Tory Green Proposals

The London Daily Telegraph on 24th Nov 2009 reported that the opposition Conservative Party or Tories as they are called are proposing a coupon or voucher incentive to encourage households to recycle. These vouchers could be claimed from Marks and Spencer and Tesco. It was expected that claims up to GBP130 could be accumulated by a household per year.


It is estimated that these incentives could encourage households to recycle and the national recycling rates will increase by at least 30 per cent annually.

If more people were to recycle, there will less pressure on the landfills as less rubbish will be created and dumped. Councils would spend less on filling up the landfills and thus the money saved on landfill taxes could go to finance the claim vouchers.

The recycling plan is part of several green measures that also include:

* cutting carbon emissions in Britain by 10 per cent within a year

* creating the country’s first ‘green investment bank’

* introducing Green ISAs, encouraging investment in green technologies

* making Whitehall energy consumption ‘transparent’.

The Conservatives have carried out a pilot scheme in the Tory-led council areas of Windsor and Maidenhead where recycling points are set up where the vouchers can be redeemed online and spent at hundreds of local shops.

The points are then uploaded onto a computer database which can be accessed by residents to collect and redeem the points. It has enabled residents to earn a maximum of £130 per year in vouchers and discounts.

At the moment, 37 per cent of household waste in England and Wales is recycled, up from just 7.5 per cent in 1996. But landfill taxes levied by the Government are still set to rise from £40 a tonne to £70 a tonne in the next three years.

The Conservative plans to increase recycling rates are likely to be welcomed by many Councils that fear facing swinging European Union fines if they the number of landfills are not reduced.

The ‘green’ bank would consolidate public funds that is divided across a number of current Government climate change initiatives. It would also bring in private sector funds which would be used to create jobs, encourage innovations and encourage companies to invest in Britain.

Green ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) will also be used to encourage members of the public to invest in green technologies.

Under the new green Tory plans, details would also be published online of the energy consumption of every Whitehall department so that the public can hold ministers and civil servants to account for their carbon footprint.

Let us see how far the Conservatives' proposals will be taken by the Labour government and implemented.

When Less is Best

Thursday's Daily  Telegraph says it well. It is not something new.

Studies have shown that we can save the planet by consuming less and by cutting on our wastes. We are to go back and do as our forefathers did. Eat less meat and reduce, reuse and recycle.

The report by the UK Government agency in charge of cutting waste, WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), pointed out that one third of what we throw can still be used. So they are suggesting that we do not buy new things but rent them because by doing so, less goods are manufactured and thrown in landfill, therefore cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Being thrifty always helps, especially when times are bad.

Items that you can rent include tableware, gardening tools, new electronic gadgets, ski equipment, clothes, telephones and cars.

It was reported that the UK Government is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by a third by 2020. The research found that better use of resources, by cutting down on packaging and boosting recycling - as well as consumer lifestyle changes - could cut 254 million tonnes or up to 10 per cent of that target over the next ten years.

Changing consumer behaviour is going to be very challenging for any society. A lot has to be done to educate society that you can reduce greenhouse gases simply by using less and consuming resources more efficiently.

So eat less meat, wear used clothes and reduce,  reuse and recycle whatever and whenever you can.

Green Incentives in 2010 budget

Green is the way to go for the Malaysian government! The new budget tabled by the Finance Minister who is also the Prime Minister on Friday offers the following incentives to promote green technology:

• Stamp duty exemption for buyers of buildings with Green Building Index certificates
• Tax exemption equivalent to the additional capital expenditure to obtain Green Building Index certificates from Oct 24 this year to Dec 31, 2014
• RM1.5 billion soft loan for companies using green technology
• RM20 million to intensify awareness on green activities
• Putrajaya and Cyberjaya to be developed as pioneer townships in green technology 

I think the budget is good for starters. It should spur developers to build environment friendly residential homes and offices. Entrepreneurs will now be encouraged to create more sustainable businesses.

So folks in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, buckle up!You must be ready to set the trend and become green pioneers in the Green Revolution.

Climate Change: More political will needed

London newspaper, the Daily Telegraph environmental correspondent, Louise Gray reported that scientists agreed that if the emission of greenhouse gases could be halved by 2050, then the world temperature rises would be below the dangerous level of two degrees C (3.6 degrees F).


 A WWF report found that this will require a "green industrial revolution" by 2014, with heavy investment in green technology involving low carbon emissions and away from the use of fossil fuels. Green technology would include the utilization of  wind, solar, nuclear and clean coal.

It will also mean switching to electric cars and improving energy efficiency by insulating our homes and wasting less electricity.


The above warning comes as ministers and officials from around the world meet in London this week for the Major Economies Forum. The MEF was set up by President Obama to give ministers an opportunity to solve difficult issues before the world meets in Copenhagen in December to agree a new deal on climate change.

More pressure will be put on rich countries, including the US, to sign up to legally-binding targets to cut carbon emissions. Innovative new measures are to be formulated to reduce deforestation, including plans to pay poorer countries not to chop down trees.

The WWF said both rich and poor countries need to start investing in renewable energy and encouraging behaviour change among citizens in order to meet the targets.


Downing Street is also concerned that there is no agreement on how to finance a climate change package in developing countries.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was quoted in the Guardian today warning that floods and droughts would be a normal occurence unless governments speed up negotiations on climate change before vital talks in Copenhagen in December.The prime minister will deliver his warning to a meeting of environment ministers brought together under the umbrella of the Major Economies Forum. The 17 countries in the forum are responsible for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.
It was pointed out that India was ready to set itself non-binding targets for cutting carbon emissions, while China said it would curb the growth of its emissions by a "notable margin" by 2020, without much specified figures.

The US special envoy for climate change, Todd Stern, said developing economies must boost their efforts to curb emissions, warning it was "certainly possible" that no deal would be agreed in Copenhagen."What we need to have happen is for China and India and Brazil and South Africa and others to be willing to take what they're doing, boost it up some, and then be willing to put it into an international agreement," he said.

(Note that efforts to be made by the US is not mentioned. It is the US that had not ratified the previous protocols to reduce carbon emissions).Developing countries on the other hand place the blame on the developed countries for failure to reduce carbon emissions and the blame game continues at the expense of Mother Earth.If these situation persists, then not much progress is expected in Copenhagen.

