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Pencinta Alam February 2013 Green Living Column NANOTECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY: SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS You may be surprised to find out how many products on the market utilise nanotechnology.     * Sunscreen - Many sunscreens contain nanoparticles of zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Older sunscreen formulas use larger particles, which is what gives most sunscreens their whitish color. Smaller particles are less visible, meaning that when you rub the sunscreen into your skin, it doesn't give you a whitish tinge.     * Self-cleaning glass - A company called Pilkington offers a product they call Activ Glass, which uses nanoparticles to make the glassphotocatalytic and hydrophilic. The photocatalytic effect means that when UV radiation from light hits the glass, nanoparticles become energized and begin to break down and loosen organic molecules on the glass (in other words, dirt). Hydrophilic means that when water makes contact with th...

Pencinta Alam Newsletter February 2013 Eco Kids Column LITTLE ACTIONS TO REDUCE PLASTIC USE By Wong Ee Lynn <wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com> This attractive little poster was created by thepurebar.com to remind us of ways we could cut down on the use of plastics in our daily lives. You could clip it out and put it on your fridge or noticeboard to remind you to take little actions such as bringing your reusable shopping bags and drinking water with you when you go out. Here are some other steps can you take to reduce plastic use and waste: 1. Bring your own food containers to the shops for packing food in. 2.Pack your own lunch and snacks for school and activities. This will avoid the need to buy packaged snacks and drinks from the convenience store. 3. Try packing a "nude lunch", which is practiced in schools in New Zealand and many other countries. That means a lunch in a lunchbox/food container with no other packaging. You could try making your own sa...