♥ Ecobots Obtaining Materials Process

We used recyclable materials to create our eco-friendly robot! Most of the materials used are found either in our homes or in SMK(P) Sri Aman. Our sincere gratitude goes to our school for giving us the green light to use the three dysfunctional computers, as well as the piping.We'd also like to thank the school canteen for giving us their plastic bottles and supporting us(: Below are the materials that we found! 

Dustbin covers from the Kemahiran Hidup bengkel

Bottles from the school canteen!

Piping found in Block E

Computer from the computer lab

Wall light covers!

YAWA visit

YAWA's visits to our school has always been of utmost importance in the eyes of the Sri Aman Eco Rangers, and  there is always much to prepare prior to their visit. The slideshow has to be updated, the presenters of the slideshow have to practice, and of course, the herbs garden has to be meticulously weeded and made to appear as perfect as possible. 

Finally, on the 25^th August 2010, two YAWA representatives made their long-awaited visit to our school to check on our progress. The day started off with a short speech by Farhanah and Atikah followed by a self-introduction by every member, where they also mentioned the positions they held in the club following which a video presentation about the projects we carried out in school was shown to the representatives.

Farhanah and Atikah then showed the two representatives our 2010 Toyota Eco Rangers’ t-shirt and our badge. The badge is worn by members to school daily to show that they are part of the Toyota Eco Rangers club. 

Next, Elsa Athira and Angela Chong presented the slideshow created by the head of multimedia, Chong Soo Sun which showcased everything about our club, from the organization chart to the various plants we have, and even our current and future projects. After the very detailed presentation by Elsa and Angela, the two representatives were brought around the school to see the progress on our plants and projects. 

They were first shown the Mini Eco Forest followed by our Fruit Orchard. The tour then continued with a visit to our Herbs Garden. They were also shown our bottled bio-enzymes, and were impressed by the fact that we used citrus fruits to remove usually unpleasant odour of bio-enzymes. Before the two representatives left our school, they graciously agreed to allow us to take a few pictures to commemorate their visit to our school, on top of giving us a few tips and ideas on how to improve the projects we are working on.

The representatives' visit to our school was both enlightening and interesting at the same time. We gained some insight on the things we need to improve on, on top of opinions and ideas which we value highly. We would like to thank these representatives from the bottom of our hearts for their visit which has done us so much good.

Majis Berbuka Puasa

The Ramadhan month is a holy month for the Muslims. It enables them to bond with one another in a spiritual and holistic level through fasting. Breaking their fast together with their friends and family allows them to strengthen relationship ties and develop closer bonds. It is precisely for the reasons stated above that the Toyota Eco Rangers Club organised a fast-breaking banquet on the 27th of August for the Muslim members of the club which was held at our project manager, Farhanah Adam Malik's house situated in Petaling Jaya.

The event started at 6.00pm with the reading of the Yasin. The Solat Hajat was then performed as majority of the members are taking their PMR examinations this year. Then, we prepared and laid the food out to break our fast. We then ate a little bit when Maghrib time started and then performed the Maghrib prayers together. Then, we ate the meals prepared and rested for a while. When it was Isyak time, we performed the Isyak prayers followed by the Terawih prayers. All prayers were done together to strengthen the bond between the members. After all the prayers were done, members ate some fruits while chatting before going home at 10.00pm. 

This event has successfully strengthened the bond between members of the Toyota Eco Rangers club, on top of giving Muslim members the opportunity to seek the blessings of their higher deity for their upcoming PMR examinations together. We hope that more events such as this would be organised in the future.

♥ Earth Song by the late Micheal Jackson

Earth Song, by the late Micheal Jackson, has never failed to touch people's hearts by the clear message that it brings. The environmental message that it emits is beautifully conveyed through melodious music and breathtaking factual visuals. This song has broken barriers of language, brought nations together and brought tears to thousands of people who realize that this world is theirs to take care of, and not the other way round. I hope that this video touches the hearts of Malaysians and reminds us that the world is changing at an incredibly fast rate--It's time to step up and take responsibility for our actions. 

Before it's too late.

♥ Ecobots Planning Process

Our planning process! Ahh, it wasn't easy, but we finally came up with the blueprints (literally) for the Ecobots. This is just the rough draft, though. The robot's going to turn out much better than my less-than-average drawings. (: Below are the planning process pictures with the rest of the Ecobots members! 