In Malaysia, as in many other developing countries, generally the average man in the street is not very concerned about climatic change. Attitudes have to be changed if we were to save the earth from further destruction. Although there is already a Green Technology Ministry, a Ministry to deal with climate change has not been formed.Apart from the small tremors felt when there is an earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia and heavy rain when Manila is hit by typhoons; Malaysians do not connect these events as consequences of climate change.

Carrefour joins the bandwagon to reduce the use of plastic bags

CARREFOUR has now joined in the 'Say No to Plastic Bags' campaign. (See report). It recently launched a 100 day countdown to end free distribution of plastic bags at the checkout counters of its newest outlet in Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, Cheras. Maya Karin, Malaysia's popular award winning film actress and nature lover, was invited to witness the launching.

The campaign hopes to save the Irrawaddy River dolphins that are often sighted along the coasts of Sarawak and Sabah.

Carrefour, in collaboration with the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), will help raise awareness to protect the dolphins as their natural habitat had been seriously jeopardised by plastic bags.

An exhibition has been put up to educate customers into adopting a new habit of reusing their green shopping bags.

Maya Karin was positive that in 100 days, the Carrefour store will further reduce its environmental footprint once there is no more free distribution of plastic bags.

“I will follow up very closely on the efforts and will even step in to speak to the customers about the importance of cutting back on plastic bags,” said Maya after the launch.

According to Carrefour Malaysia’s marketing and communications director Low Ngai Yuen, Carrefour Malaysia has allocated eight eco-friendly checkout lanes at the new store, that prioritise customers who have chosen to reuse their shopping bags.

Well, this campagn should last more than 100 days to save the dolphins as Malaysians need more time to change their ways. Perhaps, Carrefour will save the turtles next.

'Reduce The Use of Plastic Bags' Campaign

The government is now looking into reducing the use of plastic bags. See the Star today.

Malaysian Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui has announced that his ministry plans to start a campaign to create a greener environment. For the kick-off towards a more eco-friendly nation which causes less harm to the environment; the Ministry will start with reducing the use of plastic bags, especially for packing food.

Quoting from the Star report: “We also plan to rope in other ministries for this good cause. It is important for the public to be aware of the harm plastic can do to the environment,” he told reporters after the ministry’s monthly gathering yesterday.

Ministry staff are thus encouraged to bring their own food containers to the cafeteria if they want to buy food. The staff members are expected to lead the way for their children, friends, family and neighbours to follow. This would certainly go a long way to protect and preserve our natural resources should everyone cooperate and change their attitudes.


The Minister hopes that if the “do not use plastic bags” campaign among the public sector in Putrajaya succeeds, it would then be extended to the private sector (shops and retail outlets) within Putrajaya, before going nationwide.

This is good news for green lovers but we must be wary of the plastic manufacturers who will find ways not to reduce their sales.Perhaps the government could look into giving incentives for the research and manufacture of greener packaging materials.Thus the manufacturers could then have the alternative to switch to biodegradable plastics based on agricultural residues or cast-aways, instead of the more conventional petroleum based plastics.

DIY Eco Home

Yesterday's news on a couple turning their double storey home eco-friendly was something to ponder about. Everyone should listen up and follow their example. Maybe the authorities should give tax incentives for houseowners to convert their home to make them 'green'. This would get the architects and contractors to put on their thinking caps and get creative. At the same time, everyone does his bit to help Mother Earth.

Click this link for details.

Cut Down Waste-Says KL Mayor

“People should learn to practice the 3R system – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – so that we can save space and prolong the lifespan of our Bukit Tagar Sanitary landfill,” KL mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail said this after visiting a former landfill and a domestic waste transfer station in Taman Beringin, Jinjang.


The Bukit Tagar landfill in Selangor is supposed to last for 20 years only.
Fuad said that if KL residents could reduce waste by up to 30%, the numbers would definitely be helpful.

“Do not waste food, recycle as much as you can and reuse old clothes instead of shopping every month,” he added.

Click here for more

Obviously, nobody is listening to the mayor nowadays. As Ramadan enters the second week, business peaks up for most stores. Everywhere I go; hypermarkets, Ramadan bazaars and department stores, people seem to suddenly have so much money to spend. The new Eid clothes adorn the stores, Raya cookies are everywhere and customers line up to pay at Tesco's, Giant and Carrefour and not forgetting the local NSK. The store owners must be laughing all the way to the bank!

Green Technology as an Engine of Growth

The Prime Minister announces that green technology will be another engine of growth.This is good news as without incentives it is very difficult to venture into this field.

I must put this article on record to monitor the progress of incentives to be proposed for the private sector by the Malaysian government. Click this link for details

Birds and Trees

The bird photos are taken from Google images because I couldn't capture the birds in photo. They simply flew away.

(This is my rambutan tree. The fruits are really fabulous.)

(This tree was planted by my late father. It is a nearly extinct species.)

The birds have had it. The report in today's Star says it all.

Lowland birds are flying to higher grounds. This is an indicator that their habitat has been destroyed by deforestation and climate change.

Consultant naturalist on birds, wildlife and bio-diversity Mike Chong said lowland birds such as magpie robins (burung murai) and spotted doves have been spotted in Cameron Highlands.

Chong said temperatures in the mountain had also increased due to global warming, and this had allowed lowland birds to adapt easily to their new habitat.

These lowland birds would then have to compete with highland species if they shared the same food source, habitat and nesting habits.

This could lead to the extinction of either species in the next 10 to 20 years. “There are about 674 bird species in the country. I hope more studies will be conducted on the migration of the lowland birds so that we can properly gauge the effects of climate change,” Mike Chong said in the report.

Meanwhile, Zoo Negara director Dr Mohamad Ngah said birds lose their food source when trees are cut.

“We cannot totally stop development from taking place but as scientists, we can monitor the situation and try to breed endangered species to ensure they do not become extinct,” he said, adding that there were close to 100 bird species observed in the zoo.

The birds are welcomed to my dwelling. Lately, I have had birds chirping happily when my 'jambu bol' and rambutans trees were full of ripe fruits. I do not consider them a menace as I enjoy seeing them flying around my trees. I also have some tree shrews permanently living in my backyard.

As I believe that these creatures are also God's creatures and they can help us get merits for good deeds. Moreover, our fruit trees bear too much sweet fruits that we have to deliver them to our relatives, friends, and neighbors to help us finish them. I also believe that by spreading the bounty, we will be bestowed more in the future and more fruits will be borne, thus adding more goodwill for us.

