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Saturday, December 4, 2010

Every Small Changes Can Make A Big Difference .



Do you mind spending 3.44 minutes to watch this short video ? =) I think it will mean alot to you too.


It’s a video about the difference between the Heaven and Hell by a Hong Kong artist, Eric Tsang.



If you don’t understand the video, you can always find your friend to translate for you :) LOL I’ve tried translating it but then, I think it would be better if you find your friend to translate for you since my English has gone really bad these days =/


This video really does meant alot to me because it reminds me of how important it is to share with friends, classmates or my family. It is true that you will get more than what you’d gave. This is my personal experience and that is why I’m always happy to share with friends :) But of course, with limit. How could you keep on share things with a friend that only wanted to exploit you? Lol I bet you wouldn’t want to share with him/her sooner or later.

Singapore prides itself on being a clean and green city but a booming economy and a high-consumption lifestyle


Singapore prides itself on being a clean and green city but a booming economy and a high-consumption lifestyle ..
Singapore in tough environmental balancing act.As a major United Nations summit is being held in Mexico to find ways of curbing the carbon emissions blamed for global warming, Singapore's environmental balancing act poses challenging questions for the rest of Asia and the world.

Singapore's green credentials are in many ways very strong and it is establishing itself as a regional renewable energy hub.

Yet, if all Asians emulated Singaporeans' modern and often luxurious lifestyles, greenhouse gas emissions would spike alarmingly.

"If everyone in the world enjoyed the same level of consumption as the average Singaporean, we would need three planets to meet the demands placed on our resources," World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) spokesman Chris Chaplin said.

Singapore was last month listed by the British global risk advisory firm Maplecroft as the world's seventh largest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter relative to its population size.

Ahead of it were only the United Arab Emirates, Australia, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.

Maplecroft's index was calculated by evaluating annual CO2 emissions from energy use, emissions per capita and cumulative emissions of a country over more than a century -- 1900 to 2006.

"The lack of 'clean' energy sources coupled with the growth in Singapore?s economy and the increasing use of cars as well as electronic appliances such as air-conditioners contribute to Singapore's emissions," Maplecroft said in a statement to AFP.

Despite a punishing auto levy and road charges, the number of motor vehicles on its roads reached 925,518 in 2009, up more than 27 percent in five years, with private cars making up 60 percent of the total, official figures show.

In a separate list, the WWF ranked Singapore 21st in the world in terms of ecological footprint, or the demand for resources per person, ahead of such countries as Germany, France and Britain.

WWF's calculation covered not only emissions -- the biggest component of humanity's carbon footprint -- but also demand placed by people on arable land, fishing grounds, forest and grazing land worldwide.

Singapore authorities insist, however, that that the country has had no choice but to rely on imported fossil fuel to power its rapid industrialisation.

The trade-reliant economy, valued at 200 billion US dollars in 2009, is tipped to expand by a massive 15 percent this year.

With a land area smaller than that of New York City, Singapore has no space among its five million citizens for wind farms, while it is devoid of hydro and geothermal power sources.

"We are dependent on fossil fuels because our small size severely limits our ability to switch to alternative energies," the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement to AFP.

It said Maplecroft's index neither reflected Singapore's efforts to reduce its carbon emissions nor took into account its unique circumstances.

"As a small city-state, the use of per capita emissions inflates our carbon emissions," it said, noting that overall, Singapore accounts for less than 0.2 percent of global emissions.

Nevertheless, the government said it was committed to the fight against climate change and was taking steps to reduce the growth of its emissions, including switching from oil to natural gas to produce electricity.

Singapore is investing heavily in clean energy technologies -- it has allocated 770 million dollars to develop innovative energy solutions -- and is building a liquefied natural gas terminal that will be ready by 2013.

This will allow access to gas sources beyond neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia.

It is also pushing its people to do more recycling, doubling its already expansive rail network by 2020 and testing electric vehicles for commercial use.

In another positive move, Singapore has offered itself as a "living laboratory" where global energy firms can develop and test new technologies before mass production.

Norway's Renewable Energy Corp (REC) opened one of the world's biggest solar technology manufacturing facilities in Singapore in November, a project costing nearly two billion dollars.

