Star Bamboo Singapore

Have you ever had an idea for make Singapore a greener place, but don’t know who to tell?

Well, the government announced in July the setting up of a web site to garner suggestions from Singaporeans on how to create an eco-friendly Singapore.

The Sustainable Singapore web site isn’t exactly user-friendly, but click on the Live/Play, Work, and Commute tabs at the top, and you’ll access a wealth of information.

The Straits Times reported today over 700 suggestions from the public have been received. Among those are calls to build dedicated bicycle lanes, and install solar panels on HDB housing estates.

If you want to submit your suggestions, don’t wait too long as closing date is end of October.

A quick search on the Internet also unearthed a couple of gems:

1) Green Business Times, an online resource to help Singapore companies go green, published a document with 20 wide-ranging suggestions.

2) The Online Citizen carried a piece by former NTUC Income CEO, Mr Tan Kin Lian, who focused on reducing the need for commuting. This can be achieved by making it easy and practical for people to:

• Work from home
• Work near the home
• Move their homes to be nearer their workplace

Let me just share my thoughts on the above:

Dedicated bicycle lanes

I bought a folding bicycle recently, and have been using it instead of driving my car for short commutes around the neighbourhood.

Last Friday, I even joined a cycling group for some night-cycling. The original plan was to go to Tuas but we decided to head to Fullerton Hotel to catch the fireworks. It was spectacular!

Most of us were wearing helmets, and all bicycles had at least two blinking lights. Some kiasu ones had up to four lights. Unfortunately, most cyclists don’t have lights when cycling at night. They are practically invisible to the typical driver.

There’s been a significant surge in numbers of bicycles on the road in recent years, probably due to their popularity with foreign workers, especially those in the construction sector.

There were a couple of times when vehicles (especially taxis) got a bit too close for comfort, but cycling on the roads is generally OK.

Dedicated bicycle lanes would make riding a much more safer and viable alternative to driving and public transport. This suggestion gets my two thumbs up!

Reduce commuting

This idea is not as crazy as it sounds.

I used to work in the CBD, and it took me about 45 minutes to get to work. It takes me another 45 minutes to get home, so 1.5 hours per day is spent on simply getting around.

People say that Singapore is a small country, it shouldn’t matter where you work.

The problem is not the distance but the terrible congestion during peak hours. On days with rain or traffic accidents, the commuting time easily stretches up to 1 hour per trip.

Now my office is about 10 minutes away, going up to 15 minutes on bad days. I save more than an hour every day, and the reduction in traffic-induced stress is incredible.

By working near my home, my quality of life has improved significantly.

Not everyone will find it to be a feasible idea, but if possible, reduce your commuting.

Green Drinks event on 28 Aug 2008

OK, a plug for Green Drinks! Come get together and chat about your burning green issues in a cosy, relaxed cafe. It takes place on the last Thursday of every month, so the next one is just 3 days away.

This time, we’ll be talking about the Sustainable Singapore initiative. Come join us, you can check our Facebook page for more information.

See you there!

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So now I continue part 2 of the Norway report (part 1 can be found here).

There’re more leisure photos here. Enjoy!

The trade show was also a time to learn and absorb new ideas. The above series of booths is a fantastic marketing concept by a flooring company.

It tells the story of a man who bore a deep hatred against his boss. One night, he killed him in a violent struggle. Can you see the knife on the bed with the red blood stains?

So what has this got to do with flooring, you might ask?

According to the eloquent sales manager, the flooring they sell is hardy and could withstand the impact of the struggle. It is also easy to maintain, and stains (including blood stains) wipe off easily.

Desperate to conceal his crime, the murderer dug a hole beneath the wooden floor.

This engineered wood flooring comes with a click system, which makes it easy for quick assembly and removal. Just what you need when you have a corpse to bury.

It’s controversial and got many tongues wagging at the show. Success!

The organisers also organised a few mini concerts to whip up interest in the general public. This one is by a highly popular contestant at the recent Norway Idol show.

