fasciola89 I do agree. To make the cooking session fun, do it in group whereby you buy something in bulk and hence relatively less packaging materials in comparison to buying individual small packages of ingredients. In addition, consume more veggies than meat because meat releases methane into atmosphere!

dtyw Having cooking sessions with friends is a fun idea, but with most group event it's important to reduce wastage in the process. Many BBQ sessions/picnics between friends accumulate a substantial amount of wastage which ends up in the garbage dump, be it food or other materials used such as disposable cups.

With all good intention, we should all try to minimize wastage in anything that we do, even if it involves being careful with the materials and resources that we use to cook our own food!

angrysnail How does eating out waste plastics? You're not talking about takeaway food here. Most proper eating places (not fast food outlets) use reusable plastic plates and utensils.

tiffooo Yes! I believe so too! Cooking sessions are definitely an interesting way to not only improve a skill but also to bond with family and friends! Invite your friends along, or learn from your parents a dish or two, and while you cook and mingle, you'd never know that you are actually on your way to going green.

cmo Actually, every time you decide to cook something, you are using energy, which inevitably affects the environment. but does this mean you should scrap your love of cooking to save the environment. No, but we can make choices that will reduce our energy consumption in the kitchen, and by doing so, you usually save yourself time and money.

Here's a tip: think small. In general, the smaller the oven, the less energy used in cooking, so choose the smallest appliance suited to the task. Also, with an electric stovetop, make sure your pan completely covers the heating element. With gas burners, make sure the flame is fully below the pan; otherwise, you’re paying to heat the air around the pan, not just the pan itself. Also, use the appropriate size pan for your meal.

Keep appliances clean. Clean surfaces maximize the amount of energy reflected toward your food.


For more tips on how to save energy in your kitchen, check out these links:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/06/06/FD148977.DTL

http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/0205-saving-energy-in-the-kitchen.html

rhcp09 I do agree that cooking will definately reduce that plastics and unwanted packaging that are given out at the eateries. We will not only save money, but we will ultimately be saving the planet as well. We have to also keep in mind to save energy when we are cooking at home. An example would be to use less heat on the stove which would ultimately reduce the amount of energy used. We should also remember not to over cook as we will be wasting food and ultimately, wasting resources.

fasciola89 What I suggest is

1. Mix and match your wardrobes! You may get unique style instead of new style that is worn by every girl at Singapore.

2. If you feel that you really won't use some clothes anymore, donate them! Or recycle them; e.g. from your jeans, you can make pencil box or some case!

3. To build a list of things-to-buy and shop them all once. Besides saving paper for receipt, you may get discount for buying more.
2. Bring your own shopping bag. Or just take plastic bag from the first shop and put all your subsequent shopping stuffs in the same bag.

3. Donate all your unused

fasciola89 Correction:
What I suggest is

1. Mix and match your wardrobes! You may get unique style instead of new style that is worn by every girl at Singapore.

2. If you feel that you really won't use some clothes anymore, donate them! Or recycle them; e.g. from your jeans, you can make pencil box or some case!

3. To build a list of things-to-buy and shop them all once. Besides saving paper for receipt, you may get discount for buying more.

4. Bring your own shopping bag. Or just take plastic bag from the first shop and put all your subsequent shopping stuffs in the same bag.

firstbornunicorn Is there any actual study conducted to show that most of the trees were cut down to make receipts? Any substantial statistics to back this claim?

I am sure it's true that receipts do use up a fair bit of paper, but I think it is a far-fetched and improbable claim to say that most trees are cut down simply for receipts. Furthermore, most receipts are made from low-grade, recycled paper.

It's not to say that they don't make a dent on demand for paper and thus leading to more deforestation. As long as there is a demand for paper, there will always be trees cut down to meet this demand. It is just a tad bit unreasonable to say that to shopping less can help to save the earth because less receipts are used. It is like asking everyone to eat less to cut down on the cattle being produced. It is not illogical per se, but simply very impractical. Besides, Singapore, having a small enough market, relies on shopaholics to keep the economy going.

There is no way Singaporeans are going to cut down on their shopping simply to save the paper used for receipts. It would be more reasonable to get them to perhaps consider shopping online, or as fasciola89 has suggested: recycling their clothes, giving their unwanted garments to the Salvation Army, breathing second life into old clothes by turning them into accessories, or simply bringing their own shopping bag when going shopping. Instead of cutting down on paper used for the receipts (which is a negligible issue as paper CAN be recycled), we should focus more instead on the amounts of plastic bags used as plastic is NOT recyclable and thus imposes more harm on the environment. Retailers can also do their part by using paper bags that can be recycled instead of plastic bags.

dtyw A very valid point by firstbornunicorn.

Although I agree that the receipts do take up a substantial amount of paper used, the major pressing issue here would be the recycling of clothes and other items involved in shopping, such as bags.

