The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.

– Chinese Proverb

By Bhavani Prakash

What is this life if full of care, we have no time to plant a single tree?

And what better way to express our gratitude to Mother Nature, compensate for our heavy footprint, and restore the land for generations to come, than to plant a tree? He who plants a tree, as Lucy Larcom the 19th century poet said, plants hope. He plants a joy, he plants peace, he plants youth, and he plants love.

Today, 5th June 2012 is World Environment Day and we take this opportunity to pledge our support to Project Green Hands, an inspiring grassroots initiative of the not-for-profit organisation, Isha Foundation. Its ambitious mission is to restore the green cover in Tamil Nadu, India to 33% by planting 114 million trees.

The programme was lauched in 2004 on World Environment Day, and has enabled the planting till date of more than 14 million saplings in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, with the help of more than 1.5 million volunteers.

In 2010, Project Green Hands (PGH) won a national award in India, the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar award in recognition of its efforts to create environmental awareness and reverse ecological degradation. PGH also has a Guinness World Record of planting most number of saplings in three days: 8,52,587.

Listen to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Founder of Isha Foundation, share his thoughts about Project Green Hands and the urgent need to reforest the earth.

Video link here

A single sapling costs only Indian Rupees 50 (less than 1 USD and just over 1 Singapore dollar). Every little counts by way of your contribution. 

By donating just Indian Rupees 50 per sapling through giveisha.org/pgh Project Green Hands (PGH) will plant trees on your behalf in Tamil Nadu, India.  The saplings will be provided to farmers for planting in their farmlands. PGH tracks the exact location of their trees and the details of the farmer who will plant and take care of it.

Project Green Hands hopes to plant 300,000 trees for World Environment Day 2012. The World Environment Day campaign will run for June and part of July 2012. PGH continues beyond that period to achieve its larger objective of planting 6 million saplings in 2012.

Your help to spread the word, and contribution, however small, really matters in achieving these goals to reforest Tamil Nadu. 

FAQs (as provided by Project Green Hands of Isha Foundation)

1. What is Give Isha?

GIVE ISHA is an online fundraising portal through which people can support for Isha Foundation’s social initiatives in Education – Isha Vidya, Health – Action for Rural Rejuvenation and Environment – Project GreenHands.

The featured project currently on Give Isha is:

World Environment Day campaign – Project GreenHands

2. Who plants the trees and where are they planted?

PGH is providing trees to farmers for planting in their farmlands. PGH has been working with farmers in Pudukottai, Erode, Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu.

3. How can trees be tracked?

While taking saplings from PGH, the farmer has to register his name, contact details and location. This is stored in the PGH database. After the plantation is done, a survey will be carried out by PGH to confirm whether the saplings have been planted. So when an individual donates for a tree, he will be assigned a tree from the PGH database.

4. Will we get anything if we donate?

Once you make a donation, you will get an email with tree certificate indicating the total number of trees planted by you.

5. How can we donate?

You can donate online: log on to giveisha.org/pgh and offline: or send an Indian Rupee DD/ Cheque drawn in the favour of “ Isha Outreach” to Project GreenHands ,  Isha Yoga Center,  Velliangiri Foothills,  Semmedu post,  Coimbatore – 641114.

6. How much is the minimum donation?

One Sapling: Indian Rupees 50/- (about 1 Dollar)

 7. After I donate, what is the next step? How do I know what is happening and when the sapling planted?

Once you make a donation, you will get an email with tree certificate indicating the total number of trees planted by you. A tree tracking code will be specified on the certificate. Using this code you can track your tree starting Jan 1st 2013, on projectgreenhands.org/track

8. Why this time gap – why can’t I track the tree immediately?

The planting season begins in the month of September and trees can be planted till December. After the plantation is done, a survey will be carried out by PGH to confirm where the saplings have been planted. After which each donor will be assigned a tree from PGH’s database.

9. If I donate at separate occasions, will I get different certificates? Can I have it in the name of someone other than me?

Yes, you will get a different tree certificate each time you make a donation. If you want the certificate in someone else’s name, please fill in their particulars in the Donor details.

10. Are there any centers/stalls where something is set up for this campaign? If so, where?

No, the donation can be done only Online or a DD/ Cheque needs to be sent to PGH directly.

11. As someone who has donated and is interested in this campaign, how can I help? What can I do?

1. Many people may get inspired just by seeing your enthusiasm for the project. Spreading the word is the most important help you can do to us. You can take the message to all your friends and relatives by send them emails and videos, sharing on facebook, twitter and other social media.
2. Create your own campaign page on the Give Isha site and get all your colleagues and friends to join you.
3. You could also like the PGH Facebook page

About the Writer:

Bhavani Prakash is the Founder of Eco WALK the Talk .com.  She is a sustainability speaker, trainer and writer can be contacted at bhavani[at]ecowalkthetalk.com. Follow Eco WALK the Talk on Facebook, Twitter, Linked IN and YouTube

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-  CHAH KAH TIM writing in Today Online

Exploring Bukit Brown

Bukit Brown is more than a cemetery. It is symbolic of so many things at so many levels. The fact that it is one of the last few remaining patches of wilderness in an island state of barely 710 sq km in area, should multiply its worth, especially with the documented biodiversity value, but economic decisions seem to override this, to make way for a 8-lane highway across it.  

To many, Bukit Brown is a memory of their ancestry – it lays to rest 100,000 forefathers, many of whom helped shaped the nation. For a young country like Singapore, visible reminders of history are critical for current and future generations to connect with their past, their culture and their collective memories. As James Burke said, ” If you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know where you are.”

This article has two parts. An introduction is made by Cuifen, a Singaporean who shares her thoughts and feelings about Bukit Brown as her awareness of its beauty and importance grew since she first saw it.  The second part by Erika of SOS Bukit Brown gives an overview of the factual arguments in support of retaining Bukit Brown, and petitions that you can sign in its favour.

What Bukit Brown means to me

By Cuifen 

Nature at Bukit Brown

My first visit to Bukit Brown was in May of last year.  Bukit Brown is a cemetery, and it took me quite a long time to overcome my inertia to check out the place.  I finally did, though I didn’t know what to expect. I tagged  along  with Nature Society Singapore (NSS)  on one of their guided walks.  The place was totally abandoned.  Then it struck me how amidst the buried dead, life was  teeming. Majestic rain trees stretched out on all sides, filled with activity- ferns, orchids, climbers, insects, bats and birds. We were pleasantly surprised to see horses strolling by.  I remember thinking, “This place is so beautiful, and so close to MacRitchie reservoir. Yet MacRitchie is full of people, and Bukit Brown is so quiet. This feels like our little secret garden.”

Just as my curiosity was getting piqued, it started pouring. I couldn’t explore much more that day. I wanted to come back…

And return I did, not once, not twice, but at least 10 times – sometimes with a guided tour, sometimes with a few friends exploring the place on our own.

Through various walks, I learnt that this is home to many uncommon plants and birds. Some are forest species or species that are only found in maturing secondary forest areas, indicating some colonisation of species from the neighbouring MacRitchie forest. Dr Ho, a bird expert of NSS shared with us that Bukit Brown, being a large patch of greenery just next to MacRitchie was a likely stepping stone for forest birds to fly to other forested areas of Southern Singapore, including the Southern Ridges and Labrador Nature Reserve.