She didn’t win but you can see why she is so popular.

Here’s a view from my hotel room. The row of black buildings in front has 3 restaurants, we tried them all. Food is expensive but quality is uniformly excellent.

This is reindeer steak. Tastes like beef and literally melts in your mouth.

A quick shot in front of the convention centre. You can see the houses dotting the hillside, such a lovely sight and worlds apart from the urban jungle that is Singapore.

A jaunt to the marina where a gorgeous rainbow awaits us.

Captain of his ship, charting the course to higher profits.

Well, that’s all for now. It’s been a wonderful experience, with new friends and contacts made. We’ll certainly be devoting much more time to the Europe market from now on.

Till next time!

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Al Gore is the former-VP of USA-turned activist behind the hit documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

Now riding the wave of momentum is another film preaching the perils of global climate change: The 11th Hour.

It’s the latest film from the-actor-turned-activist, Leonardo Di Caprio.

The SEC is organising a charity gala première screening to raise awareness, and funds for its volunteer arm. I’ll be there as I think it’s a good cause to support.

Besides, it got a pretty respectable rating of 6.6/10 on IMDb. Should be pretty entertaining.

If you see me, do pop over to say hi!

More information below:

The Singapore Environment Council and Warner Bros. Pictures cordially invite you to attend

THE 11TH HOUR CHARITY GALA PREMIERE TO HELP REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS

The 11th Hour

Date : 23 October 2007 (Tuesday)
Time : 7:30pm (Running time: 93 minutes)
Venue : Shaw Lido, Level 5 Shaw House, 350 Orchard Road
Tickets: Priced at S$30 or S$50

Proceeds of the premiere will go to the Green Volunteers Network (GVN), the volunteer arm of SEC.
SYNPOSIS

The 11th Hour describes the last moment when change is possible. The film explores how humanity has arrived at this moment - how we live, how we impact the earth’s ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course.

The film features dialogues with experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolsey and sustainable design experts William McDonough and Bruce Mau in addition to over 50 leading scientists, thinkers and leaders who present the facts and discuss the most important issues that face our planet.

Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, The 11th Hour is produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, Leila Conners Petersen, Chuck Castleberry and Brian Gerber, written and directed by Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners.

Website: www.11thhourfilm.com

IMPORTANT

For Charity Gala Premiere bookings, kindly RSVP to:

Joe Lim
Singapore Environment Council
T: +65 6337 6062
DID: +65 6468 7681
joe@sec.org.sg

The SEC is a non-government, non-profit environmental organisation, as well as a registered charity and Institution of Public Character. Help support SEC’s work to protect, preserve and conserve our fragile Earth today. Make a donation at www.sec.org.sg/support. Thank you.

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Part 1

Yes I know I’ve been tardy with the photos from our trade show in Norway, but things have been really hectic the past week.

It feels like people in many countries have simultaneously woken up to the wonderful properties of our eco-friendly bamboo flooring.

Anyway, I’ve managed to figure out what “Bygg Reis Deg” really means (No, it’s not “Big Rise Day”).

• Bygg - Building
• Reis - To construct
• Deg - You

So it loosely means “building and construction for you”, an apt name for the largest building materials fair in Norway.

OK, on to the photos!

When I say that Bygg Reis Deg 2007 is the largest show of its kind in Norway, I wasn’t kidding.

Just check out the crowds above at one of the two entrances.

The numbers increased every day, and the grand total at the end of 6 days was well over 60,000.

This is an astonishing figure because the fee is 120NOK (or S$32) for 1-day entry pass. Many trade shows I’ve attended before would struggle to meet this figure even if entry was free. This speaks volume of their passion for building and renovation.

This is our lovely booth, with bamboo flooring installed, of course.

“Stjerne Gulv” literally means “Star Floors” in Norwegian, which is a direct translation from Star Bamboo.

“Bambusgulv” = “Bamboo flooring”. Not too hard to guess, but hard to pronounce.

