This is the premise of Be Cool, the new printer sustainability campaign launched by Epson Southeast Asia. The regional campaign was created to remind customers that it is possible to maximize efficiency and productivity while reducing environmental impact. Banking on the brand’s expertise in innovation, businesses can choose to Be Cool and discover how Epson technology makes the sustainable choice a simple one.

The campaign is fuelled by Epson’s range of EcoTank and Business Inkjet printers that use Heat-Free Technology to deliver advanced benefits over laser and thermal inkjet technology. It also features the world’s first[ PaperLab is the first office paper making system to use a dry process, based on Epson research conducted in November 2016.] dry process office paper-making system, PaperLab.

“Our Be Cool campaign demonstrates how Epson’s Heat-Free Technology and PaperLab can transform the way businesses work by helping increase productivity, while saving on energy consumption and use of resources. By making the switch to our cool products, businesses can take an active role in the journey towards promoting greener, more sustainable businesses across Southeast Asia,” said Tan May Lin, Regional Director for Epson Sales Division, Retail Products, and Regional Brand & Communications.

Printing can Be Cool

Be Cool brings three product lines front and centre to highlight how its eco features can help significantly streamline processes and give businesses a competitive advantage.

Epson’s Heat-Free Technology ensures that its EcoTank and Business Inkjet printers use no heat in the ink ejection process, which means less power consumption and more savings on electricity costs.

With this original technology, no heat is required for printer warm up, allowing you to save time with consistent high-speed printing. Since inkjet printers do not have fusers that need heating, less energy is consumed, resulting in cost savings for the business. Epson’s EcoTank and Business Inkjet printers also use fewer parts and consumables that require replacement which minimises user intervention and increases productivity.

Pushing the envelope on environment-friendly technology is Epson’s first in-office paper recycling system, PaperLab. Powered by Dry Fiber Technology, PaperLab turns wastepaper into new paper, using a virtually dry process[ A small amount of water is used to maintain a certain level of humidity inside the system.], in just 3 minutes[ Approximate values. Output speed, first sheet out time may vary depending on environmental conditions.]. It uses only about 1/100th[ Water consumption of ordinary paper includes water used in the growth of the trees that supply the virgin pulp. Ordinary paper means paper distributed in Japan.] of the water it takes to make an equivalent mass of ordinary paper so that businesses conserve water while reducing the volume of paper that must be transported to off-site recyclers.

When data security is crucial for your business, PaperLab delivers absolute certainty that key confidential waste is safely and effectively destroyed. It removes toner and inks and reduces the wastepaper into fibers. This means information stays safely on site with no need to trust external contractors.

With PaperLab’s unique technology, water is conserved, less heat is used, carbon footprint is reduced, and wood resources are saved. Combined with Epson’s heat-free printing solutions, PaperLab helps build a recycling loop in the office and promotes a circular economy for businesses.

Make the switch

By highlighting the synergy between Epson’s Heat-Free Technology or Dry Fiber Technology with the products’ productivity features, the Be Cool campaign presents how performance and sustainability can go hand in hand and urges businesses to make the green choice with Epson’s business solutions.

To learn how you can make the switch to sustainable technology, visit the website or get in touch with your local Epson Authorised Dealers.

In just a span of one month, I have been to a few events that tackled the issues concerning the environment and more particularly with Climate change. It is a global issue, or rather it is now considered a crisis that everyone needs to react to and do something about it. Environmental organizations today are pushing for immediate solutions.

Just recently, I find myself rushing and coursing through the traffic of EDSA. It's really becoming a problem and one of the causes of carbon emissions. The government should really find ways to control this. Anyway, I was late but still was able to grasp what was Lamudi is pushing through with the talk.

The issue of Climate Change is one that is pushing the Philippines to act upon its weak spots and harness its strengths. “It’s inevitable,” Lamudi CEO Bhavna Suresh says during the media roundtable. This is in partnership weth Holcim Philippines and Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA). Though the country may be facing a dire situation, there is plenty to be done in response to climate change, from big, industrial efforts to small, household changes.

Lamudi's first panel of discussion is about Sustainability Efforts for the Philippines of NGOs and Private Organizations. NGOs, private organizations, and green developers were represented in the discussion, which tackled the roadblocks to green development in the Philippines and determined the efforts already in place to steer the country into a greener future.

