--------------GREEN TEAM----------------

2012 Happy Chinese New Year!

2012-01-23T01:47:00.000+08:00

Hey greenies and blog readers alike :)

I say this every time I make a post, and I regret it ever so much- I'm really sorry for disappearing for such a long time and yes, this blog post is long overdue..
Ironically enough, we are just entering the Lunar New Year, so this post isn't overdue! :P

You see how I am the master of lame jokes?

That aside, let me start off this post. So this year is the Year of the Dragon. I have a sister born in this year, and from what I see in her, I would say that those born on the year of the Dragon are driven and ambitious - important qualities if you want to be involved in business or economics, which she is in. They are also kinda fiesty, and are more likely to be the no-nonsense type. Pretty intense I would say.. You gotta respect Dragon people for their achievements.

Also born on this year are celebrities like Bruce Lee, Sandra Bullock, John Lennon, Salvador Dali... and an interesting Mexican actor I just found out about named Raul Julia-Levy. Turns out he is a strong supporter of animal rights and is pretty well-known for his philanthrophy, besides his acting.

So anyway, on to the important part of this post.. the wishes. From myself and from Green Team, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year and may this year bring more peace and success to everyone! My hopes are that we have a better environment policies in Malaysia, stronger law enforcements and a society that is more concerned about living consciously.

Picture from http://zymora-tech.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dragon2.jpg

Here's hoping for a better future for the environment in Malaysia and a healthier planet for everyone around the world ^__^

xx
Haneesa

S.O.S Animals in Bangkok

2011-11-21T01:07:00.000+08:00

Hey guys

I know I haven't blogged for some time now, mainly because I'm swamped with uni work (yada yada yada..I know..) but also because I've been wanting to write about a specific topic, but haven't had the right information to do so....

..so I finally found my source of inspiration thanks to SPCA and I'm gonna be talking about helping the animals in Bangkok who have become victims of the flooding.

Photos from the SPCA Newsletter

Remember my post about the Japanese tsunami? And the superhero dog who made international news? I posted some links on how to help the animal victims back then, and its more than just for me to do the same now.

SPCA Malaysia is helping out with the critical conditions of the animals in Thailand through an organization called the Soi Dog Foundation and the Soi Dog and Cats (SCAD Bangkok). I've just watched the rescue video and it's heartbreaking to see all the lonely dogs swimming aimlessly in the floods. Its tough work even saving the dogs because they can be really aggressive! And after these poor dogs have been rescued, they are sent to a bridge where all the dogs are temporarily placed where you can see the volunteers feeding them too.

Photo from the SPCA Newsletter

There are three ways to help out SPCA/SCAD Bangkok; either donate, volunteer or contribute medical supplies. Most of us are probably looking to donate :) but I can't tell you how tempted I am to volunteer myself. In case you are thinking of volunteering (which makes you cooler than me BTW) they need help mostly at the animal shelters. They are severely lacking in manpower and the jobs include documenting and caring for the animals, as well as helping vets with the treatments.

I really hope we can all contribute, if not a lot, a little to this organization. If you guys know of any other ways we can help out, please share them in the comments below. I always feel like it's an achievement to help our furry friends, no matter how small we think our effort is. Maybe it's because sometimes, animals can appreciate people more than people themselves...

Links:
SPCA Newsletter http://www.enewsletter1.com/newsletter/N2937.html
Soi Dog Foundation: http://www.soidog.org/
SCAD Bangkok: http://www.scadbangkok.org/

Take care,
H

Happy Eid-ul-Adha

2011-11-05T22:18:00.000+08:00

Happy Eid-ul-Adha to Muslims around the world. May you have a peaceful celebration :)

- Haneesa

Image credit to http://noor-ul-ainhanif.blogspot.com

SMAP Labu Compost Demonstration Part 2 :)

2011-11-05T02:12:00.000+08:00

Hey guys!

I just got back home from UIA and I have to say I am absolutely simply delightfully happy because of the long holiday ahead :) I got lotsa fun stuff planned to keep ~~me from dying of boredom and so that I dont sleep all day~~ myself occupied throughout this entire week. Its weird how I was just up swamped these past few weeks with midterms, assignments and presentations..not to mention a little GT event as well! (Yeah, it takes a lotta effort for small programs too, okay!)

If you guys remember, we already had a composting demo a couple of months ago at SMAP Labu, so this was sort of our follow up demo. Unfortunately (and quite adorably too) the students didn't get the liquid solutions quite right and the Form 3 students were busy with PMR to focus all their energy on the composting farm.

Haneesa:"The Takakura is good!.... especially for your mothers :)"
Student:"Would she know I'm not listening if I painted eyes on my eyelids? o__o"

So how did I feel about this? "Its okay guys!" I really didn't expect the project to kick off so easily, especially for beginners. Plus they're doing it on quite a big scale y'know? At about 10 am Puan Jumaatol, our go-to person, gathered the Form 3 kids in the same hall for another demo. I was actually surprised to see these new faces since I thought I would be talking to the previous group I had presented to! So yeah, you guessed it, I basically had to teach them from scratch... but this time they got an added bonus ;) Since the Fourth Formers had already prepared the solutions, I decided to use those as a demo tool for these guys.

Student: It stinks........I wanna touch it!

By the way, those involved in this demo were only the Three Musketeers Haneesa, Razin a.k.a Toi and Faeq. Yup, it was the three of us only; me as the speaker and the guys as the technical crew :P I'm glad they came because they at least were able to sit with the ~~handful of moody teenage~~ boys who were at the demo. Kidding. I love those lil guys for putting up with me <3

Spot the two oddballs in this picture. Clue: Mr Red and Mr Grey.

The demo started out with my presentation on composting. I did my routine intro by explaining to them a few things:
1. What is composting and what are its benefits
2. Why composting is important especially because of our lifestyle as Malaysians
3. What benefits do Takakura have over other methods
4. How to start composting using the Takakura method
and other topics related to Takakura like alternative ingredients or problems in the process.

Ooooh.....aahhh....

After that we moved on to the hands-on part of the program. It was so funny how the students were all like
"Ewww..That smells awful.."
"It smells like poo!"
"*Sniff* That reminds me of pickles!" and
*Gagging sounds*

but when I asked who would volunteer to mix the rice husk and the solutions, they were all like

"ME!!!"

Cute little school kids. You guys are gonna grow up to be awesome.

We took our time doing the second step of the Takakura home composting and left it at that. The students had to continue with the Recycling event afterwards anyway. (Heh. It was a coincidence.) Plus they weren't completely prepared for the demo, which I have to take some blame, because they didn't know what to prepare beforehand. This is a good reminder to myself to email all tools and ingredients, or radas dan bahan as we call it in Malay, to Pn Jumaatol to prepare for our third trip.

I'm already excited :D

x,
Haneesa

Takakura Home Composting - as easy as rice, salt and sugar!

2011-11-04T16:50:00.000+08:00

Because 'rice, salt and sugar' means 'A,B,C 'in greenie language ; )

Credits to The Star online (http://thestar.com.my/)

The Green Team booth at KAED Fest~

2011-10-08T16:44:00.000+08:00

Handmade notebooks, candles and crayons

New promo bunting! Courtesy of Dina :)

KAEDFest Thank Yous

2011-10-08T13:53:00.001+08:00

Hey everyone!

I know this post is ~~a little~~ overdue since KAED Fest was almost a month ago... but its never too late to say thank you right? :)

Personally I wanna thank all *greenies who were involved in helping out with KAED Fest. You guys obviously put a lotta sacrifice into the event, despite being from a different faculty, trying to mix with a totally different crowd- you guys put you differences aside to make this event meaningful. Archimic and the GT mainboard owe you guys for that :)

We all worked hard, shed blood, sweat and tears for the event..and it became a success :)
Thank you and congratulations to everyone!!

Mizah and Alya at the GT Booth

Ain as the Special Task committee for Lend a Voice

Asna as the MC for Lend a Voice

Haneesa

UPDATED PERFORMERS TIMETABLE for LEND A VOICE-STREET PERFORMANCE FOR CHARITY (22/09/2011 THURSDAY)

2011-09-21T12:01:00.000+08:00

TIME (PM)	PERFORMER	PERFORMANCE
12.00-12.15	NAQIB NOOR ISKANDAR HASHIM	ACOUSTIC
12.15-12.30	MUHAMMAD EZZWAN	ACOUSTIC
12.30-12.45	AKMAL HAKIM ABDUL KHALIK	POETRY
12.45-1.00	OPEN MIC – OPEN TO ALL PERFORMERS*
1.00-1.15
1.00-1.15	IIUM BAND (BRO. RAOUF)	ACOUSTIC
1.15-1.30	(LUNCH AND ZUHUR BREAK)
1.30-1.45	MOHD HAKIM + AZZIZUL JABBAR	ACOUSTIC
1.45-2.00	NOOR AQMAL HAKIM
2.00-2.15	LUQMAN HAKIM	POETRY
2.15-2.30	NIK MUHD ADIB NIK AZLAN	ACOUSTIC
3.00-3.15	MOHD ZARIF BIN FAAN	ACOUSTIC
3.15-3.30	MOHD WAFA + MUHAMMAD SHAZWAN	ACOUSTIC
3.30-6.30 PM	OPEN MIC – OPEN TO ALL PERFORMERS*

8.15-9.50 PM	OPENING CEREMONY
9.50-11.00PM	OPEN MIC – OPEN TO ALL PERFORMERS*

*registered and non-registered performers. 5PM reserved for Bro. Arief Irsyad (Poetry)

Announcements:

1) All performers have 15 minutes to perform. If you wish to perform for an unlimited time, do come between 3.15-6.30 pm for the open slot.

