This Weeks Going Green Radio Show

Every Saturday 3-5 pm with special guests, interviews and green topics including:

Climate change, population, the Indian ocean, the Andaman Sea, consumer changes, clean seas and local positive steps.

Phukets Live 89.5 FM

Listen live on Streaming app  http://www.thephuketnews.com/radio/

There are seven primary direct drivers of extinction and all are the result of human behavior:

• habitat loss through deforestation,

• takeover by invasive species,

• air, sea and land pollution,

• climate change,

• over-exploitation of resources, and above all—the factors that magnifies all the others—

• human overpopulation +

• consumerisation

   

  Last week we discussed 400PPM and its implications, combined with global constraints.

  Globally, forests are lost at a rate of 36 football fields per minute. Growing demand for forest and agricultural products coupled with unsustainable practices and poor legal enforcement is at the root of this troubling trend. Forests are the lifeblood of our planet and nearly half of Earth’s original forest cover has been lost.

   

  Over the past few decades, humanity has consumed 50 percent more resources than Earth can provide. If we keep spending like this, by 2030, even two planets will not be enough.

  We can reverse this trend through market-based solutions, public policies and a shift in consumption patterns. Whether or not we stave off bankruptcy is in our hands.

  In the studio is Jeremy Tang who is one of Asias leading retail consultants over 20 years based primarily out of Hong Kong. Having set up Shanghai Tang in HK and New York Jeremy has worked with progressive retailers such as Li and Fung in Hong Kong.

  Here on Phuket our tourist mix is now often more shopper than tourist… the wests “values” have quickly been adopted by the east with dramatic implications.

  http://www.forumforthefuture.org/project/sustainability-trends-european-retail/overview

  Key findings:

  1. Underlying factors that influence retailers’ approaches

  The sector divides itself into two classes of sustainability performer – contributors and leaders, depending on how confident retailers are in their ability to influence consumers and suppliers.

  Leaders are more likely to impose strict sustainability criteria on their supply chains and consider indirect, as well as the direct, impacts of their services. They also act more proactively towards their consumers, supplying more sustainable products.

  Contributors concentrate on managing down their direct environmental footprint and on working with own-label products to reduce impacts. They provide consumers with as much choice as possible, providing information on sustainability issues, rather than rationalising their product lines.

  2. Success strategies

  Ultimately, retailers need to unlock what sustainable value means for their consumers – not just in terms of price, but also quality and a wide range of other characteristics. To do this, marketing departments will need to seize the opportunity to engage consumers on the ‘sustainable value’ argument, rather than the quick win issues – such as packaging, and plastic bags.

  The retailers in our study predicted that the brands and manufacturers who can find and explain this ‘win-win’ to their consumers will be rewarded.

  3. The top priorities for retailers across Europe today

  Whilst ambition and speed of progress may vary across the retail sector, there is little significant difference in the actual issues retailers focus on.

  Carbon is king – everyone is talking about, and acting on, carbon emissions. Packaging, waste, and the wellbeing agenda are also prioritised by retailers, but carbon management and reduction come in at, or near the top, for all.

  4. Looking ahead: what retailers see coming

  Whilst significant advances have been made on sustainability over the last decade, this is still an evolving agenda. The retailers in our study recognise that future issues will be more complex and touch every stage in the value chain.

  On water, most retailers are still only considering their direct rather than indirect usage, focusing on improving efficiency on site. It is likely that this agenda will shift rapidly as it becomes the first real area of climate change impact.

  Despite the major risks for the supply chain there is little evidence of a systematic approach being taken on embedded water and risk mitigation.

  5. Viewpoint from Forum for the Future

  Overall the role of retail in promoting and enabling sustainable consumption has yet to be cracked. Current attention and effort focus mainly on making today’s retail models as sustainable as possible. There is less activity on coming up with new retail business models.

  To fully unleash the power of the consumer in the transition towards greater sustainability, retailers and manufacturers need to show consumers the way and do two things: improve the sustainability credentials of key products across supply chains, and make active efforts to promote more sustainable choices.

  TriplePundit participated in the Retail Leaders in Sustainability tweet-up

  http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/01/sustainability-retail-oxymoron/  

  https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23rilachat   – an inspiring chat. 

  Not only has the retail industry (at least on paper) recognized that sustainability is here to stay, but many leaders within the industry have moved from looking at sustainability as a cost center to seeing it as an opportunity to reduce risk, improve relationships with customers and employees, and deliver better products. It’s an exciting road ahead!

   

  The Retail Industry Leaders Association sponsored the tweet-up to promote their new report <http://ht.ly/8HoLn>  on sustainability in the retail industry. Data was collected from the most recent sustainability reports of 30 RILA retail member companies including Best Buy, Gap Inc., The Home Depot, IKEA, Petco, Safeway, Sears, Staples, Target, Walmart and Whole Foods Markets. The make-up of the organization is quite diverse:

     

  Key Findings:

  1. Retailers are working across sectors to achieve sustainability goals. Achieving social and environmental goals is a significant challenge, often requiring expertise that the organization doesn’t have. That means that employees charged with sustainability-related tasks are going outside the organization and even the sector to learn about how to improve their organizations. The research indicated a noticeable uptick in stakeholder engagement.