There are really simple solutions to these problems such as giving away old clothes, recycling them for new accessories and bringing your own bags for shopping.

michelleang I absolutely agree with firstbornunicorn. I highly doubt that girls shopping and the "printing" of receipts is to blame for high paper usage. Much paper is wasted elsewhere, take for example, the most common example, printing on a single sheet and not reusing the other side, something i feel most of us do not actually do otherwise.

tiffooo Well, that's where blogshopping comes about! If we look at the trend in Singapore now, more and more girls are looking towards blogshopping as another alternative to purchase our pretty dresses. This, in a brighter side, can help decrease the high paper usage! However, we should also use our laptops less often to prevent high electrical usage. I believe, it's all about give and take.

cmo Actually, and quite remarkably, 9,600,000 trees are cut down each year just to produce paper receipts. To top that, the amount of CO2 emitted by producing one ton of receipt paper - just one - is equivalent to the amount of exhaust a car emits while driving for an entire year.

Paper receipts are a remnant of the past. With today's electronic alternatives, there is no reason why consumers or retailers need paper receipts. Electronic versions are not only legal and valid, but much more efficient. So what's keeping retailers and consumers from adopting electronic receipts?

For more on receipts and its effects on the environment, head on over to http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/2010/05/end-paper-receipts.html.

xoxo I feel that Singapore is has tried to 'go green' by organising YOG buses provided for the public. However, by having signs on the road on 'Give way for YOG' all over the expressway is not being environmental friendly as they are wasting more resources. Other activities and events that the YOG will be holding cannot be helped as it is tradition that these opening ceremonies conform, however, i believe if everyone does their part for the environment, it will be possible. Lets start with the YOG!

edwinwaliman It seems that the YOG team are working very closely with governmental environment agencies such as National Environment Agency and Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to make the experience a greener one. They have also adopted green initiatives like getting the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee headquarters certified with the Green Office Label which proves that they practice what the messages they aim to preach about environmental conservation efforts.
I'm sure that that some kind of programme has been developed to educate the competitors from the many different countries taking part in the games and for that, I can safely say that the YOG is in good hands.

michelleang i think one of the worst ways that the YOG would have affected the green way would be the high consumption of styrofoam and plastic materials. Much of it going toward lunch boxes provided for the volunteers,etc. Likewise plastic, much of it towards the plastic waddles participants were given when they were part of the opening and closing ceremony. All these, arent in anyway biodegradable.

rhcp09 Technically, I think that a lot of resources are being used and wasted when it comes to organising a huge event like the YOG. As many buses are going to be used to transport athletes, perhaps they could use CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) as a substitute for diesel. Although it does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to other fuels and it is much safer than other fuels. The government could also encourage more Singaporeans to use CNG instead of petrol and diesel for their vehicles. This would ultimately reduce the amount of green house gases released in the long run.

attsayang Good idea! Making my own eco friendly bag and turn it into business will sure make some extra money. Students like me always need extra pocket money!

camellialimxinyi Yeah I've tried to cut down on electricity recently too. Nowadays I try not to turn on the air-con unnecessarily and instead of sitting in front of the computer playing games the whole day, I will go to the park for a walk instead. Not only does it save the earth, it is also better for our health since we all know the health implications that come with excessive computer usage (the ultraviolet rays that are bad for our eyes and health and the bad postures that gives us a backache etc.)

attsayang Well, I know that cutting down electricity plays a big part in saving the Earth. I've tried cutting down electricity by switching off the fans when not needed, not turning off the water heater when the weather is hot and etcetera. However, the biggest challenge for me is to switch to fans instead of using air-conditioner when sleeping during the night. I have been sleeping with the air-conditioner turned on eversince I was young and I am not used to not sleeping with the air-conditioner. However, I will try my very best to switch to fans instead of the air-conditioner. After all, turning off the air-conditioner during the night will save a big part of the electricity bills.

xian I noticed this trend too. I hope SP continues to go green everyday. not only when there is a green campaign period like this.

camellialimxinyi Yes i agree. I feel that these green campaigns serves like reminders to encourage people to go green. However, at the end of the day, it is still up to us to make the concious effort to go green ourselves. Whatever green campaigns that the organizations come up with will still go down the drain if we do not adopt a consistent and true 'Green lifestyle' that lasts in the long run.

attsayang I have to agree with camellialimxinyi's comment. However, I believe that people can't always come up with campaigns in order to go green. It is up to the individual to remind himself/herself to go green. We can't always depend on such campaigns to remind ourselves.

victortky Although those organisations held the green events yearly to remind us to go green, but in the end, it is still up to us to do our part to save mother nature. We need to be consistent in our ways to do the 3Rs and cut down on waste, as wll as integrating everything we have learned during the green campaigns into our daily life in order to make sure that their efforts don't go to waste.