Highlighting Resilience

“Most of our coastal municipalities want to be cities eventually. How do we push them towards not just sustainability but also push them to also look at measures that will make them resilient as well?” Atty. Angela Ibay, Head of the Climate and Energy Program of the World Wide Fund for Nature, posed an important question at the roundtable, steering right into the thick of the important topic of sustainability and climate change.

Angela Ibay, Head, Climate and Energy Program of the World Wide Fund for Nature

In a country that is dotted with high-rise mixed-use buildings and humble coastal homes, the effort to save the environment is tightly coupled with the measures developers can take to safeguard the value of their legacy. One solution, something as simple as planting trees, encourages the growth of foliage and relieves some of the urban heat island effects our cities are experiencing right now. However, it is not enough.

“It’s not a question anymore of whether you can control climate change or not. It’s about adapting to the effects of climate change. It’s here. We are experiencing it now,” says Wesley Caballa, Senior Manager for Sustainability of Costa Del Hamilo Inc. According to Caballa, Hamilo is actively pursuing efforts to protect mangrove forests to do their part as a company.

Hamilo is one of many companies that have started making changes in keeping with a more climate-conscious business ethos. Climate change has not spared the Philippines with its onslaught, and with lives at stake, developers cannot sit around and wait.

Wesley Caballa, Senior Manager for Sustainability of Costa Del Hamilo Inc.

“We are already in an area of the world that is highly, highly susceptible to all these natural disasters, and climate change made us more vulnerable to that,” adds Justine Santos-Sugay, Director for Resource Development and Communications of Habitat for Humanity.

Addressing Roadblocks to Sustainability

The Philippines has not been remiss when it comes to sustainable efforts. One of the problems developers and real estate experts face, however, is misinformation or lack of dissemination at the grassroots.

“When you ask a common fisherman, ‘What do you know about climate change?’ Sometimes they say it’s synonymous to disaster without knowing why,” adds Caballa. “It’s really important for them to know what is wrong, what climate change is all about.”

Santos-Sugay weighs in: “When you think about it, when you look at the issue of climate change, climate change seems to exaggerate or re-highlight a lot of the already pre-existing social themes.”

Justine Santos-Sugay, Director for Resource Development and Communications of Habitat for Humanity

One issue all Filipinos will relate to, especially in the Philippine capital, is the water shortage. Despite the typhoons that visit the country and leave damage in low-lying areas, there is water shortage because the rainfall missed the dams that are meant to supply water to the majority of the city. Ferdz dela Cruz, former Chief Executive Officer of Manila Water Company, Inc., emphasizes the urgency of the matter: “It’s up to us to make hard choices for us to be resilient. There are no easy choices at this point. For us to make that, we need to have a constructive dialog and without the misinformation.”

Ferdz dela Cruz, Former Chief Executive Officer of Manila Water Company, Inc.

Dela Cruz also mentions the disparity in the supply and demand for water supply. According to him, “There are two issues on water--there’s the supply side and there’s the demand side. On the supply side, there is a roadmap of what needs to be done, but there are delays in the execution of the roadmap. There’s always opposition to a big water project.”

Long-term solutions to water shortage and climate change are further hampered by the lack of initiative at the individual level. According to Dela Cruz, people forget about the problem once they have water, but it quickly resurfaces when another water shortage is felt.

Sustainability in the Commercial and Industrial Sectors

Much of the effort real estate developers have put into sustainability can be seen in the commercial buildings they have strategically positioned in key cities. Jaime “JJ” Fernandez, Strategic Management Consultant of Menarco Development Corporation, mentions the savings Menarco Tower is able to pass on to its tenants through its sustainable design. According to Fernandez, “There is an estimate that the tenant will save about 20% in terms of energy consumption because the way the building is built is very efficient.”

Fernandez also highlights the human aspect of thinking sustainable. “Prospective tenants would rather pay a little bit more rent” when they know the building will take care of their employees.

This, paired with Dela Cruz’s observation that people will be more responsible if the problem pinches their bill, makes the case for green developments: rather than lose money in inefficient designs, developers, tenants, and residents can save by prioritizing sustainability.

James Buskowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Buskowitz Group

The Philippines, which receives ample sunlight because of its equatorial location, can do more to utilize solar energy, one of the most efficient ways to be sustainable. James Buskowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Buskowitz Group, explains that projects harvesting solar energy come in levels: “Residential scale has always been the goal, but not in the beginning. Typically, when a country starts developing solar projects, it always starts with utility, then it goes to commercial-industrial rooftops, then it goes residential.”

