ECO ASIA PART 1 – A simple and real idea 10:10

Join the global campaign to get individuals and organisations to reduce their emissions by 10% in 2010, launched on 1 September 2009.

A 10% emissions reduction (whether your life revolves around a countryside school, a city office or a tropical home) is possible and meaningful. 10% is more than recycling your potato peelings but a lot less than going to live in a cave.

It therefore appeals both to eco-doomsters who think that humankind needs to make massive changes within a decade and to practical householders who simply want to do their bit and save some money.

At Traversing the Orient we think 10:10 will work because people instinctively know that they can make some small(ish) changes, reduce the amount of energy that they waste and save money along the way.

This month we look at some influential figures leading the way, offer 10 easy tips to reduce your carbon footprint every day, as well as look at a responsible travel destination.

What will your 10% look like today, tomorrow and a year from now?

Go Green without Going Broke: 10 Budget-Friendly Ideas

Going green isn’t just for granola munchers anymore. It’s also a smart business decision. In light of today’s escalating energy costs, “greening” your home and office by reducing energy will translate into instant savings. You’ll love your svelte, new budget and you’ll also do your part to prolong the health of Mother Earth. Here are 10 easy and cost-effective ideas to help get you started.

1. Waste Not, Want Not

All waste that your business and home generates might be costing you unnecessarily. So take a hard look at where and how your lifestyle creates waste and come up with ways to reduce, reuse or eliminate it completely. One area that generates lots of waste is the food and drinks department. Encourage co-workers and family to be more environmentally conscious when grocery shopping. Recycle your bottles, cans, cartons and paper. Send them to a local recycling plant or do it the Asian way and let your maid take care of it!
2. Water Me

Some of the world’s rivers are emptying faster than nature can fill them up. Households use tons of water everyday, and there are definitely ways to cut back on wasteful use. First, check your home for water leaks that may be going unnoticed. When feasible, shut off all water-using outlets and monitor your water meter. If it’s showing water input, you have leaks in your system. The money for repairs will be considerably less than the money literally being washed down the drain if you don’t. Turn off the water when it’s not being used. Install low-flow faucets, toilets, valves and energy-efficient washers when your budget allows.

:

3. Shut it Down

Effective immediately, make it a policy to shut off all lights and equipment when not in use, and especially when the office is closed or you are out of the house. Electronics use energy while they’re plugged in, even if they’re switched off – a common culprit is the mobile phone charger! Make this simple task a complete no-brainer by plugging all of your electronic goods into an energy-efficient power strip so at the end of the day all you have to do is flip one switch.
: 4. Bright Idea

Sometimes you have spend in order to save…be it a lighting system tailormade for your lifestyle or eco-friendly bulbs, in the long run lighting can account for as much as 40 percent of your electricity bills. One way to keep this costly energy-guzzler at a more manageable level is to replace incandescent lights with fluorescent bulbs, they use 40-60 percent less power, reduce heat values and last ten times longer that the average bulb.

:

5. Paper Cuts

Help preserve fragile forests by reducing your paper waste. Set your printers to print double-sided or collect used paper that’s blank on one side and printed on the other. Stock your bathrooms with recycled tissue products. Finally, if you are still one of the old school who puts pen to paper, send out correspondence on recycled paper whenever possible.

:

6. Flex Your Green Thumb

Offset your carbon footprint by doing some simple but beneficial landscaping. Planting leafy trees or shrubs on your balcony or garden will not only give you stellar curb appeal, it will also increase your water efficiency and restore oxygen back into the air. And if you’re feeling extra-ambitious, contact an organization that plants trees on your behalf to neutralize your carbon footprint. Some of these programs could even be tax-deductible and it’s a great way to spend some quality family time together.

Check out www.plant-a-tree-today.org

:

:
7. Get with the Program

Don’t heat or cool an empty building! Program your thermostats to automate your AC system so you scale back your cooling when night falls or nobody is around. In fact, Asia in general needs to kick the habit of cooling buildings just so that they get a chance to wear winter fashions indoors. What is with that? In the summer, set your system so your desired temperature kicks on about an hour before you arrive home.