2) If any performances clash with classes, please inform in the comment section below, or SMS to 019-374-0574.

3) Equipment provided are 2 mics + stands, 3 chairs and PA System. Please contact for additional items

4) Performers are not required to dress formally. Please be as santai as possible.

5) For sisters, take note that only poetry and instrumental (guitar/traditional/percussion etc.) performances are allowed.

6) Refreshments will be provided for all registered performers.

Spread the Word! Thank You!

PERFORMERS TIMETABLE for LEND A VOICE-STREET PERFORMANCE FOR CHARITY (22/09/2011 THURSDAY)

2011-09-20T13:43:00.001+08:00

TIME (PM)	PERFORMER	PERFORMANCE
12.00-12.15	NAQIB NOOR ISKANDAR HASHIM	ACOUSTIC
12.15-12.30	MUHAMMAD EZZWAN	ACOUSTIC
12.30-12.45	AKMAL HAKIM ABDUL KHALIK	POETRY
12.45-1.00	MOHD WAFA + MUHAMMAD SHAZWAN	ACOUSTIC
1.00-1.15	ARIF IRSYAD	POETRY
1.15-1.30	(LUNCH AND ZUHUR BREAK)
1.30-1.45	MOHD HAKIM + AZZIZUL JABBAR	ACOUSTIC
1.45-2.00	NOOR AQMAL HAKIM
2.00-2.15	LUQMAN HAKIM	POETRY
2.15-2.30	NIK MUHD ADIB NIK AZLAN	ACOUSTIC
3.00-3.15	MOHD ZARIF BIN FAAN	ACOUSTIC
3.15-6.30 PM	OPEN MIC – OPEN TO ALL PERFORMERS*

*registered and non-registered performers

Announcement:
1) All performers have 15 minutes to perform. If you wish to perform for an unlimited time, do come between 3.15-6.30 pm for the open slot.
2) If any performances clash with classes, please inform in the comment section below, or SMS to 019-374-0574.
3) Equipment provided are 2 mics + stands, 3 chairs and PA System. Please contact for additional items
4) Performers are not required to dress formally. Please be as santai as possible.
5) For sisters, take note that only poetry and instrumental (guitar/traditional/percussion etc.) performances are allowed.
6) Refreshments will be provided for all registered performers.

Spread the Word! Thank You!

Green Team booth at KAED Fest 2011! Promo!

2011-09-18T22:19:00.001+08:00

Green Tips for Ramadan!

2011-08-11T02:23:00.001+08:00

It is now the holy month of Ramadan and accompanying this month is an assortment of new activities and experiences that is considered unique to Ramadan and Ramadan only. Fasting and the feeling of lethargy may bound us over but the appeal of Iftar sessions and prayers cannot be dismissed. So, what does an environmentally-aware Muslim person as yourself should do in the month of Ramadan? Should we make way for siesta sessions to preserve our energy until Maghrib or should we double and modify our efforts? Here are a few tips to have a fruitful Ramadan and still remain green:

Bring your own containers/ eco-friendly bags to shop at Ramadan bazaars.

If you’re already doing this, then bravo! But many of us wouldn’t think twice of the environmental damages caused by plastic bags and Styrofoam containers used in the bazaars when we are starving! Insist on using your own containers and bags. Perhaps you will get a strange look but feel good that you’re not participating in an environmentally-damaging practice. Even if the stall owners are using seemingly recyclable materials such as paper wraps, the oil from the food will stain the material and made it impossible to be recycled. If the stall owner refuses to budge, move on to the next stall. Luckily, in one bazaar, there would be 2 or 3 stalls selling the same food. One would agree with your green ways.

Plan your Iftar meals to prevent splurging too much on food.

Yes, you’re hungry and in the state of that hunger, you want the amount of food that could feed the entire ship of Prophet Nuh. Ramadan bazaars, hotel buffets, special deals in your favourite restaurants… But is this excessive food binging necessary to fulfil the need of nourishment? When you are hungry, it is easy to make an irrational decision to gather as much food as necessary. However, after the Iftar have commenced, you’d realise how much of these food go to waste. During the month of Ramadan, don’t bite into this temptation as it might cause serious harm to our environment. Instead of adding more inhabitants in our landfills, prevent splurging on too much food. Plan your Iftar meals the night before so you won’t be influenced by your hunger. Better yet, cook for yourself and your family so you can deduce how much food that is truly needed!

Sharing is caring, even when it comes to Iftar.

Another tip to keep the food waste to a minimum is to share them! If you feel you have too much food on your dinner table, divide them into smaller containers and pass them on to your neighbours. Who knows, maybe your neighbour couldn’t make that quick dash to the Ramadan bazaar to buy anything? Another way you can share food is having your Iftar at your local mosque. Neighbourhood mosques usually provide a quick munch for Iftar before heading to perform Maghrib prayers. This would be an excellent option if you want to minimize food wastage and unnecessary excessiveness. Furthermore, you get to know the members of your own community!

Walk, cycle, skate or carpool to your nearest mosque.

Every Muslims loves Tarawikh prayers during the Ramadan as it fulfils the need of the soul to perform Ibadah. However, does this fulfilment include carbon emission as well? The usual scene of a mosque during Ramadan is jam-packed car parks and busy traffic as mosque attendants rush to their spot in the mosque. Instead of hiking up the amount of carbon emission alongside your Tarawikh prayers, opt for a greener option by walking to your mosque. Cycling or skating, if walking is not your preferred method. This will not only reduce carbon emission but give yourself a good exercise after your Iftar. Worse comes to worst, you can carpool among your neighbours and friends in order to reduce carbon emission. At least there’s only one person who has to worry about parking space.

Donate!

Donating is definitely one of the acts that is encouraged during the fasting month. Hence, why not make your donation a green one? You can lend some financial help to several environmental organizations such as Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), WWF Malaysia, and many more. If you're more interested in a global cause, read more about the Somalia's famine crisis and participate in battling hunger. It is reported that it is the first famine crisis in Somalia in 19 years. Majority of the people affected by the famine crisis have not eaten for days and cases of death from hunger are reported every day. You can make your donations at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or Zakat Foundation of America.

Burn the midnight oil... using a single lightbulb.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world would wake up before dawn to perform various acts of Ibadah. Whether it is performing Tahajjud prayers or reading the Quran, many would find the dead of the night as the perfect time to find solace in acts of worship for the Almighty. However, this encouraged action should not be accompanied by wastage. Don't switch on all the lights for all your neighbours to witness. A single lightbulb is suffice to accompany you. After all, the dark atmosphere will help you to concentrate more on performing your Ibadah.

Take care of your health!

As fasting is the act of abstaining from food and drinks, it is very important to observe the state of your health during these conditions. Avoid from dehydration by consuming less caffeinated drinks before the act of fasting. A beverage of choice should be water so you can compensate going without it for the whole day. Fruits and vegetables are also great to battle dehydration as they are rich with nutrients and minerals. Never skip your pre-dawn meals as they would sustain your energy level throughout the day. Eat more fibre-packed food, such as wholemeal bread or oatmeal, to give you that extra boost of energy. Muslims are also advised not to exercise during fasting. Instead, perform exercises after your Iftar as you will have already consumed enough food and water for strenuous physical activity.

Read on articles from other Muslim environmentalists!

Thanks to the Internet, Muslims all around the world has a bevy of resources to choose from on how to be a good environmentalists during Ramadan. You can start by reading "The Ramadan Nutrition Work Out Plan for Success" at Suhaib Webb's website. Or you can read up on the informative article "Ramadan Health and Spirituality Guide" by Communities in Action. You can also delve into an interesting article about gluttony during Ramadan from The Green Bush Blog. Or brace yourself with handy tool-kit on how to tackle the obstacles in Ramadan, using the green way, provided by Green Muslims! You can also interact and share any green tips for Ramadan in our official Green Team Facebook page as we update daily on everything green.

Photo update! SMAP Labu trip :)

2011-05-27T12:52:00.006+08:00

Heyyy greenies and bloggers alike :D We had a small composting demonstration on Wednesday where the 4 of us (Me, Lia, Anisul and Amira) carried out at Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan Labu.. We were met with about 30+ Form 4 students from SMAP Labu who were interested in our composting and had invited us to teach more on the process ^^ They gave really good responses *yay!* and even took up our challenge to start their own composting project at school. We are planning on coming back in a couple of months to see the progress of their compost and best of all, to reward the winners of our challenge! It ended up being a looong day, but worth it ;) Thank you SMAP Labu for having us over and being so warm! And thanks to all teacher and students who supported us..

See you guys in 2 months! ;)

-Haneesa

2011-05-19T22:33:00.003+08:00

http://ecojihad.blogspot.com/

Hey everyone!

