Image from Earthday.org

Tomorrow is 22nd April 2011 and it is Earth Day. Since it was first introduced in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson, but only after several years in the planning. This year, Earth Day 2011 is being organized around the theme of A Billion Acts of Green®, which encourages individuals, corporations and non-corporate organizations to “live and act sustainably.”

What does “live and act sustainably” actually mean?
Every year, there’s a theme for earth day and everyone will harp about it and later forget about it.  If everyone only do certain things on Earth day, what about the rest of the days in a year ? Like the theme this year, we are encourage to live our life according to what we pledge on earth day. Not only for 1 day but through out the rest of the year. I have not been writing for the past few months because I am busy. Is that a good excuse, to some it’s not a excuse at all. Earth Day maybe just a day every year that we celebrate our home EARTH but we must keep her in our everyday life and to do all that is neccesary to maintain her well being because if she is SICK, than we are in big trouble.

Everyone can do their part. Some decide to green their area, educate more people about climate change and green economy. That is very good. But most importantly, everyone must do their part. Earthling MUST love EARTH. If you don’t, than everyone is DOOM. I am not trying to hamper or bring gloom and doom but sustaining earth is everyone’s responsibility and not just a few. ” Human are like virus” – a quote from Matrix the movie. I agree with that phrase because we move from place to place, we multiple, use up the resources and move on. If we continue to keep wasting resources and torturing mother Earth, we are in for very serious consequences. Climate change, global warming to name a few. Everyday in the news we hear and read about melting glazier, earthquakes, tsunami etc.

The latest incident in Japan in a very sad. After being strike by a 9.0 earthquake that trigger a massive tsunami, they had to deal with damage nuclear reactors. Yes, everyone said that nuclear power is clean energy. Is it really clean ? Does Japan think it is clean after what happened ? Is having nuclear power so important that we are willing to risk our future generation. The last I read, they are pumping seawater into the reactor and later the seawater are being push back into the ocean. I’m no scientist but I don’t like the idea that radioactive waste(not sure of the term) being thrown into our ocean. Will this effect out ocean ? Fishes, seaweed, food supplies. Some of the radioactive waste are also leaking into the ground. What will be the outcome of all this ?

I live in a country that does not use nuclear power yet. There are talk of building a nuclear power plant. Should we or shouldn’t we ? No doubt, having a nuclear power plant will enable the country to generate more electricity but are we prepare for the backslash ? Yes, many of you will say that, if we built it, it’ll be the latest technology and not like the one in Japan. Mind you, Japan’s was the latest when it was built too. They never forseen that they are gonna be hit by a giant tsunami. What happen in Japan can happen elsewhere. So ask yourself, if what happen in Japan were to happen to you, what than. Prevention is better than cure. Say “NO” to nuclear plant ? Or allow nuclear plant to sprout like mushroom all over earth and pass on this legacy to the next generation, along with mutated fishes, radioactive soil that bear food that feed the farm animals that everyone consume. THINK! Every parent tries to leave something behind for their children. In their will, properties, money, valuable etc. All these things are useless if EARTH that is our HOME is pump with radioactive waste.

” We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,
we borrow it from our children.”

~ Native Indian proverb 

As I mention above I live in a country that does not have a nuclear plant but that does not mean  we do not have radioactive waste. This incident happened before I move to Ipoh and apparently, there are still radioactive waste. “…. Experts visited the Papan dumpsite and declared it unsafe with radiation up to 800 times the accepted level.”  The latest news is there are plan to build a processing plant in Gerbang, near Kuantan(my hometown) that will refine slightly radioactive ore from Australia. Read more here.

As we countdown to EARTH DAY, ponder and think, what have I done to mother earth. Do I want to go down in history as one of the virus that infected mother earth ? Or is it too late to stop the destruction. Will my children’s children curse me for leaving them a home that is not even liveable. You decide.

HAVE A GREEN EARTH DAY.
Green bitch/witch

Happy Heritage Day 2011.

Tin Mining in Malaysia 1800-2000: The Osborne & Chappel Story. Written by David Palmer and Michael Joll.

Yesterday I was in Gopeng for the launching of David Palmer’s book titled Tin Mining in Malaysia 1800-2000: The Osborne & Chappel Story. Have been working on the book for the past few months and am very glad to see it published and launched. The book is published by Muzium Gopeng who are also offically opening their “Heritage House”. The event was officiated by the Minister of Tourism YB Dato’ Sri Ng Yen Yen.

Dato Ng Yen Yen holding the book with the author David Palmer on the left.

Hard covered,  352 pages, and featuring a wealth of original illustrations, maps, tables and never before seen photographs.  Priced at RM100 / GBP20 (excluding packing and postage). You can order by email from Mrs Mai Palmer –   mataniph@yahoo.com .

