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    23 August 2012| last updated at 11:42PM

    ENVIRONMENT: There are many ways you can go green



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    WORLD Environment Day, themed "Green economy -- does it include you?" was celebrated on June 5. How can Malaysians help the environment, our wallets and our health?

    We should cut meat consumption to once a week as mass meat production is responsible for 20 per cent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions.

    We should buy seasonal and locally grown produce, preferably from local farmers' markets. These generally don't need pesticides and fertilisers as the nutrients they need are in the soil.

    The reason why pumpkins and other produce that are orange in colour grow in autumn and winter is they are "good mood" foods.

    We should go organic when it comes to chicken, eggs and milk as processed food contains chemical ingredients that are foreign to our body. These chemicals invariably end up in our liver.

    Again, there are other environmentally friendly activities that can be encouraged, such as reducing usage of or refusing plastic bags, having rooftop gardens, growing herbs and vegetables and rainwater harvesting.

    We can also use roof insulation material such as mineral wool slabs to reduce heat entering homes.

    Similarly, we can cool our homes with insulated walls and more effectively glazed windows and shades over windows.

    Another simple but generally less-known tip is to keep the windows closed during the day to prevent the hotter air outside from entering the house.

    Opening windows in the later part of the evening when the outside air has cooled allows air without heat to enter the house.

    I hope the government can help Malaysians, especially the less affluent who cannot afford air-conditioning, with financial support to install effective insulation for roofs and windows.

    Bulbir Singh, Seremban, Negri Sembilan

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