I found this via Imam Suhaib Webb's website while looking for something else completely. Whaddaya know.. If Allah wants us to find something, so be it :)

This blog is basically about connecting environmentalism and jihad- how the two intertwines. Its presented in a very light-hearted manner so its practically readable anytime!

Enjoy the blog guys and TTYL :)

~Haneesa

Interview with Gabriella Navarra :)

2011-05-15T01:18:00.003+08:00

Hey you guys :)

I found something on Google, and Im gona share it by beginning with a story abt when I was in Germany last year for BYEE.

In that one week, I have never felt so connected with so many different people. We had such similar drive and interest in the environment, it literally felt like we belong with each other; corny as that sounds. Naturally, some of them wanted to know me better. One of these people was in fact a journalist from Argentina by the name of Gabriela Navarra. At first glance, she's quite strict looking and very serious, but once I got to know her we became realllly close. She wasn't even one of the envoys, nor was she a person of my age, but we clicked really well.

Anyways, she asked to interview me, so one day we sat together for like, nearly an hour talking about myself and my project and, naturally, my religion. It was pretty obvious which religion I belonged to to many of the people there. She asked me a lot of controversial questions and I had to answer them no matter what.

I don't know if Gabriela ever feels the same way I did, but I was really thankful for the interview. I never once felt like I was being pressured or was in the hot seat with those questions. Somehow I reaally feel like out of her honesty, she just wanted to know more about Islam and clarify so many things that she was unsure of. And I was more than glad to do that. Through the interview I learned that there are so so so many misconceptions about my religion, how widely transmitted this information is and how people tend to just accept it as it is. Some of the things we discussed include marriage, aurat and womens status in Islam...

Flash forward a few months later; today I found her article. She has mentioned a lot of us in the article, but she has also highlighted a section about Islam. Here's the link (the article is in Spanish by the way):

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1343694-ideas-jovenes-para-salvar-el-mundo

and here is an excerpt of the part of the article that was on me:

"Haneesa Zahidah, another Muslim girl from Malaysia who is attending the Islamic University in Kuala Lumpur, says: "Study of English Literature, but my passion is the environment. When people understand that simple actions can help, how to sort household waste participates with enthusiasm. " Haneesa is a Muslim believer. "Not that we can not show their hair," he says, in his 20 years teaching. The concept is that only you can show your face and hands, except when you're with other girls, your family, your husband and family your husband. For Islam women are naturally beautiful and the male has to concentrate on what they think, not his body. Men and women are equal, both have strengths and weaknesses, and complement each other when you marry. "

Sorry for the funny translation. I just copied it off Google Translate

Nowadays its hard to keep in touch with her. I emailed her some time after November and she replied. We even have each other on Skype!

She's extremely busy with her journalism I'm sure; and I have no qualms about that. She told me its the one thing she absolutely loves doing despite the many challenges she faces in the field.

Just one more thing we both have in common.

Haneesa

FAQs on our Furry Friends

2011-04-22T22:39:00.003+08:00

Salam!

Before I started writing this entry I kept looking at the title, wondering if I should change it. You see, the FAQs I'm referring to here are ones related to Islamic Rulings. Hence, the FAQ is technically FAQII (FAQ in Islam) - I mean, that would be more appropriate right? :/

Aaanways, petty confusions aside, let me first and foremost introduce you guys to the website I retrieved the FAQs from :)

Lemme start with YMP. I've been introduced to YMP for quite some time now and I really respect and admire these bunch o people. Seriously, they have so much to offer- they have regular activities, like camps, talks, Q&A sessions, picnics, yada yada.. a really proactive group of people y'know? And naturally, they too have a pleasant blog - that I regularly visit.

Thing about this blog is, they don't just update their upcoming/past activities, but they also provide useful information on the everyday life of a Muslim. There are some really good links and sources for the general mass to learn more about Islam.

Thus, with that, I came across the website www.Islam-qa.com :) Now I've been referring to this web for quite some time now, and I find that the answers here are well presented. I mean, you guys know how sometimes you feel a little patronized by how some people answer your questions (hold on, maybe its just me? -_-''' sigh..) ? Well I do, honestly, and I don't really like it :(

But this website is different. The writer is really composed with his answers, and they web also has a wide range of topics you wana learn about, making it very comprehensive :D Today I came across some FAQs about Islam relating to animals. Some of the questions include:

-The ruling on spaying/neutering

-Killing dangerous animals

-Euthanizing pets

-Tips on keeping pets

and many more..

So there ya go :) I won't be explaining the whole nine miles on each of these topics, that would take sooo many more blog posts. Besides, like I said, the writer presents the answers in a far better manner.

I hope you guys enjoy the web and get to learn sth from it. Speaking of animals, I think Green Team might have a voluntary zoo clean up session some time this year :D Let me check with Asna and get back to u guys.

Till then, be green!

Salam!

Haneesa

Epic Dog

2011-03-17T10:07:00.005+08:00

Morning everyone :)

I had a totally Hachiko moment today when I read this article.

This dog was found in Arahama (in Miyagi Perfecture) waiting by his injured friend.. His friend (also a dog BTW) was stuck under the rubble, and this dog wouldn't leave him alone! The part when his friend was trying to get up totally made me T_T

You guys can watch the video here
(Ultimate Loyalty: Japanese Dog Refuses to Leave Injured Friend Behind)

In case you guys don't know, part of Green Team's mission is to harmonize the lives of both man and beast on this planet. As far as I can remember we have always been concerned with issues regarding animals... so I think its fair if we pay as much attention to our four legged friends who are equally affected by the tsunami / earthquake in Japan.

I'm gonna post a few links on the bodies that are helping out the animals affected in Japan... It's all I can do for now..
Maybe I should suggest something to Asna about this.. hmm..

Links:

Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support FB Page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Japan-Earthquake-Animal-Rescue-and-Support/207835229228979?ref=ts

Japan Cat Network
http://www.japancatnet.com/

Shiga Angel Group Shelter.. page is in Japanese BTW
http://angels2005.org/

Animal Refuge Kansai
http://www.arkbark.net/?q=en/node/2901

xx
Haneesa

A moment of prayer for those in Japan...

2011-03-14T21:22:00.003+08:00

Photo credits to Yahoo! News at news.yahoo.com

Green Workshop

2011-03-14T20:52:00.004+08:00

Hey ho everyone :)

A few days ago we had our first off campus activity for the semester which was the Green Workshop, an environmental workshop for refugee children.

Alhamdulillah, everyone had a blast with the children, and it seems that the kids had a lot of fun too ^^

Seriously, I have to make a mental note to myself to take extra supplements + red bull or something when I'm working with kids cuz they are crazy hyper! At first only the older kids (teenage boys) were talking to us and making jokes..but as we got to spend more time with them even the smaller kids were getting more and more excited. I wasn't really involved with the facilitating (was running up & down making sure everything was OK) but I can tell it wasn't easy handling those kids.. Phew..

We have the usual jumping and squealing, but also the more 'petah' or talkative kids who were chittering non-stop. Some of them even said the games were too easy and they wanted tougher games.. so yeah, basically they were like 'more! more! MORE!' o_o

We finished late noon and by that time you can tell that the facilitators were 'slowing down' too :P

Even so, they were still spending time with the kids, which was really what I was hoping they would do. I remember in the van we were still talking about the kids. We got to learn a lot about them- some of them are super smart (I got the feeling like jeez this kids gonna go way further than me when he's my age), some who are really interested in the environment :) and we also got to know a bit more about their personal lives too...

So here's a pic of us at the end of the program. I wanna thank everyone who came that day; Aliaa, Aqmar, Fitra & Atiqah; Qistina, Mizah & Anisul, Alya and her gang- Amirah, Faiz, Shafiq, Rifdi; Kak Dayah, Fifa & Suri, Atikah & Azrul, and last but not least Asna :)
Also a big thanks goes to those who helped planning, all the bureaus and the mainboard who were involved..

..and to those who didn't participate, you guys rugi besar ^_^

Enjoy the picture :) Till then...

Be green!
Haneesa

Forum Maulidur Rasul - Archimic Event

2011-02-28T16:54:00.003+08:00

Salam all

Just a short notice for everyone.. Tonight ARCHIMIC (Architecture students' society) will be having Forum Maulidur Rasul in conjunction with the anniversary of the Prophet's (s.a.w) birth last week.

The event is themed Muslim Professionals, and everyone is invited to come :) See you guys at KAED Gallery tonight!

Haneesa

The day after...

2011-01-18T21:52:00.004+08:00

Hey everyone :)

So we had our first Green General Meeting last night, as most of you know. . and as many of you may also know, we had a good turn up last night :) More importantly, those who came showed so much support and anticipation for the club. That made our day, especially those who worked on the General Meeting. We also had Bro. Syakirin, our advisor to come down and give a short speech. Photos were taken, thanks to Dina, however I haven't had the time to take them from her yet.. They will be up soon though :)

We have yet to finalise the results of the meeting but just to briefly update you guys on what's new, here it is in a nutshell:

~ Newly elected Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Financial Controller
~ Newly elected Head of Bureaus and Assistants for Research and Development, Editorial Board, Entrepreneurship and Arts & Design.
~ Division of all GT Members into respective Bureaus

I would also like to extend our gratitude to all those who came, a big Thank You to all of you from the bottom of our hearts :) And to the hardworking GT committees who were involved in making the meeting happen.. You guys are the Greeniest!

