chalit The human population in the world is growing fast each day, this growing population is now leading us to a fast destruction of our natural resources which are being replenished at a very slow rate. High growth rate in human population is called population explosion or population holocaust. An ever increasing population is now putting tremendous stress on the environment. If we cannot stop it, we'll reduce it.

xinderalla Wow that's cool. We can all be little 'rubbish artiste' in our own little ways too. For example, we can use used magazine/newspaper/containers to make birthday cards for our friends. Some people even make ornaments out from tin can and drinks can. With a little creativity, i'm sure we can go a long way in recycling our own stuff and saving some penny.

nzyjordan woho, here's optimus prime made out of trash!

nzyjordan http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/chinese-make-optimus-prime-out-of-junk-garbage-pail-megan-fox-s/

victortky You have to hand it to the chinese. They have lots of resources, as well as the passion to work on a project that large. They are also devoted fans of the Transformers fanbase, and they decided to pay tribute to MIchael Bay by creating this Optimus Prime out of scrap metal.This really shows their creativity as well as dogged determination when it comes to creating breathtaking works. http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/15/chinese-make-optimus-prime-out-of-junk-garbage-pail-megan-fox-s/

cmo Not only are artists using rubbish to create art, artists are increasingly incorporating environmental messages INTO their art. Sustainability is an emerging philosophy for a new generation of artists who are invested in the environment, their communities, and pushing the boundaries of art and design. Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design brings together 13 artists and artist groups from North America and Europe, all of whom incorporate sustainable thinking in their art and social change in their message. The result is a compelling two-floor exhibit of installations, sketches, videos, photographs, and hands on multi-media platforms. http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20060402/balancing-art-and-the-environment for details on the exhibition. I think it's becoming increasingly commonplace for architecture and design fields to consider environmentally and socially sensitive structures and objects. I believe if we want to so strongly convey a certain message through our work, art or whatever, anything's possible.

engkhong I agree with your comment about the number of recycle bins. Maybe instead of the usual green bins placed around in the void decks, we could consider the bigger recycle bins that allow separations of the rubbish we dispose of. Sure it might cost more, but what is this compared to the saving of our environment.

codenamebutter That's absolutely true! They should start by placing multiple kind of recycling bins to help the public sort items like their beverage cans,glass bottles and papers apart from what is truly trash and what can still be recycled and salvage :D

crazymadzy It is kind of true. There aren't much recycling bins around the neighborhoods (or maybe it's just my place). The only recycling bins that i've seen is the big rectangular blue one which says "recycle papers". That's about it. The "glass", "papers" and "bottles" recycling bins are usually placed in popular and reknown places. This shouldn't be the case. It would be a good idea if a few blocks of housing estate can share the different types of recycling bins at a common place. Hopefully, it will be easier for people to recycle things in the future!

jaynetoh I agree with you that there are very few recycle bins around us in Singapore. For instance, i can only find recycling bins in my school, Singapore Polytechnic and near the train station. I feel that Singaporeans should have the habit of classifying their waste, disposing them in the right way and in the right bin. We should learn to recycle. I feel that the government can help by placing more recycling bins around the neighborhood or even under each block to help encourage more people to recycle. Making recycling of waste more convenient will definitely help the nation to start "going green."

denzelljy Yes, sometimes I wished there were more recycling bins around to make feel good too. But don't you think this only makes us more complacent and consume more because recycling is now more convenient? How about exercising all 3Rs instead of just recycling and leaving everything to the government? -refer to sharon9280's comment on "High Recycling Rate?" topic.

teehee01 I agree that there's very few recycling bins around our neighbourhood. I think that there's a need to increase the number of recycling bins to make recycling more convient for us and not throwing away our waste.

pizzamizza Maybe the whole purpose of not having it around the neighbourhood is because residents are highly unlikely to differentiate their different bins? Or maybe they want to see how many people actually bothered to find out the various locations.

jumpyqueen I think recycle bins can be placed at places where people often drop by such as MRT stations. This is so that commuters can drop by their rubbish to recycle while on the way to work. Placing recyling bins around the neighbourhood is too many, and unnecessary.

hanfei i feel they should design the recycling bins in a way that it would attract more people. Like maybe make it a little bit bigger and more colourful.

xian Instead of using 4 plastic bags, could Macdonald's use paper bags like how Burger King do? BK uses paper bags to contain burgers, fries and drinks, and only 1 plastic bag is used to carry the paper bags. In other words, if you take away 1 or 2 set meal, BK uses only 1 plastic bags, and 3 paper bags. While Macdonald's use 4 plastic bags for a meal. Well, Macdonald's could also use biodegradable plastic bags, or try to find other means to make takeaways more environmental friendly. I agree that having seats around the new Mac is better than having students taking away their food, due to the lack of seats. If 1 students use 4 plastic bags, then 200 of students would waste 1000 plastic bags per day! thanks moesat for highlighting this issue. good observation!

