WORLD'S GREENEST MAN OUT TO CONSERVE THE ENVIRONMENT

By Hazlinda Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Concern for the environment are growing
among Malaysians today and conserving the 'green' appears to be the concern from
among the people including those in the government and private sectors.

Matthias Gelber, awarded the world's greenest man on earth in 2008 for his
environmental conservation efforts worldwide, has made the challenge to empower
people to protect and conserve the environment as a way of life.

Recently, Bernama was fortunate enough 'to catch' Gelber on one of his
trips to Malaysia.

His travelling schedules are always tight but very systematically arranged.

According to Gelber, this is to prevent unnecessary and excessive emissions
of carbon during the educational routes that he involves himself with.

A 'GREEN' CHILDHOOD IN GERMANY

"I have been green since my childhood days, grew up on a farm in Germany.
We planted our own potatoes, fruits and vegetables," Gelber said proudly.

"(However) We must work harder to reduce carbon emissions throughout the
world. Currently, it is 7.0 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted per
inhabitant in Malaysia.

"Growth rate is aggressively on the rise and so is the meter reading
on carbon emission per capita in Malaysia. Although Malaysia is still not a
fully developed country, the gap is definitely getting smaller now," he said.

He said deforestation is becoming a problem. The industries coming in are
more and more emission intense, some without the necessary standards and in
fact, no benefit to mother nature.

THE GREEN LIFESTYLE

The world's greenest man does not possess his own vehicle and he actually
uses very little air conditioning and electricity.

"My condominium in Malaysia, is very healthy. I open my windows to let the
air flow through my unit. Of course the rain can pose a hazard occasionally, but
that doesn't trouble me too much," he said.

Gelber who contributes to various regional initiatives and programmes has
some tips for Malaysians intending to change their lifestyle, turning that
environmental dial to a greener shade and eventually reducing the CO2 emission
scale.

He said the simplest way for the people to conserve a green earth is to be
conscious of what they do daily, including the equipment they use and how they
can reduce carbon emissions on a regular basis.

"The monetary system which measures the utility bills one pays each month
can be likened to the micro carbon emission meter.

Firstly, by creating awareness towards one's electricity consumption both
at home and in the office. Next, the discipline towards controlling and the
ability to influence the use of less green things in daily living, he said.

GREEN INVESTMENTS

According to Gelber, Malaysia is the world's number two country with plenty
of peat swamp land or forests.

"These forests suck up a lot of carbon, up to 10 times more than the normal
forests. By investing in efforts to protect these lands with new plants and
replanting of trees, the people will positively contribute to the conservation
of the environment, ensuring its sustainability," he said.

Gelber said this would prevent extreme exploitation of the natural resources
besides generating wealth and values in the society. This is crucial in
controlling the emission of CO2 which can certainly bring destruction to Earth
and her inhabitants.

"Malaysia can also plan towards this method of planting the forests," Gelber
made a suggestion.

He also said talks on green and the importance of environment to the younger
generation is certainly an effective method to disseminate the latest
information to the young targets.

Gelber believes that the level of enforcement in this country still
has room for improvement especially in curbing excessive pollution and
exploitation of mother earth.

"Enforcement measures must be stepped up. Pollution traced from source at
its early stage and clamping it quick would be less a burden for the people and
the country.", he said.

COLLECTIVE EFFORT

Efforts emphasizing on greening the environment should sprout from the
ground.

"Awareness springing from the people in this manner would surely get the
attention of those higher up including the politicians and motivate them to join
in to do their bit.

"Going Green is the in thing and putting it into practise with the right
allocation in budgets is a noble thing any government can and should be doing.
These efforts include the implementation of the Green Building Index, the
clamping of illegal loggers and all other activities that contribute to the
environment", he added.
-- BERNAMA