To all those who wish to pay for their membership cards, we will keep you informed on the time and day we will be having the next collection..so keep checking your emails, alright ;)

Till next time, Be Green!

x
Haneesa

Green General Meeting

2011-01-14T22:29:00.004+08:00

Salam everyone!

We are proud to invite all new Green Team members to our very first

Green General Meeting

the official general meeting for our club this year. Here you can meet the current line-up for the main board and find out what Green Team is all about.

Here's our event poster :)

The map to the venue, which is LT2 in KAED

Here are some of the agendas of the night:

~ Introduction to Green Team

~ Appointment of bureau heads and assistants

~ Allocation of specific bureaus to members

~ Meeting the new main board

and many more!

We hope to see the many new faces we saw during the membership drive, as well as our old members ;) Also, be sure to bring some extra $$ for your very own membership card!

Have a good weekend everyone, and see you on Monday!

Haneesa

Green Team Membership Drive

2011-01-08T19:10:00.011+08:00

Hey everyone!

The new semester began a few weeks ago for UIA students, and we decided hey! why not have a project as early as possible this sem? We have a new line-up, and its a new year, so why not do something totally new to the club and have...(drumroll)...

a membership drive!

So firstly, we decided we need that little extra something to get students to join. We came up with these...

Tadaa!! Limited edition Green Team badges!

It comes in two colours which are black...

..and white :)

We had the membership drive at several places in UIA such as the UIA Square & Expressive Corner...

At each location, we prepared the membership list and our self-made Pledges for students to choose and sign.

Our Pledges are:
Recycling
Reducing
Reusing
Reducing Gas Emissions
Saving Energy and Water
Spreading Awareness

Whatever pledges chosen must be carried out in a small or a big way by anyone who signs it. For example, if you sign the Recycling Pledge, you will have to recycle in any way that is practical for yourself. We also wrote ideas for our pledgers to choose from at the sides of the pledge, like

'I will recycle once a week'

or

'I will recycle all my Pepsi cans'

We figured that way, recycling won't be such a hassle for our pledgers :)

We also did the Membership Drive at other places like HS Square, ITD/IRK building, and Econs building..

At HS Square

Pledges!

Lya and Me :)

All in all the membership drive was a success and we got over 100 new members who signed up for our activities this semester. We also got some interesting comments from them like

"Amende ni??"

"Hey, I think I've seen you guys before.."

"Ape kate korang letak recycling bin dekat semua kuliyyah.. kan bagus.."

"If I join, can I get a certificate???"

"Ohhh..Green Team.. Aku ingat Green TEA tadi.."

Alhamdulillah, we committee members thought it was a success :) If you have seen us, and are interested to join, please drop and email at greenteamiiu@blogspot.com to ask more about Green Team (psst.. you can email in either English or Malay if you want).

We have two upcoming programs this semester, which I will try my best to blog about. Until then, thanks for reading! Oh, don't forget to leave a comment! :D

Be.. Greeeeen! (opera style)
Haneesa

In the papers! :D

2010-10-18T17:12:00.004+08:00

Hey everyone

Some of you m ay already know that I was recently given the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy 2010 title as a result of the composting project I worked on under Green Team. What you may not know is that we made it to the papers! Yahoo!

The articles I have here are from The Star newsapaper and New Straits Times, although we were also in The Borneo Post and Sarawak Tribune too, if Im not mistaken.

Enjoy the articles everyone!

Haneesa

350 event

2010-10-18T16:02:00.000+08:00

Pictures from 10/10/10 :) Location: Kg Pdg Balang, Gombak, KL

350 event - Compost demonstration at village anniversary celebration :D

2010-10-10T22:53:00.000+08:00

Salam and hey2 peeps!

Today I had looong and tiring day that started early in the morning.. Me and Umie were at the 150th anniversary of Kampung Padang Balang which is a neighboring village to our university. We were given a small booth in the middle of the event and we started our very2 small and personal demo with the kids..
If you guys have worked with kids before, then u can imagine the energy that goes into such activities.. hehe.. They were really2 hyper, of course, but very attentive as well. And also very participative.. Which makes me love them even more <3

The goal of our event was to spread the knowledge on composting to the kids and their families.. Composting encompasses the 3Rs and I believe this is crucial for climate change. Hey, its the little things that count right? Even if one village composted their organic wastes, then they would still discard less, thus contributing less to landfills (yuck).

I taught them the basic of basics, that is, mixing organic waste and a nitrogenous agent-in this case it was dry leaves. I had a simple diagram prepared on the spot, and had them redraw the diagram to keep at home. Simple :) Just for everybodys information, I was planning to explain the Takakura method to the villagers.. but somehow I ended up with the kids being interested! But hey, Im ok!

Anyhoos the event was a blast. The kids got the message of the program and agreed to show their parents the composting diagram :) Gosh.. Love them. Especially the boys (:P dont mean to be sexist or anything!). Tho they r so so so notty!
Since i cant post the pics now (for some weird n annoying reason by blogspot) i will be uploading them later, as well as on our fb. Oh, and do look out for my BYEE progress on this blog too! Im so sorry its been so late, but i absolutely promise i will update it soon!

hugs and loves!
Haneesa

ps: i made it to The Star newspaper yday ;) clicky the linky if u wanna see

http://archives.thestar.com.my/last365days/default.aspx?query=haneesa

My Thank You-s :)

2010-09-24T16:19:00.003+08:00

On behalf of Green Team and myself, I would like to thank all who have participated, helped and supported my composting project to this day. My success as a Bayer Young Environmental Envoy is much owed to you guys, and hopefully my trip to Germany (InsyAllah) will further expand the project that we have worked on.

I would like to thank Bayer Inc. for the tremendous opportunity that I have been given. I was so honoured to be an Envoy itself, what more with this win.
To the organizing committee, Thank you! You guys have no idea how much you have helped! I think I might have absorbed some of the energy and determination you guys have given to the program!
To the judges, my heartiest thanks to all. If not for you, I wouldn't have this chance. I would like to also apologise for any increased blood pressures/ other stress related illnesses caused during the judging session....! Me and the rest of the envoys only wish the best for all of you.
To everyone who has helped Green Team; Landscaping students (Architecture), ARCHIMIC, Biotechnology students (Engeneering) of IIUM. Thank you for your unconditional support ;)
To everyone who has directly or indirectly helped with the project, or has supported Green Team thus far, a huge THANK YOU I wish to all of you! My team, my project and myself would not have come this far without your support!

For more info on my recent involvement with the Bayer Young Environment Envoy program, please visit the link http://www.bayeryoungenvoy.com/en/Malaysia.aspx

Sincerely,
Haneesa Zahidah

Upcoming Projects!

2010-08-03T15:15:00.002+08:00

Hey everyone!

Here are two of our major projects coming up this semester..

Nature Appreciation Day

This one day program is in conjuction with the Planning Students Assembly (PSA) under KAED. For this program, we will be handling the clean up; telling the participants what to do, staying at checkpoints.. basically we are like facilitators. We will have a river clean up starting at around noon, followed by refreshments. Students will also be given time to splash around too (mandi sungai) :)
Date: 07/08/2010
Day: Saturday (this week)
Time: 12-6pm
Attire: Track pants, dark shirt, shoes. You are also advised to bring slippers and an extra change of clothes.

~o~

Compost Farm

The farm will be up and running (hopefully) before fasting month. We are having it at KAED courtyard, and the activity involves handling food waste (only organic ones! like fruit and veggie. No meat products..) so be prepared for the 'lovely' smells :P I'm especially looking for UIA students doing science who are staying on campus.

This project is also part of my program with Bayer, an international reasearch company. You guys can check out the program here

http://www.bayeryoungenvoy.com/en/default.aspx

For further details, please contact me at 019-374-0574 with your name and which program you would like to join :)Looking forward to hearing from u guys!

Haneesa

Green Channel at The Star online

2010-07-04T20:02:00.004+08:00

Hey there greenies!

A while ago, a member of our club emailed us about something she's working on recently called the Green Channel. It's actually a part of The Star online TV and it's got all the videos on the up to date environmental happenings around the country.
I highly recommend u guys to visit the channel.. It covers everything from official events involving Ministries, to simple everyday tips on living green :D

You guys can visit http://staronline.tv/, look for "Green Channel" at the left sidebar and voila! The videos are at your fingertips :D

I'm gonna leave u guys here for now.. Hope u guys find time to visit the web I just talked about, and I'll talk to you guys soon!

xoxo
Haneesa

Green Team is now on Twitter!

2010-06-06T00:25:00.002+08:00

Salam, and hey peeps!

Just to inform you guys that we now have a Twitter account to keep in touch with our fellow greenies around Malaysia and the globe!

If you guys wana have a look at what's going on with GT / other advocators, feel free to visit twitter.com/greenteamiiu . Feel free to follow us as well ;D

Enjoy your weekend!
Haneesa

Green Team at YOUTH'10

2010-05-30T23:02:00.008+08:00

Hey greenies!