  2. Sustainability has turned from a risk mitigation and cost center into an opportunity for business growth. Long-gone are the days of focusing on the low hanging fruit like energy efficiency (which is being tackled store-by-store as a no brainer to save money on energy costs and reduce risk associated with the fluctuating energy market). Sustainability programs are increasingly seen as a source of innovation and a key way to differentiate in a competitive market.

  3. Developing systems for continuous improvement. Sustainability isn’t over when the report is written. That has been the battle cry of sustainability consultants for years and not just because they want to keep their jobs. It’s great to see that retailers see the benefits of continuous iteration of sustainability projects. Retailers are now developing long range sustainability programs with short- mid- and long-range goals. “These goals require infrastructure development like management, measurement, and IT systems for continuous improvement. Such mechanisms include environmental management systems, supplier scorecarding and management training, employee training and engagement, energy and waste reduction goals, and sustainability reporting.”

  4. Fostering transparency in operations and in the supply chain. Long-gone are the days of pushing compliance off as the responsibility of 3rd party suppliers. Retailers now recognize that engagement and transparency all the way down the supply chain mean heading off risks at the pass.

  Public watchdogs now expect retail brands to have full responsibility for the social and environmental policies at their factories and suppliers, and retailers are rushing to put policies in place to keep abreast of information.

  Additionally, financial reporting is no longer sufficient to tell the full story of the company’s health. Social and Environmental indicators are so closely tied to risk that sustainability reporting is a necessary part of the company’s story. “Retailers are recognizing their responsibility to act on this by increasing the transparency of their operations—disclosing their activities, strategies, goals, challenges, data, and more. Doing so institutionalizes their efforts, adds public accountability, and invites stakeholders into the conversation.”

  Opportunities in sustainability

  The most exciting part of the report is the sector-wide shift from sustainability as a cost center to a money saver and opportunity-maker. The retailers reviewed in the report identified a plethora of opportunities provided by a sustainability outlook:

  *     Reducing Waste means financial savings. When business operations are viewed through the lens of sustainability, a whole host of environmental and financial efficiencies become visible like the reduction of energy, fuel, materials, waste, packaging, and other resources.

  *     Actively mitigating risks. “Decreasing dependence on natural resources like fuel and materials, both internally and in the product supply chain, reduces exposure to price fluctuations and market volatility. Ensuring proper labor standards, managing at-risk suppliers, and ensuring the safe manufacture and use of products mitigates brand risk.”

  *     Discover new innovations. Sustainability can drive a new way of looking at problems and opportunities to save money and build brand value. 

  “Last year, Safeway diverted approximately 490,000 tons of materials….To achieve their waste reduction objectives, Safeway has engaged its stores, corporate offices, distribution centers, and manufacturing plants in a range of diversion programs. The company has developed a compost program and performed trash audits in each of its U.S. divisions.

  Store sustainability champions help ensure recycling procedures are followed and training programs reinforce proper recycling practices. Certain messaging has also proven to foster employee enthusiasm: framing the importance of recycling as “how Safeway is making a difference” and “how you can make a difference.” Its stores recycle materials like cardboard, plastics, compostables, food wastes, paper, construction materials, and more. In its southern California (Vons) operations, it is also piloting an initiative to turn fryer grease into biodiesel fuel.”

  *     A strong sustainability program helps companies recruit and retain top talent. Employees want to work for companies they can be proud of. It makes sense given how much time we spend at work. Sustainability initiatives, including employee engagement, keep the top performers happy and loyal to the company. Strong sustainability programs attract and retain top employees by providing them with opportunities to positively influence society.

  *     Enter new geographies. Retailers that constantly reinforce the value they bring to communities, beyond that of simply economic value or job creation, are more likely to be welcomed in new locations. Remember WalMart’s predatory moves into communities in the 90s? That sort of behavior is long-gone, as companies realize they can save a lot of time and effort by working with communities to make sure that their presence is mutually beneficial.

  *     Enter new product markets. As customers continue to look for healthy and sustainable products, retailers who offer them will see market share grow.

  *     Improve reputation with the industry’s stakeholders. When sustainability efforts address the concerns of NGOs, suppliers, vendors, consumers, and other stakeholders, stakeholders will support a company more holistically both with their dollars and with positive brand value.

  What’s up next?

  A key goal of the report was to determine where the industry currently is on sustainability and where it’s going. Sustainability professionals in the retail industry will see their efforts progressing in the next five to ten years in the following ways:

  *     Sustainability will become more integrated into the business. As sustainability strategies expand in scope, responsibilities will move from being centered in the sustainability department to being shared across the organization in every department from facilities to purchasing.

  *     Retailer-supplier relationships will be transformed. No longer will retailers be hands off and in the dark about where their materials come from. Every supplier and subcontractor will come into the fold as a key stakeholder, so that retailers can better control product quality, sustainability, and brand value. “The retailer-supplier relationship will continue to evolve, using sustainability as an opportunity for generating shared value.”

  *     Industry collaboration will become the standard. Retailers can’t hide operations behind the cloak of competitive knowledge. The industry will continue to shift as a whole, and in many cases that means it makes sense for individuals within a company to avoid reinventing the wheel and seek advice from other industry leaders. Companies will continue to share best practices “to address pressing social and environmental issues, such as managing product lifecycle impacts, human rights concerns in the supply chain, and the safety of products. This approach will become increasingly common; industry and stakeholder collaboration will help retailers identify and address the root causes of deeply embedded social and environmental challenges.”