Umm. No comment. :P

Navina drew the robot on the board, really.

Looking on in amusement at the drawings :)

Aini copying the details on the board

Checking the materials available for the building process

Climate Change

Climate change is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet. The European Union is working actively for a global agreement to control climate change and is taking domestic action to achieve substantial reductions in its own contribution. It is also developing a European strategy for adapting to climate change.
The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that the Earth's average surface temperature has risen by 0.76° C since 1850. Most of the warming over the past 50 years is very likely to have been caused by emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other 'greenhouse gases' from human activities.
Without action to reduce these emissions, the global average temperature is likely to rise by a further 1.8-4.0°C this century, and by up to 6.4°C in the worst case scenario, the IPCC projects. Even the lower end of this range would take the temperature increase since pre-industrial times above 2°C - the threshold beyond which many scientists believe irreversible and possibly catastrophic changes would become more likely.
The European Union has long been at the forefront of international efforts to combat climate change and was instrumental in the development of the two United Nations climate treaties, the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, agreed in 1997.
The EU has also been taking steps to limit its greenhouse gas emissions since the early 1990s.
In 2000 the European Commission launched the European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) which has led to the adoption of a wide range of new policies and measures, including the pioneering EU Emissions Trading System.
The Kyoto Protocol requires the 15 countries that were EU members at the time ('EU-15') to reduce their collective emissions in the 2008-2012 period to 8% below 1990 levels. Emissions monitoring and projections show that the EU-15 is well on track to meet this target.
In 2007 EU leaders endorsed an integrated approach to climate and energy policy and committed to transforming Europe into a highly energy-efficient, low carbon economy. They made a unilateral commitment that Europe would cut its emissions by at least 20% of 1990 levels by 2020. This commitment is being implemented through a package of binding legislation.
The EU has also offered to increase its emissions reduction to 30% by 2020, on condition that other major emitting countries in the developed and developing worlds commit to do their fair share under a future global climate agreement. This agreement should take effect at the start of 2013 when the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period will have expired.
The Copenhagen Accord reached in December 2009 represents a step towards such an agreement. The EU is pressing for a global deal that is ambitious, comprehensive and legally binding.

How to recycle paper

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Brown Paper Bags
• Old Newspapers
• Recycle Bins
• Twine
• Twine

1. 1
   Check with your county department of public works to find out about local curbside recycling programs and community drop-off centers, or look under "Recycling" in the yellow pages. Also call 1 (800) CLEANUP for state recycling information.
2. 2
   Separate paper into three groups: white office paper, newspaper, and mixed-color paper. Most curbside programs will collect it this way.
3. 3
   Recycle all white office paper (usually from laser printers or copiers) together. Be sure to remove the wrappers they come in. These are a lower grade of paper and cannot be recycled with the white office paper and should be recycled with mixed-color paper.
4. 4
   Take newspapers, and place them in brown bags, which can be recycled with newspapers, or tie them in bundles with twine (a natural fiber). Colored advertising inserts can also be recycled with newspapers. Be sure to remove rubber bands, plastic and anything that is not paper.
5. 5
   Place all mixed-color paper together. This includes anything from magazines to junk mail. Staples do not need to be removed. Remove all plastic stickers, membership cards and anything that is not paper.
6. 6
   Contact the American Forest & Paper Association for more information about recycling paper.

Tips & Warnings

• Some community recycling programs will let you recycle your old phone books either at the curb or once a year when the new ones come out. Check with your community's recycling program for more information.
• Carbon paper, paper that is wax coated or stained with oil or food, tissue, sanitary products, thermal fax paper, juice boxes, fast food wrappers, pet food bags are not recyclable unless noted.

How to conserve electricity

Instructions

1. 1
   Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Using a power strip makes it easier to conserve electricity because you just have to unplug one cord instead of many. Also unplug any chargers that aren't in use because they still use electricity even when they're not actively charging something.
2. 2
   Set your thermostat at a reasonable temperature. Set it as high or as low as you need to be comfortable, but don't heat or cool excessively.
3. 3
   Use your appliances efficiently to conserve electricity. Refrain from opening your oven unnecessarily because it has to work harder and use more energy to heat back up; only run the dishwasher when it is fully loaded; adjust the water level on the washing machine for smaller loads and clean out the lint filter in your drier before every load.
4. 4
   Turn off the lights when you leave a room. If your lights have a dimmer switch, dim the lights as much as possible. Also use sunlight to your advantage during the day and turn off artificial lighting.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave the thermostat on when you leave the house. The air conditioner or heater has to work twice as hard when you turn it back on.
• Hang clothes on a clothesline instead of using a drier to conserve electricity.

