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PENCINTA ALAM JUNE 2014  GREEN LIVING COLUMN  THE FREE TREE SOCIETY OF KUALA LUMPUR  By Wong Ee Lynn   We at the Malaysian Nature Society are always very enthusiastic about, and supportive of, the efforts of other conservation and environmental education organisations. For years, we have admired the Arbor Day Foundation of the USA and how they inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Imagine our delight when we learned of the Free Tree Society of Kuala Lumpur ("FTS KL"), which has been giving out free trees and plants to members of the public since 2012!  FTS KL was founded in March 2012 by MNS member Baida Hercus. The Society is based on very simple principles - they take seeds, sprout them, look after the seedlings, and then give away healthy little plants to the public for free on environmental holidays!  Through this act of giving away plants for free, the Society hopes to encourage a whole host of other green goals and objectives, such as...

PENCINTA ALAM MAY 2014 ECO KIDS COLUMN CONIFER CONES AND CRAFTY FUN By Wong Ee Lynn FACTS ABOUT CONIFERS: 1. Conifers (often called "pine trees") in tropical countries have their origins in a landmass known as Gondwana. India was detached from Gondwana approximately 90 million years ago. India then collided with Asia 30 - 45 million years ago and exchanged species. Later, as Australia - New Guinea drifted north, the collision of the Australian and Asian plates pushed up the islands of Wallacea, which were separated from one another by narrow straits, allowing an exhange of plants between Indomalaya and Australasia. Asian rainforest flora, including the dipterocarps, island-hopped across Wallacea to New Guinea, and several Gondwanian plant families, including podocarps (i.e. Southern Hemisphere conifers), moved westward from Australia-New Guinea into Southeast Asia. (Many of the conifers you see in parks and gardens in Malaysia, however, are introduced species. Someone probabl...

MNS Green Living visits the CETDEM DDC CETDEM ( Centre for Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia ) is known for its organic gardening initiatives and periodic Hari Organik farmers' markets in the Klang Valley, but not many members of the public have visited its Demonstration and Documentation Centre (DDC) in SS2, Petaling Jaya. Formally known as the Demonstration and Documentation Centre for Sustainable Energy Solutions for Urban Households , the DDC was initially set up as a 3-year demonstration, monitoring and result-sharing project on urban household energy efficiency funded by the Danish International Development Agency ( DANIDA ) for research and education purposes.  MNS Green Living organised a visit to the CETDEM DDC for 26 members of the public including MNS members on 22 March 2014. While the powerpoint presentations were a bit too heavy on facts and figures for some of our youngest participants, nevertheless, everyone managed to learn a little more about envi...

Letter to the Editor:  Water Rationing Not The Best Way To Manage A Water Crisis Public response to the news that water rationing in Selangor would be extended until April 30 has been largely one of anger and frustration. Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Green Living   is strongly of the opinion that household water rationing is not the best way to manage a water crisis. There are serious doubts that the month-long water rationing exercise thus far has created any significant dents in water usage and wastage. Most households would have merely rescheduled their cleaning, laundry and water-intensive activities to days in which water supply is reconnected, and would have stored large amounts of water for use on dry days.  In fact, it is observed that in most households, water wastage has even increased during the rationing period as taps have to be allowed to run for at least 10 minutes each time the water supply is reconnected to get rid of the muddy and contaminated ...

Letter to the Editor  Protect RAMSAR sites and seagrass meadows against further degradation (Photo taken of Knobbly Sea Stars ( Protoeaster nodosus ) at the Sg. Pulai seagrass meadow)  It is with dismay that MNS Green Living learned of the Johor State Government's plans to degazette 2 ecologically sensitive wetland habitats listed as RAMSAR sites ( NST, 26 March 2014 ). It is alarming that state governments are making unanimous and arbitrary decisions to degazette forest and mangrove reserves and delist RAMSAR sites without consulting environmental organisations or the local community.  Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and its volunteers have carried out data collection and coastal cleanup projects at Pulau Merambong, Sungai Pulai, Tanjung Piai, and Pulau Kukup in the past and can attest to the diversity of flora and fauna in these sites.  Over the years, however, coastal erosion and environmental degradation has adversely affected the water quality and marine biodive...

PENCINTA ALAM APRIL 2014 ECO KIDS COLUMN EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG EARTH WARRIORS By Wong Ee Lynn gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com Earth Day falls on April 22 each year, and it is recognised all over the world as a day on which we celebrate and give thanks to Planet Earth and Mother Nature. Governments may discuss ways to protect the environment on this day, and this can lead to important decisions being made that can benefit mankind and the Earth. Ordinary citizens including schoolchildren learn ways they can protect the environment and help plants and wildlife. Sometimes, people may feel disheartened and discouraged and think that we are doing too little, too late to help Planet Earth. But every action makes a difference, and we should never stop doing things that we know to be good for the environment, animals and society. Here are some ways you can observe and celebrate Earth Day this April: 1. Plant a tree. Plant a new tree in your garden, or if you don't have a spot for a tree, y...

PENCINTA ALAM APRIL 2014 GREEN LIVING COLUMN WHAT GOES INTO YOUR CUPPA? COFFEE LABELLING AND CERTIFICATION By Wong Ee Lynn < gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com > After tobacco and cotton, conventionally-produced coffee is the third most heavily chemically-treated crop in the world. Not only are some of the synthetic pesticides and fertilizers used banned in most developed nations; they’re often used without any genuine regulatory supervision. While some people fear pesticide residues in their coffee, there have been reports that since it’s the coffee cherry that has these chemicals applied to it, the complete removal of the fruit/pulp during processing would mean no chemical residue was present in or on the beans. Such reports add that roasting the beans to the usual high internal temperatures (above 400°F) would drive off any chemical residue that might, by chance, remain. Others disagree; there has been speculation that agrochemicals may be taken up through the roots into coffee plants, i...