Green Circle Organic Farm

Venue: Green Circle Organic Farm
Date: 11th October 2008 (Sat)
Meeting Place: NTU Chinese Heritage Centre
Time to meet: 8am

Cost of Farm Trip:
$3 (members)
$5 (non-members)

Description of Conducted Farm Tour Programme:
Introduction Talk (10 – 30minute)
Different farming methods
- Traditional
- Conventional
- Hydroponics
- Aeroponics
- Organic
- Natural
Organic Framing Methods
Why do we eat organic food.
Organic farming and the environment.

Walk around the Farm
(30 min-2hr)

Participants will be led around the farm to see how compost is made, how and why different vegetables are grown in different ways. Identify the rich variety of vegetables, herbs and fruit trees grown in the farm..

Refreshments: Herbal drink is provided.

Shopping for vegetables
We specialize in home deliveries and only excess will be sold to visitors or we can reserve but you must pre-order a week ahead.
The duration of the whole program depends on the participants’ interest. It normally last between 1 to 2 hrs, including questions, shopping and time to relax.

MAX No. of Participants: 40

If any queries, feel free to contact me.

Candice Tan
HP: 94379003

Earthlink 1st gathering - Water, tips and games!

______________________________________________________________

Does water pollution exists in Singapore? Want to know more about what you can do for the environment? Or just want to join in the fun with a bunch of environmental enthusiastics? Come and join us for our first gathering of the academic year!
______________________________________________________________

Date: 11 Sept 2008, Thursday
Venue: Executive Seminar Room-3South Spine, S3.1
Time: 7pm - 9pm

Time_______Programme
1900 – 1910 Easy Green Tips
1910 – 1925 Updates on Earthlink’s upcoming events
1925 – 2025 Waterways Watch Society Talk
2025 – 2055 Games
2055 _______Refreshments*
____________(End of gathering)
*Refreshments provided! We encourage you to bring along your own utensils for the gathering to reduce the use of disposables. Lets do our part for the environment! Thanks! :)

Highlights of Gathering

“Easy Green Tips” Presentation & Earthlink upcoming Events!
A presentation to bring out some simple and easy tips for people to know what they can do for the environment.

Talk by Waterways Watch Society
The Waterways Watch Society (WWS) is a Non-Governmental Organization tasked to bring people together to monitor, restore and protect the aesthetics of our waterways around the Marina Reservoir. It is an independent group of volunteers working towards the same objective as other green groups however concentrating more on our waterways with an identity of its own.

Games
Get to have fun and interact with our fellow Earthlinkers and make more friends!

Interested to join us for Earthlink 1st members gathering?
RSVP with your name, contact number and membership number to earthlink0809@gmail.com by Tuesday, 9/09/08, 2359hr.

Partnership with Waterways Watch Society

Keen to do your part for the environment but don’t know where to start or what to do?

This year, Earthlink NTU will be collaborating with WaterWays Watch Society for joint boat and bicycle patrols along the Marina Reservoir. (Areas covered include Kallang Basin, Marina Bay and Singapore River.)







Waterways Watch Society (WWS) is a non-governmental organization that works closely and reports any pollution in the Marina Reservoir to the relevant authorities like PUB, NEA, Nparks, URA and LTA for necessary action.

With the completion of the marina barrage, the 15th reservoir - Marina Resevoir will have the largest and most urbanized catchment area at 10,000 hectares or one-sixth of size of Singapore. Major canals and waterways within the catchment area will eventually flow into the reservoir. This is unlike the other 14 reservoirs which are protected and not in an urban surrounding area. Hence, there is a strong need for us to play do our part to keep our environment clean.





Interested to be a Water Ranger? Sign up with us as a volunteer by sending us your name, email and contact number to earthlink0809@gmail.com.

A pre-event briefing will be held for all volunteers on 17th September (Wed) at LT 15 1930hrs.

A compulsory orientation program will be conducted on 27th Sept at WaterWays Watch Society. (1 Way transport provided from NTU on 27th Sept.)