JJ Fernandez, Strategic Management Consultant of Menarco Development Corporation

Ar. Amado de Jesus, Vice Chairman of the Philippine Green Building Initiative

Now, it's really great that even big companies like Lamudi are creating solutions even in simplest ways.

This was my post back in 2010 https://www.kwentonitoto.com/2010/10/recycling-tips-plastic.html. Giving tips on how to recycle plastics. I'm not sure how many people were reached and informed about this article but I'm very much thankful that I was able to share it online.

After 9 years of gradual reducing, reusing, and recycling it has become irrelevant now, it isn't the solution anymore we need to make a drastic change and raise the banner of saving the planet if we want to save the future of humanity. As most of environmentalists and scientist are now telling we don't have much time, we are now in crisis. The changes in weather patterns, climate changes, and earthquakes are signs that the planet is in chaos.


What happened to the call of Severn Cullis-Suzuki at Rio Summit in 1992? There were agendas created but the execution wasn't enough. Now, Greta Thunberg is sacrificing her Fridays not attending school to protest and force the government to shut down factories and companies degrading the environment. We only have a few more years to go before everything that we so-called living planet will be gone.



We people haven't really learned! The story created by Dr. Seuss, The Lorax, isn't just a story for kids but it transcends every generation and yet we haven't learned from it.


Climate change has already reached the level of a planet-wide emergency - with devastating consequences for people and all living things. And it is quickly becoming much worse.

According to scientists, in order to stop the increase of the earth’s temperature at the safest level still possible – below 1.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels – the rich industrialized countries have to reach near-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2030 and all other countries have to reach near-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.

This coming September 20-27, 2019, different parts of the world will conduct Global Mobilization for the Climate Emergency! For the Philippines, you may join on September 20 at Liwasang Aurora, Quezon Memorial Circle, QC 1:30PM to 6:00PM.

Keeping in mind and thoroughly going through the meaning of sustainability in relation to an organization makes the whole process, operations and implementing stands of TGI Fridays easier to look at and understand. The company operates by licensing its products to other companies for better and faster retrieval and ordering of the company's raw material needs. Going through a limited resources from the company's management and operations I was able to analyze and get data concerning their needs and what areas to improve in terms of sustainability.

Global brand needs to set a standard and for a company that is known to most people, accreditation for standardization from third party boost up the quality of the services plus uplifts the status is a must. As for TGI Friday's Restaurant's sustainability matters, ISO 14001 is one of them.

The second principle is The Economic Domain which implies more on the demand and supply. “Adopt an appropriate accounting system, fully aligned with the planet's ecological process and reflecting true, comprehensive biospheric pricing to guide the economy.” This domain or principles tells more about the things a company or organization should know, one is the demand and supply which is always present in the management system of a company or organization and in the case of TGI Friday's demand and supply plays a very important role. In order to sustain the operation of the company there should be an abundant resources in order to supply the needs of their customers.

Companies evolve and sometimes dissolve. The life span of companies is based in its sustainability, the stronger the foundation to sustain the company the longer its life span. Development and progress occurs when sustainability is present.

Sustainable Development or Sustainability may have been the most and well used term at present, specifically in organizations, governments and companies that participates after the United Nations released the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development that warns not only governments of every country but also companies and organization to use the present natural resources wisely.  With this, everyone started using the term “sustainable development’ as a major concept in preserving the natural resources and at the same time progress and develop for the good of everyone.

Anna’s passion for the environment blossomed with her first child in 2005. Together with her husband, Dylan, the successful British multi-millionaire who gave up his fast cars and wealthy lifestyle in England to work for the poor in the Philippines, the couple decided to use cloth diapers after reading that it takes 500 years for disposable diapers to biodegrade and that many of the chemicals in them are toxic. Anna struggled with the decision (especially when washing squishy nappies!) but initial reluctance became a conviction that their inconvenience was a small price to pay for their kids to know a world that is still intact and beautiful. Their desire to live a more sustainable and ethical lifestyle extended to the products they used on their children and themselves, opting for fewer chemicals and less stuff in general, resulting in less waste and a smaller carbon footprint.

Camille, on the other hand was already experimenting with cosmetics as early as elementary school! She eventually became a freelance make-up artist and joined a cosmetics company after college. However, her longing to merge her passion for cosmetics and her conscience to help the country was still waiting to be fulfilled. 