Brace up to pay 20sen for a plastic bag

Two weeks ago, my daughter, Zayye came home and complained that she had to fork out 20sen at IKEA for a plastic bag after paying for a study lamp. Zayye normally says no to plastic bags when she shops for small items and she was not aware that the campaign to use the reusable green bags had started.

Penang has started the "No plastic Bags Day" on Mondays. More than 300 hypermarkets, mini-markets, department stores and other participating shops are charging 20sen for a plastic bag.

Tesco hypermarkets gives 2 extra bonus club points when customers bring their own reuseable shopping bag. Customers with reusable bags are allowed to use the expressed check out lane at Giant Bayan Baru. Boxes were provided for customers who shopped a lot and did not bring their own bags on the day. Customers are encouraged to drop plastic bags to a special bin so that these bags could be reused by other customers.

Other stores have also started the save on plastic bags campaign. Parkson Grand at Gurney Plaza will give one free tote bag for purchases of Rm2oo and above and customers can also buy these bags for RM2 each.

This is what I have been waiting for. Once the big stores start the ball rolling and educate the customers giving them no choice, then only would the campaign be effective. The time will come when everyone will accept that plastic bags are not to be wasted and thrown anywhere they like.
I remember that one of the reasons that the hypermarket Makro failed was because customers did not accept that there were no packaging to their purchases. Maybe the timing for Makro was not right and Makro did not try to educate its customers.

I notice Jusco and Tesco have also started a mild campaign in the Klang Valley. Customers are encouraged to bring their own bags on certain days voluntarily, but at present there is no charge for the plastic bags yet.

Only a concerted effort by every hypermarket and supermarket will the campaign work. An irate woman left all her groceries at Tesco Penang, when told that she has to pay 20sen for a plastic bag, reported today's Star. She will soon realise that she would have to toe the line next time when everyone starts bringing their own bags to Tesco or lose out on Tesco's offers.

Meanwhile, customers' education must continue. The media has a lot to do, to contribute to the success of the campaign.

I understand that proceeds from the sales of the plastic bags will go to the "Partners Against Poverty Campaign"

I just hope that the "Say No to Plastic Bags " will become a common feature in the future and not one off campaigns soon to be forgotten.

(Look up for other incentives to go green at the link shown)

Malaysia's Hanging garden of BABYLON?

The Star on Tuesday has an interesting article of a garden on the roof. Maybe unlike the hanging gardens of Babylon?

I remember when the former Malaysian Minister of Agriculture, Tan Sri Sanusi Junid suggeseted planting paddy on rooftops, many were cynical and just laughed at him.

He should be smiling now as a garden is blooming at the roof top of the new wing of the 1-Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya, some 35 m from the ground.

The garden ( about 2,787sqm,), planted with some 500 species of rare tropical and temperate plants, has recently been opened to the public on weekends.

1-Utama director Datuk Teo Chiang Kok, an avid gardener, was reported to say, “Having a green roof insulates and blocks heat from the roof, thereby decreasing the air-conditioning required to cool the building. (This) allows 1-Utama to conserve energy and be environmentally responsible,”.

The soil mix used for the garden’s flower bed – granulated horticultural carbon – is a planting medium derived from light, compacted and carbonised sawdust that puts to use wood waste that would otherwise be rotting in dumpsites and releasing carbon. This is a green technology developed by a botanist Dr Francis Ng.

“The horticultural carbon is being tested with different plants. The most amazing result is with rice that is grown in containers. It shows that the usual way (submerging rice plants) is not the only way to grow rice.

Unfortunately, the horticultural carbon is not commercially available yet although Ng is trying to encourage the manufacturer and 1-Utama to look into commercial production.

Although the Department of Irrigation and Drainage’s Stormwater Management Manual was introduced in 2001, it remains only a guideline. Commercial building developers are not legally required to implement it in their projects.)

The owners of 1- Utama has led the way by collecting rainwater to water the garden.
The rainwater is diverted from the roof and stored in specially built reservoirs in the basement in all Bandar Utama commercial buildings, namely the extended wing of 1-Utama Shopping Centre, the Centrepoint Neighbourhood Centre, the IBM-KPMG Plaza and the One World Hotel. The harvested water is used for flushing toilets, watering plants and also supplied to the cooling tower of the air-conditioning system.

“However, the rainwater collected is not sufficient to flush all the toilets. It only saves us 30% of the total water consumption in the new wing,” says Alfred Chong, landscape manager of Bandar Utama City Centre, the subsidiary of Bandar Utama Group which manages the commercial units.

The company’s pioneering effort closely follows the growing importance given to rooftop space by city authorities worldwide.

Last month, Toronto (in Canada) approved a bylaw that requires new residential units over six storeys, schools as well as commercial and industrial buildings to have up to 50% green roof coverage. Chicago (in the United States) offers incentives to builders who put green roofs on their buildings.

It has been estimated that if all the roofs in a major city were “greened,” urban temperatures could be reduced by as much as 7°C.

Originally, a green roof was one where vegetation partially or completely cover the roof surface over a water-proofing membrane.But the term has since taken on an expanded meaning to include green technologies that are introduced on that space, like harvesting of rainwater and harnessing solar energy through a photovoltaic panel.

High rise dwellers will soon be growing their food on roof tops next. Tan Sri Sanusi's dream has come true! Now who's laughing?

Dry and Hazy Days are Back

El Nino is here again. We are in for more hot days. It was reported that in the STAR yesterday that Malaysia experiences a hot and dry season in June, July and August with temperatures ranging between 33 °C to 34 °C. However, with the El Nino phenomenon, temperatures can rise by an additional 3 °C.

The Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Datuk Douglas Uggah said with such hot and dry conditions, any open burning activity could worsen the air quality.

It was showed that there was an increase in the number of hot spots in Sumatra and Kalimantan with 996 and 108 hot spots respectively.

With the dry spell with less rain, comes the warning to use less water as the water levels at the dams are receding. So every one is urged to use less water.

City folks must not wash themselves too often nor wash their cars using water hoses but are advised to use pails instead. To water the plants, it is best to recycle the water you use washing the vegetables and stuff at the kitchen sink.

Today I was annoyed to see a motorist throwing a lit cigarette butt from his car. Didn't he realize that in the hot weather that was a dangerous thing to do? In the past, lots of bush fires have been caused by reckless motorists in this way.