Enjoying Bukit Brown

Each time I went to Bukit Brown, I’d observe how other ordinary people were enjoying the space.  Some came to enjoy the scenery.  At some places the view is simply breathtaking, with valleys in the foreground and the tall forest trees of MacRitchie in the background. Some came to jog or cycle with their family and friends.  Yet others came to appreciate the area’s historical, cultural and spiritual aspects. And there are others still, like Raymond and Claire (of All things Bukit Brown blog)  who dedicate their free time to locating and cleaning graves of pioneers unrelated to them, simply because of their passion for heritage.

I remember my shock on reading the news that the government had plans to build an 8-lane highway right across Bukit Brown, to ease the congestion off Lornie Road. The government had, out of goodwill, funded a documentation project headed by the Singapore Heritage Society, for graves that would be directly impacted by the construction.

Questions were racing through my mind. How could the government do this? Have they consulted the public? Have they considered all the environmental and societal issues before making the decision? Do we even need an additional highway? Surely there are alternatives. Can we allow something to disappear forever, when we are only just beginning to discover its value?

A sense of urgency overcame me. I had to do more. Time is short. But what can I do as an individual?

In January 2012, Raymond and Claire had organised an informal training session for guides, focusing on the historical and cultural aspects of Bukit Brown. It was  the most valuable course I had ever taken. I had difficulty reading Chinese characters on the graves, but with Raymond’s patient assistance, I improved. For once, I understood that there’s a lot one can learn about a place’s history by reading the tombs, and connecting the dots together.  It allowed me to get a clearer grasp of Singapore’s history in its early days. It helped me connect with it in a much more profound way than through my textbooks when I was at school. For example, I learnt there was a municipality next to Bukit Brown in the late 1910s. The town was filled with people of all backgrounds, and the municipality commissioners decided to buy over the area from the Hokkien clan, to ensure sufficient burial grounds for ordinary people.

Heritage Guide Training

I found the courage to initiate walks. I invited various friends to Bukit Brown with me as their guide. It has been an amazing experience for me as most of my friends are unsure of what to expect, except what they see in my photos on facebook. They go away happy that they have seen another side of Singapore that is not on the tourist map.

I come back today feeling a sense of fulfilment after a morning of exploration at Bukit Brown. Armed with a GPS, I had assisted Von Bing, a plant expert with Nature Society Singapore (NSS) to mark the locations of interesting and rare plant species. Along the way, we occasionally ventured off the roads, to check out the tombs of prominent early pioneers, like Mr Cheang Hong Lim and Mr. Chew Boon Lay, after whom many public places are named in Singapore today.

As Jane Goodall once said, “Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall they be saved.”

Can we save Bukit Brown? I think we can. I hope we can. But it means that we must all show we care for it enough. And to care, we must first understand what it means to all of us, inside our hearts.

Why Bukit Brown should be saved

By Erika of  SOS Bukit Brown

Located in the central part of Singapore off Lornie Road, Bukit Brown Cemetery is the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China. With a land area of 230 hectares, it is almost half the size of Sentosa Island (500 hectares).

Initially a burial ground for the Ong clan, the land was acquired by the government and officially opened in 1922 as a cemetery for the Chinese community. The oldest grave dates back to 1833 while the largest tomb covers an area equivalent to ten 3-bedroom Housing Development Board (HDB) flats.

Today, Bukit Brown has approximately 100,000 graves and is the last remaining cemetery of its kind in Singapore. Closed for burial since 1973, the area has become a verdant woodland much loved by hikers, runners, horse riders and bird watchers for its beauty and serenity.

Developments

In May 2011, the government announced that Bukit Brown would eventually make way for housing. In September 2011, they announced plans to build an 8-lane highway through the cemetery to alleviate the peak hour traffic congestion along nearby Lornie Road and the Pan Island Expressway (PIE). Meanwhile, anticipating future developments, a shell station for a future Bukit Brown train stop has been constructed at the edge of the cemetery.

Issues

Civil society groups that oppose the authorities’ plans stress that Bukit Brown’s destruction is unnecessary. They have raised several concerns, with the main ones as follows:

1. There are alternatives to easing the Lornie Road congestion without having to build a destructive new road. In its position paper on Bukit Brown, the Nature Society offers suggestions for dealing with the traffic problem, including the expansion of existing roads in the area. There are also concerns that the new road could inadvertently exacerbate traffic woes by creating additional bottlenecks along other sections of the PIE.
2. As part of its nation-building efforts, Singapore has to value and preserve important heritage sites, especially since many have already been lost. Bukit Brown, home to the remains of pioneer Singaporeans from all walks of life, can play a significant part in local efforts to evolve a unique Singapore Story.
3. In light of growing environmental awareness about climate change, Singapore should step up efforts to protect existing greenery. Singaporeans are already experiencing the effects of warmer temperatures and increased flooding, and the clearing of land in green areas like Bukit Brown could worsen these problems.

Conclusion

In addition to offering alternative solutions to the Lornie Road problem, civil society groups are recommending that Bukit Brown be gazetted as a heritage park for public enjoyment. And if Bukit Brown must be developed, then a comprehensive impact assessment ought to be conducted first. As the Nature Society puts it, “We should not be in a hurry to build the expressway – given that so much is at stake at Bukit Brown, which once destroyed cannot be resurrected.”

Action

To learn more about Bukit Brown Cemetery, visit Bukit Brown.com

Read the position papers of Nature Society and Singapore Heritage Society

Join Save Bukit Brown Cemetery – the roots of our nation on Facebook 

To download and sign a petition to save Bukit Brown, click here.

Pictures Courtesy: Cuifen 

Further links you may be interested in:

The Online Citizen:  Sorry to hear Tan Chuan Jin’s priorities

Wild Singapore: Hope springs eternal 

Today Online: Important not to trivialise Bukit Brown debate 

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Given the complex nature of various environmental issues, the solutions going forward require an increasingly cross-disciplinary approach that can weave together different perspectives. University education all over the world has to move in that direction.

One such example is The National University of Singapore’s Masters in Environmental Management (MEM) degree. It is the first interdisciplinary post-graduate program within the university (and perhaps one of the very few in Asia) that brings together various disciplines such as Arts and Social Sciences, NUS Business School, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science and the School of Design and Management.

The 10th Anniversary celebrations of MEM on December 15th and 16th, 2011 were opened by Associate Prof Lye Lin Heng, Chair, MEM Programme Management Committee, with the welcome address by Prof Heng Chye Kiang, Dean, School of Design and Environment, and a speech by Prof. Tan Eng Chye, Provost, NUS. 

NUS MEM 10th Anniversary Celebrations Special Guests

1. Professor Heng Chye Kiang ,Dean,School of Design and Environment, NUS  2. Professor Nicholas Robinson, University Professor for the Environment with the School of Law, Pace University, and Adjunct Professor with the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, US 3.Mr Kamal Malhotra, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Malaysia and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam 4.Associate Professor Lye Lin Heng, Chair, MEM Programme Management Committee (Faculty of Law), NUS  5.Professor Tommy Koh, Chair, MEM Advisory Committee, NUS  6.Professor Tan Eng Chye,Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost, NUS 7.Professor George Ofori, Department of Building, School of Design and Environment, NUS

Prof Lye outlined the journey and the inspiration behind the MEM programme as a ‘bottom-up’ initiative from faculty members interested in environmental issues. This interest has been sustained and several faculty members are also part of the new Bachelors of Environmental Studies (BES) programme.

