking lesser time to shower is a great way to conserve water.

rinka I like this campaign

Saving water at the same time is to save our water bills also!

dtyw Saving every drop of water is indeed precious. Other than saving our environment, it will also make us appreciate the clean water that we have here in Singapore.

Here is a clip that shows a shared water source in Haiti after the fairly recent earthquake. If we're not careful, this would likely become a reality for many should we run out of our natural, clean water sources.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HidSH2Ntmj0

michelleang i really agree. i've seen eating joints that have non functional taps that have the water dripping away with no end to it. It gets to me because while you see all that water and you actually think about it, that amount of water could be something that someone else somewhere could really need.

engkhong Painting green would definitely help the environment to a great extent as most buildings and houses requires painting to be done. Imagine if everyone would to buy their pain free of VOCs, how much pollution can be reduced in the long run. There would be less damaged to the ozone level, less risk to health and overall prevent harm to our ecosystem and environment.

xian there are many products which have harmful substances that we should look out for! some other products such as insect spray are also harmful. we can opt for greener products and that would help in the long run.

codenamebutter That's true. Especially since going for green paint is a safer and not to mention less of a health risk for the person who is going to be spending loads of time in that room.

One should go for a natural paint. It does not contain heavy metal or any VOCs. Natural paints and wood finishes are often composed of natural plant dyes, oils, and waxes. A number of environmentally conscious companies manufacture these products in all of the expected forms—paint, primer, finish, sealer, stain, wax, etc.

(However, many consumers find the costs overwhelming)

There are different types of natural options such as Clay Paint which is one of the most common natural paints. It is composed of earth-based minerals and uses mostly water as a solvent. It works for an earthy and adobe look for your home or office.

Another option would be the Lime Wash which is a reasonably inexpensive green alternative to traditional paint. Limestone, a calcium-based mineral, is combined with water to form a simple, natural paint that is the basis of all whitewashes. Lime wash can be used indoors or outdoors and forms a unique, glowing finish that comes in a variety of colors.

Another type of natural paint is milk-based paint. Casein, a protein found in milk products, is separated from the milk and mixed with water, clay, and earth pigments to form a thick, eco-friendly paint. Casein paint is a form of tempera paint, a fast-drying egg-based paint that has been in use since the days of ancient Egypt.

Interesting,no? :)

fionaseah That's interesting! I think other than the benefits you mentioned, green actually soothes one mind. I'd really consider painting the walls of my study room green because of its de-stressing factor.

dtyw Wow, that really is quite amazing. Little did I know that even paint used can prove to be a detriment to our environment.

It's interesting to learn more and more green facts on this site, be it in day by day activities that we partake in and products that we use on a regular basis. Really makes one ponder over just how much damage that we are doing to the environment unknowingly. I'll be sure to look out for those VOCs labels the next time I shop for paint!

hanfei Many other products are harmful to the society , so yes, buying paint without these harmful products will help. Let's start with the little steps and slowly work our way up,

alrickoh03 If you cannot bear to part with your old items without some cash value holding a garage sale would not be a bad idea too. You can always hold one at the bottom of your HDB flat or if you live in a private house at the doorstep of your house. Not only do you benefit the environment by recycling and reusing materials, you get some money back yourself. So hey, why not?

shyonshii I would gladly sell all my old electronics if anyone would want them. Like old Ipods and radio sets. Not only do you preserve the life of these electronics, it might be useful to some people who need them.

crazymadzy Perhaps, we can donate it to other places too.
If there's no one who wants to buy it, maybe we can send it salvation army?
or donate it to children home or to anyone who you think might have better use for it?

Rather than throwing it away, i think passing it on to someone would make it better.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle :D

codenamebutter Yeah, one should always donate or better yet, re-sell their old electronics such as your mp3s, laptops, handphones, etc. That's one way to make money and also practice the 3R's.

Even computer brand, DELL has jumped on the Recycling Bandwagon advocating people who wants to recycle their products(product has to carry the brand DELL though) can send their computers back to their stores.

Certainly a great eco-friendly effort on their part.

tanyanhan You could always go for Cash Converters to convert your old goods for *KACHING* cash! I have been there before where I traded my home's old food processor. It is kind of cool cause that shop sells goods that have been traded in by other people, so anybody looking for second hand cheap goods, could go there for a look too!

nad i do agree with the idea of donating old computers to schools or people who can repair it and give it to the needy but as for cash converters.... i dont think thats a very good idea since they dont give you much cash in fact its so little it would be less than a quarter of the price you bought it for and they sell it off at much higher prices than the amount they paid you. the people who purchases it then would in turn have to invest even more money to get it fixed. i think it would be better to donate it to schools or whichever place that can make better use of it.

victortky It would be better to donate your used computers or electronic equipment to those who need it more. THose old electonics don't fetch a good price in the second hand market, and it would be much better to give it to someone who needs it more than throwing it away. Recycling is also a good thing as companies such as dell encourages their consumers to send their used products back to their stores for recycling.

