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Monday, December 24, 2012

GW booth @ Singapore American School (09 Nov)

Singapore American School student representative, Ms Megan, invited Earth Society to set up a booth during their Peace Concert and Global Village Fair event held at SAS stadium on 09 Nov evening.










SAS organized the Peace Concert to start off a series of conferences (on humanitarian and environmental issues) for 800 student delegates who came from different parts of Asia. The Peace Concert was held from 6.30pm till 9.30pm

Earth Society members set up a booth in Singapore American School's stadium at 6pm and distributed climate change booklets and DVDs to student delegates who attended the event. We manned the booth till the end of the concert (at 9.30 pm). 


GW booth @ Woodland Rings Primary (09 Nov)


Mdm Mazlindah, from Woodland Rings Primary, invited Earth Society to set up a booth during the school’s 6th N5 Science Carnival event (held on 09 Nov). Five neighbouring schools also participated in the event.  

GW team arrived at Woodland Rings Primary on 8 am. We set up a booth and manned the booth till 3pm. We distributed “Eco-kids website” leaflets and MRT card holders to students during the event. 

Woodland Ring’s HOD of science arranged for 5 student volunteers to help in the booth. The volunteers use the school’s notebooks to showcase environmental cartoons to students who visited the booth.



Mr Low was pleased to meet Ms Amy and Ms Durga from ACRES (Animal Concern Research & Education Society) during the event. The school had invited ACRES  to set up exhibition panels on animal protection for the event. 

ACRES has a presentation team that conducts talks on animal welfare / protection of wild animals in schools and companies. More info on their talks can be found in  ACRES website: www.acres.org.sg

GW Talk @ Hougang Sheng Hong Student Care (06 Nov)


Ms Ng Lai Yoong, supervisor of Hougang Sheng Hong Student Care Center, invited Earth Society to conduct a Global Warming talk to 45 primary school students on 06 Nov.

Mr Low conducted the talk from 3.30 till 4.10pm followed by a 10 mins Quiz.

The talk and quiz was very well-received by the students & staff.

Feedback from Staffs & students:
The seminar is very well organized, easy enough for primary school students to understand. Keep up the good work!       
- Ms Catherine Hong, Staff

I enjoyed this talk very much. I think Singaporeans especially children need to have this kind of talk on Global warming more often even though they have heard about it before. Maybe adopting a weekly Veggie Thursday meal will be good for everyone.
– Staff
                                                                                                         

I learn to eat less meat and use less paper. If we use too much paper, a lot of trees will be cut down. I also learnt not to waste food as there are many people in other countries that are starving.                 – Lim Xin Ni, student

The talk is educational. It helps us learn more about Mother Earth. – Anushika, student                                                        

Monday, December 10, 2012

Assembly of Youth for Environment (02 Nov)


 Mrs Pang Fook Hoe, from Queensway Secondary, invited Mr Low to attend the Assembly of Youth for Environment (AYE) event organized by the school on 02 Nov @ Marina Bay Event Square. This is the 4th year Queensway Secondary organized the event and this year’s theme is “Sustainable Energy for all.” Students from 5 schools (Singapore Polytechnic, Queensway Secondary, Swiss Cottage, Blangah Rise Primary and Pei Tong Primary) participated in the event.


Mr Low attended the event from 9 till 11.20am. He distributed Veggie Thursday flyers to the students, and network with teachers from various schools.
He also passed some climate change booklets to teachers who were interested in environmental matters.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

UNFCCC Public Lecture (18 Oct)


Mr Low received an email invitation to attend a UNFCCC Public Lecture on 18 Oct. The event, organized by S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held from 4.30 to 6 pm at Shangri-La Hotel.

During the Public lecture, Ms Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), spoke on the topic: “ Climate Change: Why We Need a Multilateral Solution. ”

Ms Christian Figueres spoke on the urgency of climate change and what UN and various countries are doing to curb climate change. She spoke about increasing energy efficiency to reduce green house gas emissions. She encouraged the young generations to utilize social media such as the internet & facebook to raise issues on climate change.
The presentation was followed by a 45 mins Q & A session.
  
During the Q & A, Mr Low raised a suggestion to promote meatless days as a means to reduce green house gas emissions and conserve the food and water resources of the world.

He cited the findings of a UNEP 2010 report: “A Substantial reduction of impacts (on the environment) would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change away from animal products” to support his view.

Ms Christian Figueres acknowledged that producing meat uses a lot of resources in the world. She commented that people would reduce meat consumption for health reason more than for environmental reasons. Ms Christian Figueres recommended that the Health department, rather than the Environment department, could assist to promote meatless days.