Venue: Kallang (Under Merdeka Bridge)
Patrols are conducted on weekends only:
Saturdays: 0930-1300hrs
Sundays:1100-1430hrs

Pre-requisite:
1.Have the passion in protecting the environment!
2.Need to be able to cycle confidently.
3.Complete a minimum of 3 tours of duties (1 Boat and 2 Bicycle Patrols)

For any queries email to earthlink-awareness@ntu.edu.sg
Do visit http://www.wws.org.sg/ for more information about Waterways Watch Society.

International Coastal Cleanup Singapore (ICCS) 2008

The International Coastal Cleanup Singapore (ICCS) is an annual event coordinated by Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research at the National University of Singapore from 2001. The aim of this event is to remove and collect data on the debris from the shorelines, waterways and beaches and coastal regions in Singapore. The extent and scope of the ICCS has also grown over the years, starting from the beaches of East Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park and Changi Beach, to pioneering mangrove cleanups in Mandai, Lim Chu Kang, Chek Jawa, making ICCS as one of Singapore’s largest environmental conservation programmes. This information serves to educate the public on marine debris issues and to encourage positive change by submissions to governmental and international organisations that will reduce debris in waterways and enhance aquatic environments.

Earthlink NTU has been taking part in the ICCS ever since 2006. During the last two years, volunteers from NTU would gather and join this worldwide battle against marine trash. This year we will be going to Kallang Basin and other groups/organisations involved include German European School Singapor, Compassvale Secondary School Ministry of Environment and Water Resource, British Petroleum, and Waterways Watch Society.











If you are not afraid of getting your hands dirty, come join us in our battle against marine trash.
Place: Kallang Basin, Marina Reservoir
Date: 20th September, Saturday (morning)
Duration: 0715-1130hrs
Two-way transportation will be provided from NTU.

To sign up, simply email your name, email and contact number to earthlink0809@gmail.com.

Please take note that there will be a compulsory pre-event briefing on 16th September at LT 15 at 1800hrs.

To find out more about ICCS, do visit the websites below for more information.
- The Ocean Conservancy
(http://www.oceanconservancy.org/)
- International Coastal Cleanup Singapore
(http://coastalcleanup.nus.edu.sg/)
- Waterways Watch Society
(http://www.wws.org.sg/)

Welcome Trip to Kranji Countryside!

Itinerary:

1)Educational Tour to Hay Dairies Goat farm

Milking demonstrations included!

2) Spring Orchard

Indulge in the vibrant hues of the Dragonfruit farm and the Adenium

3) Guided Tour for Aero – Green Technology

Learn how aeroponics growing system differs from soil cultivation

See and learn more about the different uses of plants!

For just SGD$6!

Lunch Provided!

1 bottle of Goat Milk (250ml)

1 souvenir with Hay Dairies logo

1 bottle of lettuce juice 1 serving of salad

Programme for the welcome trip

0845hrs Meet at NTU Chinese Heritage centre

1000hrs Reach Hay Dairies Goat Farm

1000-1100hrs Milking demonstrations and guided tour for participants.

1100-1130hrs Free and easy walk in Spring Orchard (Dragonfruit Farm)

1200hrs Reach Aero-Green Technology (Vegetable Farm)

1230-1300hrs Lunch

1300-1400hrs Guided tour in Aero-Green Technology (Vegetable Farm)

1400-1600hrs Games and bonding/interaction section

1615hrs End of Welcome Trip/Return to NTU

To register, email earthlink0809@gmail.com or contact:

Activity Manager, Yong Xiang 96207434

Logistics Officer, Edwin Shi 94386234

with your Name, Contact Number, Membership Number and any food requests (halal, vegetarian, allergies, etc.)