Vestas, a Danish manufacturer of wind turbines, already has a global research and development centre in the city-state.
Singapore has made Singapore a global hub for renewable energy."

The Indonesian island


Five Reasons to Visit Lombok, Indonesia.........
The Indonesian island of Lombok does not receive as much fanfare as its hugely popular neighbor Bali. Nevertheless, many Indonesians prefer vacationing in Lombok over Bali for many reasons: prices for hotel rooms, food and attractions are often a good deal cheaper, and the island's scenic spots are still unmolested by the gated villa developments, cheap cocktail bars and tawdry souvenir shops that have spread across so much of Bali. At least for now. A large international airport will be completed next year and Indonesian tourism officials will likely be marketing Lombok as Bali version 2. So don't put off your trip — or miss any of these five Lombok essentials.

1. A Homestay
If you're going to Lombok to avoid Balinese-style tourism, then why not pass up on the hotels, spas and plunge pools altogether and opt for a homestay? There are numerous options around the island, including farmhouses and homes in beachside and mountainside villages. Some are quite elaborate affairs, with self-contained accommodation and differing from standard travelers' lodges only by the presence of convivial hosts. Many offer an introduction to fishing, farming or even hunting as practiced by the local Sasak people, plus a firsthand look at the preparation of local foods and maybe a chance to sit in on some craftwork or the celebration of a festival. Your hosts will also be able to show you points of interest not found in the travel guides.
(Watch TIME's video "Indonesia's Green Gamble.")

If you can't pass up on your little luxuries, Yuli's Homestay, yulishomestay.com, in south Lombok is really more of a small resort (it has three comfortable bungalows and a swimming pool), but with a personal touch and lots of local insights supplied by a host couple from New Zealand and Indonesia. H. Radiah Homestay, tel: (62-370) 22298, in Lendang Nangka is a more rustic experience, offering a location smack in the middle of a Sasak village and a great base for hiking.

2. The Lombok Chili Pepper
Since the word lombok means chili in Bahasa Indonesia, you'd expect the locals to know a thing or two about spicy food. The green and red Lombok chilies are often made into sambal — a fiery condiment — with locally grown naga jolokia peppers, garlic and shrimp paste. Sample it as an accompaniment to local dishes like ayam taliwang (grilled wild chicken) and sayur nangka (jackfruit curry).
(See pictures of Indonesia noodle factory.)

3. Hit the Beach
Lombok's beaches are second to none and a blessed relief after Bali's busy strips. Head for the island's southwest to really escape the crowds. Surfers love the big waves at Bangko-Bangko (also known as Desert Point); if its long-walled and hollow left-hand breaks sound too taxing, then try the tiny island of Gili Nanggu, 15 minutes by boat from the town of Tawun. There, the Gili Nanggu Cottages and Bungalows resort, gilinanggu.com, offers a chance to laze on a pristine private beach that encircles the island, or to go snorkeling in the beautiful reefs.

4. Two Wheels Good
Public transport on Lombok is unreliable. Many visitors opt to hire a car and driver, which can be obtained at very reasonable rates, but if you're feeling adventurous try renting a motorcycle — available from shops all over the island. At just over 80 km at its widest point, Lombok is easily traversable and its roads are in great condition for Indonesia — the beneficiaries of recent infrastructural investment. The excellent 21-km coastal stretch from Senggigi to Pemenang winds past beautiful inlets and beaches and is an easy, exhilarating ride. Other, smaller roads meander through rugged highlands, passing secluded waterfalls and verdant rice paddies.

5. Hot, Roasted Worms
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Lombok's people are an eclectic mix of religious and ethnic groups, with the majority being the indigenous Sasak Muslims. There is also a sizable Hindu Balinese population, and significant numbers of Chinese and Sasak Buddhists. All of this means a lively festival calendar. The largest and most colorful festival is the Bau Nyale or Sea Worm Festival. Every February at Kuta beach (that's Kuta beach, south Lombok, not to be confused with its famous Bali namesake), the Sasak people commemorate a mythical princess who drowned herself in these waters rather than enter a politically vexatious marriage. The festival is timed with the spawning of marine worms, which are eagerly caught and eaten — often after being wrapped in banana leaf and roasted — and the celebrations last for four days.
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