  *     Business models will evolve as consumption habits change. Business models will embrace closed-loop product design and manufacture, recapturing resources and products and incorporating the value of ecosystems services. That means shifting away from a disposable culture toward one where products can be fixed rather than thrown away, and re-used at the end of their lives

  At the end of the day, the biggest sustainability challenge for the retail industry is that a business based on the sale of products and the promotion of consumption isn’t super sustainable. That doesn’t mean that one retailer can’t be more sustainable than another, nor does it mean that it’s not worth trying to improve. It most certainly is, and this report demonstrates that the retail industry “gets” the benefits of sustainably thinking and is applying them across the board to improve the business.

  Of all the findings in the report, the very last plan for the future, about business models evolving, is the one that’s the most exiting for us to see because it means that these retailers understand that many of the current models are unsustainably financially, environmentally, and socially. That they’re looking ahead to the adjustments they need to make is extremely encouraging.

  On Phuket a retailer program is being implemented with the support of TESCO Thailand and other supporters, lets take a look at the program:

  Sun, Sand & Sustainability

  23 point Retailer Program

  AIM

  To standardize retail long term sustainability strategy to reduce plastic bag use, decrease waste volumes and improve retail efficiency and education of both employees and consumers.

   

  CAUSE

  • Unchecked free plastic bags, throw away mentality, lack of regard for environment and short term attitudes.

  • No sector co-ordination

  • Re-active waste management policy

   

  EFFECT

  • Waste crisis

  • Litter problem

  • Dirty beaches

  • Community health degradation

  • Dengue fever outbreaks

  • Negative tourism

  • Flooding from blocked drains by litter and plastic

     

  ACTION SUMMARY

  • STOP single use plastic bag campaign and take away polystyrene containers

  • STOP throw-away plastic straw use

  • Increased Customer rewards for bringing reuse bags

  • Green education for suppliers, employees and customers

  • PR and communication program by public and private sector

   

  REFLECT on  SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS

  1. Retailers should STOP giving away free plastic bags including reducing fruit, meats, fish and bakery sections

   

  2. SELL a custom REUSE bag at all check out points, AT COST, or small markup, making it accessible and good value.

   

  3. PROMOTE “NO PLASTIC” with new large clear SIGNAGE at all check out points.

  Signage in multiple languages: Promote and clearly display this at POS

  • Thai, English, Chinese, Korean, Russian & Arabic

   

  4. ADVERTISE your REUSE bag and this program in the newspapers, radio and other media. Thai & English advertising.

  • Let consumers know you support PHUKET GREEN ISLAND.

   

  5. SUPPORT customers using re-use bags by offering a discount if they bring a REUSE bag

   

  6. TRAIN your whole team, particularly the checkout staff why this initiative is happening.

  Teach employees to educate consumers about PHUKET GREEN ISLAND.

   

  7. TRAIN staff regularly to improve bag packing efficiencies and increase the number of items packed per bag. Double bagging and automatic bagging of small items must stop.

   

  8. BIO D bags: Single use bags (bakery, fish, meat & dairy sections) should be fully Bio degradeable ( NOT Oxy degradeable which break down in millions of tiny plastic bits)

   

  9. POINT SYSTEMS, a different strategy in rewarding customers such as tesco campaign.

   

  10. SUPPLY-SIDE companies (packaging/manufacturing/distribution) should be encouraged to provide carrying devices on their larger packs, reducing plastic wrappers. Water packs, Soft Drinks, Heavy rice bags: ask your suppliers.

    

  REDUCE WASTE

  SUPPORT GREEN PRODUCTS

   

  11. REVIEW product lines and support more environmentally friendly products, which through larger volume will be reduced in price and reduce effect on environment.

    

  -        Promote the benefits. Advertise in store “For a Green Phuket” For the Greener good”

   

  -        REDUCE use of STRAWS, disposables, all f&b outlets should stop the automatic offer of straws, particularly water, juice, sodas.  

   

  -        If your shop sells Chemicals such as car wash and household cleaners they should be fully bio Degradeable, as with plastic bags, fully bio D takeaway containers & egg containers. Ideally toxic car wash products should be removed from Phuket shops, as it all flows into drains and the ocean.

   

  -        BIO D plastic bags for household garbage bins could be so sold AT COST, or small MARKUP so that shoppers have an alternative for bins rather that today’s free HDPE lightweight plastic bags.

   

  -        Promote natural/organic Health and beauty products such as shampoos and cleansers, moisturizers.

   

  -        Sell energy efficient light bulbs on SPECIAL at reduced prices, supporting consumers GREEN decisions.

   

  -        Support local produce, organic vegetables, locally roasted coffee, nuts, fruits and other produce. Affluent customers, young families, children and moms react well to purchasing healthy products.

   

  -        Promote customers to “look behind the label” on environmentally friendly products, supporting consumer education

   

  -        Consider in store promotions/trials and demonstrations/workshops on green products for your house… a green HOUSE display area? highlight 5 star energy products, long life non disposables, low plastic, locally sourced.