:

8. Not So Friendly Skies
Traveling today is not only costly it’s bad for the environment. Encourage your school or staff to begin carpools and use public transport in congested cities. Bangkok’s BTS and MRT systems enable thousands to avoid wasting hours in snail pace traffic and in Makati even the Jeepneys are going green. Owning a car is not a status symbol, unless it’s a red Ferrari, and even that wasn’t made for the traffic jams. If you really want to get active, start lobbying for more cycle paths.

:

9. Responsible Remodeling

Planning to remodel an outdated space? Make it green by building with sustainable materials like bamboo flooring or wall panels, recycled metals, energy efficient windows and other locally-manufactured materials. Asia probably isn’t as advanced as the west in government environmental measures, but check the current standards for commercial properties to see how you can earn a green building certificate. Building with energy-friendly materials could result in a sweet return on your taxes come tax season. Enquire about eco-certified bamboo wall paneling at

www.bambou-limited.com

:

10. Glamorous Green

Ditch bottled water and opt for a water pitcher and water dispenser. Serve it with a lemon wedge or cucumber slice and you’ve got top-notch water! Use environmentally-friendly, clean-burning soy candles rather than paraffin candles, which contain petroleum. Say no to plastic bags and invest in a re-usable grocery bag. For a feel-good factor, donate old magazines to a local shelter or hospital…they may well still end up on Bangkok’s Chatuchuk market on the secondhand stall, but at least you will have set the recycle trail into motion!

:

ECO ASIA PART TWO – Celebrity Environmentalists

There is a new green wave, making a significant splash in show business worldwide. Celebrities are becoming environmentally conscious, taking an active role in championing worthwhile causes and challenging their fans to become more environmentally aware.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is not only a Hollywood A-lister, he is also a passionate crusader for the environment. His passion, he says, comes from watching documentaries about the environment as a child and then later visiting places like the Brazilian rainforest. Leo has, in fact, been involved with environmental causes for many years through his own foundation (www.leonardodicaprio.org).
Last year, Leonardo launched his co-production Eco-Town with Discovery Channel, a TV series telling the story of a Kansas town devastated by a 2007 tornado and set to be rebuilt as a model of green living. A committed environmentalist, he has received praise from environmental groups for opting to fly on commercial flights instead of chartering private jets, which use more fuel. He also drives a hybrid car and his house has solar panels.
“Every time you pay for something, you’re advocating the way that company does business. If they have a terrible environmental practice, you’re then contributing to that in some way,” he says when talking about the critically acclaimed environmental documentary ‘The 11th Hour’, which he co-wrote, co-produced and narrated and in which he cites global warming as “the number one environmental challenge.” He’s known as one of the most outspoken green celebrities in Hollywood and as one who backs up what he says in his day-to-day life.

Daryl Hannah

Daryl Hannah may be famous for her role in Kill Bill: Vol 1 and 2 as a cruel, crackerjack one-eyed assassin-nurse but in real life she is a keen environmentalist and has become a key player in the environmental movement.
Last year, Hannah joined Captain Paul Watson, from the US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, to disrupt Japanese whalers in Antartic waters. She filmed a video and uploaded it to her own weekly video blog, DH Love Life (www.dhlovelife.com).
In 2006, she campaigned with South Central Los Angeles urban farmers and their supporters to save a 14-acre fruit and vegetable garden from being demolished to make room for a warehouse. She even chained herself to a walnut tree for three weeks and said, “I’m very confident this is the morally right thing to do, to take a principled stand in solidarity with the farmers” before being arrested by the Los Angeles Sheriff.
It’s not hard to understand why she decided to move more than 1,000 miles from Hollywood to the Rocky Mountains. Her lifestyle is all about ‘green’ as well – from driving a biodiesel car, to living in an environmentally friendly home with an organic garden, recycling rainwater for showers and using solar panels to generate power.