As you all know, Friday was a holiday because of Wesak Day and coincidentally it was also the kick-off for the Malaysia's largest 3 day youth gathering that is YOUTH'10. Me, Alya, Maya and Umie made our way there in the wee hours of Saturday morning (so rajin wan) to see what all the hoo-ha was about. Here's what accomplished ;D

We got to hear Khairun-Nisa, co-founder of MyCJN (Malaysian Youth for Climate Justice Network) speak about her experiences and we even met her personally afterwards to talk about Green Team ;D She was awesome!! Here's a pic of the conference. Can't really see her though.. which is why this photo is actually completely useless! LOL

We also visited the WWF Booth where they were promoting their TX2 campaign. I know what you guys are thinking, where else would Greenies be if not at the WWF booth? Well.... ur absolutely spot on, bebeh! We all had to vote for the person to be the ambassador for the campaign *ehem Rina ehem* :D Greenies unite!

We also made our mark on the Art Carnivale. Of course, the most creative of the bunch did the painting (Umie... but she's not the one in the picture btw. heh..) We had to paint it in a way so that it looks like a continuation of the previous picture.. Like sambung-sambung lah..

I noticed that they take off some paintings the next day, but ours was still there! Yippee! Here's our finished product....

So that was it, in a nutshell! I think Umie has more pictures.. so if you'd like to see what else the 4 of us did, visit our Facebook by clicking here ;D Now all I gotta do is get Umie to actually upload the pictures.. LOL!

TTYL,
Haneesa

40th Earth Day

2010-04-22T09:14:00.001+08:00

Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future.

Earth Day 2010 can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability. Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day.

What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things
That you said we were to gain.. .
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores?

What have we done to the world

Look what we've done

What about all the peace

That you pledge your only son...

What about flowering fields

Is there a time

What about all the dreams

That you said was yours and mine...

Did you ever stop to notice

All the children dead from war

Did you ever stop to notice

The crying Earth the weeping shores

I used to dream

I used to glance beyond the stars

Now I don't know where we are

Although I know we've drifted far

World Water Day 2010

2010-03-22T00:14:00.008+08:00

Salam fellow visitors and green beans :)

It's late and I actually am about to sleep but I just can't, knowing that I haven't posted this notice on the blog. I've been reminded of this day by a few parties for the past few days... Actually, by the media mostly.
They're big on days. Earth Day. Water Day. Environment Day. The mass media makes such a fabulous reminder..

I also found this out:
Malaysians waste three hundred MILLION litres of water..... Daily.
SO
If you're Malaysian, know this:

Bekalan air yang kita ada sekarang tak akan kekal sampai bila2. Silap, maksud aku, air bersih. Air yang kitorang boleh guna kat dunia ni 2% je daripada banyak2 air yang ada. Yang lagi 98% manusia tak boleh guna untuk nak mandi, minum, cuci baju, cuci pinggan hari2. Lagi-lagi 2% tu kita kena share dengan lagi (lebih kurang) 200 negara yang ada.

Jadi, korang nak hidup guna air kotor ke? Tak, kan? Of cos.. Jangan risau, korang takkan kena guna air kotor punya. Dalam hidup korang, air yang korang guna akan sentiasa bersih, sampailah korang mati.

TAPI...
anak-anak korang, anak-anak diorang, baby yang bakal dilahirkan nanti, DIORANG yang akan mandi, minum, cuci baju and cuci pinggan dengan air kotor. Yup.

SO...
Korang kene buat something sekarang jugak. Please, please, please (macam dalam iklan Xfresh) buang tabiat buruk korang. Kalau korang gosok gigi tak tutup air, biar air mengalir bila cuci kereta atau cuci pinggan ke, tolonglah tutup air tu.. Takde sape nak tengok air tu berjalan camtu. Bukannye macam movie blockbuster pon. Lagi satu, takde gunanye korang biar air tu mengalir. Kalau mak / makcik / nenek korang ada tabiat camtu, ajar diorang. Cerita elok2 kenape diorang tak patut buat camtu. Kalau korang ada pape tabiat guna air yang buruk, tolong stop sekarang...
Fikir pasal masa depan anak2 Malaysia OK.

Tepuk dada, tanya selera ;)

Sincerely,
Haneesa

Photos from:
fineartamerica.com
culliganwater.com.au
i.dailymail.co.uk

Anyone lose their glasses?

2010-03-13T16:56:00.003+08:00

Salam and hullo green beans!

I've been putting this off for so long because I've been so busy. But I'm doing it now so, Yayy!!

ATTENTION: All participants of the recent river cleaning program, we found a pair of glasses, with no owner :(

If you or someone you know have lost their glasses then by all means, contact us a.s.a.p!! Leave a comment here or inform any members of the Archimic mainboard :D

Spread the word everyone!
Haneesa

Take A Stand - 8th March 2010

2010-03-09T16:34:00.004+08:00

Salam everyone :D

Hey! Hows everyone? Good, I hope. GT has been busy ever since the river clean-up and everyone's caught up with assigments and projects and yada yada.. U guys know how it is. Heh.
Soo... some of us took some time off last night (I know I did) to show our support for our new members by attending their self-organized event called "Take A Stand, Save The World". The itinerary was:

1) Slideshow presentation on recycling
2) Movie screening - A Day After Tomorrow
3) Q&A (with prizes :D)
4) GT promo

FYI, Sir Syakirin was there as well till the end of the program. Thanks for coming sir! Overall, the event went smoothly and I felt good vibes from the audience.
Congrats to our green beans Alya Qaryna and Alya Nabila for inviting us, and most of all, we would like to thank all the students from Section 12 of Leadership and Management class (CCLM 2051) for organizing the event and for their gift to Green Team ;D
Thanks a million for the effort.. We at GT appreciate your show of interest for the same cause :D

All the best to you guys in your finals

Haneesa ;D

Green Team River Cleanup 2010

2010-02-17T12:00:00.003+08:00

On the 7th of February 2010 the first annual Green Team River cleanup was successfully held at Kampung Padang Balang, Gombak, Selangor. The organizers, Green Team, along with Archimic Student Society and in collaboration with Madrasah Tarbiyah of Kampung Bandar Dalam, DBKL, JPS, and MUAFAKAT rallied about 100+ volunteers to help free the river from the clutches of rubbish and waste. At 8.30 in the morning, around 80 IIUM students gathered in front of KAED and were divided into 5 groups, each receiving gloves and mineral water. All 80 carpooled to the location, approximately 10 minutes away from IIUM. After breakfast, the participants along with the villagers proceeded to get their hands dirty. Even in the searing heat, the participants were enthusiastic and some villagers even showed off their skills at catching fish barehanded! As the mountains of rubbish piled up, the participants were tasked with sorting and classifying the many weird and wacky objects found, including a long piece of fencing and several motorcycle skeletons. The waste was separated into recyclables and non-recyclables. DBKL were kind enough to provide several lorries to whisk the rubbish away, as well as equipment and manpower to help in the cleanup process.

After about 1.5 hours the cleanup ended and we proceeded to the next agenda. After being entertained with a live traditional keronchong performance by the villagers, the participants were allowed to changing and freshening up, the participants were treated to a scrumptious traditional ‘kampung’ meal. Zuhr prayers were held congregationally and following that a slide show presentation entitled “Cintailah Sungai Kita’ was presented to the participants. The aim of the presentation and in fact the whole river cleanup was more than just to clean up the river physically. It was an effort to educate the locals about the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of the river as the river is a part of their lives and it affects them in the end. The whole program’s objective was to encourage students to contribute to environmental preservation, to raise awareness in the village about the importance of caring for the environment and keeping rivers clean, as well as to actively engage the students and village community in a joint effort to preserve the environment.

All in all, it was a successful program Alhamdulillah, and Insha’Allah it will pave the way for more cooperative programs between IIUM and the friendly and helpful people from Madrasah Tarbiyah of Kampung Bandar Dalam, whose help, along with the other parties involved, we offer our utmost appreciation and gratitude to for joining us in making this program a successful one. Jazakallahu khairan!

Happy Chinese New Year :D

2010-02-16T20:49:00.005+08:00

Green Team wishes everyone Gong Xi Fa Cai and all the best for the year ahead!

- Haneesa

Image : pinkaholic84.vox.com

Eid-al-Adha

2009-11-27T22:19:00.005+08:00

Salam Eid-al-Adha to the Green Team and all Muslims around the world

;)

Haneesa

Image: http://www.tslr.net/2007/12/eid-ul-adha.html

Some Pictures

2009-09-18T22:43:00.003+08:00

Taken at KAEDfest 2009, by Shaqyl!

2009-09-18T22:01:00.001+08:00

Arts for Grabs Raya Special is around the corner! And guess what, the Green Team is part of it!

Are you a GT member? Or just a friend? Or a green-enthusiast?

Come visit our store at Art 4 Grabs on 26th (Sat) & 27th (Sun) September 2009!

We're selling our custom-made, all-unique badges, glass-painted bottles and bookmarks all from recyclable materials!

All contributions and funds will go to our Team for the sake of the environment. The funds will be used for our upcoming activities -i.e. river-clean ups, environmental campaigns, art-environment workshops, recycling collections, etc.

Come and contribute to the environment, or simply visit us at our stall :). There will be other stalls, events and activities for you to look out for by other artists!

RSVP to the event on Facebook! visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162753870277&ref=ts

For more info / to volunteer for us, contact Kim at 017-418 4819 / kimmkhaira [at] gmail [dot] com

For more info on Arts for Grabs Raya Special, visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151551649313&ref=ts

Salam Merdeka !