《素食地理跑透透2.0》活动 (10月13日)

新加坡慈济青少年组(简称‘慈青’)在10月13日举办了《素食地理跑透透》活动,向参加活动的60位大专学生推广“保护环境/ 多吃素食”的生活理念。









刘先生在当天上午参访这项活动,受到慈青的热情款待。
慈青组员带领大专学生到植物园进行一系列的环保游戏,游戏项目包括:各国灾难配对游戏、保护雨林游戏、扮演难民游戏等。游戏宗旨在于提高青少年对气候变迁/ 灾难增加的认识,也灌输一些保护雨林/ 减少环境破坏的环保理念。

到了中午,慈青分组带领学生到不同的素食餐馆,向学生讲解多吃素食如何减低碳排放/ 节省地球资源,并介绍一些好吃的素食给学生们品尝。

看到慈青那么热心地向青少年推广素食环保的理念,刘先生深受感动。 希望有更多的环保团体能加入这行列,提高人民的环保意识、鼓励人民减少肉食/ 多吃素食来帮助世界。

以下是一则有关《素食地理跑透透》活动的新闻报导:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXhajMxQkMs

GW Talk @ Sheng Hong Family Service Center (05 Oct)

Ms Liau Yi Fang, from Hougang Sheng Hong Family Service Center, invited Earth Society to conduct a Global Warming talk to 40 primary school students in their Rainbow connect program.

Mr Low conducted the talk from 2.30 till 3.10 pm followed by a 10 mins Quiz. Students in the center listened attentively to the talk and participated actively during the quiz.

Sheng Hong family center conducted a survey with the students after the event. Survey result shows that 80% of the students enjoyed the talk, learned something new about global warming and believed that they can put the knowledge learnt to good use.

Feedback from teachers/ staffs:
“I observed that almost all children are attracted to the interesting animation and video with sound effect. I supposed this is the approach effective to all (P1- P6).  1 short clip conveying 1 concept/ main point to the children audience, it’s really good enough. Overall, I think the event had achieved objective and good.”

“To better sustain the children’s interest and retention of the lecture, maybe can look into the possibility of having another quiz at the middle of presentation. Hence, we have 2 quiz, 1 at the middle, the other at the end.” 

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Assembly Talk @ Chung Cheng High (24 Oct)


Mdm Teo Jo-Hsuan from Chung Cheng High invited Earth Society to conduct an Assembly talk to 400 secondary 2 students on 24 Oct.

Mr Low conducted the Assembly talk from 11.30 am to 12.20 pm. He presented on how global warming is affecting the planet and showcased various solutions that scientists recommended to curb climate change. He also showed short environmental video clips during the presentation.

The talk was very well-received by the students.






The following are some feedbacks for the Assembly talk:

Students’ Feedback:
The talk was very informative and raised my awareness on global warming. It helped me to realize that I can do my part to help conserve the environment.  
– Ng Pei Wen, Chung Cheng High student

The information reflected in the slides are very detailed. They provide a lot of interesting information that we do not know about. There are many videos to keep us interested.                  
- Ip Hei Man, Chung Cheng High student

I will cut down on beef and will eat more veggies. I think today’s talk is very effective. It really made me want to save our planet.       -  Miaoko Kurosaki, Chung Cheng High student

The talk is very informative and allows me to reflect about my actions.
         - Lim Yu Ping, Chung Cheng High student

Saturday, October 13, 2012

《健康no.1》展览和讲座(9月23日)


新加坡报业控股出版的《健康no.1》杂志在9月23日在牛车水佛牙寺旁边的露天舞台举办健康展览和讲座。主办当局邀请地球协会(全球暖化研究小组)当天到露天舞台旁设立摊位,并邀请地球协会在1点正呈现《吃出健康、吃出环保》节目。

地球协会成员在当天9点到达现场。我们设置摊位,向民众传播健康/环保讯息。

到了1点钟,刘先生和组员婷婷到台上呈现20分钟短剧,向台下近100位观众介绍如何《吃出健康、吃出环保》。




观众们都专心观看短剧,并在短剧结束时给与热烈的掌声。有些观众看完短剧就到我们的摊位索取更多健康/环保讯息。《健康no.1》健康展览和讲座活动在下午3点钟圆满结束。

GW Talk & Booth @ Kampung Senang 13th Anniversary event (08 Sep)


Mr Oh Chin Fah, General Manager of Kampung Senang Charity and Education Foundation, invited GW Study Group to set up a booth and conduct 2 outdoor talks during their 13th Anniversary event. The event was held at Kovan hub from 10 am till 5pm.