Anna and Dylan spent a year in the US between July 2007 and June 2008, where Dylan was setting up a network of volunteers for Gawad Kalinga. Whilst in the US, Anna observed a growing trend of natural and ethical products penetrating the mainstream market, making them more accessible to ordinary Americans instead of just being products for the wealthy and the elite. They were now present in supermarkets and drug stores at more affordable prices. She wondered whether this phenomenon could be replicated in the Philippines. Were Americans the only people who could have the privilege of enjoying a healthier lifestyle and saving the environment? 

Camille joined the couple halfway through their US assignment. Soon the sisters started doing more research on how to bring affordable, natural products to the Philippines, work that they continued even after coming home to the country. Their persistence finally paid off and the Human Nature brand was born. 

Human Nature was launched in November 2008. Today, it has become the country’s leading and trail-blazing social enterprise, hailed by Entrepreneur magazine as “the game-changer of the decade,” and studied as a successful working model for a social enterprise by students at Berkley University, California and Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore. It has sold almost 3 million products through its network of16,000 dealers and its 19 branches all over the country. This year, it started selling its mineral makeup line Love Minerals at Beauty Bar, the only Filipino cosmetics brand carried by the premiere personal care chain. A selection of Human Nature’s best-selling products is available at Rustan’s Supermarket and Shopwise. Human Nature is also distributed in the US and Singapore, with more plans of expansion on the way. 

Human Nature employs Gawad Kalinga residents as part of its full-time staff and has started work on a Human Nature Organic Demo Farm at the GK Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan. Guided by the principles of being PRO-PHILIPPINES, PRO-POOR and PRO-ENVIRONMENT, the company continues to strive to provide prosperity to the Philippines through successful and sustainable social enterprise and quality natural products for all Filipinos. 

Philosophy 

Gandang Kalikasan, Inc., the company that brings you the Human Nature range of natural personal care and beauty products is founded on three core principles of being PRO-PHILIPPINES, PRO-POOR, & PRO-ENVIRONMENT. 

PRO-POOR
From the beginning, the company was set up with the goal of providing more livelihood to Gawad Kalinga residents and communities. The dream is to set up GK communities as globally certified organic farms which can produce world-class raw materials for Human Nature products. Work has already started on the very first Human Nature GK Organic Farm in Bulacan in partnership with NGOs that specialize in organic farming and processing. As firm believers in fair trade principles, Human Nature buys raw materials from its community-based suppliers at fair trade prices, and sometimes even above market prices if the market price is not enough to provide a good quality of life for the farmers. 

The company employs GK residents from nearby communities in Quezon City and provides a fair living wage which is much more than the minimum wage required by law. It also provides warehouse staff with full benefits and overtime pay in order to promote dignity of work. 

PRO-PHILIPPINES
Human Nature products are 100% made in the Philippines. It sources as many raw materials as possible from the Philippines and will only import if there is no local availability. All too often, multinational companies (or even Philippine-owned ones) will source their products and raw materials abroad if the price is cheaper by even a few centavos, costing Philippine jobs and sending that money out of the local economy forever. Human Nature wants to invest in Philippine-made products because it believes in the country and its people. 

During the product development stage, potential raw materials are evaluated based on two criteria: Can the plant/herb/raw material be sourced locally? If not, can it eventually be grown in the Philippines so that the company can find ways to start an industry producing it? Only when an ingredient meets these qualifications is it used. For example, Tea Tree Oil is a very popular ingredient but it can't be grown in the Philippines so it is not used in Human Nature’s formulations. Lemongrass is widely grown and produced in the Philippines so it is in many Human Nature products and the company continues to seek ways to use it. 

Human Nature believes that Filipinos can produce world-class finished goods. Other countries have reached prosperity by buying raw materials cheaply from poor countries and turning them into expensive finished goods. Think of Switzerland – they produce some of the finest chocolate in the world, yet not a single cocoa bean grows naturally in Switzerland. They buy cocoa from around the world, turn it into chocolate and sell it back to the country that grew it for many times the price! The only way for the Philippines to become prosperous is for it to produce not just raw materials, but world-class finished goods and for Filipinos to start buying Filipino products. 

Let’s face it, the Philippines will be mostly agricultural for a long time to come and for as long as they only grow rice, its farmers will always be poor. But other countries have developed first-world economies from agriculture. Think of France – what do they produce? Fine wine, champagne, the best cheeses, expensive natural fragrances... some of the most valuable natural products in the world come from France. If our farmers grow okra, they can often only get 50 centavos per piece or less. But by switching to, say, organic aloe vera, they can earn as much as P50 per leaf – a hundred times the value. This is how Human Nature aims to help the country – by sourcing locally at fair trade prices, producing world-class finished goods and exporting them around the world. 