Edward Norton

Norton’s father had a great influence on him regarding environmental issues, ever since he was a kid, so unlike others celebrities who have slowly discovered their environmental awareness, he was in fact raised in it. “I sometimes say it was the family business. Some people are grocers, some families are builders – our family are environmental activists. My dad was the head of public policy at The Wilderness Society for many years and then he founded the Grand Canyon Trust; he founded the Nature Conservancy’s China program and ran that too for many years. I grew up so immersed in it. In a lot of ways I was lucky that an issue people have become aware of in the last five or ten years had been fed into me long ago” he says.
In 2005, Norton starred in his first eco-themed media project as narrator of “Strange Days on Planet Earth”, a four-part National Geographic documentary series. The series talks about how the battle to save the planet is transcending traditional boundaries and mind sets.
Well-known for his support of environmental causes, Norton is an active member of Friends of the High Line (www.thehighline.org) which turned almost two miles of abandoned railway line through Manhattan’s industrial West Side into a public park. He started a renewable energy project, BP’s Solar Neighbors program, about six years ago. Since then over 25 actors, musicians, politicians and broadcasters have purchased systems for their homes and BP has donated over 25 systems to low-income families.
Norton is more than just a celebrity with an interest in the environment, the passion indeed runs in his blood.

Cate Blanchett

Besides donating a large sum to the Forest Guardians, the Oscar-winning actress – Cate Blanchett, is also transforming her home in the Hunters Hill district of Sydney into a “green house”, fully powered by solar energy.
She was among environmentalists who tried to stop lumber company Gunns Ltd from gaining government permission for a A$2 billion wood-pulp mill in Australia. “I think there is an opportunity in climate change. We all know the depressing facts but there is also the opportunity to re-ignite that sense of community. We are a very big, vast country and we forget that we have individual concerns in our communities, which are made up of individuals who all vote and all consume.
We are all consumers and if we change the way we consume and think in our communities we can have an enormously powerful effect on governments that need to be lobbied and on the big polluters who need to be shamed into action. But it is the grassroots action where the real opportunity in climate change lies” she said, sharing her view on climate change.
She and her husband – Andrew Upton took over as artistic co-directors of Sydney Theatre Company and aim to make it the first eco-friendly theatre. Not just a talented actress with a stunning career but a long-time advocate of the environment who cares for the planet, Cate proves that it’s possible to be glamorous and green at one and the same time.

Brad Pitt

Not just your usual heart throb: besides acting Brad Pitt is enthusiastic and passionate about architecture, especially green architecture, and he put that passion to admirable use in helping rebuild the city of New Orleans after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Pitt supported a competition held by Global Green USA for eco-friendly house designs for the devastated city’s reconstruction. Houses are already under construction, featuring energy-saving appliances, cistern & toilets designed for water conservation, soy-based insulation, paperless drywalls, solar-paneled roofs and non-toxic repellent for mould and termites.
In 2006, Brad Pitt also narrated Design: e2, a 6-part PBS program on environmentally friendly architecture.
In it, he said, “By employing the intelligence of natural systems we can create industry, buildings, even regional plans that see nature and commerce not as mutually exclusive but mutually coexisting.”
Last year, Brad hooked up with Kiehl’s to support their new Aloe Vera body cleanser. In return for the power endorsement, all of the product’s net profit will go to a foundation, JPF Eco Systems, created by Kiehl’s and the actor to support global environmental initiatives with regards to housing design. The first beneficiary of the deal will be Pitt’s own Make it Right organisation (www.makeitrightnola.org) which he founded in 2007.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz, who wrote the foreword to “The Green Book” with William McDonough, shared in it childhood memories of her grandmother raising livestock in her backyard. “It was a different era and a different mentality. She raised her first four children there. I watched my grandmother reuse tinfoil and plastic bags. And when she was finished with a loaf of bread, she kept that plastic bag and she would use it for something. She would make soap out of the fat drippings off the meat she cooked. Nothing went to waste. Everything was reused and recycled. So I had that as an example,” she wrote.
In 2005, Cameron produced “Trippin” in which she and her friends explore some of the most exotic, and sometimes threatened, ecological wonders on the planet, get a closer look at the world’s various eco-systems and seek to discover ways to preserve them.
In 2007, Diaz joined Al Gore to announce the initiative Save Our Selves (SOS) – The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis, kicking off with a 24-hour summer concert series known as Live Earth, which took place on July 7th, 2007 across seven continents. She stood to Gore’s right during the announcement and answered reporters’ questions about her own green beliefs and hopes for the campaign.