Our regular visitors and customers would probably recognise the cover photo from our web site and brochure.

Norwegians are very hands-on people - even the bamboo flooring was a DIY job and the standard was comparable to many flooring professionals here in Singapore.

The per capita spending on renovation and construction in Norway is among the highest in the world. Despite a small population of 4.5 million (Singapore’s latest figures show 4.68 million residents), they spend a staggering amount on flooring.

The best is that they are willing to pay for high quality products. This is great because that fits perfectly with our ideals at Star Bamboo.

Sometimes it could be disheartening losing a sale because a higher quality product costs more to manufacture, but I see it as a case of getting the right customer.

One size can’t possibly fit all. We cannot compromise quality to lower costs. So it’s a matter of finding customers who appreciate our quality.

This is Sigmund, the Managing Director of our Norwegian partner company, hard at work. Our bamboo flooring has certainly intrigued many visitors.

He’s a natural salesman, it was an eye-opener to see how he put people at ease before he gave them the pitch.

This is Sigmund, taking a break (thankfully there weren’t many visitors around at the time).

Norwegians are friendly people. They are at ease making eye contact and smiling, even to strangers at a business event such as this. It was such a contrast with Singaporeans, and left a deep impression on me.

It was a casual and relaxed atmosphere. You could see that our attire was plain jeans and shirts. Many of the builders even turned up in their overalls.

This is Petter, our marketing expert. We had a lucky draw during the trade show, and what else could the prize be but bamboo flooring, of course.

Here, Petter is busy sorting the eligible entries and the winner out of more than 150 participants was later announced over the PA system.

He also single-handedly dismantled the booth and flooring after the show ended. I feel small when I stand next to him and Sigmund.

OK, that concludes part 1 of my Norway report. Part 2 and more photos coming your way soon!

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I got an email about Blog Action Day back in August, and it’s been sitting in my inbox ever since. Now that October has arrived, I thought it’s time I do something about it.

On 15 Oct, thousands of people will blog about the same issue. Obviously it has got to be a topic that enough people care about. So no prizes for guessing that it’s about the environment.

Every day when I flip through the papers at breakfast, there are inevitably a couple of articles about climate change, or how we are hastening the planet’s demise by refusing to recycle our refuse.

Global warming is obviously a hot topic.

This is great for us because we have been fielding more enquiries than ever before for our bamboo flooring, not just from Singapore, but from Europe, Asia, and beyond.

So I think I might just cheat a little, by posting an article that I was going to write anyway and then changing the timestamp to 15 oct.

Click here to find out more about how you can participate!

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Hi I’m blogging from a business hotel in Lillestrom, Norway.

Next door is the conference centre where the largest building and construction fair in Norway will begin tomorrow and last for the next 6 days.

The Bygg Reis Deg fair has a long tradition, having been around since 1954.

The name “bygg reis deg” is a total mystery to me. I tried a Norwegian-English online translator and ended up with “barley depart you”. I asked my Norwegian partner and apparently the word “bygg” meant “construction” in this context.

I feel really positive about this trade show, and hope to be able to share with you the progress over this week.

Also, please note that our Singapore office is closed from 17 to 24 Sep, but we can still be contacted via email.

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We’ve been hearing a lot in the mass media about global warming and how it’s affecting us. Every day we see mounting evidence for climate change caused by human activities.

All those articles are based on what scientists say. So it’s about time that we hear from the perspectives of academics and professors.

I was glad to be invited to a NUS forum on climate change this September. It’s organised by their Student Union and its Students Against the Violation of the Earth (S.A.V.E.) committee.

Great to see young people getting actively involved in raising consciousness on global warming and the things we can do about it.

Date: 26 September 2007, Wednesday (Mid-term break)

Venue: Lecture Theatre 13, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Time: 0900 hrs – 1300 hrs

You can download the full forum programme here.

If you are interested, please drop Ms Tang Swee Ying an email at nus.gwcc07.register@gmail.com by 14 September 2007 (Friday).