On 08 Sep, team members arrived at Kovan hub on 10 am to set up a booth and put up exhibition panels to spread the message of environmental protection. 


Mr Low conducted 2 GW talk sessions (on 12.30pm and 3pm). The talk was well-received and some participants stayed back to discuss with Mr Low about climate change and environmental conservation.

Mr Oh invited GW team to attend their appreciation dinner after the event.

GW Workshop @ Kampung Senang (08 Sep)


GW Study Group organized a Free Environment Workshop @ Kampung Senang( Aljunied) on 08 Sep. The workshop was well-received by the participants.

Comments from Mr Ivan Lim, President of Asia Journalist Association:
“ I thank you for the talk which had refreshed my memory of the facts and figures associated with Climate Change issues. At the same time I am encouraged to follow the advice to eat more greens and less meat.
I will keep up with the green agenda and will get in touch when I need to have you speak to my members. ”

Friday, October 12, 2012

How to feed the world by 2050?

In July – Aug 2012, US experience the worst drought since 1956. 61% of US land area is under moderate to extreme drought condition. 88% of corn & 87% of soya bean crops in US is affected by the drought and world food price for corn shoots up by 55%.

Climate change and extreme weather patterns are now affecting the world’s food supply. “How to feed the world in the next 40 years (with population growth and increased extreme weather events) ?” is a question that we would all be concern about.

In Mar 2012, a report commissioned by Cgiar (a research alliance financed by the United Nations and the World Bank) entitled “Achieving Food Security in the face of Climate change” was released to illustrate the complexity of the problem.

The report states that :
Globally our food system is not sustainable. It does not provide adequate nutrition to everyone on the planet and, at the same time, changes to our climate threaten the future of farming as we know it.

On a planet with sufficient food for all, a billion people go hungry, Another billion over consume, increasing risk from chronic diseases.
 “Business as usual” in our globally interconnected food system will not bring us food security or environmental sustainability.

The food system faces additional pressure as the global population grows to around 9 billion in 2050, as diet shifts towards higher consumption of calories, fats and animal products. Meat consumption is projected to increase from 37kg/person/year in 2009 to over 52kg/person / year by 2050 !           

If our current consumption trends continues, demand for cereals (corn & grains) will increase by 70% by 2050, and will double in many low income countries !!!
[That is really unsustainable !!!]

The report recommends that :
We must seize every opportunity to shift away from inefficient farm practices, supply chains and diet choices towards long-term sustainability, profitability and health. It also calls for better dietary habits in wealthy countries, which have disproportionately and unsustainably high calorie intake.


New York Times : Sustainably Feeding a Changing World (April 6, 2012)


“Achieving Food Security in the face of Climate change Full report:
…….

In 2010, a UNEP report “Accessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production: Priority, Product and Materials” shows that meat production uses a lot of land, food and water resources.
“Agricultural goods, particularly products from animals, which are fed more than half of all world crops, have a huge impact on the planet.
Agricultural production accounts for 70% of the global freshwater consumption and 38% of the total land use. Food production accounts for 19% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and 60% of the phosphorus and nitrogen pollution and 30% of toxic pollution in Europe

The UNEP Report states that “A Substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change away from animal products.”

[80% of the world’s soya bean, 50% of the world’s corn & 36% of the world’s grains were fed to farmed animals. The world’s crops can actually feed 10 billion people, but MORE than half of it is channeled to feed farmed animals, leaving 1 billion people without enough food to eat.
It takes 2 to 10 kg of plant food to produce 1 kg of meat. It takes 5 to 80 times more water to produce meat than to produce plant food. Meat production places a huge stress on the planet’s food and water resources.]
……..

UNEP 2009 report “The Environmental Food Crisis” shows that if we reduce meat consumption in wealthy nations to 37.4 kg/ capita in 2050, we could free up enough cereal (which is used as animal feed) to feed 1.2 billion people.
[ Current meat consumption level in wealthy nations is 80 to 110 kg/ capita. (Singapore’s meat consumption level is 90 kg/ capita) It means we would have to cut our meat consumption by more than half to help in the world’s situation.] 
……..

Recent research also reflects the above recommendation:
Eat Less Meat and Farm Efficiently to Tackle Climate Change, Scientists Say ScienceDaily (June 19, 2012)

A Jun 2012 report from University of Exeter, UK, shows that :
To reduce the amount of land needed for farming and leave sufficient land for some bio-energy, We will need to bring down the average global meat consumption from 16.6 per cent to 15 per cent of average daily calorie intake -- about half that of the average western diet.
………..