   

  -        Highlight Made in Thailand logos on shelves of Thai products

   

  -        Use reusable chopsticks at all f&b operations within the hyper mart, not wooden chopsticks

   

  12. STOP sale, distribution and use of polystyrene trays and take away containers in your shops and within hypermarkets.

   

  CENTRAL have banned it already, TESCO are phsing out polystyrene trays for food and replace with bio-d packaging and not sell polystyrene products.

    

  13. REDUCE the price of bulk bio-d products (coffee cups/lids/ lunch boxes) (bulk household cleaning) for restaurants/cafes. B-B Phuket business discount card on green products promoting faster change in higher volumes quickly.

             With higher volumes will come cheaper prices and more varied supply.

   

  REDUCE ENERGY

   

  14. Increase Energy Efficiency within your retail space.

  • Changing Light bulbs to LEDs

  • Off hours light reduction

  • Turn down your aircon 15%

  • Use fans

  • Turn off promo lights at night

   

  15. WATER: Phuket is facing a water shortage so review water usage and implement more efficient hoses, water faucets and question heavy water use in wet areas

   

  REUSE

  16. Introduce reuse containers and refills for beauty products and household cleaners

   

  17. Introduce reuse water bottles on special, and consider a water refilling station, using a filter off the mains water supply, promoting reduction of plastic water bottles

   

  RECYCLE

   

  18. Public RECYCLING STATIONS: Place a smart, clean station outside all minimarts and hypermarkets/ shopping centres.

   

  PAPER

  GLASS

  METALS plus a Battery box

  PLASTIC +Tetrapak

  Wrappers ++ other garbage

   

  • Educate and support consumer recycling

  • Signage should be in multiple languages

  Thai, English, Chinese, Korean, Russian & Arabic.

  • Promote and clearly display this collection point.

              The local Government in 2013 now has 36 existing and accredited collection points      

              across the Island from North to South, pls see the link to the list:

                 http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-recycling-network-set-up-38903.php

   

  19. BATTERY BOXES for disposing batteries are needed at all retail outlets as toxic waste in landfill is highly poisonous.

  • Promote and clearly display this collection point.

   

  20. E-WASTE collection. Collaborating with the Pollution Control Department and Phuket Town Municipality set up a collection area and advertise this program

  • Promote and clearly display this collection point.

  • 1,000,000 items of e-trash will be thrown away in the next 12 months in Thailand.

  • Target 84,000 item collected

    

  PCD collection points,

  • Phuket Town: PCD office cnr Surin and Narisorn Road

  • Six Schools: Bang Niew, Baan Samkong, Plukpanya,Piboon Sawasdee, Muang & Wat Kajorn Rangsan

  • Hospitals: Vachira, Bangkok Phuket

  • Hotels: Royal Phuket City, Metropole Hotel

  • Sony Showroom on Thepkassatri Rd

   

               Promote and clearly display this collection point.

   

  RETWEET

  21. COMMUNICATE these steps: Setup and use Twitter and facebook to build a community of your customers, promoting 2013 Phuket Green Island and your environmental campaign support, with specials, offers, education and events.

   

   

  Kamala Green Club https://www.facebook.com/KamalaGreenClub?fref=ts

  Natai, Mai Khao, Naiton, Bangtao, Surin, Patong, Karon, Kata and Soth Phuket green clubs all being formed to educate local communities, communicate beach clean dates and promote green practice, by end of June SEEK aims to have all these up and running.

   

  SUPPORT LOCAL ISLAND CSR PROGRAMS

   

  22. CSR Program. Retailers should actively work with their local community on area clean ups and support social programs for disabled, orphans, soi dogs or under privileged.

  • Buy turtle products from Mai Khao turtle foundation,

  http://www.maikhaoturtlefoundation.com/

  • Sell reuse bags from Life Home Project or other NGOs,

  http://www.lifehomeproject.org/

  • Sell the Tommy the Turtle book from SEEK, a new kids book in Thai and English that educates about waste management.

  Contact nick@indigoRE.com for ordering copies

  • Become a SEEK member www.myseek.org

  • Support local schools and under privileged with a collection box for toys/cloths

  • Link SEEK website to your website, and promote SEEK to customers

    

  FOLLOW UP

  23. Implement the reflect, reduce, reuse, recycle and retweet program

  • Integrate sustainable practice into daily operations with action and data support (what gets measured gets managed)

  • Agree to continue a path of constant review and update policies

  • Cost savings will be evident through being efficient, carbon emission reductions will be a major positive and additional revenue from green products (including private label) is a relatively new and untapped area for Phuket consumers. Measure this.

  • Monetize waste and compost as much as possible

  Don’t know how to compost??

  http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-environment-composting-is-easier-than-you-think-38732.php

   

  Thanks for supporting a Sustainable Phuket….  

                                                               

  the Turtles & Dolphins in the Andaman Sea.

   

   

   

  MESSAGE from a BOTTLE 

  Phuket West Coast beach trash RED ALERT

  With westerly winds again and the start of the monsoon period it is imperative to support the annual clean beach campaign, which continues to gain momentum.

   

  Phuket TODAY is in a waste management crisis.

   

  Over 700 tonnes of trash is created daily, landfills are at capacity, roadsides were a dumping ground, littering is prevalent although this is changing, and our oceans are becoming PLASTIC OCEANS, facing a crisis of littering and overfishing.