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Some great news to announce:

The Managing Director of Star Bamboo group of companies, Mr Tan Yin Keong, has been appointed into the SingCham (Fujian), as the Vice-President of the Nanping district.

In case you’re wondering, SingCham (Fujian) is the Fujian Chapter of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China.

It was officially launched on 9 August 2007 at a dinner of 600 people, which coincides nicely with Singapore’s 42nd National Day. The purpose is to assist Singapore companies in Fujian by providing easier access to government programmes, and creating opportunities for networking.

Fujian province has seen explosive growth this year, with an annualised GDP growth of 14.3% in the first half of 2007. This is higher than the national average for China. It’s great to be able to join in this boom.

There weren’t many photo opportunities that night, as everyone were busy networking. Here’s a shot before the start of the event:

To the sides of the stage, you can see two large projector screens with the comfortingly familiar broadcast of ChannelNewsAsia.

Congratulations Mr Tan, and a belated happy birthday to Singapore!

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I headed down to One Fullerton at 7pm on 07/07/07. I parked further away at Market Street as I was expecting a big crowd to turn up.

There were crowds indeed, but for the National Day Parade rehearsal at the floating platform just across the bay. The driveway at Fullerton Hotel was also packed with cars and guests for one of the many wedding dinners happening all over the island.

Volunteer helpers greeted us with markers at the pledge board, so I penned a short message:

“Save our Trees” (I should really improve my handwriting):

The live telecast of the Live Earth concerts were broadcast on a projector screen at a nearby marquee. The rows of plastic white chairs were mostly vacant, people were checking out the sponsor booths instead:

I suppose if they had wanted to just watch the concert, they could have done so in the comfort of their home.Flyers and freebies were being handed out.

I got a card that proclaimed “Vegetarianism - The Noble Way of Living”. Found out later it was some sort of spiritual cult, so into the bin it went.

Otherwise the event was pretty quiet. Perhaps the crowds would come after the NDP show is over but I had to rush off for a dinner appointment.

Caught the fireworks finale while cruising along Benjamin Sheares Bridge, what a lovely sight. The traffic police with their flashing sirens stationed along the road shoulders added to the spectacle.
So Live Earth came and went over the weekend. I don’t know if anything has changed, or if people treat it as a mega-party.

At the very least, there is definitely greater awareness of climate change and that can only be a good thing.

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Question: What do the following names have in common?

1. Madonna
   
2. Sheryl Crow
   
3. Alicia Keys
   
4. Kayne West
   
5. Faith Hill
   
6. The Smashing Pumpkins
   
7. Kelly Clarkson
   
8. Black Eyed Peas
   
9. Bon Jovi
   
10. Red Hot Chilli Peppers
    
11. Beastie Boys
    
12. John Mayer
    
13. Foo Fighters
    
14. Kylie Minogue
    
15. James Blunt
    
16. Snow Patrol
    
17. Lenny Kravitz
    
18. Jennifer Lopez
    
19. Snoop Dogg
    
20. The Police
    
21. Duran Duran

Answer: They will all be performing at the series of Live Earth concerts.

Actually, there are another 130+ names but I don’t recognise them.

I was just thinking that it’s such a marvellous idea having 7 concerts held across 7 continents (Shanghai, Sydney, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and New York - OK technically, Tokyo and Shanghai are both in Asia but who’s nitpicking?).

Yes, it is a truly global event.

But the best part that you can feature all these big-name artistes under the same banner and give each of them the limelight and attention they want. After all, who would merely want to be a supporting act?

And none of the singers would have to perform under a hot blazing sun, because each venue is in a different time zone. Although to a television viewer in, say Singapore, the concerts would be tightly synchronised to appear as a single event.

If you can’t stand the blazing hot sun expected on Saturday at One Fullerton, you can always catch all the action live on Channel5.

Catch Madonna performing at the new Wembley stadium, London.

p.s. It was just a throw-away comment about 07.07.07 being the perfect wedding date, but it’s apparent that many people take it very seriously indeed.

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