Heritage House in Gopeng

The Heritage House is located at 6, Jalan Sungai Itek, 31600 Gopeng. Tel : 05-3597828.  ”It is the latest building in Gopeng to be restored with the aim of transporting visitors back in time to have a glimpse of how life was when the Kinta Valley had the richest tin mines in the world.” – source Foong Thim Leng ~ Starmetro. Visit to Heritage House is by appointment only and there’s also a “homestay programme”. Beside the Opening of Heritage House and the launching of “Tin Mining in Malaysia 1800-2000: The Osborne & Chappel Story”, Muzium Gopeng is also celebrating their 2nd Anniversary as well as World Heritage Day. The town that once was the base for “Sup Yee Kongsi” (Osborne & Chappel) is moving towards Heritage Eco-Tourism. Well done Gopeng.

To all, cheers. HAPPY HERITAGE DAY 2011.

“It is not the HONOR that you take with you but the HERITAGE you leave behind.” – Branch Rickey

greenbitch/witch 

In less than 2 weeks time chinese the world over will be ushering in the new lunar year. This year is the year of the rabbit. I’m taking this opportunity to wish everyone who will be celebrating this festival a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. May your life be blessed.

While all of us are enjoying ourselves, let’s not forget to do 3R. Re-use previous year decorations and if possible use “angpow” to create your own chinese new year decoration. To get started on your own DIY deco, click here.

green bitch/witch  

I’m sure everyone is now in holidaying mood. Partying and enjoying the festive season with family, friends and making new ones. Just a note or may I say a reminder as we celebrate a close of 2010 and the begining of 2011, please think of mother earth and try not to go overboard with wrappings and over packaging of gifts. Remember 3R. Below is a proverb that I think everyone should remember. This is not to dampen you holiday spirit but to make you be more aware.

” Only when the last tree has died

and the last river has been poisoned

and the last fish been caught,

will we realise that

we cannot eat money.”

- Cree Indian Proverb

Signing off – May next year be even better than this year.

Green bitch/witch

Tomorrow is 22nd September and chinese the world over will be celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival or better known to most as Mooncake Festival or Lantern Festival to the younger generation;  (traditional Chinese: 中秋節), is a popular harvest festival celebrated not only by Chinese but Korean, and Vietnamese people.

Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated every year on the 15th day on the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It is a date that parallels the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar, when the moon is supposedly at its fullest and roundest.This year happened to fall on the 22nd September, Wednesday. To many, this is the day the family gather to eat mooncakes and kids will play with lantern. I’m not too crazy about eating mooncakes because they are so very sweet. There are many variety offered to cater to every taste. Mocha flavor, green tea, durian etc. You name it, they’ll create it. How did this festival comes about ?

During the early years of the Qin rule, chinese people practice praying to the sun in spring and moon in autumn. The Mid-Autumn Festival derived from the tradition of worshipping the moon. The forefathers believed that the harvest depended on the Moon Goddess. Without her showers of rain and constant changes to reflect the season s, it would be impossible to have a bumper harvest. The rites and rituals for moon worship were usually done on a grand scale.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the few most important holidays in the Chinese calendar, the others being Chinese New Year and Winter Solstice, and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos under the moon together. Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural or regional customs, such as  putting pomelo rinds on one’s head ; carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, floating sky lanterns ; burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang’e (Chinese: 嫦娥 ); planting Mid-Autumn trees; collecting dandelion leaves and distributing them evenly among family members and etc.

The ancient believed that the sun was yang and the moon was yin. Hence, the deity that lived in the moon had to be a female fairy. Every culture all over the world have their own myth and legend regarding the moon. For the chinese it’s the tale of Chang-e flying to the moon that has been circulated since the Han Dynasty and she has been associated with the moon ever since. Below is a concise version.

The Legend of Chang-e

Once there appears to have 10 suns in the sky causing people to suffer. The divine archer Hou Yi shot down 9 of them and was banished to earth with his wife Chang-e to live as mortals. Later, Hou Yi acquired an elixir of immortality, but as he had changed for the worse after living on earth, Chang-e drank the potion and flew to the moon alone.

For a more on the legend read here.

So how did mooncake becomes part of the celebration ?

Legend has it that it originated towards the end of the Song Dynasty when the Mongols invaded China. The common folk suffered under their rule and hence planned to revolt. To keep their plans from being discovered, the hid messages in round cakes which were sent to every family. On the 15th night of the 8th month, the people rose up in revolt and killed the Mopngol invaders as they slept. Mooncakes are eaten on this day every year to commemorate this event. The round mooncakes of the past have since evolved into the present-day mooncakes with fillings. Mooncakes are round, symbolising reunion and completeness. Therefore, eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival represents the family’s togetherness and living in sweet harmony.

As to how lantern are associated with Mid-Autumn Festival, I am still not sure. Since I can’t find any reference to it accept that it’s part of the custom or ritual to light lantern and float sky lanterns. Normally, children are the one most happy, parading their lanterns.

Whatever the case, enjoy your mooncake. Psss…. try not to buy mooncakes that overdo on packaging. As we enjoy this day, please remember that reducing our over indulgence on unneccesary packaging can slowdown the process of turning our earth into a garbage minefield. Go for minimalist packaging and you can still enjoy the festival. Whatever the day, festival it maybe, practice your 3R – Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.

HAVE A WONDERFUL MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL.

green bitch/witch