Daniel Yen's Blog
Technology, Web Convergence, Consumer & Business Intelligence and Quantum Sciences

The Environment is so Hot right now … pardon the Pun!

Wherever I turn and look, articles, documentaries and discussion points are mounting and the public’s mind and attention is Galvanizing when it comes to saving our Planet. Soon we will hopefully have Critical Mass such that there is enough of a quantum consciousness shift in the minds of people. Its not too late to make a difference and this does not mean becoming a hemp wearing hippie or to curb our lifestyle.

We should NO longer pollute and throw away as we used to. It is a shame that most governments seem to either be lacking in initiatives, thought leadership or simply don’t care! Living in Asia, I can see countless opportunities for people to put their rubbish into a few bins. A defacto accepted standard in Australia where I lived for many years, I can’t seem to be able to recycle my bottles of wine or sauce. And yet, I apparently live in one of the most forward thinking modern building on Hong Kong side.

On the street, one can often see old men and women sorting through one-bin-fits-all rubbish bins on the streets of Hong Kong. They are looking for recyclables that are then bundled and sent to recyclable processing plants. I simply can’t believe that such little respect and regard for Human dignity happens right here. Would it be simpler and more effective/efficient to have at least 4 bins: paper, glass, plastics, and then non-recyclables or perhaps organic rubbish? What’s sad is they are sorting through all kinds of rubbish including bags full of Dog Poo. That’s another subject matter in its own right. Yes, we all find those cuddly fuzzy designer dogs cure and I want one too but not in Hong Kong my friends. There is hardly enough space for Humans to walk on the pavement.

Back to my original theme  … as always, it can be a matter of Economics in state of play. Those senior citizens work on a weighting basis. They make a few dollars based on how much rubbish they collect. As such it is a zero cost collection logistics for the Government. In fact, recently an article came out where the recyclable collections plants had altered the weighing scales to allegedly “cheat” those rubbish collections people – investigations pending. Yes folks, cheating old people who went our looking for recyclables from street bins!

However, no matter how much we become good and effective at collective rubbish, sorting it and hopefully recycling, it is simply not enough. It will never be enough because the world’s population is transforming and more affluence is being created every day. More people are coming out of a subsistence living and wanting the same things we all want: comfort, the enjoyment of products and services and whole-hearted adoption of Consumerism. It is a Consumerism Tsunami we cannot stop nor avoid. Rather than dilly into what is right or wrong, we need to look at practical ways to manage all of that current and future explosive demand. Demand for cars, air-conditioning, red meat, consumer products of all kinds from Fizzy drinks to exotic seafood or otherwise.

I have this deeply engrained belief since my childhood that there is always a solution. In fact there are many. Whilst the common thread of discussions those days are focused on developing public and corporate awareness as well as corporate social responsibility and louder voices on sustainable renewable resources. Perhaps it all starts with a simple analysis. Since we are on the subject of Rubbish, let’s get to the Root Source of this emerging problem. There are several issues we need to recap on first:

• Rubbish is thrown away
• It is sometimes collected and recycled
• Recycling is not perfect – meaning we recover some but not all of what we have.
• It takes sometimes a slight additional toll on the environment in recycling material like Paper
• The vast majority of rubbish goes to the tip
• We are running out of Landfills
• Some municipalities in part of Asia like China build Incinerators to cope with increasing rubbish
• Incinerators spew out Toxins
• Children get sick.
• CFC and other toxins like Lead and Sulphur Dioxide (cause of Acid Rain) goes into our atmosphere
• Burning rubbish releases Carbon Dioxide
• Co2 stands at 385 parts per million molecules of air in the atmosphere and growing.
• Carbon Dioxide causes Global Warming and Toxins kills our Ozone and affects our health – it is deadly
• A warmer planet heats the oceans, which expands – yes like a hot air balloon
• Polar caps melt – the North Pole passage from Europe to North Asia via the North Pole is now open for the first time since modern civilization.
• Oceans rise and the Maldives and Vanuatu disappears from existence – I smell a lawsuit L
• Commercial interest will use that shorter North Pole passage and save on fuel – a good thing
• Oil Companies can now easily explore oil reserves in the North Pole – not really a great thing.
• The cycle of abuse perpetrates and this list could go on forever

Being in Sales and Business, I understand the commercial model of capitalism all too well. Business need to compete and be successful. This is a function of the value they create via products and services that are consumed by the emerging affluence in the world. Jobs are created, families are fed and life goes on. Underpinning all of that is our innate desire to have a “better” life. Better perhaps for now and for some time but perhaps it may be at the expense of future generations though.

In this capitalist free economy model, people strive to create commercial successful products and services. To do all of that takes energy, this comes from renewable or non-renewable sources. Usually coal and petrol as they are relatively cheap! Herein is the problem: cheap access to resources that unfortunately causes doing term damage to our own planet, our own backyard and now our own internal living room if you will follow my metaphor. No one would dream of throwing rubbish in the corner of their living room! And yet isn’t this one planet, albeit divided by a Group of far sighted and some short sighted people?

With cheaper energy and rising demand for goods and services, the global economy expands and the increasing affluence creates rising demands for products which can be manufactured cheaply and profitably as sold cheaply through economies of scale. Large volumes of products sold at minimal margins with excellent EBITS. Just think of new technologies like mobile 3G with a few thousand customers some 5 years back paying 10 Dollars per Megabyte to having wide acceptance and usage of 3G making the cost of Data cheap! Same applies to any product or service: when demand rises and commercial competition goes the way of discounting margins to tap into larger consumer bases, products get cheaper and cheaper. More people can afford it – which again sounds great and is good but once more at what cost and at what sustainability level?