PRO-ENVIRONMENT
Human Nature takes its responsibility of being nature’s steward very seriously. It carefully deliberates on the impact of all its business decisions on the environment. For example, all raw materials are thoroughly researched to ensure that they are naturally derived, are not processed using environmentally toxic processes and do not become toxic when released into the environment after the user has finished with the product. It also uses recyclable bottles in its packaging to minimize its impact on the country’s overburdened landfills. 

Human Nature is about loving the Philippines, loving the environment and loving people as it provides only the safest and purest world-class ingredients for them. These are effective AND affordable organic and natural personal care products that feel as good on your skin as they do in your heart. We hope that you will find a sense of peace and purpose knowing that your everyday choices have a positive impact on the poor, our country and our planet. 

Advocacies 

Gandang Kalikasan Inc was created by Anna M. Wilk and Camille Meloto, two of the daughters of Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga (GK). GK has already transformed more than 2,000 slums in the Philippines into beautiful, peaceful communities that are on their way to becoming productive too. 

Gawad Kalinga is recognized globally as a world-class Filipino movement for nation-building by everyone from Harvard University to the National Institute of Education in Singapore. In 2006, GK won the Magsaysay Award, Asia’s Nobel Prize. Human Nature’s vision is that as soon as GK villages are capable of producing its ingredients to the highest standards, the company will equip and empower them to grow and process the raw materials needed for its products. 

Beginning October 2010, 100% of all profits earned by Human Nature from the sales of its best-selling Citronella Bug Spray have gone to the farmer’s cooperative in Labo, Camarines Norte, Bicol, which supplies the organic citronella oil used in the product through thePhilippine Federation for Environmental Concern (PFEC). This contribution has not only funded new extractors to improve their production, it has also uplifted their community by funding a school renovation and providing healthcare for the farming families. 

Human Nature’s certified organic lemongrass essential oil is sourced from the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc.(AIDFI) in Negros Occidental. AIDFI provides renewable and cheap technologies to rural folk to help supply the basic needs of water, sanitation and energy. In 2010, AIDFI won the BBC World Challenge with its perfection of the hydraulic water pump that provides water to remote villages. With this technology, the lemongrass farmers in Negros were able to produce organic lemongrass essential oil for Human Nature.

Through its partnerships with these noble organizations, Human Nature hopes to bring sustainable livelihood to Gawad Kalinga communities to fulfill its vision of creating hundreds of world-class community organic farms in the Philippines, providing livelihood for thousands of its poorest people. 

Human Nature is available through Human Nature dealers and branches. The Flagship Store is located at 463 Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City. To learn more about Human Nature products, contact a Human Nature dealer, or find out how to be a Human Nature dealer, visit www.humanheartnature.com, your nearest Human Nature Branch or call (02) 931-5787.

Band

Natural and man-made calamities and disasters have plagued the world and new health threats are continuously emerging, but one alarming issue that has gained worldwide attention once again is the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue, Malaria, and West Nile Fever from the traditional zones of the tropics to Europe and North America. Afflicting over 700 million people and resulting in millions of deaths annually all over the world, the danger posed by these diseases is such that they can no longer be ignored.

Many have resorted to chemical short cuts and quick fixes to address the issue, but it was a group of French men who turned back to nature to find a long-term and ecological solution, and thus Para’Kito was created.


Para’Kito is an all-natural mosquito protection band and clip that’s easy to wear and stylish, that both adults and kids wear with pleasure. Using technology to understand nature, the Para’Kito solution is a patented device, proven to provide a strong and long-lasting protection against mosquitoes. In January 2012, Para’Kito became the first mosquito protection product to be approved as a medical device in the European Union and Australia.

What makes it effective?
Tests conducted in a French national laboratory, which works closely with the World Health Organization, concluded that Para’Kito is a technological breakthrough in the domain of personal protection against mosquitoes. Testing done in other laboratories in Europe, Australia, and the USA further proved that Para’Kito is effective against Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex the three main species of disease carrying mosquitoes.