The public must be warned that the Department of Environment is increasing air and land surveillance to monitor open burning activities. Enforcement on smoke, gas and dust emissions from motor vehicles and industries will also be stepped up.

So, buck up everyone.Go check your vehicles. Contribute to a healthy air quality by maintaining your vehicles to reduce black smoke.

Industries are also required to comply with standard environmental rules. They must refrain from discharging their effluents directly to the atmosphere or waterways.

It is time for everyone to care for the atmosphere that we live in. Pity the young children with respiratory problems and the old folks with less efficient body systems. Every time there is a haze, there will be more people at the hospitals with respiration problems.

Let's all be more responsible-use less water, recycle the water, service your vehicles regularly, don't litter and do not contribute to open burning during these hazy and dry days and beyond.

Plastics that Melt Away

This is unlike the chocolates that melt away in your mouth.This is a dream come true.Imagine all the plastic bags from Giant, Tesco, Jusco, Carrefour and the takeaways you lug home are now soluble in water.

The Star reported that a team of researchers at the Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) has invented an award winning material called the Greenphylic Water-Soluble Degradable Plastic, a polymer similar to plastics but dissolves in water.

The project bagged the Gold Medal of the 19th International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition on May 19.

It also won the Best Invention for Universities/Research Institutes category, World Intellectual Property Organisation Best Invention Award and KASS International (a Malaysian Intellectual Property firm)Best Invention Award.

UTP had earlier in November, 2008 won the Gold Medal at the Belgian and International Trade Fair for Technological Innovation in Brussels.

The project is led by Prof. Ramiah Jegatheesan of the Electrical and Elctronic Engineering faculty, UTP.

Winning the award has increased the potential of the new material being commercialised.

Plastics are a source of pollution to the environment and are still harmful even when they degrade. And once they have broken down into smaller molecules, they can contaminate the soil and water tables.

According to Prof Ramiah burnt plastics produce dangerous gases which can cause serious health problems. In addition, discarded plastics clog drains and sewerage pipes.

The new invention Eco Plast is a resin consisting of a synthetic polymer material made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, polyvinyl alcohol is a colourless, water-soluble, flammable resin belonging to the family of organic polymers. It is derived from a vinyl polymer.

The resin is used in sizing agents that offer resistance to oil and grease upon paper and textiles; to make films resistant to attack by solvents or oxygen; as a component of adhesives and emulsifiers; and as a starting material for the preparation of other resins.

“Polyvinyl alcohol is a water-soluble synthetic polymer which has excellent film forming, emulsifying and adhesive properties. It is odourless and non-toxic, has high tensile strength and flexibility as well as high oxygen and aroma barrier.

However, these properties depend on the ambient relative humidity. With higher humidity, more water is absorbed. The water, which acts as a plasticiser, will then reduce its tensile strength, but increase its elongation and tear strength,” explained Prof Ramiah.

Eco Plast dissolves in water at normal room temperatures of between 25°C and 35°C. If the water is heated, the dissolving time reduces considerably.

In normal thickness, Eco Plast dissolves in water within 60 minutes at a water temperature of around 25°C. It will dissolve in 15 minutes if the water temperature is 40°C. If the water temperature is increased to 50°C, the dissolving time will take only five minutes.

According to Prof Ramiah, the resulting water that is used to dissolve the Eco Plast does not contain any toxic elements and thus there will be no harmful effect to living beings or the environment. This water can be disposed off into the kitchen sink as normal waste water.

Eco Plast can be used to manufacture carrier bags that are useful for grocery items, to pack medical pills, produce gloves and for packaging of other substances.

At present, Eco Plast is two to three times costlier to produce compared to plastic.Once it is commercialised and manufactured on a large scale, the cost will reduce substantially. Furthermore, there is no cost involved in disposing of this material.

UTP have filed for patent and are currently in the process of commerciali­sing the product.

Rich Man's Daughter goes Green

It is fortunate to go into business if you have a rich Dad to provide the resources.



Saturday's Star newspaper article by Thean Lee Cheng on Dian Lee Cheng Ling's Bluwater property development project caught my attention. Dian Lee is the eldest daughter of property tycoon Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew of Mines Resorts.




Clearwater Developments Sdn Bhd was set up by Dian and three partners in 2006 and their first project was serviced apartments, Clearwater Residences in Damansara Heights. Since then, she has added three brands to the group – Clearwater, Bluwater and The Heritage.


Bluwater Estate, to be sited on a 240 acre former mining land in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, is an eco-friendly development comprising of leasehold gated and guarded development. This is Dian's most ambitious project to date.Dian is now in New York’s Pratt Institute attending a seven-week course on Sustainable Designs.

It cost quite a sum to be enrolled in one of the premier design school for interior design and architecture in the United States but money is no problem for Dian. She has also brought along her toddler son Jedi and his nanny with her.

The Bluwater project will be focused on four aspects, according to Dian, 'water, energy, landscape and waste management'. Environmental Resources Management Ltd, a provider of environmental consulting services, has been appointed to help in designing Bluwater.

All the 1,000-odd households will have solar heaters. The use of bicycles and buggies to go to the clubhouse instead of cars will be encouraged.

Rainwater harvesting will also be a common feature for all owners. There are plans to keep the lake as clear and clean as possible for water sports.

“We will spend RM2mil on trees and a lot more on landscaping to make this place as green as we can. We will also encourage better waste management, essentially the reuse, recycle and reduce concept with different bins for different types of waste. Our sewage system will not be linked to the lake.” says Dian.

While I am still dreaming of an ideal and sustainable home, here is someone already going to built not one but more than a thousand.

Well,friends,don't forget to incorporate the ideal home characteristices when you design your new home.Let us all contribute to prolonging life on Earth.

Solar Air conditioners

One does no longer need to feel guilty using air conditioners to cool down during hot weather spells now that a local company has come out with a solar cooling air conditioners.

RACHAEL KAM's article in the Business section of Saturday Star is welcome news for people seeking to save on their electricity bills.

It was reported that Solar District Cooling Sdn Bhd (SDC) – has introduced an environmental-friendly and cost-saving solar cooling system.

Established six months ago, the company is eyeing Cyberjaya as its first location to build a solar district cooling plant to power the air-conditioners at the corporate offices and residential homes in the area.