Let me first of all start with a democratic statement. We cannot deny the new rising wealth in China, India, the emerging Asia and other parts of the world the same luxuries other developed nations have enjoyed for Decades. It would be hypocritical to have it all whilst criticizing those who never had it before or just starting to enjoy the fruits of their sacrifices and hard labor. In fact, looking at the industrial age and the manufacturing age (just run with me on this one) created similar issues in all developed countries in Europe, the US and Australia. In fact, I recall reading and articles where Ex PM Mr. Lee Kwan Yew swam in the Singapore River by Clarke Key after the Government had what had become a polluted sewer cleaned up. One cannot but respect a leader who walks the talk and leads by example. I imagine the pollution was due to manufacturing and other light industrial businesses as most modern green cities of today originally were heavily reliant on manufacturing.

The point is that all nations go through that process. The problem is that the consumption curve is rising at an exponential rate with China and also India’s rising affluence and massive industrialization and development of infrastructure like roads, hospitals, airports, and apartment blocks, air conditioned offices, cars and demand for luxury products and foods. Whilst there is no stopping all of that what do we do? Where do we start, where do we go from here and what can we easily do Today!!

I have been thinking a lot more about this is the very little precious personal time I have had in the crazy last 2 years of my professional life. And here it is. The other night I was thinking about all that rubbish that gets generated. I recall being thirsty, buying a bottle of water, drinking it in a few gulps and looking at what to do with that still clean plastic bottle. A conundrum in that I can’t keep them all. Too many bottles are already stored in my cup boards. And strange as it might sound, I have experienced guilt and shame in throwing a perfectly good bottle in the bin, knowing it might either go to a landfill to rot over the next 100 years or into an incinerator to release toxic gases and warm up the planet. Then I thought of many more people who also throw away (sometimes even more) plastic or glass bottles. What to do, bring liters of water with me wherever I go? Not drink? Dehydration is not a great idea!

One Simple Solution to reducing the amount of Rubbish created:

Then I wondered if it was commercially and practically viable to have water dispensers – either filtered or even mineral water but instead of going into a convenience store to grab a ready to go bottle, just to have your own re-usable bottle, walk into a convenience store and for say 50 cents, refill it.

Considering a standard 380 mls bottle costs 3 HKD (1 SGD or 1.50 AUD due to market parity), the Convenience store could sell me 380 Mls for say 1.50 HKD. The cost of bottling and the cost of the actual plastic bottle are taken out of the cost of goods and hence the Drink Manufacturer saves on the cost. Just bring in all in a huge Keg. The convenience store gets a similar if not better margin on the sale of drinks like water. Consumers also win as they get to quench their thirst for half price. The landfills and incinerators get some relief and the environment wins!

I also thought about the hygiene issues and came up with this. Perhaps a recyclable funnel you get before getting access to your drink dispenser which can be put into your water bottle or if the opening of your re-usable bottle is wide enough then there is no need. Just the areas around the drink dispenser teat must be sterilized at all times via UV discharge or using an ultra-sonic beam – possibly can be built into the machine at hopefully little cost.

If it is equally easy to have Drink Machines dishing out instant coffee and hot drinks why can’t we design a machine that dispenses Drinks like Water or Coke into your own Bottle. Why not make the bottles Fashionable and Funky? Plenty of models, Actors and Celebrities are around to promote the idea and make it desirable.

Instead of buying a drink bottle at a Convenience store or a Paper/Plastic/Foam (even worse) Cup at as Fast food joint, using our water/drink dispenser and using your own carry on Drink Bottle that you take around with you the same way we are used to carrying our wallets, mobile phone and other paraphernalia. How easy is it to carry around a small bottle of water looking something like this picture ? Damn it, can’t be that hard to bring your own filtered water from home.

There are several solutions to this problem without having to put a complete stop to rising consumerism, convenience or comfort. We all know what some of the well known solutions are for the most part and yet, let’s review in terms of solving issues around the product value chain, logistical issues and finally through the “right” education.

• Recycling – whilst may not be perfect ( I still think excessive consumptions needs to be kept in check) is good. Apparently 1 Ton of Mobile phone (fashion cycles) can yield 400 gms of pure Gold! This can be quite a profitable lah!
• Renewable Energy: the cost of Solar compared to Coal is still too high – though those who can afford it should really go for that option
• CSR or Citizen Social Responsibility should be taught in primary school when those young minds can be taught to think for themselves as to what is going on around them. It is not a trendy concept or buzz word used by power hungry executives or an excuse for a tax break, ok?
• Education is a big issue: Children are taught information that is not particularly relevant into the information age of today.  As we grapple with a Planet in Crisis, what are the Adults of tomorrow being taught today? How much are we educating the Youth of Today about being capable and Empowered ambassadors and healers of our Planet of tomorrow? How much understanding and common sense can we pass on to those whose Values are being influenced by Consumerism without an understanding of the eventual cost we all have to pay one day?
• Bio Engineered Bacteria to clean up from Toxic Spills to Organic Rubbish. I understand that large vats of Organic Rubbish in Air Tight Seals can incubate and generate Methane. What a great idea. I think this topic deserves its own Subject Matter.

• Finally Public Environmental Policing: Cigarette Butts: Why not make the cost of cleaning Cigarette butt a user pay problem?  how can flicking a cigarette butt on the ground and squashing it on the ground be good for mother Earth … yes the one who gave us birth and feeds us today

These above will form part of an extensive series of articles going forward which I for a start will be only too happy to write about and for some who do read this, I hope it makes sense and is equally of interest.