2009-08-31T00:00:00.000+08:00

Green Team wishes Malaysia Happy 52nd Anniversary!!!

things you can recyle easily...

2009-08-27T06:15:00.001+08:00

The idea of recycling, its simple, it doesn't take much from you, just a bit of effort and respect for the world you live in. So guys and girls, Recycle more. Feel in your heart that you are doing your bit to save this planet, not for ourselves but also for the future generations that are to come.

^.^ random preaching on behalf of our beloved environment...!

Green Team @ KAED Fest 09

2009-08-09T21:33:00.001+08:00

14/08 - 15/08/09
KAED Gallery (indoor)
10.00 am - 4.00 pm :)

Green Team AGM

2009-07-18T22:11:00.001+08:00

The Annual Grand Meeting Session 2009/2010 shall be held according to the following details:

Date/Day: 22nd of July* (Wednesday)
Venue: KAED Cafe
Time: 5.15PM

A briefing on the KAED Fest will be held after the AGM.

Date/day is subjected to change. Will confirm by SMS.

Attendance is compulsory. Please be on time.

Thank you.

Gazette Issue No. 2 is Going Digital

2009-07-18T22:02:00.000+08:00

Salaam and hello, everyone!

It is my honour to inform you that the Gazette will be going digital. -This means that we'll be able to reach a wider audience, it will be with colour, and of course, it's more environmentally friendly!

Watch out for Green Gazette's next issue that will be arriving at your doorstep this semester!

If you would like to receive a copy (that is, subscribing to our e-newsletter), simply e-mail us at greenteamiiu [at] gmail [dot] com .

Special thanks goes to our designer, Shaqyla. Thank you to the editorial board!

Take care,

Kim

Who are We? Why are We Here?

2009-06-18T10:34:00.000+08:00

Who or what is the Green Team?

We're not looking to impress. We're not looking for anyone's recognition.

We're advocates for the environment, in little ways and in big ways.

My suggestion for our Green Team motto is "S.E.E". (Will be discussed in our next meet). Which means "Spirit, Ethics and Environment". Why is "Environment" last? Because there is no real purpose if you want to advocate for a cause but you don't have the passion (spirit) and values (ethics). We respect our members and treat them as family, and we expect members to do the same. "S.E.E" also represents our surveillence role on the environment and our transparency to our activities and goals.

The Green Team has gone through a list of trials and tribulations through the past one year. Yes, we're small. Yes, we're NOT loud or noisy. But we mean well in our work with great vigor.

We've organized a Green talk by inviting the Green Crusaders from Penang, Don & Mylene. They keep updated with us and constantly look to invite more passionate people to the cause through recycling.

We've come up with our first newsletter, the Green Gazette, in black and white, headed by Nazriq as the editor, Haneesa as the assistant and Shaqyla as our star designer. We do NOT and will probably never will print in colour, as colour is less environmentally friendly and it costs more.

Our Team is looking not to be BIG or officiated. Our Team is instead looking at small ways, low costs, but high character and passion in doing our best for the environment.

We're starting slow, but we have big minds and greater hearts.

We've made art from re-usable and recyclable materials.

We've conducted around three recycling campaigns. One of which is under our Alang Sedayu River Clean-Up, where we cleared plastic bags, canvas sheets, bottle caps, glass bottles, countless of stale baby diapers and many other less-than-pleasing-to-your-senses rubbish.

If you don't recognize us, or know who we are, it's okay. But if you do know us, then that's great! Join us! We look to be involved in activities that have a long-term effect/result, and would encourage any interested individual to be a part of this cause.

So if you don't know us, well, that's not what we truly seek. It's alright.
-BUT what we truly hope and strive for is that our Mother Earth will... She will know us, appreciate us, and love us and our efforts.

And THAT is what Green Team is all about.

To the Green Team family, don't ever forget that! :)

Moon's success!

2009-06-16T00:34:00.000+08:00

http://thecoloursofmoon.blogspot.com/2009/06/turned-to-ashes.html

above is the link to Munira's blog post on her prize-winning short essay about deforestation.

Green Team is proud of her for winning and writing an impressive short essay yet immense enough to stir emotions and realisations in our hearts and minds.

below is her short essay...

.........................................

Turned to Ashes

by Munira Hamzah

There used to be hope.

A little seedling could grow, manifesting hope with each sprouting leaf. And with each ring around the trunk, a whole new cycle of life is spun. What joy a little seedling could do, breathing life like a symbiotic lung to a beautiful being called Earth. With each vein in each leaf, hope flowed like miraculous blood. A blood that seemed never ending.

There used to be hope.

But hope burns like fire, it breathes warm if done right. One wrong move, however, and that very same hope could turn to ashes. The kind of fire that burns the lungs, each seedling turning into coal. The main heartbreaker is when the veins have become numb, and the coal becomes another fact of life. When eyes become blind, blurred by the smoke.

There used to be hope. Where has it gone?

With each tree left breathless, a piece of hope falls to the ashes.

With each fire that flashes, the beat of Earth’s heart vanishes.

For hope to grow again, blood must flow through each vein.

For the intoxicating chase of smoke to blow away, each seedling and tree must remain.

There used to be hope….

.................................
I was at the 21ST Architectural Workshop, held at UiTM Shah Alam from 7th-11th June 2009. Despite all the shortcomings of the organizers, we had an awesome time. Mainly due to our own spirit, and the people we went with. InshaAllah I will write a post about that.

I entered the essay competition, and out of the 4 topics I chose "Turned to Ashes: Deforestation is a Norm in Today's World". Under a limited amount of time, and a maximum of 250 words, this is what I managed to bleed out.

Alhamdulillah, I won first prize. I could not believe it. I thought they might have not understood what I had written in my typical style of prose. So when they announced my name during the award night, I was shocked! It means quite as much as Jabbawockeez means to Nesh.

Self-made BADGES!

2009-05-20T19:31:00.000+08:00

hey y'all!

we made 'em badges! this project is finally kicking off...we've had this in mind for quite some time.

look at 'em beautiful things!

here's a question for you, would you buy 'em badges if we sold 'em?

p/s: we also take orders/requests for designs~

Environmental Spectrum: We’re not All Plastic People

2009-04-26T16:26:00.000+08:00

Environmental Spectrum: We’re not All Plastic People
by Kim Manta-Khaira

Learning that Earth Hour may not be so effective in the long run allows me to look at the environmental spectrum in a whole different light. The environment doesn’t need our attention for just an hour over 365 days a year, but every minute, every day towards changing the system. Thus, I took the chance to attend the Earth Day dialogue “Plastic Bag: To Ban, or Not to Ban?” organized by the Penang state government, on 19th April.

There were many opposing viewpoints that professionals from the environmental spectrum chose to present. Mr. Lim Guan Eng, Penang’s Chief Minister opened the dialogue and said that there are three reasons as to why it is difficult to address the problem of plastic bags: 1) It is plentiful; 2) useful; and 3) cheap. Thus, it is evident where the Chief Minister stood on the environmental spectrum when he said, “To ban or not to ban? We have to find a way to reduce the use of plastic bags”, and added that he meant no offence to any particular parties in any industry. Whilst some can say that it is a neutral stand (neither to eradicate plastic bags nor to totally promote it), the rest of the panel can be seen as otherwise.

Mr. Lim Kok Boon, Chairman of Malaysian Plastics Forum (MPF) and President of Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA), is one passionate advocate for plastics when he said, “Plastics come from crude oil, from a hole in the ground. And it will return to a hole in the ground”. Lim said that the Australian Government’s error by stating that 100,000 marine animals are killed annually due to being entrapped in plastic bags, are actually corrected to plastic debris. Environmentalists in the panel explained, plastic debris results from the degradation of plastic bags that ultimately get into our waterways.

The MPF Chairman’s presentation slide displayed that having plastic bags to degrade 100 to 1000 years later is better than having harmful methane gas now. This then brings a person to wonder where the idea of “sustainability” for our future generation can come in. Although plastic bags can be recycled, one has to ask critically, “How many plastic bags are recycled compared to those that are produced?”

Don Theseira strongly opposed the usage of plastic bags in our “throw-away society” by saying, “No more plastic bags at the checkout counter of supermarkets now”. Theseira believes that the government must stop the organization of events if zero-waste cannot be achieved, and ended his talk by saying, “We should ban plastic bags. It can’t be done tomorrow, but it should start tomorrow”.

When it comes to plastic bags, Theseira’s wife, Mylene Ooi is adamant towards its usage. “Plastic is plastic is plastic. There is no running away from that fact,” said Ooi. “We want flowers, and not the plastic flowers. While we only have the earth, we’re not going to transport to outer space”. The couple believed that the dialogue lacked in focus because of failure to underline the issue: Whether to ban, or not to ban plastic bags. -And their stand is simply to ban.

“By all means, use plastic bags, but know when to stop,” Professor Lee stressed. Professor Lee Lik Meng from USM said that although his university banned polystyrene, “we’re not saying no plastic, we’re saying less plastic bags.” Lee gave an example of airline companies who contribute to 3% of overall greenhouse gases. “Airlines do not deny the facts by saying ‘you got it wrong’,” said Lee. “But instead say, ‘We’ll reduce it’.”