Ramadhan Al- Mubarak Is Here

Assalamualaikum to all my fellow muslim friends and readers of our Eco Ranger Blog.

On behalf of all the members of Eco Rangers, we would like to wish all of you Happy Fasting. May Allah s.w.t bless us all in every aspect of life in this holy month of Ramadhan. I know that is already the 3rd week that we are fasting, however, we hope that it is still not too late for us to wish all of you!

Just for your information, we will be continuing our Eco Ranger activities throughout this month, not making fasting as an excuse! However, we are slowing down slightly in carrying out our major projects as our PMR examinations are just around the corner. We will try our very best to continue updating this blog and updating all of you about the latest environmental issues. So, all we need right now, is your support!

Regards,
Farhanah.

Organic Day

Hello there, everyone!

We, the members of the Toyota Eco Rangers team would like to apologize to everyone who visited our blog for not updating it. Actually, we have just finished our PMR trials!

Anyway, I would like to update about an event, called the Organic Day, which was attended by myself , Syafiqah and Ili on the 4th of July. I know that it has been a long time since the event had taken place, but I guess that there  is no harm blogging about it now right?

Well, let me start it this way. On a fine Sunday morning, all of us gathered at my house at about 9 am and my mom sent us to the Organic Day which took place at Jalan Padang, SS2. We arrived at the place about 9.30 am and started looking around the exhibition. Of all things that could have happened, it started raining cats and dogs, and we only had an umbrella to be shared by all 3 of us. Since we were enthusiastic and eager to visit the booths at the exhibition, we went around and learnt many new things about Organic food, fertilizers and plants under that one umbrella. Although we got wet slightly, in the rain, we really did not mind as we managed to learn and gain more knowledge on how to save mother nature :)

Ili with the umbrella :)

Myself and Ili at the entrance of the Exhibition

The organic food sold at the exhibition

That is all I have to say about the Organic Day. Till then, Sayonara!

♥ Environment Trivia!

Down To Earth - Part 1

1. When was the first Earth Day celebrated?
A. March 21, 1970
B. April 22, 1970
C. May 21, 1970
D. June 22, 1970

A. March 21, 1970
QQ: First celebrated in the U.S. on this date, it has been celebrated each year thereafter at the United Nations, bringing attention to its original purpose: peace, justice and the care of Earth.

2. The world's first national park was started in 1872 in which country?
A. Corbett National Park in India
B. Kruger National Park in South Africa
C. Ordesa National Park in Spain
D. Yellowstone National Park in U.S.

D. Yellowstone National Park in U.S.
QQ: Yellowstone becomes the world's first national park in 1872. Since then countries around the world have established more than 4000 national parks and preserves.

3. Where was the first major international conference on environmental issues?
A. America
B. Britain
C. China
D. Sweden

D. Sweden
QQ: The first major international conference on environmental issues was held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972 and was sponsored by the United Nations.

4. Where was the first wildlife refuge formed in 1903?
A. Mai Po Marsh Reserve in Hong Kong
B. Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, US
C. Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada
D. Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

B. Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, US
QQ: Founded in 1925 Virunga National Park is the oldest wildlife park in Africa and Elk Island National Park was founded in 1913.

5. Why did founder John McConnell choose March 21 as Earth Day?
A. March Vernal Equinox
B. His birthday
C. It was the only date free at the party house
D. March needed more holidays

A. March Vernal Equinox
QQ: He though using the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere to be a good date to celebrate the earth.

6. Who is the patron saint of ecologists?
A. Saint Francis
B. Saint Patrick
C. Saint Valentine
D. Saint Nick

A. Saint Francis
QQ: In 1980, Pope John Paul II proclaimed him the patron saint of ecologists. In art, the emblems of St. Francis are the wolf, the lamb, the fish, birds, and the stigmata.

♥ Robot fish--Showcasing technological progress

Breathtaking! It sure is an innovative idea. :D The video above shows a robotic fish developed by scientists from Essex University is put through its paces in a special tank at the London Aquarium. It works via sensors and has autonomous navigational control.

♥ The world's first Robot Violinist

Incredible, a robot that can play the violin! 