   

  CAUSE

  • Roadside & household litter

  • Waste Bin overflow

  • Runoff from residents homes and streets through the Klongs

  • Fishing fleet throw over board garbage inc nets and bulbs

  • Limited town recycling or composting

  • Limited retail support from vendors

  EFFECT

  Aside from the pollution and health issue plastic waste Kills turtles, dugongs, whales and dolphins who mistake plastic as jellyfish, filling their stomachs with trash.

   

  Likewise sea birds all over the world eat plastic and even feed their babies plastic diets, such as the colonies in midway island.

   

  The other critical aspect of marine pollution is that plastic gets ingested by fish, which gets passed onto humans, who in turn eat contaminated fish.

  From May every year the westerly winds blow the plastic and garbage that is in the ocean onto our beaches.

  Up to 1,000 full bags a day of trash hits phuket beaches every day from land based sources, mostly litter and from the fishing fleet.

  There is a noticeable increase near the Klong mouths around the island indicating trash coming from the villages.

  K Paiboon as Or Bor Jor and supported by Health Ministry has kindly co-ordinated street cleaning around all major roads since 2010, which is having we believe a real impact on reducing litter into the ocean, possibly by as much as 30% already and tourists are all commenting on the cleaner roads and villages including Patong and Phuket town! And in some cases cleaner beaches… only some.

  An island wide campaign is being considered and any support/ideas welcomed.

  Debra has initiated a magic eyes campaign around bang wad dam that has had immediate positive results…

   

  DAILY BARRAGE

  We went swimming late afternoon, one fine sunny day towards the end of 2010, with wonderful sunshine and a carefree spirit, but that day we were shocked by the sight of the beach. It was the worst day for garbage on our beaches we had seen with a 10m strip of litter from one end to the other.

  At Surin Beach we coordinated a cleanup and catalogued around 200m of the collected debris & garbage before dark. The numbers were astounding and at least Bangtao, Kamala and Patong were as badly hit on that particular Saturday.

  In total we collected 60kgs that comprised:

   

  366 plastic bags

  203 ropes and pieces of netting

  166 plastic bottles

  97 food wrappers

  79 beverage caps/lids

  39 straws and an assortment of other debris, shoes & plastic spoons.

   

  Extrapolate this out to 27kms of west coast beaches on Phuket and you end up with 135 times what we collected, on one day, dumped on our otherwise beautifull beaches:

   

  49,000 plastic bags, 27,000 ropes, 22,410 bottles, 13,095 food wrappers, 10,665 beverage caps and 5,235 straws.

   

  Total garbage on Saturday would have been around 8,100 kgs or nearly 9 tons.

  Can you imagine if this happened every day when the westerly blows, and Phuket was hit with 49,000 plastic bags per day… well this is the future for our Island unless every person in Phuket wisens up and stops treating the island as a disposable environment.

  On behalf of all residents on Phuket we beg you to: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE & STOP LITTERING on Phuket.

  The westerly winds that bring plastic in from the Andaman sea will continue through to December and it will take all of our efforts to pick up trash where we see it, on the beach, in a drain, by your house or office, and reduce the amount of litter that is flowing into the sea. Long term this will impact the amount of trash in the water, and the amount that gets washed up.

  The next step for the campaign will be to broaden the Reduce, Reuse & Recycle awareness into the fishing fleets that ply our waters, they currently throw all trash overboard, which washes up on our beaches. With over 1,000 boats some nights off Phukets west coast, and perhaps a full garbage bag of bottles/bags/caps and ropes being dumped per boat it is possibly the source of 20-30% of Phukets beach debris.

  DENGUE FEVER

  Mosquitos breed in roadside litter, increasing dengue fever, plastic bags and waste block drains and have increased floods, plastic waste in the ocean kills marine life and dirty beaches deter tourists.

  Despite the cleaner island Dengue stats in the first four months is double that of 2012.

  The recent announcement from the health ministry targeting dengue fever is also based partly on a litter campaign/ a clean environment & better garbage collection/reduction/recycling and generally a cleaner phuket.

  K Paiboon as Or Bor Jor and supported by Health Ministry has kindly co-ordinated street cleaning around all major roads since 2010, which is having we believe a real impact on reducing litter into the ocean, possibly by as much as 30% already and tourists are all commenting on the cleaner roads and villages including Patong and Phuket town!

  An island wide campaign is now being implemented

  VISION
  A full time private sector Green Club program in collaboration with the local government, NGOs, businesses, hotels and local people to clean beaches and introduce local community environmental education that will support a clean and green Phuket Island.

  OBJECTIVE

  Utilizing facebook and using the kamala green club as the pilot program SEEK aims to put in place a scheduled clean up along the whole of Phukets west coast and southern beaches, split into zones and co-ordinated through the end of 2013 with long term aims.

  https://www.facebook.com/KamalaGreenClub?fref=ts

   

  GREEN COMMITTEE

  Each beach will appoint a key person to be the co-ordinator/facebook updater with the support of 2 or 3 key hotels.

  Additionally a key employee at each Hotel and business in the area is appointed as a Mr Green to support the Green campaign and help implement into the community.

  The Green clubs committee meet monthly to assess progress, support education and co-ordinate Or Bor Tor support to REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE.