Robert Redford

Robert Redford has been a voice on behalf of the environment since the early 1970s. He has used his artistic talent and resources to produce documentary films on topics such as solar power and coal-fired power plants and has directed environmental-themed films such as “The Milagro Beanfield War” and “A River Runs Through It.”
In fact, Redford’s been championing eco-issues since he was 24, when he bought land in Utah to dedicate to environmental conservation and art. That purchase, now known as Sundance, grew to become the soul of the independent film community. In April 2007, Redford’s Utah-opia opened the Sundance Channel, where he launched a weekly three-hour block of eco-programming called “The Green.”
On the political front, Redford’s The Heat is On (http://www.heatison.org/index.php) movement urged the 2008 presidential candidates to make environmental issues a main campaign platform. “I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?” is his view on environmental issues.
Duke University will also honor Robert Redford with the inaugural Duke LEAF Award for lifetime environmental achievement in the fine arts on April 18 this year.
“Robert Redford’s body of work as an actor, director, producer and founder of the Sundance Institute and Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve highlights the critical but often under-appreciated role artists can play in inspiring people to take action for the environment,” said William L. Chameides, dean of the Nicholas School.
Alanis Morissette
Among a breadth of charity work, Morissette especially finds time to support environmental causes and organizations, such as Reverb, a non-profit that helps musicians and music fans to achieve environmental sustainability through carbon-neutral initiatives. Morissette was one of the first artists to have her CD and DVD materials (for the “Feast on Scraps” release) on recycled paper. Initially she paid for this out of her own pocket, but now it’s becoming an industry standard.
Narrated by Alanis Morissette and Keanu Reeves, the climate change documentary “The Great Warming”, explores how a changing climate is affecting the lives of people around the world. In 2003, Alanis was honored with yet another award, not for her music, but for her commitment to environmental causes. The EMA Missions in Music Award was presented to Morissette for acts such as speaking out against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Last year, Seven-time Grammy winning artist Alanis, chose the fuel-efficient Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTEC for “Underneath” the music clip. “Making green choices on a local level is important in creating global change,” says Alanis.

ECO ASIA PART THREE – Northwest Yunnan the Eco Way

Ecotourism may be a relatively new concept in China, but already, the number of eco-tour companies in the country is growing. Amongst them, the Xintuo Ecotourism Company, which was established with the aim of preserving the natural and cultural richness of Northwest Yunnan.

Land of Biodiversity
Yunnan Province is amongst the most fascinating region in China, charming every traveler with its breathtaking scenery of plunging gorges, pristine lakes, beautiful farmlands, luxuriant forests teeming with exotic flora and fauna, as well as rich traditional cultures.

With its unique topographical and geographical features, the mountainous Northwest of Yunnan Province is a haven for nature lovers, having been described by UNESCO as the “epicenter of Chinese biodiversity”.
There are approximately 6,000 plant species here; about 700 flowering plant species are endemic to this region and 30 plant species listed as endangered and protected in China. In addition, Northwest Yunnan is also home to over 30 rare and endangered animals such as the Snow Leopard, Yunnan Black Golden Monkey and Black Necked Crane.
Notably, three of the great rivers of Asia – the Yangtze, Lancang (Mekong) and Nujiang (Salween) – flow parallel to one another through steep gorges before coursing through the Tibetan Plateau. And within the watershed areas of the upper reaches of these three rivers are eight geographical clusters known as the “Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas”. This area was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003 and has been described as “maybe the most biologically diverse temperate region on earth” by UNESCO.
A Cultural Fiesta
Travelers can expect a cultural feast with a myriad of colorful festivities celebrated by the various minority groups.