Mr Kamal Malhotra, who was the Guest of Honour lay his faith on Asia’s strength and resilience which was evident in the face of economic crisis. Climate change affects us all, and he hoped that Rio 20+ meeting would yield something more concrete than the COP17 climate conference at Durban. He also wished for Singapore to contribute to the Climate Development Fund.

Prof Nicholas Robinson

The keynote speech was delivered by Prof Nicholas Robinson, University Professor for the Environment, School of Law, Pace University, New York, and Adjunct Professor, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, USA.

By 2025, South East Asian cities will hold 225 million people, about 60% of national populations.  While cities are centres of innovation, industry and commerce, they also lack elements of sustainable development, such as potable water, sanitation, housing, and even the measures to attain sustainability.  Prof Robinson urged the importance of “embracing sustainability as a holistic concept, not as one anti-thetical to development, but rather being the foundation of socio-economic wellbeing. Major companies have a sustainability manager next to the president or CEO, and mayors of cities needed to do likewise to take the leadership role in making cities sustainable.  Along with honest and open governance, insurance systems to protect from environmental damage, market reforms to support sustainability, Prof Robinson also touched on the need to further public education about sustainability. One way to do this was through formal education, such as the MEM or the BES programme of NUS.  Informal education, through public participation of environmental impact assessments were also important.

MEM’s 10th Anniversary Commemorative book was also launched on the day. Entitled “Environment and Climate Change in Asia” and compiled by Prof Victor R Savage and Prof Lye Lin Heng.  This was a welcome addition to a small but growing body of literature, both online and offline on environmental issues in Asia.

Environment and Climate Change in Asia: Book Launch

NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye, Associate Professor Lye Lin Heng from the NUS Faculty of Law, and Professor Victor Savage from the Department of Geography at the launch of the commemorative book titled “Environment and Climate Change in Asia: Ecological Footprints and Green Prospects” .

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The UN has declared 2012 as The International Year of Co-operatives. A co-operative is a farm, business, or other organization that is owned and run jointly by its members, who share the profits or benefits. [Wikipedia].

According to the media release of International Co-operative Alliance: “ The International Year of Co-operatives, or IYC, celebrates a different way of doing business, one focused on human need not human greed, where the members (who own and govern the business) collectively enjoy the benefits instead of all profits going just to shareholders. 

The objective behind this year’s focus on co-operatives is to increase public awareness about them and to encourage governments to set up policies, laws and regulations to promote their development and growth. Co-operatives play a significant role in the achievement of Millenium Development Goals.  Here’s the official video: Video link here The 2012.coop website has been created by the ICA especially for the International Year and aims to be a hub for all IYC activity that is going on globally throughout 2012. You can follow The International Year of Cooperatives on Twitter and Facebook 

International Cooperative Alliance is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. Founded in 1895, ICA has 265 member organisations from 96 countries active in all sectors of the economy. Together these co-operatives represent nearly one billion individuals worldwide.

Courtesy: International Co-operative Alliance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to ICA statistics, co-operatives provide over 100 million jobs around the world, 20% more than multinational enterprises, according to ICA statistics. The following is further data from ICA: 

Large segments of the population are members of co-operatives

• In Asia 45.3 million people are members of a credit union. (Source: Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions, Annual Report 2007/2008)
• In Indonesia, 27.5% families representing approximately 80 million individuals are members of co-operatives. (Source: Ministry of Co-operative & SMEs, Indonesia,2004)
• In Japan, 1 out of every 3 families is a member of a co-operatives.
• in Kenya 1 in 5 is a member of a co-operative or 5.9 million and and 20 million Kenyans directly or indirectly derive their livelihood from the Co-operative Movement.
• In India, over 239 million people are members of a co-operative.
• In Malaysia, 6.78 million people or 27% of the total population are members of co-operatives.(Source: Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development, Department of Co-operative Development, Malaysia, Statistics 31 December 2009)
• In New Zealand, 40% of the adult population are members of co-operatives and mutuals. (Source: New Zealand Co-operative Association, 2007)
• In Singapore, 50% of the population (1.6 million people) are members of a co-operative.

Co-operatives are significant economic actors in national economies

• In Japan, the agricultural co-operatives report outputs of USD 90 billion with 91% of all Japanese farmers in membership. In 2007 consumer co-operatives reported a total turnover of USD 34.048 billion with 5.9% of the food market share. (Source: Co-op 2007 Facts & Figures, Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union)
• In Kenya, co-operatives are responsible for 45% of the GDP and 31% of national savings and deposits. They have 70% of the coffee market, 76% dairy, 90% pyrethrum, and 95% of cotton.
• In Korea, agricultural co-operatives have a membership of over 2 million farmers (90% of all farmers), and an output of USD 11 billion. The Korean fishery co-operatives also report a market share of 71%.
• In Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Union of Consumer Co-operative Societies whose members are 6.5% of the Kuwaiti population handled nearly 70% of the national retail trade in 2007.
• In Mauritius, in the agricultural sector, co-operators play an important role in the production of sugar, vegetable, fruit and flower, milk, meat and fish. Nearly 50% of sugar-cane planters are grouped in co-operatives and the share of co-operatives in the National Sugar Production is 10%. Co-operative Societies also account for more than 60% of national production in the food crop sector – 755 of onion consumption, 40% of potatoes and about 70% of fresh green vegetables are produced by co-operatives. In addition, the Co-operative bus sector represents some 30% of the national bus transport. (Source: Ministry of Industry, Small & Medium Enterprises, Commerce & Cooperatives )
• In New Zealand, 22% of the gross domestic product (GDP) is generated by co-operative enterprise. Co-operatives are responsible for 95% of the dairy market and 95% of the export dairy market. They hold 70% of the meat market, 50% of the farm supply market, 70% of the fertiliser market, 75% of the wholesale pharmaceuticals, and 62% of the grocery market. (Source: New Zealand Co-operative Association, 2007)
• In Singapore, consumer co-operatives hold 55% of the market in supermarket purchases. NTUC Fairprice was the 2nd largest retailler in Singapore with a S$1.65 billion in turnover. (Source: AsiaOneBusiness: Dairy Farm is top retailer in S’pore, 20 August 2009)
• In Vietnam, co-operatives contribute 8.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The information provided above has been extracted from the ICA website.

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A very belated Happy and Green New Year to all our readers.  This is our first post for 2012. Like last year we start with the key environmental (and related) events in the months ahead.

We also take the opportunity to thank our team of Guest Writers for their wonderful perspectives so far and look forward to more in the coming months.  A special thanks to Bharathi Shiva, who has been helping us a lot with editorial work, and to Paul Schattenberg,  for his tremendous IT assistance despite a busy schedule.

And of course, we would love to acknowledge you, our dear reader, for your continued support.  We are much encouraged by the warm feedback we get from you and that is really what keeps us going!  As always, we would be happy to hear your suggestions and comments by email or through social media.

As we said last year:

“The dates we have compiled are found on several sites. Some are well known, and some came as a surprise to us as well. We do believe, no matter who or where you are, everyday is a day of celebration. Every day is a day for our dear planet Earth – for us to respect, conserve and manage her precious resources in a sustainable way. Every day is a day for peace and compassion.”

