People, LISTEN UP!!

I am not kidding about this but the LIVE EARTH concert has seriously opened my eyes, thought I have already been concerned about it since way before. Unfortunately, what with all the other stuff in my life, I tend to forget the big picture and not see what's happening around me. I'm sure that many of you are guilty of this too. And if you say you aren't, you're just in self-denial! They say Sinagpore is a clean and green city. That's our image. That's what all the tourist brouchures say. But what's the point of LOOKING green when truly, we aren't practising being green in our daily lives. Just look around you, isn't it pretty sad that the only way we get to see proper forest trees is to travel all the way to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve? Isn't it pathetic that we are just SO caught up in work and career and studies? How ironic is it that here we are complaining about the weather and freakin' HOT it has been lately when in reality WE are the cause of this? We complain it's hot and decrease the temperature of our air-con. We leave it on the whole night 'cos it's just so freakin' hot. But do we remember to think that by doing so, we are just making the situation worse?? We may feel good for that fraction of our lives, but suffer for the rest of the years.

I know I'm probably freaking y'all out with this sudden outburst. But I am really concerned about this. I honestly am. I have always scolded my mom for leaving the fridge door open while she's cooking. And my dad for smoking and totally increasing the carbon monoxide content in the air. But I realized that this is NOT enough. Just because I tried to be green for like TWO seconds of my life, doesn't make me a hero. I have to make it a part of my life. The LIVE EARTH concert has featured afew short films that shows how Global Warming has impacted the earth. It's SO freaky! Seas and rivers have been drying up. All sorts of things happening. And I was horrified to find out that I was guilty of some of the wasteful habits that they were talking about. I have to stop them NOW. Or else we're ALL gonna suffer. No more long showers. No more buying too many unecessary things that will just end up being thrown away in afew months. No more using plastic bags unnecessarily. I've been noticing these few days, especially this week since I've had SO much time to myself. I've had time to observe certain things. There is nothing but concrete in Singapore and the days are experiencing some really weird weather changes. The afternoons are getting hotter. So much so that even at night, it's too hot for me to sleep. I've been losing sleep and it's Global Warming.

But this is not just for me. This is not just for you. This is for the people of the future. Yes, I know that sounds super lame and like something out of Star Trek but I'm being serious. All of you people who claim you love children. To all you people especially. You say you love children. You think they're the cutest, loveliest things in the world. Well, guess what? THEY are the people of the future. And it's THEM who are going to suffer MOST if YOU don't do anything about this climate crisis NOW!! So much for your love for children. If you REALLY love them, then change your habits NOW.

And then, I saw this really disturbing short film about this guy walking around asking people some questions about Global Warming. He went, "Excuse me, could you give me a moment. I'm doing a documentary on Global Warming" And everyone just gave him this pissed off look and brushes him off. Some just told him to go away and gave him MONEY to leave them alone. I was SO shocked. Of course, they were Americans but still. And some of them didn't BELIEVE that there's such a thing as global warming. And there were some who say that they can't do anythimg about it 'cos it;s in 'nature's course'. Some said that it's too inconvenient to save the earth. That they are just one person and they wouldn't make a difference. They said that there are more important things.

We can do something. Even here, at the little red dot on the face of the earth. Every little effort counts. Singapore should start by putting more recycling bins. I mean, the government tells us to recycle and that recycling is good but WHERE are the recycling bins?? I don't actually see them. In fact, I have only seen them in Orchard Road and I think that's just for show for the tourists who come to Singapore. So that they get the IMPRESSION that Singapore is green. But even then, the bins are filled with unsorted RUBBISH. We use them as normal trash cans. Why?! It's so easy to just put the newpaper you have read and probably not going to read anymore in the paper bin and that plastic bottle of coke you just finished into the plastic bin. Singapore should make recycling bins easy to access. I don't wanna travel all the way to Orchard Road just to recycle some plastic bottles. That's probably one of the reasons why Singaporeans don't really want to recycle. 'Cos it's such an inconvenience to them. The government should DO something. Concentrate on THIS and not the building of a massive Integrated Resort which will suck up an unimaginable amount of power. I have hardly seen much effort being executed by the government to part of the 'Save The Earth' scene. And the people will simply take their lead. That's why Singaporeans are SO focused on the economy and NOT the ecology.

Here are some pictures I took on my home from tuition today. Yes, these are REAL pictures that I took. Not from the internet, but with my phone.








Overused and trampled on soil.





The grass that's dried up in the heat. Dirty gutters.





Trash all over this patch of sick land.

This is just a small part of Singapore and I'm sure thye will have people to cover it up and replace the dead grass with fresh ones. But we should PREVENT this. Prevention is better than cure, right?

Okay, enough of that. I hope everyone's gonna do something. Here are some suggestions:

1) Switch off all appliances when not in use through the power source
2) Use the public transport
3) Boil only the amount of water that you need
4) Take shorter showers
5) Use waterbottles and instead of buying 'Evian' water
6) Use power-saving flourescent light bulbs
7) Switch off the lights in rooms when you leave the room, even for a fraction of a second
8) Consume less meat
9) Decline the plastic bags when you buy take-aways at Burger King 'cos they're already in neat paper bags for you to carry home
10) Instead of throwing away the clothes that are too small for you, hand them down to your relatives who may need them
11) Don't smoke
12) Don't use paper unnecessarily
13) Walk whenever you can
14) Don't litter
15) Tell everyone you know to do the same

Okay, enough of my preaching. I'm sure you've heard all that before. But I just needed to get this off my chest. Anyway, I'm having a pretty torturous weekend due to my throat. It SO AWFUL!! I can't even EAT properly without feeling this sharp, stabbing pain in my throat. It totally irritates me. I tear everytime I drink WATER and eating has been TORTURE. I am deprived of one of my FEW pleasures in life. The medicine is so painful to swallow. 'Cos the pills are so big. And it hasn't been getting any better. =( It feels so awful, lah!

(P.S: Sorry, Diyanah! I may not be able to go for our Mad Jack's day until my throat gets better. And I hope it'll be better by that day!)

I think that's all today. I don't wanna write too much. Hahaha! Hope the next week will be a better one. =)

Save The Earth!

I believe in miracles,
Since you came along,
You sexy thang!