SDC managing director Chan Jian Wen says the company spent about a year on research and development to come out with the system.

After Cyberjaya, the company is targeting hospitals, district councils, airports as well as the Iskandar region in Johor Baru to introduce the solar cooling system.

It is believed that SDC is the first company in Malaysia involved in the solar air-conditioner system business.

The new solar cooling system is initially targeted at corporate clients with roof top space. Next will housing developers.

It is reported that the absorption chiller being used in the solar cooling system only needs about 5% of the energy required for a normal chiller. A lot of electricity is saved by using the solar cooling system. As 60% of a normal office and home electricity consumption goes to air conditioning, the savings would be very substantial.

As I have commented in earlier posts, it only needs the public sector to show the way. Once the government accepts and uses solar technology on a large scale, the private sector will follow siut. Demand is thus created and the technology will be cheaper based on economies of scale.

I just hope that the SDC's technology really works. The future will be so much better for all of us if it does.

Property Players Go Green Too

Green is the way to go for industry players, was one of the headlines in the Star (business) on Saturday, 23rd May.

The Green Building Index (GBI), Malaysia’s very own certification scheme for sustainable buildings, was officially launched on Thursday. This is part of the efforts initiated to green the property industry.

The GBI, developed by the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) and Association of Consulting Engineers (ACEM), will encourage developers of housing and commercial projects to adopt environment-friendly features such as energy-efficient elements, rain harvesting and conservation of original land form and vegetation.

It is noted that although the cost of developing a green building may be more than that of a conventional building, maintaining and operating it would be cheaper in the long run.

If a building is constructed with the right green designs and features, energy costs could be reduced by 50%, which is a substantial saving as energy easily makes up 25% of a building’s operating cost. Together with other forms of savings, green buildings can cut operating costs by about 60%.

GREATER adoption and use of environment-friendly planning techniques, designs and “green” materials in property projects will go a long way towards promoting green practices in the country.

Rather than depending on legislation to make it mandatory for industry players to incorporate pro-environment design features in their projects, it will be more effective if industry players voluntarily adopt green and environment-friendly designs and concepts in their projects.

The Government’s initiative to ensure new government buildings feature energy-saving and other pro-environment measures is a good start to promote the green culture among property industry players.

It Rained but only Slightly

Today was a bit better. All praise to the Almighty for relieving us of the torturous heat.

After a loud clap of thunder and lightning this afternoon, I thought a thunderstorm was brewing.

But, alas, the rain was only a slight drizzle. But it was enough to cool the atmosphere.

Looking on the positive side, the hot weather is ideal for people who are renovating their homes. It is also good to wash your clothes as it will dry in the shortest time. Would you believe that in Mekah, a wet towel, hand washed, could dry in 10 minutes during the hot weather? Well, I experienced it during the hottest summer of 1987 while performing the Haj pilgrimage.

Anyway, we have to make the most of the situation. Drink plenty of plain water, filtered or boiled. Avoid going out in the hottest part of the day and eat less spicy food. Cold salads are great.

We only have ourselves to blame for the global warming phenomenon we are facing now. It needs a lot of education and change of attitude for the common man and a lot of political will for nations to combat this phenomenon.

It is HOT, really HOT

The past few nights have been really hot. My bedroom is like a hot oven. Normally, I could sleep with the fan switched to level one and got up in the morning with a leg cramp because it was too cold.

The noon temperature in downtown Kuala Lumpur was 40 degrees C. Just like Mekah or Madinah in Saudi Arabia! Our trip to PJ for lunch left us dehydrated and exhausted.

I am told that it is the South West Monsoon that is causing the heat wave. And it is expected to last until September.God help us.Our electric bill is going to escalate because we can no longer sleep without the air conditioners.

If our home which is normally cool is now hot, what about those people whose houses are normally hot? Perhaps it is time to design more environment friendly and cooler homes and not make more heat sinks. Time to read more on green buildings.

New Regulations for Garbage Disposal

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/4/29/central/3782260&sec=central

Beginning June, 1st 2009 the Kuala Lumpur City Hall will make it mandatory for all households in Kuala Lumpur to have 2 garbage bins. One for organic and the other for inorganic materials. This is very interesting. As my house in just a few metres away from the City Hall boundaries, it does not come under City Hall's purview. Thus, I am not directly affected.

I am happy to note that Alam Flora, the Solid Waste Management Company, will provide the 2 bins. It only needs a little initiative for you to separate your garbage. Failure to do so will result in your garbage being left uncollected. As Alam Flora only collects your garbage, it is up to City Hall to enforce the ruling. I can only imagine the wrath of the people when they discover that their garbage is not being collected and dogs and cats having a field day foraging through them.

In the meantime, it is up to City Hall to send fliers to educate City folks on the new ruling.

For those who are still in the dark on how to identify between organic and inorganic waste; here's some tips:

Organic wastes are those that rots and turns bad very fast naturally. In a normal household, it include kitchen wastes from food preparations:

• vegetable scraps; stalks and leaves
• fruit peelings (banana skins, potato skins, etc)
• onion peelings,
• egg shells

Inorganic Wastes are:

• styrofoam containers
• plastic materials
• disposable diapers
• aluminium tins
• steel cans
  
• leather shoes
• stockings
• clothes
• newspapers
  

Inorganics, except for styrofoams and certain plastics and used diapers and sanitary pads, can also be recycled if there are separated and sent to Alam Flora collection centres.

Once the new ruling sets in full swing, most of the garbage problem in Kuala Lumpur can be solved with every one's cooperation. Some cities in the US have made it compulsory for its citizens to separate their garbage. It is now up to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall to lead the way in Malaysia so that other cities will follow soon.

For Kuala Lumpur, the scarcity of land for landfill within its borders is a serious problem. It cannot continue to rely on neighbouring States to provide land for it to dispose the garbage discarded by KLites.

City Hall already has a composting facility. Thus, the organic wastes from homes together with the city's garden wastes can be used as raw material feedstock for this facility. This is short of getting the city dwellers to make their own compost themselves.

I can hardly wait for Alam Flora to get the Selangor local government authorities to follow City Hall's initiative. Complying the separation of garbage ruling is no problem for me, as I am already selling my inorganics to Alam Flora and composting my organics. In fact, the local authority should give me a rebate for not contributing so much garbage to their landfill.

Green Technology

Now that Malaysia has a Ministry in charge of Green Technology, we need to understand what Green Technology is.

