ASEAN journalists honoured for green technology coverage

SINGAPORE — Ten journalists from six ASEAN countries won prizes at Siemens' inaugural Green Technology Journalism Awards gala in Singapore yesterday.

The winners were recognised for their exemplary reporting on issues relating to energy efficiency, industrial productivity and sustainability.

The winner of the "energy efficiency" category, Thean Lee Cheng of The Star in Malaysia, discussed the challenges faced by companies that wished to go green but remain profitable in her article Going Green. The piece underscored the importance of adopting a long-term approach when it came to sustainability.

The merit winner in this category, Myrna M Velasco of The Manila Bulletin, on the other hand, criticised her country's Renewable Energy Act in her column, The country's grand renewable energy ambition: fact or fiction?.

The award-winning articles in the "industrial productivity" category explored policy and technology issues in two important alternative energy sectors – green cars and biofuels.

The winning entry published in The Jakarta Globe: Green wheels: Why are cleaner cars still elusive in Jakarta, by Dewi Kurniawati discussed Indonesians' reluctance to buy hybrid or compressed natural gas powered cars, while the second-placed article in Media Indonesia entitled Electricity from oil palm waste, by Aris Munandar, highlighted the challenges of generating renewable energy from plant waste in Indonesia.

Deforestation was the hot topic in the "sustainability" category. Jessica Cheam of The Straits Times in Singapore won the top prize for her article Give Our Trees a Chance, in which she sounded alarm bells over the rapid rate at which rainforests in Southeast Asia are being depleted.

Purple S Romero of Newsbreak in the Philippines received the merit award for her report on the dangers of wood consumption for tobacco curing in Harming Ilocos forests?.

The judges from various industrial sectors, also gave special mention to two other submissions. Nguyen Thanh Tung from the Viet Nam Investment Review was credited for his piece on his country's efforts to build a low-carbon economy in the face of rapid industrialisation (Economy's green-coloured vision). Sawitree Rangabpit from Engineering Today in Thailand was also singled out for special mention for her article, Hospitals getting through a crisis with energy-saving measures.

Judges looked at more than 190 entries published last year in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

"We were very impressed with the quality of journalism displayed by the media in this region. The enthusiasm shown by journalists and editors towards our awards proves that sustainability is no longer just a buzz word in this part of the world – it has grown to become a real and pressing issue in both growing and developed economies," said Lothar Herrmann, CEO of Siemens Pte, Singapore, and CEO of Siemens ASEAN. — VNS

Related Articles

• Woman with rare blood clot condition survives operation
• Culture Vulture
• HCMC begins to think about giving up meat
• Woman with rare blood clot condition survives operation
• Timber suppliers learn about legal issues

Green film makers get 48 hours in contest

International eco film competition, 48 Go Green, is calling for registration in Vietnam. The competition is an avant-garde festival that gives film-makers the opportunity to express themselves and speak up against the ecological destruction taking place on the planet.

The competition will kick off online at 7 pm local time, February 18.  Entrants will then have 48 hours to make a narrative short film, including writing, shooting, and editing, to submit before 7.30 pm local time, February 20.

At the start each team will be assigned a random theme about the environment, potable water, forests, wildlife, the earth, the next generation, energy, the sea or the planet. The organizer will nominate a character, prop and a line which must appear in the film.

The winner will go to Cannes International Film Festival, accompanied by a US$5,000 cash prize. The 16 top films of 48 Go Green could be selected to screen at the NAB Show in Las Vegas from April 9-14, 2011.

48 Hour Film Project launched its first competition in Vietnam last October and November.

For more information, visit www.48gogreen.com.

Related Articles

• Green film makers get 48 hours in contest
• Tevez on target as Man City beat Liverpool 3-0
• Millenium English contest enters finals
• HCMC begins to think about giving up meat
• Food promotions at Grand and First hotels

Green film makers get 48 hours in contest

International eco film competition, 48 Go Green, is calling for registration in Vietnam. The competition is an avant-garde festival that gives film-makers the opportunity to express themselves and speak up against the ecological destruction taking place on the planet.

The competition will kick off online at 7 pm local time, February 18.  Entrants will then have 48 hours to make a narrative short film, including writing, shooting, and editing, to submit before 7.30 pm local time, February 20.

At the start each team will be assigned a random theme about the environment, potable water, forests, wildlife, the earth, the next generation, energy, the sea or the planet. The organizer will nominate a character, prop and a line which must appear in the film.

The winner will go to Cannes International Film Festival, accompanied by a US$5,000 cash prize. The 16 top films of 48 Go Green could be selected to screen at the NAB Show in Las Vegas from April 9-14, 2011.

48 Hour Film Project launched its first competition in Vietnam last October and November.

For more information, visit www.48gogreen.com.