An Aug report even shows that water scarcity would force the world to adopt a much more veggie/ less meat diet.
Food shortages could force world into vegetarianism, warn scientists  (26 August 2012)

The world's population may have to switch almost completely to a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years to avoid catastrophic shortages.

Humans derive about 20% of their protein from animal-based products now, but this may need to drop to just 5% to feed the extra 2 billion people expected to be alive by 2050, according to research by some of the world's leading water scientists.

"There will not be enough water available on current croplands to produce food for the expected 9 billion population in 2050 if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in western nations," the report by Malik Falkenmark and colleagues at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) said.
"There will be just enough water if the proportion of animal-based foods is limited to 5% of total calories and considerable regional water deficits can be met by a … reliable system of food trade."
……..
From the above news reports, we know that the wealthy nations would need to cut our meat consumption at least by half to ensure that we have enough food to feed everyone by 2050. The world does not have enough food and water resources to support our current level of meat consumption.

As a first step, we can start by adopting some meatless days to help the planet:
www.veggiethursday.sg
http://www.meatfreemondays.co.uk/

On non-meatless days, it is advisable to follow US Food Pyramid "My Plate" when eating meals. [“My Plate” shows that a meal should consist of 1/4 vegetables, 1/4 fruits, 1/4 grains & 1/4 protein. US government is promoting this diet to reduce obesity and return health to the US citizens.
Check it out at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ ]

Let’s do all we can to ensure that there is enough food for all.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Assembly Talk & Booth @ Stamford Primary School (29 Aug)


Mr Wong Yaw Keong, Stamford Primary I&E committee teacher, invited GW study group to conduct an Assembly talk and set up a booth in the school on 29 Aug. Mr Wong met our group during an Environment sharing session in GreenRidge Primary school in 2011.








On 29 Aug, Mr Low conducted an Assembly talk for P1 to P6 students from 7.30 till 8am. He presented on the effects of global warming and solutions to climate change. The talk was very well received by Stamford students. After the talk, we set up a booth in the school canteen at 8am and manned the booth till 11.30 am.





The following are some feedbacks for the Assembly talk:

Teacher’s Feedback:
Good Assembly talk. Pupils will be more conscious about what is happening to our world (Earth) and what they can do to save our Earth.      – Mrs Cua-Tan Li Peng, Teacher, Stamford Primary Sch

It was an interesting talk. It captivated the children and was very informative.
- Ms Vignes, Teacher, Stamford Primary Sch

Very informative and useful talk, not only to adults but also children so that we are aware and play our part.    – Mrs Ruth Goh, Teacher, Stamford Primary Sch

It’s a very educational and stimulating presentation by Mr Low to Stamfordians. The videos are catchy with clear and impactful messages. The pupils see the importance of eating more veggie/ less meat to help the environment.
– Mr Wong Yaw Keong, Teacher in-charge of Innovation, Stamford Primary Sch


Students’ Feedback:
I loved the talk. I learnt that actually the Earth is in a very bad condition. If we do not do anything about this, we will not have a home anymore for our grandchildren to live in. I would recycle and plant more trees. Hopefully the Earth will get well soon.  - Ma Wit Yee Htet OO, Stamford Pri student

I have learnt that there are more than one solution to solve global warming. I like the talk because it was interesting. I will ask my parents to bring their own bag to the supermarket.    
– Sakthi Gowri, Stamford Pri student

I like the talk. I learnt that the ice is melting very fast. I have learnt to eat less meat and use less water. 
– Lum Jing Hao, Stamford Pri Student

It was very fun. I learn how to save the Earth. We would like you to come again next year.   
– Muhd Zulfqur B Ibrahim, Stamford Pri student

SP Env Club Flash Mob @ Orchard Road (18 Aug)


Singapore Polytechnic Environment Club students organized a Flash Mob event @ Orchard Road on 18 Aug. Their aim is to spread awareness to the public to keep the environment clean. 

Ms Elaine, SP Env Club committee member, invited Mr Low to attend the Flash Mob event. As SP had previously invited Mr Low to conduct 3 talks in their school, Mr Low joined in the event to show support.

On 18 Aug, SP Students & SP Green Alumni members met @ Orchard Road at 12.30pm. They stood in a circle and pointed at a pile of ‘rubbish’ in the center of the circle.









Then, they hold up Signs which show “Keep Our Env Clean”, “Do not Litter” and parade around Orchard Road to remind the public to keep the Env clean. They have fun in the event and go for lunch after the parade.