Wikipedia defines Green Technology as similar to Environment Technology or Clean Technology. This technology advocates sustainable development. As I have pointed before, the keyword to anything nowadays is sustainability. Sustainability involves the ability to maintain our natural resources so that they last forever, theoretically.

Sustainability is defined as the ability to meet the needs of society in ways that can continue indefinitely into the future without damaging or depleting natural resources. In short, present needs are satisfied without compromising the ability of our children’s generations to meet their own needs.

Activities that can promote sustainability are:

Recycling

Water Purification

Sewage Treatment

Environmental Remediation

Effluent Gas Treatment

Solid Waste Management

Renewable energy

Basically we need technologies that conserve energy or change consumption patterns to help reduce consumption as well as reduce the amount of waste produced by human activities.

Renewable energy sources include wind energy and solar energy which are also clean, i.e. they do not pollute the atmosphere like coal and petroleum do.Renewable energy can also be harnessed from the waste generated from agricultural activities. This is also called biomass energy. Developed nations like Japan and Scandinavia are currently keen to help the Malaysian and Indonesian palm oil industry adopt the Clean Development Mechanism by converting the palm oil waste to biogas and compost. CDM activities provide additional sources of income for palm oil millers. The solid (empty fruit bunches) and liquid waste (effluent) both of which could be efficiently processed could lead to a sustainable development of various CDM projects in the mill.

Composting enables palm mills to achieve zero waste management as both the Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) and Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) are converted to useful income generating by-products. The resulting organic compost could one day prove to be a more environment friendly and effective substitute to petroleum based fertilizer in the plantations.

Converting Biomass to energy is another green technology.In countries like India, the biogas is utilized as cooking gas.

Thus Green Technology also include:

Energy from alternative fuels

The urgent development of alternative fuels, is needed as a new means of generating energy and energy efficiency.

A substantial reduction of greenhouse gases is also possible, by using unleaded gasoline, biodiesel, solar energy, and alternative fuel vehicles, including plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric vehicles.

Green building

Green building encompasses everything from the choice of building materials, energy conservation, and to the location of the building.

Environmentally preferred purchasing

The government should also encourage innovation that involves the search for products with contents and methods of production that have the smallest negative impact on the environment, and should, by regulation be preferred in use for government projects.

Green chemistry

All invention, design and application of chemical products and processes must reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances that is not environment friendly.

Green nanotechnology

Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of materials at the scale of the nanometer, one billionth of a meter. The adoption of nanotechnology will transform the way that everything in the world is manufactured.

“Green nanotechnology” is the application of green chemistry and green engineering principles to this field.

At Last The Government Goes Green too

At last a Ministry called The Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water is born in Malaysia.I don't know the specific areas being monitored by each ministry but I think the other Ministries; Science, Technology and Innovation, Natural Resources and Environment, and Plantation Industries and Commodities, all could do with adopting green technology themselves. The problem in our small country is often that the Ministries overlap each other in their functions. It could be good in the sense that no one is monopolising everything which leads to corrupt practices. It could also lead to confusion to the various government agencies and to the public at large as to whom to turn too when they face a problem. They may have to go to so many places before a solution is found.

Anyway, green is the way forward for a sustainable Malaysia. I can live with that.

Earth Hour Malaysia

It is great to see that many offices have adopted the Earth Hour as a regular habit .I walked into an office at lunch time yesterday and it was quite dark as most of the staff has gone out to lunch.

Everyone should learn that by a simple act of clicking off the switch,you not only save on your electric bill but do your small part to save the world as well.

The electricity company TNB (Tenaga Nasional Bhd) reported that electricity consumption dipped by 550MW during Earth Hour on Saturday.This was equivalent to 14 million 40-watt fluorescent bulbs. The equivalent in Ringgit was not indicated. TNB's short term loss is our gain.

Ironically, as soon as the Earth Hour was over, most people went back to their normal consumption patterns. It is back to switching on the air conditioners, fans and television and computer sets and watching football all night.

Perhaps Malaysians prefer regular campaigns to make green living a normalcy.Over to you....................Maya Karin, Reshmonu, and all the celebrities gang.

AGENDA 21

Agenda 21, is a global sustainable development action plan for the 21st Century resulting from the Earth Summit at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992 organised by the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development.
This action plan consists of 40 chapters explaining the actions needed to be implemented towards the sustainable development.

A popular definition for Sustainable Development is:
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs”

The plan seeks international cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing countries and related domestic policies.

The objectives encompasses SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS and CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT

This include the promotion of economic growth in developing countries that is both sustained and sustainable and direct action in eradicating poverty by strengthening employment and income-generating programmes; meeting primary health care needs, particularly in rural areas, control of communicable diseases, protecting vulnerable groups,meeting the urban health challenge,reducing health risks from environmental pollution and hazards and providing adequate shelter for all; whilst promoting sustainable land-use planning and management, and promoting the integrated provision of environmental infrastructure: water, sanitation, drainage and solid-waste management.

The conservation of land and bio-diversity resources, protection of the atmosphere and water bodies and water resources, promotion of sustainable agriculture and environmentally sound toxic and hazardous waste disposal are part of the sustainable development objectives of the plan.

The last objective of the plan is to empower the role of workers, women, youths, non-profit and non-governmental organizations and local authorities in carrying out the implementation of the plan.

Local Agenda 21 (L A 21) is a programme to forge partnership between the local authorities, private sector and local communities in every country to work together, to plan and care for their surroundings towards sustainable development.

L A 21 is a programme for the civil society, private sectors and the local authority to Work, Plan and Manage their Environment together towards a Sustainable Development.

Malaysia kicked off the L A 21 project in Miri, Petaling Jaya, Kerian and Kuantan in the initial phase.

Besides recycling activities and park celebrations, not much information is available in the public domain on the progress of these projects after 2004.

From occasional reports in the newspapers, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya are still implementing LA 21 but the extend of the success is not known.

The latest news from the KL City Hall is the signing of a memorandum of understanding between City Hall and several parties in the private sector to undertake the composting of kitchen wastes from hotels.

CETDEM, (Centre of Environment, Technology and Development, Malaysia) with the support of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, City Council of Petaling Jaya and sponsorship by a Danish agency has provided home composting guidance to selected households in the city. In addition to that, regular composting courses are held to interested city folks who are keen to contribute to save the environment.