  Green Committee Responsibility:

  • Setup facebook page

  • Organise beach zones

  • Identify and talk to key hotels and business

  • Introduce to all staff

  • Arrange local govt introduction meeting

  • Contact NGOs in your area

  • Schedule regular beach clean ups and publish on your facebook page with cleanup photos.

  • Support Green education to all vendors teaching  REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, NO Plastic,  straw reduction,  polystyrene phase out, composting and energy reduction

  • Give supporting retailers SEEK/Green Club door stickers supporting NO PLASTIC BAGS and a sustainable Phuket.

  • Consider creating an area beach map including recycling stations and highlight supporting businesses

  • Monitor water runoffs and report any water/klong issues

  • If required arrange independent water testing

  • Ensure enough quality bins (existing and recommended)

  • Identify recycling stations (existing and recommended)  

  • Co-ordinate local GREEN CLUB signage in multiple languages at main locations

   

  ART PROJECT

  John Underwood is making a beach art project and will make a beautiful tree out of salvaged debris.

  Also K Kan at GREEN FINS is using debris for art, so all collections welcomed: call/ email me if you have a pickup load.

  See video about her work:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WGtgFodtFR8

   

  BEACH WASTE SEPERATION

  We ask all beach cleaners to separate debris and garbage picked up into three groups

   

  1. Recyclables including plastic bottles, aluminium cans and glass beer bottles. These can be placed in the kamala green recycling bins, an idea that will be setup in other island locations

  2. Art project debris including all fishing gear, floats, nets, ropes, string, bulbs, flip flops, lighters, bottle caps, plastic toys and all small brown red bull/energy drink bottles.

   

  Email Nick@indigoRE.com if you have a load (pls rinse and dry)

  1. Other garbage incl plastic bags, bathroom items like toothbrushes, syringes etc for throw away in public bins. If large volume arrange collection from local government.

  GUIDE TO MARINE DEBRIS

  This link to the ICC marine debris guide is very usefull, and I have one in Thai, but is 16MB, so please request copy. nick@indigoRE.com

   

  www.coastsweep.umb.edu/documents/pocket-guide.pdf

  REPORTING

  Recorded volumes will be submitted through SEEK to the International Coastal Cleanup group monitoring global beach trash.

   

  Using the attached ICC data card collecting information and extrapolating will give a good idea of the scale of beach debris, and by tracking volume in 2013 we can hopefully show a dramatic drop in volume in 2014.

  Please keep a running summary of what was picked up and how many metres cleaned.

  COMMUNITY RECYCLING STATIONS

  Please consider funding privately with local hotels and businesses clean stations outside minimarts and hypermarkets/ shopping centres & along the shorefront

   

  PAPER

  GLASS

  METALS

  PLASTIC

  LANDFILL

   

  • Educate and support consumer recycling

  • Signage should be in multiple languages

  Thai, English, Chinese, Korean, Russian

  • Promote and clearly display this collection point.

   

  The local Government in 2013 now has 36 existing and accredited collection points across the Island from North to South, pls see the link to the list:

   

  http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-recycling-network-set-up-38903.php

  MODEL: KAMALA GREEN CLUB

  Kamala Green Club on facebook is the model, supported by SEEK, The Kamala Or Bor Tor, green NGO NEV NET,  MNRE (Ministry for Natural Resources & Env) and the PMBC (Phuket Marine Biological Centre). Please report urgently any dolphins, whales, turtles or other marine life that gets in trouble or is washed up in your area.

  The Kamala Green Club just put 6 new single recycling stations along the beach:

  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.557485980957857.1073741827.407720435934413&type=1&l=248b9a28a7

   

  The Recycled items are collected by NEV NET/OR BOR TOR

  GREEN CLUB Member Responsibility

  Members agree to these key charters:

  1. We will not use plastic bags

  2. We will REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE & Compost

  3. We will not use polystyrene products ( take away containers, cups or trays)

  4. Agree to host a training program for all staff introducing this program

  5. Support beach cleaning and a better future

   

   

  LITTER CAMPAIGN

  Local resident Debra Mierczak has initiated a magic eyes campaign around bang wad dam that has had immediate positive results and a possible blueprint for litter campaigns at a local level.

  http://www.thephuketnews.com/australian-woman-keeps-close-eye-on-the-phuket-environment-39138.php

   

  COMPOST

  BTW, don’t know how to compost?? Easy guide.

  http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-environment-composting-is-easier-than-you-think-38732.php

    

  COMMUNICATION

  Please let me know any beach cleaning schedules/green updates and I will announce on the radio show: Going Green

  89.5FM    3-5PM every Saturday

  http://www.thephuketnews.com/radio/

   

  if you miss it… show content…

  http://www.myseek.org/news-and-events/this-weeks-going-green-radio-show/

   

  Thanks to all supporters from the turtles, dolphins and dugongs… and the happy tourists who love clean beaches.

   

  TOMMY THE TURTLE

  New kids book teaching about plastic waste and turtles, that can be custom made for each green club area, given to schools, raise awareness about local clean efforts and raise some money for local causes. 

LOCAL NEWS

Each week we review the Phuket News, a weekly local Phuket newspaper out on Fridays and is owned by the same parent as 89.5FM with the ATKISSON sustainability compass in mind

Phuket Green Island : Alert

Phuket’s high season is waning and winds continue to whip from the west and east… with westerlies brings ocean trash to our beaches and our island is amid a litter and trash crisis with increasing waste volumes, despite positive change since 2010 on roadside litter reduction.