If we’ve missed out any important dates below, do let us know and we’ll be glad to add them in.  We found quite a few new ones and have updated the list for your benefit and interest. Here it is:

JANUARY

• January 1        :      New Year’s Day, Global Family Day for peace and sharing
• January 4        :      World Braille Day 

• February 2      :      World Wetlands Day
• February 4      :      World Cancer Day 
• February 20   :       World Day of Social Justice 
• February 21   :       International Mother Language Day

• March 8           :       International Women’s Day
• March 14         :       International Day of Action Against Dams and For Rivers, Water and Life
• March 21        :        World Forestry Day
• March 22        :        World Water Day
• March 23        :        World Meteorological Day
• March 26        :        Earth Hour

• April 4             :        International Day for Mine Awareness and Asssistance in Mine Action
• April 7             :       World Health Day 

• April 22           :       Earth Day
• April 29           :       Arbor Day ( Different nations have different tree planting days )

• May 12            :        World Fair Trade Day (2^nd Saturday of May)
• May 14-15     :        International Migratory Bird Day  (Second Weekend                                           each May)
• May 22           :        International Day for Biological Diversity (Theme for                                           2012: Marine  Biodiversity)

• June 5            :        World Environment Day  (Theme for 2012: Green Economy)
• June 8            :        World Oceans Day
• June 15          :        Global Wind Day

• June 17         :         World Day to Combat Desertification
• June 20         :         World Refugee Day
• June 15-18   :         Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum

• July 10          :         International Happiness Day
• July 11           :        World Population Day

• August 9       :          International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
• August 12     :          World Youth Day
• August 19     :          World Humanitarian Day
• August 26     :         World Kitchen Garden Day
• August 29     :         International Day Against Nuclear Tests

• September  15:     International Coastal Cleanup Day (3^rd Saturday of September)
• September 8     :    International Literacy Day
• September 2     :    International Day of Peace
• September 2     :    World Car-Free Day
• September 29  :    World Heart Day

• October 1           :     World Vegetarian Day
• October 2           :     International Day of Non-Violence
• October 3           :     World Habitat Day
• October 4           :     World Animal Day
• October 15         :     International Day of Rural Women
• October  16        :     World Food Day
• October 27        :      World Paper Free Day

• November 1       :      World Vegan Day
• November 19    :      World Toilet Day
• November 21    :      World Fisheries Day
• November 23/24   :      Buy Nothing Day  (Friday after Thanksgiving Day in US and the day after internationally)

• December 9     :    International Day against Corruption
• December 10  :    Human Rights Day and International Animal Rights Day
• December 11   :    International Mountain Day (for Indigenous peoples)

Meat Free Days are a campaign to encourage a meat free diet one day a week, usually Mondays or Wednesdays. The purpose is to reduce human induced climate change, improve animal welfare and human health. Singapore’s green groups have launched a Veggie Thursday campaign.

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Wanda Embar (WE)  is the Founder of Veganpeace, a website dedicated to “inspire people to strive towards a more peaceful world where animal and human rights are respected and honored.” 

Embar, who was born in Leiden, the Netherlands studied mathematics at the University of Leiden and later at the University of Toulouse, France. She then relocated to Wisconsin, U.S.A., where she currently resides. Embar became vegetarian around 1985, by following her older sister’s example. After reading about the suffering dairy cows go through, she turned vegan in 1990. It was then she saw how connected the meat and dairy industry are. 

Livestock is now estimated to cause around 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and has huge environmental impact. In this interview, Embar highlights the philosophy behind veganism and some of the key behavioural issues related to it. 

EWTT: When did you become sensitive to animal suffering?

Wanda Embar:

Embar: I grew up eating meat. I was surrounded by cats and other little creatures and loved animals, but I’d never made the connection. Meat was just a normal part of the meal on our dinner table. When I was about 15 years old, my older sister had become vegetarian after a teacher had talked to her class about animal suffering. As a younger sister I just followed her lead. After that I looked up books about vegetarianism in the library and started to read about the issues. I was shocked when I found out how animals are raised and killed for our meals. I was also completely convinced that other people would immediately become vegetarian if they found out what I had just read. My parents were the first people I shared my new found knowledge with. It was a very rude awakening for me when they didn’t react the way I expected them too. I was hurt, upset, but as a teenager, I was especially angry. After that I started to talk to basically anyone who wanted to listen to me about vegetarianism, mostly to my friends at school.

Asian Asparagus Wraps-(c) Vegan Peace

EWTT: Was your decision to turn vegan because of a love for all animals or the belief that animals have a right to a good life?

Embar: I would say both. I definitely have a love for animals, which I’m sure has influenced the decisions I’ve made in life. I was also born with a very strong belief in justice. That’s why I can’t help but care about so many different issues in this world.

EWTT: Was your shift to a vegan diet a gradual process or more like an overnight decision?

Embar: I turned vegan the day I read a paragraph about dairy cows in a Dutch book about vegetarianism. (I’d been vegetarian for about 5 years.) The book talked about how calves are removed from their mothers, very soon after birth. It also mentioned how dairy cows are slaughtered at about the age of 3 to 4 years, whereas they can live to be 25 years old. That’s when I realized that the dairy industry was just as cruel as the meat industry. I was still living at home and remember opening my bedroom door, calling my mother (who was about to buy groceries) and saying that I didn’t want to drink milk anymore. That’s the day I became vegan. It was on February 27th 1990.

EWTT: How did your family react?

Friendly Sheperd's Pie-(c)Vegan Peace

Embar: My mother was a bit worried. I hardly knew anything about veganism yet and didn’t even know whether there were any other vegans in Holland. So it was all still new for us. But my family supported me, mostly because they knew that there was absolutely no way they could possibly change my mind.

EWTT: How about your children?

Vegan Cupcakes-(c)Vegan Peace.

Embar: Since my husband and I, are both vegan, we are raising our two children (aged 10 and 12) as vegan. I believe that a vegan diet is healthier, so it’s a natural choice to raise our children that way. And of course it also makes a lot of sense to raise children with compassion. It’s very easy and gentle to explain to them that a tomato grows on a plant, but I can’t imagine how I would explain to them about  how a piece of meat reaches the dinner table. Children are born with a natural love for animals and it’s beautiful to be able to nurture that.

EWTT: What is the hardest thing about becoming a vegan?

Embar: If I have to answer this question for me personally, then the answer is “nothing”. I’ve never had any trouble becoming vegan and never missed anything. I’ve been a vegan for 21 years now and there hasn’t been a single day where I “missed” something or had a craving for a non-vegan food. I know that’s not the same for other people though. Many vegans (including my husband) are really helped by having other vegans around them for support. I also know that many vegans (especially here in America) really have a hard time giving up cheese. Cheese seems to be more difficult to give up than meat.

                                                                                                                             

EWTT: You believe that going completely vegan instead of cutting down on meat or dairy consumption is the ideal situation. But for most people, isn’t meat reduction a more achievable goal?

Embar: That is a very good question. You correctly assumed that I consider being totally vegan the ideal situation and I would like to elaborate on the reasons why a bit. Firstly – and what brought me personally to ‘veganism‘ - I don’t believe that animals exist on this Earth simply to serve us humans. Unless it’s necessary for our own survival, I don’t see any valid reason to exploit and abuse our fellow sentient beings.

Secondly the vegan lifestyle can be the solution to some other major problems we are dealing with. It’s important for us to realize that ‘veganism’ doesn’t just benefit the lives of the non-human inhabitants of this Earth but us too. Here is why:

We are growing gigantic amounts of grains to be fed to farmed animals, while people in this world are dying from hunger. It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat. That’s a very inefficient way of producing food, which we can’t afford in this overpopulated world.