Upcoming Earthlink events on August 2008

1. ECA fair
Venue : Bridge between N4 and LT5
Date : 12 August (Tuesday) - 14 August (Thursday)
Time : 10am - 5pm

2. Welcome Tea
Venue: Lt 4
Date : 14 August (Thursday)
Time : 7.30 pm – 10 pm

3. Wecome Trip
Venue: Kranji Farms
Date : 16 August (Saturday)
Time : 8.45am – 4.15 pm

4. Annual General Meeting
Venue: LT 4
Date: 25th August (Monday)
Time: 7.30 pm – 10.00 pm

5. Subcommittee Recruitment
Venue: TR 9/10
Date: 28th – 29th August (Thursday & Friday)
Time: 7.00pm – 9.00pm

3rd nature walk with NTU staff

It was our last nature walk for this academic year. We had 5 NTU staff attending that morning. One of them was Mr. Chan Seng Fatt from SAO, who is a plants lover. He woke up early and drove to NTU to catch the morning walk. Another was Mr. Chan Kok Tiong from OFPM, who have been in this school ever since NTI and was in charge of Yunnan Garden before. Therefore, he himself also knows a lot about the flora in this garden. Others were researcher Liu Shudong from MAE, A/P Ng Yin Kwee from MAE with her two children and Dr. Rajendra Kumar Sullerey also from MAE with his wife.

We set off for the walk a bit late than 8:30am, because most of them were late (Hmm, are professors and officers also used to being late? ). Knowing that there would be children attending the walk, we had prepared a game for them. It was suggested by Kang Hua, one of our nature guides, that we can make a good drawing by putting a leaf under the paper and outlining it out by pensile. I did it before A/P Ng's two children and asked them to try, but they seemed not interested in it.






However, the nature walk was very successful. Mr. Chan Kok Tiong was a very outgoing and energetic person. He always spoke out when we just started to point at some plant:

Our nature guide, "Hello everyone, this is..."
Mr. Chan, "Oh, that is Song of India and it has another branch which grows green leaves!"
Our nature guide, "On our left is..."
"Saga tree!"said Mr. Chan immediately.(big sweat)

It reminded me of what some experienced guides shared with us that sometimes participants can know more about the plants. Mr. Chan is just of this kind, so we let him talk most of the time and just inserted when necessary. As a result, we all picked up some new knowledge and other participants seemed to be entertained as well.



During the walk, we were also surprised by the new finding in the Garden. For example, we found the fruits of Tee tree, pods and flowers of saga tree which we had never seen before. It is just as what I shared with the participants that, "This is a garden with ever changing landscape. Therefore, it is worth our visit again and again."







After the nature walk, there was, the same as before, a short tour to Chinese Heritage Centre. We shared with our participants the history of Nanyang University (the Old Nantah) and stories of Mr. Tan Lark Sye. I ended the tour by sharing about Mr. Tan Lark Sye's attitude toward money. He once said, "Money comes and goes like tide; If used to irrigate the crops when rising tide, the crops can grow even better. Otherwise, what is the meaning of the tiding of money to me?"

To me, this can mean: if we have the ability to influence others, we ought to lead others to be more social responsible; we ought to encourage a green life style among more people.

Meet the Swiss Solartaxi at Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

The Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore and its platform swissnex Singapore are proud to inform you about the visit of a remarkable fellow citizen, Louis Palmer, a Solartaxi driver. Finally, after having passed through many countries such as India, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia, Louis Palmer is about to arrive in Singapore. On his adventure of circling the world in a car that relies entirely on renewable energies, Mr Palmer will set foot on 5 continents and 50 countries, driving more than 40'000 kilometers. Among others, Louis Palmer will present the Solartaxi and give a presentation on his adventures at the Nanyang Technological University, 25 March 2008.

Swiss Adventurer Mr Louis Palmer started his trip around the world in his solar powered vehicle, the "Solartaxi", on the occasion of the European Sustainable Energy Forum in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 3 July 2007. It took 3 years to build the Solartaxi. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and three Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences have been involved in its making, integrating top-notch technologies and a flexible steering-wheel that allows the passenger to take control of the vehicle running at a maximum speed of 90 kph, the sustainable way.

Louis Palmer travelled overland from the heart of Switzerland through 18 countries to the Middle East and India. From there he travelled by ship to his next destinations, India and Indonesia , just in time to reach Bali for the Climate Change Conference in early December 2007, where the Solartaxi became a major attraction at the gates of the summit. It served to give an emission-free lift to a great number of participants. Among many were Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the Nobel Prize winning IPCC, Bianca Jagger, President of the World Future Council, and Michael Bloomberg, City Major of New York.

