Alter Space: One Planet, One Home—Save it!

My own planet to save on Alter Space apps.

People all around the world are becoming more conscious today that we need to appreciate, as well as protect our fragile ecosystem. It is especially important to teach children, whose future we are blithely destroying, how to be good stewards of the earth we merely borrowed from our Creator.

We should be responsible enough to train them not to litter, not to waste water, electricity or fuel, to show them how to re-use paper and plastic articles, etc.—not only by instructing them, but more importantly, by example.

Let us plant not only trees but also a seed in the minds of tomorrow’s caretakers that will bear the fruit of salvation for the earth. The Lord’s gifts are bountiful but we have not heeded His voice on how to take care for and share it.  

you can even view virtual friends playing the same game.

I recently came across this online game on the social networking  Facebook called Alter Space. This game explains what carbon footprints are and will further explain on how one can save the environment sans the boring lecture! Alter Space is the first Filipino-made environmental awareness game on Facebook that teaches you how to go green. You do daily activities like eating and sleeping except that you have to conserve as much energy as you can! You need to have a lifestyle that helps reduce the effects of global warming, climate change, and carbon emissions. What’s great about this online game is, aside from learning environmental-awareness in a cool fun way, you also get a chance to win excellent prizes and gadgets. Think you can do it, planeteer? Check out the game at http://www.facebook.com/AlterSpaceGame. 

your own planet depends upon you.

We should be thankful to AboitizPower who came up with this brilliant concept. Kids, yuppies, and even those young-at-heart using Facebook will surely enjoy playing this online game while learning practical tips on earth-friendly living.

We could all be heroes of our planet. It is interesting to note that people nowadays are getting more active and concerned in “earth-saving”.  The most important thing that we should bear in mind is to “do what we can, where we are, and with what we have.” So even if you’re young, or old, a professional, a housewife, a student or a grandparent, you can do a great deal from where you are and with what little or great resources you have.

A happy virtual me.

In the late 1800’s George Elliot wrote: What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other? How sad if, instead of helping hands, we had busy tongue, curious ears and idle fingers. We live in a busy and oftentimes uncaring world. If each one can reach out of ourselves to ease another’s burden, add life and enthusiasm to a seemingly dreary circumstance, or be a conduit of God’s love, we would be the better for it. Stop, look, and listen. There are opportunities all around us. Take part in saving the planet today.

Muntinlupa has ordained its city as plastic-free. All stores there are now obligated to replace their plastics with paper, cartons and reusable bags. Encourages shoppers to bring their own bags. Every Wednesday in most stores is BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag). I sincerely hope it becomes an everyday affair. I patronize companies that had environment-friendly way of retailing. Whenever I shop, I use bags or paper bags instead of plastic ones.

Malls like Ayala does help by not providing plastic bags on certain days.

Every green plant helps reduce the greenhouse effect by absorbing Carbon Dioxide. Plant a tree in your backyard, or work with your neighbors to plant around your area. Wait ‘till sundown to water your garden so less of the water will evaporate. Scatters seeds to help produce new plants and trees and also to feed birds.

Did you know that producing a ton of recycled paper use half the energy, half the water, results in 74% less air pollution, 35% less water pollution, and saves 17 pulp tree? Use paper efficiently. Chlorine bleaching of paper pulp to come up with white paper produces highly dangerous chemicals that threaten the environment. As much as possible, use unbleached paper products. Last Christmas, my family participated in a Belen (nativity) making contest and we used recycable leaves, hay, twigs, and old newspapers. Dried leaves can be used as fertilizers. I encourage my nephew to use scrap paper as his Math scratch paper. Make notebooks from unused pages of old notebooks.

Re-use scrap paper as charcoals!

Buy products in reusable containers, doesn’t use spray nets, don’t waste paper and don’t buy foods in styrofoams.

Let’s segregate trash and don’t use aerosol.  An Asian Development Bank study in 2003 reported that we can save P3.6 billion if we all segregated our trash. That amount can build 7,220 school classrooms. I personally do my own envelope from recycled papers.  I bought a paper-recycling kit to use on my own used paper.

Don’t throw egg cartons. Place inside drawers and use as a sorter for pins, earrings, or sewing materials. Re-use old newspapers to make baskets, used illustration boards to make jewelry boxes and used tarpaulins to make bags.  Just make your creative juices flow. Attend a seminar on “Zero Waste Management”.