The local authorities should be more proactive in the dissemination of its programme of activities in order to get the participation of city folks. In this way, more people will realise that to be 'green' is to be politically correct as the whole world is turning 'green'. Malaysia will not be left behind in the green revolution.

All is not lost, however, as the architects and engineers have now started to talk about environmental friendly and sustainable projects. The government too has started to give incentives but as there is not much publicity, the average man in the street is still oblivious of these concerns.

Human Activities, Technology and Global Warming

Come to think of it, no human activity is devoid of creating greenhouse gas emissions.
From the seminar I attended in January,this much I learned:

Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon chlorofluoroethane (from aerosols) methane and nitrous gases. These gases are trapped in the upper earth atmosphere and act a blanket resulting in a warmer Earth. This in turn leads to climate changes with the polar ices melting, leading to a rise in sea levels, flooding, shifts in weather and seasonal patterns, depletion and contamination of freshwater resources, creation of new deserts, crop failures, habitat destruction causing extinction of certain animal species, and so on.

Aerosol gases react with the ozone in the stratosphere, depleting it. This sets a chain reaction much like the free radicals that attacks your cells, causing irreparable damage.

Since the Industrial Revolution, the pace of destruction of the Earth by mankind has not stopped.

All human activities evolve around the carbon cycle:

• The burning of fossil fuels by the transport and manufacturing sectors releases the energy trapped in it together with carbon dioxide.
• Agricultural activities such as growing of rice, wheat, maize and grains contribute to methane emissions
• Humans and animals release carbon dioxide as part of the respiration process.Grazing animals also contribute to methane emissions

Trees are created as saviours because they act as carbon sinks by assimilating the carbon dioxide. Thus cutting down trees and deforestation are not encouraged as they reduce the assimilation of carbon dioxide. Hence, for every tree that is cut, you have to replace with another tree.

The Kyoto Protocol (KP) sets among others, the following target:

5.2% reduction of 1990 emission by 2008 - 2012.
A scheme of tradeable Discharge Permits to minimize cost of compliance through the Clean Development Mechanism or Trade of Carbon Credits.

Malaysia ratified the KP in 2005. EU and 38 developing nations are also bound by the KP. The US contends that the KP is unfair and ineffective as 80% of the world population (China and India) are exempted. (Talk about being the leader!). US suggested improved technology as a means of combating climate change.

Every country is looking forward to the date in Copenhagen in December, 2009 when they have to present their environmental progress status report in relation to the Kyoto Protocol. New carbon targets will be set. For countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia, Japan and Western Europe, that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol or fail to commit to the agreement, it is about time they do so. For anything to work, cooperation is vital. It does not pay to point your fingers to other countries when you are not doing the same as what you want others to do.

How Technology can be employed to reduce global gas emissions:

High mitigation costs to reduce global emissions and create green sustainable technology may be offset by benefits to better health.

Key mitigation technologies to be employed according to the sector concerned.

• The energy sector should improve its supply and distribution efficiency, use renewable energy sources, capture and store carbon dioxide, and generate energy from biomass.
• The transport sector should encourage hybrid vehicles and the use of biofuels
• The building sector must use be efficient in lighting, use energy saving appliances, evolve green and intelligent buildings and employ integrated design of commercial buildings.
• The industry sector must employ electrical equipment more efficiently and reduce the burning of fossil fuel by using biofuels.
• The forestry sector must reduce deforestation and adopt reforestation. Replanting of fast growing species is encouraged. Timber and paper should come from replanted trees.
• The agricultural sector must improve crop and grazing land management to include soil carbon storage. This would include organic waste composting and controlled waste water treatment. Wastes can be minimized by the use of biocovers and biofilters.

Other strategies to address global warming will be posted at a later date.

Sarawak Forests

Today, Malaysia, as a member of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) which is fully committed to ITTO's objectives, is striving towards the achievement of forest management that is environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable.

The following excerpt taken from www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my

There are about 80% or almost 10 million hectares of Sarawak's total land area of 12.3 million hectares covered with forest (including natural as well as secondary forests). The remaining 2.3 million hectares are under settlements, towns, agricultural crop cultivation and native customary rights land.

Secondary forests refer to ecological systems deriving from clearing of natural forests for shifting cultivation. These forests have been established through a long fallow period of natural regeneration and now contain minimum crown covers of trees and are associated with wild flora, fauna and natural soil conditions. Secondary forests are established after abandonment of 10 years or more by shifting cultivators. Secondary forest formations in Sarawak are closed forests.

Six million hectares of the State's forests are zoned as the Permanent Forest Estate which is meant for sustainable forest management and about 1 million hectares are designated as Totally Protected Areas.

Although five types of natural forest are recognised in Sarawak, three main types predominate. These are Hill Mixed Dipterocarp Forest (covering about 7 million hectares), Peat Swamp Forest (comprising about 1 million hectares) and Mangrove Forest (occupying slightly more than 0.1 million hectares). The other two types, the Kerangas and the Montane Forests, are minimal in size.

Where each of the forest types is found depends on the altitude, soil conditions and water availability. Hill Mixed Dipterocarp Forest is found in the interior, upriver areas, extending from coastal peat swamps up to heights of 1,500 meters. Montane Forest takes over beyond this altitude. The domain of the Peat Swamp Forest is lowlying coastal plains with a high water table reaching inland along the lower reaches of major river systems. The Rejang delta and the Batang Baram are fine examples of Peat Swamp Forest. Mangrove Forest, on the other hand, is found in tidal and estuarine stretches extending from mud flats to where the saline waters start while Kerangas Forest occurs on poor, sandy soil and terrain.

Forest harvesting plays a major role in Sarawak's economy. It provides jobs, alleviates poverty in rural areas and helps to reduce the spread of shifting cultivation.

The mangrove forest was the first to be commercially harvested - for poles and charcoal - before work began in the other types of forests. Systematic harvesting in peat swamp forest started only in the '50s followed by hill mixed dipterocarp forests in the '70s.

Forest harvesting is presently carried out in the permanent forest estate and state land forests. In the permanent forest estate, prescriptions in the forest management plan are implemented and followed. The control of yield of harvest on an annual basis is carried out using the annual coupe system.

Field studies of improved tractor logging practices named path logging were carried out as part of ITTO development programmes. Experiences in 1997 felling blocks with the PATH Logging indicate considerable reduction in damages as compared with conventional working practices.