The Promotion of Phuket Green island with the goals of a sustainable, low carbon island strengthened in 2012 as local government, private businesses and individuals worked together to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

We are facing a crisis of over capacity and many decades of over exploitation, natural area degradation and need to aggressively pursue short and long term goals to ensure Phuket is sustainable long term.

Local NGO SEEK has been working on an Island wide sustainability plan that will be launched in 2013.

Interview of K Nok from SEEK in LIFESTYLE section talking about retail e labels and what to look for, ties in nicely with Discussion with Jeremy Tang.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/tv/phuket-thailand/647518.html

Working with The Atkisson group SEEK use a model called the Compass to plan a sustainable future using “indicators” or programs that fall under the four corners of a compass

N Nature

E Economy

S Society

W Wellbeing

WELLBEING

Beach cleaning… update/schedule

Facebook kamala green club:

https://www.facebook.com/KamalaGreenClub?ref=ts&fref=ts

Tuesday 21^st  at  10 am North Canal

Tuesday  28^th at 9 am South end in front temple

Page 7: Charity event to support Stu Clark and raise awareness of helmet wearing on Phuket

Café Jaan Duan, 7pm 21st May

Phuket Town

Also a concert in Phuket town on May 19^th, next Sunday at Larn 72 (opposite sofa pub) with Thai performer Singto Mumchok

ENVIRONMENT

NATURE

ENVIRONMENT

INTERNATIONAL GREEN NEWS

Can destroying a tropical rainforest be “sustainable”?

Well, according to a decision taken yesterday by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the major industry-NGO body, this greatest of environmental crimes is now officially “green.”

Palm oil plantations have driven the destruction of more than 30,000 square miles of tropical forest in Indonesia and Malaysia alone, pushing species like orangutans and Sumatran rhinoceroses and elephants to the edge of extinction. It’s the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Southeast Asia, and has propelled Indonesia to be the world’s third largest climate polluter behind only China and the United States.

Nonetheless, at its Extraordinary General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the RSPO formally rejected longstanding calls from member companies, scientists and nonprofit organizations to stop certifying as “sustainable” palm oil produced through deforestation and other environmentally damaging practices like destruction of ultra carbon-rich peatland and use of highly poisonous chemicals like the notorious paraquat, which is linked to kidney failure, respiratory failure, skin cancer, and Parkinson’s disease.

On one level, of course, the RSPO’s action is an exercise in patently absurd Orwellian PR: If something produced through wholesale destruction of tropical rainforests is considered “sustainable,” the word has lost any meaning at all. But the decision is sadly symptomatic of broader challenges faced by sustainability certification efforts across a variety of different industries. These persistent challenges have led some to question the value or applicability of the fundamental model many companies have relied on to prove their environmental bona fides – and develop a new model based more on industry transformation than green niche production.

Indeed, the palm oil decision leaves dozens of major companies including Unilever, Kellogg’s, Dunkin Donuts, Colgate-Palmolive, Walmart, Carrefour, Cadbury, and others facing something of a supply chain and image crisis. These companies have all pledged to source RSPO-certified palm oil out of an understandable desire to ensure that their products weren’t driving destruction of the Earth’s tropical rainforests and other hyper-valuable ecosystems — and respond to demands from their customers and NGO campaigns that they take the very basic step of ending links to deforestation. Large banks Credit Suisse, Rabobank, Citibank, HSBC, and Standard Chartered also have policies aimed at channeling investment towards RSPO companies.

The RSPO’s action was such a blatant affront to basic environmental values that even the organization’s cofounder World Wildlife Fund, which has always defended RSPO even in the face of withering criticism, issued a formal statement saying that while it intends to continue engaging with the RSPO, it no longer considers RSPO certification sufficient for responsible companies.

“Because the review failed to accept strong, tough and clear performance standards within the P&Cs [RSPO Principles & Criteria] on issues like GHGs and pesticides, it is, unfortunately, no longer possible for producers or users of palm oil to ensure that they are acting responsibly simply by producing or using Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). Therefore WWF is now asking progressive companies to set and report on particular performance standards within the framework set by the new RSPO P&Cs.

Responsible growers are those that… — for new oil palm developments: full implementation of the RSPO New Plantings Procedure and zero‐net land use emissions over a single rotation,which will exclude cultivation on peat–soils and clearance of high carbon stock areas;

– for existing plantations and mills: significant annual GHG emissions reduction targets

– an end to the use of pesticides that are categorized as World Health Organization Class 1A or 1B, or that are listed by the Stockholm or Rotterdam Conventions, and paraquat…;”

WWF’s statement surprised many long-time palm oil watchers, but the organization deserves enormous credit for sticking to its principles and making clear that companies cannot claim sustainability just by sticking an RSPO label on their product while continuing to destroy the Earth’s forests.