j04karies I agree with the topic, I personally find the newly opened Macdonald to be quite ineffective. Firstly is the 'walk-through' outlet concept. Instead of SP being go green, it had really increased the plastic going around. Previously, dustbins around the engineering blocks are void of Macdonald plastic bags, but now, it's like everywhere. Other than making Macdonald so convenient, why not just create more seats around that area. However, of course, the big area is needed to host big events and the school cannot afford to allocate more space lest the area cannot be used as it is not big enough. My suggestion is to rush out the ongoing project, which is the expansion of the study area nearest to Macdonald. Hopefully, that area can be turned into something like FC5.

bu02 I definately agree with the topic. I feel that its just too much plastic bags. Normaly i would just keep some of them for use at home. I hope that when the study area opens, they would start using trays or something cuz i believe many students would go there. 1 plastic bag per burger per person is just sad

dem14 I totally agree with the topic. If you compare to all the other Fast food joints in SP, the T16 Mac is probably the most convenient for everyone. But due the shortage of seat or eating area there, most of the people just take away... Maybe its a good idea for them to just change from just using plastic bags to using paper bags instead. this would really help Sp in going green.

chanliyi15 McDonalds is definately using too many plastic bags. 1 cup of drink to be placed in 1 plastic bag and nothing else. And the rest of the meal? More plastic bags. I suggest they should start using paper bags, asking customers if they require plastic bags. Most of the time, even before I could open my mouth to ask for no plastic bags, my meal is already in the bag and pushed towards me. For drinks, I suggest that McDonalds adopt what Starbucks is doing to their hot drinks: a layer of cardboard around the cup for us to hold. At least cardboard is recyclable, not like plastic.

deepster07 The new Mcdonalds@T16 is certainly very popular due to its convenient location.However,i agree that they do use too much plastic bags since many takeaway their orders due to the renovation works going on next to the restaurant.I agree that they should switch to paper bags like what other fast food restaurants are doing since paper is biodegradable.Another alternative is that they should give 2 plastic bags at most per customer,one for the meals and the other for the drinks to reduce their usage of plastic bags.

moesat thanks for your all reply! :)

johnovan15 bring your own plastic bag la

luiting the only thing that macdonald uses paper bags for is shaker fries. i totally agree, it is not only macdonald, but all other fast food restaurants like kfc as well. they all should start using paper bags which are more friendly.

rinka I think they should not giving out so many plastic bags to create so many waste. They should give out paper bags instead of plastic bags!

lizziebee Hmm... well they give us plastic bags, yes but we don't HAVE to accept them since we know its harmful. Usually, with other items I buy, I tell the shops and cashiers that I dont need a bag and just put whatever I bought into my bag. I've done this ever since the green march project started, lol. The effects of schoolwork on my daily life! >.< Anyway, the next time I go to that Macdonalds, I'll make sure to tell them I dont want so many plastic bags... shame on them for not realising the harm they're causing! lets take a stand against this! =D

sharon9280 I carried a box of used papers and empty plastic bottles to the recycling bin near my house this afternoon! I don't use air-conditioner at home (because I don't have and don't need one. =D ) When eating/buying outside food, I opt to dine in instead of takeaway. - Sharon/DMC/3A/02 Post more people!

therealjosiah I opted not to eat vegetables. Reckoned I saved a beansprout or two. Jo/DMC/3A/05 ... plus i decided to walk instead of taking the bus back home.

yinqing i'm opting to use towels to dry my make up materials instead of using tissue paper, which I normally do. And, I don't switch on the air conditioner despite warm days. I just increase the fan speed. I only switch the air conditioner on when it's a extremely hot day! oh Eugene, I love your thread.

deepthroat I will stop using computer to post anything in this thread after this post so as to save energy. LOL

sharontan I refuse plastic bags when I go shopping - I carry my own tote bag for my shopping stuff! I take public transport! :)

eugenekazamatan i ate meat for the whole of today, guess its considered going green yeah?><

collinwang I switch off my mobile before sleeping and only turn it on after I leave my house for school! That saves energy since I charge my phone less often! ^^

xian I switch off all the lights at home when im alone at night, because i do not need to on the lights at all! This saves energy! & electricity bill. Well, you can try this provided that you're not afraid of darkness. >,< -xianlingDMC/3A/03

nazama Well, there is much I have done to go green. In fact, I already have gone green a long time ago even before this whole ‘Go Green’ era of campaign! 3 of the many things I have done: 1. Share the air-conditioner and sleep in the same room with my parents to safe on electricity. This makes a HUGE difference by making the bills that much cheaper at the end of the month since this is done everyday! (Have to sleep everyday duh!) 2. Turn off all the lights at night before sleeping. (I walk the path of darkness! =P) 3. Collect rainwater to water the plants while also ensuring no mosquitoes breed there. Save on water, save on the bills again. As all can see, these things I have done not only save the environment, they also save money! I don’t see why people should NOT do these, especially Singaporeans!

