The Cloud Appreciation Society

Have you ever looked up in the sky on a bright clear day and look at the clouds?

Aren't they fascinating? The ones in the picture hides the sun, and sun rays beaming out from behind. Such a spiritual sight and also inspirational.

This one looks like a mermaid leaning to the right.

I check out the web and I found the Cloud Appreciation Society website at http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/ I never know such society exist. But after just a few minutes browsing this website, I was already taken....and amazed by the beauty of the clouds photos and as well as their manifesto:

"WE BELIEVE that clouds are unjustly maligned
and that life would be immeasurably poorer without them.

We think that they are Nature’s poetry,

and the most egalitarian of her displays, since
everyone can have a fantastic view of them.

We pledge to fight ‘blue-sky thinking’ wherever we find it.
Life would be dull if we had to look up at

cloudless monotony day after day.

We seek to remind people that clouds are expressions of the
atmosphere’s moods, and can be read like those of
a person’s countenance.

Clouds are so commonplace that their beauty is often overlooked.
They are for dreamers and their contemplation benefits the soul.
Indeed, all who consider the shapes they see in them will save
on psychoanalysis bills.

And so we say to all who’ll listen:
Look up, marvel at the ephemeral beauty, and live life with your head in the clouds!"

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I read an article on the Star online, not too long ago, about a lady and her children who collects items to be recycled at her apartment. I was impressed by that story and I would like to share it with you.

Nature’s helper at apartment block

By OH ING YEEN

WHILE some of us are still deep in slumber, Chin Chu Lin is up and about at 6am every day, pushing her trusty trolley from unit to unit to collect recyclable items at the apartment block where she lives in Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya.

“There are three blocks and 18 floors per block. My friend gave me the trolley to ease the burden of carrying things around. Before this, I carried all the recyclable items and walked to and from my apartment unit.

“It’s just a daily exercise for me. If I see something that can be recycled, I’ll pick it up. I’m used to it as I’ve been doing it for the past five to six years,” said Chin, a member of the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation Malaysia.

She collects the items and sends them for recycling every third Saturday of the month. The proceeds are donated to charity organisations.

Thus, before the third Saturday, her house is filled with old newspapers, old clothes and unwanted furniture. Even the walkway outside her apartment is filled with recyclable items.

Starting young: Twins Qi Fong (right) and Qi Ee helping load recyclable items on Chin’s trolley at the apartment block in Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, recently.

“At first, my husband was not happy with what I was doing as it cluttered the house. So, I did it secretly. But now he understands and even helps,” she said, adding that her 15-year-old daughter helped her sort out the items.

“At first, I had to explain to neighbours what I was doing as they thought I was making a profit by selling the items.”

Many now understand she is just doing her part for the environment.

Some residents even place recyclable items outside her unit the night before.

In the past four years, Chin’s neighbour Anna Lim has been setting aside old newspapers, bottles and plastic items for her to collect.

Lim supports Chin’s cause as it is for charity and creates awareness on preserving the environment.

“As a teacher, I tell my students to conserve the environment. Recycling helps save trees,” she said.

Aside from collecting recyclable items, Chin’s efforts are a way to create awareness on the importance of environment conservation.

Children at her apartment block are influenced by her green efforts and help her sort out the recyclable items.

Among them are twin brothers Tan Qi Fong and Tan Qi Ee, both seven, who always help load old newspapers on Chin’s trolley.

“They help sort out the recyclable items and pile them up,” said housewife Chan Fong Ping about her twin sons.

Chin is glad that youths in her apartment block are helping her out.

“I hope more people will recycle to conserve the environment. It is just a small effort to aid Mother Nature,” she said, adding: “I’ll continue doing what I’m doing for as long as I can.”

PLASTIC FREE UNIVERSITY!

Hooray for Universiti Sains Malaysia for the their campaign to stop using plastic bags. What better way to practice environmental consciousness beginning from young and bright minds, like this university's students. I think this is one of the many activities that parents should encourage their children to take part in. ( This kind of activity shows more action rather than just only words).

The students found that a campaign to recycle plastic bags was ineffective and opted to not use plastic bags at all in the campus. So to replace the plastics bags to buy groceries and take-away food, the students promote greener ways of shopping like carrying a reusable shopping bag and bringing your own container to 'tapau' food. Good job USM!

I found this very interesting blog from the Healthy Campus Coordinator himself. Read on for the insights of their sustainable campus life at Kampus Sejahtera @ USM