Unlike other mosquito repellants, Para’Kito uses a proprietary combination of seven natural essential oils - Lavendula, Geranium, Citronella, Maritime Pine, Patchouli, Clove, and Peppermint. These oils are sourced from around the world, blended in France, and impregnated into the replaceable pellets using a patented technology that assures long-lasting effectivity despite the natural volatility of these oils. The combination of the seven essential oils creates a complex veil of molecules that mosquitoes are unable to see through or adapt to. In the case of chemical-based alternatives, mosquitoes eventually adapt to the solution and evolve into a stronger breed. A vicious cycle is created, each time requiring a stronger, and most likely a more hazardous formula to combat a new strain.

While other repellants and devices count their effectivity in hours, each Para’Kito pellet is 100% efficient for 24 hours a day for 15 straight days.

How Safe is Para’Kito?

With all the talk about DEET over the past few years, more and more people are becoming aware of the serious danger this hazardous chemical poses.

Using all-natural ingredients, Para’Kito is safe for all ages. Para’Kito is hypoallergenic and non-toxic, being DEET and chemical-free. It is recommended for individuals susceptible to skin allergies and irritations, as the pellet does not come into contact with the skin.

It’s effective. It’s Safe. What Else?

Para’Kito is a mosquito repellant not a mosquito killer. What most people don’t realize is that mosquitoes play an important part in the ecosystem, plant pollination being one of their least understood activities. Para’Kito is a symbol of commitment to providing a sustainable solution to the alarming situation by working with the environment, while nurturing and protecting it at the same time.

You can trust Para’Kito to work every time and all the time no matter what. It’s sweat- and water-proof, and effective in all climates, giving you no reason to be without it.

Gone are the days of sticky lotions, unsightly sticker patches, smoky chemical mosquito coils, and bug sprays. Para’Kito is not only the most long-lasting and safe mosquito repellant available, but also the most stylish and easy to wear personal anti-mosquito protection device in the market. Choose from Para’Kito’s wide range of color and graphic bands and clips that you can mix and match for any occasion.

So go ahead and live a life without fear or worry of mosquitoes. Soak up the sun, go on an adventure, and be spontaneous! It all begins with Para’Kito.

To know more about the Para’Kito lifestyle, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter:


ParaKito Philippines
@ParaKito_PH

Make sure to get your genuine Para’Kito color bands, clips, and refill pellets at over 130 retail partners nationwide.

Create an eco-beautiful style with a demonstration on green living at the "Simply Ecological Earth Day Exhibit" from April 22-29.

In partnership with The Philippine School of Interior Design, the exhibit will feature an Eco-board on how to shop with sustainability in mind, and showcase 18 ec-inspired displays from Our Home, Muebles Asia, Modufit, Dos Pueblos, Lazy Boy, Muebles de Abubot, Urban Concepts, Dimensione, Contempo Design, Space and Style and Linden Teak.


More and more people around the world are finally realizing the importance of conserving our natural resources and protecting Mother Earth. We know that we can do our part by following thethree R's - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - but not a lot of people know that you can start right in your own home!

Come to Interior Zone at SM City North EDSA and find out how!

Why would Dr. Seuss write something about the environment and why have it in less comprehensive audience? As for my understanding during Dr. Seuss time it is very hard to go up against with big names and big companies. People standing up to their believes are being suppressed by powerful tyrants. They would not listen to any thoughts about the environment and the effects of what they are doing. Perhaps that's one of the reason why Dr. Seuss made it into a children's book. Also I think he got the idea that if you want to change the world start with the kids and children's books are one of the most powerful influencer. Kids read books whether it is in school or at home.

Not really sure if he had read Jose Rizal's writings but the idea of teaching the young ones the importance of the environment and letting them picture what will happen is somewhat similar to Jose Rizal's famous quote “the youth of today is the hope of tomorrow” (not exactly as it is but the thought is close enough).

The story of The Lorax does not only talks about the environment but it does show ideas of the economy as well and how filthy rich people takes advantage of different situation. In other words greediness comes in, moral issue is much more likely. Being opportunistic is not bad but grabbing the opportunity in the expense of others is not a good call of success.

Remember the story of a young girl who stands and talks about the environment in front of the representatives in the United Nations (not sure if it is a conference or a summit)conference? Yes, she made the whole world listen to what she have said and perhaps that was the start of the change. Just like the quote in Dr. Seuss The Lorax “unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” It is indeed that unless there's one person that will make a small act, not only for the environment but also for the next generation to come, things will for sure change and it's for the better.

It was an opportunity seeing a movie like "The Lorax", especially this days that our world is experiencing an environmental issue.