johnny11 1. I save water by using half flush instead of full flush. 2. Use the fan at night rather than air conditioner. 3. Take public transport most of the time and don't intend to get a car to save on fuel and money =D

blinglim I will always turn off the water whenever I am washing the dishes or bathing, and only turning the water on again when I need to wash the soap / shampoo away. Also, when I need to wash my hand at home, I will try to only turn on/flip up the tap handle to half only so that I will use lesser water. When I buy things outside, I will try to use as little plastic bags as possible and if I do not need plastic bags at all, I will not take any. Lastly, sometimes when I need to note down something, I will just type it down on my itouch/phone, because if I were to write it down on paper, I will be throwing it away sooner or later. This way, I save paper! :D

faris Besides having a mantra of “reduce reuse recycle” everywhere you go, here are some tips on how you can save the environment. 1) Get a tumbler Hey, you can save a lot of money just by purchasing a tumbler and re-using it over and over again. It’s as healthy as mineral water and it’s free! Moreover, the plastic bottles of the mineral water are not meant for re-use because the plastic will break down after several refilling of water and some time in the sun, especially in sunny Singapore. 2) Get rechargable batteries Save money + save the environment = save the world. This is especially good if you have a lot of battery-operated devices, such as the remote controllers, cameras, clocks and the list goes on. By getting rechargables, you minimise the disposal of batteries, which release harmful metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium into the environment. The most ecological rechargeable batteries are Ni-MH rechargeable units (Nickel-metal hydride). 3) Ride a bicycle Instead of taking your car or motorbike or even public transportation, how about try cycling to your destination? It’s not only good on the environment, it is fun and you get to burn off some excess fats! Unlike travelling by car/motorbike/bus/train, cycling does not emit any carbon into the environment, thereby saving our little green planet. You’ll save money on petrol too. It’s a win-win situation, so let’s go cycling. 4) Go electronic! It’s time to embrace technology; get your news online, read books online, pay your bills online, shop online, do everything online. By doing these, you can minimise the usage (and wastage) of paper. When there’s a decrease in demand for paper, there’ll be a decrease in supply for paper, thereby reducing the production of paper. This will help by reducing the number of trees being cut to make paper, slowing down the global warming process.

repeaterbeatermaliki01 Here are some of the things that I had done before. 1) Put my computer on sleep when not using it for about an hour and I can resume my work quickly when I need to. 2) My computer is usually on power saver mode if I'm not using programs which require my computer to be on high performance. 3) I switch off all of my lights at night if I'm not doing any work. The only source of light at night would be my television but I would of course turn it off if I'm going to bed. 4) Lastly, I turn off the shower tap when I want to use the soap or shampoo and would turn it on again when I want to wash it off.

teehee01 This is a few ways that i think might help. 1)do not use the aircon too often,the best is to not use it at all 2)eat lesser meat 3)check that the water is off thoroughly before going off 4)take the public transport rather than cars 5)carry our own bag when we shopping,this will reduce the use of plastic bags

bydaylight 1. I've limited my shower time - from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. 2. I've forced - err, encouraged - my parents to change the lightbulbs around our house to the environmentally friendly ones. 3. I turn off any lights/fans in the house that isn't being used. 4. I bring my own bag when I make a trip down to NTUC.

anlesytx Although mine sounds a tad too typical but they are all meaningful in their own ways. #1 I bathe without the lights on every night and my mom would always think that I've got nothing better to do but mind you, this matters a lot because I save countless of watts which could have been wasted if I switched it on for 10 to 15 minutes each day. #2 My family and I walk to church every Sunday instead of taking a ride in the car. The church is near anyway - it takes us 15 minutes to get there. Besides, we get to burn off some excess fats after breakfast! #3 I'd heard most of my friends saying that shopping bags are for "aunties" because they are "unworthy of their style". Well, I find that rather condescending. To prove them wrong, I've bought a plain shopping bag from Art Friend and designed it according to what I like. I carry around and my friends were all receptive to the idea. They started to design and make their own shopping bags. If we look and examine how we lead our lives each day, I am sure we can easily identify which and where we could have done to improve and do our part for the planet. Initiate and take steps to make a difference :)

blinglim sorry! due to the word limit in the previous post, the link was incomplete. Check it out HERE! : --> http://oddee.com/item_97099.aspx

caspertan Wow. I am really impressed by those ideas! However, I feel that they are not crazy, but instead brilliant ideas! I feel that the 1st idea of "Hotel offers free meal to guests who are willing to generate electricity" can be import into Singapore. However, it might not be in hotels, but gyms instead. Look at the number of guys who are obsessed with body building nowadays. Imagine the amount of energy that can be generate per day during their workouts. My suggestion will be for gyms to use those energy generated by those in the gym to provide power for their lighting, air con, and other appliances.

dorkyain I am so amazed by the ideas. It is amazing that people are actually going to such lengths to save the earth. I personally love the Prepeat printer. That kind of technology awes me in ways that only i can understand. I really hope more eco friendly products are going to be invented in the near future.