Related Articles

• Green film makers get 48 hours in contest
• Tevez on target as Man City beat Liverpool 3-0
• Millenium English contest enters finals
• HCMC begins to think about giving up meat
• Food promotions at Grand and First hotels

Watch Your Feet! Flowers Are Out There!

Greener sidewalk makes a freener city

The green sidewalk endeavor in HCM City should attract community participation to last long and take full effect

A group of foreign tourists is strolling on the sidewalk along the Unification Palace on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia in District 1, HCM City. While the sun is shining brightly over their heads, their feet glide past green leaves and colorful flowers of low bushes in flower beds along the curbside.

Those flower beds which have been around for over a year now are part of an initiative referred locally as “va hè xanh” which literally means green sidewalk. The main idea relates to providing the sidewalk in the inner city with more green coverage.

Years ago, the municipal authorities kicked off their effort to give a facelift to the cityscape by renovating the sidewalk in the inner city. Different materials have been used, from concrete surface to zigzag-patterned paving tiles, a failed emulation of what has been applied successfully in the neighboring Thailand.

The latest option, hard surface concrete floor tiles, seems to be the top choice of authorities. However, according to specialists and scientists, the hardened surface of the sidewalk is working at the expense of the absorbency of the local terrain. In other words, the completely paved sidewalk in the inner city has aggravated flooding when heavy rains come or at high tide.

Meanwhile, the inner Saigon is desperately short of green trees. In line with plans, the per capita area of green trees in this city should have been between six and seven square meters by 2010. What’s more, experts say that in a year the inner city proper whose supposed population is 3 million people would dispose of more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide, 2,500 tons of dust and 160,000 tons of toxic gas. To neutralize these harmful substances, it requires 25 square meters of green trees per people. Much to the disappointment of those concerned, the current figure is less than one square meters per head.

Finally, an old concept came to life again. In addition to existing lines of wood trees, rows of flower beds where herbs and grass are planted should be in place. The sidewalk will then be adorned with the combination of high trees and low herbs.

As soon as the initiative in making the sidewalk greener was endorsed, all the plans to completely harden the surface have been halted. Instead, a sidewalk which is at least three meters wide is subject to the “green program.” A section of the sidewalk ranging from one meter to 2.5 meters is used as pedestrians’ walkway; the rest, from the curb to the walkway, will be for flower beds. Particular, wherever possible, creepers are grown along walls or fences.

Aside from increasing water absorbency, the green sidewalk also lessens what experts dub the “fireball” effect in which concrete or asphalt surface adds up to the increased heat in quarters with high density of construction.
Although the area of the “green sidewalk” which has been implemented remains modest in comparison with the total natural area of the inner city, it is still significant in that it conforms to the notion of a livable city where green foliage is underscored.

In this regard, there have been worrying signs. In various places, sidewalk flower beds were poorly protected. They are occupied for other purposes—a gathering point for chatting friends or a temporary storage for hawkers. As a result, flowers and herbs were destroyed, leaving ugly scenes.

An essential way to strengthen water absorbency and reduce heat, greener sidewalk will enable the cityscape to look nicer and friendlier, both to local inhabitants and visitors. What this campaign for green sidewalk is still lacking may be measures to attract the participation of communities. Without that public support, the “green sidewalk,” first initiated by the authorities, would not last long and take full effect.

Related Articles

• Advocates For Written Vietnamese
• Market moves up sharply
• Painters show works inspired by nature, nostalgia
• Blue seas and unspoiled beaches
• Teachers pay for class materials from salaries

Campaign promotes environmental practices

HA NOI — Hundreds of students and other volunteers joined in the Green City Tour campaign in Ha Noi, HCM City and Da Nang yesterday, aiming to promote public awareness of environmental protection.

The campaign, part of Toyota Viet Nam's Go Green Programme, was co-organised by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources' Department of the Environment Protection and the Ministry of Education and Training.

Volunteers cleaned streets and distributed stickers containing simple and practical messages of how to conserve energy and protect the environment in their daily lives. Many contain short messages, such as Remember to Tighten Me (to be pasted on water taps), Clean Before Using (to be pasted on microwave ovens and irons), and Turn off the Screen When Not in Use (to be pasted on TV screens and computer monitors).

The Green City Tour campaign will be held on weekends between now and March 2011, co-ordinating closely with local governments and groups such as the Women's Union and representatives of residential units and apartments. For further information, you can visit the website www.gogreen.com.vn. — VNS

Related Articles

• Contest promotes ‘green' journalism
• ASEAN's socio-cultural issues promoted at Da Nang meeting
• IFC: Vietnam needs to increase PPP to support economy
• Preparations for congress reviewed
• Naval forces boost global co-operation