Hatijah Hashim from CAP talked on health and environmental effects of plastic bags, which contrasted against Mr. Lim’s claims as she said that plastic bags are a threat to marine life. She explained that plastic is a combination of molecules and not all of the styrene is perfectly formed, even in plastic containers where there contain a certain amount of residues, which can be leaked into foods. Concerned about the dire state of the environment, Hashim said, “No one wants to live in a city of plastics”.

The discussion between the audience and panel was a heated debate. “We cannot deny to the many opposing views. Whether we are right or wrong, we want to reduce,” began environmentalist Daphne Goh. “We are here not for ourselves. We are doing this for our family, our next generation. It’s not about us and we cannot be selfish. If you want to care about the environment, truly care about yourselves”.

Ahmad Khairuddin Sha’aban, Chairman of Education and Awareness from MPF said that experts should not alarm or stress consumers. “It is not a material issue, but a littering issue,” he said. “We should not demonize it”. He said that everything is useful depending on the levels or degrees applied.

Another opposing viewpoint by Mr. Ooi from the audience was that taking away plastic bags would be taking away freedom for people (to make a choice), while a representative from the Tanjung Bunga Residents Association implied of the plastic manufacturers, "If you want to invite the chickens, you don't invite the foxes to make the chicken coop".

At the end of the dialogue, the resolution draft was brought forward. It stated that the participants of the dialogue are “to act collectively and individually and commit to the following immediate and positive actions” which included to support efforts to reduce plastic bags, create proper management and disposal of plastic bags, sustainable alternatives, and support public educational and awareness campaigns.

Whether the dialogue will be deemed useful, it is yet to be known. All I know is that no matter which part of the environmental spectrum we choose to base our life on, we have to understand with great insight that when we have the power and energy to influence something, we are directly responsible to it and its outcome. This includes the environment, our future generations and our very being. I for one would agree to the ban of plastic bags, seeing as to how plastic bags are indeed demons to the environment whether we demonize it for our own sake or not.

Green Gazette is Out!

2009-03-21T17:36:00.001+08:00

Green Team's very first newsletter, the Green Gazette is out!

We have dedicated this pilot issue to our Advisor, Bro. Syakirin who has been involved in the birth and makings of Green Team from the very beginning.

Do get your hands on it ASAP before we run out of copies. (We have limited copies of a hundred to go around campus!)

If you haven't come across it yet, or if you're not a UIA student or staff, do contact us at our e-mail address and we'll try our very best to bring it to your door-step!

Please feel free to send in your comments and pieces (be it artworks, poems, articles) of your own. We appeciate and welcome any type of critique, as well!

To the Gazette editorial board, good job on the editoring -Naz & Haneesa, and designing -Shaqyla!

The very best on your finals & hope to meet up one last time for our closing meeting for this semester.

Take care,

Kim
prez of GT

Earth Hour

2009-03-20T15:12:00.000+08:00

Beoble :) 8 days more to go!

I want KLCC to go dark...

Cast Your Vote

2009-03-20T13:52:00.001+08:00

Amr Khaled interview: Muslim Green Guide

2009-03-08T02:11:00.000+08:00

The British blogger iMuslim interviews Egyptian speaker Amr Khaled:

You can download the Muslim Green Guide here.

2009-03-03T22:03:00.001+08:00

If you want to be happy for a year, plant a garden; If you want to be happy for life, plant a tree.
-English Proverb

Wee Chomel

2009-02-21T15:11:00.000+08:00

These are some of cute cat names.

TINOTENDA
Origin: Zimbabwe
Meaning: Thank You

MAYLEEN
Origin: China
Meaning: Beautiful

JAINABA
Origin: Africa
Meaning: Unknown

YVON
Origin: French
Meaning: Archer

WOLFRIK
Origin: German
Meaning: Wolf Ruler

TANISH
Origin: India
Meaning: Ambition

ADITYA
Origin: Indonesia
Meaning: The First

SANYA
Origin: Yugoslavia
Meaning: To Dream

MIRZA
Origin: Turkey
Meaning: Good Child

YUNG
Origin: Japan
Meaning: Freedom

SITTICHAI
Origin: Thailand
Meaning: Success

NIKHIL
Origin: Sanskrit
Meaning: Complete

LOLA-JO
Origin: Ireland
Meaning: Beauty Within

ZARA
Origin: Arab
Meaning: Princess

Myth and Facts

2009-02-21T14:10:00.001+08:00

Myth: Cats always land on their feet.
Fact: While cats instinctively fall feet first and may survive falls from high places, they also may receive broken bones in the process.

Myth: Cats should drink milk everyday.
Fact: Most cats love milk, but do not need it if properly nourished. Cats will get diarrhea if they drink too much milk.

Myth: Cats that are spayed or neutered automatically gain weight.
Facts: Like people, cats gain weight from eating too much and lack of exercise.

Myth: Cats cannot get rabies.
Facts: Actually, most of warm-blooded mammals including cats can carry rabies.

Myth: Indoor cats cannot get diseases.
Facts: Cats are still exposed to organisms that are carried through the air.

Myth: Tape worms come from bad food.
Facts: Cats become infected with tape worms from swallowing fleas.

Myth: By putting garlic in cat's food will get rid of worms.
Facts: Garlic may makes the cat's food taste better but has no effect on worms.

Myth: A cat's sense of balance is in its whiskers.
Facts: Cats use their whiskers as 'feelers' but not to maintain their balance.

Myth: Cats heal themselves by licking their wounds.
Facts: Such licking actually can slow the healing process and further damage the wound.

Green Living – Is it for you?

2009-02-18T21:01:00.000+08:00

When it comes to living a greener choice it’s hard to decide just how eco-friendly works for us. From using organic beauty products, to buying organic or fair trade foods, to wearing organic clothing to be willing to drive hybrid cars all depends on how far you are willing to go.

Everything we do leaves a carbon footprint, it’s up to us to decide just how big.

Did you know that if 1 out of 5 women demanded that lead be removed from all lipsticks and started refusing to use any lipsticks with lead in them, that the beauty companies would have to change the ingredients? We eat our lipsticks and just think how much lead you are introducing into your body each and every time you wear a lipstick with lead in it. Not a pleasant thought is it?

How about this simple fact. Did you know that only 1% natural ingredient in a product gives those same beauty companies the right to call their product “natural”? Scary thought indeed.

Its understandable that most might not be as “green” as they could be because someone may of told them that its just to hard to do. Just how wrong they are!

There are simple things that we all can do that aren’t that hard to do. For example carpooling is great idea when there is no public transportation available. For all those of us who tend not to eat meat here is some glad news. Did you know that it takes more energy to produce animal protein over vegetable protein? If you never thought about becoming a vegetarian or just eating less meat and meat by products is good for you and the planet over all. It cuts down on your personal carbon footprint and is healthier for you to eat more vegetables!

Start looking for products, beauty, food without excessive packaging would also help save the trees. Besides you are just going to throw it away helping fill the landfills even more. There is no real need for the extra packaging if there is a way to get around it. Reuse all your boxes you get your packages in one if at all possible.

Ever thought that not asking for a ATM receipt at the gas pump or the bank and anywhere you may get a receipt for something helps reduce your carbon footprint as well? Same as banking online does, and paying your bills online does.
Simple ideas that we all can do helps with reducing our carbon footprint overall. Start thinking about what you are do as well as teach your friends and family what they can do as well. When we all work together, we have a better life and save the planet just a little, one person at a time.
Copyright 2008 K. M Snyder, Scribd.com

You don't have to be a super hero to save the planet!

2009-01-23T22:34:00.000+08:00

In real life you don't need to be a superhero to save the planet. Simple, small, every day actions can make a real difference. And best of all they can be really easy! Whether that is leaving your car at home or switching to energy efficient light bulbs... Every little bit counts.

Meetings for this Semester

2009-01-23T15:13:00.001+08:00

I would like to inform everyone that meetings will proceed as the following:

Day: Every Tuesday
Time: 8.30-9.30 PM
Venue: KAED Cafe

Please do not forget to update those who did not attend the last meeting this week.

Hope to see everyone next week.
The meeting will still be on (altho, yes, it is on the last night of CNY, but please do try to make it).

Good luck on your quizzes and mid semester tests!

Thank you!

-Kim

Recycled Paper

2009-01-20T17:49:00.000+08:00

How to make Recycled Paper by ~scarab2 on deviant ART

One in three Scots makes green resolution

2009-01-16T00:12:00.000+08:00

One in three Scots makes green resolution
By Jenny Haworth

SCOTS are planning to lead greener lives in 2009, a new survey suggests.

More than 1,000 people in Scotland were asked whether they planned to make resolutions this Hogmanay to help the environment.

Of those who said they planned on making a green New Year resolution, recycling more waste and using energy-efficient light bulbs were the most popular choices, each accounting for 34 per cent of those surveyed.

A third of people questioned said they planned to walk more, and smaller numbers said they intended to drive less, cycle more and turn the heating down.

It is the latest evidence that many Scots are becoming more concerned about their impact on the planet.

At the beginning of 2008, The Scotsman launched its Let's Go Green Together campaign in conjunction with the Scottish Government.