To make room to grow these huge amounts of grains, we also destroy the beautiful nature on this Earth. We are destroying millions of acres of rain-forests so we can grow crops to feed to factory-farmed animals.

And if that weren’t bad enough, meat consumption has also been linked to major health problems like heart disease, obesity and cancer.

So yes, veganism is the ideal situation for this planet and all the creatures who inhabit it.

                                    

EWTT: Our society is largely non-vegan and most meat is factory-farmed.  How to you stay positive that the transition will come about?

Embar: It is not easy, but I deal with it by trying to understand how humans behave and why they behave that way. We are all born in this very complex world, with already existing norms and values. It is very normal to just want to blend in with our current society and to accept their way of life. That’s the easy way to live and it’s understandable that most people choose to go that direction.

Branding Animals.Courtesy:The Animals Voice

It’s comforting for me to know, that the majority of people seem to have a natural love for the animals that they encounter in life (like pets or zoo animals). It’s also comforting to know that most people would be absolutely disgusted if they were face to face with what goes on in a factory farm. This is both comforting and frustrating, because people seem to have a natural reaction to want to close their eyes and ignore whatever makes them feel uncomfortable, which is made very easy for them since most animal cruelty happens completely out of sight. What also helps me to deal with people, is being very aware of my own imperfections and my own tendencies to want to ignore suffering. When money is tight, I’ll also buy clothing in a regular store, regardless of everything I know about sweatshops.

And what helps me maybe most is the way I became vegan. As I’d mentioned, I became vegan after reading just one simple paragraph about the dairy industry in a Dutch book about vegetarianism. This book was a newer and changed edition of the same book I had read a few years earlier.

After I’d become vegan, out of curiosity, I went to the library and looked at the older edition. I was absolutely shocked and amazed when I found that same paragraph about the dairy industry in this older version. This meant that I’d already read it a few years back, without it having any effect on me at all. This really helped me to understand other people and to know that they not only need the right information, but they also have to be at the right time in their lives to want to change.This all helps me to understand and stay patient, which doesn’t mean that I don’t have moments of frustration.

EWTT: How do you think a transition to a less meat oriented society can come about?

Embar: Every person is different and has their own comfort levels, that’s why I don’t suggest any single way in doing this. Some people might have no problem switching to a vegan diet overnight, while other people are more comfortable incorporating a vegan meal once a week. There is no right or wrong, it all helps. Caring is what matters most.However I encourage people to try eating more plant-based foods. An important reason people might want to try transitioning towards a vegan diet is the message it gives to society. Money is a major tool people have to voice their opinion. The way you spend your money lets society know what actions you do and don’t support. Every time you buy a vegan food product instead of an animal product, you increase the demand of vegan products and decrease the demand of animal products.This might not seem like much while you are doing your groceries, but it definitely counts.

 

EWTT: Do you believe a humane way to raise animals for meat is possible?

Courtesy: Veganpeace

Embar: No. I really don’t believe that it is possible to commercially raise animals in a humane way. Any commercial institution has to make economic decisions, to be able to both exist and thrive. I believe that it is impossible to put animal lives in this equation, without it negatively affecting their quality of life. It is simply impossible to meet the demands for animal products, while treating animals compassionately.                                                       

A few years ago I contacted this small Dutch farm where they raise chickens for eggs. This farm allowed you to ‘adopt’ chickens and to see them on a webcam. I asked them about common issues in the egg industry. A woman, one of the owners of the farm, answered me in an admirable honest way. She told me that they indeed have to dispose of male chicks (which are useless in the egg industry). She also mentioned that when the chickens are about 2 years old, they are slaughtered, because their eggs become too fragile to transport. She mentioned that as long as people demand animal products, they have to make economic decisions like that. And this is of course true for all animal industries, not just the egg industry.

EWTT: What about Dairy? What about milk that comes from cows that are allowed to graze on pasture and be their natural self. No hormones and antibiotics are administered. Would you consume dairy products from such farms?

Embar: No. I believe that the breast milk from cows is meant for their

Dairy Cows Courtesy:Veganpeace

own babies. And like I mentioned in a previous question, I don’t believe it is possible to raise animals in a humane way. Even small farms have to deal with issues like male calves , as male calves aren’t of much use at a dairy farm. And issues like older cows not giving enough milk anymore.

I also would like to mention that “natural cows” don’t need to be milked. Cows have been bred in a way that makes them produce these huge quantities of breast milk. A “natural cow” would produce just enough breast milk for her own baby to drink.

EWTT: What is your view on the following statement “Plants may also feel pain”

Embar: Unless you want to go the fruitarian route (I know some fruitarians), we have to eat plants. The meat industry kills more plants than eating these plants directly. The meat industry has to first feed plants to the animals that produce the meat. Then the animal has to be killed. That causes a lot more suffering then directly eating the plants.

 

EWTT: From the time you became a vegan 1990s to now, do you see any dramatic changes about how people perceive Veganism. 

Embar: One huge change I see is that more people now know what the word ‘vegan’ means. In the 1990s, vegans were basically treated like weird aliens. Today when you mention the word “vegan”, many people even know someone that is vegan in their inner circle. So we are definitely growing as a group. This of course is helped a lot by the presence of the internet, which we didn’t have in 1990. Spreading information has become so much easier now.

People also seem to be more open to accept the vegan diet as a healthy option, even though the old “where to you get your protein” question never seems to go away.

I’ve also noticed how through the years ‘veganism’ is slowly becoming a more integrated and accepted part of our society. In 1990 it was as good as impossible to enter a restaurant and to ask about vegan menu options. Today it still doesn’t always work, but it’s a lot easier (at least in the US). You can even find some “regular” restaurants that use the word “vegan” in their menu.

Vegan Food Pyramid

The quality and selection of vegan products in health food stores has definitely greatly improved these last few years, which helps in making vegan products a lot more accessible. Regular grocery stores are also starting to carry more and more vegetarian items.

 

 

 EWTT: What is the future of veganism?

Embar: My dream is that one day the animal industry will be abolished, but I highly doubt that I will live to see that happen. What I do know is that we will continue to grow and spread information. The majority of people like to follow the general way society is set up and I believe that ‘veganism’ is slowly becoming one accepted way of living. That will make it easier for future generations to decide to go in that direction. It’s never easy to join a minority, let alone be the only one you know that chooses a certain lifestyle, which is currently still the reality for many vegans. I’m confident that will change.

 

What Every Vegan Should Know About Vitamin B12

Very low B12 intakes can cause anaemia and nervous system damage.

The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms.

Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anaemia and nervous system damage, but many do not get enough to minimise potential risk of heart disease or pregnancy complications.

To get the full benefit of a vegan diet, vegans should do one of the following:

• eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three micrograms (μg or mcg) of B12 a day or
• take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms or
• take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 micrograms.