logesh I didn't know that prehistoric creatures are being found! I think the very problem of pollution ought to affect all creatures including the prehistoric creatures and animals. I mean animals that are still not extinct like whales and seals are decreasing in numbers due to the harmful chemicals men release out into the sea. I think in due time, if all of us don't pull our efforts together in saving the environment, prehistoric animals will be these seals and whales that live now on earth!

alvin2 I feel that with the constant pollution, more and more creatures would be extinct and not just these newly discovered creatures.

engkhong I agree with alvin. Not only creatures are being exposed to harmful substances, plants, ecosystems and atmosphere are all being affected. Mother Earth needs each and everyone of this in order to function properly so we should start to go green in our each and own way which escalates and goes a long way to help the environment.

xyrhs I have to agree with logesh. It isn't only about these prehistoric creatures that are found, but rather animals, insects, plants, trees, everything that is susceptible to the damages caused by pollution.

Water pollution can be caused either through natural reasons, or human activities. However we can, and should do our part in reducing pollution caused by human activities at the very least. It's our fight to stop all these extinctions and preserve these living things!

Here are some of the things we could actually do:
1. Toxic products like paints, automobile oil, polishes, and cleaning products should be stored and disposed off properly. As a matter of fact, it is better to use non-toxic, products for the house as far as possible. Also, never dispose off such products by throwing them into your toilet or sink.
2. Dispose off your trash in a proper manner and try and incorporate the recycling habit as far as possible. Non-degradable products like tampons, sanitary napkins, and diapers should not be flushed down the toilet, for these can end up damaging the process of sewage treatment, and usually end up as litter on beaches.
3. Refrain from throwing litter into streams, lakes, rivers, or seas. If you do spot litter on beaches or in water systems, after ascertaining that it is safe, collect them and dispose off them in any nearby waste disposal system.
4. Try using environmentally friendly household products like toiletries, soap-based household cleaning material, and washing powder as far as possible.
5. Try using natural fertilizers and pesticides as far as possible, or if not, do not overuse them or over-water gardens and lawns. This will help in reducing the pollutants that get into water systems due to runoffs.
6. Automobile oil should be re-used as far as possible. Also, it is important to keep your automobile well maintained in order to prevent leakages of toxic fluids like antifreeze and oil.
7. Also, actively conserve water by turning the tap off when you do not need running water, such as while brushing teeth. Apart from preventing water shortages, it lessens the amount of water that needs to be treated

hellodufis I totally agree with you, but sometimes, in fact, most of the times, we as students, do not have a say in this. Let's say, for our reports, the CA brief specially says to print on single page. In this case, what can we do for that? The only way we can do our part is through our own efforts - to make sure we use both sides of the paper. Let's just give the lecturers what they want and on our own, do our best to use both sides of the paper before recycling it.

shyonshii We should definitely print on both sides, sometimes we think printers are not able to be printed both sides so we have to manually do it. That's why we should not be lazy and just flip the page on your own. This little things can really save our environment.

johnovan15 no excuses not to print on both sides! if your printer cant print on both sides, its time for it to go!

melissajaswal Businesses can also start printing on both sides to help save the environment.

alrickoh03 Yes we should all make an effort to print on both sides but there are other ways to save paper when printing. We can also reuse paper that already has content and print on the backside of them when printing out notes to study or anything that does not have to look presentable.

crazymadzy Totally agree!

There are still a lot of people who prefer to print one-sided. I think this is a selfish act especially when we have a 50-page report or something of that sort.
If it's printed on both sides, it would be 25 pieces of paper! The other 25 pieces of paper can be used by others! And at the same time, we can save papers and trees!
All we need is to press a button that says DOUBLE SIDED.
Let's lead the way & make a difference! Press DOUBLE SIDED button from now on!

le

bydaylight Yup! It's a really simple mindset to communicate and remember and if everyone, from students to working adults follow this, there's no doubt that we can help save the environment just that much more.

Double spacing should also be banned :X

notsosunnily Printers were invented to make a lot of things easier. But now, people take for granted that paper is readily available and print recklessly.

The problem with printers is not always whether people print on both sides or not. Sometimes, it's the problem with the amount of times you print. Admit it, most of us DMC students have been into Studio 19 to print our reports or CAs, and when we get there, what do we see?

We see stacks and stacks of paper that people have printed wrongly, or have simply clicked 'print' too many times. Technology is advanced in this age, of course, so what if you mess up? You just edit and print again.

And so many of the papers we see recklessly discarded there are only printed on one side. The people who've printed wrongly don't even have the decency to a) recycle it or b) reuse it. Instead, we leave it to Edmund to clean up. So many of us are guilty of this, and we wonder why he's so grumpy sometimes.

hanfei I agree, we should do these little things to help the environment. I guess for thousands of years people have this mentality that the little things they do have no significance to helping mother earth , but in fact there is, if we can put in a little effort each day like printing on both sides of the paper, i bet we can save a lot more trees