SP Env club is very strong. They even have a Green Alumni, which consist of previous batch of SP Env Club students who have graduated from SP.
5 Green Alumni members even team up to form “EatGrass.Org”, a green initiative to invite the public to reduce their carbon footprint through their choice of diets. [For more info:  http://www.facebook.com/EatGrass.Org ] These youths are really passionate about the helping the environment. 

Friday, September 14, 2012

Assembly Talk & Booth @ Eunos Primary School (13 Aug)

Mdm Cynthia, Eunos Primary Environment Club teacher, invited GW study group to conduct an Assembly talk for P1 to P6 students and set up a booth in the school on 13 Aug. Mr Low had conducted 4 Assembly talks in Eunos Primary over the past years.

Team members reach Eunos primary at 9.30am to set up a booth. We manned the booth from 9.30am till 1pm. Mrs Goh Meow Yin, SH Science, visited our booth to get more information on Climate change.
Mr Low conducted the assembly talk from 1 to 1:30pm. The talk was well-received.

The following are some feedbacks for the Assembly talk:

Teacher’s Feedback:
The talk was very inspirational and informative. It would be good if there was lesser emphasis on statistics and more focus on environmental conservation. It would also be beneficial to get a few pupils to answer questions about the talk.    
– Mrs Goh Meow Yin, SH Science, Eunos Primary Sch

I think the talk is informative and useful. It sparked interesting debate and conversation among the teachers. The lower primary pupils seemed to find the statistics portion a little beyond them. So if it can be tune down a little for them, it would be good.                             – Mr Shane Quek, Teacher, Eunos Primary Sch

It was an informative talk for both pupils and the staffs. The use of multimedia kept the pupils engaged and I am confident that they have learnt much about how they can do their part to make the world a better place. Thanks for coming.                                                               – Mr Marcus Cheng, Teacher, Eunos Primary Sch

Students’ Feedback:
I learn that no water equals to no food. I learnt that some people cut and burn trees to make farms. I learn that the weather is hot because of global warming.              - Cheryl Heng, Eunos student

I enjoyed the talk very much. I learnt about the causes and solutions for Global Warming and climate change. I will eat meat on weekdays only and encourage my relatives to do the same.   
– Coral Koh-Reuben, Eunos student

I like the talk. I learnt how to save my world. I want save my world by stopping people from cutting trees and saving a lot of water.        
–Nur Ajimeera, Eunos student

Assembly Talk & Booth @ Damai Primary School (07 Aug)

Ms Stella Teoh, from Damai Primary school, invited GW study group to conduct an Assembly talk for P3 to P6 students and set up a booth in the school on 07 Aug. Ms Stella got to know about us during an environment event she attended in 2010. (She has been on our mail list since 2010.)








Mr Low conducted the Assembly talk from 7.30 till 8am. He presented on the effects of Climate change on the world and showed students various video clips on Deforestation, Arctic Ice melt, World hunger, Veggie Thursday etc. The talk was very well received by Damai students. After the talk, we set up a booth in the school canteen at 8am and manned the booth till 12 pm.


The following are some feedbacks for the Assembly talk:

Teacher’s Feedback:
It was a very informative talk. Serious issues were delivered in a light-hearted way. I’m sure it will leave an impact on our pupils. It will make them more aware of their actions e.g. when they use water, or even when they take a bite into their favourite hamburgers. Thanks for the talk.                                               
– Ms Regina Ng, HOD NE, Damai Primary Sch

There is really a lot of information for the pupils to grasp. The whole sharing was good and the speaker was really eager to share what he know. I hope he will be back again.             – Mr Dave Yang, Teacher, Damai Primary Sch

Informative with authentic scenarios given to address the growing concern of global warming.                                        – Ms Stella Teoh, Teacher, Damai Primary Sch

Students’ Feedback:
I like the talk because it helps us to learn more about global warming and encourage us to stop global warming. It helps us to learn ways to save the Earth.          - Danielle Isabel, Damai student

I like the videos. Although they are short, they tell a lot of messages. I learn that global warming is causing a lot of trouble i.e. ice cap melting and rising of sea level. I will eat less meat and eat more veg.  
– Kimberly Ong, Damai student

I learnt about Global Warming more than what I know. I appreciate the talk as I found that when man are selfish, one thing leads to another.  I will recycle paper by using both sides of the paper.        –Jethro Wong, Damai student

I like the talk. I learnt that now our Earth is losing a lot of resources and we can help by eating less meat.                                         – Ethan Lee, Damai student