The Lorax is one of Dr. Seuss classic children's book story and it was given life in 3D animation with wonderful new characters, including a boy, whose journey is to search for a magical creature that will win for him the affection of the girl he loves.

The Lorax' story centers on one of the most important issue of our time, saving our environment.  It is set in an imaginary world that is polluted and grim, because of Once-ler, a strange creature obsessed in cutting "Truffula" or trees, thinking that this will help him craft "Thneeds", which he thought everyone will need.  In the end, after realizing the sad consequences of his action, Once-ler gives the boy the last truffula seed and asked him to plaint it for trees and fauna to return.

The story of The Lorax is relevant today.  virtually almost all of the country's ecosystems have been significantly transformed or degraded.  Philippine ecosystems have changed more rapidly due to deforestation, pollution, urban congestion, marine and coastal degradation and loss of biodiversity, which have worsen the impacts of climate change in the Philippines.

"Trees are very important in the country's roadmap in the battle against climate change, they clean the air while at the same time serving as carbon sinks", Secretary Mary Ann Lucille Sering said.

The NCCAP, approved by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III November last year, has seven thematic priorities, one of which is Ecosystem and Environment stability.  Environmental sustainability therefore means maintaining healthy and stable ecosystems, which is a necessity especially amidst changing climate.





"Adapting to climate change requires the action of everyone.  We need to have everyone informed of what they can do to save the environment, and in the long run, the future generations.  We have to act now if we want our children to have genuine trees in their time", she said.

In cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAid), the CCC aims to share the morale of the story to young and old alike as they launch their video against climate together with the premiere of the movie.

The video will be shown in all SM and Ayala cinemas for one whole year.

"Our video will show that people from all walks of life should be involved in addressing climate change.  Small actions count big, and collectively they can make an impact", she added.

"It's not too late. We still have genuine trees around us.  Climate change is here and we need to adapt.  Let's take care of the environment and we will be more climate resilient in the future," she said.

This video ad created by the Climate Change Commission together with the other agencies will be shown to all SM and Ayala Cinemas to raise the awareness of having renewable energies.  Watch the video and learn from it. Simple and yet informative.

This is the Shirt

One of the Miss Earth of 2008 who joined with us  in the Tree Planting Activity (It's not that shirt that I am donating. Hehehe)

Not an Environmental Activity but in the Organization it's called Social Environment (A Medical Mission for the indigent people in Pampanga)

This is not about home and household tips nor about dining or kitchen wares but instead it is about economic issue and an environmental as well. How many people do you know that always keep their meal consumed with no leftover and their plates are clean, in a sense? Maybe you’ll think and say quite a few or none at all. I do get that response mostly because to them, leaving your plate clean is something odd for them. There are quite few people who do consume their meal and most of them I think are well aware of the problem, economically and environmentally.

On restaurants and fast food chains you’ll find that there are lots of foods being taken for granted. There are leftovers everywhere and this are all put into the trash leaving it for the consumption of stowaway cats, dogs, rats, cockroach, and other insects or animals which consumes leftovers. Though these scavengers like eat this, still, these are foods that are wasted. I know that it’s the individuals prerogative to consume it all or not but to think of it, at least they should have thought of the process how it is produced.

Foods pass through a long series of production cycle. This involves not only man but the whole environment. One good example is the rice production. Rice is one of the common foods consumed by man and planting it is really hard takes time to produce it. The process starts in watering and cultivating the land. It takes days to till the land. Once it is ready, rice seeds are tossed in the nursery area and waited till leaves sprout out from it. After that they are planted on the tilled land, giving spaces for the rice plant to grow perfectly. Then farmers wait for three to four months till harvest time. Rice grains are harvested and run through a machine to peel of the rice grain coating. Then that’s the time that they are sold to market. The whole environment is involved in the production of rice. That’s not the only process that the food passes through. From the farm to the market, from the market to the restaurants, and from the restaurants it is cooked by the chef and later on served to the consumers. Imagine how long the process is and then people just waste those precious grains. Rice is only taken as the subject but generally all foods undergo with the same process. So foods should not be considered as a mere commodity that we consumed but as one of the precious materials and a life giving source of this world.

Just always think of the process how they are produced. Maybe you’ll understand why we shouldn’t waste any food. You’ll never know how long will this world’s resources will last. So as long as there are enough resources on this world lets make it worth consume what we can and don’t waste anything. There are lots of people die in hunger just think about them.

