IF EVERYONE took a small step to start reducing waste production from home, that huge sum of money could be used for better social and physical developments.
A simple way to do so is to make your own eco enzyme that acts as an effective cleaning agent, replacing soaps and detergents made of chemicals that pollute underground water, then rivers, and eventually the entire ecology.
This eco enzyme is simply made from water, brown sugar and unwanted fruit peels or vegetable dregs before being evenly mixed and fermented for three months. This “wonder” enzyme can then be used as a detergent, dish cleanser, natural antiseptic, air freshener and even for pet care and pest control.
Well, you can learn how to do just that from the Justlife Group at a public demonstration on Saturday, June 20th at The Star’s Studio V in the 1 Utama Shopping Centre. The company together with the Beautiful Gate Foundation will be conducting the demonstration from 11am to 1pm. This is part of The Star’s efforts under the “Go Green, Live Green 2009” Campaign.
The first 100 people to come for the demonstration will each take home a complimentary bottle of eco enzyme. Registration starts at 10.30am so be there and do your bit for the environment! Admission is but is limited to 100 pax on first-come-first-serve basis.
Organic waste such as fruit peels and vegetable dregs can be put to good use, simply by turning them into eco-enzyme with the fermentation process.
Eco-enzyme acts as an effective cleaning agent that can replace soaps and detergents that are harmful to the ecosystem.
If you have missed The Star’s Green Day Celebration two weeks ago, here’s another opportunity for you to learn how to make eco-enzyme at home.
Natural cleanser: Dr Joean Oon who specialises in naturalpedic demonstrating the use of ecoenzyme to clean vegetables.
Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled and Justlife organic products chain will show you the making process on June 20 from, 11am to 1pm at Studio V, 1 Utama Shopping Centre.
The organisations have also prepared 100 bottles of eco-enzyme to be given away on a first-come-first-served basis.
It is learned that eco-enzyme can be used as detergent, dish cleanser, natural antiseptic, air freshener and even for pet care and pest control.
It can significantly reduce waste produced from our kitchens, too.
THE Parliament building is now friendlier to wheelchair-bound MPs and visitors as its special lift is ready for use.
Chief Administrator Datuk Kamaruddin Mohamad Baria said: “Disabled visitors can now park their cars at the back of the Parliament building, wheel down a low-gradient ramp, which is covered with anti-slippery mat, to get to the back entrance of the Parliament. Then they can take the lift up.”
Convenience: Norizan trying out the lift for the disabled at the parliament building yesterday.
He said the proposal was to accommodate wheelchair-bound MPs like veteran DAP MP Karpal Singh and other visitors.
Wheelchair-bound Norizan Kasbi was pleasantly surprised when he saw the lift during a visit to Parliament yesterday.
The former Johor Umno Youth information chief was the first disabled person to use the lift.
“This is thoughtful of the Parliament administration,” said Norizan, 47, who became paralysed after a road accident in Sabah in 1999.
YOUTH and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said handicapped people should not be referred to as “disabled” but “people with special ability” (“Disabled people have special abilities” – The Star, June 13).
As a person living with a spinal cord injury and tetraplegia, I respectfully disagree with him in this matter. For the lack of better terms, I would prefer that we stick to “disabled people,” not even “people with disabilities”.
The term “people with disabilities” puts the burden of the problem on the person.
“Disabled people”, on the other hand, describes people whose interaction in society is limited by environmental and attitudinal barriers. We are disabled by these factors which when removed also removes the disability.
Our collective desire to play an active part in society is severely hampered by the multitude of barriers that we face at every turn of our lives.
Referring to the minister’s statement that many of us are not “disabled” because we have special qualities that sometimes non-disabled people cannot even match, I would like to point out that not every disabled person can achieve such feats, nor do we desire to be super achievers of such calibre.
Likewise, not all non-disabled persons want to scale Mount Everest, swim across the English Channel or are able to sprint 100 meters in under 10 seconds.
Most disabled people want to lead ordinary, but meaningful, lives just like everyone else. Even this simple desire can be difficult to be realised for some.
The Government should spend more time resolving the outstanding issues, especially accessibility in the built environment and public transport faced by the majority of disabled people, instead of coining terms that do nothing to empower us.
What is the point of being called “people with special ability” when we cannot even get out from our homes safely because the environment around where we live is inaccessible?
Does it matter to us if the minister wants to use a supposedly more positive term to refer to us when we cannot even use public transport to move around conveniently?