Northwest Yunnan is as rich culturally as it is ecologically, with 13 of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People’s Republic of China (half of the 56 ethnicities are found in Yunnan Province), such as the Naxi, Yi, Bai, Lisu and Tibeten ethnicities living in this part of the Province. Such diversity has enriched the region, and travelers can expect a cultural feast with a myriad of colorful festivities celebrated by the various minority groups.
The Sanduo Festival, commemorating Sanduo, the Naxi god of war and a protector of the people and their land, is held on the eighth day of the second lunar month. It is celebrated by the Naxi people who live mainly in Lijiang. The Naxi people celebrate this day by visiting the Beiyue temple, which was built for worshipping Sanduo, to offer sacrifices to him. Following this, families will usually enjoy a picnic together and make merry with singing and dancing.
For Yi people, the Torch Festival is an important occasion that is celebrated for three days, beginning with the 24th day of the sixth lunar month. During the day, people participate in horse racing, bull fighting, folk wrestling and even goat fighting.
At night, they will sing and dance around campfires. In addition, people will also hold burning torches and walk around fields and houses. Viewed from afar, it looks as if hundreds of fireflies are glittering in the dark.
March Street Festival is a grand carnival-like festival of the Bai people residing in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. The origins of this holiday date back 1,000 years to the Tang Dynasty.

Today, it is held starting on the 15th day of the third lunar month, lasting for five splendid days. This festival is an awesome mix of trade and cultural activities, where Bai people dressed in traditional costume will sing and dance, visit temple fairs, participate in horse racing and more. Performers also put up folk cultural performances in the streets, staging Bai operas and playing music.

Eco-tours of the Region

Eco-tours organized by the Lijiang Xintuo Ecotourism Company bring travelers on a discovery journey, including hiking, trekking, bird watching, canoeing and mountain biking.
Eco-tours organized by the Lijiang Xintuo Ecotourism Company bring travelers on a discovery journey of the Lashihai-Wenhai Watershed Nature Reserve, Lijiang, Shangri-La (formerly known as Zhongdian), Deqin, Three Parallel Rivers and Tibet area.
The Lashihai Watershed is situated along the southeastern slopes of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and enveloped by mountains. The Lashihai Lake is the biggest highland lake in Lijiang and also a habitat for over 70 species of migratory birds, the largest number of species of any lake in Northwest Yunnan.
This makes the Lake ideal ground for bird watching. After this, explore Lijiang and its many scenic mountains and gorges such as the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge and discover the Baoshan Stone Town.
To cater to the needs of different tourists there are various packages to choose from, starting with several hours, to half day, full day and even week-long trips. Activities include hiking, trekking, bird watching, canoeing and mountain biking. In addition, travelers can even experience staying at the Wenhai Ecolodge, local homestays or hotels.
More importantly, the guides are local people who are thoroughly familiar with the culture, nature and lifestyle of the region. They can act as a bridge to local communities and promote interactions between tourists and local people.
Environmental and Cultural Conservation
Xintuo Ecotourism Company advocates conservation of biological and cultural diversity.
Xintuo Ecotourism Company advocates conservation of biological and cultural diversity through the protection of the environment, encouraging local communities to retain their own cultures and sharing socio-economic benefits with the local communities through informed consent and participation.
For example, the company only hosts small groups for tours so as to minimize impact on the flora and fauna; guides and tourists bring all rubbish with them and also collect trash on the trail; the company serves only local food to the tourists and so on.
In the Lashihai Watershed Nature Reserve, in order to protect the vulnerable ecosystems and cultural heritage, tourists are requested to follow a Code of Conduct. Some guidelines include not throwing trash on the ground, not taking any “souvenirs” or specimens from the wild, respecting the local people as well as their customs and religions, not talking loudly in the villages and asking for permission before taking pictures in the villages, especially of people.
Meanwhile, the company hopes to provide education to local people and get children to be involved in environmental projects to promote awareness and appreciation for nature.
XinTuo EcoTourism Company

The company is a co-operative owned by 24 Naxi families and was supported by the Nature Conservancy. It aims to protect the environment and enable tourists to have a rewarding ecotourism experience by discovering China’s biodiversity and beauty. It also aims to help local communities by developing community-based employment opportunities that will improve the local standard of living, allowing for the construction of schools and hospitals, as well as proper sanitation.

http://www.ecotourism.com.cn/