If you’re observant enough you’ll notice that most appliances, electronic devices, gadgets and other materials or equipment that people are using now are using Styrofoam to support them and avoid any damages. These Styrofoam are not biodegradable materials. I don’t have any idea on how long will it take to decompose and become part of the reach soil but it is for sure long.

Today, there are great changes about these big companies of appliances and electronic gadgets. They are now answering the call of Mother Earth. They are now little by little lessening their use of Styrofoam while others are eradicating it and they are switching to recycled boards and papers. Recycled boards and paper can also hold and support their products just like how the Styrofoam does it. It is nice to hear that companies are now learning to recycle and reuse to save and conserve the natural resources.

Now, since Styrofoam is non-biodegradable material how can we recycle and reuse something like this? Well, there are different ways and scheme. We just need to be creative and imaginative. As long as we know that our main goal is to recycle and reuse. Here are some ways that can be done about Styrofoam.

1. Being creative can really be of help in conceptualizing ideas on how to use Styrofoam material again. One idea is to use it as garden pots. Just scrape off the inner portion of the Styrofoam to make it as a basin or make it more likely of a pail so that we can put the garden soil and plats in it. Just make sure to put holes at the bottom. This is to prevent drowning from water and for the excess water or unused water to sip through. Second idea is to use it as cork board. If the Styrofoam is flat and equally leveled you can easily use it as a cork board and post important reminders and papers on it. A little creativity, design and frame to hold the Styrofoam plus the pushpins then viola you have your own cork board. Third idea is if you like creating and making sculptures and miniature designs, you can easily use Styrofoam as one of the materials in creating your masterpiece.
2. If you’re not creative but you are imaginative you can use the Styrofoam as a useful tool inside the house. You can use it as a support to your appliances. Edges and corners of big appliances can really scratch vinyl tiles and materials like it. So in order to avoid it, just try using the Styrofoam as a support, protector, and stopper. Also if Styrofoam is big and large you can easily use it as a leverage to elevate your home appliances especially when there’s flood.
3. You can also use it as a sealing material to cover those tiny little holes on the roof. I’m not really sure if there’s any bad effect or if it is harmful but my father tried using it as a sealant by mixing gasoline with it. It melts when mixed with gasoline and becomes a sticky material that can be use to patch and cover those tiny holes.
4. Last if you don’t have any ideas on how to reuse and recycle Styrofoam materials just simply look for companies or establishments that recycle Styrofoam materials. Send it to them instead of having it in your home acquiring dirt and possible breeding area of mosquitoes. You’ll even get paid if they are paying for that.

These are some of the ideas and ways on how to recycle and reuse Styrofoam materials. You can even add more ideas if you have any. Mother Earth sure needs us and by just simply doing little things can make big changes.

Plastics are widely used, from simple households to multi-million dollar companies. With the present situation of the world, plastic is considered threat to the environment. I don’t have any statistics confirming of how many people are using plastic daily but there’s one that is for sure, most people in the world use it, specially industrialized countries. This material is not easily decomposed. It takes twenty to twenty five years or even more before they are decomposed and become part of the sustainable soil. With the present threat of plastic, large companies are now programming their use of plastic, others are little by little reducing their consumption, and others are acquiring or are now using decomposable plastics which come from special material that can be stale.

So as an individual how can we help reduce the use of plastic? There are different ways that an individual can help in this campaign.

1. Reuse plastic. Since most of our activities now involve plastics, we can at least reuse some of the plastic that we get when we do our groceries. These plastics are still in good condition and can still hold or carry items. Try to fold them neatly and place them in jars or containers. In this manner not only that you keep it organized, you also keep them away from acquiring bacteria and dirt. Also it will not be mistaken for a trash.
2. Reduce the use of plastics. When going to the grocery or any convenient store, try to bring with you your own container or bags. Or if you can carry it with your bare hands just simply inform the bagger that you’ll not be using any plastic. This is one way of reducing it also. Some grocery stores are also now reducing their consumption of plastic bags by having one day of the week that they will not use any plastic. Meaning when you go to this grocery you should bring your own bags.
3. Recycle plastic by being creative. If you’re an artist and art is your passion, you can simply help recycle plastic by creating beautiful crafts and arts. Out of this used plastics you can at show your creativity. Also there are cooperatives that have already recycling program as part of their livelihood. They are not only recycling but they are also making a profit out of those recycled materials for their families. If you’re not that creative at least try to use those plastic marked with bio-degradable logo in disposing bio-degradable wastes. Or if you just want to dispose it, just simply go to any recycling areas.