Go Green
PROJECTS / COMPETITIONS
On 28 August, 2009, the Leo Club of SMK Sultan Ahmad Shah organised a contest to promote environmental awareness among Leos and Lions. The contest was open to all Leos of SMK Sulatn Ahmad Shah. Participating Leos were required to write an article on the topic 'Go Green'. The top 3 articles were chosen on 18 September, 2009 by the panel of judges. The following are the articles by the 3 finalists.
Go Green-Save Our Forests
By Leo Iqran Edzereie bin Kamarudin (4 Bestari)
The indigenous peoples of the forests make up less than four percent of the world population. But, about 95 percent of the cultural diversity is found in this part of the world. In addition, over 50 percent of the population in areas of high biodiversity is found. Wild animals had never hunted as a sport and forests have not cleared to make money.
Today, scientists want to preserve rainforests because the rainforests are rich in biogenetic resources. The market value for plant-based medicines in the year 2000 was a staggering RM 178.6 billion. But, in order to develop these medicinal plants efficiently, the scientists need one’s knowledge system. Without it, they would need to experiment with fewer the five plants before finding the right ones to use for producing medicine.
The world should recognize that the indigenous people’s knowledge of the rainforest has been passed down from one generation to the next. There is a special relationship between humans and nature.
Even though scientists recognize one’s contribution to the world of medicine, many states treat them as backward, unproductive and even destructive people. The do not acknowledge their brilliance. They deny their land rights, relocate them forcibly and take over their territories when they build dams.
Wider diversity has been created by cross-breeding medicinal and food plants. So, leave the forests, animals and rivers alone. Do not destroy them in order to build dams. Preserve and protect the landscape of this world. When the last tree has gone and the last wild animal has been hunted, will this be good news and contented? Please do think about it.
Go Green
By Vimmal Kumar S/O Vasantha Kumar (2 Bestari)
Have you ever thought about going green? No I am not talking about painting yourself green – I am actually asking if you have ever wanted to be friendlier towards our environment. Well, if you said yes, then here are a few tips on how you can do your part to save our environment.
1. One of the easiest and most fun ways of saving our environment is to start gardening. You may wonder why, but gardening actually helps increase the oxygen content in the air and eliminate carbon dioxide.
2. Reforestation is another way to help our environment. This not only helps combat global warming but also reduces problems such as soil erosion and water pollution.
3. Carpooling is another way you can save the environment. It helps reduce the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the environment. Besides, carpooling also helps you reduce your monthly expenditure.
4. You can also help the environment by turning trash into important everyday items. For instance, you could use an old cup (that you were about to throw away) to hold your stationeries or use old sheets of newspaper to wrap someone’s birthday present (it may not look that appealing but what matters is what’s inside the present).
5. Use reusable bags when shopping and say no to plastic bags. If you are going to a grocery store to get your groceries, bring your own carrier bag. And if you are not buying a lot of things, just say that you don’t need a bag.
6. Finally, get together with friends and help spread the message of going green.
Go Green
By Leo Navin Kumar S/O Vasantha Kumar (4 Bestari)
Wanna 'Go Green'
But how???
Like most of you have seen on television, many people are switching from petrol consuming vehicles into hybrid vehicles. Some even fix solar panels onto their roofs to rely on a renewable and non-polluting source. As effective as they are, these actions simply cost too much. Just because you don't own a hybrid car or have solar panels, it does not mean that you are not Eco-friendly. There are a lot of simpler yet effective ways on how you can make a difference.
Here are a few easy yet effective ways to do so:
1) Showers
Let us start with the most simple thing we all do every day, taking a shower. Most of us enjoy taking baths instead of showers. Baths are wonderful but what we usually forget about taking baths is that it wastes a large amount of water over a short period of time. However, taking a shower is a lot more energy efficient than baths. We should start taking shorter showers and baths. 3 to 4 minutes is optimal.
2) Water systems
Next, we can making a huge difference by making sure that all our faucets are turned off and not dripping when not in use. Imagine how much water you can save by doing something this simple. You should also ensure that all pipes are in good shape and not leaking.
3) Dishwasher/ washing machines
You can also save water by ensuring that your washing machine or dishwasher is always full before running it.
But why???
1) Air pollution
As humans, most of us tend to be selfish and in considered. We focus on ‘now’ but not ‘the future’. Many of us still think of global warming and pollution as a myth but do not realize the dangers we face in 10 or 20 years. Humans have this character since the dawn of time. But it really began to take effect during the industrial revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuries where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport. The development of steam power to run engines whether in ships or cars triggered the speeding up of global warming. The percentage of pollutants in the air increased rapidly. Since then, more and more people are infected with diseases.
2) Water pollution
Water is the most precious resource to living things. There is no resource that is misused, abused, misallocated, and misunderstood the way water is. Factories contaminate water by releasing chemical substances into rivers or oceans. As a result, our drinking water becomes a mixture of all sorts of chemicals. Other than that, water pollution can also affect aquatic wildlife terribly. Mutation of animals and plants can be caused by our irresponsible behavior.
We should all be a part of this change to ensure a safer and cleaner future. You can be someone who uses paper and drive an ordinary car but you can still make a difference in other areas by using energy efficient light bulbs or recycle. Small actions can lead to huge changes. Imagine this, if one person can save a whole bucket of water by turning off his/her faucets while brushing their teeth, imagine the amount of water a hundred or a thousand people can safe by doing the same thing. Think about it.