I'm sure that most of us here, sadly, can't play the stringed instrument as well as the robot above. The Robot Violinist is part of a demonstration to show how consumer robots can be used in homes, factories or public places in the near future.

Activity 6

Monday, 2 August 2010

Armed by our awesome robot making skill that we picked up during the aforementioned Robot Workshop, we started making our Water Transformers.

Our kind Teacher advisor, Pn Izan helped us throughout our 1.30 hour robot making session. Our mission was to only cut the pipes for our robot. We were of course, clueless. But the jig saw saved the day. It came naturally we can only say. The pipes cutting skill, I mean. We were cutting like pro. And don't worry, no missing fingers on anyone's part. So pipe cutting operation: SUCCESS.

Next, we tried making holes on our bottles. Weehooo. :D Yes, we were clueless again. We tried using a drill but alas, none of us was strong enough to hold the bottle still. So in the end, we settled on the pateri thingy that you use in making a litar thingy:

We succeeded in making holes. The smell of burning plastics didn't bother us one bit. And we're still alive now so I don't think there's any chemical poisoning in anyone. HEHE.

We concluded that session as successful. We are one step closer into debuting our Water Transformers! Stay tune. :D

Jannatul trying to make a hole into the plastic bottle.

Natasyah trying to figure out how to make the holes.

Adina and Elsa cutting the pipe.

Love,

Water Transformers.

Activity 6

Monday, 2 August 2010

Armed by our awesome robot making skill that we picked up during the aforementioned Robot Workshop, we started making our Water Transformers.

Our kind Teacher advisor, Pn Izan helped us throughout our 1.30 hour robot making session. Our mission was to only cut the pipes for our robot. We were of course, clueless. But the jig saw saved the day. It came naturally we can only say. The pipes cutting skill, I mean. We were cutting like pro. And don't worry, no missing fingers on anyone's part. So pipe cutting operation: SUCCESS.

Next, we tried making holes on our bottles. Weehooo. :D Yes, we were clueless again. We tried using a drill but alas, none of us was strong enough to hold the bottle still. So in the end, we settled on the pateri thingy that you use in making a litar thingy:

We succeeded in making holes. The smell of burning plastics didn't bother us one bit. And we're still alive now so I don't think there's any chemical poisoning in anyone. HEHE.

We concluded that session as successful. We are one step closer into debuting our Water Transformers! Stay tune. :D

Jannatul trying to make a hole into the plastic bottle.

Natasyah trying to figure out how to make the holes.

Adina and Elsa cutting the pipe.

Love,

Water Transformers.

Activity 5

Tuesday, 30 July 2010

We decided to hold a recycling competition as our aim in this competition isn't only to win, but to also instill awareness in conserving the environment.

We got enthusiastic participants from all over the school. We'd like to wish everyone a biiggg thanks. We will use the parts for the robot.

Thank you, especially to 3 Hormat as they were the one who gave us most recycling materials.

We hope that our robot had make a slight difference in this world.

Love,

Water Transformers.

Activity 5

Tuesday, 30 July 2010

We decided to hold a recycling competition as our aim in this competition isn't only to win, but to also instill awareness in conserving the environment.

We got enthusiastic participants from all over the school. We'd like to wish everyone a biiggg thanks. We will use the parts for the robot.

Thank you, especially to 3 Hormat as they were the one who gave us most recycling materials.

We hope that our robot had make a slight difference in this world.

Love,

Water Transformers.

Activity 3

Monday, 2nd August 2010
The first thought that came to us when we were told the blog is one of the judging criteria was; GREAT! Because it means the blog could, not only document our journey in making the robot, it can also be the perfect medium for us to document our journey in spreading awareness. And so, on the fateful day of 2nd August 2010, we decided to launch our very own Water Conservation and Recycling Campaign.
It was launched by our very own Headmistress, Pn Alainal Hasani. Elsa and Natasyah were the one who gave the opening speech and looking at the excited faces of our fellow schoolmates, we were actually motivated to educate everyone about the importance of saving water.
It was rather ceremonious when Puan Alainal put the sash around our robot marking a beautiful start to a very beautiful journey. We are going to install awareness in every single person in that school and nobody can stop us.

Elsa and Natasyah giving their speech.

Our headmistress putting a sach on our first robot.

Our headmistress with our first robot.

Our first robot (;

Love,

Water Transformers.