EcoLog20 - Back to Hong Kong

Day 14 – Jinan – Hong Kong - 2 July 08

Had our last Chinese buffet breakfast and set off for the 40 minute ride to the airport in the hotel car. Jinan airport is a new looking large steel and glass structure. I did really like this sign on the doors into the airport.

I wonder what the inbound flights do?

The check in and boarding procedures went without a hitch, as did take off and the rest of the flight…unlike our inward journey.

We had a good view of the urban sprawl as we were coming in to land at Shenzhen.

Were going to catch the airport bus to Lo Wu and then catch the train back to Central but spied a coach service so decided to take that all the way to Kowloon Station, which is just a one stop on the MTR to Hong Kong Station, which is in turn very close to the ferry terminal. It was a stunningly clear day. Possibly the clearest we have seen since we moved to Hong Kong. The views from the ferry back to the city and to outlying islands were amazing.

In Mui Wo we jumped on our bikes and trundled up the valley to our little home on the mountainside. We had missed a lot of rain and a typhoon so had to undertake a bit of a clean up operation. Sweeping the twigs and leaves that had blown from the trees surrounding the house and washing or airing out clothing and leather jackets where the mould process had taken hold…this being a constant hazard during the wet and humid summer months of Hong Kong. And so, it was back to reality.

Stay tuned for the next enthralling tale of Louise and Merrin’s Asian adventures…

By the way here is our travel note that we used to expalin what we were up to...

Grow well
Dr Merrin

Tips for a more environmentally friendly workplace

Did you know that June 5th every year is World Environment Day?

The theme for 2008 is: CO2 – Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy.

The main international celebrations of World Environment Day 2008 will be held in New Zealand. As a New Zealander I am very proud that my old home city of Wellington will be hosting this United Nations day.

Below is a range of ideas on how you and your work colleagues can improve the sustainability of day-to-day activities at work. The ideas are based on a guide put together by the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment which I have modified to better reflect the Hong Kong situation.

Enjoy sharing the ideas in the guide with your work colleagues and Lets make every day, World Environment Day!!!

Easy things to do – most are free (and may even save you money)

• Involve staff, family and your community when looking for ways to improve your environmental sustainability.
• Turn off all lights and electrical equipment (at the wall is best) when not in use. Unplug any chargers since they are still draining power. Look in the boardroom and kitchen for equipment to turn off.
• Print things only when absolutely necessary, use the double-sided or booklet printing option and recycle all paper.
• Use stationery and office paper with at least 50 percent recycled content and FSC accreditation.
• Eliminate, minimise or recycle packaging when making purchasing decisions – check if the product can be recycled.
• Look for accepted environmental accreditation such as ISO 14000 or HK Green Label Scheme.
• Remove individual staff rubbish bins, or promote waste reduction and recycling by providing only a paper box and a small bin.
• Reduce/increase air conditioning temperatures in winter/summer. Moving your thermostat up 2°C in summer or down 2°C in winter can save hundred of kilograms of CO2 emissions.
• Reduce your use of plastic bags instead use cloth bags or reuse plastic bags.

Moderate things to do – minor cost / effort

• Change light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) – they last much longer and use 20-30 percent less energy. Where possible use LED lights.
• Recycle as much waste as practicable.
• Don’t provide disposable crockery or cutlery, and discourage the use of takeaway containers.
• Print business cards on recycled paper and do not laminate.
• Encourage public transport for journeys to and from work and during work hours.
• When purchasing appliances, consider their water and energy efficiency ratings. Select the design that does not need power (a good example is water dispensers that are gravity fed though why not consider using filtered tap water).
• Use 100 percent recycled and chlorine-free paper, non-toxic printing inks, and recyclable toner cartridges for printing and publishing.
• Provide eco-friendly cleaning products, hand soaps and toilet paper.
• Provide Fair Trade or organic tea and coffee products.
• Conserve water by installing water-saving urinals and dual-flush toilets.
• Have real plants instead of plastic plants. Real ones give of great fumes – oxygen.

Significant actions – a bit more cost or effort

• Consider whether you really need to fly to that face-to-face meeting. Take land or sea based transport instead or better still have a teleconference.
• Provide organic food when catering for functions.
• Install lighting occupancy sensors that automatically turn lights on or off, depending on occupancy. These sensors work well in areas such as conference rooms, break rooms or individual offices that are not occupied continuously.
• Make company uniforms from eco-friendly textiles.
• Provide printers with ‘follow-me’ capability to minimise wasted office printing.
• Write environmental criteria into tendering documents, contracts, policies and procurement guidelines – include sustainability of products over their lifetime and end-of-life disposal clauses.
• Recognise, reward and publicise good performance and innovation in sustainable practice.
  In new and refitted building projects, give preference to sustainable building materials, practices and design.
• Select replacement furniture that is made from eco-friendly materials.
• Measure, track and report on progress – what gets measured gets managed.

I am sure a couple of these tips made you stop and think about what you can change in your workplace. Why not now go and see how you can implement one of those tips in your workplace.

If you would like assistance in :

• developing a plan for making your workplace more environmentally friendly
• greening your corporate events

then contact Ecovision Asia (http://www.ecovisionasia.com/)


Grow well
Dr Merrin

Earth Day - Yes it is another one today!

Happy Earth Day to you!

Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970. Find out more about Earth Day and the Earth Day Network at http://www.earthday.net/

Now this one day may be called Earth Day however I make every day an Earth Day – why not join me?

If every day we chose to take on one new way of supporting a sustainable Earth then by the end of the year that is an amazing difference you have made. I have focused on changing one thing I do a week, so that is 52 things by the end of the year. That is a very good outcome for us all.

Choices are simple and I would encourage you to take on at least one new item in your daily life today and then to tell others about what you are doing.

· Business cards – printed on paper not plastic, non-laminated using recycled paper with vegetable based inks. Well… that is 4 things all just in your choice of business card printing.
· Electronic Invoices – Send invoices out electronically, pay online and store the receipts electronically.
· Lights – turn on only those that you need, replace bulbs with more energy efficient ones.
· Appliances – Turn them off when not using them. Not just on standby – flick the switch.
· Air-conditioning – In summer set the temperature a degree or two higher (you can cope being warm – just take off another piece of clothing). Better still turn off the unit and put on a fan. Even better open the window and let the breeze blow through.
· Painting – If you are repainting your apartment then choose an eco paint. We used a clay based paint and it went on easily and did not smell at all.
· Cleaning – For your clothes, the dishes and the bathroom look for the eco options. They work just as well, are less harmful for you or your helper to use and they do not pollute the water with chemicals.
· Transport – Reduce the use of your own car. Take a bus or train when you can rather than a taxi. You can even try walking those shorter distances. It keeps you fit and you may meet a friend along the path.
· 3 R’s - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. There are thousands of things you can do here. Separate out the recyclables from your rubbish and take them to the recycling station.
· Purchases - Choose to buy items with less packaging. Your oranges and banana’s do not need to be wrapped they come in a perfectly natural wrapper!
· Food – Eat less meat and become more vegetarian. I love a good steak though have stopped eating meat everyday. If you just choose to have one meal a day that contains meat rather than 3 meals containing meat then you have made a significant difference to how many methane generating animals have to be grown.
· Air travel – only travel by plane when you have to. Have a teleconference instead. Offset your travel with a carbon programme (http://www.plant-a-tree-today.org/)
· Take time to look at the natural beauty around you. Yes take time to talk to the animals and smell the flowers. It is Earth Day so say hi to you fellow planet mates!!!

Make every day an Earth Day

Grow Well
Dr Merrin