In order to see the Solartaxi live in Singapore, come to Nanyang Technological University on Tuesday, 25 March 2008. Besides showcasing his car, Mr Palmer will hold a presentation of his endeavours on the road, his intentions and on the vehicle itself. Do not miss the opportunity to get a glimpse on the future of automobiles in the context of sustainability!

Presentation
Location: Classroom 5, Level 1, School of Biological Sciences
Time: 12.30pm – 1.30pm

Exhibition
Location: The Quad

For further questions and enquiries, please refer to www.solartaxi.com or www.swissnexsingapore.org, or call us on +65 6774 9364.

Pulau Semakau

On Saturday, about 50 of us headed off to Pulau Semakau, one of Singapore’s offshore landfill. We started our long journey there at 12.50 pm. At Marina South Pier, we embarked on a 45 min ferry ride to our destination – Sumacau Island. On arrival we headed into the conference room for a talk and video. The video mainly showed the operations of the island. We learnt that Pulau Semakau was created by forming a 7 km bund around two existing island, Semakau and Sakeng. The bund had 2 layers to prevent any leakage into the sea. The area within the bund was divided into cells to be filled. Did you know that our incinerated waste is transported to the island using barges that can carry up to 30 tonnes of incinerated waste daily?

We had the opportunity to observe the many cells that the island was divided into. Some were still in the process of being filled. Our friendly tour guide Mr. Poothaphan drove us along the road where we could compare the already filled cells with the adjacent unfilled one. We were also able to observe the mangrove plants that were planted on the left side of the road to increase the biodiversity of the island.


Upon reaching the southern part of the island, we stopped to enjoy the breathtaking view of the sea. While resting, we had some refreshments and had an opportunity to interact with one another and with our guide. He was very helpful in answering the questions many of us had. We spent quite some time there taking photos or just appreciating the good view. All too soon, it was time for us to leave.


Through this trip, we have gained a deeper appreciation for the efforts taken into processing our waste and also the planning and thought put into Semakau that has led to it becoming a clean, green and beautiful island. We also know that the waste that we throw down our rubbish chute simply does not just disappear, but it is used in the development of our offshore islands. Much thought and care have been put into ensuring that they are disposed off properly without affecting the environment.

At the end of the day, we are reminded of the importance of keeping the environment clean and green all while enjoying ourselves in Sumacau Island.

Report on Trip to Tuas South Incineration Plant

On 15th February 2008, Public Education Portfolio of NTU Earthlink organized a trip to Tuas South Incineration plant.
The objective of the event was to educate participants on the incineration process and its significance in sustaining a healthy and clean lifestyle in Singapore. Due to space constraint, Singapore resorts to incineration of its waste which allows a reduction of 90% of volume of refuse.

A Brief Description of Tuas South Incineration Plant(T.S.I.P.)
Tuas South is the forth Incineration plant which was built in year 2000. It is currently the largest refuse incineration plant and can incinerate 3,000 tonnes of refuse per day through its 6 incinerators.
TSIP is a "green" plant, helping to conserve our portable water resources by using industrial water pre-treated by its own water reclamation plant for use in the boilers. The plant will also not consume any of Singapore's present electricity resources. Rather it will generate 80 MW of electricity, 80% of which will be made available for the public to use. Together the four plants supply about 2 % of Singapore's overall electricity consumption.

1235 – Departure from Chinese Heritage Centre
Ms. Grace Ngan, Public Education Officer gave a quick introduction of the trip and what to look forward to.

1255 - Arrival at Tuas South Incineration Centre

1300 - Video presentation of Managing Solid Waste in Singapore
Video highlighted the importance of managing waste and illustrated the whole incineration process.Most of the participants were enlightened that Pulau Semakau will take 30 to 40 years to reclaim. Once complete, it will be an island resort with a golf course and more!