 Read more from The Vegan Society

 

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About the Interviewer:

Bharathi Shiva volunteers as Editor for Eco WALK the Talk.com

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The label says:

Giving Back MORE WATER Than We Take
We call it “Positive Water Balance”.
To help save a precious resource that is fast depleting in India. Through rain-water harvesting, community water-sheds, and water conservation in agriculture, we at PepsiCo India saved 836 million litres* more water than we consumed in 2009.
To know more, log on to www.tomorrowbetterthantoday.com 
*As confirmed by an independent audit

Credit: India Resource Centre

Is there more to it than meets the eye?  India Resource Centre, the NGO which has been campaigning against the likes of Coca-Cola Inc to achieve water justice for communities in India has issued a press release questioning the claims. Without credible answers to these, one would have to dismiss the label as nothing less than ‘bluewash.’

Pepsico’s Water Claims in India Misleading and Deceptive: Report by India Resource Centre

New Delhi, India. November 30, 2011  Pepsico is claiming that it has achieved “positive water balance” in India.  Pepsico prominently states on its bottled water in India that Pepsico is “Giving Back MORE WATER Than We Take.”

Pepsico’s claims are erroneous, misleading and deceptive.  The company does not give back more water than it takes.

A detailed report was released today by the India Resource Center and the Community Resource Centre examining Pepsico’s claims.  Pepsico’s claims of “positive water balance” do not hold water when subject to scrutiny.

Pepsico’s claims fail for a number of reasons, some of which include:

1. Pepsico Has Severely Understated the Amount of Water it Uses in India.  Pepsico’s “positive water balance” claim is based on the company’s assertion that it used just 5 billion liters of water in 2009.  Our calculations, however, estimate that Pepsico is responsible for at least 50 times more water than it admits.

The audit assuring that Pepsico had achieved “positive water balance” stated that Pepsico used or counted as “debit” 5168 mml of water (or 5.168 billion liters) in India in 2009. And Pepsico claims to have saved or counted as “credit” 6004 mml of water (6.004 billion liters) in 2009, hence a positive balance of 836 million liters.

Pepsico only added up the water used in their beverage and food factories, and such a measure is completely inadequate for measuring a companies’ water impact or footprint.

It takes 21.82 billion liters of water to produce 75,000 tons of potatoes that Pepsico used in India. And yet, Pepsico reports using only 5.168 billion liters of water in India, about 4 times less.

From our research, we can estimate that Pepsico uses at least 90,000 tonnes of sugar annually.

It takes about 2,374 liters of water to make 1 kilogram of refined sugar in India, according to the Water Footprint Network⁶, the initiative that Pepsico claims to be a “sponsoring partner” of.

As a result, Pepsico is responsible for 214 billion liters of water used in production of sugar alone used in its products. And yet, Pepsico reports using only 5.168 billion liters of water in India, about 40 times less. (From India Resource Centre’s detailed report)

2. Pepsico’s Water Balance Accounting is Illogical and Flawed.  In its accounting for “positive water balance,” Pepsico has declined to take responsibility for the water used in the supply chain of its products, such as potatoes grown through contract farming for Pepsico alone, or the sugar used in its products.  At the same time, Pepsico liberally takes responsibility for saving water outside the supply chain, and in agriculture in particular.  Close to 80% of the “positive water” that Pepsico claims to have saved do not come from water reductions in their supply chain or operations.  Instead, Pepsico is paying others to save water, and using that to claim that Pepsico has saved water.

4.7 billion liters of water that Pepsico says it “saved”, or 78% of the total water it claims as “credit” in the audit, comes from their promotion of Direct Seeding among farmers in paddy fields in India (as opposed to transplanting method). Pepsico has paid for the entire “agricultural intervention”, including the seeds, the seeding machine and consultancy.

Pepsico itself has NOT reduced its own water usage along its supply chain to claim these credits. Instead, Pepsico has paid for others to save water – and used that “saved” water to claim that Pepsico has saved water, and therefore Pepsico should be credited positively towards its water balance.

78% of Pepsico’s water savings come from such a disingenuous intervention and accounting.

Although Direct Seeding decreases water use in paddy farming by 16% when compared to transplanting, Direct Seeding also requires more herbicides and pesticides and for this, “PepsiCo recommends use of post-emergence herbicides manufactured by reputed companies like Bayer CropScience, Dupont India and Pesticide India.” Direct Seeding also requires more diesel, according to a study provided to us by Pepsico. (From India Resource Centre’s detailed report)

 

3. Water Issues are Local Issues – Pepsico Doesn’t Get It.  Having a “positive” relationship with water entails water stewardship at the local, watershed level.  To our surprise, only 15% of the water conservation projects conducted by Pepsico are in the same watershed where Pepsico operates.  Of all the water that Pepsico says it saved in 2009, only 2% came from “in-plant water recharge and harvesting.”

Credit: Nadia Khastagir, India Resource Center

4. One in Four Pepsico Plants Operating in Water-Stressed Areas in India.  A primary measure of a company’s water sustainability practices is to examine whether the company is operating in areas that are already water-stressed.  Of the 34 operating Pepsico plants in 2009, 9 plants – over 25% – were located in areas that the government has classified as water stressed (semi-critical, over-exploited and critical) – hardly a picture of a “positive” water company.

In addition, there were serious concerns raised about the amount of wastewater generated by Pepsico, 2.56 billion liters alone in 2009.  Pepsico’s wastewater finds no mention in its audit and its accounting of “positive water balance.”

“Pepsico’s claims of positive water balance makes a mockery of the science and logic behind water stewardship. It also insults the Indian public by making claims that are erroneous, misleading and deceptive,” said Nandlal Master of the Community Resource Centre from Varanasi who has campaigned against Pepsico plants in India.

“Pepsico’s claims of positive water balance are nothing more than a public relations exercise to blunt the growing and real criticism of its water management practices in India and elsewhere,” said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center.

“These are business and reputational risk management maneuvers and their claim of “positive water balance” aims to give Pepsico the right to use “positive” or additional water, much needed as it plans aggressive expansion in water-challenged India.  All this while not doing anything substantial to conserve water themselves, such as in their factories and supply chain, or limiting the needless growth of water guzzling soft drinks or the unhealthy junk food they peddle. We refuse to accept such logic and practice.”

The detailed report, “Deception with Purpose: Pepsico’s Water Claims in India” is available at http://www.indiaresource.org/news/2011/pepsipositivewater.html

For more information, visit www.IndiaResource.org

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Our bigger question is also whether bottled water is required at all, given the wasteful use of plastic,  and the fossil fuels required in its distribution, apart from the use of a community’s water resource.  In addition, given that processed beverages and foods are mostly a concoction of artificial chemicals, harmful sugars and salts (that are unhealthy for consumers and the environment), labels only serve to detract rather than answer the fundamental question of whether products such as these are indeed required for society’s wellbeing.

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Emma Freedman Photo by Edmund Lee

Emma is only 12 years old, but age is no excuse for the visionary girl from Corralitos, California to champion a cause she ardently believes in – that of saving the orangutans. We were touched and inspired by her passion after from her recent trip to Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia where she presented a US $1000 cheque to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. She had been raising these funds over the last two years, but as she says, this is just the beginning of her journey towards her noble goal.

Emma’s interview shows that the voice of a child can teach us much more about courage, dedication and the impact of human action than weighty tomes and erudite analyses. 

EWTT: Tell us about yourself.

Emma: My name is Emma Freedman. I’m 12 years old. I’m in 7^th Grade and I am home-schooled. I have an unusual education right now, as my family goes on a lot of trips. So 2 years ago, when we were going on a trip to Borneo, I got to visit a rehabilitation centre for orangutans. I learnt about how they are in danger of becoming extinct in a couple of years if they don’t get help. My brother Max and I were so touched by how graceful and human-like they are. We felt that it wasn’t fair that they didn’t have a good chance of survival. We needed to help them. When I came back home, I told all my friends about how we needed to help save the orangutans.

