But that wasn't highlighted at the conference. There were talks about Smoke Haze, a presentation given by Dr.Rajasekhar Balsubramanian from NUS, Singapore and also about Waste Management System by Dr Jerry Leonard from Canada. Excellent speeches I must say but personally, I could not see how such speeches are anywhere fruitful if specific questions are unasked and unanswered. For instance, there are evidences to show that some systems do work in other countries but are we adopting their techniques to our country without considering some rather important aspects like culture and our customary routine? and if we do, are we going to keep negotiating about what's best without actually starting a project?

Perhaps I'm being too critical without taking everything into consideration but the whole picture so far shows more initiatives are taking place without actual progress. Now, because we know how important it is to keep a country clean and more important to always remember to REUSE, REDUCE, RECYCLE and after listening to the speakers yesterday, we must also RECOVER and to have RESPONSIBILITY. No, no more 3Rs, it's 5 Rs now! But what is the point to have everything planned out but no support from the majority?

To make a difference, oh one can indeed make a difference but it takes every individual to make a real change, a real significant change! Trust me, we don't need to be Einstein to know how to reuse plastics, reduce electricity consumption when not needed and to recycle unwanted goods. Yes, I do mean goods because someone's waste is another person's raw-material! Indeed, such a statement can only be made after hearing Ms Anita Roper from Australia that gave a talk on "How Green Business can be Good Business". In pure honesty, there were a lot of questions, relevant to private and government sectors whom would like to start going green but they just don't know where to start.

Thus, addressing their queries aloud and at the end of the discussion, the main point drawn was basically for individuals, companies, private and government sectors to take the risk on implementing a well-drawn up plan! The last presentation was on "How BSB can be a Sustainable City - Ideas and Suggestions", presented by Dr Djoko Prihanto. He gave a very well drawn up presentation with many technical aspects of town planning - what should be done and so forth. I was however very disappointed when "sustainability" was not highlighted in the presentation. Sustainability is basically to allow us, this generation of homo sapiens to consume as much as not to impede the next generation from having what we currently have. We cannot consume more than we need for that is not sustainable.

We cannot destroy if we don't need to destroy for if such is done for the sake of development then such a development is ruthlessly unfruitful. Why? Because a balance is not achieved. A balance is needed to be achieved from all aspects of economy, social and environment before true development takes place. This then tempted me to raise a question- which I should have asked only did not manage to yesterday. If an area is found to have endangered species (and I do mean being endangered worldwide), would you strip that area for development? Would that be sustainable?

If that area is the habitat to some of the world's most endangered birds and mammals, would you "develop" that area? If yes, wouldn't that strip "biodiversity" from the picture we so proudly show? What would you suggest?

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where is recylce bin??
written by LO , August 23, 2009

I am also frustrated to see or hear some of people or organisation saying 3R or 5R!! I even hard to find the recycle bin or that is already full but no one to settle it.

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to LO
written by Floweret , August 25, 2009

3R and 5R are good ideas, something that we should keep in mind. Nothing wrong with that. The only problem that lies in this is how people only TALK about it but there are no actions whatsoever to really PROVE what they are talking about. Thus, Actions speak louder than words. But sad to say, it is one proverb that hasn't been applied in this situation!

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How to GREEN??
written by alis , August 25, 2009

Solar import need 20% tax! Some country no tax and provide a special support.. We support GREEN, many thing have to change to support who wish to invest in GREEN. If still 20% tax, say GREEN, difficult to next step.........

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to alis
written by Floweret , August 29, 2009

Although solar power has just been initiated as a project on the run, we have to understand that the whole point of preserving green-ness is not just the idea to gain money from it (through tax) but it's saving and preserving what we have because this is the country's treasure and because we are preserving these, we can at the same time earn money through it. Priority is put first hand on preserving and then business, not the other way round. If business is on the upper hand, then the greenery of the country may not last so long because it is only in the techniques applied to save the forest (or the environment) can it be applied for good business. How do you know how much to get from a forest, say, if you don't know the forest? If you want to invest something worth, this is something worth.

We have stripping away so many parts of the forest around the world for concrete development and before nature could show us what they truly have, we have destroyed them.

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