1315 - Presentation by Mr. Ravi,
Mr. Ravi introduced the plant to all the participants, mentioning as stated above in the brief Description. To add, he said that TSIP takes domestic and combustible industrial waste to be incinerated.
Due to the humid Singapore climate, the plant operated 24 hours a day, for 7 days a week. This is to avoid pileup, which could lead to stench and a myriad of diseases.He also covered the incineration process once again and opened the floor for a Q&A session. Participants were clearly engaged and curious, for they brought up various issues regarding the plant and impact on the environment.

1335 - Guided Tour of the Plant
After his presentation, Mr. Ravi started the guided tour of TSIP. Participant were brought to the control room to see first hand how the plant operates. Participants also manage to have a look at the ash pit as they were making their to the control Room.
At the control room, there were various monitors and dashboard for operation purposes. A participant commented that it was like entering a NASA operation centre, like in the movies. Mr. Ravi talked about what happens in the control room and explained on the functions of the huge screens that is used monitor the operation level of the plant and to detect any fault in the system.

1400 - Moved from Control Room to view the Stoker Model
The Stoker Model is the minimized version of the incineration plant. This 3D model clearly illustrates the whole incineration process that takes place in TSIP.

1415 - Refreshments
As a close for the trip, participants were given light refreshments and were able to quench their thirst of curiosity regarding the plant. Mr. Ravi was enthusiastically answering various questions from participants.

1430 - Departure from TSIP
Heavy heartedly, participants boarded the bus to return to NTU. This trip was very knowledgeable and interesting for all.

Nature Walk Get Started!

8.25am… 8.30am… 8.35am… Subconsciously, I kept glancing at my watch in between each bite of my breakfast. In front of me on the table, I had my notes for the day’s guide spread out in an attempt to do some last minute preparation. It was nearing 8.45am - almost time to go. Finishing one final bite of my bun, I made my way quickly towards the Chinese Heritage Centre.

The 26th of January was a rather special day for me, and for many others, I believe. For most of us guides, this was our first official guiding as we had never done any guiding anywhere before. It was no more a trial, but the real thing! For those Earthlinkers and NIE students who came along to support us, this was the first ever guided nature walk around the Yunnan Garden that NTU Earthlink and NIE Green Club co-organized.

It did not take long before the first group set off towards the garden. Soon after I, myself, together with Thai led a second group out too. It was a beautiful morning – the sun was out and no rain clouds were in sight. That was a good sign!
At the start, I was feeling rather nervous as I brought the group towards the garden. Lucky for me, Thai was very well-prepared and broke the ice among the participants by first introducing ourselves and giving everyone a brief history about the Yunnan Garden. It took a while for me to warm up but I soon felt comfortable with my group and everything went on rather smoothly.



My group looking up at the flowers of the Yellow Saraca. The tree has many flowers growing out of almost everywhere on its branches and even its trunk.



Jackson and his group walking through the garden. (We found out later that the participants in his group were actually present for another event organized by the Chinese Heritage Centre. So in the end, they soon left, leaving the guides alone. I believe they had an enjoyable time though, while it lasted.)

After a short tour around the Yunnan Garden, we made our way back into the Chinese Heritage Centre for the second segment of the day – to see the NanTah Pictorial Exhibition located on the second level of the building. As the exhibition room was rather small, not all groups could fit in all at once. However, the problem was easily solved by taking turns and every group was able to have their go and no one missed anything.



Yongxiang telling his group about the history of NanTah. Everyone was listening attentively!

As the last attraction of the day, all of us played a photo-hunting game, the guides together with the participants. Each group was given a few pictures and we were supposed to find out where the photo was taken, hurry to the spot, and take a group picture there. I am sure everyone had fun playing this game, running around trying to find the exact location.



One of the photos my group took for the game. We were hoping that our interesting photos would score us more points!



We were not the overall winner but really, everyone was a winner then because all of us “won” ourselves some food from the game.
The day’s event soon came to an end. It was quite a good experience for me. I hoped everyone else had a great time that day too!



Smile, everyone, for a job well done!