So what are responsible companies to do? Dozens have dived into the RSPO’s sustainability vat, only to float up saturated in palm oil and stinking of deforestatio

The good news is that RSPO is far from the only game in town; there are many options for sourcing deforestation free vegetable oil — and it’s now time for companies to take advantage of them

Of course, coconut, soybean, canola and other vegetable oils generally have far fewer issues with deforestation, though responsible companies should investigate the specific supply chain for any of the commodities they use

And the Rainforest Alliance’s Sustainable Agriculture Network standards not only go well beyond RSPO, but also create incentives for ecosystem restoration — and have been adopted by the Colombian organic palm oil producer Daabon. The Brazilian company Agropalma and New Britain Palm Oil are also considered leaders on reducing deforestation

But perhaps most exciting is the commitment by Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), the world’s largest private sector palm oil producer, to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain following efforts by Greenpeace, The Forest Trust and other groups (full disclosure: I do some consulting work for TFT, though this article is my own).

As the grower of approximately five percent of the world’s palm oil, GAR can be an immediate large-scale source for deforestation free palm oil, period. Companies that buy from GAR or other responsible producers and traders are sending a signal that there is a demand for truly deforestation free palm oil, which will encourage other palm oil companies to raise their own standards.

The important point here is that what GAR and its fellow vegetable oil industry leaders are doing doesn’t rely on an amorphous term like sustainability that can be easily corrupted by cynical PR agents looking to greenwash wholesale ecological destruction. They’re saying something very simple: We don’t destroy forests, we don’t destroy peatland, and we don’t abuse human rights or community rights

It’s very easy for the public, forest communities, journalists, civil society organizations and others to scrutinize them by that standard, and when they fall short, hold them accountable. There’s really not much room for fudging it.

This commitment that is simple and affordable to implement: most of the additional cost of RSPO-style certification comes from segregating the “sustainable” product from the “mainstream” product in processing, shipping, and sales — not from changing production practices. Indeed, a recent study by Timothy Fairhurst and David McLaughlin found that planting on degraded lands actually costs several hundred dollars less than planting on cleared secondary forests. With six to ten million hectares of available degraded land in Indonesia and 60 million available in Brazil, there are massive opportunities for affordable, deforestation free production: companies just have to seize them. Certification can be a tool to help ensure that they’re meeting their commitments, but it’s no substitute for action

In short, companies should stop proclaiming their commitment to “sustainability” from the stump, and just stop buying the products of ecological destruction. That’s what their customers demand, and what the Earth needs.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glenn-hurowitz/the-death-of-sustainability_b_3263925.html

Prince Charles attacks global warming skeptics uses speech at St James’s Palace to single out ‘confirmed sceptics’ and environmentally unfriendly businesses

The Prince of Wales has criticised “corporate lobbyists” and climate change sceptics for turning the earth into a “dying patient”, in his most outspoken attack yet on the world’s failure to tackle global warming, made shortly before he is to take over from the Queen at the forthcoming meeting of the Commonwealth.

His intervention was reinforced by Lord Stern of Brentford, author of the 2006 report on the economics of climate change, who called sceptics and lobbyists “forces of darkness” who would be “driven back”.

Prince Charles attacked businesses who failed to care for the environment, and compared the current generation to a doctor taking care of a critically ill patient.

“If you think about the impact of climate change, [it should be how] a doctor would deal with the problem,” he told an audience of government ministers, from the UK and abroad, as well as businesspeople and scientists. “A scientific hypothesis is tested to absolute destruction, but medicine can’t wait. If a doctor sees a child with a fever, he can’t wait for [endless] tests. He has to act on what is there.”

He added: “The risk of delay is so enormous that we can’t wait until we are absolutely sure the patient is dying.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/09/prince-charles-climate-change-sceptics?CMP=twt_fd

The electric car maker, Tesla, has made the first profit in its 10-year history.

The company said it made $15m (£9.65m) in the first three months of the year, thanks to sales of its Model S electric sedan. Total revenues hit $562m, a huge rise on the $30m reported a year ago.

Tesla said it was receiving worldwide orders for the Model S in excess of 20,000 vehicles per year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22459631

BBC HARDTALK

Jeremy Irons talks about plastic waste and his documentary “Trashed”  amongst other topics

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n3cstlcg#programme-broadcasts

Buy the DVD

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trashed-DVD-Jeremy-Irons/dp/B00APG8QQO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359650825&sr=8-1

First steps…..

THE FIRST STEP

• BE AWARE

STEP TWO: ACTION

• Reflect, think about your actions, refuse single use plastic bags, straws & polystyrene

• Reduce, your waste, reduce energy use

• Reuse what you can, including composting

• Recycle as much of what’s left

• Responsibility, to our planet

STEP THREE: FIND YOUR VOICE

• Re-tweet, tell others

Our world is at a fork in the road, at a crossroads and is for you to decide.

The loss of the enormous contribution of fossil fuels means that the total amount of energy available to humanity by the end of the century may be less than one fifth of the amount we use now, and less that one sixth the amount we will use at our energy peak a decade from now…

The advance of science has enabled us to measure our impact upon the planet with increasing precision, so why are we ignoring all the science? Will our intelligence in the end count for nothing? Are we destined — like the elephants, tigers, and rhinos — for extinction? Are we to become the ultimate victim of our own success?

And, if so, when the last human falls, centuries or millennia hence, will there be anyone there to hear it?

SURVIVAL

EXTINCTION

SEEK, for a better world.

www.myseek.org

NEWS reviewed in the show were from retweets by @indigonick

Nick Anthony

nick@indigoRE.com

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