EWTT: Tell us more about your first encounter with orangutans?

Emma: The first time I saw orangutans was two years ago in Borneo. I saw several young orangutans, they played with each other a lot. It was funny because they interacted with each other like human kids interact with each other, like by tumbling around. I also was getting into photography and one of the interesting things was watching them when they came to the feeding platform. It was so much to take in. When I took pictures of them, I realised how much expression they showed on their faces, and how the light catches in their eyes like they do in ours.  They react to each other like humans do. We share so much. Even their name, ‘orang-utan’ means ‘man of the forest’. They really deserve to have their home.

EWTT: What do you think is the biggest threat to the survival of orangutans?

Emma: The biggest issue for them is that their habitat is being destroyed, and they live in the rainforest. The rainforests right now are being destroyed to make way for palm plantations, for palm oil. One of the problems is something that I actually learnt on this trip, that there is what is called a ‘corridor of life.’ Some groups of orangutans that still remain are on these pockets of the jungle.  There are palm plantations built out to the edge on one side, and the Kinabatangan river the other. But the river is eroding the corridor. The habitats of the orangutans are getting smaller and smaller. So the deforestation and river are taking them away. It’s important for groups of orangutans to breed with each other, but right now the jungle is getting cut off into smaller pockets and they can’t connect with each other any more.

EWTT: How did you feel when you learnt about how rainforests and the orangutans are disappearing during that first trip two years ago?

Emma: We got to see the orangutans for one day during our first trip, and I don’t think I had ever thought very much about animals and how their habitats are being destroyed. I was kind of shocked, and also scared for them, especially because they really are depending on us and because we have the power to take their habitat away. We also have the power to save them. I think I felt like I was needed for something;  I was needed to help save them. It wasn’t even specifically me, but I just realised that everyone can help, everyone can do something important for them.

But I was also angry, and now that I think about it, I was even blocking myself from having ideas because I was listening to the anger.  I was so angry at Malaysian people for planting palm plantations, I was angry at chocolate companies for buying palm oil, I was angry at people for buying chocolate.  Then I realised that the anger wasn’t really getting me anywhere.  Once I listened to myself,  I made the decision to step through the door, and accept that saving the orangutans was important to me, I directed my anger on what I could do, and maybe I even felt the best I had ever felt in my whole life.

EWTT: At what point did you feel that anger and transformed into action?

Patty Freedman (Emma’s mom) explained: We were on a 4 day visit at that time. We went up river driving 2 ½ hours in the van and we saw nothing but palm plantations. On the way back, we saw orangutans again, and I think something changed for her. Then later we were staying at a hotel where a lot of the researchers were also having lunch. We felt like we were in the right place at the right time.

Emma: We would see the orangutans in the morning, and the middle part of the day, we would interview researchers. I would sit and write down a whole lot of ideas. They came pouring out of me.  It was such a sudden change. As soon as I saw the orangutans again, I wanted to do something right then. I wanted to help save them.

Max and Emma

All evening, we (my brother Max and I) were writing down ideas and then later while my parents were trying to put us to bed, I was still writing down ideas. And then I had even more ideas, and they kept trying to make us go to sleep. And then just before sleeping I said to my dad, “Just one more thing, thank you for taking me seriously.”

It was really important to me that I knew I found something important, I found an opportunity to help, to make a difference in the world, and I was so happy that they were supporting me.

EWTT: That is lovely. You’ve got really wonderful parents.  Tell us the things you’ve been doing for the orangutans over the last 2 years back home in California?

Emma with handmade crafts

Emma: In the past 2 years, I have raised a thousand dollars –  mostly I’ve done bake sales and lemonade sales with my friends. We’ve also made and sold stuffed animals, of orangutans from recycled sweaters.

Patty: She sold jam as well. Every time there was an opportunity, and this was what was so interesting, the cause was always on top of her mind. She’d keep asking, “what can I do, how could this connect with the orangutans?”

Emma: Another thing is that when I’m working on this project to save the orangutans, since I’m home-schooled, I can focus on one big project and nothing else for a day. Also when I’m working on this project, there are so many things involved in it, such as science and writing and art, and anything I want to weave into it.

Every year I do a science project which has to do with my interests. This year, I thought it would be great if I could involve it with my orangutan project, because I’m always looking for new opportunities to raise awareness about orangutans. I tested the water in the Kinanbatangan river, so when I present my science project, I will raise awareness about how the palm plantations affect the river. Two years ago, at our county fair, I made a public exhibit about the orangutans, and put all the letters I had written to companies and displayed the orangutan stuffed animals I had SEWN, and also lots of  information for people to read about the orangutans. About 10,000 people came to the fair.

It was really exciting for me because I got the highest prize at the county fair, but the important part for me was that even the judges were paying attention, and they learnt about the orangutans.

EWTT: Tell us about your recent trip this week to Borneo where you actually handed in your cheque from the funds you’ve been collecting through all your hard work. Your dad mentioned it was a difficult journey.

Patty : We camped near Kinanbatangan river for four days, there was no running water, no electricity and so it was very challenging – we had very little sleep and very little to eat.

Emma: One of the most important things about the trip was that I paid for us (my mom and my brother Max) to go to Borneo from my pocket money, because I wanted to go back and see the orangutans. I realise now that I was almost a little bit worried that I would be disappointed, but instead it was even better because it was really worth it.  We didn’t even get to go for very many days, but one day that we went, I got to see what success was for this orangutan centre. There were two orang-utans that were orphans, and the centre had raised them and released them in the wild, and now these two orangutans both had babies. They were so cute.

Emma giving a cheque to Orangutan Appeal UK

EWTT: How would you tell other children and grownups for that matter to take action?

Emma: Really, all they need to do is learn about the destruction that’s going on. Right now, a lot of people don’t even know about or think about the orangutans, like I didn’t before I went to see them.

The important thing is to reduce the demand for palm oil, to read labels and avoid products which contain palm oil.

EWTT: What do you plan to do next?

Emma:  I made this new goal. I want to become a child ambassador for the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre that I visited in Borneo. I may be able to write something for their newsletter and inspire other kids. That’s really important because I know that my generation is the tipping point for the orangutans. It’s now more important than ever to teach other kids about how they need our help, because they deserve more of a chance. They are so much like humans, except they can’t speak, so it’s important for me to speak for them, and for all of you to speak for them too.

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To join Emma in her cause of raising awarness for the Orangutans, please contact her through helpborneo[at]gmail.com

You may also check out her website at Jungle Heroes.org 

To help the orangutans that Emma visited in Sepilok, Borneo,  please make donations to the UK based Orangutan Appeal

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About the Interviewer:

Bhavani Prakash is the Founder of Eco WALK the Talk. She discovered her passion and sense of urgency for raising awareness about the environment when she first learnt about the fate of rainforests of the world and vanishing species like the orangutans, as a volunteer guide at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. That led to the creation of this website.

