Whistleblower

Whistleblower is an ongoing direct action project where we take the initiative to identify and report polluters, illegal environmental, cruelty and other socially unacceptable practices to the relevant authorities. I have stopped shows using live fish as part of their act. I have reported supermarkets that overcrowd their tanks and leave fish gasping for air and HDB painting contractors that wash their paint brushes into drains that eventually pollute our rivers. More recently a friend of mine was at Sungei Road and saw someone selling tiger claw nails. He called ACRES who reported to the police and the claws were confiscated for proper identification by AVA. If they are indeed tiger claws, then vendor will be persecuted.

We, on our part, have to be socially responsible, how many times have we seen leaky taps, HDB lights on during the day, all that was needed was one phone call but how many of us let it slide hoping someone else would make that call?

Here are some useful numbers, key them into your mobile now :

1) SPCA: +65 62875355;ext 9

2) ACRES: +65 9783 7782 

3) NEA : +65 1800-2255632

4) PUB : +65 1800-2846600

5) Police : +65 1800-2250000

6) MPA : +65 1800-2725880

Grant : +65 96840950

A camera is a valuable piece of equipment to have as a picture paints a thousand words. When you call the authorities, make a note of the date and time and more importantly the name of the officer you spoke to. Follow up by calling back to speak to the same officer to check on progress. If there's a court case, ask for date, time and court number and try to attend.

The HDB paint contractors was fined S$5000 (his second offense), I doubt he'll be doing this again real soon.

Let's not sit back and hope someone else will do something - Let's bring the fight to them!

Cheers,

Grant

CANTABS- Recycling making a difference

The Prostheses Foundation of H.R.H The princess mother was founded in 1992 when it was discovered that Dr Therdchai Jivacate  a prosthesis specialist sould build artificial limps which were lighter, more comfortable and in some cases 10 times less expensive than imported model. This drastic price difference was made possible by using recycled plastic and aluminium. 

The aluminium comes form aluminium can tabs that are melted down to make limp parts (1000 grammes will boil down to about 800 grammes of pure aluminium). We had been collecting these with the help of green clubs, schools and friends. They are sent to Chiangmai with students going to there to do conservation projects with Elephant Nature Park. 

These artificial limps are given out Free of Charge to poor people who  need them irrespective of nationality, race or religion. Limps have been supplied to accident or landmine victims in Thailand, Burma, Vietnam Cambodia and Laos. 

Every 3 months. They organise a mobile clinic that visits differnt remote areas of Thailand, usually near a border so that other nationalities can be attended too. They stay for about 5 to 7 days and when they leave everyone is fitted with artificial limps. 

They also train technicians from neighbouring Asean countries including Indonesian during the tsunami disaster in Indonesia (especially Acheh). Its a win-win situation  as there is recycling involved and the end product is something that improves the lives of less fortunate people. 

Start a can tabs collection in your school, office or among your friends. We have sample of parts made from these can tabs at our Ubin Greenhouse which is usually open on Sundays (1200 noon to 5:30pm). They have a website (www.prosthesesfoundation.or.th) although information is limited.

Cheers,
Grant W Pereira
Founder
The Green Volunteers
Mobile 65 96840950

ELEFRIENDS

I have been involved in asian elephant conservation for more than 20 years. In Thailand the drastic decrease in the population is shocking, in the 1900's there were more than 100,000 elephants in Thailand, today there are less than 5000 ( about 3500 capture and 1500 wild) Just imagine in one hundred years a decline of 95% !!! 

In Africa today there are more than 500,000 elephants that is some African States culling is periodically carried out. I suspect that this is planned mismanagement so that the lucrative ivory trade can continue. 

In the whole of Asia there are at most 50,000 elephants apread over the follow countries: India, Srilangka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Laos Cambodia, China and Thailand. I formed ELEFRIENDS about 6 years ago to help the Asian elephants and the northern hilltribes and to do reforestation projects to help slow down global warming. 

We work with a conservation group called Elephant Nature Foundation, (www.elephantnaturefoundation.org) that runs an elephant santuary about 70km north of Chiangmai. Right now we have 35 elephants with various disabilities, including old age and some with mental problems due to ill-treatment. 

I arrange regular trips with schools and green groups to visit to do conservation, reforestation and social projects with the hilltribes. The lastest school to attend were SMU, UWCSEA, Temasek Polytechnic and Chong Boon Secondary School and trip varried from a week to 3 weeks.

 

About 4 years ago, we helped raise about $6000 for medicines etc to help 2 bady elephants (Mo-Too,2 ½ years and Mo-Jay, 6 years) who stepped on landmines in Burma.

Our next project would be to buy and rescue a street begging young elephant at Phuket. You can help by fund raising with your friends, School or office colleges. Find out more on this on my next update. 

My next trip to Chiangmai will be around 10th April 2009 to not only visit the Elephant Nature Park but to take part in the annual, really fun water festival; Songkram, where everybody get splahed. If you can, come join me. 

Cheers,

Grant W Pereira
Founder
The Green Volunteers
Mobile 65 96840950