As for the harvesting of hill forests in the remote and difficult terrain regions of Sarawak, the Forest Department is encouraging the timber operators to adopt helicopter harvesting in their operations.

Comment: I don't think it is advisable to log remote and difficult terrain using helicopters. It would be too dangerous and too costly.

Even with a sustainable logging plan, we still hear of grouses by the local indigenous people complaining their customary lands are being violated by the logging companies.The Forestry Department needs to enforce strictly the forest management plan to prevent loggers destroying the environment and encroaching on timber not meant to be harvested.

Lately we hear also of people forging Sarawak timber labels on their timber products.

The Plastic Bag Dilemma

"There is no solution in sight for the plastic bag menace as the material is still freely issued, then carelessly discarded, each day"-So says Hilary Chiew in the Startwo on 25th February, 2009.

How can there be a solution when everyone simply thinks that he is not responsible. There are signs at the hyperstore and supermarkets for customers to reduce the use of plastic bags but the cashiers are not told to remind them on checking out. In fact the tellers dish out the bags so generously to separate the wet purchases from the dry ones, often wasting the bags.

If these stores were to collect unused or usable bags upon entry at the store and give out a credit note that could be accumulated and later used as a discount upon payment of the purchases at check out, I think the problem of plastic bags could be solved. Everyone wants to be rewarded for a certain deed. So giving a token reward for returning usable bags would definitely go a long way. The stores should also train their front end personnel to save the environment too. Some form of compensation should be given to them as well as in the practice of awarding the best employee of the month award for selling the most mobile reload for the month. The campaign should be on a long term basis instead of on an ad-hoc basis as usually done for environmental issues.

Tesco has a Green Clubcard reward programme for using the green bag brought from home, but it is not being publicised enough. It is also inconvenient to bring so many bags from home if you want to shop one whole month of groceries. That's why the "No Plastic Bag Campaign" can only succeed in pharmacies, because you don't buy a cartload of goods at a pharmacy.

Plastic bag manufacturers maintain that it is not the bags that pose a problem but what consumers do with them. The plastic bag industry would certainly not support a programme to reduce plastic bag usage as the industry in Malaysia amounts to RM1.6 bilion, 20% of which caters for the domestic market (RM360 million).

So it is up to the customers, the retailers and Municipal Solid Waste Managers with the support from the ruling government, to devise a scheme to stop the landfills from being completely degraded by the plastics. The official statistics show that plastics constitute 24% of the landfill volume, second after food waste.

Imagine how much land is saved from being converted to a landfill if all households, hotels, restaurants, canteens, grocery stores and wet markets were to recycle their plastics and turn all their perishable and food wastes to compost.

Disposable Diapers

Disposable Diapers



Cloth Diapers




When my eldest daughter was born in 1979, one could only get disposable diapers from a small shop in an exclusive neighbourhood in Damansara Heights where foreigners lived. Nowadays, they are easily available even in remote villagers.

When my children were babies, I used disposable diapers only when travelling. We stopped using diapers in the day when they are toilet trained at about 12 to 15 months. When not travelling, I used cloth diapers.The baby slept on a cloth sheet placed on top of a plastic sheet. I had to change the diapers several times throughout the day and night and then had to wash a lot of diapers.

Nowadays, parents do not used cloth diapers at all. The babies use disposable diapers till they could talk. Sometimes, up to 3 years old. I personally feel that once they could communicate, toddlers should be toilet trained.

Which is better,"cloth or disposable"? While using disposables means that lots of plastic and human waste ends up in landfills, cloth diapers use a lot of energy in washing and drying them, whether you do so at home or through a service.

Which method you choose will depend on your personal preference. Some baby nurseries and day care centres prefer children to be in disposable diapers, making that the preferred method for working parents. Lots of parents employ both, switching between cloth and disposables depending on work and travel schedules.

Cloth Diapers: Cloth diapers, laundered at home and line-dried, are the cheapest and greenest way to go. There are greater up-front costs than your other diapering options because you have to invest in diapers and diaper covers, but these investments pay off over time, especially if you plan to have more than one baby.

In the West, there are diapers made of organic cotton, which are more expensive than conventional cotton diapers, but help reduce pesticide use. As organic cotton products are too steep for the budget, used diapers are used as a way to avoid contributing to pesticide-intensive cotton production. Used diapers are not sold in Malaysia.

Alternative Disposable Diapers: For the environmentally concerned parent who prefers disposables, they should look out for brands that use less water, responsibly harvested wood pulp and recycled or compostable or biodegradeable plastics;

Diapering is arguably the most important decision parents could make for the environment and their young children, who are usually in diapers around the clock for at least up to two years.

The average baby goes through 5,000 diapers before being toilet trained. Because 95 percent of these diaper changes are disposable diapers, most of them end up in landfills.

Diapers made up 3.4 million tons of waste, or 2.1 percent of U.S. garbage, in landfills in 1998 -- the last year this information was collected, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Diapers in landfills in underdeveloped countries are especially problematic because they often aren't properly disposed, and excrement leaks into the local water supply.

And contrary to popular belief, no diaper -- not even biodegradable ones -- can break down in an airtight landfill.

As if that weren't enough to keep parents awake at night, cloth diaper services and some researchers bombard the public with news articles on the harmful chemicals in disposable diapers. While it is true that the waste water from washing cloth diapers is benign compared with the sludge of dioxins, solvents and heavy metals in waste water from manufacturing disposable diapers, there is no evidence that sufficient traces of the chemicals remain on the diapers to harm babies. As for the primary feature that gives disposable diapers their appeal -- their ability to absorb a large volume of liquid -- no studies indicate that sodium polyacrylate, the gel-like absorbent substance used in disposables, harms babies wearing the diapers.

The one study that does give cloth diapers a leg up in health benefits for baby boys appeared in the October 2000 issue of the Disease in Childhood medical journal. German researchers found that the scrotal skin temperatures of baby boys were significantly higher when they wore disposable diapers than when they wore cloth. While the scientists called for more research, their article suggested that prolonged use of disposable diapers as infants was an "important factor" contributing to the decline of sperm production among adult males. Proctor & Gamble conducted its own study and also found that scrotal skin temperatures increased for boys in disposable diapers.

Thus for new parents, it may be difficult to decide whether to contribute less to the landfills or to opt for convenience.