Segregate your trash.

Recycle batteries into paperweights. Made plant holders out of old fruit juice packs, and used plastic as pillow stuffing, do it as part of “clean and green” project.

Make a compost pit or heap in your backyard, place grass and tree trimmings, weeds and food scraps to make fertilizer and return their nutrient value to the soil. It will also alleviate our garbage problem.

Place a filled half-gallon glass bottle in your toilet tank and you will save 900 gallons of water a year!

To lower fuel consumption while driving and improve mileage—accelerate and slow down gradually.

When buying a new appliance, check the energy efficient ratio. These are the yellow labels attached to the unit. Units with a higher energy efficient factor are more energy efficient and cost less to operate. A gas stove is 2 ½ times more energy efficient than an electric one.

To save energy, arrange food in the refrigerator neatly for good airflow! Clean the refrigerator condenser coils at least twice a year using vacuum or broom. The coils at the back of the unit remove heat.

Use natural light whenever possible. Place reading tables near windows and put skylights in working areas. Switch to compact fluorescent lamps. CFL’s are more expensive, but they use only 25 % of the energy used in incandescent bulbs, and last eight times longer.

Use the proper amount of detergent. Too many suds may require extra rinsing, which makes washing machines use more energy.

Warm leftovers with microwave or oven toasters. They use up to 30% less energy than regular ovens. Use glass pans because it retains heat even when you set the oven at a lower temperature.

Don’t use the TV or the PC on standby mode. Unplug those units that are not in use.

Support anti-smoke belching hotline and anti-smoking campaigns to help ease air pollution.

Join and volunteer for tree planting activities and clean up drives.

Have enough sense to hang on to trash until you find the proper place to put it (not just littering all over the place).

Regularly donate film canisters, eyeglass frames, and soda cans. Some organizations have been collecting them and it’s never too late to help!

Go ahead and write the companies/authorities you think need to know about the important environmental concerns. To all who have done this already—keep up the good work!

Let’s urge companies to have refilling stations for their liquid products.

Support the resolution to stop releasing balloons in the air. Balloons that are let free usually land in our seas and harm our marine animals.  Let’s make everyday Earth Day!

We need to have Planet Patrol Officers for every family household. Here are the Planet Patrol Officers we should have:

Water Watcher: At a drop per second, a leaky faucet wastes 2,500 gallons of water per year. On the lookout for faucets not completely closed, or with worn out washers (Paying special attention to faucets in public places like malls, schools, etc.) report to proper authorities any broken pipes or washers to be replaced.

Electricity Power Patrol: Watch out for lights, electrical appliances (air conditioners, electric fans, etc.) Report to proper authorities energy being wasted (for example a lighted street lamp during the day).

Punctuality Police Person: Making sure that you, your family and friends are punctual for meetings and appointments (Take into account traffic time, getting ready, etc.) For example, if the family has an early trip to make in the morning of the following day, advise them to go to bed early the preceding night. We should always remember that time is a valuable resource which cannot be re-used or recycled.

Garbage Guard: Guard against littering. Start with your own home and extend to your school or office. Not only should we refrain from littering, but we should also PICK UP garbage we see. Pay extra attention to (family, friends who throw garbage out of vehicles. Advise them (nicely) that we should keep the garbage ‘til we find a garbage can to throw it in.

Recycle Marshall: See to it that you re-use or recycle all you can. For example: Re-use plastic bags or better yet use your own tote bags for shopping instead of those from the store. Re-use back side of paper, envelopes and plastic containers. Donate old tires to re-build coral reefs. Gather bottles and cans to be recycled.

No minimum, no maximum age required. But it promises to be a generation that will change our nation. Compensation will come in the form of a better, cleaner planet to live in.

If our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal had his pen and paper as means to help change the way the society perceived the government during his time, as a blogger, I have the power on my fingertips. I’d like to think I could help influence and encourage people to help save the planet with this blog post. It may not be a drastic change, but at least, try to make a change in one’s family or community.

Little things meant a lot if we all do our share even how little it is. Like using less electricity or just walking if the place you’re going to is just near and can be walked. There are still more. I just hope everyone will do his or her own share to help Mother Nature. Life is clean if we think green.


I hope you also do your part in helping to save Mother Earth,