We cannot escape from the fact that no matter what positive phrases are used, disabled people are still the most marginalised community in the country.
The Government should seriously work towards improving the quality of life of disabled people by removing barriers and providing relevant social support where required.
The 30-Hour Famine 2009 Ambassador 饥饿30爱心大使 - A-Mei, 张惠妹, was in town recently to show her support to the campaign. She spent almost 2 days in KL to officiate the Press Conference and took time off her busy schedule to be with the residents of Beautiful Gate, who is one of the beneficiaries of this year’s Famine.
A-Mei in with some of the residents of Beautiful Gate. She said she was the person who gained the most by spending time with them
A-Mei with Famine Advocates, Organizer & Co-Organizers.
More pictures in our Facebook page. Join us as a fan today for regular updates!
Together to grace the Press Conference were 30-Hour Famine Advocates, TV and radio personalities - Belinda, Gary, Roshan and Nicholas as well as our co-organizers, media partners and sponsors. We at World Vision Malaysia extends our gratitudes for your support and hopes the 30-Hour Famine now takes off to reach RM1million we aspires to raise this year in focus of Global Food Crisis.
We would like to thank members of the media for the coverage given in support of this campaign. We hope through these highlights, more Malaysian would be inspired to be a part of the cause we advocate for and join us in making a difference! Here are some of the news..
DO YOU know that local councils in Malaysia are paying 40% to 70% of its annual access tax for rubbish disposal?
That is to say, a large chunk of your money has to be used to deal with rubbish. And, if everyone takes that small step to start reducing waste production from home, we can put that whopping sum for better social and physical developments.
A simple way to do so is to make your own eco enzyme that acts as an effective cleaning agent, replacing soaps and detergents made of chemicals that pollute underground water, then rivers, and eventually the entire ecology.
You can learn how to do that from the Justlife Group at The Star’s Green Day Celebration 2009 slated for this Sunday from 8am to 3pm at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Kepong.
This is how we do it: Low showing a Star employee how to make eco enzyme at home.
The company, Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled and Section 19 Petaling Jaya Residents’ Association, with the support of Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and Danish International Development Assistance (Danida), have embarked on a project promoting the use of eco enzyme.
It will also conduct an “Earth-Saving Diet” presentation from 10am to 11am on that day.
“Just remember the 1:3:10 proportion. To make the eco enzyme, prepare one portion of brown sugar, three portions of fruit peels or vegetable dregs in relation to 10 portions of water and put them all into an air-tight container,” the company’s communication executive Connie Low said during a demonstration held at The Star’s headquarters recently.
The evenly mixed contents are then left for fermentation over three months. The cover has to be opened once everyday during the first month to release gas.
According to Low, eco enzyme can be used as detergent, dish cleanser, natural antiseptic, air freshener and even for pet care and pest control.
“It can significantly reduce waste produced from our kitchens,” she said.
Technical advisor Dr Theng Lee Chong from Danida also gave some insight on the country’s solid waste management.
He said even though recycling efforts in Malaysia had beefed up over the past few years, more could be done for the ailing planet.
The Star’s Green Day Celebration 2009 to take place mainly at the FRIM football field will be abuzz with activities to spread the message of ‘’Go Green, Live Green”, the theme this year.
There will be guided nature trails, canopy walks and tree climbing demonstrations conducted by the Malaysian Nature Society and FRIM.
BonusLink will run a variety of activities with sand art for children being among the highlights while Philips energy-saving bulbs will be given away at The Star booth on the day.
The Permanis Recycling Stop will give away Revive canned drinks for recycled newspapers, Skateline will show how to do in-line staking while WWF Malaysia will collect signatures in support of its ongoing turtle campaign.
The Drum Circle, BRATS and Kuntum will also be there to sizzle up the atmosphere. Suria FM and TV3 will provide live entertainment with prominent artistes Malaysian Idol Farah Asyikin and Fazli Zainal and Akademi Fantasia artiste Aizat taking the stage.
As for the RED FM’s Morning Breakfast Crew, it will be promoting its popular campaign “Shake Our Hands to Win 10 Grand with JD & Dilly!” at the venue.
Better still, there’s a Car Boot Sale for you to do some shopping. FRIM has taken up six cars while the others had been made available to the public. Interested parties can contact 03-6279 7591/ 7577 (Hazlin/ Salmah) to register.
The event is open to the public free of charge. Visitors are encouraged to take public transport as parking bays are limited, and do come wearing green to show your love for Mother Nature.
.JPG)