She writes and conducts talks and workshops on sustainability and can be contacted at bhavani[at]ecowalkthetalk.com. Do follow Eco WALK the Talk on Facebook, Twitter, Linked IN and YouTube

Further links you may be interested in:

EWTT: How to find hidden palm oil in supermarkets

Red Suitcase: Kinabatangan Tribulations

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The information (as obtained from their website and conference brochure) is published here:

The NUS Multi-disciplinary Masters in Environmental Management Programme (MEM) is celebrating its 10th Anniversary. The M.Sc.in Environmental Management (MEM) Programme, offered by the National University of Singapore (NUS) was launched in July 2001.

In celebration of the Programme’s 10th Anniversary, a conference on the theme, “Sustainable Environmental Management in Urban Asia”, will be held on 15-16 December 2011, at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, NUS.

To download the full brochure with details of the conference speakers and topics, please click here.

Registration can be done online here. There is an early bird discount for those who register before Nov 30, 2011.  Teachers in educational institutions get the same as NUS staff, and all students only pay $130. 

From the conference brochure:

2007 a milestone was attained in demographic history. The world became officially ‘urban’ – 50 percent of the global population was classified as living in urban areas. This is significant in two ways:

• Firstly the speed at which urbanization has become the norm of living globally. The first cities in human history were only formed some 8,000 to 10,000 years ago and the first urban country, Britain, was a recent phenomenon in 1900.
• Secondly, the global population is expanding rapidly and this means a significant demographic shift. In 2011, the global population hit 7 billion, so over 3.5 billion people are now living in urban areas.

The MEM is a multi-disciplinary integrated programme, which provides education in environmental management to senior and mid-level managers and officers in corporations, institutions and government, and non-governmental organizations. The programme equips graduates with the necessary knowledge to properly manage the environment and to deal with the challenges of an environmentally conscious society and international market. It enables them to assume responsible and influential roles to make sound decisions that support sustainable development. The programme is jointly offered by seven faculties and schools in the NUS, demonstrating its broad-based approach to education in the field of the environment. These are: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; Faculty of Engineering; Faculty of Law; Faculty of Science; NUS Business School; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; and School of Design and Environment (host faculty). The programme has links with Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.

The main component of the MEM programme is a group of seven Core Modules: Business and Environment; Environmental Economics and Public Policy; Environmental Law; Environmental Management and Assessment; Environmental Planning; Environmental Science; and Environmental Technology. Candidates must also complete either: (i) a Dissertation; or (ii) a Study Report and an Elective Module. The third component of the MEM programme is the Seminar Series. Candidates must attend a minimum of ten specially arranged seminars, and complete a report on the series.

The MEM programme can be undertaken either Full-Time or Part-Time. Full-time students can complete the programme in one academic year; and Part-time students can complete it in two academic years. The students of the MEM programme come from a variety of disciplines and from both the public and private sectors. They include architects, engineers, scientists, veterinary surgeons, lawyers, teachers, health workers, journalists, and forest and park managers. About half of each year’s cohorts are Singaporeans, permanent residents or foreigners working in Singapore, while the rest are from abroad. The countries include: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam.

To register for the Conference, please click here.

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Madhu Verma is the brains and spirit behind SoCh in Action, a Singapore based non-profit that organises a yearly event to showcase the best social change initiatives by children between the ages of 9 and 14.  The event is just around the corner, with the ” Be the Change” Exposition to be held on Saturday, 12th November 2011, from 9:30 am to 1 pm at Level 4 of SCAPE, at 2 Orchard Link, Singapore.

We talk to Madhu to find out how it all started and about this year’s theme for the expo, “If Food Could Talk.”

EWTT: What made you leave a corporate career to work on social change?

MV: We all can make a difference in society no matter where we work. I always had the inclination to work for the social sector but didn’t know how I could use my knowledge and experience there. While finishing my Masters in marketing, I did my research in Strategic alliances between the two sectors. I discovered that social sector could use many marketing strategies that corporates use all the time to be effective and widen their scope. That’s when I started working for Oxfam in New Zealand and implementing my corporate sector experience.

EWTT: When and how did the idea of SoCh come about?

MV: It was a persistent thought for a long time. People in general are aware of issues in the society around them or in the world. I feel ‘doing good’ is a human ‘need’ like any other ‘need’ to entertain, to travel, to wear new clothes. But the reason we see fewer people satisfying this need is because the avenues provided are either not easily available or engaging or not popularised in the ways other good and services are done.

Soch, in Hindi means thought

A ‘thought’ can be a powerful tool to bring about positive change in the world.  At SoCh in Action we provide avenues for such thoughts to translate into meaningful actions. ( SoCh in Action website)

SoCh is about providing interesting and engaging way to making positive social change and doing good. We have begun with children’s program because they are the most responsive audience. But we won’t stop there.

EWTT:  Could you describe the first SoCh exposition last year?

MV: It was fabulous! Seeing the passion in the eyes of the children was pure bliss. We had 26 school projects by children 9-14 years of age from various schools. From helping the elderly, climate refugee petitions, anti-littering to providing fresh water for Haiti ; small or big, simple or complex, the problems and their solutions were chosen by children themselves.

There were 10 workshop/activities that gave children the opportunity to have an experiential and truly ‘hands-on’ experience. This was a fun way to sensitise children and grown ups to various social and environmental issues. Amongst the activities were walking without shoes, making non-toxic cleaning solutions, green science, using trash to make fun stuff, a live story telling session and so on. It attracted lots of children, parents and teachers and they all had a good time.

Video link here

EWTT:  Why have you chosen food as a theme this year?

MV: Food shapes everyone’s lives in some way or the other.  But we seldom stop to think about it beyond its procurement and stop to see how it affects our health. Children are rarely taught about how issues related to food affect us, our community, people growing the food and the environment.

Easy access to food in urban day living gives our children limited know-how about food, how it is provided by nature, where is one’s food coming from, what’s in it, what’s wholesome, what’s natural,  how can the wasted food can be utilised, if food is scarce or abundant, various food related health issues and many more.  There are so many environmental, social and cultural issues connected to food that we thought it would be good to make it our theme this year. Children will not only find these topics interesting but they will inspire them to think more deeply and meaningfully about what they put into their mouths.

EWTT:  Tell us about the competition for this year’s theme.

MV: We wanted kids to think, “What if food could talk…what it would tell them about its journey?” So we have a small video that kids can watch where a chicken nugget is talking to our friend Leero. Kids can then imagine what their food tells them and send in their story, comments, or cartoons by 10th November 2011 to us at Contact[at]sochinaction.com . We will select 10 interesting entries at the event.

Video link here

There will be a lot of fun activities: a mini grocery store, for kids to play with worms, learn about food wastage, food additives and smart food.

EWTT:  How many schools do you expect to take part this year?

MV: Last year we had 14 schools, this year we have 30 schools so far taking part. You will be able to see more than 50 children’s project on various topic such as saying ‘no’ to shark fin soup, dealing with PSLE pressure, glaucoma and myopia awareness, vandalism in school, bringing, cheer to the elderly and food trays for the visually impaired, dealing with teen depression and so on. These are some of the issues that children have chosen to address.

We have received support from various organisations, so there is a growing recognition of the programs in Singapore and we are grateful to all our partners for that.

EWTT: What are your plans for SoCH’s future?

MV: We will continue to do our annual programs, Design for Change School Challenge and Be the Change Exposition and make it reach more children. Other programs that we are mulling over may take a few months to launch, on the lines of bringing the corporate and social sector closer.

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Please check the SoCh in action website and join the Facebook Page ‘SoCh in Action‘.  The event “Be the Change Exposition” is also on Facebook.

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