Already, thousands of people have signed up to pledges to lead greener lifestyles. These range from recycling more, to turning off the lights and getting involved in community initiatives to help the environment.

Michael Russell, the environment minister, said: "To help prevent climate change and protect the environment for future generations, we all need to reduce the impact of the way we live."

He suggested this year Scots should consider making a green New Year's resolution, and said taking a small step would make a huge difference.

"It's great to see that so many Scots are already planning to go greener in 2009," he added.

"And the good news is that as well as helping the environment, being green can often save you money, too – something that's more important than ever during the current economic climate."

The survey of 1,013 adults was carried out for the Scottish Government to inquire about people's resolutions for 2009.

The most popular greener resolution among women was to recycle more, while men favoured switching to energy-efficient bulbs.

Fifteen per cent of those surveyed said they would drive less, 16 per cent have vowed to cycle more and 25 per cent said they would turn the heating down.

However, 29 per cent of those surveyed said they had no plans to recycle more, drive less, walk or cycle more, turn the heating down, or use energy-efficient bulbs.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We have always said there is more work to be done.

"But equally the 'Go Greener' campaign is encouraging people to take small steps."

According to the survey, carried out for the Scottish Government by Scottish Opinion, people aged 45 to 54 were most likely to recycle more, with those over 65 least likely. And 7 per cent more women than men were likely to recycle more.

Those aged 55 to 64 were most likely to drive less, and 25 to 34-year-olds were most likely to cycle more.

Women were more likely than men to walk more in 2009, with 36 per cent saying they would, compared to 29 per cent of males in the survey.

Over the past year, The Scotsman has highlighted the work of communities and individuals across the country as people make efforts to go green.

These range from the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust's efforts to set up a scheme to use renewable sources to provide mains electricity on the island for the first time, to the Fife Diet, in which scores of people ate local food for a year.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government has published its draft climate change legislation.

If passed by parliament next year, it will bring in targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

This would include emissions from international air travel and shipping from the start, prompting green groups to say it is the most ambitious in the world. There will also be annual targets to make sure progress is made.

Our campaign

LET'S Go Green Together was launched with ten pledges which The Scotsman urged people to sign up to.

• Recycle household waste using locally provided facilities.

• Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth.

• Switch to using energy-saving light bulbs.

• Leave the car more often and cycle, walk, share a car or use public transport.

• Use rechargeable batteries, not disposable ones.

• Re-use carrier bags when you shop.

• Buy more seasonal and unpackaged food.

• Hang your washing up to dry rather than using a tumbler dryer.

• Organise or volunteer in an environmental project in your local community.

• Pay back environmental impact of any flights you take and choose not to fly when there's an alternative.

SO, HOW ABOUT WE, MALAYSIANS?

posted by Sir Syakirin on the Facebook group

Earth Hour 2009

2009-01-16T00:07:00.001+08:00

A list of ideas you can implement, no matter where you live!
8:30pm Saturday 28 March 2009

In 2007, more than two million Sydney businesses and households turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour - sending a powerful global message that it’s possible to take action on climate change.

Just one year later, Earth Hour reached more than 50 million people in 35 countries across 18 timezones, and the campaign shifted from a Sydney event to a global sustainability movement.

In 2009, Earth Hour aims to reach one billion people in 1000 cities worldwide. If you want to bring Earth Hour to your town or city on 28 March 2009 at 8:30pm, this will help you get started!

Your Goal
Get the most people, businesses and government involved in Earth Hour and get them to turn off their lights for one hour at 8:30pm on March 28, 2009.

Making Earth Hour happen...

1) Building your team
A good team is one of the biggest success factors for making Earth Hour happen around the world. Put together a team of committed people and organisations to help plan how you can turn out the lights for one hour in your area. Members of your Earth Hour Team could include your friends or schoolmates, members of your family or your neighbours, the local mayor or business leader, or your local school principal. Pull together a team of people and organisations willing to put the time and effort into making Earth Hour happen and you’ll be ready to get started.

2) Spread the word about Earth Hour
To inspire yourself and those you speak to about Earth Hour, check out www.earthhour.org to watch the Earth Hour video. This video will go a long way to inspiring you and those you speak to, to get involved in Earth Hour and to help take a stand against climate change. Think about how you could spread the word about Earth Hour in your area, how can you encourage the most people and businesses to turn their lights of for one hour at 8:30pm on
Saturday 28 March 2009?

Thinking small can be big thinking

We’ve created a website to help you spread the word about Earth Hour. Register at www.earthhour.org and recruit your friends to the Earth Hour cause. Getting your friends and neighbourhood involved is the easiest way to be a part of Earth Hour and help make a difference to our planet.

Think big
Who in your town uses lots of power? First stop? The city. The city is one of the largest users of power in your area. Write to your mayor or present the Earth Hour idea at your local council. If you can get the city involved in turning off their non-essential lighting for Earth Hour (you can leave street lights on for safety), your town can make a huge difference. Office buildings and big retail stores also use a lot of power. Write to the businesses and stores in your area and ask them to darken their buildings, neon signs, stores and restaurants for one hour for Earth Hour. Ask your favourite restaurants to have a candle-lit dinner hour (using beeswax candles of course) and feature fresh “cold” dishes in the menu or use local products.
Write to your local newspaper or television channel and tell them what you’re doing - try and get some news coverage of what your town wants to do for Earth Hour and the planet…think big!

3) Be creative!
As well as asking as many people and businesses as possible to turn off their lights in your city or town at 8:30pm on 28 March 2009, think creatively about how to bring your friends and family together for the night. Organise a “block party” in your neighbourhood with “in the dark” games and activities, organise a movie or music night at someone’s house, look up at the stars, use the hour to talk about what you can do every day to save energy. Think about the different ways to have fun with Earth Hour.

4) What to do everyday
Turning off your lights for one hour at 8:30pm on 28 March 2009 is the first part of getting involved in Earth Hour. Making a difference to the future of our planet by making energy savings every day is the second part. When spreading the Earth Hour message, don’t forget to encourage your friends, family and workmates to turn off unused lights and appliances every day of the year.

5) Make it happen
Every town and city is unique and can bring its own special touch, identity and passion of its communities to create its own Earth Hour on 28 March 2009. But making Earth Hour happen is up to you! Whatever you can organise to help turn out the lights on 28 March – whether it’s a backyard barbeque or asking your local mayor to turn off the city’s nonessential lighting - will be a success. You can make Earth Hour happen if you work together.

Join us for Earth Hour at 8:30pm Saturday March 28 2009!
For more information about Earth Hour visit www.earthhour.org

posted by Asna on the Facebook group

We are....

2009-01-15T23:00:00.000+08:00

We're lovers of the environment. We seek to better ourselves and our surroundings by creating Greener and healthier settings.

Mission:
GT's mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by implementing its visions.

Vision:
• Conserving the world's biological diversity
• Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
• Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption
• To promote awareness and sense of responsibility towards the environment
• To promote green living
• To create a community of environmental activists
• A hands-on cooperative unit focused on serving the environment and society through committed activities

--------------GREEN TEAM----------------

2012 Happy Chinese New Year!

S.O.S Animals in Bangkok

Happy Eid-ul-Adha

SMAP Labu Compost Demonstration Part 2 :)

Takakura Home Composting - as easy as rice, salt and sugar!

The Green Team booth at KAED Fest~

KAEDFest Thank Yous

**UPDATED** PERFORMERS TIMETABLE for LEND A VOICE-STREET PERFORMANCE FOR CHARITY (22/09/2011 THURSDAY)

PERFORMERS TIMETABLE for LEND A VOICE-STREET PERFORMANCE FOR CHARITY (22/09/2011 THURSDAY)

Green Team booth at KAED Fest 2011! Promo!

Green Tips for Ramadan!

Other newspaper articles :)

Photo update! SMAP Labu trip :)

Interview with Gabriella Navarra :)

FAQs on our Furry Friends

Epic Dog

A moment of prayer for those in Japan...

Green Workshop

Forum Maulidur Rasul - Archimic Event

The day after...

Green General Meeting

Green Team Membership Drive

In the papers! :D

350 event

350 event - Compost demonstration at village anniversary celebration :D

My Thank You-s :)

Upcoming Projects!

Green Channel at The Star online

Green Team is now on Twitter!

Green Team at YOUTH'10

40th Earth Day

World Water Day 2010

Anyone lose their glasses?

Take A Stand - 8th March 2010

Green Team River Cleanup 2010

Happy Chinese New Year :D

Eid-al-Adha

Some Pictures

Salam Merdeka !

things you can recyle easily...

Green Team @ KAED Fest 09

Green Team AGM

Gazette Issue No. 2 is Going Digital

Who are We? Why are We Here?

Moon's success!

Self-made BADGES!

Environmental Spectrum: We’re not All Plastic People

Green Gazette is Out!

Earth Hour

Cast Your Vote

Amr Khaled interview: Muslim Green Guide

Wee Chomel

Myth and Facts

Green Living – Is it for you?

You don't have to be a super hero to save the planet!

Meetings for this Semester

Recycled Paper

One in three Scots makes green resolution

Earth Hour 2009

We are....

UPDATED PERFORMERS TIMETABLE for LEND A VOICE-STREET PERFORMANCE FOR CHARITY (22/09/2011 THURSDAY)